Take a walk down South End in Kensington in London, home to the world's super-rich, and one house will catch your eye.

Painted in bright red stripes, the controversial £15m ($22m) home has been causing quite a stir. It was allegedly painted in protest at a council planning decision and has infuriated neighbours by Zipporah Lisle-Mainwaring, a wealthy Swiss-based property developer.

Residents surrounding her stripy townhouse in a cobbled cul-de-sac told MailOnline they are "horrendously unhappy" with the new exterior of the three-storey terraced home in South End, Kensington, and likened it to a "beachside hut".

Saskia Moyle who lives opposite the house with her father described it as an eye sore.

"I think most of us think it's a bit of an eye sore and aren't all that happy about it to be honest. Because especially when it's bright, it's glaring and it's quite distracting. As well as the fact that it's unfinished in the corner, drives me absolutely mad," she said.

The house owner's application to demolish the building and rebuild it with a two storey basement was turned down by Kensington and Chelsea council.

The stripes followed soon after the council's decision, prompting neighbours to speculate that the paint job was intended to make a point.

The plans were initially turned down by Kensington and Chelsea Council but approved on appeal.

However, a neighbour then lodged a legal challenge which means the case will go to the High Court in June where a final decision will be made.

Residents now believe that Mrs Lisle-Mainwaring, a property developer, ordered the garish paint job - which took place under the cover of darkness - as an act of revenge for the legal challenge.

"Yeah I think everyone's view is that it's a kind of childish retaliation against the opposition for not getting her way. It's sort of stamping her foot and 'I'll make your lives hell if I don't get what I want' kind of thing," said Saskia.

Despite their opinions on the bright red stripes, local residents could be powerless to force the owner to redecorate after the council said no planning laws had been broken because it is not a listed building.

Meanwhile, the house is now becoming a tourist attraction.

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