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CONTENTS 16

102

Sophie's Voice

The Snowball Effect

The latest Conran with a flourishing business talks to Hannah Lemon about how this family is still getting bigger and better

Olivia Sharpe finds out why two historic French skiing resorts have attracted the rich and the famous for over half a century

20

114

Make Do & Mend

Sunny Delight

Hannah Lemon learns more about the reinvention of up-cycling from luxury brands like Hermès and Cartier

Matthew Carter finds the technology-laden Mercedes SL Sport peerless as a top-down cruiser but not so sporting

28 Lady of the House Ella Harris is transfixed by Sheila Harding's latest bridal collection, which is inspired by Lord Leighton’s residence

60 Absolutely Fabuleux Annabel Harrison meets Vacheron Constantin’s artistic director Christian Selmoni to talk about the latest collection

14

Editor’s Letter

16

Local Profile

36

Borough News

46

Art & Antiques

57

Collection

67

Fashion

88

Interiors

92

Health & Beauty

100

Travel

119

Drinking & Dining

122

London Living

129

Property

September / October Cover: Black Antoinette (Creativity) © Olaf Hajek, lumas.co.uk Turn to p.36 to read about the Lumas gallery

September – 2 December Islamic arts course at Leighton House iesa.edu

Notting hill & Holland Park OCTOBER 2014 s issue 021 Editor Annabel Harrison Deputy Editor Hannah Lemon Assistant Editor Olivia Sharpe Contributing Editor Kari Rosenberg Editorial Assistants Matt Gwyn, Tabithah Rahman Senior Designer Sophie Blain

October Photography workshop in Holland Park rbkc.gov.uk/ecology

Production Alex Powell Hugo Wheatley, Oscar Viney Amy Roberts Client Relationship Director Felicity Morgan-Harvey Head of Finance Elton Hopkins Executive Director Sophie Roberts

October - 22 November Paul Nash: Works on Paper 1910 – 1946; piano-nobile.com

General Manager Fiona Fenwick Managing Director Eren Ellwood Proudly published & printed in the UK by

RUNWILD MEDIA GROUP

- 23 October Sacred & Profane at The Temple Gallery templegallery.com

October – 14 November The Instability of Being griffingallery.co.uk

Member of the Professional Publishers Association / ppa.co.uk

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DISTRIBUTION: The Notting Hill & Holland Park Magazine is distributed in W8, W11, W14 and parts of W2, W9 and W10.

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ind tes omi tabilis duo fratres curren

From the EDITOR This month we are celebrating the best talent in the world of arts and crafts, the former perfectly demonstrated by our detailed and colourful cover image, courtesy of Olaf Hajek. His work and that of others just as talented (including fashion illustrator David Downton and pop artist Joe McDermott) will be on display at Lumas on Westbourne Grove as the gallery celebrates its second birthday. With an esteemed curatorial board behind it, the gallery has achieved its aim to stir passion for photography in a new generation of collectors (p. 36).

Meanwhile, Piano Nobile in W11 is tackling a rather more sombre topic with an exceptional exhibition of Paul Nash paintings in October and November; scarred by the horrors encountered on the battlefield, Nash used painting as a way to uncover the previously idealistic portrayal of war. Carol Cordrey invites us to witness this collection of pictures, many of which have been loaned by private and public collection, from this talented artist (p. 48) When we turned our attention to the world of fashion and interiors, we found a wealth of similar stories concerning unique and creative local talent. For her latest bridal collection, couture designer Sheila Harding was inspired by Lord Leighton’s mesmerising residence and reflects the Victorian details and Moroccan tiles in the fabrics and styles of her romantic, whimsical dresses (p. 28). Meanwhile some brands have taken a leaf out of the 1940s housewives’ manual but, instead of reading it, they’ve made furniture with it; Hannah Lemon learns more about the reinvention of up-cycling from The Goldfinger Factory, Petit Miracles and Sir Plus at Portobello Market (p. 20).

One family proving that a creative streak can run down and across generations is the Conran clan, nearly all of whom live in or around the Notting Hill and Holland Park area and whose careers span design, retail, fashion, hospitality and art. Hannah Lemon speaks to Sophie Conran about her flourishing lifestyle business and deems it possible that this impressive family could get even bigger and better (p. 16).

Editor

Annabel Harrison Follow us on Twitter @KandCMagazine or email KCeditor@runwildgroup.co.uk with any comments

ind tes omi n e r r tabilis duo fratres cu 014

FEATURE

Sophie’s

Voice

Hannah Lemon seeks out the latest Conran with a flourishing business and learns that it is still possible for this impressive family to get bigger and better

he Conran contingent from which Sophie comes is rather large, larger than most families at least. Her father, Terence Conran, entrepreneur, restaurateur, designer and retailer (the list goes on), has been married four times; there was Brenda Davison in 1954, Shirley Pierce in 1955, Caroline Herbert (Sophie’s mother) in 1963 and finally Victoria Davis in 2000. During this time the family expanded even further with the addition of children: Sophie and her brothers Tom (restaurateur) and Ned (artist) as well as older half-brothers Sebastian (product designer) and Jasper (fashion designer) from Terrence’s second marriage. Being born into a power house must have put considerable pressure on the Conran children to fall into public sibling tiffs or flash Daddy’s cash without worrying to make a penny in their own name, but they valiantly succeeded in disappointing the masses.

Even as I pry down the phone to Sophie – who answers reliably on the second ring – and ask if she really does get on with her brothers, she remains supportive.

“We are very close to each other,” she says, her soothing voice calm and relaxed. “They are very inspiring and have shown me what to do. I really respect them.” Even so, I ask if the business acumen and success before her has put pressure on her to succeed but, again, the question lands like water off a duck’s back. “It makes it less intimidating if there is someone close to you doing it because you can see how it’s done,” I can hear her smiling. “I thought – if my smelly brothers can do it, so can I.” And she certainly can. She reels off the fingers she’s had in different pies, sometimes quite literally.

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“I have been working since I was 17,” she explains.

“I’ve worked as a product developer. I’ve worked with Jasper. I had a little catering company. I had a supper club. And I started my own pie business.” It is from the latter that the Sophie Conran label was fashioned.

She started designing dishes and bowls for her pie business, which were hastily whipped up by Portmeirion pottery, with other companies soon to follow. Then, with the help of a colleague one day a week, she set up Sophie Conran while freelancing for her brother Jasper, moving from dishes, to tea towels to an assortment of lifestyle goodies and interior ideas for the home. “I certainly set goals and targets for myself but it hasn’t necessarily been a straight line,” she explains. Her office was originally based in her Bayswater home which was ideal for balancing work life with raising two children but now they are at university, it is not necessary anymore for work to be so close, so this year she relocated the business on a road between Hammersmith and Olympia.

Her unaffected melodious tones confirm that family life has always been a pleasure not a pressure as she slowly divulges the story of a happy childhood in the countryside. She ran free with the chickens around a dilapidated farm house that her parents were renovating into a country retreat while they juggled the fast-growing Habitat franchise. During this time many famous and creative types came to tea; she remembers clearly the Fabindia company her father worked with who made

textiles using handlooms. But what did she learn from the heads of the house, her parents? “Enthusiasm,” she says. “They’re very enthusiastic and interested in the world and what is going on. My mum taught me how to cook and my dad taught me how to look at things and train my eye.”

Life has come full circle; she has her own children to care for and she too is renovating a rustic country house with her second husband of four years, financier Nick Hofgren, but spends the majority of time at her London home. “I love it,” she declares. “It’s near the West End and right next to Hyde Park. It’s close enough to all the Notting Hill stuff without being too in the madness of it. It’s quiet. People come to my house and say it’s like living in the country.” Her Bayswater home has been one of her greatest investments, bought at the age of 20 she has since renovated it and knocked through to the loft, with views on to the garden square below.

Now 28 years later, I ask her what the best piece of advice was throughout this period and she quickly and brightly exclaims, “Jasper told me never to sell my flat!”

Not only is the bolthole handy for shopping but also visiting the rest of the Conran clan. “Ned is on Golborne Road, Tom is two blocks away from me in one direction, Jasper’s two blocks away from me in the other and Sebastian lives on Westbourne Park Villas. Everybody is within a mile.” In fact the place is teeming with Conrans and the next generation too.

“People come to my Bayswater house and say it’s like living in the country”

FEATURE

She enthusiastically talks about her children; Felix, 19, is studying product design at Central Saint Martins and Coco, 18, is about to start pattern cutting at the London College of Fashion. It is tempting to think that they too will enter into the creative family fold. “I don’t know if they will join my business.” And then she adds, “I am writing recipes this afternoon and Coco is going to cook too. So probably!”

From these hearty and healthy recipes, to colourful kitchenware, fun garden tools, and a bright new range of bed linen, Notting Hill’s residents can be equipped with everything they need for a happy home, all of which can be easily accessed through her online shop. Not only that, you can live like Sophie too by following her blog, which often centres around the buzzing locations of Notting Hill, particularly Tom’s restaurants.

Another growing passion of hers is antiques and she is perfectly situated for a snoop through old relics.

“I really like Portobello Market,” says Sophie. “I get loads of stuff from there. Boxes and baskets and old ceramics that I use as inspiration. All sorts.” But her ultimate items at the moment are her iPhone, which she can’t do without; her Aga, the hearth of family life (“Some people like sports cars, I like Agas,” she laughs); and her bed, “I’m always happy to fall into it at the end of the day.”

As the call comes to an end, it is obvious that despite the loud rabble of a high-flying family – her successful father, her talented mother and bright siblings – she has remained calm, taken everything in her stride and found a voice that is fun, relaxed and, most importantly, hers.

Sophie Conran’s bed linen launches in October at sophieconran.com

019

& Mend Make Do

Luxury brands have taken a leaf out of the 1940s housewives’ manual, but instead of reading it, have made furniture with it. Hannah Lemon learns more about the reinvention of up-cycling

FEATURE

During the Second World War, the Ministry of Information encouraged a mentality of frugality and resourcefulness asking housewives up and down the country not to bin what they deemed rubbish. With scarce supplies and rationed materials, people were asked to be thrifty with design ideas and to reuse furniture and fabrics; women used gravy browning and eyebrow pencils to imitate stockings and children collected pots, pans and scrap metal in the hope it could be melted down to build planes for the war. Strangely, and despite consumer spending now being at an all time high, the thrifty era has made a comeback in the 21st century. This might be in part due to our awareness of the fragile environment and the need to recycle but also simply our wish to indulge in nostalgia and appreciate designers’ creativity, so much so that discarded LP records and retro VHS players have become a luxury investment.

Over the last few years, a range of luxury brands have teamed up with creative minds to establish oneoff interior creations, using unusual pieces from tea cups as lamps, vintage suitcases as vanity cabinets, to wheelbarrows as desk chairs. Recycling items to

Up-cycling conveys an awareness of our fragile environment but also an indulgence in nostalgia benefit the environment and work with disadvantaged communities is at the heart of many of these designs.

Ilaria Venturini Fendi, daughter to one of the five famous Fendi sisters, founded Carmina Campus in 2006 creating handbags, jewels and furniture out of reused materials from canvas tents, truck tarpaulin, umbrellas and old leather. The bags also act as a social design project in Africa, as Carmina Campus collaborates with the International Trade Centre to address poverty through trade-driven projects. In a similar vein, Mulberry set up Bottletop to recycle can ring pulls into luxury bags to raise funds for projects in developing countries across the world.

Notting Hill and Holland Park provide a suitable setting for new eco up-cyclers to set up shop. The Goldfinger Factory, founded by the enigmatic Oliver Waddington-Ball, is a social enterprise that supports and trains disadvantaged residents in the area to create desirable furnishings for London’s trend-setters with a social conscience. It carries the namesake of Ernö Goldfinger, the architect of Trellick Tower where they are based. “He was also an up-cycler and turned industrial machinery into tables, so we like to think he would approve of what we are doing,” says Waddington-Ball. The charity provides space and access to a workshop for aspiring designers, who are This page/ Images courtesy of Petit Miracles Opposite/ Bath tub sofa, reestore.com

021

supported by an in-house design and production team to create top-end products for discerning furniture buyers.

“Some of the best products come from this process,” he explains, “such as Alkesh Parmar’s champagne cork chandelier and Rasha ElSady-Burton’s painted and distressed multi-coloured range of furniture.” Saving the world one chair at a time, the Goldfinger Factory save material from landfill, empower disadvantaged people through work placements and donate a third of its profit to fund free training, materials and fit-out services.

Further down the road, towards Shepherd’s Bush, is Petit Miracles, a company that holds similar values. The organisation started as a mobile interior design training programme for vulnerable adults and has organically grown into a furniture restoration and up-cycling project. “One of my favourite pieces was a mobile phone charging console table fashioned from a fly-tipped table and a lovely donated vintage wine box,” says founder Elisicia Moore. “We simply secured the two together and restored them with traditional techniques. The result is a hip and completely individual piece of furniture that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.” There is also a pallet sofa with a built-in bookshelf

It’s good to know our area is a capable leader of the up-cycling trend and coffee table that proudly sits in the Sydenham Library. The interest in her furniture and the company has grown with the up-cycling trend. “It is at the height of popularity, which is great for us and we are enjoying the ride,” adds Moore.

But not all brands are waving the green peace flag, others use up-cycling as a way to enjoy and experiment with creativity. Pascale Moussard set up Petit h, Hermès’ little sister brand, to recycle off-cuts and leftovers from their signature scarves and Birkin bags. In some ways Petit h is even more luxurious than its older sibling – you can be sure you will be the only one with that “imperfect” material that has been turned into perfection. Others who have joined the foray of luxury scraps include Cartier who in 2012 provided an exhibition on precious and semi-precious stones that were no longer deemed to be suitable for its collections. The designers

included David Lynch, Alessandro Mendini, Takeshi Kitano and Beatriz Milhazes who met and worked with the Cartier master jewellers to recycle the gems into show-stopping pieces. The ethos of great quality and craftsmanship is still at the heart of every reincarnation but it now holds a uniqueness and ingenuity that only comes through these discarded (but no less beautiful) materials.

A stall seller at Portobello Market ticks every one of these boxes. Sir Plus is a jovial take on the surplus fabrics that remain after the clothes manufacturing process for larger brands. It came to owner and creator Henry Hales’ attention that boxer shorts could be made from these Liberty and Paul Smith leftovers, but the efficient sourcing of material soon developed into a whole range of men and womenswear. He describes it as “luxury clothing made using cabbage” – cabbage another word for surplus. The joy of selling in the local market never ceases to excite him. “I have a big market cart on wheels and a set of three-metre ramps. I role the cart out the back of my van and I’ve basically got a shop in the street.”

It’s good to know that our area is a capable leader of the up-cycling trend and that, whether for green reasons or not, less rubbish is being chucked into landfill sites. This interiors craze has nearly got me thinking about what I can do with the junk in my attic at home, but I think it is best to leave this up to the professionals before I start up-cycling my eyeliner like a wartime housewife.

The Goldfinger Factory, 13-15 Golborne Road, W10 5NY, goldfingerfactory.com; Petit Miracles, Shepherd’s Bush Green, W12 8PP, petitmiracles.org.uk; Sir Plus, sells at Portobello Market, sirplus.co.uk

From left/ Rasha ElSady-Burton’s coat stand courtesy of The Goldfinger Factory; Waistcoats made from cabbage by Sir Plus

FEATURE

The Creatives We pick out the weirdest and wackiest of British creations and applaud their ingenuity. Don’t try this at home.

Playing with Fire The Tooley Tote is made from Elvis & Kresse’s signature red decommisioned fire-hose, which was previously deployed in active duty for up to 25 years, fighting fires around the UK. Its name is inspired by a two-week fire on Tooley Street in 1861 which led to London’s first fire brigade being set up. You can also add candle holders to your collection, made from decommissioned fire-hose couplings.

Above/ Tooley Tote, £260

elvisandkresse.com

Sure Ting Belts are used to hold up trousers, right? Wrong. At Ting they are floorboards, bags, and chairs. From old vintage leather straps to quirky car seatbelts, you will never have imagined the possibilities. tinglondon.com

Find and Reestore With Kirsty Allsopp as one of their most avid fans, reestore has made headway in leading the up-cycling trend to make discarded rubbish a part of everyday objects in the home, such as an engine coffee table, grand piano bookcase and radiator table. reestore.com

Washed Up Handcrafted jewellery has never been so clean. Anathema Designs takes stainless and brass-plated steel from old industrial washing machines and, Above/ Quetzalcoatl Collar, Anathema Designs, £120.

using traditional chainmail techniques, transforms them into intricate statement pieces. anathemadesigns.co.uk

Just Desserts Based in a former blanket mill in Oxfordshire, Jay Watson sources items from flea markets and second-hand shops to cleverly reinvent statement home decor, such as these clusters of low-energy ceiling pendants (right) made from traditional glass dessert bowls, at over £250 for a cluster of four. jaywatsondesign.com

From top/ Radiator table, reestore.com; Leather belt door by Ting; Dessert bowl lamps by Jay Watson

023

FEATURE

Up

On the

As Astley Clarke takes America by storm with the launch of several US stockists, Olivia Sharpe catches up with founder Bec Astley Clarke MBE to find out how it feels to be the next big British luxury export This summer, both Cameron Diaz and her co-star Kate Upton were spotted wearing Astley Clarke jewellery.

The fact that celebrities are wearing pieces by the jeweller is not astonishing in itself, with Poppy Delevingne and Alexa Chung having long been fans of the brand. However, in this particular instance, it is hardly a coincidence. In September, the British brand launched into 11 branches of luxury department store Neiman Marcus, spanning across Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta, as well as neimanmarcus.com. This marks the next chapter in Astley Clarke’s US expansion, having earlier this year entered into six Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Back in London, I meet founder and chairman Bec in the place where it all began, her west London boutique, just a few months before the launch. Her excitement about the prospect of being stocked in America is immediately evident as she explains why Astley Clarke is the perfect fit for the US: “I think the brand is really resonating over there. I’ve been on three or four visits this year to San Francisco, New York, Dallas and Florida, doing whistlestop tours. They’re going nuts over the Biography bracelets and have fallen in love with the lockets.”

Looking at Bec, it’s not as though she needs highprofile supporters to promote her brand. With her casual and laidback style – she is dressed in a tank top and jeans, with the same locket as Diaz wore placed conspicuously around her neck and her signature Biography bracelets adorning her arm – and welcoming manner, she epitomises her brand. The concept of Astley Clarke was always very simple; to create fine jewellery for professional women. The business launched in 2006 and its founder already had an impressive background in fashion, tech and marketing; with her new multi-brand e-tailer concept, she set out to prove the profitability of selling jewellery online, in the same way that sites such as Net-a-Porter and The Outnet have shown such demand in fashion.

And she certainly seems to have done that. Astley Clarke’s sales are projected at 30 per cent growth yearon-year and sales figures are predicted to reach roughly £6.2 million this year. Bec was also made an MBE in

the Queen’s 2013 Honours List for her services to the jewellery industry. While this is undoubtedly an incredible achievement, Bec ensures she stays grounded with the help of her three-year-old son, Thor: “After I told my son about the award, he said, ‘mummy, Peppa Pig gave Rebecca Rabbit an MBE yesterday’. I thought to myself, I’m not nearly as busy as Rebecca Rabbit is so if she gets one, then it must be good”, she says, smiling.

Bec is delighted in the interest she has been getting from the likes of Diaz and Upton who, in her mind, represent what Astley Clarke is all about. “Cameron Diaz is bang on in terms of our target client. She is an intelligent, professional woman with independent means who is fashion forward but not too fashion-obsessed,” she explains. “She has a casual sense of style but can also do glam, so you can totally see her on the red carpet in a pair of our Fao blue topaz earrings or on the beach wearing all of the Biography bracelets.” For Bec, this “informal way of wearing precious jewellery” has proved a winning formula in America, not to mention the fact that they “love all things British”.

The jewellery entrepreneur’s previous experience working for online companies such as iVillage.com and tesco.com has undeniably stood her in good stead. She felt that many luxury brands hadn’t realised the internet’s full potential so she decided to redress this balance by launching Astley Clarke solely as an online retailer. Bec is a firm believer that the 21st century luxury consumer should be able to shop in any way they wish, whether in store or online, and with people’s lives becoming more and more fast-paced, she notes that it is the latter which is increasingly becoming the preferred option. “I love the web and am a great believer in it. We have 30,000 social media followers and we use the web to tell our story.”

After the award-winning success of the UK and US websites, Bec realised it was time to start selling in brick-and-mortar stores too; Astley Clarke is currently stocked in Harrods, Liberty and Selfridges in the UK, along with its new US retailers.

025

FEATURE

The founder acknowledges how the company started back to front in comparison to most other businesses which begin with high street retailers but this she believes is all part of its unique identity. “It’s very much a cool part of our overall strategy. We started off with all the mod cons and now we’re opening old fashioned retailers. I think that’s just the way our clients like to shop; they either like to come into the boutique, pop into Harrods or buy something quickly online. We give them the choice.”

Bec has always been passionate about jewellery.

One of her favourite childhood memories is delving into her grandmother’s jewellery boxes filled with semi-precious and precious stones. It was then that she discovered her

Her grandfather had a profound influence on Bec ... the butterfly is an iconic symbol of the brand love of coloured gemstones. When the brand opened its design studio in 2009, situated above the boutique, Bec hired Lorna Watson – who taught fine jewellery at Central Saint Martins for 15 years and is a member of Goldsmiths Hall – as creative director. Together, she, Bec and the rest of the design team work tirelessly to make sure each piece is meticulously made. “It’s fascinating to watch just what goes into making the pieces, beginning with a hand-drawn image done to scale and then evolving from there.”

Bec’s team occasionally uses modern-day technology such as CAD design but will predominantly rely on traditional techniques because Lorna wishes for all the pieces to retain “a natural quality about them so each piece speaks for itself and doesn’t look overtreated”. The company recently released a film revealing the processes which went into creating the popular Fao collection, which is named after Bec’s grandmother.

Indeed, so much of Astley Clarke relates back to the founder’s family heritage, and I’m not just referring to the name. It’s been well documented that Bec’s grandfather, Sir Cyril Astley Clarke’s genetic experiments with butterflies – which led him to discover the preventative treatment for rhesus haemolytic disease of newborn babies and whose extensive butterfly collection is currently housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum – has had a profound influence on Bec who has paid homage to the butterfly by making it an iconic symbol of her brand. She also hopes to pass down her love of jewellery to her two children and has already marked down some of her most treasured pieces to them.

“I have a little D for my

026

daughter Delilah and a little T for Thor.

We used to make children’s Biography bracelets and so Delilah also has the little rainbow one. Even though he’s a boy Thor loves it as well. You know how little children love things in boxes; they find them so intriguing.”

For A/W14, Astley Clarke has updated its Biography collection to include new colours, precious gemstones and charms. The team builds on each collection season after season and this has proven an excellent merchandising strategy, as clients are able to constantly update their collections. This season the key shade is violet berry, which incidentally happens to be the Pantone Colour of the Year. Bec comments: “Lorna and I have this ongoing joke that the industry must be following us!”

As Christmas draws closer, Astley Clarke will be releasing new diamond pieces too which Bec predicts will be extremely popular, pointing out a beautiful starburst eternity ring featuring interlocking stars. Although Astley Clarke’s philosophy has always centred on women buying jewellery for themselves, this doesn’t mean to say that they don’t have a huge male client base. As such they offer the service of personal shoppers at the boutique to help advise men on gifts for girlfriends and wives and can also visit them at their offices during lunch hours if they’re too busy to visit the store.

Despite growing up in Islington, Bec has always gravitated towards west London and this is why she not only chose to have her studio based here but also her home. In her spare time, Bec loves frequenting local restaurants including the Orangery in Kensington, Granger & Co in Notting Hill and Edera in Holland Park. Saying that, with Bec constantly travelling to and from America, I cannot help but wonder whether a move might be on the horizon. While she jokes how she absolutely cannot discuss that as her husband has categorically said they’re not moving, I hope that, for once, the man gets his way.

Astley Clarke boutique, 6 Junction Mews, W2 1PN astleyclarke.com

HL_15519_LONDON_RUNWILD_FALL.indd 1

7/23/14 6:34:59 PM

HERVE LEGER LONDON BOUTIQUE 29 LOWNDES STREET LONDON SW1X 9HX T +44 20 7201 2594

Lady of the House

For her latest bridal collection, couture designer Sheila Harding is inspired by Lord Leighton’s mesmerising residence and reflects the Victorian details and Moroccan tiles in the fabrics and styles of her dresses. ELLA HARRIS is transfixed

estled inconspicuously in a residential side-street, not far from Holland Park, is an unassuming red brick building.

But Leighton House is no ordinary residence; filled with an eclectic collection of tiles, interiors and artwork it was home and studio to renowned Victorian artist Lord Frederic Leighton (1830 – 1896). Many prominent figures of the Victorian age were entertained here, including Queen Victoria who called on Leighton in 1859, although no one could stay longer than a day visit as Leighton lived alone, occupying the house’s only bedroom on the first floor. Each room of the house is inspired by the richly creative period of the 19th century that embraced the Arts and Crafts movement of William Morris, the pre-Raphaelite movement and, latterly, Art Nouveau.

Leighton was supported by his father throughout most of his life with an allowance in order to pursue his interest in the arts. Growing up, he travelled much of Europe and met many talented artists who influenced and informed his technique, such as American neoclassical sculptor Hiram Powers, Italian painters Giuseppe Bezzuoli and Benedetto Servolini, and German Romantic painter Philip Veit. In 1864, Leighton returned to England and bought a plot of land in order to erect the studio-house; the building was constructed by British Photography: Kristida Photography, kristida.com

architect George Aitchison in a series of phases over 30 years. The first phase of construction cost Leighton £4,000, a considerable amount of money for the time; in the region of £300,000 today.

During this time, his success as an artist rocketed – Queen Victoria even bought one of his paintings, recording in her diary: “There was a very big picture, by a young man called Leighton, his [first] attempt, at the age of 20 […] It is a beautiful painting, quite reminding one

Many prominent figures were entertained at Leighton House, including Queen Victoria of a Paul Veronese, so bright, [and] full of light. Albert was enchanted with it – so much so that he made me buy it.” Leighton was ennobled one day before his death of heart failure in 1896 (the shortest-lived peerage in history) and is the first, and only, British artist to be so honoured; he was buried in St Paul’s Cathedral. The contents of his house were sold on his death, however, many of his frescoes, cartoons and statues are displayed in the Victoria & Albert Museum, and Leighton House has reacquired some of his works which now adorn the walls.

In 2010 the house was reopened after a £1.6 million

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refurbishment to return the house to its former glory.

This hidden treasure with the extraordinary tiled Arab Hall and Leighton’s vast painting studio now operate as a gallery to classical and contemporary art. With this treasure trove of elegant and beautiful classical paintings, it is no wonder that so many creatives have used the setting as inspiration for their work; it has acted as the set for period dramas Poirot and Parade’s End and music videos by the Stranglers and Spandau Ballet.

Sheila Harding, a bridal couture designer, has added herself to this list.

Sheila, who developed her designing experience working with Caroline Charles OBE and Bruce Oldfield OBE, cites the Arts and Crafts movement as a key influence on her latest bridal collection Harmony, which launched to critical acclaim at the Condé Nast Brides The Show in Battersea last year. The strips of fabric, lace patterns and other stylistic memoranda on the mood board for the couture collection reveal a culturally diverse and eclectic mind, spanning the classic styles of the ancient world, Arab mosaics, flowing pre-Raphaelite gowns and the elongated, sinuous lines and stylised flowers of the Art Nouveau period. All find their counterparts in the museum’s collection, evidence of Lord Leighton’s intrepid travellercollector tastes, and in the individual rooms of the 19th

century house, which provide the perfect backdrop to a fashion shoot for the collection.

The Arab Hall, which began construction in 1877 and was created to display the textiles, pottery and other souvenirs from Leighton’s travels including a magnificent collection of Persian, Syrian and Turkish tiles, most of which date from the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 16th century. It was an ambitious and costly undertaking; Aitchison and Leighton worked from a model of the interior of La Zisa at Palermo in Sicily, a 12th-century SicilioNorman palace. In order to recreate this vision, they brought together a group of their contemporaries to contribute to the project; potter William De Morgan, illustrator Walter Crane, sculptor Edgar Boehm and artist Randolph Caldecott.

Crane’s design for the gold mosaic frieze was made up in Venice and shipped to the site in sections but the rest of the mosaics, marbles and skilled craftsmen were all sourced in London.

The Arab Hall extension transports the visitor to a tropical safe haven complete with the soothing sound of a sprinkling fountain in the middle of the room. The cobalt-fired tiles on the walls, the staircase and the lattice-work Mashrabiya wooden shutters enclose this calm and serene setting that belie its West London

The enclosed calm and serene setting belies its West London location

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location. “How could you not use this amazing space?” comments Sheila as we discuss the photo shoot. “The colours and the detailing of the entrance hall, plus the stairs for the models to ascend and descend with flowing silk trains, were perfect for the gowns.” The influence of exquisite Izmik wall-tiles and the swirling floral inlay on the ground floor can be seen in the intricate lace-work on the bridal dresses. “Being there emphasised the detailing of the Guipure lace,” says Sheila, “reminiscent of the designs found in the Arab Hall, and also the exotic and romantic.”

Lord Leighton knew many of the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, sympathising with the rejection of the rigid methods imposed by the established teaching of art at that time, and its superficial Mannerism. Paintings and drawings of Leighton’s contemporaries – such as John Everett Millais, Albert Moore, John Singer Sargent and George Frederic Watts – line the walls of the Silk Room, which was the last addition to the house and was completed only months before Leighton’s death. The billowing gowns and flowing locks of their red-headed, pale-skinned, romantic maidens echo the elegance of Sheila’s designs and the model’s graceful poses.

Next door to this is Leighton’s naturally lit, spacious studio with his books, letters and papers on display.

The arrangement of the items makes it feel as though

the artist is still here and ensures that the Victorian feel of the building is all-consuming. “It was just as though Lord Leighton had left the room and would be back in a moment,” says Sheila. “It felt amazing to be there and I was anxious not to do anything I did not think he would approve of, always questioning the gowns and models poses. Would he have liked this or that?” There is no doubt that he would, as much like the creation of his Arab Hall with London’s finest craftsmen, Sheila’s designs are brought together with the best of British in mind.

“Everything in the collection is made here in London.

The design and the cutting is all done in west London.”

The harmony between the modern bridal collection and the Victorian designs of Leighton’s artistic abode infuses a really romantic quality to the photo shoot, which any woman would dream for on her wedding day. “It felt truly amazing to shoot at the house,” says Sheila. “Quite emotional for me, certainly inspiring, and a huge privilege.” To act the beautiful muse and wear a couture costume that embraces the exotic MiddleEastern influences admired by Queen Victoria herself, as well as Sheila’s choice of fine silks and French lace, is sure to make any bride swoon.

Paintings of pale-skinned romantic maidens echo the elegance of Sheila’s designs

boa-boutique.co.uk rbkc.gov.uk/museums

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9-16 NOVEMBER THE O2

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The Image Makers

Photographs of the intricate processes of nature, the abstract beauty of demolished flats, and fantasy worlds where toys roam the streets at night are all part of the new online gallery, The Artful Project. Established in December 2013 in Notting Hill, the curator Rachel Hotchkiss and cofounder Joshua Blackburn, son of Janice Blackburn OBE, who is a curator at Sotheby’s, provide an easy shopping environment for clients who are looking to invest in upand-coming talent. More than 300 works of art from 18 international artists are displayed through this accessible platform, making it easy for you to find the art you love.

With just a quick click of a mouse, you can immerse yourself in the imagination of others. theartfulproject.com

Fragility #1 by Julian Ward

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Illustration: Mai Osawa

notting hill

& holland park

Birthday Buy Notting Hill’s Lumas gallery will be two years old this month, the perfect motive to go shopping. Proudly displayed on Westbourne Grove the gallery includes a range of artworks from fashion painter David Downton and pop artist Joe McDermott, to the detailed and colourful works by Olaf Hajek. More than 1,400 original works are available through the online gallery in limited editions of 75 to 150, each signed by the artist. With an esteemed curatorial board behind the collections, the gallery has achieved its aim to stir passion for photography in a new generation of collectors.

102 Westbourne Grove, W2 5RU; uk.lumas.com

Clockwise from top/ Black Antoinette (Creativity) © Olaf Hajek, lumas.co.uk; Fashion Animals © Olaf Hajek, lumas.co.uk; Lulu © David Downton, lumas.co.uk; The Secret © Joe McDermott, lumas.co.uk

spotlight on... news, events, reviews & local interest stories

SPOTLIGHT

Shooting Nature Budding photographers, this one’s for you. Learn how to capture nature’s most intimate moments with a professional technique and understanding. A workshop for beginners with a DSLR, bridge or compact camera can learn how to capture clearer images and learn in more detail the function of the controls. The session will cover topics including composition, exposure and the best way to upload images to your computer. Best of all, you can practice in Holland Park with the tutor, professional photographer Bruce Tanner. Maybe one of the park’s peacocks will be the first to add to your photo album.

The Edge of Our Bodies Adam Rapp will be showcasing the first UK performance of his haunting and mysterious coming-of-age play. The Edge of Our Bodies tells the tale of Bernadette; 16 and pregnant, her boyfriend doesn’t know and she is about to audition for her school’s production of Genet’s The Maids. It is a story which delves into the complexities of growing up, whilst giving an intimate exploration of identity and the dichotomy between real and imaginary cognition. Rapp has had a rich career in the arts, working in the past as a novelist, filmmaker, actor, and musician, winning a number of prestigious awards for his works.

4 October, 10am; Holland Park, Ilchester Place, W8 6LU; £27.50 (RBKC residents), £33.30 (non-residents); rbkc.gov.uk/ecology

Volcanic Emotions Expression in art comes in a variety of different shapes and sizes as The Magma Group of artists show through their collection of paintings and sculptures ranging from the figurative to the abstract.

Their fifth show will be held at The Griffin Gallery for a month on the theme The Instability of Being. The exhibition acts as a forum for exciting, individual and expressive British and international art. Founded in 2011, the aims of the Magma Group are to form an alternative path for conceptually expressive contemporary art. Time to let your emotions run wild.

25 September – 18 October; Gate Theatre, 11 Pembridge Road, W11 3HL; gatetheatre.co.uk

16 October – 14 November, Griffin Gallery, The Studio Building, 21 Evesham Street, W11 4AJ; griffingallery.co.uk

Adam Phillips

Poets’ Corner

Clockwise from top/ The Wounded Warrior by Annie Zamero, oil and acrylic on canvas, 153 x 107 cm; Maybe Being A by Dagmar Dost Nolden, acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 200 x 230 cm; Sisyphus by Dylan Shields, cardboard and packing tape, 70 x 40 x 40 cm

Independent bookshop Lutyens & Rubenstein successfully runs events, displays art and sells products in addition to tailoring the best books for Notting Hill residents. The next event is being held by psychoanalyst and critic Adam Phillips who will be interviewing poet Timothy Donnelly, author of Twenty-Seven Props for a Production of Eine Lebenszeit and The Cloud Corporation. Pop along for a lively debate and if you have time don’t forget to try out the CB I Hate Perfume range from former taxi driver and scent perfectionist Christopher Brosius or a pot of honey made by the bees of Westbourne Park Road.

15 October, 7pm; £8; Lutyens & Rubinstein Bookshop, 21 Kensington Park Road, W11 2EU; lutyensrubinstein.co.uk

covering holland park, notting hill and the surrounding area

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Islamic Arts

Photography: Images courtesy of Leighton House and Justin Barton

In the beautiful surroundings of Leighton House, the IESA (Institut d’Etudes Supérieures des Arts) will be running a course on the Collecting and Display of the Arts of the Islamic World. This immersive course will feature a series of lectures given by experts in Islamic art and culture, and will seek to explore the relationship between East and West from contrasting perspectives. Students will engage in interdisciplinary historical and contextual studies which will explore the development of Islamic art from the medieval period right through to the contemporary art market.

