07 Jul Housebuilder Weston Homes has launched The Laundry Works in Watford, an £85m mixed-use development
Housebuilder Weston Homes has launched The Laundry Works in Watford, an £85m mixed-use development on the site of the old Watford Laundry Factory. The old Watford Laundry Factory provided services for London’s 5-star hotels along with The Old Bailey and Harrow School, with Weston Homes now paying homage to the site’s 105 year history by creating branded laundry bags alongside other branded items to display in the exciting new show home. The eight architecturally distinctive apartment buildings, that make up The Laundry Works, will provide 248 new one, two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses, set within a wide tree-lined boulevard with landscaped gardens throughout.
Bringing modern luxury to Watford, the two-bedroom two-bathroom show home at The Laundry Works, dressed by Voyage Interiors, draws inspiration from the old Watford Laundry Factory with clean, fresh monochromatic tones and soft linens with subtle pink hues. Art is placed throughout the apartment depicting old laundering machinery and advertisement and branded hangers, soaps and laundry bags are all featured throughout as an ode to the building’s rich history. With the furniture placed to maximise space, the apartment feels light and airy, perfect for entertaining and also features a balcony big enough for seating, perfect for summer evening alfresco dining.
The Laundry Works will see the creation of a thriving new residential neighbourhood within an area noted for its green spaces and decidedly village-like feel. Buyers will enjoy a laid-back lifestyle whilst still being close to the buzz of city life with excelled connections to central London and beyond, just a 10-minute walk to Watford Underground Station which is on the Metropolitan line. Buyers also have the choice when venturing out for green space between Watford’s largest open space, Cassiobury Park, or the numerous walks in Whippendell Wood. The tranquil landscaped podium gardens within the development provide the perfect setting to meet neighbours and host friends and family close to home.
All the modern apartments at The Laundry Works feature stylish and flexible open-plan living spaces with floor to ceiling windows to flood the apartments with light. Buyers can tailor their homes with 28 designer kitchen choices with a premium specification as standard, luxurious bathrooms and well-conceived interior features included throughout such as instant boiling & cold filtered water taps.
Designed to offer ease of maintenance and running efficiency, the homes provide a fully comprehensive specification including Hyperoptic superfast broadband. The contemporary kitchens by Oakwood Kitchens have quartz stone worktops and upstands, a wide range of integrated appliances and stainless steel sink with integrated removable chopping board, tap with hose-spray extension and neat integrated soap dispenser. The bathrooms have Arctic white suites, walk-in Fascino smart showers or bathtubs, heated towel rails, integrated vanity storage, a mirror with de-mist feature and a choice of floor and wall tile colours and finishes.
For first time buyers wanting to take part in The Laundry Works’ off plan sales launch, Weston Homes’ unique First-time SecureBuy scheme enables a purchaser to secure the home of their choice, at today’s price, for just a £500 reservation fee and a 5% deposit upon exchange. Six months before build completion they can apply for a mortgage and complete the purchase of their new home.
The 2.5 acre site was previously home to the Watford Launders & Cleaners, one of the biggest employers in Watford, which was founded in 1907 by John Ross and has significant history. Now, the site features eight distinctive brick façade buildings, ranging in height from three to 13 storeys, with nearly all apartments featuring a private terrace or balcony with floor to ceiling windows. The development is complete with pedestrian pathways, communal landscaped garden areas, new green planting, car parking spaces and secure cycle parking.
At the beginning of the Watford Laundry Factory’s timeline, the Edwardian factory dealt with domestic laundry for the wealthy residents of Mayfair and Belgravia who didn’t have washing machines and sent their clothes and bed linen to the facility to be washed, dried and pressed. In the 1920s the factory won the prestigious contract to wash and press all the clothes and bed linen at Harrow School, one of the firm’s first commercial contracts.
As domestic washing machines became more common during the 1950s, the factory survived by catering for the commercial market. Beyond this, in the 1970’s and 80’s the factory specialized in the luxury hotel market providing services for hotels such as Hyde Park Hotel and The Royal Garden Hotel.
In 2013, Peter Ross, the fourth Ross generation to run the business died without heirs and so the business was acquired in 2015 by CLEAN Linen Services Ltd, Royal Warrant Holder as launderers to HM The Queen and the Royal Household. CLEAN opened a new £15m super-laundry in Berkshire, with the Watford Laundry Factory surplus to requirements with Weston Homes providing a new future for the redundant industrial site.
Suzanne Aplin, Group Sales & Marketing Director of Weston Homes says: “The Laundry Works is a great new development built on a plot with such a rich history. The development, with its high specification apartments and beautiful communal space, combined with the fantastic local area provides buyers with all they need for a rich and varied lifestyle.”
Prices at The Laundry Works start from £279,000 for a one bedroom apartment.
