04-06-2025
We painted our homes black to ward off Instagram tourists
Homeowners have painted their houses black to stop Instagram tourists from loitering outside.
Those living on Lancaster Road in Notting Hill, just metres from London's Portobello Road Market, claim hundreds of social media influencers stand outside their front doors to pose for pictures, with some even undergoing multiple outfit changes.
Meanwhile, brazen tourists stop for lunchtime picnics on their doorsteps, often peering through windows and 'forgetting that people actually live there', they claim.
Now, three houses on the road have ditched their previous bright exterior in the hopes that black walls are 'less Instagrammable'.
A 'quiet zone' sign is in place and one property owner further down the street has strung a rope across their front steps to block tourists from getting too close.
One resident, who did not want to be named, said: 'My family moved in about a month ago and the previous owner painted it black just before because they were fed-up with how many people stop out front.
'It gets crazy. People get on the steps and take loads of photos. On the weekends, there can be hundreds of people.
'It's not Londoners - it's mainly tourists. But it just gets stressful. I know my parents hate it. The hope with the black houses is that it's less picturesque. They basically want to attract less attention.'
Another resident, who didn't want to be named, claimed theirs was the original black house. They added: 'The other two decided to join us a couple months ago as we all agree that black houses don't look good on social media.
'I understand why people take photos - because of how it looks - but it just gets so packed. We can have hundreds of people on the street at once and it's a residential road - we're not able to cater to tourists.
'I think people just forget that people live here. So the hope with painting the houses black is that tourists will relax a bit. It's been working a little bit so far, to be fair.'
Meanwhile, George Hencken, who has lived in Notting Hill for 29 years, said his home used to be pink but he painted it grey seven years ago to make it 'unphotogenic'.
'But the thing is, and something those who have painted their homes black will soon find out, is that even if people aren't using their house as a photo backdrop - they'll still be here.'
He claimed many tourists had a sense of 'arrogance and entitlement'.
Two tourists, Clancy Carroll and Georgia Densley, who were visiting London from Australia, described the black houses as 'a downer'.
Ms Carroll added: 'I mean people are drawn here because of the street being iconic and colourful, right?
'It's a tourist spot and surely tourism is good for the local economy. It's a bit of a downer to paint the houses black. We're not fans of that.
'But to be honest, it probably won't work. If the rest are still colourful, people will come here - and if they all paint their homes black, it will become: 'Let's go see the street of all black houses'.
'It hasn't stopped us.'