The course will consist of nine sessions, including one study trip to a museum collection, and can be taken independently or for credit.

A certificate year of study costs £3,750, a semester programme £750 (per semester) and individual days £85.

30 September – 2 December; 12 Holland Park Road, W14 8LZ iesa.edu

In with the New This exciting new gallery, opening in Clarendon Cross in October, aims to shake up the way artists exhibit their work in the commercial world. In a conscious step to remove the business headache in artistic practice, gallery owner Andrew Lacey hopes to utilise his strong passion for art and business to create an innovative space for cuttingedge contemporary painters and sculptors to show off their skills.

The inaugural exhibition will be called Processed Space, and will exhibit three young British painters offering challenging perspectives of the way in which environments evolve over time through architectural and civilian abandonment and human involvement.

Opening 9 October, Lacey Contemporary, 8 Clarendon Cross, W11 4AP laceycontemporarygallery.co.uk

Andrew Lacey

Above/ Pavillion (Interior) by Ross M Brown, oil, oil stick and spray paint on board, 122 x 122 cm

spotlight on... news, events, reviews & local interest stories

SPOTLIGHT

Celebration of Science The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea will be bringing back its Celebration of Science festival this month following on from a successful run last year. Having secured an impressive range of distinguished speakers, this year promises to captivate those with the desire to learn.

Join them for a journey of discovery where ideas will be challenged and questions will be answered. On the programme so far there are free talks on chemistry, material science, particle physics, Islamic mathematics, food science and public health along with a number of handson activities based around ecology and sports science in the borough’s parks.

3 – 18 October; lectures take place in Kensington Town Hall, W8 7NX rbkc.gov.uk/celebrationofscience

Say Cheese There is nothing like a bit of friendly rivalry with our friends across The Channel, especially when it comes to food. La Cave à Fromage is taking full advantage of this by tantalising the taste buds with an evening of French cheeses versus British cheeses. A selection of six of the finest varieties will be matched with six different wines, along with a large platter of cured meat for guests to share. Experienced staff will be on hand to explain the flavours and fragrances of the combinations to ensure maximum enjoyment. Sign up now for a relaxing, if not slightly competitive, evening. May the best country win.

23 October, 7.15pm; £35.00 148 Portobello Road, W11 2DZ la-cave.co.uk

The Big Scream

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Charles Spencer

Look out for the pop-up haunted house in the 20th Century Theatre, where things will jump out at you, drop down on you and most definitely go bump in the night. The cinema will be showing eight films in four days including some classic slashers such as Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday 13th, genredefining scaries such as Evil Dead II and Poltergeist, as well as friendlier titles for families (and scaredy cats) such as Ghostbusters. You’ll be faced with tricks on your way in and treats on the inside with a stocked bar, special Halloween cocktails, hot chocolate and popcorn from Drum & Kernel Popcorn.

Photography: Jonathan Ring The brainchild of three leading women in the arts and literary world, 5×15, brings together five outstanding individuals for an evening of 15-minute talks introducing audiences to their lives, passions, inspirations and adventures. Unscripted and unrehearsed, this intimate experience has been praised for its atmosphere for high intellect and great topical talks. The authentic and engaging sessions strive to create connections between the general public and leading figures in the cultural, business and political world through a shared interest in knowledge and insight.

Lined up for this month are: Charles Spencer, Michael Frayn, Nick Davies, Deborah Levy and Mariella Frostrup.

30 October – 2 November, £20 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11 2QA popupscreens.co.uk

20 October, £26.75 for general admission, £16.05 for artists and students The Tabernacle, W11 2AY; 5x15stories.com

covering holland park, notting hill and the surrounding area

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A Walk in the

Past

Budding family historians of Holland Park, get ready to face the nostalgia of times gone by in a new book that provides glimpses into the lives of the area’s Edwardian inhabitants. Hannah Lemon reminisces with author Hermione Cameron More than 54 acres of land surrounded the Dowager Countess of Ilchester’s large castle, which was nestled in lively woodland. Nearby, past the open fields, grand white Victorian houses stood bright against leafy trees and horse and carriages strolled past on gravel roads. A hundred years later, after being blown apart

by World War II and pieced back together again in the following decades, Holland House and the surrounding park has changed into a place almost unrecognisable from its former self. Now marked as central London, with busy roads and bustling commuters, it is hard to pick out the relics that still hint at this forgotten life.

A nostalgic new book Holland Park Behind the Scenes from Hermione Cameron studies a collection of more than 200 postcards and photographs bringing the Edwardian period back to life. The images are predominantly street scenes on postcards which people of the era used as a way of updating family and friends on life at home or work in Holland Park. “With as many as seven deliveries a day, you could send a heartfelt

message, arrange a rendezvous, ask your mother for train times, or show the family back home where you were working, and get a reply the same day,” explains Hermione. She jokes that this is not all too dissimilar from the updates we now receive via Facebook or Instagram.

Hermione was encouraged to write the book by the late Labour politician, Tony Benn. Although she never met him, she admired from afar his “sparkle” in character in later years and wanted to show her appreciation by delivering her first book Notting Hill Behind the Scenes to his house. “I popped it in a bubble bag with a short message, thinking I would post it through his front door,” says Hermione. “When I got there, I found a tiny general note saying to deliver post to the basement and an intricate rig of mirror, shopping basket and string, which allowed him, I expect, to check for booby-trapped parcels.” Once she had masterminded his ingenious postal system, she received a phone call from the man himself thanking her for the book but inquisitively adding, “Where’s Holland Park?” Thus, seven years later, here it is.

SPOTLIGHT From left: Holland Park Tube Station; Holland Park Avenue 1915; Holland Park Avenue 1912

Although the majority of the images are urban landscapes of the time, Hermione digs deeper behind these facades to eke out characters and personalities that lived on the surrounding streets. Even by studying the images closely you can pick out small faces of school girls or street cleaners looking at the photographer’s lens. And what characters she has found, some of which sound like they have jumped straight from the pages of a Roger Hargreaves book. There is the Tooth family living in Royal Crescent; Miss Ache, a teacher at a school in Holland Park; Ezra Stilton, a bootmaker on Holland Park Avenue; and chartered accountant Lionel H Lemon on 8 Holland Road in 1906 (sadly no relation to yours truly).

Postcards are also those received by residents in Holland Park; one is a heartfelt message from devoted husband Charlie Burr on the frontline in the Spring of 1916. It reads: “My dear wife, just a card to say I received your letter alright yesterday, written on Friday last. Many thanks, I will answer it tomorrow. Did you manage to see the bobby after all? I don’t suppose really you knew in time for Sunday. He comes back tonight so I shall see him I expect. ‘Ta ta’ dear, Best love, yours etc Charlie XXX” It is fascinating to think this little piece of card played its part in keeping hope alive for this young man in France until the reunion with his family after the war at 48 Holland Road.

Some events illustrated in the book seem all to familiar. People travel from the underground station, which was opened in 1900; go shopping on Holland Park Avenue; visit the Royal Horticultural Society’s flower shows in July; and take a peek at the Leighton House Collection (open “11 until dusk, 1 shilling; free on Saturday”).

Hermione explains to my surprise that “at one point, Holland Park Tube was going to have a revolving staircase to enable passengers to glide to the platforms.” Even now, escalators haven’t quite made it inside the station.

With this book in hand, it’s impossible not to wander the beautiful streets we know all too well and let our imaginations relive these sepia moments. Just try to remember to smile if you get caught on camera when you

do; who knows, maybe in the next 100 years you too will be in a book on Holland Park’s times gone by.

Holland Park Behind the Scenes, £19.99; Published by behindthescenespublishing.com, available from 4 October

Hermione Cameron in Holland Park ©Ed Browse

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cassina.com

Design first.

“MyWorld” by Philippe Starck and Cassina.

CASSINA SHOWROOM 238-242 Brompton Road London, Knightsbridge SW3 2BB Tel: 020 7584 0000 Info.uk@cassina.com

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05/08/14 15:28

spotlight

Behind the

Music London in the 70s and 80s was the music capital of punk and rock. Ella Harris searches for the marks made by the singers and stars in the streets of Notting Hill

Clockwise from top left/ Thoughtful Jagger by Hulton Archive (1973); Joe Strummer (The Clash) by Peter Anderson (1987); Marvin Gaye, West Hollywood by Peter Anderson (1982); Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin by Janet Macoska (1977); Sonic Youth by Peter Anderson (1988). All images courtesy of: Sonic Editions

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recent display from Sonic Editions on the Portobello Road brought back the punk and rock glory days through some startling black and white images. The rough and gruff rock’n’rollers from across the pond and from our very own island were brought together in scenes capturing fleeting moments in the lives of these great stars. The collection displayed at Graffik Gallery, nestled in the shadow of the Westway, was curated by John Mulvey the editor of Uncut magazine. “Images of The Clash, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few, capture the energy and often mystical charisma of great musicians,” he says.

“It’s in the way they hold their guitars, the way they coolly appraise the camera. There’s an intangible atmosphere which is critical to our love of these men and women, and to the enduring potency of their music.”

The sweat trickles off Iggy Pop’s bare torso and tight jeans as he swears at someone out of shot, Keith Richards’ ruffled mane of hair is illuminated by floodlights while performing as a Rolling Stone, and Elvis Costello exudes a casual neatness while he strolls along a city’s pavement listening to a boom box – all of these glimpses caught on camera seem more at home displayed in a gallery on Portobello Road than any other street in London. In the area where Mick Jagger bought his outfits from Portobello Market in the 80s and a stone’s throw from where The Clash formed and rehearsed by the Westway in the 70s, Notting Hill is a welcome host to eccentric artists. Despite the change in the area’s image in recent years, there will always be an underlying and charming edginess that echoes this.

Clockwise from above/ Strolling Soul Singer – Marvin Gaye in Notting Hill by John Minihan (1976); Nick Cave in Berlin by Peter Anderson (1986); Iggy Flips the Bird by James Fortune (1974). All images courtesy of: Sonic Editions

The 1970s saw a major development in a new form of rock music that emerged from blues, which had been particularly popular in the 60s. This fresh genre included electric folk, folk rock, psychedelic rock, and punk rock.

The latter formed new wave and post-punk music that moved into the next decade, which incorporated different sources of inspiration from Jamaican and Indian music, illustrated by the likes of UB40. In the UK, famous punk

“Images capture the energy and often mystical charisma of great musicians” rock bands included The Clash, The Sex Pistols and The Damned and The Ramones in the US. In the 1980s, however, there was a development in musical technology with drum machines and funk sampling that provided space for electronic music like synthpop from Depeche Mode and The Human League. These innovative sounds continually crossed over with commercial pop music,

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allowing rock to infiltrate the charts, as was frequently achieved by bands like The Police.

These 70s and 80s bands gravitated to Notting Hill for musical inspiration. The Ramones performed a singing session at Rough Trade; Marc Bolan composed Ride A White Swan on Blenheim crescent; Pink Floyd played some of their earlier gigs at the All Saints Church Hall; Van Morrison even mentions Notting Hill Gate in his song He Ain’t Give You None; and Bob Geldof made history when he led the recording of the Band Aid song Do They Know It’s Christmas?

The punk rock era was made immortal by the music that was recorded in Notting Hill at Basing Street Studios. The latter was a popular recording venue for the likes of Led Zepplin, Jethro Tull and The Eagles – it was also the venue for a reggae party that Bob Marley threw when he visited the capital. The building has since changed its name and is being redeveloped into luxury apartments, although the studio is still going strong as a musical hub in the basement.

The area was also a place for these celebrities to party and the main port of call was Portobello Hotel.

Siouxsie, The Banshees and Marc Almond were often seen propped up by the bar with a drink of their choice while, in 1988, Damon Albarn of Blur fame worked behind it. Some booked in for a more private

night behind the closed doors of a hotel room – the demented white-painted face belonging to Alice Cooper was seen checking in and rumour has it the hotel also accommodated his pet snake in the bath.

All good things must come to an end as they say and slowly the decadence and intrigue of these quirky characters began to ebb. By the end of the 80s the charts were again beginning to be dominated by commercial pop music and the last 20 years, which had provided an unusual selection of artists and propelled them to stardom, slowly dissipated into the background. Their marks have not been forgotten, however, but etched into the roads and buildings of Notting Hill by the accounts of the people lucky enough to witness it. Most importantly, the punk rock era was made immortal by the music that was recorded there.

All Sonic Editions images are available online soniceditions.com With acknowledgement to Portobello Road: Lives of a Neighbourhood by Julian Mash

Clockwise from right/ The Smiths - Salford Lads Club by Stephen Wright (1985); Elvis Costello

by Peter Anderson (1982); Keith Richards

by Janet Macoska (1978).

All images courtesy of: Sonic Editions

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&

ART ANTIQUES

BY CAROL CORDREY

Inspired by Sphinx A local gallery named itself after the Ancient Egyptian sphinxes positioned outside St Petersburg’s Academy of Fine Arts, then it grew into a source of splendid 18–20th century Russian paintings. On acquiring three floors of exhibition space, Sphinx Fine Art expanded its focus to include 15 – 19th century Old Master paintings and drawings that now attract nascent and knowledgeable collectors.

Its numerous, impressive artworks include Catherine the Great Visiting the Ice Mountain, St. Petersburg. This finely detailed, absorbing scene records the popularity of huge, wooden slides enjoyed during Russian winters when people would relish whizzing down them on sleds of ice.

Those of you with a leaning towards academia or, quite simply, a love of quality portraiture will be delighted by The Philosopher Thales, painted by the acclaimed Spanish artist, Jusepe de Ribera (1591 – 1652).

It depicts Thales, one of the Seven Sages of Greece who used geometry to make calculations and became identified as the first true mathematician.

Consequently, the artist presents us with Thales holding a large scroll of calculations, and his direct gaze is intensified by dramatic lighting in the style of the great Caravaggio.

Still life paintings are endlessly popular but Huybert van Westhoven (c1643 – 1699) has given this one (right) special appeal. The collection of hunting equipment Mountain, impresses with its unusual, Catherine the Great Visiting the Ice Patersson St. Petersburg (1788) by Benjamin complex composition and realistic textures but by painting it as a trompe l’oeil, the artist has shown off his skills to a truly awesome level.

A Trompe l’Oeil Still Life with Hunting Equipment

by Huybert van Westhoven (1643-1699)

Sphinx Fine Art 125 Kensington Church St, W8 7LP sphinxfineart.com

AUCTIONS: MOST WANTED Maritime Marvels Go Under the Hammer The items include a sextant owned by Captain Alan Hillgarth of Operation Mincemeat fame. He excelled at languages and when World War II broke out, he successfully exploited his connections with Spain, developed a wide spy network and kept them neutral. Hillgarth enjoyed Churchill’s complete trust and that probably allowed him to proceed with one of the most audacious intelligence stings of the War: Operation Mincemeat. This was the successful mission that fooled the Germans and Hitler, in particular, into believing the Allies intended to launch a counter-offensive invasion at Greece and not Sicily (as was the case) by dressing up a corpse with “sensitive” documents and ephemera and leaving it to wash up on Spanish shores.

Estimate: £600 – £800 Also a rare Admiralty Dockyard model constructed in box and fruit woods with finely carved figurehead in the form of King Neptune, mounted on supports within a late 19th-Century glazed display case.

Estimate: £60,000 – £80,000 Maritime and Scientific Models, Instruments and Art Auction (actual and online) 29 October Viewing 26 – 29 October (varied times) 25blytheroad.com

A Slice of Style Graham & Green’s Notting Hill showroom is an Aladdin’s Cave of alluring, contemporary furniture and vibrant furnishings, together with a wide range of artistic and practical gifts that never fail to attract keen-eyed shoppers. Its stock is regularly replenished with fabulous finds in exciting colours and forms that are sourced from all corners of the globe and which are especially welcome at this time of year when our autumn days grow duller by the hour.

The new season’s collection, aptly named A Slice of Style, is ready to inspire us with ideas for furnishing any space, ranging from a playroom to a penthouse. Among the many new pieces that have caught my eye are the Home Sweet Home Rugs, lovingly crafted by Indian artisan weavers and ideal for reinvigorating any room; the super selection of side tables that range from the classically industrial to the more natural Sylvester side table crafted from acacia wood; and a wonderfully robust, uniquely styled chest that has been created from sheesham and mango wood to reflect the typography trend in interior furnishing.

Graham & Green 4 Elgin Crescent, W11 2HX grahamandgreen.co.uk

The Ordinary Made Extraordinary Two designers, Hannah Dipper and Robin Farquhar, are having an exhibition to celebrate ten years of collaboration and great success in making ordinary plates and bowls into extraordinarily beautiful items. Their artistic talents and devotion to the best materials have earned them commissions from major British brands such as Habitat, Joules and John Lewis, as well as the Design Museum and the Hayward Gallery. However, the ultimate accolade for these designers must have been when their work was accepted into the V&A’s permanent collection.

The highlight of their current celebrations is an exhibition at Vessel Gallery of their anniversary, limited edition, enamelware bowls. They have been created in striking designs and colours inspired by modern architecture and artworks, so the signature styles of Roy Lichtenstein, Norman Foster and Bridget Riley are evident in some of these very collectable but practical dishes.

Others come in plain, sophisticated colours but when their graduated sizes are stacked, each group takes on the elegant form of coloured, concentric circles; the groups of blue ones, in particular, remind me of beautiful whirlpools.

with The Park Gallery about international artist, Hanaa Malallah Q: Malallah is one of Iraq’s leading contemporary artists, is this her debut exhibition with you?

A: Malallah has reached international acclaim through her profoundly visceral, mixed-media compositions and this will be her second solo exhibition with The Park Gallery. She left Iraq in 2006 as an academic under threat, moving first to Paris and subsequently to London in 2007 where she is permanently based and has her studio.

Q: Are Malallah’s experiences of war-torn Iraq employed as a positive or negative artistic tool?

A: Malallah was born in Iraq in 1958 and lived there until 2006. She earned both her BA and MA in Fine Art, as well as her PhD in the Philosophy of Painting at the University of Baghdad where she was also a professor and lecturer. Her work is the embodiment of three decades of violence in Iraq and her practice is informed by her experiences. She learnt how to produce artworks from simple everyday materials and found objects, incorporating non-traditional materials into her work with distinctively stunning results.

Q: How did her “Ruins Technique” evolve and is there symbolism in her use of colour?

A: The Ruins Technique is a process that evolved from the artist’s surroundings in a war-torn country and not by her identity as an Iraqi. It relates to the damage that objects undergo when they are destroyed – something that Malallah has seen up close. It also allows her a unique way to express her sensitive reading of shape and colour which she gained from her studies and writings on Ancient Mesopotamia, a central topic in her PhD thesis. Malallah’s use of colour varies in interpretation, but occasionally alludes to a need to view things more closely and in more detail.

Q: What is her rationale for fusing abstraction with representation?

A: Malallah believes that all representation exists in the liminal space between the figurative and abstract. Her practice – above all in the Ruins Technique – is often destructive; burning and manipulating canvases and other materials in order to re-create the process of degradation to which she bore witness. Malallah is concerned with the themes of logic, order and chaos, and believes these can be explored best by fusing figuration and abstraction in her artistic output.

Hanaa Malallah 16 October – 15 November theparkgallery.com

Ten by Two 11 September – 11 October vesselgallery.com

Chrysalis (close up) by Hanaa Malallah, 2014, Burnt folded canvas, teased cotton and mixed media on canvas. 110 x 1110 cm

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The Art of

War Scarred by the horrors encountered on the battlefield, Paul Nash rejected the previously idealistic portrayal of war. Carol Cordry invites us to witness a large collection of pictures from this important artist In this special year of World War I commemorations, it is very fitting and pleasing to see one of our local galleries, Piano Nobile, devoting an exhibition to a particularly important Official War Artist. He was the great Paul Nash (1889 – 1946) who held that role for not just “the war to end all wars” (a phrase borrowed from the novelist H G Wells) but the Second World War too. Throughout both he created memorable and distinctive drawings, watercolours and oil paintings that highlighted the terrible destruction inflicted on the nation and on the countryside he loved.

This exhibition directs the searchlight onto Nash’s high-quality watercolours which were central to the artist’s entire career. Many of the exhibits have been loaned by private and public collections so this is a once

advised by his mentor, Sir William Richmond, to “go in for nature” which he took to heart by painting numerous versions of it. He moved from his rooms in Chelsea to his family home, Wood Lane House in Iver Heath, and it was there that he created his studio overlooking an area of the lovely, large garden which was to prove inspirational to his trademark style. Nash loved to paint sweeping landscapes, with shadows that injected a sense of mystery, birds

His paintings highlighted the terrible destruction inflicted on the countryside he loved in a lifetime opportunity to see them and to see Nash’s developing talents in the especially challenging medium of watercolour, as well as his perspective on the war and the inter-war years.

Paul Nash’s immense talents were spread across painting, writing, photography and the design of theatre scenery, textiles and posters. After graduating from the Slade School of Fine Art he honed his painting skills using watercolour to express his deep commitment to the traditions of English landscape painting. He had been Above/ Paul Nash, Harbour and Room, 1931 Watercolour and pencil on paper, 51.5 x 39 cm Opposite, from top/ Paul Nash, Stone Sea, 1937. Pencil and watercolour on paper, 37.5 x 56.5 cm; Paul Nash, Coast Scene, Dymchurch, 1922. Pen and ink, watercolour, 19 x 32 cm. Images courtesy of Piano Nobile

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that he identified with freedom and imposing trees that he believed had souls that bore witness to surrounding events.

The artist was sent to the Western Front in early 1917 where he became highly critical of the handling of the battles before he was injured, sent home and sent back as an Official War Artist. That injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it enabled Nash to return with his first-hand knowledge and artwork of the conflict and use it to fuel his subsequent, emotive and non-idealistic responses to the devastation there and at home. Indeed, a number of his compositions were accompanied by text that brilliantly brought his scenes to life by explaining the sights and the feelings of a given moment he had captured in paint. Together, they form remarkable portraits of suffering and survival, determination and devastation that assault all our senses.

That war had overturned the old order and traditions artists invented new ways of representing the different world around them. Abstraction infused Nash’s style, also Surrealism that he experienced through Chirico’s London exhibition of 1928 and, as a result, Nash introduced pared down and haunting elements into his landscapes. He was the main protagonist in the birth of the Unit One avantgarde movement (1933) and in the International Surrealist Exhibition in London (1936) before being selected as an Official War Artist in the Second World War. In 1930 he had been given a Kodak camera which he particularly enjoyed using for the last 16 years of his life.

His artistic eye would not let him simply “snap” images;

instead, he carefully planned and created them, sometimes waiting long periods for the right weather to ensure the right mood. Whatever medium he worked with, Paul Nash had the ability to make ordinary objects extraordinary but as this exhibition and its programme of talks will reveal, it was his special talent with watercolour that made him an outstanding artist of the twentieth century.

Paul Nash: Works on Paper 1910 – 1946 9 October – 22 November Exhibition talks: 11 October, 15 November piano-nobile.com

Above, from top/ Paul Nash, Dorset Landscape, c.1934. Watercolour on paper, 38.1 x 55.9 cm; Paul Nash, Coast of Spain (Near Gibraltar), c.1933. Pencil and watercolour on paper, 18 x 25.4 cm. Images courtesy of Piano Nobile

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Does your insurer value your most precious assets as much as you do?

SPOTLIGHT From left/ Liza Campbell, Sarah Hiscox, Lucy Temple

Three is Company Ella Harris meets the female forces behind Holland Park’s latest exhibition, who have been brought together by their intricate and detailed expression of obsession Being an artist can be a lonely trade; you work alone and you exhibit alone. Not this time, however; three female artists have joined together this October in Holland Park to celebrate their unique but complementary styles. I climb up the higgledy-piggledy stairs of the Temple Gallery, over the old carpets and past piles of books to settle down over a cup of tea in a cosy corner to learn more about their first exhibition together.

Each artist brings out their work one by one and, while encouraged and praised by the others, tell their story.

Sarah Hiscox is first up, she will be exhibiting a wall of icons of 40 patron saints; from the familiar ones such as Saint Christopher (patron saint of travellers) and Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) to the more unusual ones such as the patron saint of addiction, motherhood, lost causes and

a plethora of other modern day problems. “There is the patron saint of accountants, seriously, to almost the patron saint of high heels!” explains Sarah. “I haven’t actually found that one yet but I wouldn’t be surprised if there is one.” The idea is that although they are ancient icons, they represent problems familiar to everyone in the 21st century – my fingers are crossed that Francis de Sales (the patron of writers and journalists) makes an appearance. Sarah has picked out the ones most relevant to her and her friends.

“People will always turn to icons for comfort and support,” she says. “I experience a great feeling of peace and serenity when I look at them.” Sarah only discovered this passion a few years ago with the help of the leading historian of icons to guide her, Richard Temple, owner of the gallery and also father to Lucy (one of the trio exhibiting).

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Although the concept may be modern, the technique is ancient. Icons are painted onto a gesso panel, which, Sarah tells me, is a piece of wood that looks like a plaster cast, painted white as a symbol of God’s purity. Then the images are engraved using cutting tools before adding layers of colour made from natural pigments that portray religious meanings. These include gold leaf (divinity), poisonous red vermillion (humanity and life on earth) and blue lapis lazuli (the heavens and the kingdom of God).

“They are all ground down from the original rock,” explains Sarah as she lays out the icons lovingly on the table, “which is very important in icon painting as everything used in the painting must be of God’s creation: animal, vegetable, mineral. There is nothing man-made in there at all.” All of the materials are bought from the antique art shop L Cornellison & Son. “It’s like something out of Harry Potter,” she enthuses, while the other two nod in agreement. “There are loads of beautiful Victorian-looking jars, full of pigments in this old beautiful, wooden shop.”

Although icon painting has become a rare and unique art form, the meticulous attention Sarah pays to her paintings is echoed in Lucy Temple’s collection. Lucy, who has been friends with Sarah for many years, found Islamic geometry after spending a while experimenting with art in other forms, but enjoyed the intense method of this old practice. “It’s such an intricate, detailed process,” she explains. “I start from scratch with a blank piece of paper.

There’s no maths, no working out; it’s a very hands-on physical process.” Using templates and a light box she traces each pattern by hand. “I am left with this massive plain, grown-up colouring-in situation with absolutely no idea what I’m going to do!” The designs are similar to those seen on tiles in mosques but Lucy’s versions are all intricately hand drawn and painted without using traditional colours but often mimicking the palette of Pop Art. All the women have a very cathartic feeling towards the creation process, using it to get lost in a world of peace and their own thoughts. “Honestly, I will look up at the clock and three hours will have gone by. I am completely lost when I’m painting,” says Lucy. Her paintings take a long time as the intensity required cannot be maintained for eight hours straight; her largest painting for example, 1.5 metres by 1.5 metres, took three months.

The third artist, Liza Campbell, who only met the other two at the beginning of the year, also embarks on a lengthy creation process for each painting. “What we do have in common is the way in which we have attained meditation through the obsessions with what we do,” she says, “spending hours and hours creating art.” Much like Lucy and Sarah she didn’t know where her talents lay at the beginning of her career. “I originally went to art school but didn’t have a very successful time because I really didn’t know where I wanted to go,” Liza explains.

Clockwise from above/ The Vexatious Guest by Liza Campbell, ink on paper, 42cm x 59cm; Lizard by Lucy Temple; Pansy by Lucy Temple; Herb Garden

by Lucy Temple; Angel Gabriel by Sarah Hiscox

“I felt very confused about it. I wanted a formal learning experience whereas art school then was all about freedom and individual learning.” Feeling that the art world was not concentrating on what she wanted to enjoy, she moved to Africa and experimented with different styles abroad. On her return to England she used the collage format where words started to creep into her work and her travel across the world inspired her to create bright-coloured maps.

“It seems so right to have a joined show; the artworks are miles apart yet so connected,” Lucy concludes. “The history of the things we do – the maps, the sacred geometry and obviously the icons – exist as a thread which winds through all the work.” These modern takes on old traditions are achieved through an almost obsessive detail used by each artist as a sort of mode for contemplation. “We’ve been through all sorts of things in our lives so the most important thing is the peaceful and loving act of creation,” explains Lucy. “It make us feel calm in this crazy world.” These three women have finally found their way in art and this time they are celebrating it. Together.

Sacred & Profane, 11 – 23 October; 6 Clarendon Cross, Holland Park, W11 4AP templegallery.com

SPOTLIGHT

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collection

the Little Princess As part of Harrods’ own Biennale des Antiquaires – the legendary Parisian exhibition (now in its 27th year) will be recreated in the Fine Jewellery and Watch Rooms this month – London-based Swiss watchmaker Backes & Strauss has created a unique piece for the occasion in partnership with Gemfields.

The timepiece honours both its heritage as the ‘Master of Diamonds’ as well as Gemfields’ position as the world’s leading ethical gemstone supplier. Christened the Harrods Princess, the watch has been set with exceptional Zambian emeralds and white diamonds. Other brands honouring the craftsmanship within the world of fine horology in the Biennale celebrations include Vacheron Constantin, Roger Dubuis and Richard Mille.

29 September – 12 October harrods.com / backesandstrauss.com

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WORLD

of WATCHES

BY RICHARD BROWN

To Rolex What AMG is to Mercedes-Benz Conceived by Kamal Choraria, the man who devised the system by which vintage Rolexes are classified, Pro Hunter has been modifying the world’s most recognisable watches for more than a decade. The company adds antireflective ‘diamond-like-carbon’ coating to brand new Rolexes, changing the colours of date discs, dials and pearls. The Phantom collection is the latest addition to the Pro Hunter portfolio; a super matte black finish is applied to Daytonas, Deepseas and Submariner Dates. Customers can choose to add black carbon casing, bezels and lumes, and from a bracelet and military Nato strap. Pro Hunter only modifies 100 examples of each Rolex model: secure one and you’ll join a list of owners that includes Bill Clinton, Orlando Bloom and the Crown Prince of Greece.

World’s Most Famous Watch It’s considered the Holy Grail of watchmaking and remains one of the most complex devices ever crafted by the human hand. Now, nearly nine decades after New York banking supremo Henry Graves commissioned Patek Philippe to create the world’s most complicated timepiece, which was eight years in the making, the Henry Graves Supercomplication is going up for auction. The watch boasts a staggering 24 functions, including a perpetual calendar, a two-faced moon phase, sunset and sunrise indicators, a chart of the New York sky and a minute repeater that chimes the tolls of Big Ben. When the watch was last sold, it fetched more than £6.4 million. It’s up for auction at Sotheby’s in Geneva in November; estimates are around the £10 million mark.

Deepsea: Military Strap £15,950 / Bracelet £17,950; Submariner Date: Military Strap £14,950 / Bracelet £15,950; Daytona: £19,950 discoverprohunter.com

One to Watch Each month we select our timepiece of the moment from the watch world’s most exciting creations:

A robust 41mm steel case with a refined finish, a coloured, anodised aluminium crown tube and well-made interchangeable bracelets make Tudor’s Heritage Black Bay perhaps the best watch in its price bracket Black Bay Blue or Red on steel, £2,330 Black Bay Blue or Red on leather, £2,120 tudorwatch.com

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Flying Colours Following the Victory and the Codebreaker – the former incorporating original oak from HMS Victory and the latter pine from Bletchley Park – Bremont’s next limited edition timepiece was always going to have to be something special to live up to expectations.

And we’re pleased to report that the brand hasn’t disappointed us. Launched at an appropriately lofty bash at the Science Museum, the Wright Flyer makes use of fabric from the first ever powered aircraft of the same name. Just as significantly, the watch uses Bremont’s first ever unique movement, part-developed and designed in Britain. Now, how are the English brothers going to follow that? bremont.com

Swiss movement, English heart

C9 HARRISO N J U MP IN G HO U R MK III Bespoke ETA 2824-2 Jumping Hour automatic modification by Master Watchmaker Johannes Jahnke / Each piece personally assembled by Johannes and his team in Switzerland / 43mm, surgical grade stainless steel case with sapphire crystal and transparent case back / CITES certified, premium grade, Louisiana alligator strap with Bader deployment / 5 year movement guarantee

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08/09/2014 11:42

Absolutely

Fabuleux Annabel Harrison meets Vacheron Constantin’s artistic director Christian Selmoni to find out more about the newest Metiers d’Art collection, entitled, grandly and enigmatically, Fabuleux Ornements

THE V&A IS ONE of my favourite buildings in London.

It’s a real treat to wander around its galleries, embued with history, gazing at ancient artefacts from myriad centuries and wondering how they came to rest in the institution’s hallowed halls. What’s even better, though, is to be led from gallery to gallery by two of the museum’s curators, Moya Carey and Anne Haworth, out of hours; eerily quiet, it’s much easier to absorb oneself in the stories behind each piece. On this occasion we’re contemplating spectacularly detailed Indian miniatures from the 17th century, the famous Chelsea carpet (made in Iran in the 1500s and bought by William Morris for his Chelsea home) and a Chinese dragon robe, as well as the rare and precious Islamic rock crystal ewer, one of a series that survives in collections across Europe.

This night at the museum came courtesy of Vacheron Constantin and the private showcase of its four new Metiers d’Art timepieces. For 2014, ladies (unlike fashion, which refers to women and womenswear, the haute horlogerie industry tends to prefer the moniker ‘ladies’) are invited to “celebrate the ornamental beauties of the world drawn from the decorative arts of several cultures… inspired by dreams of faraway places”.

This particular collection has been two years in the making, demanding thousands of hours of slow, highly

skilled work for an end result of just 80 pieces; why, I ask Christian, are the Metiers d’Art so important to Vacheron?

He references the fact that even at the end of the 18th century Vacheron’s pocket watches, although made for men, were engraved and set with stones. “We combine technical watchmaking with the decorative crafts; to me, this is fantastic. These crafts have been in the company since the early years so the Metiers d’Art concept is part

Artisans have taken inspiration from Ottoman architecture and Chinese embroidery of our DNA. It offers a great amount of room for creativity.

Although we only make a few, they are designed and engineered with the highest quality in mind.”

Despite the fact that early on in the creative process, there were 12 Fabuleux Ornements designs, which, Christian says understatedly, “were all quite nice”, only four made the cut; the master artisans created reinterpretations of Ottoman architecture, Chinese embroidery, Indian manuscripts and French lacework.

Aesthetics were, of course, the first reason for whittling the numbers down but commercial sensibilities were also at play. “The choice of the Asian ornament was very clear for us. It’s a market that loves these sorts of watches. We have to make things which people want”. It is this watch, crafted in pink gold with a dial carpeted in ruby, cuprite and garnet flowers, which was also the most complex, involving glyptics, gemstone cloisonné work and

COLLECTION

engraving. “It’s almost ridiculous to do things like that but there is something really magical when you look at it”, Christian declares. Because the flowers being carved and engraved are so small and delicate, “they give us many problems… but they deliver beautiful results! The more difficulties you encounter, the better the result is.”

“It’s about the story behind the creation,” he adds.

“To do something which is pleasurable for the eye is not enough. It’s important to transport the client somewhere, to tell them a story and make it extra special.” These

In making a watch, “the more difficulties you encounter, the better the result is”

tattoo artistry; how useful it must be to have such an eclectic set of creative and cultural references.

Next year marks the 260th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin, a milestone that no other watch brand can claim to have celebrated. As such I’m expecting the 2015 Metiers d’Art collection to soar to even greater creative heights. Christian is full of excitement but tight-lipped: “The anniversary will include a collection of technical watches. It will be a cool combination of complication and design; technical watchmaking in a very Vacheron aesthetic”. Watch this space. vacheron-constantin.com

stories concern China and its ancient embroideries, India and its colourfully illustrated manuscripts, the Ottoman Empire and its beautiful architecture, and France and its exquisite lacework. Indian manuscripts are reflected within a pink gold case and ten vibrant enamel colours on the dial. “The contours of its decor are traced using the champlevé technique to create cavities separated by thin gold partitions in order to apply the enamels. These ten different hues represent a daunting challenge in terms of mastering the successive firings.” The foliage, which is meticulously hand-engraved after enamelling, is one of the most delicate stages, since even the slightest slip of the hand can jeopardise the entire creation.

