Melford Road, Leytonstone, London, E11

Minutes from both the Tube and Overground services, this welcoming two-bedroom conversion flat has a private garden and sits on a quiet, friendly, tree-lined one-way street close to green spaces and the ever-popular Francis Road.

In recent years, the current owners have invested great care into the home, updating all of the rooms. Improvements included fitting a modern kitchen and bathroom; laying new wood-toned LVT flooring; installing new internal doors, sockets and switches; adding bespoke storage; and redecorating throughout.

Set across the ground floor of an end-of-terrace Victorian house, the property sits behind a brick wall, with white-painted stone columns and lintels to the bay windows and a handsome, detailed porch. A white front door opens to a communal hallway, and your private front door beyond.

STEP INSIDE – COLOUR AND CHARM

Enter the sunny living room, where light spills in from a bay window fitted with café-style louvred shutters. Warm wood-look LVT flooring (laid in 2024) runs underfoot, complemented by white paintwork and a charcoal feature wall, nicely zoning the dining area.

Taking centre stage is a restored period fireplace with pretty patterned tiles and a black hearth, further enhanced by a colour-blocked chimney breast in cheerful ‘India Yellow’ by Farrow & Ball. Bespoke timber and metal bookshelves and a television cabinet fill the alcoves, while there’s also a radiator to keep things cosy.

The wood-look flooring flows down the hallway, past a space for coats and shoes, to the primary double bedroom, which features taupe walls and views out to the garden through a tall casement with a radiator beneath. As a lovely design detail, colour-blocking in charcoal on one wall matches the living room and is framed by a long picture-rail shelf.

Continuing along the hallway, you’ll pass a door to a handy cellar with electrics, and plenty of space for storage, before reaching the family bathroom, renovated in 2024, with classical style fittings from The Bath Co.

Inspired by the bathrooms at Soho House, grey-green and white geometric-patterned tiles form fabulous diagonals across the walls and the floor. A semi-freestanding bath with black claw feet, a Crittall-style screen, and a chrome traditional rainfall shower sits beneath a frosted casement window, while a close-coupled loo and vanity basin with a chrome tap complete the suite.

You’ll find the kitchen beyond, with white walls and wood-toned LVT flooring lit by a characterful bay with a glazed door to the garden. Sleek grey cabinetry with stylish brass handles pairs with a marble-look quartz worktop and upstand. For a calm atmosphere in the evenings, there’s bespoke wall lighting and a mid-century style five-armed pendant.

Integrated appliances include an IKEA oven and four-ring gas hob, a Hotpoint fridge-freezer, a Whirlpool dishwasher and an Indesit washing machine. There’s a white stone composite sink with a smart black mixer tap, and the Vaillant boiler (installed in December 2023) is also seamlessly hidden away here.

Currently used as a nursery, the quiet second double bedroom lies to the rear, with ‘Lichen’ Farrow & Ball painted walls and sanded, sealed floorboards. Lit by a double-glazed casement with a radiator beneath, it would work equally well as a home office.

OUTDOORS – SPACE TO GROW

The kitchen door opens to a side courtyard with slate chippings and climbing plants. Extending to 50-feet, the slate segues to a grassy lawn, bordered by a magnolia and a mature Eucalyptus tree. The current owners tell us the east-facing garden enjoys full sunlight throughout the day, hitting the outdoor dining area with a rendered bench just in time for lunch.

Tucked in a corner, a summer house with a window and double doors has been painted blue-grey. With insulation, power, lighting, and a carpeted floor, it has been fitted with an Ethernet cable to ensure a super-fast Wi-Fi connection and is currently used for home working. In the evenings, strings of Globulb festoon lights (controlled by a switch in the summer house) add a magical glow overhead, perfect for evening drinks or garden parties.

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

‘This home has been the beautiful backdrop to our family’s first chapter. Moving in just six weeks before our first child arrived, we have made some of our favourite memories here. Lazy morning cuddles in the peaceful nursery, or the late afternoon sun-bathed living room where we cheered on those first wobbling crawls and tiny steps. The kitchen and living areas have been the heart of our home, and when the weather is fine, the sun-trap garden becomes an outdoor dining room. We’ve spent countless sunny afternoons dining al fresco or eating Sunday lunches out there with friends. It’s a home that has brought us so much joy, and we will be very sad to leave.’

GETTING AROUND

Leytonstone High Road Overground station is a three-minute walk. At the same time, Stratford is just a short bus journey away for serious retail, restaurant and cultural therapy at Westfield and the East Bank, which hosts V&A East and a new venue for Sadler’s Wells.

Leytonstone Underground Station for Central line access is an 11-minute walk away. 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.

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Melford Road is a quiet pocket of Leytonstone, a stone’s throw from the town centre, with popular spots including The Wild Goose Bakery, Homies on Donkeys, Panda Dim Sum, Leytonstone Tavern for burgers and roasts, The North Star for great pizza and Thai, The Holly Tree, Yard Sale Pizza and Stone Mini Market for an impressive beer selection and plastic-free groceries.

For food shopping, the current owners recommend the TFC supermarket just two minutes away for amazing fresh produce. Forno bakery, M&S and ALDI are within short walking distance. The fabulous Good Shepherd Studios, Pastures Community Centre and Back 2 Ours café are a six-minute walk, a perfect stop off before you get to Wanstead Flats via Davies Lane.

Lovely Francis Road is just over 10 minutes on foot and has a fantastic collection of independent shops, relaxed cafés, delis and craft beer shops. Other local favourites include Bocca Bocca, the local pie-and-mash shop; San Marino Café; Zaxx for Korean food; and Phlox bookshop.

A new Pilates studio (Studio M), is just a few minutes’ walk away, directly opposite the overground station.

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

SCHOOLS

Nearby schools with ‘Good’ (or ‘Outstanding’) Ofsted ratings include Davies Lane Primary and George Tomlinson Primary (both 8 minutes’ walk) and Connaught for Girls (10 mins). In addition, there are several excellent nurseries on your doorstep, including The Arches Montessori Nursery, the N. Family Club, and the Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ Acacia Nursery. You will also find various activities for younger children who need entertaining, from Musical Miniatures to Baby Sensory and Baby Ballers.