Selby Road, Leytonstone, London, E11

Bold premium paintwork, charming original details, and stylish high-spec fixtures and fittings combine in this surprisingly spacious two-bedroom ground-floor apartment in the heart of Leytonstone. Complete with a beautifully designed garden; storage basement; wet underfloor heating in the kitchen, bathroom and utility; new wiring; and additional sockets, the flat is both inspired by its period origins and filled with contemporary touches for ultimate comfort.

Selby Road lies a short walk from the thriving Leytonstone high street, Wanstead Flats, and fast rail links into Central London. From the street, this home greets you with a panelled front door that’s finished with traditional brass furniture and painted a calming shade of green to compliment the COAT ‘Nomad’ exterior walls.

STEP INSIDE

Glazing to the walls and ceiling brightens the tiled entrance hall. It leads to a spot-lit living room that’s warmed by a column radiator and flooded with light by a canted bay window framing the garden. Painted in Farrow & Ball ‘Green Smoke’, the walls and skirtings contrast with the ‘Red Earth’ tones delineating the portal to the kitchen. It’s a striking effect.

White Oak floorboards flow through to the high-spec Howdens kitchen, where hard-wearing Dulux Diamond Matt ‘Brilliant White’ walls compliment the new wall cabinets and Gemini Quartz worktops. The walls complement the herringbone Mandarin Stone splashback and contrast with new matt blue base units. Stylish brass handles and a Dowsing & Reynolds tap to the Rangemaster sink draw the design together.

The kitchen is a bright space, flooded with light during the day. At night lower the fitted blind and turn on the premium adjustable Astro spotlights. The kitchen is fitted with a Bosch integrated dishwasher, oven and hob, an integrated extractor fan, and a Samsung fridge-freezer.

Continue into the garden hallway, which is painted COAT ‘Nomad’ to match the exterior and draw the outside in. Here, you’ll discover a cleverly concealed and soundproofed utility cupboard hidden behind smoked-oak acoustic slats and a heavyweight custom-finished door.

Beyond, a new period-style door reveals a renovated bathroom lined with Mandarin Stone Hoxton white-gloss stack bond tiles and painted in Little Greene ‘Castell Pink’, with Farrow & Ball ‘Strong White’ woodwork. It’s a desirable, ultra-modern sanctuary—featuring wet underfloor heating, a full-width walk-in rainfall shower (with a shaving ledge), a wall-hung toilet, a Tikamoon vanity unit topped with a beautiful grey marble basin, and chic black accents and fittings.

You’ll find the sleeping quarters on the other side of the living room, beyond a hallway painted with Dulux Diamond Matt walls and Farrow & Ball ‘Hardwick White’ on the original understairs panelling. ‘Green Smoke’ floors continue through the reclaimed timber doors into both generously sized double bedrooms.

To your left, bedroom two has an internal window to the entrance hall that allows in natural light. This brightens the calming wall tones created by COAT’s ‘Kind Regards’, painted below the picture rail line. A reinstated period fireplace adds a decorative touch.

Once a shopfront, the primary double bedroom is unusually large for this part of London and has been painted below the picture rail line in soft Little Greene ‘Castell Pink’. Facing west with a large window, it’s wonderfully bright throughout the day and into the evening.

OUTDOORS

A new glazed door opens onto the rear garden – a tranquil oasis packed with plant life. It’s served by concealed water butts and a soil-level irrigation system to reduce water use.

Immediately outside the back door and behind double gates painted in Cuprinol Garden Shades ‘Olive Garden’, the riven stone paved terrace can serve as off-street parking for cargo bicycles, a motorbike, or a small family car. However, currently it’s a lovely seating area that captures the morning sunshine. Later in the day, this garden’s sunny spot is the swinging chair in the corner.

To your right, a slate-chipped path runs between the house and a border edged with reclaimed railway sleepers. To the left, there’s a gravel garden. A reclaimed brick path and sleeper beds lead you towards another seating area and the garden shed.

Exploring the fully enclosed garden, you’ll discover a mature Musa Basjoo banana plant for shade, ferns, hostas, and foxgloves, along with other perennials and native bulbs that provide year-round greenery and colour; thymes, alpines, and lavenders in the gravel area; and perennials including Salvias, roses, climbing honeysuckle, Rudbeckia, Verbena, fennel, poppies, daffodils, gladioli, and many other bulbs in the beds.

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

‘We love the location – it’s so well connected to Central London but close to the open spaces of Epping Forest and Wanstead Flats. This flat is our quiet, calm oasis to relax in.’

GETTING AROUND

Leyton Underground for the Central line is just a short walk away, with the Elizabeth line available in the other direction at Maryland rail station – also reachable by foot. From here, it’s just a short journey to Liverpool Street and one stop from Stratford’s major interchange with the DLR, Central and Jubilee lines, along with shopping, cinema and food at Westfield and East Village. Various local bus stops run regular services to Stratford, too. Leytonstone High Road (Overground) is also nearby.

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Selby Road is part of a quiet pocket of Victorian streets between the lower end of High Road Leytonstone and the wonderful Wanstead Flats – a walking, jogging and mountain-biking paradise that acts as a gateway to Epping Forest. Chalet Wood also provides a beautiful carpet of bluebells every spring.

Alternatively, run through Hollow Pond and beyond, exploring the beautiful forest trails, or head to Langthorne Park for pools, wildlife, basketball courts, a play park and an outdoor gym. You are also just 1.5 miles from the Olympic Park with all it has to offer.

Within a 10-minute walk is the lovely Leytonstone Tavern (check out the fantastic burgers and roasts), the new coffee shop Tamping Grounds, Kotch for pizza, and The Rookwood Village pub with its stylish interior, deck and electronic darts. Stroll a few minutes further to explore Winchelsea Road’s artisanal food and drink scene, including The Wanstead Tap, Rambles Café, and Wild Goose Bakery for custard tarts.

The High Road is only a few minutes’ walk away and has many cafés and convenience stores at its southern end. If you like traditional Neapolitan pizza, check out Bocca Bocca. Other local favourites include Sunday roasts at the Holly Tree pub, Singburi for famously good Thai food, after-work drinks at Mammoth taproom, the Leytonstone arts trail, and the weekly local farmers’ market beside Cann Hall Park, with its coffee shop, play areas and skatepark.

Our sellers also often recommend Asado, Here East, Heathcote and Star, while the current owners particularly recommend The Farm Community Kitchen on the corner. It makes excellent bread and cakes and does incredible work for the community.

SCHOOLS

The popular Jenny Hammond Primary School is just a minute away and rated Good by Ofsted. Davies Lane Primary School is a short walk away and is rated Outstanding. You’ll also find Buxton School within a five-minute stroll, and a few nurseries nearby.