The French lacework model involves guillochage, Grand Feu enamelling and gem-setting; the luminous white gold lacework pattern is intended to remind us of traditional, French-style embroideries, an ancestral art ingrained in the national culture. The Ottoman architecture timepiece is my favourite, though, with its pink gold moucharaby (wooden lattice) motif formed by the dial and of which every edge is delicately bevelled by hand. The natural white mother-of-pearl base is embellished by gold gridwork studded with half-pearl beads, aiming to echo the majesty of the scrolling patterns in Middle Eastern architecture. This is truly a beautiful piece and, the closer I look, the more its craftsmanship takes my breath away; the care taken over it requires a certain level of passion as well as skill.

Passion is evident at the company’s highest levels too; while CEO Mr Torres has been with Vacheron for three decades, Christian is “still here after 24 years because it’s never been a job to me; it has always been a pleasure. I honestly feel excited every morning I wake up to think about all the things I can do in Vacheron Constantin.” He is more reserved than Mr Torres but full of surprises in his own way; I discover a passion for

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JEWELLERY

BY OLIVIA SHARPE

Into the Groove

On the Flip Side One seemingly unproductive afternoon when she was playing with some matchsticks, Cypriot designer Myriam Soseilos was suddenly struck with an idea of creating jewellery pieces which could move and adapt. From this, the Transformers collection (which won her the accolade of Designer of the Year 2013 at the Treasure jewellery show) was born. Comprising bracelets, rings, necklaces and earrings, each piece has a simple, geometric design inspired by modern architecture.

The aptly-named Rubik’s Cube ring features sides made up of different coloured precious gemstones which can be swivelled around to create a multi-faceted effect. The designer’s latest Naked Square collection explores the “grammar of shapes” and turns any preconceptions of classic diamond jewellery on their head by combining traditional materials with cutting-edge designs.

This year, Piaget has commemorated its 140th anniversary by creating a collection of 88 jewellery pieces and 37 watches based around its halcyon days in the 60s and 70s, regarded as a stellar period in the company’s creative history. Christened Extremely Piaget, the bold designs play with asymmetry and stylisation, and colour plays a prominent role. Noteworthy pieces include an oval jade dial timepiece set with diamonds and emeralds (which has been modelled on the Piaget watch created in 1965 and owned by Jackie Kennedy) and a pink gold mesh necklace, featuring turquoise beads and marquise-cut diamonds, that pays tribute to the house’s ‘golden era’ of jewellery making.

Extremely Piaget collection, POA; piaget.com

MyriamSOS, available at Wolf & Badger wolfandbadger.com

Two Birds, One Stone

Cutting Edge To celebrate Antoni Gaudi’s birthday which took place earlier this year, fine jeweller D’Joya has created 25 pieces, 20 of which are on display and five are bespoke commissions, inspired by the pioneering artist and his most famous works:

“Antoni Gaudi was a visionary, a tour de force, a creative genius and an inspiration… The collection pays homage to this celebrated Catalan modernist, who transformed buildings in Barcelona into glittering works of art. His decorative approach to ceramics, ironwork and stained glass evolved into a distinctive aesthetic that still enthralls today”

Arguably the most important event in the jewellery calendar, the Biennale des Antiquaires recently took place in Paris and once again, it did not disappoint.

One of the most talked-about pieces on display there was this Bird Cage clock by Chanel, a beautiful interpretation of a miniature jewellery birdcage found in Coco Chanel’s 31 Rue Cambon apartment. Those of you who had the misfortune to miss the event will now be given an opportunity to see some of its finest pieces at Harrods; the department store will be hosting its own exclusive rendition this month. Nine of the official Biennale brands – including Graff, Cartier, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chanel, Chaumet, Bulgari, Boucheron and Dior – will present a selection of their most showstopping pieces.

djoya.com

harrods.com

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C E L E B R AT I N G 3 0 Y E A R S

Aurora Inspire romance with this 0.86ct Fancy Intense Australian Argyle Pink Diamond Ring, reflecting the warm, vibrant and fiery hues of its extraordinary and ancient origins.

A highly prized, rare and collectable jewel.

To receive the beautiful Calleija brochure, please contact us The Royal Arcade Old Bond Street London london@calleija.com +44 (0)20 7499 8490

The Westin Martin Place Sydney sydney@calleija.com.au +61 (0)2 9233 6661 calleija.com

Marina Mirage Main Beach Gold Coast mirage@calleija.com.au +61 (0)7 5528 3666

That 70s Show Get into the groove with large cuffs, long chain necklaces and gold hoop earrings

1 Pangea zig-zag stacking bangle, £1,518, Kara Ross, kararossny.com 2 Long gold Stella chain necklace, £5,746, Faraone Mennella, faraonemennella.com 3 & 4 Petra bib necklace, £42,203, and one-of-a-kind peach drusy earrings, £6,070, Kara Ross, as before 5 Serpent Bohème ring, £13,850, Boucheron, 164 New Bond Street 6 Morning in Vendôme ring, POA, Chanel Fine Jewellery, chanel.com 7 Serpentine coil necklace, £149, Layana London, layanalondon.com 8 Large Cava cuff in onyx and rock crystal, £18,214, Kara Ross, as before 9 Aquamarine, quartz, jade and gold earrings, £5,190, Fernando Jorge, matchesfashion.com 10 Gold, opal and diamond bracelet, £4,650, Jennifer Meyer, net-a-porter.com 11 Sunrise bracelet in yellow gold with diamonds, yellow sapphires and red lacquer, POA, Chanel Fine Jewellery, as before 12 Soho gold-plated hoop earrings, £190, Aurélie Bidermann, matchesfashion.com 13 Yellow gold large pear green onyx ring set with diamonds and tourmalines, £5,175, Armenta at Talisman Gallery, 020 7201 8582 14 Gold-tone bar cuff, £315, Chloé, net-a-porter.com 15 Yellow gold and oxidised silver open circle-link hoop earrings with white diamonds, £3,175, by Armenta at Talisman Gallery, as before 16 Emerald mesh bracelet, POA, G London, harrods.com

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Sunseeker Magazine: Aaron Basha advertisement

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fashion

look to the north We have a soft spot for Mr Roland Mouret and his fabulously flattering designs for women, and now he’s given us yet another reason to love him. He’s teamed up with friend and fellow designer Katherine Poulton of ethical label The North Circular, founded in 2009, to translate his bestselling Eugene top into knitwear, just as the cooler autumnal weather kicks in. Charmingly, each piece is hand-knitted by grannies from British alpaca and top-quality wool which has been dyed in the UK to Global Organic Textile standards. The North Circular co-founder, model and ethical fashion champion Lily Cole is pictured here wearing the monochromatic Furze Eugene top which retails for £370 and is exclusively available from Mouret’s London and New York boutiques, and online. rolandmouret.com

Image courtesy of The North Circular Photographer: Kate Tomlinson; Model: Lily Cole

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Stephen Bowman

Vanessa Arelle

Beneath the Surface Tom Davies speaks to Tabithah Rahman about his eyewear campaign for the 2015 collection and plans for the future Following tom davies’ exclusive interview with The Kensington & Chelsea Magazine about the opening of his Sloane Square boutique in February, the bespoke eyewear designer has since been busy preparing his 2015 campaign, which explores the worlds of real people and their unique stories through the new collection.

For the upcoming campaign, the designer called upon his existing loyal clients, including classically trained signer Stephen Bowman, Vanessa Arelle (Head of Cultural Affairs of the Mexican Embassy in the UK) and aspiring photographer and model Antalya Nall Cain. By using non-models, the campaign seeks to illustrate how wearing glasses is, for many people, an essential part of everyday life. For Tom, beauty is not only skin deep and so he wanted to capture his muses in settings personal to them in order to reflect their individual personalities as well as their appearance.

Tom has also collaborated with London-based Turkish designer Bora Aksu on a range of sunglasses which launched recently at S/S15 London Fashion Week.

What inspired the concept for the 2015 campaign?

It was without a doubt the local residents visiting my

store. Getting to know someone and their hobbies, passions and profession before I design their frames is as important as their natural features. When planning my campaign for 2015 I wanted to create a unique concept and use ‘real’ Tom Davies clients, so photographing them instead of models made it more interesting.

Why was it so imperative for the glasses to form part of the campaign subjects’ daily routine?

I wanted it to be believable and relatable; photos are so much more interesting that way. Normally, when I’m planning a shoot, I look for location, props, photographers and stylists. This shoot was very intimate and compact, shot in a reportage style which captured real smiles, style and personality. I had each of them in their own comfortable spaces, surrounded by their own possessions and clothes, to create a relationship between the onlooker and the model.

You have chosen an eclectic mix of people for the campaign; how did you go about selecting them?

They all use their eyewear differently and have different lives. Some people understand that a great frame can

Antalya Nall Cain

FASHION

be worn as an accessory to enhance your features and wear glasses with confidence and pride. I also wanted brand ambassadors to help people to understand why we designed the glasses the way we did and the individual process each person went through.

If you had featured in the campaign, what props would you have used to reflect your personality?

It would have to be my store. I’ve never had so much freedom to express my surroundings and personality as I had when I created my Sloane Square store. I love being

“What next? I’m trying to perfect a marriage of carbon fibre with buffalo horn for men” surrounded by my creations; everything from the lighting down to the cabinets has my own personal stamp on it.

Downstairs is designed like 2001: A Space Odyssey to give a futuristic feel, while upstairs takes on a stylised fashion approach with a combination of old wood coving and ultra-modern cabinets. A mix of old and new, like me!

The upcoming collection will introduce new styles and developments from existing collections; can we expect to see anything new in terms of luxury materials?

I’ve designed five new acetates, made in Japan. These feature 82 per cent cotton, making them deeper in colour and more hard-wearing than any other material I’ve worked on. I’ve also developed five new titanium coatings, using a combination of industrial diamond dust to blast the frames as well as high-tech ion plating.

Fisher walked into my shop. I’ve just finished work on her glasses and I’m still buzzing about it.

You recently collaborated with Bora Aksu for the S/S15 sunglasses collection; what is it you like about doing collaborations?

Creating for an individual is a privilege. Creating with other designers is a thrill. As designers, we have to have strong ideas and yet we are also open to other outside influences. The best collaborations come about when you can openly bounce ideas off each other and allow both styles to come through in the final design. Bora’s new collection is outstanding and it was a pleasure working with him on this sunglass range. Ultimately, collaborations are about people. If we get on, the results can be amazing.

I would love to work with Melisa Odabash too; her work is glamorous, feminine and innovative, and would translate perfectly into a ladies’ sunglass collection.

What else have you got in the pipeline?

I’m trying to perfect a marriage of carbon fibre with buffalo horn for men. I’m opening some stores across America over the coming months... and I’m about to turn 40!

Tom Davies – Bespoke Eyewear, 54 Sloane Square 020 7730 5454; tdtomdavies.com

Which material do you like working with most and why?

Buffalo horn. It has taken me and my team five years to perfect the production of horn frames in this particular material. We buy it from a farm in India and spend months working it into plates for eye glasses. The end result looks fantastic and makes the most luxurious eyewear I’ve ever seen.

You have designed frames for many of Hollywood’s elite and high profile clients. Is there anyone in particular you would like to make a bespoke pair of glasses for?

My dream came true when Hollywood actress Carrie

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Tables Turned It is often the case that the fashion world takes inspiration from the art world and vice versa, and this mutually beneficial collaboration has been highlighted in Escada’s A/W14 collection which draws on the bold colours of contemporary American artist James Turrell, with striking hues of emerald and pink. Other pieces in the collection incorporate romantic floral prints which evoke more traditional paintings, while wide leg trousers and skirts in monochrome tones create volume and shape. uk.escada.com

HER STYLE By olivia sharpe

Separate the Sheep from the Goats Known for its understated and timeless collections, luxury cashmere clothing brand Goat has never been one to court the limelight. This year, however, sees the brand standing out from the crowd as it announces the opening of its first store on Mayfair’s Conduit Street, as part of the Crown Estate’s £1 billion investment into the Regent Street area. The new boutique will house the brand’s latest ready-to-wear collection, including signature knits, separates, dresses and outerwear, within minimalist surroundings featuring neutral interiors and vintage furniture.

Keep your (sheep’s) eyes peeled. goatfashion.com

Don’t Be Daft Luxury label Casadei has made a brief departure from its signature evening footwear styles, stepping into biker mode for A/W14.

The chic, contemporary Biker collection has been inspired by Daft Punk’s latest album and includes three leather designs which will transport you from day to night. Each boot features gold, silver and copper chains and lustrous metal embellishment for an edgier look.

Casadei A/W14 Biker collection £700 – £950 casadei.com

Great Dame Despite having been revered by the fashion world for decades, until now there has never been an authorised biography of iconic designer Dame Vivienne Westwood. However, as she herself says, “The living deserve respect. The dead deserve the truth; Ian and I are working together on this and I am excited that this will be my story, the story nobody ever did before”. Biographer Ian Kelly spent two years with Westwood to create the narrative of her life, weaving in her own voice and those of family and friends to explain how Vivienne Isabel Swire became Vivienne Westwood, now aged 73, designer, co-creator of punk, activist and fashion legend.

Vivienne Westwood by Vivienne Westwood & Ian Kelly will be published in hardback with colour illustrations on 9 October

Mission Impossible

About Time

For the first time in its 73 year-old history, Coach has expanded its leather goods line to include women’s ready-to-wear. Having only joined the company last year, British designer Stuart Vevers (formerly of Loewe) made a brave decision to make this debut so early on in his appointment but the risk certainly seems to have paid off. The confident and well-rounded A/W14 collection remains in keeping with the American label’s laid-back aesthetic, incorporating casual, graphic sweaters and 70s-style denim jackets with rubber-soled, shearling-lined wedge boots which guarantee to keep your feet warm and dry in winter. Outerwear, however, proved the biggest hit, with a shearling coat coming in at an affordable £1,900, and a red and black houndstooth parka, which we have no doubt will be a best-seller, priced at £1,300. Mission accomplished.

It was only a matter of time before Tory Burch branched out into yet another lifestyle section; to mark her ten year anniversary, the American designer, whose empire already encompasses clothing handbags, shoes and beauty, has turned her attention to the world of timekeeping and launched her first watch collection.

Comprising seven timepiece groups including the Tory, the Reva and the Buddy Classic, each watch has been named after a member of Tory’s family and is infused with signature design elements, from Saffiano leather straps to the brand’s iconic double-T logo.

Available from 1 October toryburch.co.uk

uk.coach.com

Eastern Dynasty

La Place to Be A landmark of artistic heritage and famously the home of Coco Chanel, La Place Vendôme has been a constant source of inspiration to both the art and fashion industries; this month sees designer Carolina Herrera paying tribute to the historic square with a new design for her La Place Handbag collection. The Vendôme bag has been handcrafted from Nubuck and Blanes leather and features unique details such as side panels with small gold studs and front panelling made of exotic skins. The handles have been designed to symbolise the arcades surrounding the Vendôme column, while the horizontal structure reflects the square’s iconic buildings.

CH Carolina Herrera Vendome Bag; prices range from £440 – £1,080 carrolinaherrera.com

Celebrating its 20th anniversary as the international curator of contemporary Chinese style, Shanghai Tang is kicking off the festivities with an exclusive collaboration with Shanghai-born artist Jacky Tsai on a series of artworks. The six-piece collection draws on the beauty of nature and traditional Eastern craftsmanship as well as modern Western pop art, and has in turn inspired a limited edition capsule collection encompassing fashion, accessories and homeware.

Our favourites include a box clutch with a floral, butterfly and acrobatic motif, and a handpainted blue and white lotus porcelain set.

Jacky Tsai x Shanghai Tang, available in stores from October shanghaitang.com

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PRINTS Charming Be inspired by this modern take on prints and patterns and update your A/W wardrobe with acid brights and arty colour combinations

Photographer:

Dominic Nicholls

Stylist:

Hayley Caine

Green and white Christine tie-dye trousers, £550, and matching shirt, £999, both Stella McCartney, harrods.com; Blue Queen in Caribe suede shoes, £286, Stuart Weitzman, stuartweitzman.com; Montana crystal earrings, £250, Andy Farrow, wolfandbadger.com

Bright floral print fluted skirt, £600, and matching top, £620, both Marni, brownsfashion.com; Mad red flowers IX scarf, £250, Rosemary Goodenough, wolfandbadger.com; Gold disk ring, £195, Chloé, harrods.com; Lacey zebra print heels, £525, Sophia Webster, sophiawebster.com

Floral print silk trousers, £580, and blouse, £480, Dries Van Noten, Browns, 24-27 South Molton Street, brownsfashion.com; Yellow Marlowe bag, £165, Rebecca Minkoff, Fenwicks, 63 New Bond Street; Gold Icon ring, £239, Ruifier, wolfandbadger.com; Elaphe and acetate sandals, £890, Nicholas Kirkwood, nicholaskirkwood.com

Printed velvet coat, £1,220, and printed cotton jeans, £385, both Just Cavalli, harrods.com; Gold heeled shoes, POA, Robert Clergerie, 67 Wigmore Street, 020 7935 3601; Gold Icon Pyramid ring, £599, Ruifier, wolfandbadger.com

Burgundy printed dress with woollen lily embroideries, ÂŁ1,290, Carven, 85 Pelham Street, 020 7225 7110; Gold Icon Shard ring, ÂŁ459, Ruifier, wolfandbadger.com

Cotton poplin monster print shirt in moss green, £250, weaving jacquard monster print jacket in chocolate, £600, and matching skirt, £640, all Kenzo, 31 Bruton Place, 020 7491 8469, kenzo.com; Red Miluna 100 fishnet/suede heels, £545, Christian Louboutin, 17 Mount Street, 0843 227 4322

Silk tunic dress, £795, Stella McCartney, selfridges.com; Printed felt cocoon coat, £790, Diane Von Furstenberg, net-a-porter.com; Black Mila crystal shoes, £595, Sophia Webster, sophiawebster.com; Black wristlet suede eyelet bag, £930, Alaia, harrods.com

Hair: Magdalena Tucholska using Unite/CloudNine Makeup: Cassie Steward @ LHA Represents using MAC Cosmetics Model: Rhianna Porter @ Storm Art Direction: Delia Sievers Photographer’s Assistant: Sam Thirgood Location: La Suite West, 41-51 Inverness Terrace, W2 3JN; lasuitewest.com

The Old West The latest collection from J.M Weston infuses country living with inner-city style in its classic range of leather shoes and boots. Giving the spirit of high society sports an aristocratic touch, Country Gent aims to provide shoes which can be worn everywhere and anywhere, whether the gent in question is sampling wine in Bourdeaux or hiking across the Scottish Highlands. Thus the collection is perfect for any man who needs his footwear to be as versatile as his busy, varied life. As artistic director Michel Perry says, “country life is no longer a complete departure from elegance and style: it’s an art of living”.

Billion Dollar Man

jmweston.com

Italian fashion house Billionaire Couture is using its knowledge of luxury readyto-wear attire to launch a new Made to Measure service; elegant in look and uncompromising in quality, the resultant tailored products come courtesy of expert artisans. With its philosophy, and name, championing the idea of living a luxurious lifestyle, Billionaire indulges a client’s every wish, allowing them to explore the opulent details and most intricate aspects of tailoring. From sumptuous silks and cashmeres to inlaid gold, Billionaire’s Made to Measure range extends across the formal and contemporary styles, from personalised slippers to bejewelled shirt buttons. billionairecouture.com

HIS STYLE By tabithah rahman

On The Frontline This month sees the opening of E.Tautz’s flagship store on Duke Street, spread across two levels and covering 2,000 sq. ft. Despite having been founded in 1867 and being at the forefront of the contemporary British fashion scene, this surprisingly marks the first retail space for the brand, headed up by owner and creative director Patrick Grant. Throughout its 147-year history, E. Tautz has retained its sporting and military credentials, enhanced by quality tailoring and Savile Row cutting. The new store will house its entire seasonal offering, along with more suits, knitwear and accessories. There will also be a made to measure service on the lower level, which is a first for the label. etautz.com

High on a Mountain Top July 1954 saw history in the making as two Italian climbers triumphantly reached the peak of the world’s second highest mountain. They fought their way up 8,611 metres of the notorious K2 in bitterly cold air, kitted out in quilted Moncler down jackets, designed by French mountaineer Lionel Terray who has become synonymous with the brand. Now, 60 years on, history has repeated itself, from mission attire right down to triumph. K2 2014 – 60 Years Later saw mountaineers paying homage to the original expedition, sporting Moncler gear on their trek up K2. Inspired by the Lionel Terray collection, the line comprises six special protection jackets which combine practicality with luxury appeal. monclergroup.com

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To subscribe, please visit rwmg.co.uk/subscribe now * While stock lasts. The limited offer ends on 31 October 2014. Pay for your subscription with your credit/debit card or PayPal account; all transactions are made through PayPal. This price includes taxes, packing & postal charges. The delivery is made by First Class Royal Mail Service and is available in the UK only. If you have any queries regarding Terms & Conditions, your subscription or international deliveries please contact the Runwild Media office on 020 7987 4320, Monday to Friday between 9am to 5.30pm (GMT) or email info@rwmg.co.uk. Registered office and postal address: Runwild Media Group, 6th Floor, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AX

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lifestyle Less Is More

There are some who love to splash their homes with vibrant paints and attention-grabbing artwork. For others, a paredback approach, using chiefly monochrome and neutral tones, is preferable. If you fall into the latter category, you’re bound to feel an affinity with the quiet, structured work of designer and architect Guillaume Alan. Clean, uncluttered walls and surfaces are complemented by the eclectic, elegant use of unusual materials and furniture; popular pieces include the brass Stella chair, with a smoky finish and faux fur seat, and the satin coffee table which appears to be floating, with a brushed ash wood top, metal base and bronze finish. Browse the website or visit the Mayfair store and studio for further Parisian-chic inspiration. guillaume-alan.com

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Leave no stone unturned Leaving no stone unturned, Stone World has grown to specialise in some of the rarest and most exquisite colour variations of Natural Stone from around the world, from the finest marble in Italy to the flawless granite mined in Brazil.

With stock of over 4,000 slabs at the Park Royal warehouse facility, clients are encouraged to visit to personally select the exact slab they would like to use for their projects.

For those seeking inspiration for design ideas and colour palettes, Stone World has launched an app: The Stone Library. The app allows users to search for Natural Stone by colour, the material category or texture and keywords. Each Natural Stone entry has an enhanced image quality feature, which enables users to use the entire screen as a sample swatch, helping them to build colour schemes and specify particular stones for a new project.

020 8838 3232 st o ne wo r l d l o n d o n . c o . u k

& GARDEN

HOME

BY TABITHAH RAHMAN

Wool Week The Campaign for Wool, of which HRH The Prince of Wales is patron, celebrates its fourth anniversary this month with the launch of its commemorative Wool Collection: Interiors range. By bringing together designers from the decorative world to create bespoke interiors collections using wool, the campaign aims to highlight the benefits of this sumptuous fabric. Flooring, furnishings and lifestyle items from leading names such as Designers Guild and the Conran Shop will feature, to be unveiled at the launch of the Wool Collection Exhibition, taking place this October.

5-12 October; campaignforwool.org

Tweed with a Twist 1940s wartime saw tweed at the peak of its popularity, used in suits, flat caps and dresses. It was also the decade which saw the birth of interiors company Barker and Stonehouse. This autumn, the company harkens back to 40s fashion in its four new collections, one of which presents its unique take on a great English classic. Tweed with a Twist takes a contemporary approach to use of the traditional material, presented in furniture and quirky accessories which will bring warmth to urban homes. The collection comprises three other ranges, including Beat Nik, Perfect Pastels and Rustic Monochrome. barkerandstonehouse.co.uk

The Silver Surfer With more than a century’s worth of classic creations that have stood the test of time, this year marks the 110th anniversary of silversmith and design master Georg Jensen.

Since 1904, the Danish design name has been a pioneering one in the world of silverware, extending from classical to modern in the form of home pieces and jewellery designs. Delving into its rich heritage, Georg Jensen: Reflections will explore the historical journey of the brand, containing photographs and drawings from Jensen’s extensive archive, exposing tricks of the trade and showcasing elegant designs and technical innovations that have developed through the ages.

Georg Jensen: Reflections, text by Murray Moss, £55 (hardcover) Available from 21 October; rizzoliusa.com

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& GARDEN

HOME

Under the Olive Tree Channelling its luxurious French heritage, Branche d’Olive has launched a limited edition candle box set, Candle Aux’Quat Saisons. In partnership with head chef Raymond Blanc, the deluxe offering has been created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons hotel and brings together four scented candles which evoke the essence of the four seasons. Concocted from natural ingredients, the candles’ notes harmonise with Blanc’s Michelin-starred haute cuisine.

Branche d’Olive also offers a range of locally sourced lotions and potions to go hand-in-hand with these candles, comprising lavish bath lotions, sweet-smelling fragrances and hand-stamped soaps.

Candle Aux’Quat Saisons box set, £42 branche-dolive.com

Refined Luxe This autumn, Occa Home reveals its latest concept.

Refined Luxe focuses on minimal shapes, modish materials and lustrous accents in key furniture pieces, all of which have been hand-picked by Occa Home founder, Kate Mooney and her team of interior design experts. With hundreds of leading brands available, in order to help you to recreate this look, you’ll be spoilt for choice. From dining furniture and beds to lighting and decorative accessories, add a touch of frost ahead of winter, using shimmery accents, to ignite the glimmer of winter magic. occa-home.co.uk

Top Form Christmas comes early this month as Chelsea-based interior designer Katharine Pooley unveils her Table Top collection ahead of the festive season. After the success of the recently launched Imperial Hamper, the range will be exclusive to Fortnum and Mason and includes china, glassware and table accessories rendered with clean-cut precision, and bedecked with gold and platinum-plated geometric deco embellishments. katharinepooley.com fortnumandmason.com

Spa City “Our clients are incredibly discerning and well-travelled. We find that their exposure to hotel design filters through to residential interiors and they expect something superior within the privacy of their own home,” says Alix of Lawson Robb. A master of deluxe design, the brand has taken on its latest endeavour, having been commissioned to design the ultimate in luxury private spas in homes across London. Executed to perfection, recent projects in Knightsbridge and Belgravia have featured plunge pools, massaging waterfalls and steam rooms. Lawson Robb is able to incorporate bespoke details tailored to each client’s specific lifestyle, and space, requirements that are both aesthetically striking and fully functional. Take the plunge now. lawsonrobb.com

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22/08/2014 17:31

INTERIORS

Home

Sweet Home

With autumn comes the launch of the Premier Basics collection from Achica, of flash sale fame. Annabel Harrison finds out more about the online retailer’s new (and permanent) offering I DON’T KNOW ABOUT you but parting with hefty sums of money for basics such as bed linen doesn’t sit that well with me. For the house, it’s just so much more fun to spend cash on striking pieces of art that you can’t help but fall in love with, beautiful big books that may well never be opened, fun but functional items and antiques with a conversation-starting story. However, if you’re moving into somewhere unfurnished or a bigger place than you currently inhabit, you’ll find yourself needing not just extra bed linen but all the other basics too – beds and mattresses, sofas and shelving, tables and chairs. These are necessities with costs that soon begin to mount up.

This is when an online detour to Achica will be worth the time, because in September the website is launching its exclusive new Premier Basics collection.

It has up until now been known (and loved by its millions of members) for its 72-hour flash sales; at the time of writing I can purchase a pair of Beats Pro Headphones for £249.95 (RRP £349.95) or a vintage Chanel CC bangle for £999 (RRP £1,255), although there’s only one left so I’d need to move fast. The big difference with Premier Basics is that this 350-piece capsule collection will be always available, which will come as a relief to those who just cannot make a decision quickly enough to commit to a flash sale or, indeed, those who like the option to repurchase their favourite and longest-lasting household basics.

Left/ Button back headboard bed, £549; bed linen 1000 thread count collection, from £8.99 to £79, all Achica Premier Basics collection

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INTERIORS

Achica’s brand director Liam Butler explained to me that the aim of this capsule collection is, as you’d expect, customer-led; the brand wants to “permanently offer our loyal and discerning customer base the very best of the basics every home needs. Once the basics are right, it’s the finishing touches that really make your home your own. Achica is a one-stop shop offering an edit of the finest vintage, art and design pieces.

There are 14 styles to search within, such as Eclectic, Classic Elegance and Country Chic “Our core business will remain must-see flash sales that customers can dip in and out of at any time but we’ll also look to weave in our edit of useful everyday products that can always be found.”

Of the new Premier Basics products, I particularly like the cream button footstool (£169), perfect for perching on in the corner of a kitchen or dressing room.

For living rooms, the black iron coffee tables, either round (£249) or rectangular (£179) are simple but stylish and the king size iron bed is great value at £549. It’s easy to find half an hour slipping away while scrolling through the sales offering too; I could boost my basics with pretty cushions, bright prints and even bottles of red wine and olive oil for my kitchen counters. It’s made even easier by the new website which has been designed based on

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research that showed the majority of people prefer to shop by style rather than product. There are 14 styles to choose from including Classic Elegance (I’d like to think I aspire to this), Eclectic (also great – everyone needs a dash of quirkiness) and Country Chic (a favourite theme of mine as a Cotswolds girl through and through).

Filter by price, colour and brand.

It’s time to pour a cup of tea, make a list and finally stock up on those essentials you’ve been saying for months that you need. achica.com

F O O D

I S

A R T. R E S P E C T

I T.

Superior food preservation.

Professional cooking performance.

Craftsmanship and technology without equal.

www.subzero-wolf.co.uk 251 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW3 2EP 0845 250 0010

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HEALTH BEAUTY

BY OLIVIA SHARPE

Pick Me Up The new collection from By Terry founder Terry de Gunzburg is for those in desperate need of a post-summer pick-me-up (which let’s face it, is probably all of us). The colour-popping palette of blushing pinks and rosy hues is bound to perk up even the bluest of spirits, ranging from an irresistible trio powder blush, Terrybly Rose de Rose, to dozens of new Baume de Rose lip colours for the perfect pout.

Rose Infernale 2014 byterry.com

Lip Service Have you ever wished that you could combine your lipstick and lipgloss? Well fortunately, Chanel’s new Rouge Allure Gloss does just that. With just one click of a button, the high shine gloss effect is activated and blended together with a luminous and intense shade. The new flocked applicator makes it easier to apply than a lipstick but by combining two polymers, one for colour and one for shine, the lightweight coverage promises to last hours. It will come in 11 shades, ranging from dramatic Distinction (warm berry) to subtle Sensuel (light beige).

Rouge Allure Gloss, £26 Available from 3 October 020 7493 3836

Birds of a Feather Flying in just a few weeks ago, Duck & Dry is the newest blow-dry and up-do bar to land on the King’s Road. Unlike your typical, time-consuming salon experience, Duck & Dry allows you to, quite literally, duck in and out at your convenience for a fast, professional hair treatment. Keeping things simple, the menu has just eight signature blow-dries and eight up-dos, with no cuts or colour. Another unique feature of the salon is that the price of each treatment is fixed, regardless of hair type or length, making it very affordable.

Book your appointment now.

Duck & Dry, £25; Duck, Dry & Do, £35 335-337 King’s Road, SW3 5ES duckanddry.com

The Ford Face According to Tom Ford, “monochromatic colour and tones can enhance and define the features, achieving a timeless, sensuous and polished look”. Having been creating exquisite, couture-like pieces for almost 30 years, we can trust the fashion designer to know a thing or two about beauty. This is no doubt why his cosmetics range has been going from strength to strength since it launched in 2011. New for A/W14 is a range of neutral hues and skin-toned shades which provide a natural and sculptured look. We particularly love the Contouring Cheek Duo containing two essential shades: a lighter pearlescent shade to highlight followed by a matte finish to add definition.

Contouring Cheek Colour Duo in Softcore or Stroked £56, part of the Fall 2014 Colour Collection tomford.com

Treatment

of the Month

We test out the best local massage offerings, both home and away

Home: BHome

Back to the Future Available from October, beauty brand Shiseido has created an innovative new foundation which not only promises to deliver a long-lasting, dewy finish but also an anti-ageing skincare treatment. Available in four shades and containing the brand’s original brightening treatment and range of powders, the product has been designed to fit any skin type and eliminate problems such as dark spots, uneven skin tone and wrinkles.

Future Solution LX Total Radiance Foundation, £65 Available from October and exclusive to Harrods harrods.com

Bed of Roses In his new book, Dior: The Perfumes, perfume critic Chandler Burr makes the case that the fragrances from Christian Dior’s past helped to shape his couture creations. “Of the women in my childhood, I retain above all the memory of their perfumes, perfumes that lingered… filling the elevator with fragrance long after they were gone,” Dior once said. Burr lists the house’s key fragrances, from its first perfume Miss Dior (created in 1947, its name was given to a short evening dress in the 1949 S/S Haute Couture collection that was famously embroidered all over with a bed of a thousand flowers) to the most recent Les Escales de Dior (2008-2012), charting 65 years of style and innovation.

Dior: The Perfumes by Chandler Burr, £70 Available October 2014 Published by Rizzoli rizzoliusa.com

In our book, a massage is one of life’s most lovely luxuries but a stressful journey home, especially when carrying a big handbag, can undo all the good work. BHome has a great solution to this (admittedly, first world) problem; a trained therapist carries out treatments, from nails or waxing to massage, spray tans or make-up, in the comfort of your home. Head therapist Francesca turns up at exactly the appointed time and the travel massage bed is set up in five minutes. The perks of being in your own home include being able to relax immediately afterwards; Francesca plays music and when I close my eyes during the treatment it feels like I’m in a salon. Time to lie back and relax. bhomebeauty.com

Away: Twenty-Two Therapies Private-member “wellness gym” TwentyTwo has established itself as a local hotspot for A-listquality personal training and now founder Dalton Wong has introduced TwentyTwo Therapies.

Therapist Josh is just back from Australia, where he and a colleague discovered a new massage technique, used in the Upper Back, Neck & Jaw Rebalancing Therapy (£100 for 60 minutes). It is genuinely unique. I haven’t had a treatment like it in London and the closest was in Japan. It’s specially designed to target areas where we hold stress and tension, made worse by desk-bound lifestyles. The official line is that the “rebalancing technique provides the deep tissue relief and allows for the release of restricted fascia around the head, neck and jaw, which unknots muscle tightness and increases blood flow to the skin”.

My take on it is that it’s the slowest massage you’ll ever have but one that feels like it is actually releasing knots and tension rather than smoothing over them in an ineffective manner. If I could have this treatment every week, I would; sign me up. Annabel Harrison Twenty-Two Training, 22 Elvaston Mews twentytwotraining.com

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HEALTH BEAUTY

October Fest We bring you a round-up of the best products, from skincare to cosmetics, available this October 1. The bridge between lipcare and make-up has finally been sealed thanks to Dior. Rouge Dior Baume, available from October, is enriched with Cristal Oil, a revolutionary lipcare ingredient unique to the house, which cares, revitalises and protects lips while enhancing each of the four shades – Star, Spring, Lili and Diorette – which make up the couture collection.

Rouge Dior Baume, £26, dior.com 2. Fall runways were all about bewitching eyes and none more so than at Dolce & Gabbana where beauty artist Pat McGrath incorporated lustrous pearly shades in dark purple and metallic gold with black Glam Liner for heightened drama. Capture the magic with the brand’s new Cream Eye Colours in Gold Dust 20, Cocoa 60 and Dahlia 100. Dolce & Gabbana Fall Runway collection, exclusively at Harrods, harrods.com 3. As part of its Breast Cancer Awareness campaign, this year Estée Lauder has released a special edition of its Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex II, featuring a Pink Ribbon charm. 20 per cent from every sale in the UK will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. £69 for 50ml, esteelauder.co.uk

4. Givenchy has based its latest limited edition collection around the colour of the season; red. Le Rouge-A-Porter comprises products in the brand’s signature shade of prune, including an intense new nail polish.

