How a Colourful 1930s Semi in London Surprises Every Guest

From the street, the house looks exactly like every other property on the road: a 1930s semi-detached, bay-fronted, modest front garden. Nothing about the exterior prepares you for what is inside.

The front door opens onto a hallway painted in deep saturated cobalt blue. The kitchen is terracotta. The living room layers sage green, burnt orange and a yellow the owner calls “optimistic.”

“People come in and they stop walking,” says the owner with evident satisfaction. “They literally stop. They need a moment.”