Melford Road, Leytonstone, London, E11

Light, homely and peaceful – this delightful three-bedroom Edwardian home melds a country cottage atmosphere with the convenience of excellent local transport links, schools, shops and restaurants. And with Wanstead Flats just minutes away, the location is perfect for those who love the outdoors.

The current owner has mixed contemporary style with period details such as exposed original floorboards, panelled internal doors with brass fingerplates, heritage paint colours, cast-iron fireplaces and dado and picture rails throughout. Although the property is already a great size, there’s potential to extend into the loft or the side return to create further living space, subject to the usual planning and consents.

STEP INSIDE

In the front garden a clipped box hedge screens a sandy London brick exterior with colonnaded timber sash windows with foliage capitals, white-painted lintels, and a timber gabled roof.

Opening the gate, a decorative tiled path leads you to an arched entrance. Step through a black part-glazed panelled front door with brass door furniture and reeded transom into a long hallway. Grey and white walls with a dado rail give an airy feel, while the original floorboards flow into the kitchen beyond.

A stripped timber four-panelled door to your left reveals the dual-aspect, double living room. A fantastic cast-iron fireplace provides the showstopping focal point here, complete with wooden mantle, tiled lining and hearth. On either side of the chimney breast, bespoke recessed cupboards and shelving provide plenty of space for storage and display. A soft taupe carpet runs underfoot, echoing the neutral walls; while the room is filled with light from tall, double sash exposed timber windows at the front, and white-painted timber French doors to the garden at the rear.

Continue along the hall to reach a country-style dual-aspect dining kitchen, flooded with natural light from exposed timber-framed sash windows to both the side and rear. Original floorboards give warmth to the dining area, while practical red quarry floor tiles denote the kitchen space, where pale grey shaker-style cabinetry and open shelving balance the solid wood worktops and bottle-green metro-tiled splashback. There’s space for a freestanding range oven, fridge-freezer and two additional appliances, while the sage green walls, butler sink with ceramic-handled mixer tap, and part-glazed barn door to the cottage garden continue the nature-inspired theme.

Return to the hallway to discover access to the cellar, beneath a white-painted staircase that rises to a split-level, neutral carpeted first-floor landing.

Bedroom three, which features original floorboards, Wedgewood blue walls and an integrated wardrobe, lies straight ahead and overlooks the garden via a wide timber sash window.

In the adjacent family bathroom, you’ll find a traditional three-piece white suite, including a close-coupled loo, Burlington pedestal basin, and a deep bath with frameless glass screen, chrome rainfall shower and handheld attachment. White walls and grey metro wall tiles contrast nicely with the exposed floorboards, and a period-style corner cabinet adds a period touch. More contemporary details include recessed downlights and a chrome heated towel rail.

On the upper landing, past a useful inbuilt storage cupboard, a second bright rear-facing double pairs ochre walls with a white coved ceiling, dado rail, and pale painted floorboards. A large timber sash window offers views down to the garden below.

Three more large sash windows punctuate the spacious primary double bedroom, which runs the full width of the front of the house. Here, dusky blue walls with a picture rail are teamed with white-painted grooved skirtings and ceiling with elegant central rose. Full-height built-in double wardrobes, along with recessed cupboards and shelving flanking a lovely cast-iron fireplace, provide plenty of further storage.

OUTDOORS

The back kitchen barn door opens onto a paved terrace shaded by a passionflower-covered pergola. To one side is a sunny gravelled seating area suitable for potted plants and herbs, leading to a generous side return that offers potential to extend.

Enclosed by high, greenery-covered fencing, the rest of the south-facing garden feels very private and peaceful and captures the sun from morning through to the afternoon. The grassy lawn is framed by stone-edged flowerbeds filled with a variety of mature plants and flowers, including Acanthus, Fatsia, hebe, cordyline, peonies, fuchsia, Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ and red-tipped Photinia. A small waterlily-filled is pond framed by irises and a rockery, while a partly-camouflaged wooden shed behind completes the English cottage garden set-up.

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

‘I’ve loved living in such a beautiful house on a very quiet street with friendly neighbours.’

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Melford Road is a quiet pocket of Leytonstone, about 12 minutes' walk from the town centre, with popular spots including The Wild Goose Bakery, Gray & Daughter, Panda Dim Sum, Leytonstone Tavern, The Holly Tree, Yard Sale Pizza and Theatre of Wine.

Lovely Francis Road is within walking distance and has a fantastic collection of independent shops, relaxed cafés, bars and delis.

Leytonstone High Road Overground station is approximately 5 minutes' walk, while Stratford is 12 minutes by bus for serious retail, restaurant and cultural therapy at Westfield and the East Village, plus the new East Bank cultural hub will soon include world-class experiences, including Sadler’s Wells East Theatre, UAL’s London College of Fashion, and the V&A East Museum.

There's also a major transport interchange for Underground, Overground, DLR, National Rail and HS1 services. In addition, Stratford, Maryland, and Forest Gate stations offer Elizabeth line services.

Finally, the wild and beautiful green space of Wanstead Flats is only a few minutes by foot, while peaceful Langthorne Park is great for kids. Alternatively, Wanstead or the Olympic Park are just a short bike ride away.

SCHOOLS

Nearby schools with Good (or Outstanding) Ofsted ratings include Mayville Primary, Davies Lane Primary, and Connaught for Girls.