Available nationwide from 30 September Le Vernis Framboise Velours No. 19, £15.50 givenchy.com

5. With the recent launch of its Sloane Square store, one would think that J. Crew had quite enough on its plate. Think again. This month, the fashion brand debuts its first fragrances, Arquiste for J. Crew No. 57 and No. 31, in collaboration with the well-known perfumery house. Each scent pays homage to Peggy Guggenheim’s groundbreaking Exhibition by 31 Women, the first all-female modern art US show.

Available at J. Crew’s Sloane Square store Arquiste for J. Crew No. 57 and No. 31, £78 for 50ml

6. This October sees Guerlain relaunching its famed Orchidée Imperiale Longevity Concentrate with a new formula and redesign. The classic product now includes a seleno-activator which fights against bioenergetics ageing and revitalises tired skin in just one week.

Available nationwide from 1 October £330, Guerlain, 01932 233 887

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26/08/2014 12:09

Kids KINGDOM BY annabel harrison

Baby Soft New mothers and fathers know only too well that when trying to settle a baby down to sleep, comfort is crucial. aden + anais has combined Australian Merino wool with its signature muslin weave to create the first ever 100 per cent Merino muslin product, in partnership with The Woolmark Company. The benefits are numerous: merino wool is naturally breathable, making it an efficient temperature regulator; it absorbs moisture vapour next to the skin; it is naturally fire-resistant; its protective outer layer resists dirt and helps prevent stains being absorbed; and, best of all, each product is machine washable. The aden + anais Pure Merino Muslin collection features a swaddling blanket, sleeping bag, a dream blanket and a security blanket in three patterns, all of which are individually hand-dyed. Every product comes in a keepsake box with a picture frame built into the lid to house favourite baby photos. adenandanais.co.uk

Photography:Marko Macpherson 2012

Best Foot Forward

Out of this World Some children have difficulty going to sleep by themselves while others love snuggling up after a long day; we’d wager that Cuckooland’s bedroom furniture will suit both types equally well thanks to its dual function as a cosy sleeping area and fun play space. The Rocket Bed with its space shuttle canopy (£1,595) will capture the imagination of budding astronauts and the enchanting Silversparkle Hut Bed (£1,499) includes a pull-out drawer that can house a trundle bed – perfect for sleepovers. All beds are made using natural pine from sustainable Scandinavian forests and finished with whitewash to preserve the wood’s natural appearance so quality is high, and rest assured. cuckooland.com

Much to the delight of any little girl who dreams of dancing around in their mother’s shoes, the darling of the shoe world, Sophia Webster, launched her debut children’s collection this year. Cutely named Mini, for obvious reasons, the S/S14 collection comprised four styles in sizes from three months up to two years.

Every pair, priced at £150, is handmade in the UK and sold online on Sophia’s website. The vibrant colours and imaginative patterns we’ve seen (and loved) on the adult shoes is reflected in the Mini versions; Milo, in bright teal and fluoro orange stripes, with fuschia laces, is our favourite and can’t wait to see what the A/W14 collection will include. We’re certain big sisters will be clamouring for Sophia to produce a range suitable for tween and teen-sized feet. sophiawebster.co.uk

We Are Family Maggie & Rose, London’s first family members’ club, has been growing in both size and ambition since its launch in 2007. Now founders Maggie Bolger and Rose Astor, as well as launching a second club in Chiswick, are revamping the Kensington site. Additions include a secure buggy park, an art studio for budding creative types and a cooking school for mini Mary Berrys. We like the sound of the pre-nursery area for children aged 18 months to two and a half years; bookings are available in three hour blocks and give little ones the chance to get used to a nursery-esque environment. Meanwhile, Mummy and Daddy can refuel, and make friends, in the new deli-style brasserie (we all know how exhausting kids can be); time for a time-out while Maggie & Rose take care of everything. As well as its timetable of classes, Maggie & Rose Kensington offers parties, holiday camps and a corporate events facility. Family memberships start at £190 per month.

Maggie & Rose, 58 Pembroke Road, Kensington, W8 6NX; maggieandrose.com

Bouncing Off the Walls Nubie should be your first of call if you have a creative child with a vivid imagination; they may well not reappear until supper-time if their walls are covered with Sian Zeng’s clever magnetic wallpaper. Woodland’s hedgehog and frog iconography, with foliage, cottages and quirky buildings depicted in dusky pink or blue, is perfect for those who love pretty colour palettes, while Dino’s funky dinosaur prints and khaki green palettes will appeal to outdoorsy kids; they can move the cast of creatures across the wallpaper and write quotations into speech-bubbles. Sian Zeng is a graduate of Central Saint Martins and her illustrated prints are designed to encourage playfulness and fire imaginations.

Who’s Afraid of the Dark?

Not us! It comes as no surprise that most kids love Halloween; after all, it involves fancy dress and lots of sugar. You’ll find no tricks, just treats, at Gail’s Bakery; its range of ghoulish goodies is available from 24 October for children who just can’t wait (you’ll find a Gail’s on the King’s Road, Fulham Road, in Notting Hill and South Ken). Stock up on headless gingerbread men with matching severed heads, and gingerbread skeletons, gruesome monster fingers, meringue ghosts and spooky black cats for the ultimate Halloween party.

Meanwhile at Biscuiteers in Notting Hill, there’s a wide selection of terrifying (and tantalising) treats. We love the creepy Jolly Ginger Dracula, the Wicked Witch Biscuit Card and the Trick or Treat Tin (featuring gravestone, eye ball, creepy crawly and grinning pumpkin biscuits) but our favourite is the colourful, quirky Sugar Skulls Mini Biscuit Collection.

If your little ones want to make their treats instead of eating them, head to Charlotte Olympia’s first shop-in-shop boutique at Harrods for October’s Halloween Mini Harrods arts & crafts class; children can make and decorate spooky accessories as well as dressing up. biscuiteers.com / gailsbread.co.uk / harrods.com

Woodlands magnetic wallpaper in brown pink or khaki blue, £248 per roll. Magnets from £3.95. nubie.co.uk

Raining Cats & Dogs This ingenious product is magical and just as practical, perfect for journeys to and from school (and especially when one considers how often it rains in Britain). Upon contact with water, the quirky white motifs on Holly & Beau’s umbrellas (£14.99 each) explode into a rainbow of colours; we’re certain these will fascinate curious little minds. As it dries, the umbrella magically returns to its original design and this will occur over and over again. Choose from cats and dogs, cupcakes or flowers. hollyandbeau.com

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high life

an african art affair Set in serene landscaped gardens it’s hard to believe that the Saxon Hotel is just five minutes from the centre of Sandton, a northern suburb of Johannesburg. The property’s 250-piece permanent collection and outdoor sculpture garden, including works by Anton Smit (Faith, pictured) and Amalie von Maltitz, already make the hotel a haven for art lovers but this month art and leisure will be combined to even more impressive effect as the second Saxon Art Affair is unveiled; in March, the first exhibition promoted new local artists, as well as celebrating established names, in a visual feast of contemporary South African art. For those after something different, the Saxon’s Tibetan Sound Therapy (said to have the same benefits as eight hours of sleep) is perfect following the long-haul flight. saxon.co.za

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Travel

THE WORLD

BY JULIA MELLOR

Secluded Luxury On a private reserve of 6,000 hectares with spectacular views of Torres del Paine National Park, luxurious lodge Awasi Patagonia offers total freedom to discover the majesty of the area. The 12 private, eco-friendly wooden villas, designed

by Chilean architect Felipe Assadi, were inspired by local cattle-herders’ cabins, old log houses and ranching outposts.

Each comes with its own knowledgeable guide, an outdoor wood-fired hot tub and a 4x4 SUV at your disposal. Spend your days puma spotting across the Steppe, fly-fishing and hiking to tranquil spots to feast on a gourmet picnic and, at night, star-gaze while enjoying an aperitif and indulging in local cuisine. Whether you’re after a romantic escape or family adventure, Awasi Patagonia blends luxury and nature to provide an equally unforgettable experience.

From budding enthusiasts to Japanese art connoisseurs there is no better place to stay on your next holiday there than the distinguished Palace Hotel Tokyo. Its three-night Transcendent Tokyo package includes bespoke excursions led by members of renowned art website Blouin Artinfo to discover Tokyo’s outstanding and somewhat hard-to navigate art scene (not least because of the language barrier). Guests will also receive a copy of The Art of Palace Hotel Tokyo book about the property’s extensive £600,000 collection. Request a room overlooking the moat to wake up to a view of Tokyo’s Imperial Palace Gardens and the city beyond.

Design fanatics don’t have to venture far to check out the latest Mondrian hotel which opens on 30 September.

Located in the old Sea Containers building on the bank of the River Thames, renowned British designer Tom Dixon combines Hollywood glamour with Southbank’s eclectic feel to stunning effect. Step outside the chic interior and you’ll find yourself just walking distance from cultural landmarks including the Tate Modern and Royal Festival Hall. At nightfall sample a cocktail in the Art Deco-inspired rooftop lounge or enjoy supper at the riverside restaurant. With great city views from most of the 359 rooms, we reckon the Mondrian London won’t take long to make its mark.

en.palacehoteltokyo.com

morganshotelgroup.com

awasipatagonia.com

Transcendent Tokyo

Artistic Inclinations Designed by Pritzker Prize-winner architect Christian de Portzamparc, the Park Hyatt New York on West 57th Street is the new global flagship property of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. It boasts 118 guest rooms and 92 suites, among the largest in the Big Apple; standard rooms start at 475 sq. ft. (the average NY hotel room is 325). Features include a restaurant overseen by top chef Sam Hazen and a collection of 350 museum-worthy artworks. To escape hectic Manhattan head to the three-storey spa overlooking Central Park and make the most of the pool; its underwater speakers broadcast performances from the neighbouring Carnegie Hall. Walter Brindell, the pet-friendly GM, hopes the hotel will become a “devout advocate for animals”; its Very Important Pooch package includes dog outfits from Barney’s. Reservations opened late last month so book now for you (and your canine companion) and be the first to stay at New York’s hottest new hotel. newyork.park.hyatt.com

Maiden Voyage

The Here & Now

Left/ Author and daughter with locals in Pago, Myanmar

Nick Crayson provides a travel report from a summer spent travelling around Myanmar, formerly known as Burma This country is still ruled by a military junta, effectively the same junta that was responsible for the mass slaughter of protestors rallying against the brutal rule of U Ne Win in 1988, when men, women, children and monks were slaughtered indiscriminately. A change of clothes allows Thein Sein, an ex-general, to be President. The leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) is the world-renowned and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Despite winning past elections and more than 80 per cent of the seats in parliament the NLD still has limited influence; next year’s elections will be a defining moment as the future of true democracy in Myanmar hinges on them.

Despite low incomes and often very squalid living conditions (the Myanmar GDP is around the £500 per person, per annum mark) all around the country, smiles and good greetings were universal and genuine. My 15-year-old daughter Alice often commented that the people appeared a lot happier than the people in the UK. With the GDP per head in the UK about 40 times higher that of Myanmar, there is some evidence here that money does not buy you happiness.

Being a London estate agent I, unsurprisingly maybe, found myself keen to do some price comparisons on property. The military still owns and controls the best areas and properties, and prices in down-town

Destination: Limpopo Animal-spotting potential and warm weather make South Africa an ideal half-term escape, says Danielle Betts

areas are distorted. I eventually found my quest to be rather pointless as the Myanmar property market is very much a domestic one whereas London is truly international. However on visiting some homes, I found that all necessities were provided for; even if not up to Western standards the homes were still clean and hygienic. Perhaps I have a rather distorted and myopic view of Myanmar life, but I can’t stop thinking that despite our multi-million pound properties, private schools and expensive material trinkets we are perhaps missing something. Maybe it’s because of their Buddhism which looks at teachings of love and compassion for each other; it is a country of such horrible transgressions but where the people are able to genuinely forgive and live their lives in the here and now.

If only we could inject some form of true and universal appreciation at what we have here in London then maybe we would live in a more stable environment, where the vicissitudes of the ‘Market’ would just be offset by a less jaundiced view about our wealth and where we find ourselves on this planet.

There’s no better time to visit South Africa than in our winter months, not least because of the relatively warm climate there. The chances of spotting a grazing zebra, giraffe or any one of the ‘big five’ is far more likely at this time of year due to the thinned out bush of the natural habitat, while the animals often travel far and wide during the dry season to congregrate around watering holes. Opt for an elephant-back safari or sail above the African plains alongside the winged wildlife in a hot air balloon, to see the best of the landscape.

Following 18 months of development, the Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve is now ready for visitors. And, if this isn’t enough of an occasion for a spontaneous safari adventure, we don’t know what is. Wake up in the wilderness of the Greater Kruger National Park in an elevated glass-fronted suite before experiencing an alfresco shower and plunge pool and enjoying breakfast. We recommend those with a nervous disposition stay away from the three ground floor suites as the luxurious pools often attract the lurking wildlife looking for refreshment. But can you blame them? seasonsinafrica.com

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The Snowball

Effect

Historic French resorts Courchevel and Megève have respectively been attracting the rich and the famous for more than half a century. Olivia Sharpe finds out why

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Ever since the first aristocrats donned skis and took to the Alpine mountains, skiing has been deemed one of the most glamorous recreational activities. Now there’s a wealth of resorts to choose from but if you go back 100 years, this wasn’t the case and the two resorts which led the way in the following decades were Courchevel and Megève. Today they continue to attract the glitterati and after paying each of them a visit, it’s not hard to see why.

In 2012, The Oetker Collection, one of the world’s most prestigious hotel groups, announced that it would be expanding its portfolio with the opening of a new luxury hotel in the French Alps; L’Apogée Courchevel.

Almost in the same breath, LVMH Hotel Management,

which looks after Courchevel’s Cheval Blanc, announced that it too would be launching a new hotel, this time in the Maldives. Both projects were completed at breakneck speed last year, indicating how hotel groups are competing in an uphill race to be the best of the best.

In spite of the quick turnover, The Oetker Collection certainly didn’t cut any corners on its latest venture.

L’Apogée Courchevel, comprising 53 rooms and suites, a penthouse, a five-bedroom chalet and more than 100 tonnes of marble, is rumoured to have cost more than €100 million to build. Despite having forked out a king’s

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ransom, I was pleasantly surprised by the general lack of ostentation. The spacious lobby has a glamorous Art Deco feel with wood-panelled walls and an abundance of Fior di Bosco marble lining the floors but this is toned down due to the neutral colour palette of warm grey, chocolate brown and burgundy. However, it is clear that Parisian designers India Mahdavi (whose portfolio includes London’s Claridge’s hotel) and Joseph Dirand (who designed Distrito Capital in Mexico) have spared no expense on their understated luxury haven, incorporating

sumptuous fabrics including suede, leather and fur, as well as bespoke furniture in every room.

Upstairs in our suite, my guest and I continued to be charmed by the unpretentious decor. Devoid of all bling (unless you count the solid gold bathroom taps), the room had a homely appeal with an alpine colour palette, gingham carpet, walnut cabinets and fur bed throw. The designers set out to create an “authentic yet not nostalgic” look and this, in the most part, they have done. The only high-tech gadgets I could spot were a flat screen television and underfloor heating on the balcony and while this didn’t bother me, my only criticism would be that there wasn’t one light control system so you had to manually turn off each individual light before going to sleep. First world problem, admittedly, but when you’re paying royal prices, I think a princess attitude is allowed.

The Courchevel resort was founded in 1946 by the Savoie Council which wanted to promote tourism and make skiing accessible. Over the years, it has expanded to accommodate growing numbers of international clients and now encompasses a multitude of four-star, five-star and Palace status hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and countless designer boutiques. It comprises four villages but it is Courchevel 1850 (where L’Apogée is situated) which is considered the most exclusive. Dubbed the St. Tropez of winter sports, it is well-known for its variety of runs and highly efficient lift system which practically removes the hassle of queuing and provides easy access to neighbouring valleys. And like its resident skiers, the snow has been groomed and manicured to perfection, making it ideal for beginners such as myself.

After a hearty breakfast in the hotel restaurant, Le Comptoir de L’Apogée, a culinary cavern which is reached via a dramatic, sweeping staircase, I felt ready to conquer my fear of the mountains. L’Apogée is gifted with ski-in ski-out, plus an in-house ski room, dedicated butlers and custom-made skis. After a morning of impersonating Mr Tickle on the slopes, we settled down for lunch at Le Chalet de Pierres, one of many excellent (albeit expensive) restaurants the resort has to offer. As well as being an ideal place to sample European delights such as king crab legs, fondue Savoyarde and truffle mashed potato, it was also a great opportunity to take mental style notes from my fellow patrons, many of whom were bedecked in Moncler, fur and designer moon boots.

L’Apogée has two hotel bars, Le Bar de L’Apogée and Champagne Lounge, and it is the latter where we enjoyed a much-needed drink after our action-packed day. The bar was slightly lacking in both character and people but I’m certain that once word spreads about the impressive selection of champagnes, not to mention the heavenly truffle nuts which accompanied our drinks, this will soon change. Dinner was served once again in

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Le Comptoir de L’Apogée, which has the feel of a trendy nightclub thanks to a resident DJ and low level lighting creating the perfect ambience, and is headed up by head chef Frank Ferigutti. There were undeniably a few teething problems, for instance staff who hadn’t fully mastered English yet and subsequently served starters with mains despite us requesting they come separately.

Saying that, inspired dishes, such as the theatrical lobster starter presented in a smoking glass dome, made up for any shortcomings. It is worth noting that as of December, Japanese restaurant Kyubi (the Arts Club London) will open a sushi counter in the restaurant.

After four days in Courchevel, it was time to leave L’Apogée and travel down the mountain to the picturesque French town of Megève, where we spent the remainder of our holiday at Le Lodge Park, run by the Sibuets family.

Megève is well-known for having been the brainchild of the Rothschild family, who conceived the idea for the first purpose-built resort in the Alps back in the 1920s as an alternative to Switzerland’s Saint-Moritz, but today it is the Sibuets who rule the roost. Since the early 1980s, the family has been building up an impressive roster of luxury hotels and currently has four in its name, not to mention a string of restaurants, chalets and spas.

At Le Lodge Park, the inviting interior uses both the Scottish Highlands and classic North American lodges as inspiration and looks as if it could have come straight out of a Ralph Lauren catalogue, with stag’s antlers, tartan fabrics, cowhide, leather armchairs and woven fur throws.

The theme continues in the bedrooms and suites, which each come with their own fireplace. The bathrooms are kitted out with the hotel’s Pure Altitude Spa products and I highly recommend paying a visit to the wellness retreat for some much-needed mountain therapy. The Nordicinspired spa features an indoor pool, Jazuzzi, technology fitness room, relaxation room, sauna and steam room.

All of the signature treatments are well worth a try and in particular the candle ritual body treatment which uses Fleurs de Neige candle-balm, one of the hallmark products of the Pure Altitude range. This is gently massaged into dry, wind-chapped skin to provide nourishment. All of the spa’s products use rare active ingredients from more than 50 mountain plants with antioxidant properties.

The hotel is also home to the Beef Lodge, one of the most celebrated restaurants in Megève. The New England style restaurant features log tables, tanned leather chairs, hunting trophies, animal skins and an open-plan kitchen where head chef François Martin and his team serve up the best steaks in town. Mouth-watering highlights include rib of Black Angus or Bavarian beef, with sides of homemade potato purée and a choice of truffles (if you haven’t yet satisfied this decadent craving), Beaufort matouille or green polenta with Comté cheese. Wash this down with an after-dinner aperitif by the roaring fire in the hotel’s pièce de résistance, the bar, and you may find yourself having to be carried up to your room.

While Megève boasts excellent skiing with 445 kilometres of pistes which can be reached from the town and a number of relaxed runs ranging from blues, greens and reds, it is not just these which attract tourists year after year. Indeed, only 50 per cent of guests on average ski, while the remainder choose to enjoy the other activities this quaint and charming town has to offer, including hiking, shopping and eating (Megève has more than 80 restaurants). Designer boutiques line cobbled streets and if you’re in the market for fur, this is the place to come.

While many parallels could be drawn between Courchevel and Megève, as a whole the two resorts couldn’t be more different and the majority of the people who stay in Megève wouldn’t dream of visiting Courchevel, and vice versa. As for myself, I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite.

MORE INFORMATION Flexiski offers a three night stay with breakfast at the Hotel Le Lodge Park, Megève, from £990 per person (based on two sharing) including flights from Gatwick to Geneva, with all taxes and 20kg hold luggage, and private airport transfers based on departure on 18 January 2015 (flexiski.com; 020 8939 0894) Rooms at L’Apogée, Courchevel from £715 per room per night on a half board basis lapogeecourchevel.com

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Suite Dreams at

Belgraves Sometimes a night away from home is just what the doctor ordered, even if you venture only a few streets away. pandora jones stays over at the Belgraves Hotel As I walk past the intersection where Pont Street meets Chesham Place, I’m greeted by casually dressed doormen and an expanse of exposed brick walls. You’d forgive me for thinking I’d found myself in a cool corner of the Big Apple’s Brooklyn district rather than outside a boutique hotel in Belgravia. Welcome to Belgraves, deemed by its owners to be “a luxury hotel for those who know that downtime requires as much due diligence as uptime”. We quite agree. It aims to create a fusion between British traditionalism and New York’s nonchalance and certainly brings a stylish, contemporary

Of the art on display Caroline Jane Harris’ paper-cut pieces are beautifully intricate feel to this elegant, stately area of London.

Formerly the Sheraton Belgravia Hotel, Belgraves was given a completely modern and rather bohemian makeover courtesy of British designer Tara Bernerd.

The natural grey tones and cool marble bathrooms of this 85-room hotel are juxtaposed with rich, colourful work by artists such as Mario Testino and Tracey Emin.

You’ll notice immediately that art is an integral feature of the 12th Thompson hotel and in fact, its pieces are usually changed twice a year. The most recent instalment happened just a couple of months ago and features both established and up-and-coming artists. Particularly striking are Emma Kennaway’s horse paintings, Caroline Jane Harris’ beautifully intricate paper-cutting and Rado Kirov’s 3D sculptural pieces of metal art.

After a long day of shopping in Knightsbridge or exploring the local area, we’d suggest relaxing in the oasis of the hotel’s intimate library bar or on the outdoor cigar terrace with its green wall of flowers, sipping

cocktail concoctions with names like the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club or Vesper (your guess as to the ingredients is as good as ours). If you’re in the mood for something more filling, sink into a cosy window banquette (perfect for people-watching) in the Pont Street restaurant, designed by Philippe Starck and which serves seafood dishes by celebrated chef Sophie Michell. The food on her menu is certainly hearty but not overbearing.

Seafood is indeed a year-round highlight but over Thanksgiving weekend last year, a special three-course menu featured turkey with chesnut stuffing, sweet potatoes with caramelised marshmallow, and a side of mac ’n’ cheese – Thanksgiving with a British twist. We hope to enjoy a similar American feast in November.

The Belgraves Hotel, 20 Chesham Place, SW1X 020 3189 4800; thompsonhotels.com

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Charm of the

Irish

A rich blend of culture, history and soul food, Ireland’s capital city is a melting pot of colours and traditions. Jenny Barrett spends a weekend in Dublin and succumbs to its irresistible charm

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n celebration of our anniversary, my partner and I decided to treat ourselves to a weekend away in Europe. The usual romantic suspects came to mind: Parisian picnics and strolls along the Seine; an afternoon spent in a Venetian gondola; dinner at dusk in a charming Roman trattoria. Dublin certainly wasn’t the first city that came to mind.

But Alex and I were keen to try something fun and a little out of the ordinary. We’d never been to Ireland, despite its proximity (and my Irish heritage), and we had heard great things about Dublin from Irish friends at home. With regular flights from London taking only a little more than an hour, we agreed to whisk ourselves away to the land of ‘a thousand welcomes’.

And welcoming it is. We all know that capital cities can be fast-paced and unforgiving to a disorientated traveller puzzling over a guidebook but Dublin takes our breath away. From the moment we board our outbound Aer Lingus flight until we arrive back in London a few days later, our trip is animated with friendly faces and authentic gestures of hospitality. Every Guinness we order (which amounts to a fair few) comes with an anecdote, limerick or invitation to an after-hours ‘trad’ music dance party. There really is such a thing as the Irish charm and it resonates throughout our stay.

Our base for this weekend break is The Merrion, located in Dublin’s grand Georgian quarter and comprising four beautifully restored Georgian townhouses. As soon as we enter the front hall, with grand white pillars and a sweeping curved stairway, we are taken back to the splendour of the 18th century. We wander through the ground floor of the main house, spread across the four adjacent houses, where each room is filled with stunning antique furniture, roaring fireplaces and spectacular chandeliers, hanging from magnificently high ceilings. Our bedroom is also a treasure trove of antiques and original art, but it’s not over-cluttered; rather, it’s bright and elegant in its simplicity.

This is the romance we were after; I feel like I’ve stepped onto the set of a period drama and immediately want to take a turn about the lawn. Alex obliges and we head outside for an afternoon stroll. The beautiful half-acre gardens are fragrant and lush, complete with a Georgian garden hedge maze. This emerald sanctuary, with a fountain pool trickling through the centre, is the perfect setting for an al fresco lunch or evening aperitif away from the bustling city centre. Encircling the gardens is the Garden Wing of The Merrion; its mid-century contemporary design provides quite a contrast to the main house. On the lower floors of the Garden Wing you’ll find a gym, beauty salon, spa, large pool and steam room.

The Merrion avoids being stuffy, managing to combine classic refinement with a contemporary flair.

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We discover a number of quirks, such as the renowned afternoon tea; far more than a traditional sandwich and cake affair, the Art Tea celebrates The Merrion’s private original art collection, which happens to be the largest in Ireland. Each week, several paintings are selected and recreated in edible form

by The Merrion’s pastry chef Paul Kelly. As a judge on The Great Irish Bake Off, you can expect Kelly’s sweet creations to be second to none.

And if it is impeccable cuisine you are after, The Merrion has plenty more to offer. It is home to Ireland’s only two-star Michelin restaurant, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, which is fully deserving of its stars and acclaim, serving a rainbow selection of inventive dishes.

The hotel’s main restaurant, The Cellar, recently won the title of Ireland’s Best Hotel Restaurant and it is here we spend Friday night, deep in the hotel’s old 18th century wine vaults. With exposed bricks and striking arched ceilings, The Cellar is warm and its manager, Damian Corr, could not be more welcoming or knowledgeable, helping us to pair our courses with The Cellar’s impressive selection of wine. To start, I opt for the seared Irish king scallops with pink grapefruit and lemon salt, followed by the Kilmore Quay Black sole. The fish is wonderfully fresh, punctuated by the accompaniment of fresh seasonal vegetables and a glass of L’Abeille de Fieuzal. I finish with a pineapple soufflé, another delightful creation by Paul Kelly. The Cellar harnesses the rich traditional Irish palate of high quality meat, fresh seafood, and seasonal organic produce, all served in a light, sophisticated and modern style.

Following dinner, we head for a nightcap at The Merrion’s intimate Bar No.23 (open to guests 24 hours

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a day). Alex enjoys a glass of traditional Irish Red Breast while I sip a gin cocktail from an antique silver teapot. No whisky is complete without a cigar and Alex has stocked up on unusual varieties from The Decent Cigar Emporium on Grafton Street. If you’re a cigar connoisseur, take time to visit the Emporium where you can sip an espresso whilst perusing one of the largest selections in Europe.

After enjoying the hotel’s traditional Irish breakfast, we spend the following day strolling around the city. There is plenty to see, with castles, museums and galleries all in close proximity to The Merrion.

Dublin is a UNESCO City of Literature and the birthplace of literary greats including James Joyce, W.B Yeats, Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift. So in this spirit, we visit The Book of Kells at the beautiful Trinity College.

Written by Irish Monks in 800 AD, this illuminated manuscript contains four Latin gospels and is one of the most important religious texts in the world. Trinity Campus itself is worth a visit but go early; the queues can become quite long in the afternoon.

Our short break ends in style with dinner at Chapter One in John Jameson’s former home and the Dublin’s Writer’s Museum. It simply cannot be faulted.

Michelin-starred head chef Ross Lewis has created an innovative menu, based around the landscapes and seasons of Ireland. The quality of the food is evident, sourced from artisan and specialist organic suppliers from around Ireland (who are all listed on the menu).

Lewis’ Celtic cuisine is executed with skill; the Atlantic Crab salad with cucumber jelly is sensational, as is the pig’s tail stuffed with bacon and lobster. Our main courses are hearty but with delicacy of flavour; I devour the roast salt marsh duck breast with lemon purée, caramelised bonito sesame seeds and buttered spinach whilst Alex does the same with a rump of Lough Erne lamb with leeks.

Like Dublin itself, what makes Chapter One stand out most are the people and I can see why it recently won the Irish award for Best Restaurant Service. Martin Corbett, the proprietor and Maitre d’ extroadinaire (who is also something of a legend) welcomes us with true Irish hospitality and has us laughing almost immediately while Declan the manager and sommelier

Ed look after us throughout the evening. Not only is the service fantastic, but it is also friendly, and like the food, it reflects the very best of Ireland. We may not have opted for the sunniest of climes but we leave Dublin thoroughly warmed by its Irish charm.

Stays at The Merrion, Dublin from £220 per room per night based on two sharing with a full Irish breakfast +353 1 603 0600 / info@merrionhotel.com merrionhotel.com

The Black Stuff Guinness is synonymous with Ireland.

Arthur Guinness founded his stout brewery at St James’s Gate, Dublin in 1759, signing a 9,000year lease, which remains framed at The Guinness Storehouse. More than 250 years later, Guinness is loved the world over, with more than 10 million glasses sold every day.

We were on a mission to find the best pint of Guinness in Dublin. Ask any local where to find it and you will receive an unequivocal recommendation. We’re told to avoid the Temple Bar area, a favoured haunt for lively stag and hen parties at weekends. Off the beaten track, many of the city’s pubs are authentic Victorian establishments, decked out with original wood panelling, bar booths and ‘snugs’.

Based on some local recommendations, here are a few of our Dublin favourites: • Bowe’s, 31 Fleet Street: For the best pint of Guinness in town • The Stag’s Head, 1 Dame Court: For hearty cuisine, Trad Irish music and ‘craic’ • The Long Hall, 51 S Great George’s Street: For the ornate Victorian decor and the impressive selection of whiskies.

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FOLLOW THAT INSTINCT

Infiniti Q50 Available from

£289*

+ VAT per month

You feel the pull the moment you see its curves. But when you get behind the wheel, instinct really takes over.

Driving you to experience the 170 PS direct injection turbo-charged Diesel, or the 211 PS 2.0l turbo-charged Petrol engine. Forcing you to feel the visceral pleasure of world-first Direct Adaptive Steering. It’s time to follow your heart and give in to your instinct.

Book your test drive now at infiniti-instinct.co.uk

INFINITI CENTRE PICCADILLY, 77 Piccadilly, London W1J 8HU. 020 3130 6726

Official fuel economy figures for the Infiniti Q50 range in mpg (l/100 km): urban 29.4 to 50.4 (9.6 to 5.6), extra urban 53.3 to 76.3 (5.3 to 3.7), combined 41.5 to 64.2 (6.8 to 4.4). CO2 emission: 159 to 114 g/km. Official EU Test Figures. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ.

Model shown: Infiniti Q50 Sport 2.2d 6MT with optional metallic paint and electric glass sunroof at OTR price £34,260.

BUSINESS USERS ONLY. Example based on 3 rentals in advance followed by 35 monthly repayments, 10,000 miles per annum on a non-maintained (you are responsible for all maintenance and servicing costs) contract with non-metallic paint. Finance provided by Infiniti Financial Services Limited, PO Box 149, Watford WD17 1FJ. Subject to status. Terms and conditions apply.

Guarantees and indemnities may be required. You must be 18 or over and a UK resident (excluding Isle of Man and Channel Islands) to apply. At the end of the contract you will not own the vehicle. Further charges may apply subject to mileage and condition at end of contract. Visit your local dealer for full details. Offers valid on eligible vehicles ordered before 30 September 2014.

Subject to availability. Private customer offers are also available. Infiniti Europe, Zone d’Activités La Pièce 12, 1180 Rolle, Switzerland. *

Sunny

Delight

MOTORING

Matthew Carter inspects the technology-laden Mercedes SL Sport for its sporting credentials, finding it peerless as a top-down cruiser with an impressive new engine

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hen I was younger (so much younger than today), the wealthy grandfather of a school friend drove a two-seater Mercedes sports car. It was what I now know to be a ‘Pagoda Roof’ SL 230, so-named after the concave line of its detachable hardtop. I really didn’t get it. Here was an old fart (probably only in his late 50s at that stage but ancient to me) and he was driving around in a sports car. Why? Old people never go above 40mph; this was a criminal waste of a convertible as far as I was concerned.

Ah, the innocence of youth. With age comes experience and now, more years later than I care to reveal, I realise how wrong I was. The M-B SL was never a sports car, despite what Merc would have us believe.

It was a boulevardier, a softly-sprung, slightly sporting cruiser that might well have been designed with my mate’s granddad in mind; the perfect car for someone well-off and newly retired but anxious to recapture his youth before it’s too late.

And now Mercedes has launched the latest version of its top-of-the-range two-seater. It calls the car the SL 400 AMG Sport but it’s not much more adrenaline-fuelled than an egg and spoon race. It is, however, the perfect machine for someone of a certain age, if you know what I mean. The current SL has been around for three years now and certainly ticks a few boxes. It’s a modern lightweight design, made mainly from aluminium, with dramatically aggressive lines. It is comfortable, crammed full of technical features and reasonably quick. Actually, I’m being disingenuous. The SL range covers a wide spectrum and the SL 65 AMG, powered by a 6-litre V12 engine pumping out 630hp, is a rocket ship. But then it does cost £171k. The altogether more humble SL 400 makes do with 333hp and costs a mere £72,500; that’s what we are talking about here.

As the new entry model to the range, the SL 400 replaces the SL 350. The principal (in fact, virtually the

only) change can be found under the bonnet. Out goes the 350’s 3.5-litre V6 and in comes a new highly efficient bi-turbo V6 producing more power and torque to give better performance, along with improved economy and emissions. But despite the SL 400’s badge, this new engine displaces only 3.0- not 4.0-litres; yet another example of modern technology meaning less is more.

Despite losing half a litre, the new lightweight engine produces 27hp more than the older unit, and also enjoys a hefty 110Nm increase in torque to 480Nm. Only reasonably quick? In truth, it’s more than quick enough for modern traffic conditions. The top speed is limited to 155mph, as expected, and while it will sprint to 60mph from rest in around five seconds, it never really feels that fast. Perhaps that’s down to the soft ride, the lack of urgency from the seven-speed auto ‘box (sounds a lot of gears, but M-B now has a nine-speed auto so in

The SL 400’s engine is yet another example of modern technology meaning less is more many ways this is old-tech) and even the size of the seats which seem to have been designed to accommodate the, er, ‘fuller’ figure of a successful German businessman.

It’s all about creature comforts, about the myriad gizmos available as standard or optionally and the clever tech that keeps the SL on the straight and narrow.

Let’s deal with the latter first. The SL has a plethora of electronic traction aids along with buttons to press to stiffen the suspension, sharpen the steering and quicken the gearshifts. There are even controls that once activated, pull in the sides of the seats to give you a gentle squeeze, providing a modicum of extra lateral support under cornering. Put them all together and what you’ve got is undoubtedly safe and secure. However, it’s also rather uninvolving; given the choice between an SL and a Porsche 911 convertible, drivers who prefer a

MOTORING

little more excitement may well head for the second. Me? Unless I can find an unmolested classic Pagoda SL at an affordable price, I’ll head for the Porsche if you don’t mind.

