NOTTING HILL FEBRUARY 2015 by ABSOLUTELY Magazines

ABSOLUTELY NOTTING HILL

FEBRUARY 2015 / £3.95

PAINTERLY PORTRAITS

ANTONY MICALLEF’S NEW WORK

DETOX YOUR LARDER COOKING WITH AMELIA FREER

FLOATY FASHION

A THEA PORTER RETROSPECTIVE

Love STORY FLIRTY LOOKS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

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facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com a a

Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill, W11

A delightful four bedroom house located on one of Notting Hill's most sought after addresses, with direct access to Montpelier communal garden at the rear.

ÂŁ3,950,000 Freehold

Notting Hill 020 7221 1111 Nottinghill@struttandparker.com

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Brunswick Gardens, Kensington, W8

An impressive five bedroom family house, occupying 3,728 sq ft, with excellent entertaining space and a charming garden.

Price Upon Application Freehold

Kensington 0207 938 3666 kensington@struttandparker.com

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Febr uar y 2015

63 30 FASHION SHOOT

c u lt u r e WHAT'S ON

ON THE AGENDA

39 MOODBOARD

STUDIO SPY

Luxe lingerie shot on location to create a flirty February feel

Diary dates for February

Jewellery designer Durrah Khalil identifies her favourite things

Harry Potter, black history and a new range of Penguin pocketbooks Notting Hill artist Antony Micallef's new direction

MRS PORTER

A new look at Thea Porter's fabulous floaty frocks

st yle 24 FASHION NOTES

food & drink 63 FOOD NOTES

76 FAMILY AT HOME

26 SEQUINS OF SUCCESS

65 AMELIA FREER

k i d s & e d u c at i o n 83 KIDS NOTES

Admiring Aime

Julien Macdonald on why Portobello remains a major fashion inspiration

Gluten-free pancakes, Sicilian food from New York and seafood galore New recipes from Kensington's nutritionist to the stars

69 THE REVIEW: MAZI

Raving about one of W8's most exciting eateries ever

interiors 72 INTERIORS NOTES Cover images N o t t i n g H i l l V e n i V i c i C o u t u r e venivici.net Ke n s i n g t o n L i c k e r i s h

Maps, globes and modern crafts are our interior inspirations this month

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Inside a brilliantly designed W11 family home by Violet and George

How to dress them and what to fill their minds with

85 EDUCATION

Private schools and community â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what Tristram Hunt doesn't know

PROPERTY 108 PROPERTY NEWS

News and views on the area

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 11:08

NU LINE R A D I A T O R

S T U D I O

Nu-Line Radia tor Studio: 12-14 Malton Rd, London, W10 5UP T: 020 8206 5170 E: Radia torStudio@nu-line.net W: www.nu-line.net

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EDITOR PENDLE HARTE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ELIZABETH HUTTON EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS PEARL BOYD, AMANDA CONSTANCE, CATHERINE HALES CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY EDITOR ARABELLA PRESTON CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITOR CHARLOTTE ADSETT CONTRIBUTING INTERIOR EDITOR JESSICA KLINGELFUSS SENIOR ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER ROCHELLE STREATER TRAINEE ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER ABIGAIL CRAMP CENTRAL PROPERTY MANAGER LEAH DAY PROPERTY EDITORS HUGO HUNTER ART DIRECTOR RAY SEARLE SENIOR DESIGNER PAWEL KUBA PRODUCTION MANAGER STEWART HYDE MID-WEIGHT DESIGNER TAHIR KAPUCU PROPERTY EDITORIAL DESIGNER ANDREW MAVIN DESIGNER EKREM YILMAZ JUNIOR DESIGNER REBECCA NOONAN COPY CONTROLLER CHRISTINE MANN FINANCE DIRECTOR ALEXANDRA HVID DIRECTORS GREG HUGHES, ALEXANDRA HUNTER MANAGING DIRECTOR SHERIF SHALTOUT PA TO DIRECTORS MARIANNE MCFADDEN For editorial enquiries please email: pendle@zest-media.com For advertising enquiries please call 020 7704 0588 or email: advertising@zest-media.com Subscriptions are available simply by emailing marianne@zest-media.com You can receive an online subscription for FREE or a postal subscription at £30 for 12 months (to cover postage and packaging). Please email us with your preferred option and details.

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Fo l l ow Us O n T wi t t e r @ABSOLUTELY_MAGS Fa c e b o o k ‘ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES’

EDITOR’S letter

alentine's Day is the obligatory theme for any February magazine and we are ticking all the boxes in this issue. My personal favourite romantic gift, for what it's worth, is the large neon heart, a stylish pink tube of light that will broadcast love from any wall, with not a thought for subtlety or shame. It should be as big and as pink as possible, of course (see page 8 for this and other things we Absolutely Love). Further tribute to the anti-subtle brigade comes from Notting Hillbased designer Julien Macdonald, never one to spare a sequin or waste an opportunity for a bit of sparkle. Our interview with him in this issue focuses on his love for Portobello and his journey through textiles and fashion – but also reveals his unlikely new identity as a spectacle designer, a more sober job than we'd have thought. The glasses are predictably and reassuringly glitzy, of course.

