Live in the world's most hipster city: bright-red Brighton house with murals on the walls, office space and a jungle for sale

The quirky and colourful four-bedroom Victorian terrace is just an hour from central London

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Jess Denham16 May 2018

Brighton has been named “the world’s most hipster city” and with quirky, colourful properties like this one for grabs, it’s easy to see why.

The bright poppy-red terraced house is found in Elm Grove, a sought-after area of the East Sussex seaside town. On the market for £520,000, it grabs the attention of anyone who passes by and the craziness only ramps up once you step inside.

Its living space and four bedrooms span three floors, all packed with unique design features, from murals on the walls and inbuilt open fireplaces to fun Fifties American diner-style kitchen units and statement lighting.

The open-plan kitchen and dining area is on the lower ground floor, as is a large versatile space that cries out to be used as an office or studio.

Natural light floods in through two sets of double doors leading into a “mature west-facing garden”, more accurately described as a lovingly tended-to jungle that traps the evening sun.

Upstairs, the family bathroom steals the spotlight. The blue and black tiling on the floors, bath and up the walls has been cleverly designed to resemble a retro video game, to disorientating effect.

Retro: the family bathroom resembles an old school video game

The bedrooms, although bright and spacious, seem bland in comparison, the walls left crisp white for a new owner to make their mark. They all have warm wooden floors and characterful alcoves for bookshelves, desks or armchairs. One is a duplex, with a staircase to a decent-sized loft which again could serve as an office or be used for storage.

Studio space: artists and designers can set up camp just off the kitchen

The current owners, a family of artists and designers, have lived here for 16 years but are reluctantly moving on, having “outgrown” the house.

They painted the house inside and out, choosing red for the exterior because it is their favourite colour.

“We painted the murals and designed the cushions and duvet covers, then it's been a gradual process of adding more,” they said.

“We grew the tropical garden almost from scratch - it’s inspired by our travels to West Africa and South Europe. We hope whoever buys our home will enjoy both the house and the garden as much as we have.“

Hands on: the murals and cushions seen here were designed by the owners

The family are keeping their plans private but thoroughly recommend Brighton to anyone considering a big move.

“We have the best of both worlds here,” they said. “Of course there’s the sea, but we also have the glorious South Downs on our doorstep. You can walk there from the house and there are views over Brighton from the attic room and bedroom.”

Survey your kingdom: you can admire the city from the attic room and bedroom

Brighton has been popular with London day-trippers since the railways opened in 1841, with the iconic Palace Pier and many of its hotels also built during the Victorian era. Today it is a top choice for commuters, thanks to regular direct trains into Victoria taking just under an hour.

The diverse, buzzy town has a thriving arts and culture scene, with Adele, Fatboy Slim, Nick Cave, David Walliams and Patsy Palmer among the famous faces to have once called Brighton home. It is known for its large LGBTQ population, hosting its own Pride festival every year, and attracts the most overseas tourists of any seaside resort in the country.

The sea air and sunshine helped earn Brighton the title of “happiest place to live” last year, after over a third of its residents described their lives as “happy”.