But, as alluded to earlier, this is not an out-and-out sports car but a cruiser and the typical SL owner wouldn’t go anywhere near a Porsche. Instead he or she will revel in the space and comfort on offer and in all those clever Merc gizmos. The principal one, of course, is the folding metal hardtop. With the roof in place the boot is vast but even when the driver fancies a spot of wind in the toupee motoring and the hardtop is neatly folded away in the boot there’s ample space for a couple of overnight bags. If you need to open the boot when your hands are full you can opt for a ‘Comfort Package’ that allows you to open or close the lid simply by waggling your foot under the bumper.

The roof is a work of art. Lighter than ever, it takes just 20 seconds to raise or lower and has a panoramic clear glass panel to give the sensation of driving roof down no matter what the weather. There’s the option for what some clever marketing fellow decided should be called Magic Sky Control, which tints the panel at the touch of yet another button to give protection from glare. You can order solar-reflective leather, which stays cool in the sun, and Airscarf, which incorporates vents in the top of the seats to blow hot air around your neck so you can cruise topless at night. And if you go the whole hog, you can even specify seats that give you a full Thai massage as you drive.

This sophistication is matched by the interior that simply oozes class. Perhaps not quite as modern as the latest batch of Mercs – the Command satellite navigation screen is positively mean in size – the SL is nonetheless a classy place to be. Standard equipment is relatively generous and includes intelligent lighting, Magic Vision Control (AKA wipers with dozens of washer jets!) and a multi-function sports steering wheel. As a nod to the ‘AMG Sport’ element of its name, you get a few AMG bolt-

on bits such as 19-inch alloy wheels, side skirts, front and rear aprons and a rear spoiler. Oh, and I mustn’t forget that ultimate go-faster extra, AMG floor mats.

But in some ways this attempt to emphasise the SL’s sporting credentials jars. The car is peerless as a cruiser and the impressive new engine plays a big part in this, not so much for its outright performance but for its smoothness and its efficiency. This car will be most at home wafting around the South of France with the top down rather than hooning around a racetrack.

IN BRIEF Car: Mercedes-Benz SL 400 AMG Sport Price: £72,500 Engine: 2,996, V6-cylinder biturbo petrol Power: 333 hp Performance: 155 mph max, 0-62 mph in 5.2 seconds Drive: Rear-wheel drive, seven-speed automatic

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PROMOTION

Look to the East Local residents will not need to venture far to feed their hunger thanks to new Asian fusion restaurant Old Tree Asian Spice which has recently opened its doors at the Grosvenor Waterside development Old Tree first opened a bakery and restaurant in the summer of 2010 in London’s north-western suburb of Golders Green but it has always been an all-day dining establishment; with its own bakery on site, fresh Taiwanese pastries and baked goods greeted early morning customers daily. By August 2013, the founders of Old Tree opened their second restaurant, Old Tree Daiwan Bee, in Piccadilly, a lively café serving Taiwanese style street food such as Gua Bao (pork belly buns), beef noodle soup and the ever-popular bubble pearl teas.

Founders Ron Yap and Margaret Lin, who originated from Taiwan and Malaysia and have lived in London for more than 20 years, wanted to bring the taste of Asia to the residents of London in a place where one could find a combination of Japanese,

Grilled black cod is currently one of the most popular dishes, creamy and delicately flavoured Thai, Taiwanese, Cantonese and Malaysian cuisine all under one roof. It was of utmost importance to them to balance elements of Asian cuisine with a modern Western twist in order not to disappoint even the most discerning of palates.

From the dinner menu, grilled black cod is currently one of their most popular dishes, creamy, lightly grilled and delicately flavoured with homemade miso paste. Crispy duck glazed in Old Tree’s own plum sauce is exceptionally tasty and a variety of barbeque skewers, both meat and vegetarian, will satisfy even the little ones. For the less adventurous, a bowl of beef noodle soup or dumplings wouldn’t be a disappointment.

The in-house cocktail designer has come up with a menu of exciting and exotic concoctions. Utilising Asian spices in sangria is definitely a brave twist so perhaps one could begin a culinary adventure with a glass of Dragon Eye, a cocktail made with homemade longan syrup, fresh ginger and gin. Desserts are equally

balanced with Asian and Western favourites; try banana fritters with homemade coconut ice cream, apple pie à la mode, Taiwanese herbal jelly (you’ll either love it or hate it) or a slice of cake from a wide selection. Whole cakes can be made to order too.

Ice creams are exclusively made for Old Tree Asian Spice by Fat Girl Ice Cream, a local artisan ice creamery which makes small batches using only natural and organic ingredients. No additives, artificial flavourings or preservatives are used. Chocolate lovers may be delighted with the dark chocolate ice cream, with Valrhona Cacao as its star ingredient. Other Asian flavours include mango, lychee, taro and Malaysian durian, which is certainly the most adventurous.

Old Tree Asian Spice Unit A2 Moore House Grosvenor Waterside Gatliff Road, SW1W 8QN For reservations please call 020 7730 1180

& DINING

DRINKING

BY tabithah rahman

Say No Moor Hawksmoor Knightsbridge marks the British steakhouse group’s fifth opening in the space of eight years, thus proving it has become a force to be reckoned with on the London restaurant scene. Similar to the Air Street outpost, designers Macaulay Sinclair have slightly gone against the more masculine, pared-down Hawksmoor aesthetic catering to City boys and brought a touch of finesse and refinement, no doubt in order to fit in with this area’s sophisticated clientele.

The restaurant is located in a cavernous basement which has been given an elegant Art Deco finish, incorporating brass lamps, polished wood veneer and marble finishes. The bar is separated from the main restaurant and provides a welcoming watering hole where you can enjoy its famed cocktails, such as the classic Champagne Charlie or the signature Hawksmoor Collins, before heading into dinner.

The atmosphere in the main restaurant was lively and buzzy, made even more so by our charismatic waiter who shared a joke with me and my guest as we sat down to eat. Group chef Richard Turner has included all the quintessential favourites, from fist-pumping steaks to mouth-watering sides, but the famed burgers have been replaced with oysters and ethically farmed Finnish caviar.

Turner has once again partnered with seafood expert Mitch Tonks (as at Air Street) to bring an Asian-inspired element to the table. Highlights included raw sea bass, which was fresh and sharp thanks to the addition of chili and ginger, and steamed lobster, which was superb and accompanied with a cholesterol-inducing dollop of whipped butter.

One is spoilt for choice when it comes to the steaks but you can’t go wrong with the Chateaubriand. Another wonderful thing about Hawksmoor which sets it apart from some other steak restaurants is that when you ask for medium rare, your steak actually comes medium rare. Arriving perfectly cooked, the only downside was, of course, the price; coming in at £13 for 100g, I’ll let you do the maths. Alternatively, choose a slightly less expensive cut which still promises to be delicious.

While our waiter was right to suggest erring on the side of caution when it came to ordering sides, we erred too much and only chose two – the triple-cooked chips and creamed spinach – when I could probably have managed three (there’s no point worrying about your figure at this point). Our meal was paired with a bottle of the Ramón Bilbao Limited Edition Rioja 2011 at £40 which was excellent (the extensive wine list begins at a very reasonable £22 a bottle). Finally, the end to a perfect meal arrived in the form of a scrumptious peanut butter shortbread with salted caramel ice-cream that is certain to satisfy all schoolboy cravings. Need I say more? Olivia Sharpe Hawksmoor Knightsbridge, 3 Yeoman’s Row, SW3 020 7590 9290; thehawksmoor.com

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& DINING

DRINKING All Star Line-Up

If you’re a fan of Italian food, we’d suggest you read this (quickly) and pick up the phone because from September until January 2015 only, you can enjoy Italy’s finest gastronomic creations right here in London. Harrods has invited five of the country’s best restaurants, with 13 Michelin stars between them, to take up residency for one month. Each chef has created a four-course menu of signature dishes – diners can choose to have these paired with Italian wines and beers – and the impressive line-up begins with Carlo Cracco’s cosmopolitan Ristorante Cracco.

We loved the inventive version of an insalate caprese and the quirky, more-ish marinated egg yolk dish, as well as the delightfully pretty, beetroot-powder-sprinkled langoustine risotto. Following Cracco’s stint will be Da Vittorio, Torre del Saracino, Enoteca Pinchiorri and Piazza Duomo. Book now or prepare to be disappointed.

Stelle di Stelle, Lower Ground Floor, Harrods Menus will be priced at £110 for lunch and £160 for dinner (£130 and £180 respectively, with matching drinks) To book, call 020 7893 8700. Table requests can be emailed to stelle.di.stelle@harrods.com when the booking line is closed

W11

What’s New?

Notting Hill plays host to many pop-ups throughout the year but even more so this month with the launch of New Tom’s, the latest string to restaurateur Tom Conran’s bow. The small venue is stylishly decked out with a hotch-potch of old and new; hungry customers are seated in 1930s Parisian metro booths and surrounded by colourful Banksy prints. The service is pleasant and informal while the food is served up with acute precision by chef Tom Straker, trained by Heston Blementhal. Highlights include the subtle Portland crab, washed down with a sweet Gojipolitan cocktail; the rich chicken leg terrine, which we found just beat the pork belly in the taste stakes; and we’d suggest bringing your meal to a satisfying end with a few decadently sweet mouthfuls of chocolate crack dessert.

Shake It Up London Cocktail Week returns this month for its fifth and most explosive year yet. Join the cocktail club elite by obtaining the much sought-after wristband that will open doors to the most exclusive venues and parties scattered across the capital, and indulge in the nostalgia of summer nights past and of sipping on sweet strawberry daiquiris and midnight margaritas. With tasting sessions and masterclasses on offer, collect your wristband from one of many cocktail clubs across London including the Tanqueray Hub at the Hixter Bar, and experiment with a variety of cocktails or even create your own bespoke blend. Whether you prefer them shaken or stirred, there’s a cocktail to suit every mood.

London Cocktail Week, 6-12 October londoncocktailweek.com

New Tom’s is open Wednesday – Sunday until March 2015 226 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RH; newtoms.co.uk

SW3

Sweet Like Chocolate Alexeeva & Jones has proven itself to be quite the connoisseur when it comes to the craft of chocolate, hand-making its selection of magnificent artisan chocolates by infusing them with the richest flavours found across the world. Whether it’s pink champagne or sticky salted caramel, a single bite into the hollow shell of a praline truffle will release a silky velvet centre. Who doesn’t love that indulgent moment?

We certainly do and we particularly like the gift boxes filled with an assortment of the sweet treats. The mini chocolate factory will also play host to an evening with artisan Bertil Akesson, founder of Akesson’s, in celebration of Chocolate Week as he explores the philosophy and process of the craft from bean to bar.

Born to be Wild

Wild and sustainable food is the name of the game at new King’s Road restaurant Rabbit, set up by the brothers behind popular Notting Hill restaurant, The Shed. Serving up nose-to-tail dishes made from farmreared and foraged produce, Rabbit brings the English countryside to the heart of London. Most notably on the menu is of course, the restaurant’s namesake, rabbit, and diners can expect dishes such as rabbit stone bake and rabbit ragu as well as other rural treats like wild wood pigeon saltimbocca and violet pickled quail’s egg. Even the cocktails possess an earthy flavour with the inclusion of ingredients like crab apple and dandelion flower. Dine here and experience the wilder side of British cooking.

Rabbit, 172 King’s Road, SW3 4UP rabbit-restaurant.com

Bertil Akesson: Bean-to-Bar, 16 October Alexeeva & Jones, 297 Westbourne Grove, W11 alexeevajones.com

Little Box of Secrets Golden Oldie The Duke of Clarence pub exudes a warm and homely feel, perfect for a quick spot of lunch or unwinding during an evening meal after work. On its seasonal menu, dishes range from pub lunch classics such as fish and chips to more sophisticated offerings including chargrilled beef onglet steak. For starters, we recommend the grilled halloumi salad on a bed of roasted vegetables and bulgar wheat; it’s enough for two to share. Heralded as the favourite among the locals, the succulent Geronimo beef burger is indeed worthy of the hype, accompanied by a selection of sweet and savoury garnishes and skinny fries. To wash the meal down, a well-rounded selection of fine wines and ales are available, including the Rogers & Rufus Rosé, which is brewed especially for the Geronimo Inn group. One is spoilt for choice when it comes to dessert but if you want a sweet treat there’s nothing better than the velvet Dulce de leche and peanut butter ice cream alongside a refreshing peach, apple and raspberry crumble.

The Duke of Clarence, 148 Old Brompton Road, SW5 geronimo-inns.co.uk/london-the-duke-of-clarence

Renowned chocolatier Maison Pierre Marcolini and fashion designer Olympia Le-Tan have fused their artistic talents to create two limited edition chocolate boxes. The design is inspired by Le-Tan’s muchloved feminine handbags and clutches, embellished with pouty red lips, fluttering eyes and lashes, and a cheeky French inscription, while inside, the chocolates reflect Marcolini’s culinary genius. He is well-known for sourcing the best ingredients from around the world, so choose from a selection of his chocolates handpicked by Le-Tan or take matters into your own hands; the box can hold a maximum of 30 chocolates or a dozen macaroons. Although we can hardly be expected to choose between the two, surely?

Boxes from £27, available at Selfridges / marcolini.com

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Photography: Peter Kelleher Carmen Dell’Orefice and Yasmin Le Bon

Kim Hersov

John Swannell and Yasmin Le Bon

Sarah Emburey, guest, Dee Breen and Susanna Brown

Martin Roth and Carmen Dell’Orefice

Amber and Yasmin Le Bon

Katie Readman and Alice Naylor-Leyland

Martha Ward and guest

Cathleen Naundorf and guest

Lady Wolfson

Nicky Haslam

David Downton and Amber Le Bon

Pippa Vosper and guest

Neil Pearson

Dan Macmillan and guest

london living Photography: Dave Benett

Overdrive WHAT: Belstaff by Goodwood Collection launch party WHEN: 2 September WHERE: Belstaff House, New Bond Street WHO: Jamie Campbell Bower, Max Chilton, James Norton, Marc Quinn, Mark Hix, The Earl of March and Kinrara, Theo and Louise Fennell, Nicky Haslam and Eric Fellner WHY: Like a scene out of The Fast and The Furious, race cars and leather jackets filled Belstaff’s flagship as the coolest brand on the block launched its new collection of racing-inspired jackets; Belstaff by Goodwood. Guests arrived at the event in vintage cars courtesy of the Classic Car Club and were given a brief introduction to the collection – the result of a partnership between two quintessential British institutions – by Max Chilton and the Earl of March and Kinrara, followed by a Q&A with racing commentator Toby Moody. Jamie Campbell Bower and James Norton looked effortlessly cool, sporting pieces from the range, and were spotted enjoying the endless supply of canapés, which included chicken liver parfait, beef Wellington and quail eggs, not to mention copious amounts of champagne.

Camilla Rutherford

Max Chilton and guest

Robert Konjic

Behind the Lens WHAT: Horst: Photographer of Style opening party WHEN: 3 September WHERE: The Victoria and Albert Museum WHO Yasmin Le Bon, David Downton, Nicky Haslam, Miles Aldridge, Amber Le Bon, Saffron Aldridge, Becky Tong, Ivan Massow, Patrick Cox and Alice Naylor-Leyland WHY: The Victoria and Albert Museum saw the opening of its latest and much talked-about exhibition, Horst: Photographer of Style and who better to open it than the photographer’s muse and close friend Carmen Dell’Orefice? Arriving in the most elegant fashion in a convoy of classic vehicles, guests from Yasmin Le Bon to Nicky Haslam sauntered through the gallery to view Horst P. Horst’s most famous haute couture photography, while also enjoying an array of canapés, including crispy five-spiced duck, beef carpaccio, martini-compressed tomatoes and tiny portions of beef Wellington.

The Earl of March and Kinrara, and Gavin Haig

Mark Hix

Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Konjic and James Norton

Elizabeth Hurley

James Blunt and guests

Pixie Lott

Sealed with a Kiss WHAT: Elton John’s AIDS Foundation end of summer party WHEN: 4 September WHERE: Woodside Estate, Berkshire WHO: Sir Ian McKellen, David Gandy, Ellie Goulding, David Walliams, Lara Stone, Ben de Lisi and Tom Odell WHY: Guests gathered in the gardens of Sir Elton John’s Woodside residence on a Thursday night for an enchanted woodland-themed charity dinner. Held in a marquee lit with sparkling chandeliers, the event aimed to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Grey Goose La Nuit des Étoiles continued to support the charity, providing signature cocktails, such as Le Fizz and bespoke martinis throughout the night as well as launching its new Night Vision bottle. Although Gary Barlow and James Blunt took to the stage to show their support, it was Elizabeth Hurley who succeeded in raising the most (£50,000) by offering a kiss to the highest bidder, leaving lucky guest Julian Bharti completely smitten. Whoever said money doesn’t buy you love?

Sir Elton John and David Furnish

DJ Fatboy Slim

Sir Ian McKellen

Jimmy Carr and Karoline Copping

Photography: Richard Young

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Marissa Montgomery and Oliver Proudlock

Tortie Willis and Grace McGovern

Chelsy Davy and Maddie Chesterton Petra Palumbo, Davina Harbord and Katie Readman

Olivia Callaghan and Viscount Julian Erleigh

Super Bass WHAT: Baar & Bass store launch party WHEN: 9 September WHERE: 336 King’s Road WHO: Chelsy Davy, Donna Ida, Oliver Proudlock, Katie Readman, Alice Naylor-Leyland and Davina Harbord WHY: While it may have been a Tuesday night, this didn’t stop half of Chelsea stopping by the King’s Road’s newest boutique, Baar & Bass, to congratulate its owner Maddie Chesterton with a celebratory glass (or two) of champagne on the night of her launch party. With drinks flowing and music by Lana Palumbo, it wasn’t long before the boutique was filled with recognisable faces, including Made in Chelsea’s Oliver Proudlock, Donna Air and Chelsy Davy, many of whom could be seen admiring the rails of clothes and home accessories on display. Even those who managed to resist making a purchase didn’t leave empty-handed, as goodie bags were generously handed out to guests at the end of the night.

The Flying Scotsman

Tansy Aspinal and Donna Air

WHAT: 9th Annual Scottish Fashion Awards WHEN: 1 September WHERE: 8 Northumberland Avenue WHO: Dame Vivienne Westwood, David Gandy, Christopher Kane, Holly Fulton, Pixie Lott, Oliver Cheshire, Lilah Parsons, Sam McKnight and Henry Holland WHY: Hailed as the ‘Oscars of Scottish Fashion’, designers and celebrities gathered for a glorious black-tie gala as they paid homage to Scotland’s ongoing contributions to the fashion industry. Dame Vivienne Westwood was recognised for her consistent use of Scottish textiles, while Scottish-born Christopher Kane was lauded for his celebrated collections. Traditional Scottish dishes comprised the sumptuous banquet, from Highland beef and neeps and tatties to sweet relishes of raspberry cranachan and strawberry shortbread. Mars Bar shots were then happily exchanged for a wee dram of whisky, as guests partied until the early hours of the morning to the sounds of DJ duo Beatnik.

Casino Royale WHAT: European Luxury Lifestyle Awards WHEN: 29 August WHERE: The Langham Hotel, Portland Place WHY: From poker chips to playing cards, the European Luxury Lifestyle Awards event dazzled guests with its Casino Royale-esque night of extravagance. Hosted at The Langham Hotel, it welcomed European brands from all corners of the luxury industry, including boutique hotels, five-star spas, jewellery and fashion emporiums, many of whom were awarded a Golden Crown (courtesy of jeweller Faraone Mennella) on the night in recognition of their contributions to the sector. Gentlemen channelled the suave sophistication of James Bond by dressing in black tie, while ladies made sure they didn’t let the side down in beautiful floor-length gowns. A decadent gala dinner, followed by entertainment from jazz band Ronnie Scott Rejects, completed the glamorous evening.

london living Photography: Scottish Fashion Awards Lucy Watson

Simone Rocha

Christopher Kane

Lilah Parsons and Arielle Free

Pixie Lott and Laura Whitmore

Tessa Hartmann, Jean Johansson, Jane Given and Nesta McGregor

Tali Lennox

Tallia Storm

Leah Weller, Tali Lennox and Natt Weller

Hayley Scanlan

Daisy Lewis, David Gandy and Brix Smith-Start

Amy Macdonald

Nina Nesbitt and Pixie Lott

Taylor Fergusson, Seb Morris and Anne Fergusson

Oliver Cheshire and Pixie Lott

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The Concierge What is it you require, sir? How may I help, madam? The Concierge is here to help with every need, whim or wish, however great or small Apparel

Katharine Pooley

Hydrohealing Spa

Bibendum

Repairs & Cleaning

160 Walton Street, SW3 2JL 020 7584 3223 katharinepooley.co.uk

216a Kensington Park Rd, W11 1NR 020 7727 2570 hydrohealing.com

81 Fulham Road, SW3 6RD 020 7581 5817 bibendum.co.uk

Jeeves of Belgravia 123 Fulham Road, SW3 6RT 020 7589 9229 jeevesofbelgravia.co.uk

Sloane Tailors & Dry Cleaners 69 Lower Sloane Street SW1W 8DA 020 7824 8644 sloanetailorsanddrycleaners.co.uk

Precious Pieces Jewellery Valuation & repair

Bourbon Hanby 151 Sydney Street, SW3 6NT 020 7352 2106 bourbonhanby.com

Hawkes and Son 50-52 Walton Street, SW3 1RB 020 7589 2523 hawkesandson.com Watch Repair

Ligne Roset

Strip Wax Bar

Le Café Anglais

23/25 Mortimer Street, W1T 3JE 020 7323 1248 ligne-roset.co.uk

112 Talbot Road, W11 1JR 020 7727 2754 stripwaxbar.com

8 Porchester Gardens, W2 4DB 020 7221 1415 lecafeanglais.co.uk

OKA

Urban Retreat at Harrods

Chelsea Brasserie

103 Lancaster Road, W11 1QN 020 7792 1425 okadirect.com

87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL 020 7893 8333 urbanretreat.co.uk

7-12 Sloane Square, SW1W 8EG 020 7881 5999 chelsea-brasserie.co.uk

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture

Medical & Dental Services

The Cow

202 Kensington Park Road W11 1NR, 020 7792 9022 rachelashwellshabbychiccouture.com

Cadogan Street Dental Office

89 Westbourne Park Road, W2 5QH 020 7221 0021 thecowlondon.co.uk

Sub-Zero & Wolf

Chelsea Consulting Rooms

251 Brompton Rd, SW3 2EP 0845 250 0010 subzero-wolf.co.uk

2 Lower Sloane Street, SW1W 8BJ 020 7763 9100 chelseaconsultingrooms.com

Pampering & Wellbeing

Medicare Français

Electric House

Hairdressers

Cartier 143-144 Sloane Street, SW1X 9BL 020 7312 6930 cartier.co.uk

The Watch Gallery 129 Fulham Road, SW3 6RT 020 7952 2731 thewatchgallery.co.uk Vintage Watch Sellers

For the Home

191 Portobello Road, W11 2ED 020 7908 9696 electrichouse.com

Gaucho 3 Harrington Gardens, SW7 4JJ 020 7370 4999 medicare-francais.co.uk

Hari’s

89 Sloane Avenue, SW3 3DX 020 7584 9901 gauchorestaurants.co.uk

The Ledbury Restaurant Smile Style Dental Care

305 Brompton Road SW3 2DY 020 7581 5211 harissalon.com

146 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UE 020 7727 5810 smilestyledental.co.uk

Light Hair Studio

42 The Dental Practice

293 Westbourne Grove W11 2QA 020 7792 0100 lighthairstudio.com

42 Pembridge Road, W11 3HN 020 7229 5542 42thedentalpractice.com

127 Ledbury Road, W11 2AQ 020 7792 9090 theledbury.com

The Lonsdale

Watches of Knightsbridge 64 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7JF 020 7590 3034 watchesofknightsbridge.com

47 Cadogan Street, SW3 2QJ 020 7581 0811

The Mitre The Portobello Clinic

Richard Ward 82 Duke of York Square SW3 4LY 020 7730 1222 richardward.com

FurniturE, SOFT furnishings

12 Raddington Road, W10 5TG 020 8962 0635 portobelloclinic.com

Haute Cuisine Dining

& APPLICANCES

Beauty Salons & Spas

Hutch Interiors

The Chelsea Day Spa

61 Golborne Road, W10 5NR 020 3659 4320 hutchinteriors.com

69a King’s Road, SW3 4NX 020 7351 0911 thechelseadayspa.co.uk

48 Lonsdale Road, W11 2DE 020 7727 4080 thelonsdale.co.uk

40 Holland Park Avenue, W11 3QY 020 7727 6332 themitrew11.co.uk

One Kensington 1 Kensington High Street, W8 5NP 020 7795 6533 one-kensington.com

Bar Boulud Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA 020 7201 3899 barboulud.com

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay 68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HP 020 7352 4441 gordonramsay.com

CONCIERGE

Scalini 1-3 Walton Street, SW3 2JD 020 7225 2301 scalinionline.com

Umami 100 Cromwell Road, SW7 4ER 020 7341 2320 umamilondon.co.uk Delicatessens

La Bottega 14 Gloucester Road SW7 4RB 020 7581 6980 labottega.co.uk

Ottolenghi Delicatessen 63 Ledbury Road W11 2AD 020 7727 1121 ottolenghi.co.uk

Members Clubs

Childcare

Flowers

Chelsea Arts Club 143 Old Church Street SW3 6EB 020 7376 3311 chelseaartsclub.com

Kensington Nannies 3 Horton Place, Kensington High Street, W8 4LZ 020 7937 2333 kensington-nannies.co.uk

222 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RH 020 7727 3095 wildatheart.com

The Sloane Club

cleaners

specialist services

Hillside Clothes Care

BUILDER

Lower Sloane Street SW1W 8BS 020 7730 9131 sloaneclub.co.uk

Business Affairs computer & technology help

Infusion Haberdashery and Dry Cleaners

Richard Darsa

3 Chepstow Road, W2 5BL 020 7243 8735 infusion-haberdashery.co.uk

78 Cadogan Place SW1X 9RP 07768 200 551 richard@darsa.net Couriers

Partridges 2-5 Duke of York Square SW3 4LY 020 7730 7102 partridges.co.uk

15 Elgin Mews W11 1PU 020 6305 8941 runners4u.com

Selena Courier Service 59 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA 020 7727 5030 meltchocolates.com

27 Eardley Crescent SW5 9JS 020 7912 0062 selenacourier.co.uk

William Curley

Luxury Car Services

198 Ebury Street, SW1W 8UN 020 7730 5522 williamcurley.co.uk

Avolus Luxury Transport

Drinking

Boujis 43 Thurloe Street, SW7 2LQ 020 7584 2000 boujis.com

38 Lombard Road SW11 3RP 020 7978 6506 avolus.com

lifestyle services london lifestyle service

223 Notting Hill Gate, Suite 221 W11 3JE; 020 7221 2153 nottinghillcleaning.com

The Cadogan Arms

07547 716076 madogtraining@gmail.com madogtrainingandservices.co.uk PICTURE FRAMER

Frame Set & Match St. Anne’s Housekeeping 19 Bolsover Street, W1W 5NA 020 3397 7495 stanneshousekeeping.com

111 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3LE 020 7589 7635 sk@framesetandmatch.com psychotherapist

Pets

Suzanne Thomas Canine Culture Beethoven Centre, Third Avenue, W10 4JL 079 4952 3710 canineculture.co.uk

Purple Bone 95 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JZ 020 7985 0903 purplebone.com

Little Luxuries Premium Cigars

71 Walton Street SW3 2HT 020 7989 9890 whitecirclecollection.com

dog training

Housekeeping

White Circle Collection 298 King’s Road, SW3 5UG 020 7352 6500 thecadoganarmschelsea.com

William Gaze Ltd Basement, Loft & Extension Specialist 28 Imperial Square 020 7078 8874 williamgazeltd.com

M.A. Dog Training and Services Notting Hill Cleaning

Runners 4 U Couriers

Chocolatiers

Melt Chocolates

118 Kensington Park Rd, W11 2PW 020 7243 6900 hillsidedryclean.co.uk

Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart

Atlam Cigars 111 Portobello Road, W11 2QB 020 7602 7573 atlamcigars.com

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HOMES showcasing the

finest HOMES & PROPERTY from the best estate agents

Local News Tackling prime sales and political change

Image courtesy of Hobart Slater

PROPERTY

Right on the Mark Louise ‘Boo’ Good, Head of Savills Kensington Lettings, highlights the grand selection of Kensington properties on offer

Savills Kensington and Notting Hill lettings teams have enjoyed a buoyant lettings market over the past 12 months, with average values rising by 4%. This was well ahead of nearby Chelsea, Knightsbridge and Sloane Street which grew 0.6% over the same period. The forecast for the future is also positive, with 3% growth predicted for the year ahead and a total growth of 20.4% over the next five years to 2018.

Savills Research has also found that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea had the highest percentage of £1 million plus sales in 2013, making it one of the most popular London boroughs for prime property. Landlords who have purchased in the area benefit from international interest across all price bands, with Western Europeans and North Americans in particular attracted to the area’s grandeur and charm.

From mansions to mansion flats, Kensington offers an excellent selection of property across the market, fulfilling the growing demand for prime central rentals. A vast number of tenants are relocating to the area, with 46% moving for employment and 43% moving as a lifestyle choice.

Currently on the market Savills has a superb family house available to let on Pembroke Villas with a guide of £3,950 per week. The property is spread over four floors and benefits from excellent entertaining space including a spacious reception room and fully fitted, eat-in kitchen. There is good outside space too, with a patio garden, terrace and private parking. Closer to Holland Park, Savills is marketing a newly refurbished home on Addison Crescent for £1,800 per week, with four bedrooms, a fantastic open-plan kitchen and which is ideally located for the amenities of Kensington High Street.

Pembroke Villas, Kensington, W8 – Guide £3,950 per week Addison Crescent, Holland Park, W14 – Guide £1,800 per week Savills Kensington; 020 7535 3333 savills.co.uk This image and left/ Pembroke Villas, Kensington, W8

This image and left/ Addison Crescent, Holland Park, W14

130

PROPERTY

PrimeQResi

Property News

Journal of Prime Property

primeresi.com

years on The first new build for over 100 Kensington Palace Gardens

Millionaires’ Rows RBKC dominates list of Britain’s most expensive streets: The value of Britain’s most expensive streets is rising at nearly twice the national average, meaning that the number of “property millionaires” – with homes worth more than £1m – is nearly 50% higher than it was last year.

Property prices on the the UK’s ten most expensive streets have increased by 12.9% over the last 12 months, while Zoopla’s statistics show a national average price rise of 6.6% over the same period. The portal’s annual Property Richlist shows that there are now 484,081 £1m+ homeowners in Britain – up 49% on last year – and that there are 10,613 streets in Britain with an average property value of £1m+, up 29% on 2013. 3,744 of those “Millionaires’ Rows” – just shy of a third of the total and all the top 20 – are in London.

Twelve streets – eight in the Royal Borough – claim an average house price of over £10m. Kensington Palace Gardens again tops the table, with an average price of £42,730,760 (62 times the £263,705 value of the average British home, says Zoopla). The Boltons in SW10 takes second place with average house prices standing at £26,570,341, and Grosvenor Crescent in SW1 rounds out the top three with average property prices of £22,293,470.

W8 (Kensington) remains London’s priciest postcode, with average property prices in the area of £2.78m. Neighbouring SW7 (Knightsbridge), the next most expensive area in the capital, has average values of £2.48m, while property values in third-placed SW3 (Chelsea) stand at £2.37m.

See the full list of Britain’s most expensive streets, and areas at primeresi.com

Prime Central London Buyer Nationalities for Q1 2014 (Removing UK - Domestic market)

Africa

Northern Europe

Asia

Pacific Islands Australia

Central America

South America

Eastern Europe

Southern Europe

Middle East

UK - Abroad

North America

Western Europe

Panic Not, It’s Just an Election Q2’s London transactions at Strutt & Parker were 8% shy of the agency’s quarterly average: but prices “continue to creep up”, allowing total transaction value to rise.

It’s a very patchy picture in Prime Central London, though. The number of properties sold in Knightsbridge and Belgravia was 26% below the agency’s quarterly average, and the total value of transactions was 28% off the pace. In Kensington and Notting Hill, by contrast, volumes were 9.1% above average while total value was a chunky 34.4% higher than normal. Chelsea, South Kensington and Fulham saw fewer properties than average sold (-13.1%), but they were quite a lot more valuable (+14.1%) than the norm.

Across Prime Central London, the agency sold 828 properties during 2014’s second quarter, noting that “47% of all buyers in central London are originally from overseas.” Compared to the same period last year, there’s been a marked increase in buyers from Asia, Northern and Southern Europe and UK and a “not surprising” – given geo-political shenanigans – slight decrease in buyers from Eastern Europe.

Market Comment The Tax Invasion Elena Dimova, managing director of CENTURY 21 Sophia Elena, highlights the changes that will come into play for future exchanges

By April 2015, the Capital Gains Tax exemption that has thus far been enjoyed by overseas buyers in the UK will come to an end. This brings the UK in line with many other countries. How will the Prime Central London property market react?

For would-be-sellers, there seems to be an incentive to crystallise capital gains before April 2015.

If someone is thinking of selling in the next 18 to 24 months, selling now simplifies things, as it means not having to worry how capital gains will be calculated and what assumptions will be made when the tax is worked out at some point in the future. It takes away the unknown liability. Going into 2015, there will be further uncertainty, as we approach the 2015 General Election.

All this is less relevant for someone planning to hold onto a property for the next 10 years or more.

What we are seeing in the market is an interesting phenomenon. There has not been any major new supply coming to market so far. This may change as the date comes nearer. Those who want to sell sooner rather than later are perhaps trying to beat others who will seek to do the same in the coming months and quarters. What is particularly interesting is that many of the players who are looking to sell before April 2015 are also looking to buy back into the market and keep their foothold in London property.

The introduction of Capital Gains Tax for overseas buyers does not seem to be curbing appetite for Prime Central London property, still seen as a “safe haven” investment, with potential for capital gains over time.

Overseas buyers are purely targeting a fresh start, capitalising on existing gains and ploughing money straight back into the London property market. In order not to be left out, some buyers are even securing their next property before selling their current one, if their financial situation permits it. The smart money is moving this side of 2015.

CENTURY 21 Sophia Elena, 10 Clarendon Road, W11 3AA, 020 7229 1414; century21uk.com

131

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Hewer Street, W10 A stylish 1,550sqft (approx) freehold house in a gated development of just three modern houses. The property benefits from a front patio garden and a balcony which is off the reception room. The property is in a enclave of spectacular architecture and offers spacious living in a comfortable, well designed space which is located in the North of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, yet within striking distance of all that is Notting Hill. EPC: C

Hamptons Notting Hill Office Lettings. 020 7717 5341 | Sales. 020 7717 5311

£1,500,000 Freehold • • • • • •

Large eat in kitchen/dining room Reception room Two bedrooms Two bathrooms Dressing room Front patio garden

Cranley Gardens, SW7 A rare opportunity to purchase a three bedroom lateral penthouse apartment. This popular Victorian red brick building offers recently refurbished common parts and a smart modern lift. A couple of key features of this property are the spectacular far reaching views, the large private terrace and the wealth of natural light in the flat. EPC: C

£2,000,000 Leasehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Chelsea Office Sales. 0207 835 1444 | Lettings. 020 7717 5433

Three Bedrooms In need of up dating Private 29’4 terrace Lift 40 year lease 1,160 sq ft

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Drayson Mews, W8 A rare opportunity to acquire a double fronted three storey mews house (2,787 sq.ft.) originally used as a mechanics garage with private residential accommodation above.

