INSIDE THE FIVE-STOREY TOWNHOUSE PAINTED HEAD-TO-TOE IN PICKLESON

***Paint:*** *Filthy Terracotta* *and* *East End Clay* *by The Pickleson Paint Co. |* ***Kitchen:*** Andrea Felice| ***Photograhy:*** *Liam Baldock*

YOU CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT A HOME…

…By how it greets you. Some offer a cautious nod; others fling open the door with a warm welcome. When we arrived at Ted and Sarah’s townhouse in East London, we were met by Bertha, a dog with the manner of a duchess and, on this particular day, the wardrobe of one too. She was, we were told, moments away from being zipped into a wedding dress and entered into a beauty pageant at the local pub. Naturally.

Their five-storey Georgian townhouse sits on one of East London’s most characterful squares, a street so picturesque it feels like a film set. With its perfectly preserved terraces and private gardens, it’s the kind of place Paddington might have ended up had he found himself lost and alone in Liverpool Street instead of, well, Paddington. This particular patch of Mile End is steeped in history and just around the corner from our old stomping ground. It’s where we fell in love, where Pickleson was born, and being back always feels like coming home; albeit this time to a significantly more luxurious home than our manky old flat in Bethnal Green.

Over the past four years or so, Ted and Sarah, along with their daughter Rita and the ever-iconic Bertha, have been lovingly restoring their five-storey home. Previously divided into flats and knocked around something chronic, the house had seen better days. Its original charm obscured by years of partition walls and makeshift kitchens. Every room, nook and hallway has had the full treatment. Impressively, they didn’t bring in an interior designer. They didn’t play it safe, either. They instead opted to paint it head-to-toe in Pickleson, using twenty-two different colours and creating a space that feels curated without being contrived. Playful, layered, and full of life.

***Paint:*** *East End Clay* *and* *Filthy Terracotta* *by The Pickleson Paint Co. |* ***Photograhy:*** *Liam Baldock*

The house sings with colour. The basement kitchen, crafted by Andrea Felice, is adorned in Filthy Terracotta and glows a deep, spiced red. In the hallways, Drunk Tahini - a blushing, chameleon-like neutral - picks up and reflects the shifting light, gently guiding you through the house as the day unfolds.

There’s a masterful office fit for novel writing, drenched in Basilica Teal. The master bedroom is painted in Open Sesame, with Sexy Marsala on the woodwork, giving it a subtle blush that makes even the greyest London morning feel a little softer. The adjoining bathroom sees Town Hall Whisper paired with gorgeous green tiles.

And upstairs? Rita’s bedroom. An explosion of Tequila Green and Disco Pink, picked entirely by Rita herself. The result? A watermelon-inspired wonderland, full of joy and character.

Elsewhere, you’ll find a Ned Red front door that makes a proper first impression, an East End Clay living room, a tiny but dramatic Pickle Blue cloakroom, and, most fittingly, a bathroom painted entirely in Pissy Yellow.

***Paint:*** *Pissy Yellow* *by The Pickleson Paint Co. |* ***Photograhy:*** *Liam Baldock*

What we love most about this home (other than the fact it’s covered in our paint) is that it doesn’t feel like a show home. It feels lived-in already. Thoughtfully layered, full of character, and brimming with warmth. It’s a place you want to spend time in, where you can cook slow dinners, lounge on the sofa with the dog, or host a spontaneous pageant if the moment calls for it.

To Ted, Sarah, Rita and Bertha, thank you for opening your doors and letting us in. Here’s to Mile End’s canine beauty queen 2025.