A high-flying lawyer living in an ultra-exclusive north London square has been forced to repaint his £2.6m townhouse – after turning it black in a controversial and unapproved makeover.
Edmond Curtin had transformed his Georgian property with brooding black and grey paint leaving his neighbours ‘furious’.
Mr Curtin and his wife, who wishes to remain anonymous, had coated almost every inch of the frontage of his Grade II-listed property in affluent Gibson Square, Islington – among the capital’s most coveted addresses.
The refurb saw the iconic white render – known as stucco – window frames, cornices, architraves, entrance steps and a basement lightwell smothered in dark colours, sparking fury from council conservation officers.
And despite launching an appeal, the couple were ordered by the planning inspectorate to restore the house to its traditional white with ‘three coats of wash’ within two months.
When the Daily Mail visited the property this week, it was clear the couple had complied, with their period terrace now displaying the same frontage as their neighbours.
But although they had adhered to the council’s demands, certain locals appeared frosty on their chances of being forgiven.
One woman, who had called the square home for 60 years, said: ‘It was obvious to anyone that they’d have to change it back.
Mr Curtin’s all black home was described as producing ‘a visually discordant and jarring effect’
The couple were forced to repaint the property to its original white shade using three coats of paint
‘I don’t know why they held out so long. It was a very jarring colour choice and not in-keeping with the area.
‘We are a Grade I listed square; I was so upset when it happened that I didn’t want to meet them.
‘Their plea at the time was we haven’t damaged the building – well firstly how would they know and secondly you have damaged the area. I don’t know, I remember we were furious at the time.’
When the Curtin’s were approached by the Daily Mail, they declined to comment further but stressed they had complied and carried out the repainting as soon as their appeal failed in July.
However, a source close to the family said: ‘They knew it was a listed area so weren’t blind to the risk however they didn’t damage the brickwork and noticed that several other houses along the square had made amendments which hadn’t been flagged.
‘According to the official council documents only one person actually complained.’
Another neighbour, who preferred to stay anonymous also had sympathy for the couple who they say have always been ‘good residents’ and that other buildings along the square had grey frontage.
They said: ‘I’m not one for gossip but that was very funny. I didn’t think it was actually as ugly as some people made out, but it was vaguely hilarious that they tried to appeal and held out so long.
‘You cannot change anything on these houses without some authority or other sticking their nose – which can be infuriating when you have a huge bill for restoration of a window ledge or whatever – but I suppose it’s all for a good reason.’
However, council inspector Ahsan Ghafoor delivered a withering verdict, saying the makeover had ‘a visually discordant and jarring effect’ on the 1820s mid-terrace and the rest of the historic square.
He ruled: ‘The alterations result in an aesthetic that is at odds with the special architectural interest of the listed building, given the nature and scale of the work.
‘The alteration has a visually detrimental effect on the external appearance of the listed building and block, and are at odds with the architectural and historic interest of the conservation area.’
The inspector also said the dark repainting ‘draws the naked eye’ and was starkly different from neighbouring properties which still ‘remain uniform’.
When the Daily Mail visited we found other buildings along the square had grey frontage
Mr Curtin denied being in breach of listed building regulations, claiming that his renovation did not harm the historic value of the building.
However, the inspector concluded that his property, which lies within the Barnsbury Conservation Area, had ‘group value’ as part of a listed terrace ‘which contributes to the character of Gibson Square’.
Mr Ghafoor added: ‘The alterations affect the character of the listed building as one of special architectural and historic interest.
‘As such, and contrary to the appellant’s arguments, listed building consent is required for the alleged work.’
He continued: ‘All the unauthorised works…result in harm to the special interest or significance of the listed building and conservation area’.
Mr Curtin was ordered to repaint the entire frontage ‘back to the characteristic white paint scheme’ using three coats of paint.
Gibson Square, with its leafy gardens and immaculately maintained terraces, is one of the most desirable addresses in Islington.
The area has been home to well-known figures including surrealist photographer Angus McBean, the American chef Robert Carrier and schoolmaster George Darnell, who became famous in the 19th century for Darnell’s Copybooks.
According to Rightmove, house prices in Gibson Square have an overall average of £2,650,000 over the last year.
