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In February 2023, singer Lily Allen and Stranger Things actor David Harbour welcomed Architectural Digest into their home and the interiors instantly went viral. The New York brownstone had been totally transformed into a maximalist marvel with the help of AD100 designer Billy Cotton and architect Ben Bischoff from Made. But it wouldn’t be the last time the controversial home would hit headlines… and now the colourful creation will be at the whim of someone else’s style because the townhouse is officially on the market.
Why is Lily Allen’s home so controversial?
Lily Allen and David Harbour separated in February 2025, after four years of marriage. But with the release of Lily Allen’s fifth studio album, West End Girl, headlines quickly honed in on the home and its potential role in the divorce.
The album opens with Lily recounting how she and David purchased the house, singing “And now we’re all here, we’ve moved to New York… And you’ve found us a brownstone, said ‘You want it? It’s yours’.” Across 14 tracks, Lily explores the collapse of her marriage, with claims of infidelity, including allegations that David cheated on her in the very home they have now listed with The Gambino Group.
The garden room
The late-19th-century townhouse is now on the market for more than $12 million (AUD). And it’s easy to see why, with five bedrooms and four bathrooms, situated in an enviable area of New York’s Brooklyn borough. The living room, which Lily Allen calls “the garden room”, is a whimsical wonder. Detailed crown mouldings are finished in bright green, complementing the fantastical Zuber wallpaper.
The deep green themes comtinue, with an oversized sofa and two armchairs. “We have this double-sided sofa, which means David and I can argue and be sort of looking at each other and relaxing at the same time,” said Lily in her Open Door video tour with Architectural Digest.
Even the fireplace is green. While the shade complements the other predominant hues in the room, the style is in stark contrast. Boxy and modern, it’s juxtaposed with the traditional and ornate stylings seen elsewhere in the space, adding visual interest.
Lily Allen’s Plain English kitchen
David told Architectural Digest that Lily admitted, early in their relationship, that she had always wanted a Plain English kitchen and that’s exactly what she got with this room. The style itself is a stunning blend of English, American and Italian influences but it is underpinned by a strong sense of functionality.
“We wanted somewhere to feel like the central engine of the house,” Lily told Architectural Digest. Between the plentiful storage, large central island and generous dining table, there’s so much space for the family to gather in. In the video, Lily explains that the children complete homework while she cooks, before adding in a rather poignant and foreboding way, “everyone abandons me.”
The ceiling rose is original to the building and has been highlighted with a showstopping chandelier. All that glitz and glamour is brought back down to earth with checkered upholstery on the custom built-in banquette and dining chairs. The result is a kitchen that is at once homely and stately.
Ornate and decorative moulding appears all throughout the home. Wainscoting follows the wall up the staircase, across from the banister which is equally detailed. Every doorway features generous architraves.
Lily Allen and David Harbour’s suite
Lily dubbed the bedroom the “bed-womb” given its enveloping, pink palette. The windowless space is colour drenched in a light pink hue, creating a cocooning effect.
The bedroom leads to the main ensuite. The space is generous, featuring a fireplace, armchair and coffee table, as well as a built-in bath and ornate vanity with mirror. To the side, is a smaller bathroom with a shower inside.
Controversially, the flooring of the main ensuite is carpet. While this is common in many traditional English bathrooms, it’s certainly not something that the general population enjoys. Unfortunately, we’re unlikely to find out whether the new owners will keep this feature.
All of the tapware in the main ensuite is in the shape of a swan, as per David’s wishes. The vanities are copies of commodes in Versailles.
The tiger-print media room
“This was a real brain child of my wife,” David says of the media room. Lily had said she wanted a wall-to-wall tiger print carpet and then decided to continue that pattern across the seating as well.
The courtyard and sauna
At the end of the garden, two small structures are almost entirely obscured by greenery. One houses a Finnish sauna while the other housese a cold plunge pool. They were built by Swelter House.
See the full listing here.