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Also in this issue we throw the spotlight on local artist Antony Micallef, whose new work is a response to the ubiquitous selfie. We join the Thea Porter bandwagon that involves a new exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum as well as a new book published by the V&A – and we were thrilled to discover that her fi rst ever catwalk show happened in Kensington High Street in 1968. And then there's celebrity nutritionist Amelia Freer, also a Kensington resident, whose new book is fi lling us with inspiration and good intentions. Enjoy February. u

Pendle Harte Editor

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 09:55

10 Things We

ABSOLUTELY

BOUDOIR BELLE

Hereford Road's Dolci Follie is our first port of call for Valentine's Day and we are loving this sumptuous lace boudoir gown by Loveday London. £365; dolcifollie.co.uk

DRAMA QUEEN

Naomi Campbell is the new face of Agent Provocateur and the SS15 campaign is inspired by David Lynch and Brian de Palma's dark glamour. Shot by Ellen von Unwerth, it's the ultimate in danger and drama. agentprovocateur.com

LUXE LEATHER

Carlo Pazolini's new creative director Lee Wood comes from Versace and his colourful new collection for the Italian brand includes this gorgous shoulder bag. £345; carlopazolini.com

FANCY FEET

Make a statement with these towering platforms by Dolce and Gabbana. We’ll be wearing ours to the beach bar. £575; net-a-porter.com

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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8 19/01/2015 09:27

ABSOLUTELY / LOVES RED STRIPE

Petit Bateau has teamed up with Belgian designer Cedric Charlier for a reworking of the classic stripe with more contemporary painted lines. petit-bateau.co.uk

SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS

W10-based Richard Brendon's gorgeous ceramics include the Reflect range, which brings life back to antique saucers by using platinum and gold gilding to create highly reflective cups. Teacup and saucer from £135; richardbrendon.com

DITA DARLING

Protect your peepers in these incredible tortoiseshell cat eye sunglasses from Dita. Having been inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood, these beauties give us major wanderlust for the US of A. £294; farfetch.com

BURNING BRIGHT

The ultimate extrovert Valentine's gift is this large neon heart, which broadcasts your love in the brightest and pinkest light. £500 LoVe NeoN; themintlist.com

HEART BEATS

PINK LADY

This romantic Frederique Constant World Heart Federation watch has a silver dial with guilloche patterning and diamond dot markers. £2,110; watchshop.com

Jenny Packham's new Lorelei range draws inspiration from the SS15 catwalk with its mini fuscia peony flowers and delicate petals scattered with crystals. We love the statement cuff, £273; jennypackham.com

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p. 12

THE AGENDA

p. 15

IN THE STUDIO WITH ANTONY MICALLEF

p. 16

> WHAT'S ON IN FEBRUARY

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FEBRUARY 2015

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YOUNG GODS

Un ti l 7 Fe b r u a r y G r i ff i n G a ll e r y n collaboration with Shoreditch gallery director Zavier Ellis, Griffin Gallery is I showcasing the work of London’s most exciting 2014 graduates. With such a vast variety of mediums and styles on show, this is an unpredictable, intriguing and innovative display from seven of the most talented and progressive artists. Not to be missed. ◆ 21 Evesham Street, W11; griffingallery.co.uk

FREQUENCY

T h ro u gh o u t Fe b r u a r y S e re na Mo r to n G a ll e r y o launch her fabulous new gallery on Ladbroke Grove, Serena Morton is T exhibiting the bright, bold work of Haberdashery design studio and photographer Julian Abrams. Having played with and manipulated light, this ia a fascinating, unique and exciting show. See it before it’s gone. ◆ 343 Ladbroke Grove, W10; serenamorton.com

DRAWN BY LIGHT Make a date in your diary to go and see the landscapes, still lifes, nudes and portraits collected by the Royal Photographic Society. With over 250,000 images, 8000 items and 3,100 books, periodicals and documents to select from, the society has curated an exhibition that reveals the way that cameras have shaped our perception of the world. This is a visually stunning exhibition. Exhibition Road, SW7; sciencemuseum.org.uk

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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Th ough tout February Sc ienc e Mu seum

JULIO LE PARC

Un ti l 1 5 Fe b r u a r y S a c k l e r G a ll e r y rtist Julio Le Parc only wants one thing from you Ω for you to get A involved. At this major UK show he encourages you to touch, feel and push your way through the Serpentine. ◆ Kensington Gardens, W2; serpentinegalleries.org

