By Emma Bird
From the cliff-hugging houses of Positano to the sherbet-toned terraces of Notting Hill, there’s something uplifting about a home that wears its colour with confidence. Whether washed in lemon, coral, mint or baby blue, painted facades bring joy — not only to those who live behind them but to anyone strolling past.
The appeal of colourful homes is nothing new. In the Sardinian town of Bosa, a jumble of rainbow-tinted houses climbs towards the 12th-century Malaspina Castle — a palette that, according to local lore, once helped fishermen identify their homes from the river.
In Mexico, cities such as Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende dazzle with Spanish colonial facades in citrus and spice shades. In Copenhagen’s Nyhavn district (main picture, top), harbourfront houses in chalky reds, blues and yellows have become postcard fixtures, their cheerful uniformity now synonymous with the city’s identity.
That same visual charm has found fertile ground in the UK. Painted homes — whether coastal, suburban or central — are increasingly sought after, not just for location but for the character they project.
In Penarth, south Wales, a three-bedroom town house is on the market for £995,000, complete with private mooring and sweeping marina views. The house is part of a contemporary terrace inspired by Portofino, an influence reflected in both the waterside setting and the soft, sun-faded tones of its facade.
A covenant in the title deeds prevents owners from changing the colour, preserving the Mediterranean vision. Inside, a top-floor bedroom opens on to a balcony, while the ground-floor kitchen and living area has a deck that leads directly down to the mooring.
In London, a pistachio-green house in St John’s Wood — listed at £4.495mn — has its own cultural pedigree: it appeared in the BBC’s long-running crime drama New Tricks. Inside the six-bedroom home, restored period detailing sits alongside a bright, modern kitchen.
“I think these houses just spark a lot of joy,” says Arthur Lintell, head of sales at Knight Frank’s Notting Hill office. “Notting Hill has an incredible mix of creativity and vibrancy and, of course, we also have the carnival. While it’s never easy to pin a price premium on coloured houses, their charm and personalities set them apart and certainly boost their appeal to potential buyers.”
An example in the area is this three-bedroom home on Lonsdale Road, on the market for £3.5mn. Set among a run of pastel-painted houses within easy reach of Westbourne Grove, the street is a magnet for Instagrammers, creatives and design-minded buyers alike. Arched windows, high ceilings and muted wall shades all give the property a characterful charm.
Homeowners are not always free to choose the colour they want, however. In Notting Hill, repainting the outside of a house typically doesn’t require permission, but in 2015 the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea ordered a resident who had painted their house in red and white stripes to reverse the change after neighbours objected.
If your house is in a conservation area — and there are many in London, including in St John’s Wood — exterior changes generally need planning consent.
Elsewhere in the world, colour has become inseparable from local identity. In the Andalusian village of Júzcar, residents opted to keep their homes bright blue after the entire village was painted for a Smurf movie premiere in 2011 and experienced a tourism boom.
And in La Boca, Buenos Aires, a tradition of brightly painted corrugated-iron houses — originally decorated with marine paint left over from the port — has become a defining symbol of the neighbourhood, beloved by tango dancers, artists and visitors alike.
In a housing market often defined by uniformity, coloured facades stand apart. They suggest individuality, optimism and a sense of play that transcends fads. “I really love these painted houses,” says Lintell. “I find them very soothing.” And perhaps that’s the true power of pastel — not just to decorate, but to delight.
Photography: Alamy; Knight Frank; Savills; Getty Images
