Delancey Street

Once the studio of comedy troupe Monty Python, now an impressive four-bedroom home for rent, this unique lateral space offers a slice of British cultural heritage.

Purpose-built in the 1980s, Milkwood Studios was originally used to produce and edit sketches from the acclaimed TV series Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Today, its creative roots have been rechannelled into a three-floor family home where impactful lateral living spaces continue to spark imagination and originality. First converted into a residential property a decade ago, more recently architects Powell Tuck Associates and interior designer Marianne Tiegen have further transformed the impressive framework, introducing additional daylight and a greater feeling of openness.

A sense of privacy prevails from the outset. Set behind a gated entrance that separates the property from its covered carport, a silver birch tree-lined path leads the way to a peaceful internal courtyard garden and a glass-clad hallway from which the living quarters unfold.

A staggering 4,000 square foot studio space plays a starring role in everyday life. Encompassing a floor-to-ceiling library as well as a kitchen, living and dining room, its expansive footprint is tied together with a palette of industrial materials. Polished concrete floors are complemented by a corrugated metal roof and exposed girders, while a central skylight and soaring, steel-framed glass doors usher in an abundance of natural light to soften the effect.

To one side, an 18-seater wooden dining table is surrounded by leather cantilever chairs by Mart Stam and Marcel Breuer, setting in motion a mid-century aesthetic. This flows into a central seating area where a pair of white tuxedo sofas are arranged around a statement burnished fireplace that adds warmth to the expanse. Finally, at the far end of the room, the kitchen has a restaurant quality finish. A row of sleek double-height cupboards are accessed via a sliding ladder, offering unending storage options. The culinary station is just as considered – wrapped in stainless steel, it features a double Wolf oven and a butcher’s block-style table for 10. To one side, a convenient utility room conceals the nuts and bolts. True to the building’s entertainment roots, this floor also compromises a cinema and a games room, together with a second, more intimate reception room and a well-equipped gym, meaning all eventualities are catered for.

Bedrooms are arranged over three levels. On the first floor, the principal is conducive to rest and relaxation. Outlining a vaulted ceiling, black steel girders and exposed wooden struts accentuate the generous double-height proportions of the space, while a separate dressing room ensures everything has its place. A roof light dials up the sense of brightness in the adjoining bathroom, complete with a walk-in shower, freestanding bathtub and light stone finishes.

Also on this floor, an all-white guest bedroom is served by a dramatic, charcoal black bathroom where dark walls and wooden floors bring a moodier atmosphere. Above, a conservatory room doubles as a bright bedroom. From here, access an expansive roof terrace finished with leafy planting – an unexpected urban oasis in North London.