This striking Highgate home offers a slice of Japanese minimalism in London

An utterly breathtaking Highgate home that was built to provide a beautiful oasis in the middle of London has gone on sale for £9.95 million.

While the outside is relatively unassuming, it opens up into a restorative retreat sunken into the hillside, set back from private Fitzroy Park, arguably Highgate’s finest road.

(Image credit: The Modern House)

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Designed by architects Stanton Williams, the 6,200 sq ft home offers a rare position overlooking woodland on the edge of Hampstead Heath.

Traversing a sloping rockery above an artificial stream, a footbridge leads to the main entrance, opening to a galleried reception that looks across the internal expanse. Ahead lies a corridor which leads to the rear terrace and pool area.

(Image credit: The Modern House)

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The corridor acts as a gallery, open to a 6.4m void on its left, and a series of flush-fitting hinged panels on the right concealing a cinema room and two bedrooms, both en suite and with access to the pool terrace.

(Image credit: The Modern House)

An open-tread staircase descends to the vast, free-flowing ground floor. Through the living and dining areas this remains open in plan with the kitchen situated at a diagonal beneath the upper terrace.

(Image credit: The Modern House)

(Image credit: The Modern House)

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The kitchen is by Boffi, as are the enormous internal sliding glass doors that offer, when needed, separation from the utility area and dining space.

(Image credit: The Modern House)

The reception boasts a stunning at-home work space and a piano, elegantly blending recreation and office life.

(Image credit: The Modern House)

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(Image credit: The Modern House)

A continuous theme throughout the house is interaction with the outside. On this level, wonderfully slim-sectioned floor-to-ceiling glazing by Vitrocsa minimises the boundary between the inside and out, and provides points of exit to the limestone terrace that wraps the lower level.

(Image credit: The Modern House)

The garden is beautifully arranged, retaining mature trees where possible and encased in cedar fencing on two sides.

(Image credit: The Modern House)

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On the upper level, there are four bedrooms each with en-suite shower room and their own recessed iroko-clad balconies. At the mid-point is a family bathroom and adjacent to it is a walk-in wardrobe which looks out over a green, sedum roof.

(Image credit: The Modern House)

Bathrooms are the epitome of pared-back luxury; wood-clad spa retreats providing a zen place for a seriously relaxing soak.

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(Image credit: The Modern House)

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Despite its palatial dimensions, the house was designed by the architects to be energy efficient and easy to run. Natural ventilation through upper-level clerestory windows mitigates any risk of the house overheating in summer months, while the swathes of south-facing glazing maximise solar gain in cooler periods.

The home is on the market with The Modern House for £9,950,000.