23 Kensington Place

23 Kensington Place is a modern house built in the late 20th century on a narrow site at the end of a terrace, occupying a corner location where Kensington Place meets Hillgate Street. The building is constructed of brick, with Staffordshire blue brick facing, and has a flat roof. Internally, the floors are linked by a spiral staircase that runs through all four levels and extends above the building line on Hillgate Street, providing access to a roof terrace.

The basement level contains a dining room and further rooms including a spare bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and utility room, with the kitchen leading directly to a sunken garden on the north side. The ground floor houses the entrance, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a garage, with the entrance raised slightly above street level via a short ramp. The first floor is a double-height, open-plan living room, featuring a gallery with a study that stretches diagonally across the room. A small terrace is located above the garage. The second floor incorporates a split-level roof terrace.

The Kensington Place elevation is narrow, and largely blank apart from a strip of windows. The Hillgate Street elevation is dominated by the cylindrical stair tower, balanced by a tall, narrow first-floor window and the projecting garage. An external staircase connects the house to the garage, leading down to the kitchen and basement garden. The north side is characterized by a glazed roof which slopes down to sliding doors leading to a terrace above the garage.

Internally, the walls are faced with Staffordshire blue brick, except for the party wall which is plastered. Partitions are of varnished beech ply. The double-height living room is a key feature, with a brick floor and double-height windows designed for privacy, and incorporates a later addition fireplace. Original fitted furniture remains, including cupboards and a dumbwaiter that serves all floors. The layout of the basement and ground floors has been altered, and the kitchen and bathroom have been refitted. The windows are double-glazed, with the exception of the glass dome above the stair tower.