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ARTS & CULTURE / WHAT'S ON

WHITE HEAT 25

Fro m 1 0 Fe b r u a r y Li ttl e B l a c k G a ll e r y o coincide with the 25th anniversary special edition T publication of chef (and Holland Park resident) Marco Pierre White’s cookbook White Heat,, The Little Black Gallery is exhibiting many of the book’ss iconic images alongside previously unpublished photographs taken by seminal photographer the late Bob Carlos Clarke. ◆ 13A Park Walk, SW10; thelittleblackgallery.com

1898 DANCE Festival

DON’T MISS

MS. DYNAMITE

2 3 - 2 8 Fe b r u ar y T h e Print R oo m

Exploring the past century through contemporary dance, this festival celebrates 1898, the year in which the Coronet Theatre was built. Drawing inspiration from the building’s personal history to the wider historical themes of the period, these performances will be stunning and thought-provoking.

20 Fe bruar y Paradise by way of Kensal Green aving won the Mercury H Music Prize, two BRIT awards and three MOBOs, Ms. Dynamite’s fusion of R&B and hip hop has been shaping the music scene for the past decade. Her performance at Paradise is guarenteed to be a night filled with some seriously feisty tunes. Also perfoming will be the brillantly soulful Etta Bond. ◆ 19 Kilburn Lane, W10; theparadise.co.uk

103 Notting Hill Gate, W11; the-print-room.org

PLAY OF THE MONTH From 19 February, Tricycle Theatre

MULTITUDES et in Bradford, one of the UK’s most multicultural cities, on the eve of a Conservative Party Conference, this play is set against political termoil. Following Kash, a liberal British Muslim man, as he prepares to address politicians about the state of the nation, we watch as he, his daughter, girlfriend and her mother struggle to understand their confusing position in society. As a difference in culture and opinion

13 NH_FEB_What'On.indd 13

escalates into so much more, the play observes the danger that comes when racial tensions are left to bubble under the surface. Both racially and socially relevant, John Hollingworth’s play, directed by Indhu Rubasingharn, should be at the top of your to-see list this February. u 269 Kilburn High Road, NW6 tricycle.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 11:02

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ARTS & CULTURE / CALENDAR

THE AGENDA

Our selection of the month's cultural highlights Wo r d s P E A R L B OY D

WIZARD WEASLEYS

inalima is the design agency behind all the graphic props for the Harry Potter films and their wonderful new range of Harry Potter art prints and stationery includes these fabulous Weasleys Postcards The box is made up of Wizard Wheezes store graphics including the Skiving Snack Box advert, Weasleys' playing cards and packaging designs, alla beautifully printed and highly collectible. We also love their replica Hogwarts exercise books, high class copies of the originals used by Harry, Ron and Hermione. u store.minalima.com

Staying Power Photographs of Black British Experience 1950s-1990s

BLACK BOOKS

enguin celebrates its 80th birthday in 2015 (over 15 of those years were spent P in Kensington) and to celebrate, it is launching a series of darling Little Black Classics at 80p each. The publisher’s founding ideal was to produce quality reading matter for the price of a packet of ten cigarettes – and plainly they have kept this promise. This list includes little-known pieces by familiar authors, such as Jane Austen’s The Beautifull Cassandra and Charles Dickens’ The Great Winglebury Duel as well as 48 translated works – and the simple black covers are designed by Penguin Press art director Jim Stoddart. Showcasing the enormous range and diversity of the world-renowned Penguin Classics list, these are texts that reach out across continents, eras and genres, ranging from the streets of Victorian London in Henry Mayhew’s Of Street Piemen to 13th-century Japanese blossom gardens in Kenko’s A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees. u penguin.co.uk

his month, the Victoria and Albert Museum is increasing the number of works by black British photographers in their collection. With the aim of showcasing how much of a contribution black Britons have had to British culture and society, as well as to the art of photography itself, this is a brilliantly good-looking, intriguing and educational exhibition. Curated so that the works are viewed alongside the oral histories gathered by the Black Cultural Archives, the Heritage Lottery Fund has created a truly enlightening show. Comprising of 118 works by 14 artists, including the slick work

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of American street photographer and honorary Londoner Al Vandenberg (who took the image above on Kensington High Street in 1976) as well as the vibrant, fresh images of northwest London born Jamaican Norman 'Normski' Anderson, we are given a well-rounded glimpse into the life of black Britons during the 20th century. Letting their audience in to see a culture as it evolves from its traditional African roots into a Britishinfused hybrid of itself, the photographs show a culture that is both familiar and foreign to all. u From 16 February V&A Cromwell Road, SW7 vam.ac.uk

