On Noel Road, an exquisite Grade II Listed five storey, three bedroom end-of-terrace house, moments from Angel and Upper Street in the upmarket north London enclave of Islington, and once the studio of leading British Post-Impressionist Walter Sickert, is for sale for £3,950,000 with DEXTERS.
The extraordinary, originally 1840s home incorporates 2,441sq.ft. of living space – beautifully refurbished by its present owners with the help of interior designer to the stars, Nicky Haslam – with three receptions and two main bathrooms.
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.
For German-born British painter, printmaker, teacher and critic Sickert (1860-1942), 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, this canalside setting was a huge influence on his oeuvre.
Between 1924 and 1931, Sickert took rooms in the property, on 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, with their independent boutiques and eateries.
Noel Road, with peaceful water views from nearly every room, now presents an incredible opportunity to own a meticulously restored Grade II Listed five-storey home, with expansive spaces for both luxurious family life and entertaining, with bespoke features designed by another modern master, Nicky Haslam.
The British interior design maverick is known for his bespoke blend of opulence, classicism and the avant-garde, with A list private clients including Mick Jagger, Bryan Ferry, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart and Charles Saatchi; his unique style and visual signature is also stamped on five-star hotel suites and royal residences around the world, for example the Lichfield suite at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, and at candle-lit dinners he designed at the State Apartments in Kensington Palace.
Haslam’s work at Noel Road 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 Regent’s Canal. Both rooms have their original window shutters, and a warm yet modern colour palette. A guest WC makes up this floor.
Upstairs, the first floor is given over to the principal bedroom suite, wonderfully light and bright, with its own indulgently 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, with inspiring canal and City views. This flexible floor could easily be used as a studio, or reconfigured into two bedrooms, subject to planning consents.
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. A ‘secret’ garden to the side of the house is a unique bonus, running parallel to the canal.
One of the earliest members of the New English Art Club, founded in 1885 as a radical alternative to the traditional artistic values of the Royal Academy, Sickert was genuinely fond of the Islington area, saying “Islington has always been kind to me”. He lived in several homes near Noel Road with his third wife, the painter Thérèse Lessore, and leaves behind an important artistic legacy in the area.
Other paintings and etchings made by Sickert of Islington include those of local landmark the Royal Agricultural Hall, and from his last studio at Highbury Place, which was also an art school, he painted The Raising of Lazarus in 1932, which he gave away to raise money for Sadler’s Wells Theatre, just a 10-minute walk from Noel Road.
Karen Keating, Board Director at DEXTERS (Islington), says: “At the end of a graceful 1840s terrace on Noel Road, this Grade II Listed 2,441sq.ft. five-storey three bedroom house, backing on to Regent’s Canal, is the ultimate Islington home. As well as an important history as the site of Post-Impressionist master Walter Sickert’s studio, where he painted atmospheric views of the house and canal, it provides impressive bespoke interiors designed by another modern master, Nicky Haslam. Its beautifully restored Georgian features and an enormous, incredibly private canalside garden complete the idyllic picture.”
Noel Road is extremely well connected, within easy walking distance of several Underground stations including Angel 0.3m (Northern), Old Street 0.8m (Northern) and Barbican 1m (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan), and First Capital Connect services from Essex Road and Old Street stations
Noel Road is available to buy for £3,950,000 (freehold). For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact DEXTERS (Islington) on Tel: +44 (0)20 7483 6373, or visit www.dexters.
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