Moody Tones and Warm Light in a Restored East London Georgian Townhouse
Tucked within an 18th-century terrace in east London, a short walk from the river and the City, this Georgian townhouse unfolds across four carefully restored storeys and approximately 1,750 sq. ft of living space.
Lived in and sensitively revived by its current owners over more than fifteen years, the house tells a quiet story of continuity, one that prioritises repair over replacement and authenticity over display.
Later additions have been thoughtfully removed to reveal the building’s original fabric, while lost features have been reinstated using traditional methods and materials, including haired lime plaster, distemper, breathable paints, and linseed oil finishes.
Original finishes have been conserved wherever possible; shutters and panelling have been remade in reclaimed and new timber, with paint colours meticulously researched and tested.
The interiors have been featured in Restoration Stories: Patina and Paint in Old London Houses by Philippa Stockley and The Bible of British Taste: Stories of Home, People and Place by Ruth Guilding, as well as the journal of the The Georgian Group.
Entry is through a fan-lit front door into a long hallway where distempered and limed walls, original waxed floorboards and dado panelling set a warm, time-softened tone.
Ahead, an elegant double-return staircase rises through the house, its Georgian treads later overlaid in the 19th century.
On the raised ground floor, a generous double reception room stretches from front to back. Walls painted in Invisible Green by Little Greene shift subtly with the light, while sash windows frame views to the street at the front and to the garden and the church beyond at the rear.
Remade historic shutters, open fireplaces, circa-1820 cornicing, original wainscot panelling, and wide Georgian floorboards define the space.
Currently arranged for sitting at the front and dining at the rear, the room also doubles as a discreet home cinema with a concealed projector and speakers. In keeping with the period, lighting is provided by dimmable lamps and candlelight rather than ceiling fixtures.
On the lower ground floor, the kitchen and breakfast rooms feel rooted in the building’s origins. Quarry tiles salvaged from a Welsh chapel run underfoot, while lightly cleaned hand-sawn beams retain the shadow of old laths overhead.
An old Belfast sink is set within an antique iroko worktop, alongside simple cupboards, a marble pastry table, and open shelving.
A traditional larder, with part-glazed panelling and pine shelves set against an external wall, keeps food naturally cool.
To the rear, the breakfast room centres around a large open fireplace sourced from a house of similar age in Whitechapel. Morning light filters in across tiled floors and shelves lined with homemade preserves, creating a space designed for unhurried breakfasts.
A half-turn stair leads down to the private walled garden, an oasis of calm planted around reclaimed York stone paving sourced from a Georgian home in north London.
A mature camellia and an old grape vine, both planted over fifty years ago, anchor the space. Climbing roses and clematis cover the east wall, while star jasmine scents the west in summer.
Wisteria and fig climb the south-facing rear façade, and Boston ivy turns the north wall brilliant red in autumn. Ferns, foxgloves, hollyhocks, and seasonal bulbs fill the borders, while sunlit steps are lined with pots of tomatoes and herbs.
The first floor is arranged as a generous principal bedroom suite formed of two rooms divided by large double doors on parliament hinges.
Fully panelled walls, original internal shutters, and twin fireplaces sit beneath conserved Georgian ceilings finished in oil-bound distemper. Joinery painted in Woodbine and Gold Wash by Little Greene creates a soft, warm atmosphere.
Two further double bedrooms occupy the top floor, each with paneling, fireplaces, and wide floorboards.
The bathroom features an early 20th-century cast-iron bath, reclaimed ceramic fittings, and a restored pull-chain WC, with antique Delft tiles forming a decorative splashback.
The house is listed for £2,300,000 at Unique Property Company.