Situated in a prime Kensington location, the property lends itself as an excellent development opportunity or a unique private residence. EPC: D

O.I.E.O £3,850,000 Freehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Kensington Office Sales. 020 7937 9371 | Lettings. 020 7717 5459

Development/investment opportunity Three storey building 2,787 sq ft Off street parking Patio and roof terrace Commercial space B1 use

Hans Crescent, SW1X An immaculately presented two bedroom raised ground floor apartment which has been beautifully interior designed to exacting standards in this superbly located portered period building. The property features a very generous reception room with high ceilings and stunning ‘Herringbone’ wood flooring. EPC: C

£2,950,000 Leasehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Knightsbridge Office Sales. 020 7717 5461 | Lettings. 020 7717 5463

A very generous reception room Immaculate kitchen Master bedroom with en-suite shower room Second bedroom with en-suite bathroom Wood flooring Porter

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

West Eaton Place, SW1X A beautifully refurbished three bedroom apartment situated on the third and fourth floors of a handsome stucco fronted period building in the heart of Belgravia. The flat benefits from a long lease, generous reception space and plenty of light throughout. The building is in good order with smart communal parts. EPC: E

£2,795,000 Leasehold • • • • • •

Hamptons Sloane Square Office Sales. 020 7717 5481 | Lettings. 0207 717 5483

Three bedrooms Two bathrooms Large reception room Smart communal parts Long lease Heart of Belgravia

Tadema Road, SW10 A fantastic two bedroom house that has been finished to exacting standards. There is a reception room that opens on to a private patio with a fully fitted kitchen as well as a separate bar area for entertaining. This is an ideal home for a couple looking for something spacious and a little different in SW10.

£1,250 per week Furnished (charges apply)* • • • • •

*Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges

Hamptons Chelsea Office Lettings. 020 7717 5433 | Sales. 0207 835 1444

Two double bedrooms Two large receptions Beautiful roof terrace Just off the Kings Road, Chelsea Quiet residential street

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Phillimore Gardens Close, W8 A fantastic opportunity to rent a four bedroom house in this highly sought after private cul de sac, moments from Kensington High Street and with direct access to Holland Park.

Benefiting from a modern eat in kitchen and private patio. EPC: C (1819 Sq Ft / 169 Sq m)

£2,100 per week Furnished/Unfurnished (charges apply)* • • • • •

*Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges

Hamptons Kensington Office Lettings. 020 7717 5459 | Sales. 020 7937 9371

•

Four bedrooms Three bathrooms Guest wc Two reception rooms Patio and balcony Off street parking

Harrington Gardens, SW7 This newly refurbished penthouse style apartment has been finished to exacting detail.

The apartment is split level and boasts hardwood floors high ceilings as well as being flooded with natural light. EPC: E

£1,000 per week Furnished (charges apply)* • • • • •

*Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges

Hamptons Knightsbridge Office Lettings. 020 7717 5463 | Sales. 020 7717 5461

•

One bedroom, one bathroom Split level conversion Private roof terrace Newly refurbished Penthouse Hardwood floors, light atrium

KnightFrank.co.uk

Douro Place, Kensington W8

A family house with parking and south facing garden A rare opportunity to acquire a wide unmodernised lateral low build house with parking and a large south facing garden in prime Kensington. 3 bedrooms, bathroom, shower, reception room, dining room, kitchen, study, loft, basement/garage, off‐street parking, garden. EPC rating F. Approximately 257 sq m ﴾2,771 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/kensington kens@knightfrank.com 020 3551 5156

Freehold

﴾KEN140104﴿

K and C - May 3/10 Observ - 08 April 2014 - 49890

09/09/2014 15:01:56

Ph

6

KnightFrank.co.uk

Alma Terrace, Kensington W8

A Victorian family house with a beautiful garden Presented in good order and set back from the road, this pretty five bedroom family house has an immaculate 31 ft west facing garden. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, double drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, bedroom 5/dining room, patio, garden.

EPC rating E. Approximately 215 sq m ﴾2,315 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/kensington kens@knightfrank.com 020 3551 5156

Freehold Guide price: £4,500,000 ﴾KEN140117﴿

Phillimore place 10 K and c mag may - 08 April 2014 - 49898

09/09/2014 15:00:30

KnightFrank.co.uk

K

Cheyne Walk, Chelsea SW3 Unique house with incredible volume

This is a Grade II listed house that was built in the 1890s and has some amazing features.

The property comprises a main house with 3 high volume studio rooms with ceilings up to 5.2m, a separate cottage with a studio room, a good garden and garage.

Approximately 448 sq m ﴾4,824 sq ft﴿ Freehold Guide price: £10,500,000 ﴾POD130075﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/chelsea chelsea@knightfrank.com 020 3641 7731 savills.co.uk sloanestreet@savills.com 020 7730 0822

KnightFrank.co.uk

The Little Boltons, Chelsea SW10

Beautifully presented upper maisonette with terrace Situated on the corner of the Little Boltons and Redcliffe Square the apartment benefits from fantastic light with windows on three sides as well as a roof terrace with south westerly views. 3 bedrooms, 2 reception rooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen and roof terrace.

Approximately 239 sq m ﴾2,574 sq ft﴿ Share of Freehold Guide price: £6,750,000 ﴾CHL140197﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/chelsea chelsea@knightfrank.com 020 3641 7731 Russell Simpson www.russellsimpson.co.uk 020 7225 0277

WE HAVE SELLING DOWN TO A FINE ART Arthur Lintell Associate arthur.lintell@knightfrank.com

Emily Ramsay Negotiator emily.ramsay@knightfrank.com

Knight Frank Notting Hill Sales 294 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2PS KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill

314793 Artistic Single A4.indd 1

Tom Goy Partner tom.goy@knightfrank.com

Philip Eastwood Partner philip.eastwood@knightfrank.com

Knight Frank Notting Hill Lettings 298 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2PS KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings

Caroline Foord OfďŹ ce Head/Partner caroline.foord@knightfrank.com

020 3589 2850 10/09/2014 09:09

K&

KnightFrank.co.uk

Queensdale Place, Notting Hill W11 Stylish and beautifully presented apartment

The flat offers well balanced living accommodation with a spectacular open plan kitchen/reception room perfect for entertaining and benefits from an abundance of natural light aided by a wealth of overhead skylights and impressive volumes.

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms ﴾1 en suite﴿, reception room, kitchen, terrace.

EPC rating D. Approximately 166 sq m ﴾1,786 sq ft﴿ Leasehold

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449

Guide price: £3,350,000 ﴾NGH120066﴿

K&C - October- TFF 25 Queensdale Road

08/09/2014 17:33:29

KnightFrank.co.uk

Kensington Park Gardens, Notting Hill W11 Fantastic three bedroom flat

A rare opportunity to acquire a charming three bedroom apartment located in this popular portered mansion block and with the benefit of a private terrace and access to the prestigious Ladbroke Square communal gardens. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, balcony, access to communal garden.

EPC rating C. Approximately 92 sq m ﴾995 sq ft﴿ Leasehold

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449

Guide price: £1,600,000 ﴾NGH140142﴿

K&C - October- 17 The Lodge

09/09/2014 14:23:30

K&

30

KnightFrank.co.uk

Pembridge Villas, Notting Hill W11 Utimate family home with private garden

Wonderful stucco fronted family house ﴾semi detached﴿ offering exceptional volume and light. Immaculately presented and intelligently designed for ultimate family living and entertaining in prime location. 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, dining room, family room, utility room, terrace, garden.

EPC rating D. Approximately 445 sq m ﴾4,790 sq ft﴿.

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449

Freehold Guide price: £10,000,000

﴾XXXXXX﴿

K&C - October - 15 Pembridge Villas

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill

09/09/2014 12:57:25

KnightFrank.co.uk

Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill W11

Stunning four bedroom family house in great location A beautifully refurbished four bedroom house on this ever popular street, incorporating the neighbouring lower ground floor flat. This has created a wonderfully expansive and lateral family space, unusual to the area. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms ﴾1 en suite﴿, reception room, kitchen, dining room, playroom, sunroom/conservatory, roof terrace, terrace, garden. EPC rating D. Approximately 203 sq m ﴾2,187 sq ft﴿ Freehold Guide price: £3,950,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/nottinghill nottinghill@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5449 Joint Agent: Marsh and Parsons primesales@ marshandparsons.co.uk 020 7368 4197

﴾NGH140158﴿

K&C October - 19 Lonsdale Road

08/09/2014 17:58:06

Ke

06

KnightFrank.co.uk

Westminster Suite, The Tower SW8 Sensational London apartment with private lift lobby

Incorporating the entire 45th floor of the landmark Tower, with astounding views of the capital from all rooms. 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms, kitchen, formal dining room, 3 sky gardens, private lift lobby, valet parking for 6 cars, 24 hour concierge and resident's leisure facilities. EPC rating B. Approximately 619 sq m ﴾6,670 sq ft﴿ Leasehold Guide price: £20,000,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/riverside riverside@knightfrank.com 020 3597 7670

﴾RVR140220﴿

Kensington & Chelsea Magazine - October Issue - 02 September 2014 - 52329

02/09/2014 17:32:47

KnightFrank.co.uk

Kensington and Chelsea DPS October 2014 Sales

Queensborough Studios, W2

Spacious mews house with amazing roof terrace A spacious mews house which has been completely remodelled throughout in a contemporary style offering superb open plan living. 3 bedrooms, 2 en suite bathrooms, guest shower room, reception room, open plan kitchen/family room, 21ft roof terrace.

EPC rating E. Approximately 156 sq m ﴾1,680 sq ft﴿ Freehold

KnightFrank.co.uk/hydepark hydepark@knightfrank.com 020 3544 2483

Guide price: £2,550,000 ﴾HPE130116﴿

29/08/2014 16:12:06

KnightFrank.co.uk

Reece Mews, South Kensington SW7 Immaculately rebuilt mews house

This three bedroom house is located in the heart of South Kensington and is in immaculate condition throughout. 3 bedrooms ﴾all en suite﴿, reception room, kitchen/dining room, study, utility, cloakroom and roof terrace. Approximately 196 sq m ﴾2,109 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/southkensington southkensington@knightfrank.com 020 8128 1253

Freehold Guide price: £4,650,000 ﴾CHL140193﴿

Kensington and Chelsea - South Ken - Reece Mews

05/09/2014 14:07:40

K&

KnightFrank.co.uk

Chesham Street, Belgravia SW1 Immaculate four bedroom duplex apartment

n m

:40

An exceptional duplex apartment extending to sum 4,800 sq ft over just two floors, featuring large informal reception rooms and a wonderful turning staircase. Master bedroom suite with dressing room, 3 further bedrooms en suite, drawing room, media room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, cloakroom, winter garden, porter.

EPC rating C. Approximately 447 sq m ﴾4,820 sq ft﴿ Leasehold: approximately 987 years remaining Guide price: £13,500,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/knightsbridge knightsbridge@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5913

K&C Oct 2014 Chesham Street 1

09/09/2014 09:23:45

KnightFrank.co.uk KnightFrank.co.uk

Brechin South Kensington IvernaPlace, Court, Kensington W8 SW7 A fantastic newly refurbished bedroom apartment A beautifully refurbishedthree apartment

This property hasina one wonderfully bright south reception room with doors leading to a Situated of Kensington's mostfacing desirable mansion blocks, this three bedroom large private garden.

All bedrooms their own en suite bathrooms and the presentation lateral apartment has beenhave extensively refurbished to offer comtempory and stylish throughout is immaculate.

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, reception garden. living.

Accommodation comprises 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 room, reception rooms, EPC rating G. Approximately 149 sq m ﴾1,601 sq ft﴿E kitchen, 2nd floor, lift, porter.

EPC rating

KnightFrank.co.uk/Lettings

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings kenlettings@knightfrank.com southkenlettings@knightfrank.com 020 7937 8203 020 3641 6025

Available unfurnished Available furnished or unfurnished Guide price:per £2,000 Guide price: £2,250 weekper week ﴾SKQ105835﴿﴾KEQ204248﴿

potential tenants shouldthat, be advised that, as an well as rent, an administration feeapply of £276 will apply awhen renting a property.

All potentialAll tenants should be advised as well as rent, administration fee of £276 will when renting property.

Please ask usPlease for more other fees that mayfees apply or may visit apply KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges ask information us for more about information about other that or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

K&C Mag Octand 14 Chelsea - BrechinOct Place V2 Ken

09/09/2014 11:46:58 09/09/2014 15:59:33

Po

33

KnightFrank.co.uk

Portobello Road, Notting Hill W11 Two bedroom flat in a good location

A delightful maisonette on Portobello Road W11 with a private roof terrace.

Accommodation includes 2 double bedrooms, en suite bathroom, en suite shower room, study, reception room, kitchen and roof terrace close to Westbourne Grove.

EPC rating D Approximately 83.8 sq m ﴾903 sq ft﴿.

Available unfurnished

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings nottinghilllettings@knightfrank.com 020 7985 9990

Guide price: £850 per week ﴾NHQ85223﴿

All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property.

Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

Portobello Road 2

05/09/2014 12:39:50

KnightFrank.co.uk KnightFrank.co.uk

Brechin Brechin Place, Place, South South Kensington Kensington SW7 SW7 A fantastic A fantastic newlynewly refurbished refurbished threethree bedroom bedroom apartment apartment

This property This property has a wonderfully has a wonderfully bright south brightfacing southreception facing reception room with room doors withleading doors leading to a to a KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings large private large garden. private garden.

All bedrooms All bedrooms have their have own their en own suiteen bathrooms suite bathrooms and the and presentation the presentation KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings southkenlettings@knightfrank.com southkenlettings@knightfrank.com throughout throughout is immaculate. is immaculate.

3 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen,kitchen, reception reception room, garden. room, garden.

020 3641 0206025 3641 6025 EPC rating EPCG.rating Approximately G. Approximately 149 sq m 149 ﴾1,601 sq msq ﴾1,601 ft﴿ sq ft﴿ Available Available furnished furnished or unfurnished or unfurnished Guide price: Guide£2,250 price:per £2,250 weekper week ﴾SKQ105835﴿﴾SKQ105835﴿ All potentialAlltenants potential should tenants be advised should be that, advised as wellthat, as rent, as well an administration as rent, an administration fee of £276 fee willof apply £276when will apply renting when a property. renting a property.

Please ask us Please for more ask us information for more information about otherabout fees that other may fees apply that or may visit apply KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

K&C Mag K&C OctMag 14 -Oct Brechin 14 - Brechin Place V2 Place V2

09/09/2014 09/09/2014 11:46:58 11:46:58

K&

m

:58

KnightFrank.co.uk

Sumner Place, South Kensington SW7 Wonderful stucco fronted period house

A beautifully presented house ideal for entertaining on both a formal and informal scale.

6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 5 reception rooms, luxury kitchen, dining room, bar room opening out onto the garden and a temperature controlled alarmed wine cellar. EPC rating E. Approximately 452 sq m ﴾4,862 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings knightsbridge@knightfrank.com 020 7591 8601

Available furnished Guide price: £8,250 per week ﴾KNQ157852﴿ All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property.

Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

K&C mag October 8 Sumner Place2

08/09/2014 17:31:14

Hanover Lodge: a fond farewell Long-time residents Leslie and Alison Du Cane offer a retrospective on Notting Hill, an area where their roots date back to the early Victorian era. HenRY HOPWOOD-PHILLIPS reports

A romanticised portrait of Hanover Lodge

Disraeli often has the phrase “lies, damned lies and statistics” attributed to him, but one of the more serious dangers behind statistics is not that the bleached petticoat of each hides a massaged methodology but rather the fact it’s hard to appreciate the application of sterile numbers on a truly human scale.

So it is refreshing to have Leslie and Alison Du Cane in front of me instead of a property prospectus brandishing facts as a boy might a spider on the end of a stick. Joining us too is Caroline Foord, Partner at Knight Frank, Notting Hill.

We are here because the couple are no longer ‘Notting Hill Billies’.

“This is a really interesting and noteworthy story,” Caroline explains, “because

the property we have just sold for the Du Canes, according to local registers, seems to boast the longest continuous ownership in the entire borough, except of course, Kensington Palace.”

The property Caroline refers to is Hanover Lodge (14 Lansdowne Road), a large handsome house in the heart of leafy W11. Perhaps stung by the thought of breaking the lineage, the keen genealogist Leslie interrupts. “Well quite frankly, the house needed the change. It has been in Alison’s family since 1855 and I’ve just hit 60,” he protests with a grin.

Both launch into a description of how stressful moving house is meant to be. Leslie, a Wykehamist with a penchant for history (especially local), is

PROPERTY

to all intents and purposes a scholar (he is off to see the historian Antony Beevor after this meeting). This meant just one factor in the move, books, were measured not in their hundreds, but thousands. “We had no idea who to turn to when we decided to move,” Alison recalls. “But Caroline’s name rolled off the tongue of our closest friends.” Leslie finishes off her sentence, a manoeuvre only the most accomplished couple can pull off. “And we are so glad we did. Caroline’s exemplary attention to detail and service meant everything was taken care of.”

After almost 40 years at Hanover Lodge, the knowledge Leslie and Alison have of the area is encyclopaedic. A throwaway reference I make to Leslie’s swimming sessions in the Serpentine being “bracing” soon has him referencing the artist John Hassall, the Butlins poster he designed, and his residence near St Peter’s Church.

This is a topic that leads him on to the fact that both churches on the hill, St Peter’s and St John’s, had once wanted the same location there but both with different designs. A compromise had to be reached where one received the site, and the other their desired design.

This isn’t dry second-hand knowledge either. Both Leslie and Alison have immersed themselves in church and community. Alison lists her husband’s posts from church warden to school governor. “We have certainly ‘done our time’,” Leslie chuckles. “I think I’m most proud of setting up the Ladbroke Players, an amateur theatre group,” Alison reckons. But she’s being

From left/Alison Du Cane, Leslie Du Cane, Caroline Foord and Henry Hopwood-Phillips

“We are so glad we approached Caroline Foord. Her exemplary attention to detail and service meant everything was taken care of” modest. When she recalls the heavyweight numbers of Bach and Verdi she’s performed in her numerous choir groups, she neglects to mention the fact that professional orchestras formed the accompaniment until prompted.

To pretend all’s been plain-sailing would be misleading, however. Both were living “in a cupboard with a family of mice” according to Leslie, before Alison’s professorial great-aunt died. They were allowed to play caretakers to Hanover Lodge by her father, who later agreed that they could buy it bit by bit. “Our first investment was not the grandest plot in the world,” Leslie remembers. “In fact it was fit mostly for growing mushrooms in!”

But both knew they wanted to live in Notting Hill. “Of course my mother was worried at first,” Leslie announces, recalling the glory days of 1977.

“Back then it was associated with Peter Rachman (an exploitative landlord) and the race riots. But I think what we have here is generally regarded as the most successful 19th century urban design for suburban living.”

I probe him on what exactly makes it special. “We have around 23 common gardens in the area. It was Martial, the Roman epigrammist, who first coined the phrase rus in urbe (countryside in the city) and Notting Hill All photography: Sarel Jansen

159

property

has achieved it. Of course it’s been a bumpy ride to get there but Simon Jenkins delivered a great lecture a few years ago on how Notting Hill is finally achieving its grand Victorian designs.”

“When do you feel things got back on track with this vision?” Caroline asks. “Was it something to do with the ‘Big Bang’ in the City? Were Americans realising they could have all the benefits of central London without the cost?”

Alison isn’t sure. “There was certainly an upsurge in Americans around then but the majority were tenants, not owners,” she recollects.

“The late 1990s stick more in the mind, perhaps because the Notting Hill film came out and the label was catapulted from a casual reference into the sort

“The world is finally starting to recognise that Notting Hill is something special” of location friends would coo about.” Leslie notes that its writer, Richard Curtis, still lives in the area and Caroline tells me how Knight Frank sold the chapel, just behind the famous blue door – the place where Curtis wrote most of the film.

It’s not just the film though. Notting Hill shares the architecture of Belgravia and Mayfair but displays a quirkier spirit. It is an enclave with a real community, not a rhetorical one. “Yes, I think the world is finally starting to recognise that Notting Hill is something special,” Leslie hushes his voice. “But I think the residents knew that a long time ago.”

Knight Frank, 294 Westbourne Grove, W11 2PS, 020 7229 0229 nottinghill@knightfrank.com

160

PROPERTY

Village in the City Chelsea has consistently attracted discerning residents for centuries thanks to its stunning architecture, blankets of green space and rich culture, as Hannah Lemon finds out

Of the 2,965 acres that form Chelsea, Russell Simpson highlighted in a recent report that the area is not one district but six micro-markets.

Each have their own features, buyer profiles and top addresses. The area comprises: Old Chelsea, Burton Court, Chelsea Green, Chelsea Town, The Boltons and West Chelsea. Figures from Lonres show that, in the 12 months up to April 2014, 57 prime properties valued over £5 million have sold in Chelsea, averaging £2,396 per square foot, outselling Kensington.

A variety of high-profile people have resided in Chelsea in the past including Sir Thomas More, Oscar Wilde and Elizabeth Gaskell. Once described as the ‘Village of Palaces’, it was home to grand buildings and attractive public gardens, including the residence of King Henry VIII, who built a grand manor house on Chelsea Manor Street in 1536, which was also the childhood residence of Queen Elizabeth I. Currently modern figures, such as Roman Abramovich, Amanda Eliasch and Mick Jagger can be seen enjoying the views.

Chelsea’s current population (158,000) is now made up largely of international residents. Chelsea Town is the most popular with overseas buyers, including Saudi Arabians, Africans, Russians and Chinese. According to Alan Russell of Russell Simpson, “Chelsea Town is focused around the north side of the King’s Road, stretching along most of its entirety. The array of high-end boutiques, art galleries and Michelin-starred restaurants based along the King’s Road attracts wealthy internationals who enjoy having luxury on their doorstep.”

Old Chelsea has been an area popular with the wealthy throughout history. It was first used as a residential base for the Saxon maritime industry, transporting chalk from the River Thames; then a residential base for royals and their advisors; and later for producing the world famous Chelsea China before the porcelain works on Lawrence Street closed in the 18th Century. Old Church Street also boasts the second largest private garden area in London, only behind Buckingham Palace.

Burton Court is the Chelsea Intellectual Quarter according to Russell Simpson. Various art galleries, including the Saatchi Gallery, and the vast green space of Ranelagh Gardens and Burtons Court green provide a calm retreat from busy inner city life. Properties in Burton Court are well served by an array of social activities including the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show and sports fixtures on the pitches around Chelsea Royal Hospital.

Chelsea Green, located in the north east corner of Chelsea is described as a “village within the city” by Russell Simpson. Local outlets such as

The Clock House in Chelsea Town

butchers, fishmongers and restaurants, based around Elystan Street, produce a traditional village ambience and sense of local community.

The Boltons is one of the most expensive micro-markets in Chelsea (house prices average between £5 – 80 million and flats between £1 – 10 million).

Providing large private garden spaces, terraced gardens and garden squares, properties in The Boltons are perfect for families, with strong transport links to the West of England (A4, M4) for weekend breaks, as well as easy connections into Central London.

Popular with young affluent Chelsea residents, West Chelsea is the home of “The Chelsea Beach”, a stretch of bars and restaurants along Fulham Road. It is within close proximity to Earl’s Court, providing strong transport links into the city. But it is also the most underpriced micro-market; houses range from £2 – 10 million and flats from £500,000 – £4 million.

With offices in a prime Chelsea location, Russell Simpson is a premium estate agent of the area, possessing astute local knowledge of affluent West London, with the team able to provide a personally tailored service for all clients.

Russell Simpson; 020 7225 0277 russellsimpson.co.uk

Chelsea Park Gardens in West Chelsea

Durham Cottage in Burton Court

161

Savills only concentrates on one type of property.

Yours.

Whatever type of home you live in, we’ll apply Savills characteristic breadth of market knowledge and experience to selling or letting it.

If it’s time to sell or let, talk to Savills.

savills.co.uk

SA78051 Kensington and Chelsea Mag Sold DPS.indd 1

03/09/2014 17:21

SA7

Just a few of the properties where we have made a big difference for our clients.

Sold

Sold

Sold

edWaRdeS SquaRe, W8 guide £6.95 miLLion

eaton teRRace, SW1 guide £6.65 miLLion

noRthumBeRLand PLace, W2 guide £5.5 miLLion

Sold

Sold

Sold

Lamont Road, SW10 guide £4.5 miLLion

hoLLand PaRK, W11 aSKing £1.6 miLLion

WetheRBy manSionS, SW5 guide £1.595 miLLion

let

let

let

academy gaRdenS, W8 guide £2,900 PeR WeeK

cadogan SquaRe, SW1 guide £2,750 PeR WeeK

the BaynaRdS, W2 guide £1,100 PeR WeeK

let

let

let

onSLoW gaRdenS, SW7 guide £995 PeR WeeK

LancaSteR gate, W2 guide £750 PeR WeeK

FuLham Road, SW10 guide £550 PeR WeeK

to discuss your property requirements further, call our team on 020 7877 4640.

17:21

SA78051 Kensington and Chelsea Mag Sold DPS.indd 2

03/09/2014 17:21

savills.co.uk

1 IMMACULATE FAMILY HOUSE WITH GARDEN AND OFF-STREET PARKING abbotsbury close, w14 Reception/kitchen/dining room ø drawing room ø master bedroom suite ø 3 further bedrooms ø further bathroom ø cellar ø garden ø off-street parking ø 178 sq m (1,920 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Savills Kensington Sarah Birch sbirch@savills.com

020 7535 3300 Guide £3.25 million Freehold

savills.co.uk

1 EXCEPTIONALLY WIDE LOW-BUILT HOUSE WITH BEAUTIFUL GARDEN aubrey road, w8 Entrance hall ø 2 reception rooms ø study ø kitchen/dining/family room ø 4 bedrooms ø bedroom 5/playroom ø 4 bath/shower rooms ø cloakroom ø utility room ø garage ø terrace ø south-west facing garden ø 306 sq m (3,295 sq ft) ø EPC=D Price on application Freehold

Savills Kensington Johnny Fuller jlfuller@savills.com

020 7535 3300

savills.co.uk

1 CHARMING FAMILY HOUSE WITH A WEST-FACING GARDEN kildare terrace, w2 Double reception room ø study ø dining room ø kitchen ø master bedroom with dressing room and en suite bathroom ø 5 further bedrooms ø 2 further bath/shower rooms ø conservatory ø guest cloakroom ø terrace ø garden ø 253 sq m (2,725 sq ft) ø EPC=E Guide £4.6 million Freehold

Savills Notting Hill Oliver Lurot olurot@savills.com

020 7727 5750

savills.co.uk

1 RARE OPPORTUNITY IN THIS PRESTIGIOUS LOCATION kensington park gardens, w11 Grade II listed ø currently arranged as 4 apartments ø potential to convert to a house subject to planning permission (due imminently) ø direct access to communal gardens ø 354 sq m (3,802 sq ft) Guide £8.5 million Freehold

Savills Notting Hill Oliver Lurot olurot@savills.com

020 7727 5750

1 2

savills.co.uk

QUANT HOUSE, sw10

MILLINER HOUSE, sw10

Reception room/dining room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 2 bedroom suites ø guest cloakroom ø lift ø porter ø resident's parking ø 136 sq m (1,470 sq ft) ø EPC=E

Open plan reception room/kitchen ø 2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø shower room ø lift ø concierge ø parking ø 77 sq m (830 sq ft) ø EPC=B

Guide £1.75 million Share of Freehold

Guide £1.08 million Leasehold

Savills Chelsea bharvey@savills.com 020 7578 9000

Savills Chelsea bharvey@savills.com 020 7578 9000

BRAMHAM GARDENS, sw5

QUEEN'S MEWS, w2

Open plan reception room/kitchen ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom ø further bedroom ø shower room ø roof terrace ø 77 sq m (828 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Entrance hall/study area ø open plan reception room/kitchen ø 2 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø terrace ø garage ø 136 sq m (1,461 sq ft) ø EPC=G

Guide £1.395 million Share of Freehold

Guide £2 million Freehold

Savills Chelsea bharvey@savills.com 020 7578 9000

Savills Notting Hill dpetrie@savills.com 020 7727 5750

3 4

1 2

savills.co.uk

GLOUCESTER SQUARE, w2

WOLFE HOUSE, w14

Reception room ø kitchen/dining room ø 3 en suite bedrooms ø guest cloakroom ø courtyard ø 175 sq m (1,886 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Open plan reception room/kitchen ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom ø further bedroom ø shower room ø 24 hour concierge ø underground parking ø spa and leisure facilities ø 106 sq m (1,145 sq ft) ø EPC=B

Guide £2.75 million Leasehold JSA: Hamptons

Asking £1.95 million Leasehold

Savills Notting Hill bdavies@savills.com 020 7727 5750

Savills Kensington sholmes@savills.com 020 7535 3300

MAPLE LODGE, w8

PALACE GATE, w8

Reception room/dining room ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom ø further bedroom ø family bathroom ø underground parking ø communal gardens ø gym ø 24 hour porter ø 108 sq m (1,161 sq ft) ø EPC=B

Entrance hall ø reception room ø kitchen ø master bedroom suite ø further bedroom ø shower room ø lift ø 96 sq m (1,039 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Asking £2.475 million Share of Freehold JSA: Jo Webster

Guide £2 million Leasehold

Savills Kensington sholmes@savills.com 020 7535 3300

Savills Kensington tholcroft@savills.com 020 7535 3300

3 4

savills.co.uk

1 RECENTLY REFURBISHED FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR DUPLEX redcliffe place, sw10 Kitchen/reception room ø master bedroom with en suite bathroom ø second bedroom with en suite shower room ø study ø guest cloakroom ø roof terrace ø resident's parking ø 106 sq m (1,136 sq ft) ø EPC=C Price on application Leasehold, plus Share of Freehold

Savills Chelsea Alice Pearson-Wright apwright@savills.com

020 7578 9000

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

1

METICULOUSLY REFURBISHED GRADE II LISTED END-OF-TERRACE HOUSE selwood place, sw7 Master bedroom suite ø 4 further bedrooms (2 en suite) ø further bathrooms ø 2 reception rooms ø dining room ø separate eat in kitchen ø utility room ø internal courtyard ø garden ø 311 sq m (3,351 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D

Savills Chelsea Oliver Mellotte omellotte@savills.com

020 7578 9020

Unfurnished £4,750 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

1 2

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

GROVE HOUSE, w14

ROYAL CRESCENT, w11

Bedroom ø bathroom ø reception room ø seprarte kitchen ø furnished ø 57 sq m (623 sq ft) ø Council Tax=E ø EPC=C

3 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø further bathroom ø reception room ø separate kitchen ø roof terrace ø communal gardens ø 117 sq m (1,259 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D

Furnished £575 per week

Unfurnished £895 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Kensington lgood@savills.com 020 7535 3333

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Notting Hill mkscott@savills.com 020 7535 3333

PALACE COURT, w2

CHARLES HOUSE, w14

3 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø reception room ø eat-in kitchen ø patio ø newly refurbished ø 103 sq m (1,110 sq ft) ø Council Tax=F ø EPC=C

Bedroom ø reception room ø open plan kitchen ø bathroom ø lift ø porter ø swimming pool and lesiure facilities ø 75 sq m (814 sq ft) ø Council Tax=F ø EPC=B

£900 per week

Furnished £750 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Notting Hill ndennis@savills.com 020 7727 5751

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Kensington lgood@savills.com 020 7535 3333

3 4

*£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

L L O

1 2

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

PRINCES GARDENS, sw7

ENSOR MEWS, sw7

2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø shower room ø reception room ø separate kitchen ø lift ø parking (by separate negotiation) ø 88 sq m (947 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=B

2 bedroom suites ø reception room ø open plan kitchen ø garage ø communal gardens via separate negotiation ø 111 sq m (1,195 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=C

Furnished £895 per week

Unfurnished £1,250 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Knightsbridge tsutton@savills.com 020 7590 5079

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Chelsea omellotte@savills.com 020 7578 9020

LENNOX GARDENS, sw1

PHILBEACH GARDENS, sw5

Bedroom ø bathroom ø reception room ø eat-in kitchen ø communal gardens access ø 58 sq m (631 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=E

2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø further bathroom ø reception room ø open plan kitchen ø balcony ø period features ø 64 sq m (694 sq ft) ø Council Tax=F ø EPC=C

Furnished £895 per week

Furnished £650 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Knightsbridge tsutton@savills.com 020 7590 5079

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Chelsea stiarks@savills.com 020 7578 9011

3 4

*£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

So or sold 020 7221 1117 hello@crayson.com 10 Lambton Place, W11 2SH

ld, ier on?

If your property hasn’t sold, it may have been priced inappropriately, marketed poorly, or a bit of both.

So what are you going to do?

Do you soldier on?

Or shall we put the kettle on?

Ravensbrook House Ravenscourt Park W12 Through the looking glass: from urban cool to hidden rural bliss in one easy step.

Any house can be a family house, but for true inter-generational living, you need some proper space - hard to come by in Central London.

Joint Sole Agent 020 7221 1117 hello@crayson.com 10 Lambton Place, W11 2SH Savills 020 8987 5550

-

Three reception rooms

-

Kitchen/dining room

-

Master bedroom suite/ dressing room

-

Three further bedrooms, one ensuite

-

Family bathroom

-

Laundry room & study

-

182 ft garden, summer house

-

Off-street parking

-

Hammersmith & Fulham

-

3778 sq ft / 350.9 sq metres EPC Rating Band D

-

Guide Price ÂŁ3.75 million Freehold

The Organ Factory Swanscombe Road, Holland Park W11 A groovily redesigned factory with chameleon tendencies, it could still be anything that you want it to be‌ This has been through a few manifestations since the organ producing years, and the current one uses the massive space to provide a funky modern home for either a big family or a couple who entertain extensively.

Sole Agent 020 7221 1117 hello@crayson.com 10 Lambton Place, W11 2SH

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Two reception rooms

-

Kitchen/dining room

-

Master bedroom suite

-

One further bedroom suite

-

Three further bedrooms

-

Two further bathrooms

-

Gym

-

Utility room

-

Cloakroom

-

Garden & outbuildings

-

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

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4,590 sq ft / 426.4 sq m EPC Rating Band D

-

Price on application Freehold

Pembroke Square Kensington W8 A big house for sale in perfect Pembroke Square – beautiful, elegant, quiet and, of course, extremely well located.

On the western side of the square, this Grade II listed house is found on one of the prettiest squares in Kensington, giving it some fairly hefty square footage and an epic double reception room on the ground floor.

Joint Sole Agent 020 7221 1117 hello@crayson.com 10 Lambton Place, W11 2SH Savills 020 7535 3302

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Double reception room

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Kitchen/dining room

-

Master bedroom suite

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Two ensuite bedrooms

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One further bedroom/ one further bathroom

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Dressing room/study

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Direct access to the garage (garage available by arrangement)

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Utility room

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Wine cellars

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Front and back gardens

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Terrace

-

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

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3,034 sq ft / 281.9 sq m EPC Rating Band E

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Guide Price ÂŁ5.95 million Freehold

Newton Road Notting Hill W2 Beware imminent onset of chronic house envy - a flat that caters for both the isolationist or the extremely sociable.

-

Reception room

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Roof terrace

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Kitchen/dining room

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City of Westminster

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Master bedroom suite

-

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One further bedroom

1,318 sq ft / 122.4 sq m EPC Rating Band D

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Shower room

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Guide Price ÂŁ2.3 million Leasehold (102 years remaining)

-

Cloakroom/utility room

Sole Agent 020 7221 1117 hello@crayson.com 10 Lambton Place, W11 2SH

Campden Hill Road Notting Hill W2 A great family house – completely redone with all the mod-cons – house seeking new owners as the current ones are off to LA!

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Double reception room

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Study

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Kitchen/dining room/family room

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Media room

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Master bedroom suite

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Kensington & Chelsea

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Two further bedrooms (one ensuite)

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2,490 sq ft / 231.3 sq m EPC Rating Band F

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One further shower room

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Guide Price £3.65 million Freehold

Sole Agent 020 7221 1117 hello@crayson.com 10 Lambton Place, W11 2SH

Sell.

