High-flying couple who gave £2.6m Islington townhouse ‘ugly’ makeover forced to repaint entire property after ‘furious’ neighbours complained

A high-flying lawyer living in an ultra-exclusive square in north London has been forced to repaint his £2.6million mansion after it was turned black in a controversial and unapproved makeover.

Edmond Curtin transformed his Georgia property with black and gray paint, leaving neighbors ‘furious’.

Mr Curtin and his wife, who wish to remain anonymous, are living in the affluent Gibson Square, Islington’s World War II building, which is among the capital’s most coveted addresses. It had covered nearly every inch of his grade-listed property.

During the refurbishment, the iconic white cladding of window frames, cornices, architraves, entrance steps and basement light wells bathed in dark colours, known as plaster, sparked the ire of council conservation officers.

Despite their objection, the planning inspectorate ordered the couple to return the house to its traditional white color with a ‘triple wash’ within two months.

When the Daily Mail visited the property this week it was clear the couple were complying; period terraces now have the same facade as their neighbours.

But despite adhering to the council’s demands, some locals appeared lukewarm about their chances of a pardon.

One woman who has called the square home for 60 years said: ‘It was clear to everyone that they were going to have to bring it back to its original state.

The couple had to repaint the property to its original shade of white using three coats of paint

‘I don’t know why they lasted so long. It was a very jarring color choice and did not suit the area.

‘We are a Grade I listed square; When this happened, I was so upset that I didn’t want to meet them.

‘Their claim at the time was that we did not damage the building; firstly how will they know and secondly you have damaged the area. ‘I don’t know, I remember we were so angry at the time.’

When contacted by the Daily Mail the Curtins refused to comment further but insisted they complied and carried out the repainting as soon as their appeal failed in July.

But a source close to the family said: ‘They knew it was a protected area so they weren’t blind to the risk but they didn’t damage the bricks and realized many other houses in the square had made unmarked alterations.

‘According to official council documents only one person actually made a complaint.’

Another neighbor, who preferred to remain anonymous, also sympathized with the couple, who they said had always been ‘good residents’ and that the other buildings in the square had gray façades.

They said: ‘I don’t like gossip but this was hilarious. I actually didn’t think it was as ugly as some people thought, but it was vaguely funny that they tried to object and lasted so long.

‘You can’t change anything in these houses without meddling with any authority – which can be infuriating when you’ve got a big bill for the restoration of a window sill or something like that – but I guess it’s all for a good reason.’

But council inspector Ahsan Ghafoor made the shocking verdict, saying the refurbishment had created a ‘visually dissonant and jarring effect’ on the 1820s central terrace and the rest of the historic square.

It ruled: ‘Given the nature and scale of the work, the alterations result in an aesthetic that is at odds with the particular architectural interest of the listed building.

‘The alteration has a visually detrimental impact on the external appearance of the listed building and block and conflicts with the architectural and historical significance of the conservation area.’

The inspector also said the dark repainting ‘attracted the naked eye’ and was completely different from neighboring properties which still ‘remained monotonous’.

When the Daily Mail visited, we saw that the other buildings in the square had gray facades.

Mr Curtin denied breaching listed building regulations, claiming the refurbishment did not harm the historic value of the building.

However, the inspector concluded that the property, which lies within the Barnsbury Conservation Area, had ‘group value’ as part of a listed terrace that ‘contributes to the character of Gibson Square’.

Mr Ghafoor added: ‘The changes affect the special architectural and historically interesting character of the listed building.

‘Therefore, and contrary to the appellant’s arguments, the listed building consent is required for the alleged work.’

It continued: ‘Any works carried out without permission…are detrimental to the special significance or significance of the listed building and conservation area’.

Mr Curtin was ordered to repaint the entire front ‘reverting to the characteristic white paint scheme’, using three coats of paint.

With its lush gardens and spotlessly well-groomed terraces, Gibson Square is one of Islington’s most preferred addresses.

The area has been home to well-known figures such as surrealist photographer Angus McBean, American conductor Robert Carrier and schoolmaster George Darnell, who became famous for Darnell’s Copybooks in the 19th century.

According to Rightmove, the overall average house price in Gibson Square last year was £2,650,000.