Elderfield Road, London E5

This meticulously restored house sits in the middle of Clapton’s pretty Elderfield Road, a picturesque, no-through road that leads towards Hackney Marshes. An extension has formed a light-filled kitchen and dining area to the rear, with Crittall-style windows that open to a pretty walled garden beyond. The five-storey home now unfolds over 3,000 sq ft and includes six bedrooms. Having been decorated by fans of all things Georgian, the house is adorned with Calke Abbey coving and ceiling roses, both from Stevensons of Norwich, with walls finished in rich Edward Bulmer tones throughout.

Setting the Scene

The owners had admired the house from afar ever since moving to Hackney; they were drawn to its corner position on the street, with a small lean-to making it unusually wide and therefore easier to extend. Having purchased it, they undertook a painstaking renovation to take it back to brick before slowly rebuilding everything. The work included the addition of two storeys, including digging a full footprint basement to house a wine store, playroom and utility room. The ground floor was opened up during the process, with two sets of large timber and glazed doors, painted a rusty red, introduced to subtly divide up the space while allowing a sightline from one end of the house to the other. At the far side, the characterful rear extension houses a bright, voluminous kitchen beneath a pitched ceiling with exposed rafters.

Sensitive additions have included expanses of tongue-and-groove panelling, aged plank floorboards, four-panel internal doors, deep skirting boards and architraves throughout, with all five original fireplaces retained. Lighting has been thoughtfully conceived and makes use of lamps, picture lights and wall lights to imbue the house’s spaces with an atmospheric glow.

The Grand Tour

The house’s handsome façade features new wooden sash windows and a front door, all painted a smart Invisible Green by Little Greene. A wide hallway is lined with bookshelves on either side of a fireplace, which has a stone hearth and a reclaimed fire surround. The ground floor is divided by glazed screens, with doors that can open up the space when desired. The sitting room to the front of the house has another beautiful fireplace and windows dressed with light, French curtains. Column radiators with nickel and wood temperature adjusters have been installed throughout.

The kitchen is now home to a shaker-style kitchen, with thick marble worktops, ‘Berdoulat Green’-painted cabinetry, and a freestanding island. A splashback of tongue-and-groove panelling is crowned by an open shelf; all are set above a generous butler’s sink with nickel taps by Perrin and Rowe. There is space for a dining area at the foot of the room, where a wall of glazed doors opens into the garden.

There are six bedrooms in total, including the main bedroom with its en suite bathroom. In the latter, wooden floorboards have been laid across the entire space to bring a sense of continuity and flow. The current owners have also added bespoke oak joinery to the bedroom and retained a fireplace in the bathroom, keeping space to one side for a well-placed armchair. Tadelakt has been applied to the shower and walls have been painted Lilac Pink. Bloomsbury Group lampshades top wall lights, which, in tandem with the working fireplace, provide a soft ambience for long soaks in the free-standing enamelled bath.

The bedroom on the top floor has French doors that open onto a balcony, a perfect spot to enjoy the evening sun and the far-reaching views over the rooftops of east London.

The Great Outdoors

The garden has been designed by Emily Ffrench Blake and Will Carr is surrounded by brick walls and arranged around a traditional greenhouse, fitted with shelves waiting to be stocked with tomatoes, squash or even asparagus. Bricks arranged in a herringbone pattern provide ample terracing for a dining table and chairs. The whole garden is framed by raised beds, with a low maintenance mix of shrubs, such as Japanese maple trees and oak-leaved hydrangeas, and herbaceous perennials including brunnera and foamflower. There are also Mexican daisies, and climbers for the walls including clematis and chocolate vine. A newly planted Himalayan white-birch tree, will grow tall in the corner of the garden, which in tandem with a woven willow fence provides additional privacy.

Out and About

Elderfield Road is brilliantly located in the heart of Lower Clapton. The much-loved Chatsworth Road is a three-minute walk away and has a lively gauntlet of independent shops, cafés and restaurants, such as Pivaz and specialist suppliers L’Epicerie 56, London Borough of Jam and Hackney Draper.

Elderfield Road is also a 10-minute walk to Hackney Downs and a short walk to a fantastic selection of shops, restaurants and bars, including Kate Sheridan, Pages of Hackney, Lucky & Joy, and Casey’s bakery. Plenty of good pubs are nearby, including The Star of Hackney Downs, The Pembury Tavern and The Elderfield.

The greenery of Hackney Downs Park is a 10-minute walk from the house, with the larger green spaces of Hackney Marshes around the same distance away in the other direction. Victoria Park is slightly further afield yet still within easy reach.

The closest station is Hackney Central, offering Overground lines to Stratford, Highbury & Islington and Liverpool Street. Clapton and Hackney Downs Overground are both also within easy walking distance.

Council Tax Band: E