020 7221 1117 hello@crayson.com 10 Lambton Place, W11 2SH

Or bye.

At Crayson, we don’t tie our clients into a contract. So if we don’t sell your property, you’re free to walk away.

A case of the agent who knows London like the back of our hands, being happy to just shake hands.

The Prime Time Director of Prime Sales at Marsh & Parsons, Keith Gorny, offers up his predictions on the luxury property market during the upcoming months of political change. Hannah Lemon reports Keith Gorny is a busy man, but with his track record this is to be expected. Even as we settle down in one of the meeting rooms in the Marsh & Parsons office on Kensington Church Street, he apologises for the whirring his phone makes on the table. He has spent the last 20 years gaining experience in the luxury property market, along with balancing his role as dad to two young children in his Fulham family home, and now heads up the prime sales department. With two offices in Richmond and East Sheen opening this month, Marsh & Parsons now has 22 offices in prime London locations, with more on the way. Keith Gorny tells me of the important part prime sales plays in this expansion.

Photography by: Sarel Jansen

What is the role of the prime sales department?

Principally, the department looks after sales in excess of £6 million in Kensington and Chelsea and parts of Westminster. Marsh & Parsons decided that it would benefit clients to move top-end sales out of the branches and concentrate the talents of senior agents through a specialised department. It has been running for about a year and a half, during which time the bulk of our sales have been between £6 and £20 million.

What is the difference between a prime sales service and a regular sales service?

Flexibility more than anything else. The prime sales department provides much more of a bespoke service and is retained in a number of searches as well as sales. A buyer or a vendor provides a brief and then we look to realise it by tailoring our activity to suit their specific requirements.

Discretion and privacy is valued at this end of the market; I would say that approximately 80 per cent of transactions conducted this year haven’t received any advertising. The department works through a network, word of mouth and talking to old clients. Each of the team has a portfolio of property courtesy of their time in the industry; we often arrange sales by approaching old clients with buyers whose search criteria closely matches their property.

Advertising certainly has its place in a regular sales service but for prime sales, vendors may be nervous about showing a price.

Is it a buyers or sellers market?

I don’t think you can really talk in general terms for prime sales. It’s like a rare piece of art; I think it comes down to how much someone wants something and how much someone wants to sell. Vendors will only sell if they hit a targeted price. If buyers have been looking for four or five years, the price is clearly a consideration, but they are not going to resent paying a premium for the right property.

How has this year been for prime sales at Marsh & Parsons?

From an income perspective it’s been our best ever year. We have conducted sales at precedent prices on Argyll Road, Addison Gardens, Pembridge Place, Stanley Crescent, Lansdowne Crescent and Clarendon Road to name but a few.

What is the demographic of buyer?

We deal predominantly with Victorian stock in the Royal Borough, which tends to be the reserve of British buyers, American buyers, continental Europeans and a few Eastern Europeans. British buyers have always been part of the market. In percentage terms it is pretty much the same as how it’s always been; buyers from further afield – the Far East and Middle East – mainly buy into new developments. The demographic hasn’t changed that much since the 70s.

Why do you think people are drawn to central London?

Prime Central London certainly appeals to the family market with the level of education it provides; it’s a cultural centre with plenty of world-class shopping and restaurants. London is unusual in that it’s the place to be for so many professions in the UK, whether it’s law, finance, media or the arts. London has it all in one place; if you are doing well in any given profession you are going to spend some time in London because the infrastructure is here.

PROPERTY

As well as your knowledge of the borough, do you keep up with global changes?

The London market is influenced by so many factors. There haven’t been as many transactions as there were before 2008 and there always seems to be a level of uncertainty around the corner, whether that’s intrusive tax legislation, mansion tax or political uncertainty. However, sometimes it has the opposite affect; times of uncertainty can result in people rushing into what they think is a blue chip commodity – bricks and mortar in central London. The currency play, interest rates and job security in the City all have a bearing. But there is always someone somewhere making money and invariably that someone wants a place in London.

There is a lot of talk about property tax; in your view what would the best solution be?

I think tax has become more intrusive worldwide and unless people are happy to take the risk of parking money in a less secure environment, they are going to be paying more tax. I hope UK policy isn’t too out of step with what’s happening in America and continental Europe or else London will miss out.

People are able to move their funds around; if it becomes overly expensive in a particular area they will just leave. We don’t want to see a mass exodus.

Marsh & Parsons can do deals in a matter of hours. More often than not it’s just about the correct preparation.

Do you have a clear direction of where London is going?

The areas that have shown the greatest level of capital appreciation over the last year are south of the river. In part that’s down to lower interest rates, a feature of the market that is likely to change. London is still creating jobs, our IT sector is booming as is the legal sector, and while financial services are changing shape it is still a big industry that has had a good year. It’s a positive place to be.

Marsh & Parsons; 9 Kensington Church Street, W8 4LF; 020 7368 4450 marshandparsons.co.uk

Is the luxury market as affected by Bank of England base rates?

If Sterling becomes more expensive as a result of interest rates rising it becomes more expensive to buy London property in Euros and Dollars. One of the reasons we bounced back so quickly after 2007 was because Sterling took a hit; it became cheap if you were buying in any other currency. Today, more hurdles need to be overcome if you are financing through the private banks. Government policy has been designed to kill off rampant capital growth without raising interest rates and they’ve done that by slowing credit down. If buyers look at a mortgage in excess of £2 million, regardless of capital wealth, they will encounter delays.

What are your projections for the next few months?

The most pressing concern (at the time of going to press) is Scotland leaving the union, which will disrupt Sterling. The London market needs to get through that before looking at the general election, where, invariably, mansion tax will become the political football. Although, I think the majority of people recognise that it is difficult to implement; the valuation process will be very drawn out and litigious. A general election will invariably slow down the market; the market doesn’t like uncertainty.

What frustrates you about the property market?

Lenders are unsure as to how to react to new, ever-changing rules and regulations, which is frustrating for buyers in particular. People who are more entrepreneurial, with an income that reflects this, are being prevented from entering the market, which seems to be the opposite of what we are trying to create in the UK – a workforce that is agile and creative. But I do think there is a lot to be said for our system. If clients have solicitors lined up and they are prepped properly, estate agents can move very quickly in the UK –

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Opening doors in London since 1856 From the moment you walk through one of our doors, you’ll only deal with someone who lives and breathes your local property market.

Someone who knows exactly which buttons to press to sell or let your home. And someone who understands that determination and integrity will open more doors for you than any other approach.

So why not visit one of our 22 London offices? As we’ve been saying since 1856, our door’s always open...

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Local know-how. Better results.

Askew Road

Battersea

Camden

Earls Court

Hammersmith

Little Venice

Notting Hill

Balham

Bishops Park

Chelsea

East Sheen

Holland Park

Marylebone

Pimlico & Westminster

Barnes

Brook Green

Clapham

Fulham

Kensington

North Kensington

South Kensington

Ladbroke Gardens W11 £9,500,000 A Thomas Allom designed house of magnificent proportions with a large private garden that provides direct access to beautiful communal gardens. Moments from Westbourne Grove in the heart of Notting Hill, this imposing seven-bedroom house offers some of the grandest reception rooms in Notting Hill. The house is well presented throughout with a beautiful aspect and an independent apartment on the lower floor. Freehold. EPC=E. Joint Sole Agent.

PRIME SALES: 020 7368 4197 PrimeSales@marshandparsons.co.uk

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SALES

See all of our properties online: marshandparsons.co.uk

Bark Place W2 £5,495,000 This beautiful house provides over 3,000 sqft of living space, a westerly aspect garden and a separate mews house. The property boasts fabulous raised ground floor reception space that galleries over the lower floor, a fantastic kitchen/dining room and an additional reception room. The bedroom accommodation includes a large master suite, two further double bedrooms served by a bathroom and an attached mews house providing independent living accommodation and off street parking. Freehold. EPC=D. Joint Sole Agent.

PRIME SALES: 020 7368 4197 PrimeSales@marshandparsons.co.uk

The Negotiator Awards 2013 (for the 2nd year running!)

Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year 2013 - Gold (for the 2nd year running!)

Community Champion of the Year

Best London Estate Agency

The Negotiator Awards 2013 - Silver

Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year 2013 (Medium) - Gold (for the 4th year running!)

Lonsdale Road W11 £3,950,000 Having integrated a floor of the neighbouring property this beautifully refurbished, central Notting Hill house now offers exceptional lateral space. Both the formal and informal reception space benefit from excellent aspects with great natural light while the generous bedroom accommodation includes a fabulous master suite, a guest suite (with an independent entrance) and two further double bedrooms served by a large bathroom. A courtyard garden, roof terrace and spectacular roof garden complete this house. Freehold. Joint Sole Agents.

PRIME SALES: 020 7368 4197 PrimeSales@marshandparsons.co.uk

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SALES

See all of our properties online: marshandparsons.co.uk

Holland Street W8 £4,950,000 Occupying approximately 2,755 sqft, this magnificent Georgian house offers an exciting opportunity to acquire a charming sixbedroom Grade II listed property In need of modernisation. The upper floors of the house provide beautiful views over St Mary Abbot’s Church and beyond and there’s a pretty walled garden to the rear. Holland Street is ideally placed for all the shops, bars and restaurants of Kensington High Street and Notting Hill. Freehold. EPC=E. Sole Agents.

KENSINGTON: 020 7368 4450 sales.kns@marshandparsons.co.uk

Local know-how. Better results.

Askew Road

Battersea

Camden

Earls Court

Hammersmith

Little Venice

Notting Hill

Balham

Bishops Park

Chelsea

East Sheen

Holland Park

Marylebone

Pimlico & Westminster

Barnes

Brook Green

Clapham

Fulham

Kensington

North Kensington

South Kensington

Pembroke Square SW7 £4,500,000 A rare opportunity to acquire an un-modernised, five-bedroom Grade II listed family house, positioned on the much-favoured western side of this elegant square. The house is set well back from the road and is approached via a front garden. To the rear there is a west facing terrace and lawned garden. In addition, there is the use of the tennis court on Pembroke Square and the right to a share in the Pembroke Square Freeholders’ Association Limited, which owns the freehold of most of the square. Freehold. EPC=E. Sole Agents.

KENSINGTON: 020 7368 4450 sales.kns@marshandparsons.co.uk

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Join us on Facebook: facebook.com/marshandparsons

Visit our YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/marshandparsons

SALES

See all of our properties online: marshandparsons.co.uk

Ladbroke Grove W10 £1,200,000 This beautiful property occupies the entire raised ground oor of an imposing corner building and boasts a private south westerly garden. Highlights include a stunning reception room with high ceilings, an open plan kitchen, a luxurious master bedroom with en suite bathroom, a second double bedroom and a well appointed bathroom. The property is accessed from leafy Bassett Road and is located close to Portobello Road, Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill. Share of Freehold. EPC=D. Sole Agents.

NORTH KENSINGTON: 020 7313 8350 sales.nkn@marshandparsons.co.uk

The Negotiator Awards 2013 (for the 2nd year running!)

Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year 2013 - Gold (for the 2nd year running!)

Community Champion of the Year

Best London Estate Agency

The Negotiator Awards 2013 - Silver

Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year 2013 (Medium) - Gold (for the 4th year running!)

Durham Terrace W2 £1,645,000 A wonderful opportunity to acquire a raised ground and lower ground floor maisonette with a garden, located in this hugely popular enclave of Notting Hill. The current layout boasts a fabulous open plan reception/dining room, a well-appointed kitchen overlooking the garden, a WC and a hallway leading directly to the garden. The lower floor comprises a large master bedroom and a second double bedroom, both of which are en suite. Leasehold. EPC=D. Sole Agents.

NOTTING HILL: 020 7313 2890 sales.not@marshandparsons.co.uk

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SALES

See all of our properties online: marshandparsons.co.uk

Royal Crescent W11 £945,000 This bright one-bedroom apartment is located in a prime position on Holland Park’s beautiful Royal Crescent, with it’s main reception room in one of the crescent’s landmark end-of-terrace turrets. The accommodation features stunning entertaining space, a separate eat-in kitchen, a wonderful master bedroom with en suite bathroom and a guest cloakroom. Royal Crescent is ideally located moments from the fantastic array of cafés, shops and restaurants on Holland Park Avenue. Share of Freehold. EPC=D. Sole Agents.

HOLLAND PARK: 020 7605 6890 sales.hol@marshandparsons.co.uk

LOOKING TO BUY, SELL, RENT OR LET?

L S

SOUTH SOUTHKENSINGTON KENSINGTON

KENSINGTON KENSINGTON

NOTTING NOTTINGHILL HILL

KNIGHTSBRIDGE KNIGHTSBRIDGE

020 0207373 73735052 5052

020 0207727 77271500 1500

020 0207727 77273227 3227

020 0207589 75896616 6616

S

0

LOOKING TO BUY, SELL, RENT OR LET?

LONDON AND BEYOND, WE’VE GOT PROPERTY COVERED winkworth.co.uk winkworth.co.uk SOUTH KENSINGTON

KENSINGTON

NOTTING HILL

KNIGHTSBRIDGE

020 7373 5052

020 7727 1500

020 7727 3227

020 7589 6616

Earls Court Road, W8 ÂŁ1,250,000 Share of freehold A larger than average two bedroom flat (960 sq. ft./88 sq. m) situated on the third (top) floor of a broad Victorian terraced house. The entrance to the flat is located on the second floor with stairs up to the main accommodation. The large reception room faces west and has a square arch through to a kitchen/ breakfast room. Both double bedrooms are quietly situated to the rear overlooking the rear gardens of Lexham Gardens.

Second Floor Entrance | Reception Room | Kitchen/Breakfast Room | Master Bedroom | Further Bedroom | Bathroom | EPC: C

Scan this code to download the Winkworth iPhone app

winkworth.co.uk/kensington 020 7727 1500 kensington@winkworth.co.uk

See things differently.

Earls Court Road, W8 ÂŁ1,495,000, Leasehold A charming and very well-presented three bedroom maisonette (1082 sq ft/101 sq m) situated on the first and second floors of a period building. The property has a ground floor entrance with steps up to the living accommodation on the first floor which consists of a large drawing room with high ceilings leading through to a well-equipped kitchen. The three bedrooms are located on the top floor which are served by an en suite bathroom and a further bathroom.

Ground Floor Entrance | Drawing Room | Kitchen | Principal Bedroom with En Suite Bathroom | Two Further Bedrooms | Further Bathroom | Cloakroom | EPC: E

Scan this code to download the Winkworth iPhone app

winkworth.co.uk/kensington 020 7727 1500 kensington@winkworth.co.uk

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Chepstow Place, W2 ÂŁ3,750,000 Freehold A fabulous four storey house indulgently designed throughout to exacting standards. The house is laid out with extensive entertaining space in the form of an exceptional first floor drawing room, a beautifully decorated dining room on the ground floor and a large kitchen opening on to a lovely secluded garden.

Three Bedrooms | Four Reception Rooms | Kitchen | Dining Room | Two Bathrooms | WC | House | Garden | 2,090 Approx Sq Ft | EPC rating E

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winkworth.co.uk/notting-hill 020 7727 3227 nottinghill@winkworth.co.uk

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LindEn Gardens, W2 £2,300,000 Leasehold An elegant, lateral apartment of 1426sqft (133sqm) spanning the top floor (with lift) of this beautifully maintained and elegant mansion building, undoubtedly one of Notting Hill’s finest. The apartment has been tastefully refurbished in a light, contemporary style and features a large reception space, a fabulous kitchen breakfast room and an unusually large master bedroom suite also.

Two Bedrooms | Double Reception Room | Kitchen | 2 Bathrooms | Upper Floor w/Lift | 1426 Approx Sq ft | EPC Rating D/E

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winkworth.co.uk/notting-hill 020 7727 3227 nottinghill@winkworth.co.uk

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SLOANE AVENUE, SW3 ÂŁ2,750,000 STC LEASEHOLD An extremely attractive ground and lower ground floor maisonette, occupying this premium position on Sloane Avenue, moments from the world famous Kings Road. Entered via a smart communal entrance, the property features wonderful proportions, with a large formal reception room granting access to a private raised terrace, perfect for entertaining. In addition, there is a generous master suite, with a separate walk-in dressing room and en-suite bathroom. Sloane Avenue is ideally placed to enjoy the wonderful array of shops, world class restaurants and boutiques that only Knightsbridge and Chelsea can offer.

Period Maisonette | Smart Communal Entrance | Entrance Hall | Reception Room | Eat-in Kitchen | Separate WC | Laundry Room | Master Bedroom Suite | Two Further Double Bedrooms | Family Bathroom | Study Alcove | 1,597 Sq Ft | Separate Lower Ground Floor Entrance | Private Raised Terrace | Qualification for RBKC Parking | EPC Rating E

Scan this code to download the Winkworth iPhone app

winkworth.co.uk/knightsbridge-chelsea 020 7589 6616 knightsbridge@winkworth.co.uk

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Beaufort Gardens SW3 ÂŁ1,200 per week A gorgeous three bedroom flat that has been thoughtfully modernised and benefits from wood flooring, feature fireplaces, excellent built in storage and high-end integrated appliances. Beaufort Gardens is a prime Knightsbridge location just off the Brompton Road and a short distance from the transport links of South Kensington or Knightsbridge.

Three Bedrooms | Two Receptions | Two Bathrooms | Period Penthouse Flat | Resident Parking | Furnished | 1,320 Approx Sq ft

Scan this code to download the Winkworth iPhone app

winkworth.co.uk/knightsbridge-chelsea 020 7589 6616 knightsbridge@winkworth.co.uk

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Cornwall Gardens, SW7 ÂŁ1,395,000 Share of Freehold A fantastic second floor two bedroom south facing apartment in this Grade II Listed stucco fronted house in Cornwall Gardens. The flat extends to 729 sq/ft (68sq/m) and benefits from a spacious full width reception room with three sash windows that provide uninterrupted views of the gardens to which the flat enjoys access. The accommodation comprises two bedrooms, bathroom, open plan kitchen and of particular note is a stunning roof terrace that offers 350 sq/ft (32.52sq/m) of private outside space which overlooks the picturesque street of Launceston Place.

Entrance Hall | Reception Room | Kitchen | Two Bedrooms | Bathroom | Roof Terrace | Access to Communal Gardens (STUC) | JSA John D Wood 020 7835 0000

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winkworth.co.uk/south-kensington 020 7373 5052 southkensington@winkworth.co.uk

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Bina Gardens, SW5 ÂŁ825 per week A superb flat which extends to 1,051 sq/ft (98 sq/m) located on the third and fourth floors of this period building. Benefitting from exceptional entertaining space, which includes a full width West facing reception room with an open plan kitchen and access to a wonderful terrace. In addition there are two double bedrooms, one of which benefits from an en-suite bathroom and the other with a separate shower room. The property is ideally located within a five minute walk of the many shops, restaurants and excellent transport links of both Gloucester Road and South Kensington.

Two Bedrooms | One Reception Room | Two Bathrooms | Third and Fourth Floor | Roof Terrace | Furnished

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winkworth.co.uk/south-kensington 020 7373 7370 5052 6767 southkensington@winkworth.co.uk

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PROPERTY

PrimeQResi

Property News

Journal of Prime Property

primeresi.com

PRIME RESI provides us with a comprehensive monthly round-up of key news about the local luxury property market

What Financial Crisis?

The financial crisis no longer dominates the fortunes of the prime London residential market. A looming general election and expectations of an interest rate rise have eclipsed the global economic meltdown as the primary factors affecting the top end of London’s property market, says Knight Frank, as it concurs that the number of new buyers has indeed plummeted.

The agency’s viewing and new applicant statistics have dropped by 15% and 20% respectively, but exchanges have remained “broadly flat” with just a 1% drop as annual price growth hits +8.1% in PCL and +12.1% in prime outer London. That +12.1% is almost double prime outer London’s ten-year average of +6.2%.

“Prices are not falling but buyers have become more wary,” says the estate agency’s Head of Residential Research Tom Bill. And it’s short-term matters – those interest rates and the prospect of new faces in Downing Street – that are driving this more cautious behaviour. “Such concerns are relatively

Annual growth by area and price bracket Annual % growth

15%

prosaic compared to the period between 2009 and 2012,” says Bill, “when the fallout from the collapse of Lehman Brothers sparked inflows into London property from global investors seeking a safe investment.”

There’s also the perception of price correction to throw into the mix.

Knight Frank’s Sentiment Survey showed that householders’ expectations of future growth are coming down a touch, but the agency’s own forecasts are even less bullish about the short term, predicting 0% growth next year – although a strong cumulative +20% is pencilled in by 2018.

“It is also worth emphasising that price growth in Prime Central London has already been moderating for more than two years,” notes the agency: annual growth for £5m+ homes has been in single digits and falling since those Stamp Duty Land Tax changes in March 2012. And price performance has been far from uniform across the capital over the last few years, with pockets of “toppy” growth balancing more subdued enclaves across Prime Central and Prime Outer London.

Caution grew in prime London... but so did prices

Prime Central London (whole market)

Prime Outer London (whole market)

PCL £10m - Plus

POL £10m - Plus

+9.5% DAYS ON MARKET

12% 9% 6%

EXCHANGES -1% VIEWINGS -14.5%

3%

NEW APPLICANTS -19.7%

12.1% 8.1%

PRIME CENTRAL LONDON

PRIME OUTER LONDON

0% Source: Knight Frank Residential Research

Hostel for Sale “Iconic” 420-bed Earls Court hostel hits the market for £27.5m. A mega-instruction of four interlinked Victorian houses spanning Barkston Gardens and Courtfield Gardens has just become available at a smidgen over £800 per square foot.

Before you get too excited, the prestigiously-located properties are currently employed as one of the capital’s largest hostels – complete with a turnover of around £2m and enough beds for 420 weary travellers – although it looks like there’s planning in place to convert at least one of the houses (no 9 Courtfield) back into resi.

Weighing in at a whopping 34,000 square feet over 17 combined floors, the entire 71-room block has been put on by Foxtons for £27.5m and it’s bound to pique the interest of a few developers and investors, given its position by one of London’s finest garden squares and within striking distance of High Street Kensington, South Kensington and Earls Court.

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Barkston Gardens Image courtesy of: primelocation.com

Tom Straker

Olivia Higginson

Head Chef, New Toms

Dedicated Flats Team Agent

Some Others to Notting Hill sell flats. folk were born to cook.

Alas, Olivia’s in the second bracket.

But fortunately for you, she’s extraordinarily good at it. As part of the only dedicated flats team in Notting Hill, she knows her market and offers an unparalleled service.

So if you’re craving tuna ceviche, Tom’s your man, but if you’re looking to buy or sell, speak to Olivia.

303 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2QA 0207 221 1111 | struttandparker.com

38577_02_S&P_NottingHill_Folk_NottingHill&HollandParkMag_297x210_Chef_v1.indd 1

03/09/2014 15:22

180 grams canned tuna calorie in spring water SUTHERLAND PLACE, W2 ÂŁ5,000,000 Freehold

A very attractive Grade II Listed five-bedroom property with immense character and charm.

Located within the much sought after Artesian Village, this mid-terrace house is classic in design and perfectly suited to a large family.

Sutherland Place is a peaceful tree-lined street close to Westbourne Grove. epc = f -

Bright double reception room Kitchen/dining/sitting room First-floor master bedroom suite Four additional double bedrooms Front and rear gardens Approx 223 sq m (2,400 sq ft)

Domus Nova Bayswater 78 Westbourne Grove W2 020 7221 7817 bayswater@domusnova.com

ST LUKES MEWS, W11

ÂŁ3,000,000 Freehold

An extraordinary mews house stunningly refurbished by architect Fossey Arora.

A very clever, versatile design enabling superb living space plus a large roof garden. With brilliant interior design throughout, this luxurious home is situated in one of Notting Hill’s most iconic addresses. epc = d -

Large open-plan reception room Second reception room/snug Stunning master bedroom suite Two additional bedrooms Roof garden Approx 139.4 sq m (1,500 sq ft)

GLOUCESTER MEWS WEST, W2 ÂŁ2,250,000 Freehold

A modern and stylishly presented threebedroom house with bright and wellproportioned rooms, perfect for entertaining.

Centrally located and close to Paddington station (Heathrow Express) and Hyde Park, this immaculate house is also near the West End and fashionable Notting Hill. epc = d -

Bright reception room Kitchen/dining room Three double bedrooms Rear garden Integral garage Approx 118 sq m (1,272 sq ft)

Domus Nova Bayswater 78 Westbourne Grove W2 020 7221 7817 bayswater@domusnova.com

LEINSTER MEWS, W2

ÂŁ2,295,000 Freehold

A fantastic three-bedroom mews house that has been skilfully reconfigured to create a contemporary yet charming home.

Located moments from Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, Leinster Mews is also within easy reach to Westbourne Grove and Notting Hill. epc = f -

Bright reception room Bespoke kitchen/dining room Top-floor en-suite master bedroom Two additional double bedrooms Cobbled mews Approx 132 sq m (1,429 sq ft)

HENRIETTA STREET, WC2 £4,950 per week – admin fees apply* Long let A stunning four-bedroom property exquisitely designed and finished by Kelly Hoppen Interiors.

Arranged over the second and third floors of an imposing Victorian building in the heart of Covent Garden, this sublime home has been finished to the highest standard. epc = d *

Three defined lounge areas Contemporary Smallbone kitchen Sizeable master suite Three additional bedrooms Fantastic galleried walkway Approx 240.50 sq m (2,589 sq ft) domusnova.com/administrationfees

Domus Nova Notting Hill 17 Kensington Park Road W11 020 7727 1717 nottinghill@domusnova.com

w ST QUINTIN AVENUE, W10

£2,950 per week – admin fees apply* Long let A fabulous five-bedroom family home situated on a tree-lined street in North Kensington.

Encompassing five floors and offering two large reception spaces, a 47ft garden and a large vaulted attic media room, this is a family home with a bohemian twist. epc = e *

Inviting reception room Contemporary kitchen/dining space Three bedrooms Off-street parking 47ft garden Approx 120 sq m (1,300 sq ft) domusnova.com/administrationfees

PORTOBELLO ROAD, W11 £3,500 per week – admin fees apply* Long let An awe-inspiring property presenting a magical and liberating space that defies the norms of a domestic interior.

Envisaged by architect Ab Rogers and featuring trademark floor designs by Richard Woods, this outstanding home is a showcase of cool contemporary design. epc = f *

Generous reception/cinema room Open-plan kitchen/dining space Three bedrooms (two en suite) Media room/fourth bedroom South-west facing roof garden Approx. 315 sq m (3,396 sq ft) domusnova.com/administrationfees

Domus Nova Notting Hill 17 Kensington Park Road W11 020 7727 1717 nottinghill@domusnova.com

w ALEXANDER STREET, W2

£3,500 per week – admin fees apply* Long let A beautifully stylish townhouse on Notting Hill’s highly desirable Alexander Street.

This wonderful home demonstrates the owner’s unique creativity, marrying colourful contemporary detail with traditional features throughout. epc = e *

Three double bedrooms Two bathrooms Two formal reception rooms Large kitchen/dining and family space Beautiful patio garden Approx 269.91 sq m (2905 sq ft) domusnova.com/administrationfees

Glebe Place

Chelsea SW3

An exceptionally located building, currently consisting of eight, 1 bedroom apartments, presented in condition ranging from good to undmodernised. The building has 4 floors, plus a sub basement, with a centrally located communal staircase, giving access to each of the apartments.

(Currently 6AST tenancies & 1 protected tenant in place). This building has enormous potential for a long term rental investor looking to add value by refurbishing the individual apartments or reconfiguring the building completely (STPP).

EPC rating pending

offers in excess of

ÂŁ6,000,000

leasehold

Chelsea

020 7594 4740 sales.chelsea@chestertons.com

Hollywood Court, Hollywood Road

Chelsea SW10

An extremely attractive, 2 double bedroom, 3rd floor (with lift) apartment presented in good condition throughout. This apartment enjoys a very bright dual aspect, overlooking the iconic Hollywood Road & Fawcett Street. This apartment is particularly suitable for someone looking for a larger than average, lateral space, in a well run & attractive Victorian mansion block. The property further benefits from a share in the freehold.

EPC rating D

ÂŁ1,575,000 share of freehold

Chelsea

020 7594 4740 sales.chelsea@chestertons.com

chestertons.com

Abingdon Road

Kensington W8

An outstanding family home that has been completely modernised to an exceptionally high standard. Accommodation comprises a bright double reception room, a family TV room, dining room & a separate fully fitted kitchen. There is a large master suite with a walk in wardrobe & a luxurious bathroom, 2 further double bedrooms & a family bathroom. Further benefits include a patio at ground level & 2 terraces on the upper floors, an abundance of storage throughout & an inbuilt music system.

EPC rating C

ÂŁ5,950,000 freehold

Kensington

020 7937 7244 sales.kensington@chestertons.com

Earl’s Court Square

London SW5

We are delighted to introduce a selection of 4 meticulously refurbished apartments set within a Victorian stucco fronted building. The accommodation has been stylishly decorated with wooden flooring throughout the living spaces, white high gloss kitchens, granite work surfaces & top of the range integrated appliances. All 4 apartments have direct lift access, share an elegant communal hallway & have access to the award winning Earl’s Court Square (subject to consent).

EPC rating C & D

£1,650,000 - £2,600,000 share of freehold

Kensington

020 7937 7244 sales.kensington@chestertons.com

chestertons.com

Colville Houses

ÂŁ995,000

London W11

freehold

EPC rating D

Notting Hill

A superb 2 bedroom garden flat set within an attractive period building on a quiet no through road. The property has excellent open plan living space ideal for entertaining with a sleek, well equipped alcoved kitchen.

020 3040 8585 sales.nottinghill@chestertons.com

Royal Crescent Mews

ÂŁ899,950

London W11

freehold

EPC rating D

Notting Hill

Recently renovated bright & spacious 1 bedroom house presented in excellent condition. This property offers fantastic living space & is ideally located in the desirable Holland Park area, with Westfield Shopping Centre close by.

020 3040 8585 sales.nottinghill@chestertons.com

chestertons.com

Westmoreland Terrace SW1V ÂŁ3,295,000 Freehold Pimlico & Westminster Sales 020 7931 8200 | pimlicosales@dng.co.uk

North

Chelsea

Fulham

An exceptional terraced house that has recently undergone a complete refurbishment. Cleverly designed to ensure there is natural light throughout, the house provides substantial living accommodation.

Hammersmith & Shepherd’s Bush

Kensington

Kensington Gate

5 double bedrooms, 4 bathrooms (3 en-suite), Double reception room, Eat-in kitchen, Roof terrace, EPC: C.

South Kensington

Notting Hill

Pimlico & Westminster

douglasandgordon.com

Queen's Gate Terrace SW7 ÂŁ1,525,000 Leasehold Kensington Gate Sales 020 7581 1152 | kengatesales@dng.co.uk

South

Balham

Battersea

Battersea Park

A well-proportioned apartment on the second floor of this imposing stucco fronted building. The property boasts an incredibly bright south-facing reception room with an ornamental balcony, high ceilings and an original fireplace.

Clapham

East Putney

Southfields & Earlsfield

2 double bedrooms, Bathroom, Reception room/dining room, Kitchen, EPC: D.

West Putney

Lennox Gardens SW1X ÂŁ1,325,000 Leasehold Chelsea Sales 020 7225 1225 | chelseasales@dng.co.uk

North

Chelsea

Fulham

A red brick, two bedroom, period conversion in this sought-after garden square. The property benefits from private patio as well as access to the communal gardens and would make a good pied-a-terrre or rental investment.

Hammersmith & Shepherd’s Bush

Kensington

Kensington Gate

2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), Reception room, Kitchen, Patio, Communal gardens, EPC: D. JSA: Strutt & Parker 020 7225 3866 l chelsea@struttandparker.com

South Kensington

Notting Hill

Pimlico & Westminster

douglasandgordon.com

Whitelands House SW3 ÂŁ1,250,000 Share of Freehold Chelsea Sales 020 7225 1225 | chelseasales@dng.co.uk

South

Balham

Battersea

Battersea Park

A third floor, 650 sq.ft, flat in this secure purpose-built block close to Sloane Square. The flat is well-proportioned and with views over the King's Road you can 'watch the world go by' from the balcony.

Clapham

East Putney

Southfields & Earlsfield

Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, Reception room, Kitchen, Lift, 24 hour porter, EPC: D. JSA: John D Wood 020 7352 1484 l cst.sales@johndwood.co.uk

West Putney

Coleridge Gardens SW10 ÂŁ2,500 per week Fees apply Unfurnished Chelsea Lettings 020 7581 6666 | chelsealets@dng.co.uk

North

Chelsea

Fulham

A stunning property which offers generous, lateral living space. Situated within the sought-after Kings Chelsea development, the property benefits from a 24 hour porter and approximately 7 acres of communal grounds.

Hammersmith & Shepherd’s Bush

Kensington

Kensington Gate

4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms (3 en-suite), Reception room, Dining Room, Eat-in kitchen, Communal gardens, Tennis court, Parking for 2 cars, EPC: E.

South Kensington

Notting Hill

Pimlico & Westminster

douglasandgordon.com

Cornwall Gardens SW7 ÂŁ2,300 per week Fees apply Unfurnished Kensington Gate Lettings 020 7589 5252 | kengatelets@dng.co.uk

South

Balham

Battersea

Battersea Park

A prestigious, newly decorated property with views over Cornwall Gardens. The property offers an impressive reception room ideal for entertaining and boasting high corniced ceilings and a marble fireplace.

Clapham

East Putney

Southfields & Earlsfield

Master suite with large en-suite, 4 further double bedrooms, Reception room, Modern kitchen, Communal gardens, EPC: D.

West Putney

020 7087 5696

jll.co.uk/residential kensington.sales@eu.jll.com 387 Kensington High Street, W14 8QA

Melbury Road, W14 £10,000,000

Melbury House has been completely renovated and modern technology introduced. There remain many period features, including ornate cornices and working fireplaces. High ceilings give the rooms an airy feel which is enhanced by them leading to four terraces. Solid oak parquet floors benefit from under-floor heating and there is a large family, bespoke kitchen. Plasma screens abound and there is also a Dolby Digital Home Theatre.

The property benefits from air-conditioning, an alarm system, video entry phone and secure parking.

· 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom, period house with roof terrace · Large open plan kitchen and dining room · Separate walk-in dressing room · Jack and Jill style bathrooms · Superb, premium location · Alarm coded and CCTV security features

Charles House, W14 £1,580,000

An absolutely stunning second floor apartment consisting of two double bedrooms, en-suite bathroom with a beautifully large, corner balcony at the award winning 375 Kensington High Street development by St Edwards Homes. Superb first home and great for investment. The apartments are situated within the prestigious Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and are set around a courtyard garden, further benefitting from a premium spec leisure suite consisting of a private swimming pool and spa, private cinema, business suite and 24 hour concierge provided by Harrods. Available NOW.

· 2 bedroom, second floor apartment · 24hr Concierge and security · Large Private Outdoor Terrace · Resident Only Leisure Suite · Premium Spec Finish Throughout · Award Winning Development

020 7087 5696

jll.co.uk/residential kensington.lets@eu.jll.com 387 Kensington High Street, W14 8QA

Wolfe House, W14 £3,500 Per Week

Luxury penthouse apartment in the prestigious new development, 375 Kensington High Street. A spacious apartment set in the heart of one of London’s most sought-after locations. This property offers unparalleled standard of living and convenience. A moments’ walk from Kensington Olympia Station. London’s most famous shopping destinations nearby such as Harrods, Harvey Nicholls, Sloane Street. Close to open spaces including Holland Park and Kensington Gardens.

Tenant agency fees: £240 administration fee per property, £48 referencing fee per Tenant / Guarantor.

