The Firs

BARNET TQ2687SE SPANIARDS END 31-0/29/10324 (West side) No.24 The Firs

II

Private house. 1959 by Patrick Gwynne for Mr Otto Edler. Curved brick end walls with various infill materials, monopitch roof. Truncated wedge plan with open-plan living space.

Engrance from double carport connected with canopy to frameless glass front door with steel jambs and fixed lights to sides. This centre bay is filled with vertical timber boarding above and flanked by brown bricks. White-painted timber fascia follows line of roof. South (garden) front has three bays of full-height steel-framed windows at both levels, with black rendered solid wallsing between. Centre bay of ground floor has single curved pane forming bow window over pool. Four steel columns rise through both storeys, supporting continuous first-floor metal balcony with timber rails and roof overhang. Rear elevation has infilling ochre coloured bricks on edge, not bonded. Single storey service building to rear with curved wall. Threshold of dark green terrazzo projects at and angle forming bridge over drainage trough at base of wall and continues into hall, changing into white tiles with green decoration in hallway. Red vertical tile with display recess on right-hand wall, with opening to cloakroom partly concealed behind vertically boarded stairwell, righing through two storeys with skylight over. Stair with timber treads on double pin supports from wall and black tubular steel string. White plastic coated tubular steel handrail with 'S' curve at base. Glass baluster plate to landing following curve. Main living room divided with sliding doors extending from full-height partitions, between study and living room veneered cupboards and fitted desk, between dining room and living room with marble facing to wall surrounding fireplace, with recessed display shelf over, changing to vertical boarding dining room side. This partition contains a concealed turntable for a television set, which can thus be viewed from either side. The ceiling is coved down to windows with a concealed curtain track. Central bow window has black tiled shelf. Woodblock floor. Kitchen connected to dining room with painted timber two-way unit and hatch, has irregular fixed island table and units to walls. The bedrooms are fitted with painted timber wardrobes. The client was introduced to Patrick Gwynne by the builder Leslie Bilsby, who later commissioned his own house from the architect. Edler's house has a more distinctly 1950s character than Gwynne's later work, with more dramatic variety in its finishes and contrasts of form and material. There is a similarly rich variety of fixtures in the interior. (Patrick Gwynne: Houses (privately printed, no date)).

Listing NGR: TQ2644887351