On the corner of Chadwell Street and Arlington Way in Clerkenwell is a two-storey terraced building with a painted advertisement on the side. “Thomas B. Treacy Funeral Directors”, it reads. And below that: “BURIALS, EMBALMING, CREMATIONS”.
As the façade suggests, the property was a funeral directors for 190 years, between 1820 and 2010. It was still an undertakers —complete with a morgue and coffins— in 2011, when it was purchased by its current owner, Keith Oliver.
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Oliver bought the Grade II-listed property for £999,999 from a developer, who had gained planning permission to turn the building into a single residential dwelling and add a roof terrace.
According to planning documents, a flat already existed above the shopfront, but Oliver turned the basement level into a third bedroom, adding a lightwell.
The building’s original features were reinstated, a roof terrace was constructed and a new window was added to the first floor. Inside, the morgue and coffins were removed, and the property was slowly transformed into a home.
The shopfront, however, was retained, with the building’s façade still proudly showcasing its undertaker history.
Today, it has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two reception rooms. In the new basement, there is a bedroom —large enough to house a drumkit— and a sitting room, used as a kind of cinema room.
Oliver has not been shy with his colour scheme. Upstairs, the walls of the dining room and living room are red, while the stairs are painted white and back like piano keys.
The main reception room, at the front of the building, has large sash windows, high ceilings and decorative cornicing.
As well as the triangular roof terrace, which overlooks the pretty surrounding streets, the property also has a double garage.
Now, though, it is for sale with Nathan K Real Estate. Despite an initial valuation of £3 million, according to the agents, the property is listed for £5 million. “I won’t sell it for less,” said Oliver. “It has been a labour of love.”
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“When Keith first bought it, there were still coffins inside. While the exterior has been beautifully preserved, the interior is completely unrecognisable,” says Nathan Khider, the company’s director. “We expect a huge amount of interest.”
Khider was cast as a Faithful in this year’s series of BBC’s The Traitors, becoming the first contestant to be banished. Outside of the show, he runs Nathan K Real Estate and works as a property consultant, alongside owning a handful of other businesses.
Recently, a row of five garages in Ealing, redeveloped by Khider into a new house, were listed for sale for £1.4 million.
“The transformation is incredible,” says Khider of the former undertakers. “It’s one of the most unique properties you’ll ever step into in London.”
