Preston Road, Upper Leytonstone, London, E11

Spread across four levels, this fully extended four-bedroom Edwardian house house lies at the end of a small terrace of red-brick homes, just a few minutes from the scenic parkland and lakeside tranquillity awaiting at Hollow Pond and about 10 minutes from Leytonstone Tube.

The modest frontage belies the incredibly spacious interior, which extends from a converted basement across generous living areas, including a huge open-plan dining kitchen, to four bedrooms split over two floors. Each level also benefits from stylish bathrooms, bold accent colours, quality flooring, and plenty of windows to improve the flow of light.

Filled with period properties, Preston Road sits in a peaceful collection of quiet streets popular with families. Conveniently, the house has parking for one car on a block-paved drive in front of a full-height square bay window framed with handsome columns and capitals.

STEP INSIDE

Beside the driveway, a wrought-iron gate opens to a tiled pathway leading to a fully glazed front entrance. Step through into a useful porch, where beautiful stained-glass panels to the transom window and a traditional door with a letterbox invite you into the hallway beyond.

Here, dark green accent paintwork below the dado rails meets bright white walls and a high ceiling above, complementing dark wood-effect flooring with an integrated doormat. Behind the white-painted staircase, you’ll discover the entrance to the converted basement level. Equipped with a basin and recessed downlights, it extends across two rooms and has numerous potential uses, from a playroom or gaming den to a home office or gym.

To the left of the hallway, double-glazed wooden sash windows in the deep box bay flood the living room in natural light, softened by pale honey-toned walls below the picture rail that contrast with the white paintwork above and thick grey carpet underfoot. Seamlessly blending with the colour scheme, the chunky alcove shelves and mounted cupboards flank a characterful reinstated cast-iron fireplace with period tiled inserts, a tiled hearth, and a wooden mantelpiece, while a central pendant light adorns the coved ceiling.

Continue past the staircase to discover the second reception room currently used as a study – a calming, quiet space with a south-facing window to the rear. At the back of the house, the beautifully bright and roomy dining kitchen, with its wide bi-folds, pleasantly contrasts with the cosier living spaces already explored.

Fitted by William Ball Kitchens, it features a range of dark wood-framed cabinetry with cream fronts to echo the neutral walls and heated wood-effect flooring, brightened by spotlights and those fabulous folding doors. These are fitted with roller blinds to soften the light in a seating area with matching inbuilt storage and a dining area beside the feature recessed fireplace. Integrated appliances include a Rangemaster cooker with an extractor hood, a double sink, a Bosch dishwasher, and an American-style Samsung fridge-freezer.

The adjoining utility room is a fantastic bonus for busy families. It contains a Bosch washing machine and tumble dryer beneath a counter for organising laundry, inbuilt storage, and an additional sink. Warmed by a designer radiator and lit by ceiling spots, skylights, and French doors on either end, it offers easy access to the garden and driveway, creating the perfect drop-in point when you need to clear up before entering the main house.

From the utility, you’ll also discover a chic downstairs shower room with high-end sanitaryware, matt-black fittings, and gorgeous bottle-blue vertical metro tiles to the walls.

Upstairs, the bold accent paintwork seen in the hallway combines with a plush grey carpet on the landing for a contemporary, monochromatic finish that draws the floors together. The tonal paintwork flows through a stripped wood into the primary bedroom at the front, paired with wood-effect flooring and an ornate, cast-iron fireplace exuding timeless elegance.

Large wooden sashes fill a box bay window housing a deep green flat-panelled radiator, tying in with the theme. Another huge sash and a matt-black low pendant lamp illuminate a cosy reading area, while black-out blinds also ensure the right conditions for sleeping or watching television (there’s a fixture on the wall between the windows).

Continue into the fully tiled, spot-lit en suite, where gold-plated fixtures and fittings finish a walk-in rainfall shower with a frosted glass screen, a double basin vanity unit with wooden drawers and twin mirrors, and a wall-hung loo. Hidden around the corner, you’ll find a walk-in wardrobe with shelves, hanging space, and drawers to keep the bedroom clutter-free. A stylish matt-black heated towel rail warms the entire space.

There are two more bedrooms on this floor. Neutrally decorated and with flooring to match the primary and large windows fitted with Roman blinds, they share a fully tiled bathroom with modern sanitaryware, a glass-screened rainfall shower above the bath, and integrated storage. Bedroom four also benefits from an inbuilt cupboard.

Back on the landing, a matching staircase rises to a top-floor bedroom lined with a thick grey carpet. Here, double doors screened by Venetian blinds reveal a private balcony overlooking the garden, while a run of fitted wardrobes and wooden shelves keeps things organised. The characterful sloped white walls and ceiling reflect the light from the balcony, dual-aspect windows, and linear chrome spotlights, creating a space that works throughout the day.

In addition, this fabulously private bedroom enjoys its own bathroom, which features a freestanding bath, a rainfall shower enclosure, and a heated towel rail.

OUTDOORS

The 61-foot south-facing rear garden soaks up the sunshine, with the terrace by the bi-fold kitchen doors particularly lovely in the morning. Sleeper steps lead onto the lawn, which is fully enclosed by high fencing and mature trees and is peppered with snowdrops in late winter. You’ll also find a useful storage unit to one side.

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

‘Preston Road has been our home for 35 years. We have raised our family here, and it is well-loved by everyone. We have extended it to include flexible spaces for our growing family. Now that the children have left home, it has been great for remote working.’

GETTING AROUND

Preston Road occupies a convenient spot in Upper Leytonstone, about a 10-minute walk from Leytonstone Underground (Central Line, 24 hours at weekends) and 22 minutes from Leyton Midland Road and Leytonstone High Road stations. Alternatively, hop onto the A12 and head down to Stratford for shopping and sporting events and concerts at the London Stadium. From there, you can continue to Canary Wharf or take the A11 into the heart of the city.

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

The town centre is close by, where you’ll find local favourites on the High Road, such as The Red Lion pub, Wild Goose Bakery, Panda Dim Sum, Yard Sale Pizza, and plenty more. Our local sellers recommend the bar and restaurant at the Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel or Filly Brook for drinks, Eat My Pizza, Homies on Donkeys for Mexican fare, and Mum Likes Thai Food.

Other favourites include The North Star, Heathcote & Star, Nirvana Brewery and Decanteur for drinks; Yardarm for wine; Burnt Smokehouse; San Marino Café for hearty breakfasts; Out of the Woods or Perky Blenders for great coffee and brunch; Bocca Bocca for delicious pizza; Fitness Hub Leytonstone for community-based exercise classes; the friendly local newsagents for essentials; Primrose Florists; and the Noted Eel and Pie House. Gail’s Bakery, The Ginger Pig, and Harvey’s greengrocers in nearby Wanstead are also regularly mentioned.

Some fantastic open green spaces within walking distance include Hollow Pond (5 minutes) and Henry Reynolds Gardens (10 minutes), with Wanstead Flats and Park beyond. Local sellers also recommend walking to Highams Park to visit the lake and tea hut for pizza.

SCHOOLS

Barclay Primary School, rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, is a 15-minute walk away. Several ‘Good’-rated schools are right on your doorstep, including Gwyn Jones Primary, which is just a nine-minute walk, Noah’s Ark Community Pre-school, and Leytonstone School, both within five minutes, and Leyton Sixth Form, accessible in 17 minutes.