Retreat, refresh
Islington is London at its breathless best. The cafes are thronged, the suits walk with long, busy strides and seekers after shopping find everything and anything in fashionable Upper Street. Which makes this home that bit more surprising. The briefest amble from the action, Goswell Road IV is light, airy and relaxed. All is brand new, be it the textured wallpaper, the neutral tones or the floor to ceiling windows. There’s even an elevator to ease the strain of those shopping bags. So pour a glass, flow onto the balcony and watch the world go by. Or, better still, hop downstairs to join it.
Slow down
Your hostess is retired and lives mostly in Moscow. Her son works for the UN, and her daughter is a video artist whose work is dotted impressively about the apartment.
Time out
This brand new development will surely meet your specifications. An escalator escorts you to your door, where light from the sitting room should lure you first onto its soft grey sofa. Flump down and flick on the TV, or ease wide the glass door for the first of two balconies. The kitchen is speckled with soft lighting and there’s space to satisfy every appetite. Dinner duly served, up to five can eat in elegance at the sophisticated table.
Both bedrooms open onto the spacious second balcony, the perfect spot for a fresh morning coffee. And you’re sure to have passed a pleasant night in the master, with its textured wallpaper, contemporary furniture and spangling ensuite. The sofa bedroom boasts a desk and lots of lovely daylight, while the bathroom is, of course, as new as can be.

Breathe easy
Nip along to Upper Street for some seriously good shopping, excellent cinemas and choice cafes. Gastronomes will like the taste of Clerkenwell’s eateries, including the mouthwatering Exmouth Market and the Michelin-starred St John. There’s Hoxton’s busy bars, the bustle of City and the cultural one-man-show that is the Barbican. All that, and the tube from Angel to Oxford Circus takes a mere eleven minutes.
.