Frith Road, London, E11

Set in a pocket of quiet residential streets within walking distance of the Tube, Leytonstone High Street, Leyton High Road and vibrant Francis Road, this welcoming and bright Victorian home blends period features with contemporary design details, an open-plan downstairs layout, and a leafy garden for an indoor-outdoor feel.

Sensitive recent improvements and renovations include a sunny, full-width kitchen extension with beautiful ply cabinetry, alongside a new bathroom and loft conversion. Decorated with lovely pops of colour, thoughtful touches can be found throughout, such as brass door handles, sanded original floorboards, designer tiles and column-style radiators. 

The house welcomes you with a restored London Stock brick frontage set behind a rendered wall with a tall privet hedge. White-painted stone sills and lintels to the bay window, upper timber sashes and decorative entrance arch create a pretty first impression. At the same time, a path leads past the front garden – with paving by the bay window and a bespoke handmade wooden bike shed – to a smart teal-painted front door with brass furniture and a transom window above. 

STEP INSIDE

Step into an internal porch area with practical coir matting and a pendant light. A part-glazed door with a tactile brass knob (seen on all doors throughout the property) then opens into the airy open-plan double reception room. 

A versatile space with warm-toned oak engineered flooring and stony-grey walls, the room is lit by a wide bay window. To the front, inbuilt shelving lines the alcoves, framing a fireplace with a terracotta tiled hearth. Other details include a pair of attractive grey column-style radiators, a Sinnerling bamboo pendant and a mid-century ochre ball pendant, as well as a decent amount of storage under the stairs.

To the rear, a door opens to the fantastic kitchen extension. Flooded with sunshine from two long skylights and wide anthracite aluminium sliding doors to the garden, it offers ample space for cooking, dining, entertaining and relaxing. 

Fitted in 2021, the stylish scheme pairs white walls with a sheet vinyl, while bespoke ply cabinet fronts by Plykea are topped with a pale Dekton worktop and upstand. A pair of Form pendants by Design House Stockholm hang over the island, which features a two-seater breakfast bar plus an inset stainless steel sink with Blanco mixer tap.

There is a five-ring Smeg gas range with a steel Smeg overhead extractor, while integrated IKEA appliances include a dishwasher, a fridge-freezer and a Zanussi washing machine. A pair of white column-style radiators keeps things cosy, and the boiler, controlled by Google Nest smart thermostat, is also discreetly housed here. 

Returning to the living room, fabulous ochre Alhambra Palace ‘Spring’ wallpaper by Fired Earth leads the way as you take the stairs – with white-painted spindles and neutral wool loop carpet – to the first floor.

The carpeted landing segues to sanded and restored original floorboards in the primary bedroom. Spanning the full width at the front of the house, the walls have been painted to picture rail height in ‘Arsenic’ by Farrow & Ball and are brightened by a pair of original pulley system timber sashes. Two full-height inbuilt double wardrobes provide plenty of storage, and you’ll also find a modern radiator and a pendant light fitting. 

Beyond is the second double bedroom, which has a rear-facing casement window. The walls here are a soft green Farrow & Ball shade, while sanded floorboards run underfoot.

The light, well-planned family bathroom lies towards the rear, where white hexagon wall tiles with dark grey grout meet blue and green Mozzafiato Serano patterned tiles by Claybrook Studio. Beneath a side-facing window, the panelled bath includes a chrome rainfall shower with a separate shampoo attachment and a frameless glass screen, while a Burlington slimline close-coupled toilet with a lever flush and a Burlington wall-hung basin with an integrated towel rail complete the suite. There’s also a column-style radiator and useful floor-to-ceiling bespoke integrated storage.

With views out to the garden through a wide white aluminium-framed window fitted with a bespoke roller blind, the third double bedroom features white walls and sanded original floorboards, as well as a radiator and pendant light. 

Continuing the clever use of subtle colour seen throughout, a dusky pink feature wall rises with a second carpeted staircase to the loft floor, and the fourth large, dual-aspect bedroom. Bathed in light from a pair of Velux rooflights to the front and two casement windows to the rear, the walls and floorboards here are painted white. You’ll also find a pair of modern radiators and access to handy storage in the eaves. Currently used as a home cinema and office space, it could work equally well as the primary bedroom, particularly as you’ll also find an en suite WC to the rear here, with toilet and basin.

OUTDOORS

Leafy and private, surrounded by timber slatted fencing, the garden extends to 28 feet. A porcelain natural surfacepatio – ideal for entertaining – leads to a grassy lawn bordered with mature plants and foliage, including Euonymus, laurel and rosemary, with a wisteria trailing nicely along one side. There’s also a useful timber storage shed, an outdoor tap, and an exterior light. 

Frith Road is conveniently located just minutes from the many shops, eateries, and amenities of High Road Leyton and just a four-minute walk from Leyton Underground, which runs Central line services into the City and West End, Canary Wharf, and South Bank via the Jubilee line from Stratford. Just one stop away, Stratford hosts the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park and serious retail therapy at Westfield.

You can also reach Stratford by foot within around 20 minutes, with Hackney Marshes and the Lea Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre easily accessible. Jubilee Pond and Wanstead Flats lie just slightly further afield, forming the southernmost tip of Epping Forest.

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Closer to home, you’ll find a couple of parks and recreation grounds, including the popular Langthorne Park (eight minutes’ walk), which has a playground, tennis courts, café, toy library, and regular activities. You’re also incredibly close to Olympic Park, which has a giant sandpit, a café with a children's area and an adventure playground, as well as lots of great restaurants and more coming soon.

You’re spoilt for eating and drinking in the area, with local favourites including Deeney's Scottish street food café (renowned for its famous haggis toasties); Darkhorse restaurant bar at The Olympic Village; the many options for a drink at Hackney Wick, especially Crate; and ice cream from La Gelateria at Stratford East Village, whatever the weather.

Local sellers often recommend The Leyton Star for fantastic roast dinners, Leytonstone Tavern for burgers, The Holly Tree pub, with its kids’ train, and Heathcote & Star for its krapow. They also love Figo Italian restaurant and Filly Brook for cocktails and small plates.

High Road Leytonstone is just a 10-minute walk to the east and offers even more choices, with restaurants and shops including Homies on Donkeys, Bocca Bocca for pizza, and Panda Dim Sum. Meanwhile, a swift 20-minute stroll will take you to the bustling Francis Road, with its fantastic collection of independent shops, relaxed cafés, delis, and craft beer shops.

SCHOOLS

There are numerous well-rated primary schools in the area, with several pre-schools and nurseries (including N Family Club Leytonstone, nine minutes’ walk) on your doorstep, too.