The Hidden UK Street Where Every Single House is Painted a Different Colour
A tiny dead-end street tucked off Kentish Town Road has quietly become one of London’s most photographed addresses — and one of its priciest, new analysis has revealed.
Kelly Street, in the NW1 postcode, is a curved row of early 19th century terraced houses with matching ornamental ironwork balconies — but every single home is painted a different colour. Turquoise, lilac, raspberry, mustard, sage, sky blue — the whole street reads like a Pantone chart.
The street is so tucked away that even most Londoners have never heard of it. Despite sitting a five-minute walk from Camden Market and just two minutes from Kentish Town tube, Kelly Street is a dead-end with no through-traffic — meaning it remains genuinely off the tourist trail.
But the prices tell a very different story. Brickwork specialists Reclaimed Brick Company analysed Zoopla sold price data for the street and found that 29 Kelly Street sold for £1,125,000 in September 2024, while 41 Kelly Street went for £1,205,000 the month before. Both are modest 2-bedroom mid-terrace homes under 105 square metres — meaning buyers paid more than £12,500 per square metre, well above the London average.
The same Zoopla analysis revealed an even more striking figure: 29 Kelly Street last sold for just £185,000 back in 1997 — meaning the property has soared in value by a staggering 507% in 27 years.
Why every house is a different colour
Kelly Street didn’t always look this way. Built in the early 1800s as a row of standard Georgian terraces, the street was originally a plain brick affair like thousands of others across London.
The transformation began in the 1960s, when a wave of London homeowners across Camden, Kentish Town, Primrose Hill and Notting Hill started painting their terraces in bright colours. Kelly Street’s residents quickly followed — and today, neighbours informally consult one another before repainting, with most agreeing on new shades through unofficial votes to keep the rainbow effect intact.
Kentish Town’s quiet boom
Kelly Street is far from the only reason buyers are flocking to the area. Once dismissed as Camden’s scruffier neighbour, Kentish Town has become one of north London’s most desirable postcodes — thanks to its mix of period architecture, independent cafes, and quick connections into central London.
Other colourful streets sit nearby in the same NW5 area, including Falkland Road, which became so iconic it’s now part of a conservation area.
The real reason behind the price tag
Luke Clarke, brick expert at Reclaimed Brick Company, said: “What makes Kelly Street so valuable isn’t the paint — it’s what’s underneath. Every single house is built on original 1820s London stock brick, the same hand-made brick that built huge swathes of Georgian London.
“Period properties consistently outperform modern builds — buyers regularly pay up to 20% more for pre-1919 homes, and homes in conservation areas sell for around 9% more than those outside. That’s exactly what’s driving Kelly Street’s sale prices.”
He added: “For anyone looking at period properties this year, the quality of the original brickwork is the single most important thing buyers should be checking under the paint.”