What was once a mecca for influencers could now become a sanctuary for goths.
Neighbours on Lancaster Road in Notting Hill, where houses are worth upwards of £2,000,000, are inundated with tourists taking selfies outside their front doors.
Now some of them are fighting back and have painted their houses a far less attractive colour. Black.
The street is just metres away from the equally bright Portobello Road, which was named one of the most beautiful streets in the world by Conde Nast Traveller last November.
Metro visited the popular street and found scores of tourists posing up.
Mike, who has a bright turquoise flat on Lancaster Road, told Metro he has been forced to hold his meditation classes at the back of the house due to the disruption.
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He added: ‘What is more irritating than anything else is just noise. Tourists work at a different volume level. They are so unbelievably loud.
‘There will be a group of 70 plus. It sounds like a football match.’
The set designer, who moved in two years ago, called the Instagram photographers ‘sheep’ who ‘go where everyone else goes just to be photographed in front of that.’
He said the scaffolding just came off the now black houses at the end of the street, which is right around the corner from where Bob Marley recorded his seminal albums at Island Records.
Mike fears, however, that the new paintwork will just become ‘the new epicentre for goths.’
He also seems reluctant to repaint his house because of the sheer cost of the scaffolding job, which could go into the thousands.
Neighbours are clearly riled by the constant flow of tourists on Lancaster Road.
The houses have chains and belt barriers blocking off their front door steps, and there are signs telling people to be quiet.
According to Mike, one cycled down the road shouting: ‘You are all f***ing sheep. These are normal houses’ at visitors a few days ago.
But what do tourists think themselves?
Metro spoke to the Obeid family, who were busy snapping away outside the colourful facades.
Mum-of-three Tete said she ‘loves the beautiful colours’ after she took snaps outside the houses with her children, Conrado, Consuelo and Justina.
The family are visiting London from Argentina and came straight to Lancaster Road after seeing the beautiful houses on social media.
But when asked about the black houses, the family agreed they like the new edgy colour too.
Despite this, Metro noticed tourists largely avoided taking pictures outside the black paint, and instead were drawn to the bright reds, blues and yellows on the street.
Other residents are being asked to join suit in the black house revolt.
In a letter sent to neighbours, residents said: ‘It’s clear that the bright and contrasting house colours are a major draw for photographs for their social media accounts.
(Picture: Justin Griffith-Williams)
‘While we all value the charm of our street, the unintended consequence has been a surge in disruptive tourism.’
Other colourful houses in Notting Hill and Portobello Road are yet to join suit, however.
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