· 3 bedroom, 4 bathroom, 11th floor penthouse apartment with large outdoor terrace · Bespoke kitchen with Miele appliances · Villeroy & Boch fitted bathroom with Bornbracht fixtures and fittings · Harrods 24hr security and concierge · Access to gym, swimming pool, private cinema and treatment facilities · Includes secure underground parking

Ravensbourne Apartments, SW6 £465 PER WEEK

New apartment to rent in Fulham is located in the stunning new development, Fulham Riverside.This apartment is situated in a stunning riverside location and is fitted out with a high spec finish throughout with Comfort Cooling technology, Sonos audio and a private outdoor terrace. Fulham Riverside benefits from 24 hour concierge, fitness centre and communal gardens. The development is only minutes away from Imperial Wharf along with all the local amenities of Wandsworth Bridge Road.

Tenant agency fees: £240 administration fee per property, £48 referencing fee per Tenant / Guarantor.

· 1 bedroom, ground floor apartment · 24hr Concierge and security · Fitness Centre · Private Outdoor Terrace · High Spec Finish Throughout · Open Plan Reception

First Street, Chelsea SW3 • 3 Bedrooms

• Sitting area

• 1 Bathroom (en suite)

• Kitchen / dining room

• Shower room

• Patio

• Cloakroom

• Approx. 1,462 sq ft (135 sq m)

• Reception room

• EPC rating: current (D) potential (D)

Guide price £3,550,000 Freehold

For more information call Giles Cook on 020 7306 1620 or email gcook@waellis.com

“ A beautifully presented period house in this quiet convenient location equidistance from Knightsbridge, Sloane Square and South Kensington” W.A.Ellis LLP 174 Brompton Road London SW3 1HP

waellis.com

Kensington High Street, Kensington W14 • 1 Bedroom

• 24 Hour concierge

• 1 Bathroom

• Parking

• Reception room

• Use of leisure facilities

• Open plan kitchen

• Approx. 628 sq ft (58.3 sq m)

• Lift

• EPC rating: current (B) potential (B)

Guide price £1,100,000 Leasehold with 995 years remaining For more information call Simon Green on 020 7306 1610 or email sgreen@waellis.com

“ A stunning sixth floor apartment in the heart of Kensington”

W.A.Ellis LLP 174 Brompton Road London SW3 1HP

waellis.com

Redcliffe Road, Chelsea SW10 • 2 Double bedrooms

• Kitchen/dining room

• 1 Bathroom (en suite)

• Study

• 1 Shower room (en suite)

• Roof terrace

• Guest cloakroom

• Approx. 1,104 sq ft (106 sq m)

• Reception room

• EPC Rating: current (D) potential (D)

“ A wonderful maisonette situated in one of Chelsea’s premier streets”

£925 per week Unfurnished

For more information call Lucy Morton on 020 7306 1630 or email lmorton@waellis.com

W.A.Ellis LLP 174 Brompton Road London SW3 1HP

waellis.com

W.A.Ellis will make an initial one-off tenancy agreement charge of £240 per tenancy plus £60 referencing charge per tenant. A minimum of six weeks’ rent will be required for all properties. For further details of our services and charges please visit waellis.com

Royal Avenue, Chelsea SW3 • 5 Double bedrooms

• Kitchen/dining room

• 3 Bathrooms (1 en suite)

• Paved garden

• Guest cloakroom

• Approx. 2,752 sq ft (255 sq m)

• Double reception room

• EPC rating: current (E) potential (D)

“ A newly refurbished family house located in this sought after area of Chelsea”

£4,250 per week Unfurnished

For more information call David Mills on 020 7306 1630 or email dmills@waellis.com

W.A.Ellis LLP 174 Brompton Road London SW3 1HP

waellis.com

W.A.Ellis will make an initial one-off tenancy agreement charge of £240 per tenancy plus £60 referencing charge per tenant. A minimum of six weeks’ rent will be required for all properties. For further details of our services and charges please visit waellis.com

Elystan Street, Chelsea SW3 A well-proportioned three bedroom apartment (with lift) located on the fifth and sixth floors of Crown Lodge on Elystan Street.The apartment is split over two floors and benefits from an open plan reception / dining room with access to a balcony, separate kitchen, master bedroom with ensuite bathroom, two further double bedrooms (one with ensuite bathroom), and a family bathroom. Crown Lodge is quietly set amongst beautiful communal gardens, with residents in the building benefitting from 24-hour porterage, security, and a communal gym and swimming pool. Elystan Street is located moments from the shops and restaurants of the King's Road and Chelsea Green with transport links from Sloane Square and South Kensington. EPC rating D.

Leasehold approximately 98 years remaining Guide price ÂŁ2,900,000 020 7225 5911 andrew.gunnforbes@harrodsestates.com

KNIGHTSBRIDGE OFFICE: 82 BROMPTON ROAD LONDON SW3 1ER T: +44 020 7225 6506 MAYFAIR OFFICE: 61 PARK LANE LONDON W1K 1QF T: +44 020 7409 9001 CHELSEA OFFICE: 58 FULHAM ROAD LONDON SW3 6HH T: +44 (0) 20 7225 6700 HARRODSESTATES.COM

The Knightsbridge Apartments, SW7 Located on the fifth floor of one of Knightsbridge’s most prestigious residential buildings, this very spacious one bedroom studio apartment has been totally refurbished and interior-designed to the highest specifications to provide the perfect pied-a-terre at one of London’s best addresses.

199 Knightsbridge boasts impressive reception areas, 24 hour concierge & security and secure underground car-parking with valet service. There is also a worldclass leisure suite with gym, spa and swimming pool and an exclusive business-suite available for residents’ use. EPC rating B.

Leasehold: approximately 995 years Guide price: £2,950,000 JSA: Savills – 02075815234 020 7225 6506 nicholas.shaw@harrodsestates.com

KNIGHTSBRIDGE OFFICE: 82 BROMPTON ROAD LONDON SW3 1ER T: +44 020 7225 6506 MAYFAIR OFFICE: 61 PARK LANE LONDON W1K 1QF T: +44 020 7409 9001 CHELSEA OFFICE: 58 FULHAM ROAD LONDON SW3 6HH T: +44 (0) 20 7225 6700 HARRODSESTATES.COM

Thornwood Lodge, Kensington W8 A beautifully presented two double bedroom apartment (1,570 sq. ft / 148 sq. m) on the ground floor of Thornwood Lodge, which forms part of this new private gated development in the heart of Kensington. The property benefits from a very spacious reception room and well-equipped kitchen / breakfast room. There is also a front patio which overlooks the private garden square and a terrace off the master bedroom at the rear. Thornwood Gardens is a recently completed gated new development which is arranged around an open garden square with 24 hour porterage, security and secure underground parking. Located off Kensington Church Street, the property is ideally situated for all the local amenities and is also within a few moments walk of Holland Park. EPC rating C. Price per week: £2,250 Plus property fees: £180 Admin & £190 Checkout.

References: £42 per person* *http://www.harrodsestates.com/tenants

020 7225 5881 candice.fletcher@harrodsestates.com

KNIGHTSBRIDGE OFFICE: 82 BROMPTON ROAD LONDON SW3 1ER T: +44 020 7225 6506 MAYFAIR OFFICE: 61 PARK LANE LONDON W1K 1QF T: +44 020 7409 9001 CHELSEA OFFICE: 58 FULHAM ROAD LONDON SW3 6HH T: +44 (0) 20 7225 6700 HARRODSESTATES.COM

Evelyn Gardens, Chelsea SW7 A lovely two bedroom apartment with garden views just off the Fulham Road. The accommodation of approx. 625 sq. ft. over two levels comprises kitchen, reception / dining room, master bedroom, guest bedroom and bathroom. Available for long term lets on a furnished basis from mid-September. EPC rating E.

Price per week: £750 Plus property fees: £180 Admin & £180 Checkout.

References: £42 per person* *http://www.harrodsestates.com/tenants

020 7225 5881 candice.fletcher@harrodsestates.com

KNIGHTSBRIDGE OFFICE: 82 BROMPTON ROAD LONDON SW3 1ER T: +44 020 7225 6506 MAYFAIR OFFICE: 61 PARK LANE LONDON W1K 1QF T: +44 020 7409 9001 CHELSEA OFFICE: 58 FULHAM ROAD LONDON SW3 6HH T: +44 (0) 20 7225 6700 HARRODSESTATES.COM

1st Floor Flat 1st Floor Flat

3rd Floor Flat 3rd Floor Flat

Rutland GateGardens Knightsbridge SW7 Ennismore Knightsbridge SW7 96.06 sq m/1,034 sq ft Delightful Penthouse lateralflats apartment with Roof Terrace and with access to landscaped communal We are offering twoKnightsbridge excellent for saleSW7 in thislarge period building with resident caretaker & lift, Rutland Gate

gardens easyand access to Hyde Park and excellent international amenities of Knightsbridge. facing on–towithin Hyde Park within a short walk to the all Knightsbridge’s shops & restaurants We are offering two excellent flats for sale in this period building with resident caretaker & lift, 3rd floor newly refurbished apartment with park 1st floor balcony maisonette: 3 bedrooms, facing on to Hyde Park and within a short walk to all Knightsbridge’s shops & restaurants bedrooms,kitchen, bathroom, room, double study/bedroom guestreception cloakroom, views:kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms,3, double 32bathrooms, diningshower room, reception room, reception room, entrance hall, caretaker, ofmcommunal / 923 sq ft with park room, kitchen, EPCrefurbished C, 85.75 sq mapartment 144.18 sq / 1,552 sq ftgardens 3rd hall, balcony, EPC C,lift, floor newly 1st entrance floor balcony maisonette: 3 use bedrooms, views: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, double 3 bathrooms, kitchen, dining£2,750,000 room, reception room, Leasehold 102 years Leasehold £4,350,000 Sole Agent Leasehold £2,780,000 JSA W A Ellisreception 020Sole 7581Agent 7654 entrance hall, balcony, EPC C, 144.18 sq m / 1,552 sq ft

room, kitchen, EPC C, 85.75 sq m / 923 sq ft

Leasehold £4,350,000

Leasehold £2,780,000

Sole Agent

www.hobartslater.co.uk www.hobartslater.co.uk A23587-HOB-TLM-DPS-08L.indd 1

JSA W A Ellis 020 7581 7654

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Rutland Gate Rutland Knightsbridge SW7 Knightsbridge Approximately 56.20 56.20 sq sq m Approximately m // 605 605 sq sqft ft

Anexcellent excellentfreshly freshly decorated decorated An 4thfloor floorflat flatin infine fine stucco stucco 4th building with open aspect building with open aspect overlooking garden square overlooking garden square moments from Hyde Park and moments from Hyde Park and an easy walk to Harrods. an easy walk to Harrods. double bedroom double bedroom bathroom bathroom reception room reception kitchen room kitchen porter porter lift lift entryphone entryphone use of communal gardens use EPCofDcommunal gardens EPC D Share of Freehold Share of Freehold £1,450,000 £1,450,000 Sole Agent

Sole Agent

Rutland Gate Rutland GateSW7 Knightsbridge Knightsbridge SW7 Approximately 121.14 sq m/

Flat r Flat

4

4 17:01

1,304 sq ft Approximately 121.14 sq m / 1,304 ft Highsq specification refurbishment

of top floor lateral refurbishment apartment in High specification white stucco building overlooking of top floor lateral apartment in garden square and moments white stucco building overlooking from Harrods & Hyde Park. garden square and moments 3 bedrooms from Harrods & Hyde Park.

2 bathrooms 3studio bedrooms reception room 2kitchen bathrooms studio reception room hallway porter 174.93 sq m/1,883 sqkitchen ft hallway lift A Freehold Grade II listed period townhouse with rear garden, offering flexible accommodation and having porter video entryphone potential to extend, subject to planning permission – off Montpelier Squarelift in the heart ofgardens Knightsbridge. use of communal video EPC Eentryphone 3 bedrooms, 3 ensuite bathrooms and dressing rooms, 2 reception rooms,use kitchen, guest gardens WC, of communal Share of Freehold rear garden, vault, extensive loft space, EPC D EPC E £3,795,000 Freehold £4,150,000 JSA W A Ellis 020 7306 1620

Sterling Street Knightsbridge SW7

6-8 Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1EZ sales@hobartslater.co.uk 6-8 Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1EZ sales@hobartslater.co.uk

A23587-HOB-TLM-DPS-08L.indd 2

Share of Freehold £3,795,000

020 7581 8277 020 7581 8277 26/02/2014 17:01

1st Floor Flat 1st Floor Flat

3rd Floor Flat 3rd Floor Flat

Rutland Gate Walk Knightsbridge SW7 Montpelier Knightsbridge SW7 139.82 sq m/1,505 sq ft Charming andtwo picturesque corner Townhouse in the heart with of Knightsbridge Village, We are offering excellent flats for sale in this period building resident caretaker & lift,arranged Rutland Gate Knightsbridge SW7

over 4on floors andPark with various terraces, walk fromshops Harrods & Hyde Park. facing to Hyde and withinroof a short walk toan all easy Knightsbridge’s & restaurants We are offering two excellent flats for sale in this period building with resident caretaker & lift, 3rd floor newly refurbished apartment with park 1st floor balcony maisonette: 3 bedrooms, facing on to Hyde Park and within a short walk to all Knightsbridge’s shops & restaurants bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, reception study, views: 2room, bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, double reception 34bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, reception room, room, kitchen/breakfast / 923 sq ft with park room, kitchen, EPCrefurbished C, 85.75 sq mapartment roof epc DEPC C, 144.18 sq m / 1,552 sq ft hall, balcony, 3rd floor newly 1st entrance floorterrace, balcony maisonette: 3 bedrooms, views: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, double 3 bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, reception room, Freehold Guide Price £3,000,000 Leasehold £4,350,000 Sole Agent Leasehold £2,780,000 JSA W A Ellisreception 020Sole 7581Agent 7654 entrance hall, balcony, EPC C, 144.18 sq m / 1,552 sq ft

room, kitchen, EPC C, 85.75 sq m / 923 sq ft

Leasehold £4,350,000

Leasehold £2,780,000

Sole Agent

www.hobartslater.co.uk www.hobartslater.co.uk A23587-HOB-TLM-DPS-08L.indd 1

JSA W A Ellis 020 7581 7654

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Rutland Gate Rutland Knightsbridge SW7 Knightsbridge Approximately 56.20 56.20 sq sq m Approximately m // 605 605 sq sqft ft

Anexcellent excellentfreshly freshly decorated decorated An 4thfloor floorflat flatin infine fine stucco stucco 4th building with open aspect building with open aspect overlooking garden square overlooking garden square moments from Hyde Park and moments from Hyde Park and an easy walk to Harrods. an easy walk to Harrods. double bedroom double bedroom bathroom bathroom reception room reception kitchen room kitchen porter porter lift lift entryphone entryphone use of communal gardens use EPCofDcommunal gardens EPC D Share of Freehold Share of Freehold £1,450,000 £1,450,000 Sole Agent

Sole Agent

Rutland Gate Rutland GateSW7 Knightsbridge Knightsbridge SW7 Approximately 121.14 sq m/

Flat r Flat

4

4 17:01

1,304 sq ft Approximately 121.14 sq m / 1,304 ft Highsq specification refurbishment

of top floor lateral refurbishment apartment in High specification white stucco building overlooking of top floor lateral apartment in garden square and moments white stucco building overlooking from Harrods & Hyde Park. garden square and moments 3 bedrooms from Harrods & Hyde Park.

2 bathrooms 3studio bedrooms reception room 2kitchen bathrooms studio reception room hallway kitchen 170.47 sq m/1,835 sq ft porter hallway lift Architect designed, newly renovated Mews house on three floors, tastefully presented and ready for porter video entryphone immediate occupation. Superbly situated in this picturesque cobbled Mews an easy walk of lift usewithin of communal gardens Hyde Park and Harrods. video EPC Eentryphone 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, double reception room, kitchen/dining room, entrance lobby, guest use of communal gardens Share of Freehold cloakroom, hi specification, epc C EPC E £3,795,000 Freehold £4,750,000 Sole Agent

Ennismore Gardens Mews Knightsbridge SW7

6-8 Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1EZ sales@hobartslater.co.uk 6-8 Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1EZ sales@hobartslater.co.uk

A23587-HOB-TLM-DPS-08L.indd 2

Share of Freehold £3,795,000

020 7581 8277 020 7581 8277 26/02/2014 17:01

REASONS TO CHOOSE WILFORDS No.10 WHERE DISCRETION IS KEY

Experts in the art of discretion

We offer maximum exposure for those clients who require it, however we also understand that some of our clients prefer a low-key, under the radar, off-market sale. We have vast amounts of experience when it comes to off-market transactions, bringing this type of transaction to a satisfactory conclusion.

We believe that at every step, finding, selling or renting your property should be a hassle-free, smooth and enjoyable process.

+44 (0)20 7361 0400 • info@wilfords.com • wilfords.com

ALLEN STREET, KENSINGTON, W8 £1,595,000 1041 SQ FT / 96.7 SQ M | 3 BEDROOMS | SHARE OF FREEHOLD THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON & CHELSEA

A beautifully presented three bedroom two bathroom flat located on the first floor of this well maintained period building with a charming and bright reception room overlooking the communal roof garden.

The apartment benefits from three double bedrooms and two bathrooms, semi open plan kitchen and light and spacious reception room. The property offers a great balance of living and entertaining space.

Allen Mansions is situated on Allen Street which runs to the south of Kensington High Street boasting its many shops and restaurants. The property is a short walk from both Holland Park and Hyde Park. In addition there are excellent transport links.

+44 (0)20 7361 0400 • info@wilfords.com • wilfords.com

Launceston Place, W8 2,646 sq ft (245.8 sq m)

An elegant low built regency villa situated in one of the most highly regarded streets in Kensington. This five bedroom semi-detached house is set over four floors and has gardens to the front and rear elevations.

Entrance Hall | Double Reception Room | Study/Office | Cloakroom/W.C | Dining Room | Kitchen/Breakfast Room | Family Room/Bedroom 5 | Master Bedroom with En-Suite Bathroom | Three/Four Further Bedrooms | Two Bathrooms

Price Upon Application Freehold sales@dominiclondon.com 38 Gloucester Road, SW7

020 7590 9339

www.dominiclondon.com

Completely at home in West London.

Our services Sales and Lettings Property Management Block Management Property Solicitors Chartered Surveyors Financial Services Visit kfh.co.uk

With over 35 years’ experience and 50 branches across the Capital, our local knowledge and London network will ensure we achieve the right result for you.

Local branches include • Bayswater • Fulham • Holland Park

KFH MASTER brand adverts_September October.indd 3

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Queensdale Road, Holland Park, W11 £2,400,000 Holland Park 020 3542 2111 Email shp@kfh.co.uk

10.14 KFH Kensington & Chelsea.indd 2

A superb four bedroom, three bathroom townhouse with excellent entertaining space featuring an elegant 26ft reception room, patio garden and roof terrace with a southerly aspect.

• • • • • • • • •

Four bedrooms 26ft reception room Three bathrooms Contemporary kitchen Roof terrace Patio Southerly aspect Freehold EPC rating E

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Marloes Road, High Street Kensington, W8 £1,150 pw Holland Park 020 3542 2120 Email lhp@kfh.co.uk

An amazing two double bedroom, two bathroom flat with a brand new kitchen, solid oak flooring and extremely light reception room with a high ceiling and huge windows.

• • • • • • • •

Two double bedrooms Two stylish bathrooms Sonos surround sound Lutron lighting Solid oak flooring Close to underground station Furnished or unfurnished EPC rating B

£210 tenancy agreement fee per property. Other fees apply, visit kfh.co.uk/lettingsfees

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CADOGAN GARDENS, CHELSEA, SW3

£3,250,000 SHARE OF FREEHOLD • NEWLY RENOVATED • TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS • RESIDENT CARETAKER • COMMUNAL GARDENS • COMFORT COOLING AND HEATING • BANG & OLUFSEN AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT • EPC E •

BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861 belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

WHITEHEADS GROVE, CHELSEA, SW3

£1,595 PER WEEK • THREE BEDROOMS • RECEPTION ROOM • KITCHEN WITH SEPARATE DINING AREA • TWO BATHROOMS • PORTER • LIFT • WOOD FLOORS • EPC D •

CHELSEA OFFICE 2 Cale Street, London SW3 3QU +44 (0)20 7581 5011 chelseaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

Princes Gate, Kensington, SW7 A well presented 4th floor apartment situated within a stucco fronted period building with porter and lift. The flat offers superb views from the reception/dining room, has 2 bedrooms, a fitted kitchen and a bathroom. This property would make an ideal pied a terre. Long leasehold of approx. 966 years remaining. EPC Rating C.

£1,650,000 Leasehold ABU

DHABI

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AIX-EN-PROVENCE

JSA Douglas & Gordon, Kensington •

BARCELONA

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CANNES

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COURCHEVEL

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www.john-taylor.com

COSTA

BRAVA

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GENEVA

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GSTAAD

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LONDON

Little Chester Street, Belgravia, SW1X A Georgian style terrace house, fully refurbished to a high standard. Three of the 5 bedrooms are en suite with some high quality examples of marble bathrooms. The property offers four areas for informal or formal entertaining as well as an attic sitting room accessed from a bedroom on the 2nd floor. A garage with internal access exits onto the Mews behind the house where there is also an assigned car-parking space on a rental agreement. EPC Rating C. John Taylor UK 48 Berkeley Square, London W1J 5AX Tel: 020 3284 1888

£4,250,000 Freehold MEGEVE

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MERIBEL

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MILAN

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MONACO

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PARIS

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ST-JEAN-CAP-FERRAT

www.john-taylor.com

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ST-PAUL-DE-VENCE

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ST-TROPEZ

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VALBONNE

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HARRODS COURT KNIGHTSBRIDGE SW3

ÂŁ2,500,000 leasehold

2 bedrooms | reception | kitchen | 2 bathrooms | air-conditioning | terrace | parking | 24-hour concierge | Epc F

www.century21uk.com/nottinghill

nottinghill@century21uk.com

HYDE PARK SQUARE HYDE PARK W2

ÂŁ3,750,000 share of freehold

3 bedrooms | double-aspect reception and kitchen | 3 bathrooms | communal gardens | porter | lift | Epc C

10 Clarendon Road London W11 3AA

020 7229 1414

020 7373 5222 info@hogarthestates.co.uk www.hogarthestates.co.uk

H

Hogarths Philbeach Gardens SW5

• Raised ground floor • 2 bedroom apartment • Newly refurbished • Private garden • Share of freehold

aVAILABLE

£995,000 £1,635,000

EARLS COURT Trebovir SQUARE Road SW5

• Two bedroom apartment • 2/3 beds • Two bathrooms • Lift • Loft style feel • Private terrace • Period building • Share of freehold • Share of freehold

aVAILABLE

£1,075,000 £2,450,000

020 7373 5222 info@hogarthestates.co.uk www.hogarthestates.co.uk

H

Hogarths Nevern Square SW5 • 3 bed apartment • First floor with balcony • Access and views to

communal gardens • High ceilings • Share of freehold

aVAILABLE

£1,775,000

Morton Mews SW5

• 5 bedrooms

• Fantastic reception space • Spacious modern kitchen • Dual entrance • Roof terrace • Freehold

aVAILABLE

£2,450,000

49 Beauchamp Place London SW3 1NY 020 7581 3253 lettings@pattersonbowe.co.uk

Trevor Square, Knightsbridge SW7

A newly refurbished house overlooking the private garden square.

• 3 reception rooms • Conservatory • Kitchen • 5 Bedrooms • 3 Bath/shower rooms • Study area • Patio garden • Cloakroom • EER band D • 2225 sq ft / 207 sq m £2,500 per week Unfurnished Sole Agent

Rutland Gate, Knightsbridge SW7

An elegant flat with high ceilings and well proportioned rooms overlooking Hyde Park.

Reception room with balcony • Dining room • Kitchen • 3 Bedrooms • Bathroom • Shower room • Cloakroom • Resident caretaker • Lift • EER band C • 1603 sq ft / 149 sq m £2,375 per week Unfurnished Sole Agent

020 7581 3253

www.pattersonbowe.co.uk

49 Beauchamp Place London SW3 1NY 020 7581 3253 sales@pattersonbowe.co.uk

Cornwall Gardens, South Kensington SW7

Quietly located at the western end of the square a lovely ground floor flat with high ceilings.

• 2 bedrooms • 2 en suite shower rooms • Reception room • Large dining area • Open plan kitchen • Cloakroom • EER band D • 893 sq ft / 83 sq m £1,595,000 Lease 148 years approximately

www.pattersonbowe.co.uk

020 7581 3253

Evelyn Gardens South Kensington SW7

A stunning two bedroom ground floor apartment with an impressive drawing room benefitting from being three windows wide, 3.5 metre ceiling heights and with direct access onto a well-manicured communal garden.

Entrance Hall • Drawing Room • Kitchen • Two Bedrooms • Shower Room • Cloakroom Terrace • Communal Garden • EPC Rating D

L E A SEHOLD: APPROX IMATE LY 124 YE A R S

£2,750,000

020-7225 0277 www.russellsimpson.co.uk

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Walton Place Knightsbridge SW3

An elegant house which has been completely refurbished to a high standard, set behind its own front garden as well as having a landscaped garden to the rear.

Entrance Hall • Drawing Room • Dining Room • Cinema Room • Study • Kitchen • Breakfast Room • Five Bedrooms Four Bathrooms • Front Garden • Rear Garden • EPC Rating D

F R EEHOLD

£11,950,000

020-7225 0277 www.russellsimpson.co.uk

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Kensington Palace Gardens, Kensington W8

An outstanding and very special five bedroom duplex apartment in arguably the most exclusive address in prime central London.

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Price Upon Application Leasehold

The property comprises approximately 5,089 sq ft with two secure underground parking spaces, porterage and the most sensational terrace overlooking the beautifully maintained communal gardens.

5,089 sq ft (472.8 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Dining area | Sitting room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Five bedrooms with en suite bathrooms | Shower room | Laundry room | Chauffeurs room | Storage room | Secure underground parking for two cars | Resident porter | Terrace | Use of communal gardens

Kensington 020 7938 3666 kensington@struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 knightsbridge@struttandparker.com

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Ladbroke Grove House, Notting Hill W11

A spacious one bedroom, ground floor flat in the heart of the Ladbroke Conservation Area. The flat benefits from westerly views over beautiful, private communal gardens.

623 sqft (57.9 sq m) EPC rating E Entrance Hall | Drawing Room | Kitchen | Double bedroom | Bathroom | Study | Access to communal gardens

Draycott Place, Chelsea SW3

A superb three bedroom flat on the third floor (with a lift) of this handsome red brick Victorian building. fabulous south west facing views.

ÂŁ825,000 Share of Freehold

Notting Hill 020 7221 1111 Nottinghill@struttandparker.com

ÂŁ2,250,000 Share of Freehold

977sq ft (90.8 sq m) EPC rating D Entrance hall | Drawing Room | Kitchen | Bedroom with en suite bathroom | Two further bedrooms | Second bathroom | Lift

Chelsea 020 7225 3866 Chelsea@struttandparker.com

Hans Place, Knightsbridge SW1

On the second floor of a handsome red brick period building. This flat has spacious and well-arranged accommodation.

ÂŁ3,250,000 Share of Freehold

1,219 sq ft (113.2 sq m) EPC Rating D Entrance hall | Reception room | Kitchen | Master bedroom with en-suite shower room | Second double bedroom with en-suite bathroom

Holland Park Avenue, Holland Park W11

An outstanding two bedroom maisonette occupying approximately 1,260 sq ft, on the ground and lower ground floors of this stucco fronted Grade II listed building.

1,260 sqft (117.1 sq m) EPC rating E Entrance Hall | Drawing room | Dining room | Kitchen | Master bedroom with en-suite | Double bedroom | Bathroom | Cloakroom | Garden

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 Knightsbridge@struttandparker.com

ÂŁ1,995,000 Leasehold

Notting Hill 020 7221 1111 Nottinghill@struttandparker.com

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Kensington Park Gardens, Notting Hill W11

Situated on one of the finest addresses in Notting Hill, a substantial end of terrace, period house now in need of modernisation and with direct access to Ladbroke Square Gardens.

11,660, sq ft (1,083 sq m) Entrance Hall | Drawing room | Kitchen breakfast room | Sitting room | Dining room | Second kitchen | Studio room | Eight bedrooms | Eight bath/shower rooms | Staff flat | Swimming pool | Sauna | Lift | Terrace | Garden | Off Street parking | Access to communal gardens

Notting Hill 020 7221 1111 Nottinghill@struttandparker.com

POA Freehold

Earls Terrace, Kensington W8

An outstanding six bedroom Grade II Listed family house, with a wonderful 93 ft long southfacing garden, swimming pool, 24 hour uniformed security and an underground parking space.

4,935 sq ft (458.5 sq m) Entrance hall | Kitchen/breakfast room | Dining room | Library | Drawing room | Six bedrooms | Five bathrooms | Swimming pool | South facing terrace | South facing garden | Access to Edwardes Square Gardens | 24 hour uniformed security | Underground parking space

Kensington 020 7938 3666 Kensington@struttandparker.com

ÂŁ10,200,000 Freehold

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Abingdon Road, Kensington W8

An impressive and well presented five bedroom family house, with excellent entertaining space, including a fabulous kitchen/ family room on the lower ground floor.

2,411 sq ft (223.9 sq m) EPC Rating E Entrance hall | Drawing room | Kitchen/ family room | Master bedroom with ensuite bathroom | Four further bedrooms | Two further bathrooms | Utility room | Cloakroom | Garden | Storage vault

Kensington 020 7938 3666 Kensington@struttandparker.com

ÂŁ4,150,000 Freehold

Lamont Road, Chelsea SW10

An impressive five bedroom corner house extending to approx. 2,818 sq ft, making it one of the larger homes in the Ten Acre Estate.

Asking price ÂŁ4,850,000 Freehold

2,818 sq ft (261.8 sq m) EPC Rating E Entrance hall | Drawing room | Kitchen/ dining room | Playroom | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and dressing room | Four further bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Study | Cloakroom | Studio | Garden | Patio

West Chelsea 020 7373 1010 Westchelsea@struttandparker.com

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Cathcart Road, Chelsea SW10

This exceptional house has been extensively reconstructed and designed to incorporate the principal accommodation set over two floors.

Price on application Freehold

3,508 sq ft (325.9 sq m) EPC Rating C Living room | Kitchen | Media room | Playroom | Wine room | Four bedrooms | Four bathrooms | Bedroom five/study | Utility room | 36’9” garden | Off-street parking

Flood Street, Chelsea SW3

A substantial family house beautifully designed to an exacting standard offering a light and modern interior with integral garage, off street parking and large west-facing garden.

West Chelsea 020 7373 1010 Westchelsea@struttandparker.com

£9,500,000 Freehold

4,840 sq ft (449.7 sq m) EPC Rating C Kitchen/Dining room | Drawing room | Five bedrooms | Four bathrooms | bedroom six/ study | Home cinema | Garage | Off-street parking | West-facing garden

Chelsea 020 7225 3866 Chelsea@struttandparker.com

Holland Park Road, Holland Park W14

An outstanding and beautifully presented three bedroom house over three floors only with the benefit of a south-facing garden and off street parking.

1,300 sq ft (120.8 sq m) EPC rating C Entrance hall | Drawing room | Kitchen/ dining room | Three bedrooms | Bathroom | En suite shower room | Garden | Balcony | Off-street parking

Cadogan Street, Chelsea SW3

A superb five bedroom family house, with stylish and practical open plan living space and a contemporary patio garden.

ÂŁ2,750,000 Freehold

Kensington 020 7938 3666 Kensington@struttandparker.com JSA Knight Frank 0207 938 4311

ÂŁ4,875,000, Freehold

2,786 sq ft (258.8 sq m) EPC rating C Drawing room | Dining room | Kitchen | Family room | Five bedrooms | Four bath/ shower rooms | Study | Guest cloakroom | Garden | Laundry room

Chelsea 020 7225 3866 Chelsea@struttandparker.com

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One Sandy Lane, St James, Barbados

“Arguably the most luxurious property ever built on the island, this magnificent development exemplifies the Barbados lifestyle”

Overlooking the Caribbean Sea, One Sandy Lane is comprised of eight ultimately private, refined, and secure residences. This magnificent development was built to emulate the graceful beauty of the legendary Sandy Lane Hotel located a short stroll away.

Lulu Egerton 020 7225 3866 Lulu.egerton@struttandparker.com

8,500 – 10,000 sq ft Elevator | Gym | Pool | Spa | Courtyard | Air Conditioning | Underground Parking | Beachfront | Doorman / Concierge

$19,000,000

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Westbourne Grove, W11

A fantastic two bedroom maisonette finished to a high standard throughout, this well presented property is spread over two floors ideally situated in the heart of Notting Hill.

£1,200 per week* Furnished/Unfurnished

1,101 sq ft (102.3 sq m) EPC rating D Reception | Kitchen | Two bedrooms | Two bathrooms

Notting Hill 020 7221 1111 Nottinghill@struttandparker.com

*The following Tenant charges may apply prior to tenancy commencement: Tenancy Agreement £210 (inc VAT) Credit References per application £54 (inc VAT). All advertised prices are excluded and other associated services.

Elm Park Gardens, SW10

Simply stunning, this magnificent, lateral Chelsea apartment spans 3 buildings with the principle rooms enjoying wonderful views over private communal gardens.

ÂŁ3,500 per week* Furnished/Unfurnished

2,185 sq ft (203 sq m) EPC rating E Reception room | Kitchen/dining area | Study/dining hall | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, shower room and dressing room | Double bedroom | Double bedroom/ nursery | Shower room | Terrace | Balcony | Communal Gardens | Underground parking for one car

West Chelsea 020 7373 1010 Westchelsea@struttandparker.com

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Prospect House, Wimbledon

“A country house in London�

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Price Upon Application Freehold

A unique and magnificent Grade II listed Victorian mansion set in beautiful landscaped gardens of nearly two acres, including an enchanting woodland garden, tennis court and swimming pool.

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8,329 sq ft (773.76 sq m) Reception hall | Two main reception rooms | Two studies | Large family room | Family kitchen | Six bedrooms | Five bathrooms | Staff flat | Extensive outbuildings and grounds

Head Office 020 7629 7282

andrew.scott@struttandparker.com JSA: Robert Holmes & Co 020 8947 9833 enquiries@robertholmes.co.uk

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WHERE ELEGANCE COMES AS STANDARD

Enviably located at the very heart of Westminster SW1, Great Minster House is a new collection of bespoke residences sumptuously finished to the very highest standards. Set foot inside the grand lobby and enter a world of Edwardian-inspired splendour, where opulent apartment interiors lie behind every door.

With fastidious attention to detail and consummate craftsmanship, these spectacularly spacious homes exhibit all the traditional hallmarks of luxurious living. Complemented by a 24-hour concierge, Great Minster House represents the last word in a London lifestyle utterly free of compromise, and offers a rare opportunity to reside in one of London’s most exclusive locales.

Prices from ÂŁ975,000

Contact us now to arrange your viewing appointment.

0844 811 4321 | barrattlondon.com/greatminsterhouse

Aldgate

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Brentford

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Edgware

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Fulham

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Greenwich

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Hendon

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Highbury

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Lewisham

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Rotherhithe

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Royal Docks

Computer generated images are for illustrative purposes only. Images include optional upgrades at additional cost. All information in this document is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of going to press.

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Soho

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Westminster

Cadogan Square, Knightsbridge SW1

A rare, newly refurbished four bedroom apartment benefitting from its own private entrance, a 46’8� wide private garden and spacious lateral accommodation.

Price on application Leasehold

4,001 sq ft (371.7 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Kitchen/ dining room | Four bedroom suites | Study | Yoga and massage rooms | Guest cloakroom | Large garden | Private garage (separate lease until 10 March 2023) | Resident caretaker

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 James.forbes@struttandparker.com