Drew Harriman spent hundreds of thousands of dollars extending and re-roofing the Georgian house he bought in the Leicester neighborhood in the East Midlands of England, highlighting its classical features. Once the 4-story home was listed for sale and pictures of its exterior went viral online, social media users began pointing out the stark contrast between his jet-black home and his neighbor’s crisp white property. Commenters called the townhouse “horrifying,” “gothic,” and “truly horrible.” As for Harriman, he says taste is like art — it’s subjective. “It’s amazing when you get keyboard warriors making assumptions about your house,” said Harriman. He says he was shocked at the response, as Leicester locals consider his house to be an iconic part of the neighborhood. Harriman first purchased the property in 2015 and spent four months and around ￡150,000 ($202,000) renovating the interior and exterior. The house is now on the market for ￡650,000 ($877,700) because Harriman plans to more somewhere more rural. He hopes other homeowners will be inspired by his renovation and will start to appreciate the historic beauty the homes of the neighborhood have to offer. His critics, however, are betting that the new owner repaints the house.
