Janet Street-Porter House sits on a corner plot in Clerkenwell, London, and it still turns heads decades after it was built. Ever wonder what happens when a famous journalist asks a friend from architecture school to design her “dream castle”? That’s exactly what happened here.
The result is one of the boldest homes in the city. It’s got a blue roof, sharp angles, and a style that splits opinion to this day. People who love bold design call it a masterpiece. People who don’t still can’t stop looking at it.
This article walks through the story behind Janet Street-Porter House. You’ll learn who Janet Street-Porter is, why she built this home, and what makes it so special. You’ll also see how her life and homes changed over the years.
Who Is Janet Street-Porter?
Janet Street-Porter is a British journalist, broadcaster, and media personality. She’s known for her sharp opinions and her unmistakable voice. Few people in British media have stuck around as long as she has.
She started out studying architecture at the Architectural Association in London. She left before finishing her degree, though, once she discovered journalism. That switch changed the course of her whole life.
Her career took off fast. She became deputy fashion editor at the Daily Mail, then fashion editor at the Evening Standard. From there, she moved into television, working as head of youth programming at BBC2 and helping shape shows aimed at younger viewers.
Later, she became editor of The Independent on Sunday. She’s also a familiar face on Loose Women, the ITV panel show, where she’s appeared for years. Her public influence goes beyond journalism, too. She’s written books, hosted documentaries, and become a well-known voice on British radio station LBC.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Janet Vera Bull (known as Janet Street-Porter) |
| Birth Date | December 27, 1946 |
| Profession | Journalist, broadcaster, author, TV personality |
| Nationality | British |
| Net Worth | Estimated in the low millions (figures vary by source) |
Where Does Janet Street-Porter Live Now?
Janet Street-Porter no longer lives in her famous London home. These days, she splits her time between city life and the countryside, with a rural property in Norfolk that she’s described in her own newspaper columns.
She’s said her current home is surrounded by water, marshland, and wildlife, a world away from the busy streets of Clerkenwell. It’s a quieter kind of living, and one she seems to enjoy after decades in the media spotlight.
Privacy matters a lot to her now. Her Norfolk property isn’t publicly listed or open to visitors, and she’s kept most of the specific details out of the press. That’s a big shift from her Clerkenwell days, when her house became a talking point across London.
Janet Street-Porter House Overview
The house most people mean when they say “Janet Street-Porter House” sits at 44 Britton Street in Clerkenwell. It’s built on a plot that sat empty since World War Two, a bomb site turned into one of London’s most talked-about homes.
The location carries real prestige. Clerkenwell sits between the financial heart of the City of London and the fashionable West End, making it one of the capital’s most interesting neighborhoods.
The architecture style is pure postmodern. Architect Piers Gough of CZWG designed it between 1986 and 1988, and he described it as a “portrait” of Janet’s bold, outspoken personality.
The exterior design features four shades of brick across four storeys, echoing the height of the Georgian buildings next door. A diamond-frame pattern runs across the angular windows and continues up to a polygonal roof terrace. The overall vibe is playful but tough. Street-Porter reportedly wanted the outside to look unwelcoming, keeping unwanted visitors away while the inside told a completely different story.
Luxury Amenities of Janet Street-Porter House
- Roof terrace with skyline views
- Billiard room
- Separate home office
- Multiple bedroom suites
- Metal-screened outdoor space
- Decked terrace seating area
Inside Janet Street-Porter House
Step past that tough exterior, and the interior design tells a completely different story. The original layout included raw concrete, exposed brick ceilings, and metal mesh walls left unfinished on purpose. It gave the whole place an industrial feel that was ahead of its time.
The living spaces were built around bold, unusual shapes rather than standard square rooms. Even the bathroom stood out, with a bath fed by an old-style standpipe instead of typical modern plumbing.
The kitchen mixed dark wood with stainless steel, giving it a sleek, modern look for its era. Bedrooms carried the same spirit, with one report describing a main bedroom stretching an impressive 37 feet long, fitted with oak shutters and wooden flooring.
Lighting and decor throughout leaned into glass, steel, and contemporary artwork. Nothing about the house followed a normal template. Every room seemed to reflect Janet’s own personality: strong, unconventional, and impossible to ignore.
Janet Street-Porter House: Then vs Now
| Feature | Past Property (Britton Street) | Current Property (Norfolk) |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Clerkenwell, central London | Rural Norfolk countryside |
| Style | Postmodern, Grade II listed | Quiet countryside home |
| Value | Reportedly listed for £3.75 million in 2016 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Size | Four storeys, compact city plot | Larger rural setting near water and marshland |
Personality & Design Influence
Architect Piers Gough said it best: the house “looks like its owner.” Janet Street-Porter has always been known for strong opinions and a refusal to blend in, and her first home reflected exactly that.
She wanted a house that made a statement from the street but still gave her privacy and space to work. That’s why she asked for a hostile-looking exterior paired with a warm, functional interior built around her actual daily life.
Her style choices favored bold shapes over safe, predictable design. She picked postmodernism specifically because it split opinions, and she didn’t seem to mind that one bit. Even small details, like asking the local council to move a lamppost so construction could go ahead, show how committed she was to getting the design exactly right.
House Value & Property Details
Janet Street-Porter House has become one of London’s most recognized examples of postmodern residential architecture. Historic England gave it Grade II-listed status in 2018, protecting its unusual design for future generations.
- Build year: 1986–1988
- Original owner: Janet Street-Porter
- Sold by Street-Porter: 2001
- Reported asking price when relisted: £3.75 million (2016)
- Property size: Four storeys
- Architectural style: Postmodern
- Condition: Well preserved, though some original interior details were changed during later renovation
- Address: 44 Britton Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
Real Estate Portfolio
Before building her Clerkenwell home, Janet Street-Porter lived in a converted barge repair workshop in Limehouse, Tower Hamlets. She actually sold that property to help fund the Britton Street project, showing how much she believed in the new build.
After leaving Britton Street in 2001, she commissioned a new home nearby from architect David Adjaye. That project didn’t go as smoothly, and she’s been openly critical of the experience in her writing.
Her most recent known residence sits in rural Norfolk, marking a clear shift from decades of city living. Across her life, her homes have followed her career arc closely: unconventional, headline-worthy, and always a reflection of where she was at that moment.
Conclusion
Janet Street-Porter’s homes tell a story that goes far beyond real estate. Her Clerkenwell house captured a bold, career-driven chapter of her life, built during a time when postmodern design felt daring and new. It still stands today as a protected piece of London’s architectural history.
Her later move to the Norfolk countryside shows a different side of her story, one focused on quiet and privacy after decades in the public eye. Maybe that’s the real lesson here: a house doesn’t just shelter someone. At its best, it tells you exactly who they are.