[title]
We’re just weeks away from the most enjoyable time of year for nosy parkers: Open House Festival (Sep 12-26), when buildings across the city throw open their doors and fling wide their gates so that ordinary people can have a good poke about. It’s an excellent chance to explore iconic London buildings like the BT Tower or Senate House.
But step away from the landmarks and you’ll find even more intriguing places to explore. Homeowners across London are spending the summer heroically hoovering and battling clutter before they invite members of the public to admire their pristine interiors. From minimal architectural masterpieces to eco homes to historical treasures, here are the awe-inspiring private residences you shouldn’t miss this September.
The 6 best London private residences to visit during Open House 2026
1. Wood House, Harrow
If you’ve got a thing for sloping-ceilinged attic rooms, you’ll fall in love with the complex angled surfaces at this geometrically-advanced self-build. It’s only just been completed by architects 538 Works, who wanted to show how state-of-the-art timber engineering and traditional craftsmanship can come together to create a low-energy home. Join a tour to learn more about why its creators decided to build a wooden house on an ordinary street of traditional brick semis, and to find out what it’s like to craft your own home from scratch.
102 Draycott Avenue, HA3 0DD. Sun Sep 13. Free. Book here.
2. Rogers House, Wimbledon
This dramatic, glass-walled residence is the kind of thing you’d expect to see in Hollywood, not Wimbledon Common. But pioneering architects Richard + Su Rogers had a vision that looked far beyond polite English tradition. Between 1968 and 1970, they designed this bold Californian-inspired home for Richard’s parents to retire into, building in sliding partitions and hidden storage to create a flexible, streamlined space. Now, it’s earned Grade II* listed status for its role in modernist design history – and because London’s strict planning laws mean you’re unlikely to find a house like this anywhere else in the city.
22 Parkside, SW19 5NA. Sat Sep 12. Free. Book here.
3. Trellick Tower, Kensal Town
For some, it’ll always be a monolithic monstrosity, towering above west London. But a growing band of architecture fans are reappraising this pioneering block of flats by the visionary Erno Goldfinger (1902-1987). Book a guided tour and you’ll hear all about how the Trellick Tower helped revolutionise the early 1970s urban landscape. And you’ll also hear about this 31-storey building’s unique, and often lost design features, including a laundry, a club room, and a boiler room projecting out from its roof.
5 Golborne Road, W10 5UT. Sun Sep 13. Free. Book here.
4. Tin House, Shepherd’s Bush
As you may or may not remember from primary school history lessons, the ancient Romans loved to build their houses round courtyards, centring on a tranquil pool of water. It’s a structure you wouldn’t expect to find in busy Shepherd’s Bush Market, but for architects Henning Stummel, it was the only sensible way to make use of an oddly shaped-site, overlooked by other houses on all sides. A series of striking, orange tin-walled pavilions surround a central atrium, lit by parallelogram-shaped windows in their sloped ceilings. So far, so modern. But there’s also a little olive tree and a rectangular pond, as a nod to its Mediterranean inspiration.
Smugglers Yard, 105 Devonport Road, W12 8PB. Sat Sep 12. Free. Book here.
5. St Pancras Chambers and Clock Tower, King’s Cross
So far, this list has all been fancy schmancy architects showing off their clean lines and advanced understandings of geometry. If you’d prefer some good old-fashioned Victorian gothic splendour, then this one’s for you. The St Pancras Renaissance redevelopment brought a splendid old red brick building back to life after decades of neglect. Admire its stone-edged gothic windows, imposing lobby and whimsical clock on this tour of its apartments, which tells the story of how this looming landmark came back from the dead.
Euston Road, NW1 2AR. Sat Sep 12. Free. Book here.
6. Hermitage Community Moorings, Wapping
Dreaming of living on a barge is a London rite of passage. Water views, ducks as neighbours, and no malevolent landlords... what’s not to love? Take your nautical fantasies to the next level by making a visit to utopian river community Hermitage Community Moorings, a collection of historic vessels just downstream from Tower Bridge. Make your way along its floating walkways and you’ll find the Pier House, a community centre on the water with stellar views of the London skyline.
16 Wapping High Street, E1W 1NG. Sat Sep 19-Sun Sep 20. Free. Book here.
Did you see that the the first ever Time Out Market London is coming to Piccadilly?
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.