Brunswick Road, Leyton, London, E10

Beautifully and sensitively renovated, this lovely two-bedroom Victorian maisonette is bright, airy and cleverly configured to make the most of the natural light. Close to the thriving Francis Road, it’s just minutes away from good transport links and green spaces.

Purpose-built, it belongs to the historic J G Abraham era, which saw Brunswick Road and the surrounding streets gain around 500 apartments in the late 1800s, reflecting the Victorian talent for thoughtful and liveable spaces. These sought-after homes lend themselves to well-designed improvements, as illustrated perfectly here.

In recent years, the current owners have taken care to refresh every room, undertaking a full rewire, including replacing the sockets and switches; fitting a new bathroom; reconfiguring the kitchen; updating the plumbing along with a new combi-boiler; replacing the roof; and installing new UPVC double-glazed sash and casement windows (in 2022). Staying true to a décor palette of natural materials and woven textures, they also stripped, sanded and oiled the beautiful original wooden floors, fitted column-style radiators, and restored all of the fabulous wooden internal doors.

The property is set across the first floor of a terraced house, which sits behind a low, hedge-topped brick wall, with a London Stock brick frontage and stone columns, sills and lintels to the windows. A scrolled cast gate opens to a traditional patterned tiled path, leading to an arched porch and your own front door, painted black with overhead transom and wired-in Ring doorbell.

STEP INSIDE

The front door opens to a ground-floor entrance hall, with an alarm system and space for coats. The walls and panelling are painted a warm, soft white. A stripped and oiled original wooden staircase rises to the first floor where lovingly restored floorboards are lit by a vintage milk glass pendant.

The living room is to the front of the property. Its high ceilings are bathed in light from a tall bay window — ideally placed for watching the sunset. There are new UPVC sashes and a column-style radiator beneath. A fireplace with Firefly wood burner (fitted last year), black stone hearth and bare wood surround (echoing the natural warmth of the floorboards) is a lovely focal point. It is framed by alcoves with bespoke shelving and unique arched display nooks.

The adjacent primary, rear-facing double bedroom has a tall casement window, and is wonderfully quiet and peaceful. With the same white walls and original floorboards seen elsewhere, there is a pendant light and column-style radiator, with plenty of storage potential in the alcoves.

Across the landing, the second bedroom sits beside the living room. It features a tall, front-facing sash window fitted with a bespoke roller blind, a column-style radiator, and a pendant fitting.

Continue down the hallway to the dual aspect dining kitchen, with views to the side and to the rear garden. The original floorboards and white walls repeat here, providing the backdrop to classic black cabinetry with chrome cup handles, topped by a dark wood worksurface and white tiles by Bert & May on the splashback.

There is a deep butler-style sink and chrome mixer tap with pull-out spray. Appliances include a Smeg five-burner gas range with Stoves steel overhead extractor, a Bosch dishwasher, an LG fridge-freezer and an AEG washing machine. The Worcester Bosch boiler, fitted in 2021 and controlled by a Nest smart thermostat, is also housed here. There’s a sizeable pantry for cool storage which is fitted seamlessly into the wall and open shelving, while other design details include a pair of glass cloche pendants, and a long column-style radiator in the dining area.

A stripped timber door leads to the bathroom. The walls and ceiling have been drenched in a warm dusky pink, in pleasing contrast to the white mosaic tiles and reclaimed black-painted floorboards (sourced from Lassco). A bath with shower and handpainted mural panel sits beneath one of the two windows, while a traditional-style close-coupled Burlington loo and pedestal basin with chrome Hudson taps complete the suite. There’s also a chrome heated towel rail radiator and a ceiling light by Dyke & Dean.

The hallway also provides access to the loft, which has been fully boarded for storage, and has electricity and pipework available for any future conversion (subject to the usual planning approval).

OUTDOORS

Accessed by stairs leading down from a door in the kitchen, the private garden is enclosed by timber fencing. It gets the sunshine from sunrise into the afternoon. The paved patio is bordered by wide, sleeper-edged beds and a smaller decked area, with plantings including evergreens such as lavender and pittosporum, as well as ferns and two large rose bushes at the rear.

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

‘As professional photographers we wanted a bright space where light travels throughout the day. We particularly love listening to records and reading in the living room, or cosying up on the sofa by the fire. The kitchen has also seen many lazy lunches and dinners with friends.

We have a big and busy life here in London, and each time we come back home it feels like holiday. We’ve had the best of both worlds here, really — a peaceful and quiet home with birdsong in the morning and all that London has to offer only a few tube stops away.’

GETTING AROUND

The Overground at Leyton Midland Road is just a five-minute stroll away and has a swift change to the Victoria line at Blackhorse Road. The Tube at either Leytonstone or Leyton is around 20 minutes’ walk, making light work of getting to the City, West End, Canary Wharf and South Bank; Stratford is just one stop away.

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Just moments from Francis Road, Brunswick Road is situated in one of Leyton’s most constantly in-demand locations, thanks to its urban village of independent local businesses. Firm favourites include Yardarm wine bar, Phlox bookstore, Dreamhouse Records, Edie Rose florist, Marmelo Kitchen, and Pause yoga studio.

The current owners particularly recommend the Filly Brook craft beer hall, Gravity Well Taproom brewery and bar, and Yardarm wine bar. Also nearby are the Heathcote & Star pub and Coach & Horses, which serves a fantastic Sunday roast.

Just around the corner is Leyton County Cricket Ground with its wonderful Edwardian pavilion, while Coronation Gardens is a 16-minute walk. The location is perfectly placed to enjoy the beautiful green spaces of Olympic Park, Wanstead Flats, and Hollow Ponds – all within around 30 minutes’ walk (or a short cycle ride).

You can reach Stratford by foot, with Hackney Marshes and Queen Elizabeth Olympics Park with the Lea Valley Hockey, Tennis Centre, VeloPark and London Aquatics easily accessible along with Westfield shopping centre. The development around the park is on the rise, with the new East Bank cultural hub soon to include world-class experiences, including Sadler’s Wells East theatre, the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion and the V&A East Museum.

SCHOOLS

Popular and well-performing schools with an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ or above include two local primaries, Dawlish (4 minutes’ walk) and Newport (9 minutes), and Norlington Secondary & 6th Form for Boys (also 9 minutes).