In a surprisingly quiet London street find a red-brick, rectangular building – part of an ex-council block built in the 70s (with no access by car so you’ll have to be happy to lug your suitcase a bit). Inside (shoes off please) you’ll discover an entrance hall is filled with light, oatmeal carpets lead up to white walls, wooden floors and a healthy sprinkling of modern art, tapestry, ethnic fabrics, beautiful ceramic objects and city views. There’s a huge balcony/roof terrace running the length of the comfy living room with its glass doors, bringing the outdoors in: find a bench for dreaming, a little table and chairs, pretty pots of flowers and grasses. A simple, beautiful bedroom has pale oak floors, a low bed with a French white linen throw and a splosh of colour from a Tibetan runner hung on the wall; the loo and shower are separate and niftily-designed for extra space. There’s a good pub close but ardent cooks will not be disappointed with the black glossy cupboards in the kitchen and new pots and pans; basic ingredients are all here as this is where the owner lives when you are not there! No babbling TV.
John was very helpful before and during our stay. The flat was lovely - a perfect oasis of tranquility and calm in the middle of London and very reasonably priced. The coffee, wine, eggs, butter and milk provided by John was a lovely touch and greatly appreciated. Lots of fascinating reading material in the flat too. John's place is very handy for hopping on the underground (round the corner) and there is also lots to do locally. We walked to Highgate Cemetery, Waterlow Park and Lauderdale House and had a lovely meal in the Gate House, Highgate Village. We would definitely stay here again.