For agents who thought mid-century Californian architecture couldn’t survive a murky British winter, a spectacular waterside compound in the village of Wraysbury has hit the market to prove that West Coast luxury translates surprisingly well to the Thames Valley.
Listed with agency Waterview for £5,500,000 ($10.5 million AUD), Friary House is a 3,805-square-foot custom estate on Friary Island, Staines-upon-Thames.
The story behind it is entirely true: the home was rebuilt in 2016 as a near-exact copy of the current owner’s sister’s house in Malibu, replacing a run-down dwelling where wild trees were literally pushing up through the floorboards.
To make the ambitious redevelopment work, architect Tegwynne Goldthorpe had to physically redirect a backwater creek running through the plot and completely reshape the land.
Drawing heavy inspiration from self-taught American modernist Harry Gesner – celebrated for his site-specific 1960s and 70s Californian coastal creations built around maximising water views – the estate sits elevated on stilts to handle Thames water fluctuations with ease.
The striking exterior pairs smooth white render with rust-, bronze-, and slate-toned Brazilian tiles, anchored by an entrance tower clad in gold fish-scale tiles that houses a spiral staircase built by an Irish concrete specialist.
Inside, the three-structure compound – comprising a five-bedroom, five-bathroom main house, a self-contained one-bedroom guest annexe over a double garage, and separate staff quarters – opens into a double-height reception room stretching almost 45 feet, complete with soaring plywood timber-lined ceilings and angular floor-to-ceiling glass.
The home features a lacquered timber kitchen, an upper gallery mezzanine, a custom subterranean wine cellar and bar, and a full-width riverfront deck fitted with a resistance swimming pool.
Outside, steps lead down to riverside gardens, an outdoor barbecue kitchen, and 150 feet of private main river frontage with moorings for two boats.
“From Chelsea to Marlow, I have never seen a property like this,” said Soren Ravaux, Director at Waterview.
“What sets Friary House apart is that it’s really a small estate rather than a single home. It combines a formal house for entertaining, a guest annexe, staff accommodation and 150ft of private river frontage, all within a short drive of Heathrow. This isn’t a house that borrows a few Californian details – it brings the character of Malibu coastal living to the Thames.”
View the listing here.