Drapers Road, Leyton, London, E15

Thoughtfully reconfigured and updated with love and care, you’ll find this welcoming two-bedroom Victorian house within close walking distance of good schools and amenities, the wide green expanses of the Olympic Park, and both Tube and Overground services.

Over the last three years, the current owners have renovated the property from top to bottom, fitting a luxe new bathroom and a modern kitchen that opens up onto the sunny south-facing garden. New uPVC sash windows and aluminium Crittall-style rear doors were added, and the house was completely rewired, with new matt black sockets and switches. A new heating system was also installed, including underfloor heating, column-style radiators and a boiler controlled by a Google Nest thermostat. Decorated in a considered palette of COAT and Farrow & Ball paint shades, the result is a lovely blend of old meets new.

Set on a quiet, tree-lined residential street, the house sits behind a low wall with a scrolled metal gate, greeting you with a fresh white-painted rendered exterior. A path leads past the paved front garden to a new recessed timber front door painted in ‘Mersey Sundown’ by COAT, with frosted glass panels, brass hardware and transom.

STEP INSIDE – COMFORT & CHARACTER

Once inside, a fabulous clear sightline draws your eye down the entire house to the garden at the rear. Neutral-toned walls in ‘Sunday Soul’ by COAT rise to a coved ceiling with decorative corbels, while beautiful pale oak herringbone engineered flooring seen throughout the ground floor – begins and flows into the living room.

Lit by a tall bay with bespoke white Venetian blinds, the walls have been drenched in moody blue ‘All Inclusive’ by COAT for a cosy, cocooning vibe. An exposed brick fireplace is flanked by alcoves fitted with bespoke ply shelving, and there’s also a pendant light fitting and a column-style radiator.

Returning to the hallway, the neutral walls and herringbone flooring continue past the staircase into the second reception, currently used for dining. A tall aluminium Crittall-style door opens to the side return courtyard, while the room also features a column-style radiator, a pendant fitting, and a clever bespoke understairs shoe drawer. This is a house where details have been carefully planned, and an open doorway under the stairs also leads to an area for coats and a handy study nook.

Step down through a widened archway into the extended kitchen. This sunny space is filled with light through a triple black-framed window and attractive Crittall-style French doors that open onto the garden.

Fitted in 2023, blue-green cabinetry with knurled brass handles by Plank Hardware complements a beautifully veined oyster-white quartzite worktop and splashback, while a sunshine-yellow steel beam adds a cheerful pop of colour. The oak herringbone floor is warmed by underfloor heating, and the boiler is also housed here.

There’s a double ceramic butler-style sink with a black-and-gold flexible-hose mixer tap. Integrated appliances include a NEFF induction hob with a modern wall-mounted extractor, a NEFF double oven, and a Bosch dishwasher. There’s also space and plumbing for a freestanding washing machine, a tumble dryer, and an American-style fridge-freezer.

Take the staircase, with attractive ply baton feature bannisters, to the first floor, where the oatmeal wool ribbed stair carpet flows nicely into both bedrooms.

The primary double bedroom runs the full width of the front, with dusky coral walls (‘Persipan’ by COAT) lit by a pair of new sash windows fitted with white bespoke roller blinds. There’s a full-height bank of wardrobes with contemporary wood-look fronts, a pendant light, and a horizontal white column-style radiator.

The second double bedroom to the rear shares similarly calming decor, with walls in ‘Ciao, Sofia’ by COAT, a neutral carpet, and a white column-style radiator. It enjoys views of the garden through a sash window fitted with a blackout roller blind.

A pocket door from the hallway leads to the newly fitted bathroom, bathed in soft filtered light from the frosted sash window. Characterful Mandarin Stone terrazzo tiles and muted terracotta Farrow & Ball ‘Red Earth’ painted walls combine for a cool, contemporary look, paired with fluted ‘Snow’ décor tiles to the bath area, which features a brass rainfall shower and frameless glass screen.

A close-coupled loo and wide storage vanity with wall-mounted brass taps complete the suite, while other details include underfloor heating, a black towel rail radiator and an LED-lit mirrored cabinet.

OUTDOORS – SUNNY SIDE UP

Basking in the sun throughout the day, the south-facing garden is the perfect spot for barbecues, entertaining or relaxing. From the kitchen, a paved patio leads to a lush lawn, with a border of grasses, hydrangeas, clematis, and a mature eucalyptus (the wonderfully scented leaves are ideal for adding to vases of flowers). Extending to 32 feet and surrounded by timber fencing, there’s also a wide shed to the rear, providing storage.

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

‘This house was a shell when we bought it, and we turned it into our first home together. Every room was transformed and thought about with care, and our children took their first steps and said their first words here, so the memories of it are forever in our hearts. We have loved calling Leyton and this thriving area of East London home for the past four years. It’s amazing to see how it has blossomed since we moved here, with new shops, independent cafés and businesses opening all the time; amazing parks and outdoor spaces; lots of culture and so many young families around. Leyton is the place to be and we love to see how it is thriving.’

GETTING AROUND

Drapers Road is conveniently located just minutes from the many shops, eateries, and amenities of High Road Leyton and just a nine-minute walk from Leyton Underground, which runs Central line services into the City and West End, Canary Wharf, and South Bank via the Jubilee line from Stratford. Just one stop away, Stratford hosts the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park and serious retail therapy at Westfield. You can also reach Stratford on foot in around 20 minutes.

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

You’re spoilt for eating and drinking in the area, with local favourites including Deeney's Scottish street food café (renowned for its famous haggis toasties); Darkhorse restaurant bar at The Olympic Village; the many options for a drink at Hackney Wick, especially Crate; and at Stratford East Village, whatever the weather.

The current sellers recommend The Leyton Star (six minutes’ walk) for fantastic roast dinners, the amazing new Farha bakery for coffees and pastries, a new gelato spot Chunk Provisions in the converted Leyton Midland railway arch and the renowned Forno bakery on Church Street. Other sellers often recommend Leytonstone Tavern for burgers, The Holly Tree pub, with its kids’ train, and Heathcote & Star for its Krapow! Thai residency. They also love Figo or Bocca Bocca for pizza, and cocktails and small plates at Filly Brook.

High Road Leytonstone is just a 10-minute walk to the east and offers even more choices, with restaurants and shops including Panda Dim Sum. Meanwhile, a swift 20-minute stroll will take you to the bustling Francis Road, with its fantastic collection of independent shops, relaxed cafés, delis, and craft beer shops. 

Closer to home, you’ll find a couple of parks and recreation grounds, including Drapers Field (at the end of the road) and popular Langthorne Park (13 minutes’ walk), which has a playground, tennis courts, café, toy library, and regular activities. You’re also incredibly close to Olympic Park, which has a giant sandpit, a café with a children's area and an adventure playground. New additions include V&A Storehouse and Sadler’s Wells East theatre for dance, as well as lots of great restaurants and more coming soon.

Hackney Marshes and the Lea Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre are also easily accessible, with Jubilee Pond and Wanstead Flats lying just slightly further afield, forming the southernmost tip of Epping Forest.

SCHOOLS

Downsell Primary School (Ofsted rated ‘Good’) is just five minutes down the road, with several nurseries and pre-schools on your doorstep, too.