Handsomely moored on the southern banks of the Thames, Bosco is a spectacularly converted 1950s Dutch barge with a rare 120-year mooring on Oyster Pier in Battersea. She was designed by LAB Architects for their own family and contains three bedrooms, two living spaces, a utility room, an open-plan kitchen/dining room, and a sublime winter garden on the deck. With over 2,150 sq ft of internal space, Bosco offers all the benefits of a fantastic family home, with the unique addition of the tranquillity that comes with life on the river. And, as a houseboat, Bosco is also exempt from stamp duty.

The Barge

In her commercial past, Bosco was a cargo barge traversing the European waterways carrying grain and coal. In order to transform her into a comfortable family home, the vessel required complete re-engineering; a new steel and glass top section was designed, while the internal space was laid out in a way that complemented the rhythm of the existing brass portholes.

The vessel is being sold together with a secure private 40 metre mooring at Oyster Pier with a rare leasehold tenure in excess of 100 years.

The Tour

The light-filled entrance, accessed from the central deck, affords broad, uninterrupted views across the Thames and over to Imperial Wharf on the North Bank. A Carrara marble island discreetly accommodates a wine fridge and storage while providing an occasional space to work or have breakfast. Carrara continues for the worktops in the sunken kitchen. Stainless steel cabinets have been paired with oak wood panelling, and light pours in through a picture window and the glazed sections of the former wheelhouse.

The space below deck has been configured in three parts, each with its own staircase. The main bedroom and en suite bathroom lie at one end, the childrens’ quarters at the other, and there are social spaces in the middle. The main bedroom is situated within the stern and combines oak parquet flooring with birch ply skirting and ceilings framed by wood-panelled walls. There are also built-in wardrobes, providing plenty of storage. The en suite bathroom has a smart Victorian tiled floor and walls finished in aubergine polished plaster.

Oak parquet flooring leads into the main living space, where aubergine-painted walls are set against plywood ceilings. A log burner is tucked beneath the staircase to the upper deck. This central area of the plan also has a bathroom and a shower room and a corridor that serves as utility space and leads to the second reception space. This is currently used as a study with desks and a hanging chair for reading, but could also be used as a secondary living space. The plywood found on the ceilings of the main bedroom is mirrored to create a brilliant wide-board effect on the floor.

Two double cabin bedrooms lie beyond, both with built-in storage and a spare “shelf” bed for guests. A banquette-lined cinema room is cleverly sequestered in the bow.

In recognition of its quality of design, Bosco was also the feature of an article in a 2018 edition of World of Interiors.

Outdoor Space

The separate staircases lead up from the centre of the barge to the deck and into a superb winter garden; the architects liken this fully-glazed, rectilinear structure to a transparent sea container. It sits on a mirrored plinth, which adds to the minimal interior aesthetic, and maintains a unique angular form not often found in nautical design. Wide timber flooring inside creates a warm hue, complemented by natural blinds; the space itself is filled with greenery and is a wonderfully contemplative, peaceful environment. Heaters ensure the room is usable all year round.

The Area

Oyster Pier is just five minutes walk from the café culture of Battersea Square, which has many wonderful places to eat and drink, including Gordon Ramsay’s London House, Vinos y Licores, Melanzana, Ludlows, and Gail’s bakery. A little further down Battersea High Street is The Woodman Pub. The Royal College of Arts is a five-minute walk away and is building a new Herzog & de Meuron-designed campus. This will sit alongside the RCA’s existing Dyson, Woo and Sackler Buildings, expanding the existing Battersea cultural quarter, already home to Foster + Partners and Vivienne Westwood.

The nearest stations are Clapham Junction, Battersea Park and Queenstown Road, which run National Rail and Overground services. Trains run to Waterloo & Victoria every few minutes.

Council Tax Band: A

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.