Michael Road, Bushwood, London, E11

This beautifully renovated three-bedroom Victorian home is set along a leafy residential street just a short walk from excellent schools, expansive green spaces, local shops and Tube connections. Carefully curated over the years, the house has a distinctive international feel, full of warmth, personality and bespoke craftsmanship, with rich colours and carefully chosen finishes creating interiors that feel both stylish and deeply inviting.

The property has been comprehensively upgraded in recent years, with extensive renovation works completed in 2024, including a stunning new kitchen fitted with premium Cortizo double- and triple-glazing, featuring low-emissivity glass, argon-filled units, and warm-edge spacer technology for exceptional thermal performance. The bathroom skylight and rear bedroom window were also replaced as part of the same programme of improvements.

Practical upgrades sit alongside the home’s carefully preserved character. The electrics have been extensively modernised over time, including a new fuse box and updated kitchen and bathroom wiring, while underfloor heating has been installed in the kitchen, bathroom and rear bedroom for added comfort. All internal doors have been replaced within the last decade, with striking Buster + Punch hardware adding a refined finishing touch to the principal living spaces and bedrooms.

Outside, the house has been equally well cared for, with the gardens thoughtfully redesigned in 2018 to create a series of distinct spaces for relaxing and entertaining. A new roof was completed in 2024, and the front façade was freshly painted this year in a cheerful yellow. The bespoke front door and frame, incorporating reclaimed stained glass sourced from London, provide a fitting introduction to a home filled with craftsmanship and attention to detail.

INSIDE – A CONSIDERED FUSION OF MODERN DESIGN

Upon arrival, a front garden finished with mosaic tiles, Indian sandstone, and a large laurel hedge for privacy leads to the recessed entrance. Beyond, handmade Moroccan terrazzo tiles line a spacious hallway with a staircase replaced in 2016, a cupboard beneath, and neutral coved walls. 

To the left, a bay window with louvred wooden shutters floods the double reception room in sunshine, along with a tall rear window. Soft peach walls coordinate with the wood flooring, and a new triple-column radiator. There’s a recessed fireplace feature, while a wall of bespoke bookshelves gives a calming library feel to the space.

Return to the hallway, passing a beautifully tiled WC (with matt-black fittings and modern sanitaryware) and an alcove for coats and shoes, to discover a dining kitchen with Japandi vibes. Refurbished in 2024, it’s lined with hospital-grade, heated lino flooring installed by niche skilled experts, Sinclair Till. White crown-cut oak doors and side panels with linear handles, custom-made in Scotland, finish the cabinetry on either side and complement the open shelving above. The worktops and tall splashbacks are high-quality Taj Mahal quartzite from Brazil – all brightened by dimmable Philips Hue spotlights and a colour-changing track light, creating subtle mood lighting as well as practical task lighting.

Integrated appliances include a Smeg C921PX range cooker, a double sink, an American-style Haier fridge, a wine fridge, and a dishwasher.

Beyond, a bespoke skylight with solar-reflective and self-cleaning coatings floods the space with natural light, while new doors and windows create a seamless connection to the outside, especially in a dining nook with built-in seating. 

Upstairs, a split-level landing leads to three double bedrooms. The primary bedroom fills the front, brightened by two large windows with fitted wooden shutters and column radiators below. A central gold-and-white globe light by West Elm, with the wall behind painted in a striking burnt orange ‘Fox Tail’ to contrast with the pared-back décor. 

The wooden flooring continues in bedroom two – a calming, neutrally decorated double with fitted wardrobes overlooking the garden. At the back, bedroom three is illuminated by linear spotlights to the sloped ceiling and a picture window framing the garden. Underfloor heated and with built-in shelving and seating, it would make a lovely home office. 

Off the landing, the underfloor-heated family bathroom pairs Ema terracotta floor tiles from Claybrook with Johnson’s Prismatics white square wall tiles. A skylight brightens a huge walk-in rainfall shower with white fittings to match the wall-hung basin beneath a mirrored cabinet, while a Grohe Japanese-style toilet completes the suite.

OUTSIDE – AN OASIS OF CALM

The rear garden was fully landscaped in 2018 and is thoughtfully arranged for relaxing, entertaining, and food growing. Slate and Indian sandstone paving weave between distinct zones, including a side return filled with shade-loving plants, a casual seating area near the kitchen, a greenhouse, space for a large dining table, a useful shed and a secluded larch timber sun deck at the far end of the garden. Practical additions include a fully connected irrigation system, external water points and dual outdoor electricity supplies.

The garden enjoys sunlight at different points throughout the day, with the decked area becoming a particularly private sun trap, while the seating area closer to the house catches the evening light beautifully. Established planting and greenery create a wonderfully calm and secluded atmosphere, especially in spring when the blossom appears, and birdsong fills the garden. A mature apple tree reliably produces sweet, crisp apples each year, while the raised railway sleeper beds have delivered abundant harvests of beans and tomatoes season after season. 

A NOTE FROM THE OWNERS

‘We’ve loved living here for the past 13 years. The house has always felt calm, safe and relaxing to us; somewhere we could properly switch off from London life. It’s such a quiet street that visitors often comment on how well they sleep here.

‘We originally expected this to be a long-term home and have cared for it with that mindset throughout. We’re only moving to be closer to family abroad; otherwise, we would have happily stayed much longer. The kitchen gets beautiful afternoon light, and the garden has truly felt like our own private oasis.

‘Michael Road has a rare combination of being friendly, diverse and genuinely community-minded, and the neighbours have been a huge part of what has made this house feel like home. The residents’ association organises everything from street events to seasonal gatherings, creating a real sense of connection without ever feeling overbearing. It’s definitely the kind of street where people stop to chat with each other, which feels increasingly rare in London.’

GETTING AROUND

Leytonstone Tube (Central Line) is a five-minute walk, and Overground services are reachable in nine minutes at Leytonstone High Road.

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Bushwood has a wonderful mix of long-term residents and newer arrivals, who are quickly welcomed into its vibrant community. Just a three-minute walk from High Road, with its cluster of local favourite hangouts, you’ll never be short of places to wine and dine. Local sellers particularly recommend The Red Lion pub, Leytonstone Tavern, Wild Goose Café and Homies on Donkeys for the best tacos in London. Other top spots include Forno (try the Maritozzi), as well as Bushwood’s excellent local tavern, The North Star. M&S Foodhall is around a five-minute walk away.

Don’t forget to try Panda Dim Sum and Yard Sale Pizza, as well as Bocca Bocca for authentic Neapolitan pizza, J’Adore for its French pastries, and the Stone Mini Market for your fair-trade and organic provisions.

The property is also close to Wanstead’s bars and restaurants (stop by Provender) and Forest Gate (check out Ramble). Only moments from home, you can explore Wanstead Flats, with Henry Reynolds Gardens a short walk away. The Olympic Park and Hackney Wick also offer many family-friendly activities and retail shopping opportunities.

Local sellers also recommend Hollow Ponds for boating and ice cream; The Hitchcock Hotel for cocktails; Good Shepherd Studios for films, cultural events and both adult and baby classes; and Shake The High Road – a fun music festival in Leytonstone that gets bigger year after year.

SCHOOLS

Nearby schools include the Ofsted-rated ‘Good’ George Tomlinson Primary School (three minutes), Our Lady of Lourdes (21 minutes), and the ‘Outstanding’ Davies Lane Primary School, six minutes on foot.