Image: COMPASS
Following the release of her scandalous yet ever-captivating album West End Girl, Lily Allen has listed the Brooklyn townhouse she once shared with actor David Harbour. Set on a leafy street in Carroll Gardens, the late-19th-century brownstone bears the hallmarks of its era – tall stoops, iron railings and a handsome, red-brick façade – yet its interiors tell a far bolder story.
The couple’s separation has been the subject of speculation since December, but Allen seemed to confirm the split through the album, where she appears to address rumours of Harbour’s infidelity. On the title track, she even seems to reference the townhouse now for sale, reflecting on the negotiations, the purchase and the home’s interior design with a frank, almost self-conscious wit.
The pair purchased the house in 2021 for roughly US $3.35 million (approximately $5.1million AUD) and embarked on a fastidious renovation that alchemised the once-dilapidated structure into a detailed residence characterised by pattern and personality. Permits filed in 2022 detailed extensive construction works valued at over half a million dollars, signalling the thoroughness of the project. Re-imagined by designer Billy Cotton in collaboration with architect Ben Bischoff of MADE, the five-storey home unfolds across five bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Inside, striped upholstery, elaborate mouldings and vivid wallpapers draw from English and Italian references. The kitchen, fitted with cabinetry by Plain English, an Ann Sacks tiled backsplash and a striking Officine Gullo range, anchors the house and looks as if it were lifted from a Nancy Meyers set.
Upstairs, the primary suite occupies an entire level, complete with a fireplace, dressing space and en suite. Throughout, bespoke joinery and antiquities lend a sense of permanence that belies the home’s recent rebirth. Even the smallest rooms – a study here, a powder room there – reflect the same fastidious attention to detail that defines the rest of the house.
A garden-level guest suite opens directly onto the private rear garden, where a cedar-clad pavilion conceals a sauna and plunge pool. Below, a fully finished basement accommodates a gym, laundry and generous storage. The townhouse spans roughly 22 feet in width, its proportions adding to the of grandeur of each floor.
Now listed for just under US $8 million (approximately $12.2 million AUD) million through Carl Gambino of the Gambino Group at Compass, the Lily Allen and David Harbour’s townhouse captures a moment in the couple’s shared history – exuberant, expressive and entirely at odds with the façades of its Brooklyn block.
Does Lily Allen mention the townhouse in West End Girl?
Anyone familiar with the ex-couple’s celebrity home tour would have instantly recognised the reference to the Brooklyn townhouse on Lily Allen’s brand new album. Appearing in the title track for West End Girl, Allen recalls the moment she and David Harbour first bought the property – even offering up mention to interior designer, Billy Cotton.
Now I’m looking at houses with four or five floors / And you’ve found us a brownstone, said “You want it? It’s yours” / So we went ahead and we bought it / Found ourselves a good mortgage / Billy Cotton got sorted / All the furniture ordered
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