Fresh, bright and welcoming, this lovely two-bedroom Victorian maisonette is well-connected to both transport links and green spaces, and is just a few minutes’ walk from the thriving village scene on Francis Road, with its vibrant community of restaurants, cafés and shops.
Situated on the first floor, the home has undergone several sensitive renovations and improvements in recent years, including fitting a modern kitchen and bathroom, adding useful bespoke storage, sanding and restoring the floorboards, decorating throughout and landscaping the sunny private garden.
From the quiet residential street, set behind a low wall, you’re met by a classic London stock brick exterior, with white-painted stonework to the bay windows. A checkered terracotta tiled path leads to an arched, recessed porch, where your private front door on the right is painted black, with brass furniture (including a charming owl-shaped knocker) and a transom window.
STEP INSIDE – COMFORT & CHARM
Making an impression from the moment you step through the door, the entrance features pretty navy-and-white patterned floor tiles, a space for coats, and a modern factory-style pendant light. White paintwork on the upper walls is grounded by inky blue Farrow & Ball below the dado, leading the way up a staircase with grey striped wool loop carpet to the first-floor landing. The navy-and-white paintwork continues here, while beautiful, sanded and restored floorboards begin and flow into the living room.
Flooded with light from both a double and single window fitted with custom Venetian blinds, this calm, peaceful space runs the full width of the front of the house. An all-white colour scheme emphasises the high ceiling with a central pendant, while the whitewashed exposed-brick fireplace – flanked by bespoke in-frame cabinets – adds texture and character. A radiator keeps things cosy, and there’s also plenty of room for a dining table.
Beyond is the second bedroom, a carpeted double which currently serves as a spacious home office. With white paintwork and a navy feature wall to echo the hallway, its lit by a garden-facing casement with a made-to-measure Venetian blind. A bank of bespoke full-height birch ply wardrobes provides ample good-looking storage, and there’s also a radiator, floating shelving and a pendant fitting.
Continue along the landing to the bathroom, lit by a wide frosted window with a Venetian blind. White gloss metro wall tiles with charcoal grout have been paired with whisper-grey walls and pale-grey floor tiles, providing the backdrop for a contemporary white suite. There’s a large walk-in rainfall shower with a frameless glass screen; a chrome heated towel rail radiator; a back-to-wall loo; and a black vanity basin with large mirror. Integrated cupboards provide handy, spacious extra storage and discreetly house the boiler.
The sanded floorboards continue along the hallway – past a second set of stairs leading to a part-glazed door that opens to the garden – and through to the dining kitchen at the rear. A wide window (with a Venetian blind to match those elsewhere) fills the room with light, while sage-green walls help showcase modern, glossy white cabinetry with minimalist brushed-chrome handles.
The solid wood worktop and shelves mirror the flooring and are complemented by a white metro-tiled splashback. There’s a double ceramic sink with a mixer tap beneath the window, and integrated appliances include a Bosch five-burner gas hob with steel Bosch overhead extractor, a Bosch oven, a dishwasher, fridge freezer and washing machine.
Take a third staircase with timber treads and white risers to the second, loft floor and the white-painted primary bedroom, which is wonderfully light and airy thanks to a trio of front-facing Velux windows and a wide rear casement with rooftop views. Soft carpet runs underfoot but segues to marble-look floor tiles in the corner, where you’ll find a luxurious surprise – a fabulous freestanding bathtub that gives the room a special, hotel-like feel. There’s also a radiator and access to extra storage under the eaves.
OUTDOORS – A SPACIOUS SUN TRAP
The garden extends 50 feet and is a fantastic sun-trap – ideally landscaped for al fresco dining or drinks on a summer afternoon. Enclosed by grey-painted timber fencing, a decked seating area nearest the house steps down to a low-maintenance artificial lawn, before reaching a second decked spot at the rear with an established trailing white rose. Running beside the lawn, a long raised flowerbed is filled with fragrant lavender, sage and mint.
A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS
‘This flat will always have a very special place in our hearts. From celebrating big life moments with friends and family, hosting dinner parties and garden gatherings to simply relaxing on the sofa (or in the gorgeous bath!), it’s been a truly wonderful home to live in. We particularly love having a coffee in the living room on a Saturday morning – with the light coming through the windows, it’s such a peaceful, relaxing space. We also love to cook, so having a spacious kitchen with lots of counter space has been a game-changer.’
GETTING AROUND
With numerous local transport options, including several bus routes that stop on Grove Green Road, the property is exceptionally well-connected. Equidistant between Leytonstone (13 minutes’ walk) and Leyton (15 minutes) Tube stations and close to Leytonstone High Road Overground (11 minutes), you can make short work of getting into Central London and Canary Wharf, as well as for trips to Camden, Hackney, Hampstead, and Stratford.
IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Pearcroft Road is just a few minutes’ walk from the wonderful village scene on Francis Road, with shops, bars and delis, including Marmelo Kitchen for coffee and fresh bread, Yardarm for lunch or dinner and a fantastic wine shop, Phlox bookstore and Edie Rose florist. Events are regularly held on the road, from the recent ‘Francis Road Lates’ featuring food trucks, cocktails, and discos for the kids, to Halloween parties and Christmas carols.
Several great pubs – the Red Lion, The Northcote, Heathcote & Star and The Filly Brook – as well as High Road Leytonstone’s pubs and cafés, are all within a short wander.
Local owners also particularly recommend breakfast, lunch and coffee at Unity Café; the excellent fish and chips (including gluten-free options) at Chris’ Fish Bar; The Olive for Turkish food and flamenco nights; and the delicious fare at Mum Likes Thai Food. They also love the friendly vibe at Studio M reformer Pilates studio next to Leytonstone High Road station.
There are several local parks in the area, as well as good running routes that lead to Hackney Marshes, Wanstead Flats (the current owners love picking up a coffee from Forno on the way), and Epping Forest. For local walks, head to Hollow Ponds or Walthamstow Marshes and Wetlands, both nearby. Also worth visiting are Brewster Road Park (adjacent to a community garden), Harrow Playing Fields, Jubilee Pond, Victoria Park, Hackney Bumps Skate Park and Sidmouth Park.
Alternatively, head to Stratford for retail therapy at Westfield and enjoy the wide-open spaces in Queen Elizabeth Park. The development around the park is on the rise, with the new East Bank cultural hub opening up world-class cultural experiences, including Sadler’s Wells East theatre, the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion and the V&A East Museum.
SCHOOLS
Several well-performing local schools and numerous nurseries are close by, including Newport Primary (an eight-minute walk, Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’) and Dawlish Primary (15 minutes), with the area particularly well-located for sought-after activities and groups for babies, children
