Open House 2025: 5 seriously cool private London homes you can explore that are normally closed to the public

London’s annual Open House Festival is back this September, and it’s looking bigger and better than ever before, with over 800 events taking place across all 33 London boroughs over two consecutive weekends.

As well as offering Londoners the chance to go behind-the-scenes at a bunch of iconic buildings that are usually closed to the public – you can even enter a ballot for a tour of the Prime Minister’s gaff – its programme also features free private tours of dozens of architecturally impressive private homes. 

RECOMMENDED: Five iconic London buildings you’ll be able to access for free in Open House 2025.

Maybe you’re the kind of curtain-twitching neighbour that’d love nothing more than a good old snoop around the big fancy gaff at the end of your street, or maybe you’re just looking for some inspiration for your home renovation project. Either way, don’t miss your chance to tour these five remarkable properties. 

The Green House, South Tottenham

This South Tottenham marvel is an ordinary family home – with a difference. It's inspired by the greenhouses that once sat on the site, making it a plant and light-filled marvel. Architects Hayhurst & Co’s award-winning 2021 design takes the familiar outlines of a classic British terraced house and reimagines them in elegant panels of polycarbonate and concrete blocks, creating an eco-friendly space that’s worlds way from your average cramped London gaff. There are plenty of ideas you could bring home with you, though, like practical room-dividing curtains or tactile recycled cork floors.

25 Jansons Road, N15 4JU. Sat Sep 13. Free. Book here.

The Triangle House, Hampstead

We all know space is at a premium in London, but this Hampstead micro home is next level. Winner of the 2024 ‘Don't Move Improve’ award for best project under £100,000, it’s squashed into just 39 square metres, turning a former mechanic’s garage into a practical little pad. Go along to marvel at its sliding beds, triangular sofas and pocket garden: all with a bright and breezy aesthetic that somehow makes this tight plot feel spacious.

1A Glastonbury Street, NW6 1QJ. Sat Sep 13-Sun Sep 14. Free. Book here.

Six Columns, Crystal Palace

RIBA’s House of the Year in 2024, this family home in the leafy suburbs of south London was designed by and for architect William Burges. Its unassuming exterior sits inconspicuously alongside neighbouring properties, but peek inside and you’ll find all sorts of characterful details, including stepping brickwork, sliding pinewood partitions, clerestory windows and an impressive marble and concrete entrance loggia. 

29A Dulwich Wood Avenue, SE19 1HG. Sat Sep 20. Free. Book here.

The Twin House, Hackney Downs

Featured in the most recent series of ‘Grand Designs’, this sustainable house was designed by architect Graeme Williamson as a home for his and his partner Melanie’s blended family. A double-gabled structure that subtly references the family unit within, it features an upside-down layout, with bedrooms on the ground floor and basement levels, and communal spaces upstairs. Make like Kevin McCloud and have a good old nosy at its gorgeous details, including red cement cladding, a spiral staircase and full-height windows overlooking the rear garden.

19 Maury Road, N16 7BP. Sat Sep 20. Free. Book here.

Walter Segal Self-Build Houses, Honor Oak

Building your own home is the dream, right? But not many people have the steely nerves and bottomless bank accounts you need to knock one up from scratch. That’s where visionary architect Walter Segal comes in. He developed a modular system to help ordinary people create affordable homes from scratch, working together to build mini communities. London's tight planning laws mean his ideas didn't gain much traction, but this 1987 Honor Oak development is a vision of what could have been. 13 sustainable, timber-framed homes cluster together amongst the trees, each as unique as its owners. 

Walters Way, SE23 3LH. Sun Sep 21. Free. Book here. 

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