On the market now in Islington is a Grade II-listed, five-storey, three-bedroom property that unites two London creative greats.
The end-of-terrace house in Noel Road was once the studio of British post-Impressionist painter Walter Sickert, and comes today with bespoke features by interior design legend Nicky Haslam.
The house is for sale for £3,950,000 with Dexters.
The extraordinary home, built in the 1840s, incorporates 2,441 sq.ft. of living space with three receptions and two main bathrooms, has been refurbished by its present owners with the help of Haslam.
Rich in restored original period features, it retains Georgian cornicing, shuttered sash windows, pretty balconies and arched windows, with a beautiful south-facing garden overlooking peaceful Regent’s Canal at the rear. It also comes with an additional private “secret” garden to the side, accessed by a hidden walkway.
German-born British painter Sickert (1860-1942), was a leading light of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th century London, and often hailed as the most important British artist after J.M.W. Turner. Though there was once a conspiracy theory that he was Jack the Ripper, a huge retrospective at the Tate in 2022 helped reset his importance.
This canalside setting in Noel Road was a huge influence on his oeuvre. Between 1924 and 1931, Sickert took rooms in the property, in what was then known as Noel Street, where he painted and etched scenes of Islington.
The innovative artist, who studied under James McNeill Whistler and became most famous for his intimate domestic portraits, interiors, theatrical and circus scenes, made a significant departure here, with his work ‘The Hanging Gardens’, painted in the studio between 1924 and 1926, depicting a view of the back garden of this property and reflecting the green tree-lined canal behind.
With a title inspired by the garments and bedsheets often hung out to dry in Islington gardens, the oil-on-canvas scene achieved over £107,000 at a Christie’s auction in 2013, when it was sold to a private bidder.
In 1927, he painted ‘The Fading Memories of Walter Scott’ here, on a similar theme.
Sickert had lived in the area as a child with his great-aunt, its picturesque charm a constant in his life.
He later recalled: “On Sundays, I would wander down along the canal and watch the barges float away into the dark recess of the tunnel."
Now part of Islington’s beautifully maintained Duncan Terrace/Colebrooke Row Conservation Area, Noel Road’s location directly backing on to Regent’s Canal today is still wonderfully atmospheric, but considerably more well-heeled than in Sickert’s day.
Within moments you can be on the canal path for weekend strolls and cycle rides to the West End, City and Canary Wharf, and at Angel or Upper Street.
Haslam’s work at Noel Road has updated the property to carry serious modern flair. He has ensured wonderfully liveable yet luxurious spaces, which are fully air conditioned and filled with bespoke yet practical features. The scene is set from the street, however, with instant kerb appeal provided by Grade II-listed black wrought-iron railings and, beyond, the home’s restored Georgian façade of yellow brick, Flemish bond and white stucco.
Behind the duck-egg blue front door, set into the elegant round-arched entranceway, a high-ceilinged hallway leads onto a pair of interlinked reception spaces, both with wooden flooring.
One is more formal, with a white stone contemporary fireplace and streetside views, and the other designed around a wonderful wall of bespoke built-in walnut cabinetry and shelving, overlooking the canal. Both rooms have their original window shutters, and a warm yet modern colour palette.
Upstairs, the first floor is given over to the main bedroom suite, with its large bathroom and a spacious terrace overlooking the garden and canal to the rear.
There is a further bedroom and bathroom on the second floor, while the top, third, floor has been transformed by its present owners into a third bedroom and studio/office space.
Noel Road’s lower ground floor has been designed as the ultimate cooking and entertaining space, simultaneously making the most of the extraordinary urban waterside location. Here, where wooden parquet flooring runs throughout, a contemporary, minimalist stainless-steel kitchen is open plan to a large dining room, full of character with its white beamed ceiling and sparkling light installation.
Also featuring the home’s trademark beautifully crafted wooden cabinetry and shelving, this time in white, the space has a Gothic-style arched doorway leading onto the perfectly landscaped south-facing garden.
With wooden decking underfoot, and lushly planted, it is extremely private, while providing gorgeous views of the barges plying Regent’s Canal. And that ‘secret’ garden to the side of the house is a unique bonus, running parallel to the canal.