JANUARY 2015

19/01/2015 09:51

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INTERVIEW

A DIVIDED SELF Notting Hill-based artist Antony Micallef’s new work marks a departure from his previous styles. Absolutely has a preview Wo r d s e v e h e r b e r t Photography Thomas Butler

ntony Micallef’s new solo show, entitled Self opens at Lazarides gallery this month. Those familiar with his work, which has been described as ‘Bacon in Disneyland’, will see a shift towards more personal subject matter. Instead of paintings depicting colorful pop sensibilities – where animals and human figures merge in abstract charcoal or brushstrokes - he will unveil a series of energetic self-portraits. Less a critique of contemporary pop culture and didactic messaging and more a series of figurative selfies, Micallef uses the method of self-portraiture to ask some unflinching questions. Set against Rembrandt-inspired fused shadows, Micallef explains the reasoning behind the self-scrutinising works and how he is using the self-portrait to look back at his own trajectory in the art world. He explains: ‘William Blake said that the road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom – you never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough. I became the very thing I was painting about without realising. I

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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THESE PAINTINGS

are the ultimate 21st CENTURY selfies

morphed into this world of excess and it completely took over. This is my way of stripping it right back and getting back to the basics. In this age of selfglorification and self-promotion, we advertise ourselves like a shop window. Every shot on social media is carefully

choreographed to send out a message showing how we want to be perceived. I feel with this work I’ve stripped away the veneer and showed what lies beneath.’ He adds, ‘I feel like I had become the consumer I was painting about and that I had become part of the problem. I’d gone from being penniless when I started to working from and living in two beautiful properties in Notting Hill.’ Taking the selfie to a new level, Micallef’s forthcoming pieces exorcise his pop-art style and return to something more visceral and honest. He explains: ‘The selfie is ultimate narcissistic action a disposable snapshot of one’s ego. These paintings are the ultimate 21st century selfies. The skin has been flayed wide open and the sensation of how I feel laid bare for everyone to see.’ He explains, ‘I chose the self-portrait medium to go back to basics, to look at where I came from as a working class person who managed to find a success in this industry and question whether I am a pop artist? It’s a question I might not have the answer to but one that I wanted to explore, just through paint.’ In an age of gurning and narcissistic selfies taken on iPhones, it seemed like a good time to take a bit of

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ARTS & CULTURE / SPOTLIGHT

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FEBRUARY 2015

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ARTS & CULTURE / SPOTLIGHT ANGELINA JOILE BOUGHT four pieces and ASKED HIM to paint a family PORTRAIT an inventory of my own work.’ As a working class artist, Antony Micallef’s career path into the highbrow and gilded art scene was not an easy one. The youngest of five sons of two Maltese immigrants grew up in Swindon where his father worked as a sheet metal worker and his mother as a cleaner. He painted from a young age and was trained at Plymouth University by John Virtue, a former student and assistant of Frank Auerbach. His encouraging parents built him a studio at the bottom of the garden and he has been selling work since he was in school. After graduating from art school, he taught himself graphic design and moved to Brighton, so that he could earn a regular income, spending every spare minute

the cognoscenti, including Angelina Jolie (who bought four pieces and asked him to paint a family portrait – he refused), Christina Aguilera, James Franco and the Olsen sisters. Following his LA show, he returned virtually penniless to Brighton, where he lived and had produced the work, where painting in the evenings and on weekends in a rented studio shared between 20 other artists. Micallef won international acclaim since bursting onto the art scene in 2000, winning second prize in the BP Portrait Award and exhibiting at The National Portrait Gallery. Each of his six solo shows has been a sellout, some before they have even opened. ‘It’s a Wonderful World’ (2006), was bought by Damien Hirst and Jude Law in the afternoon prior to the opening. Micallef was then taken on by Steve Lazarides who took his work to Los Angeles in 2007. The show was a sell-out before it opened and was attended by

Exhibition opens on 13 Febreuary at Lazarides Gallery, 11 Rathbone Place, W1T 1HR ; 020 7636 5443 antonymicallef.com

19 NH_FEB15_Antony Micallef.indd 19

he received the life-changing phone call informing him that his work had sold for over three million pounds. In addition to six solo shows in London and Los Angeles, he has participated in a number of group shows. Highlights have included Peace One Day, a group exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art curated by Jake Chapman. He has also shown at Tate Britain and The Royal Academy, where he has a painting as well as four 12 ft high bronze sculptures. He has also worked alongside Emma Thompson on Journey, a unique traveling art exhibition where artists explored the brutalities of human trafficking in shipping containers. Antony Micallef was one of the artists enlisted in Banksy’s Santa’s Ghetto exhibition in 2007. u

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 09:43

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ARTS & CULTURE / SOCIAL RICHARD YOUNG o celebrate 40 years of Richard Young’s photography and the launch of the new book Nightclubbing, Richard and Susan Young threw a star-studded party at Rosewood London in association with GQ. All the couple's celebrity friends including Elizabeth Hurley, Jo Wood, Pam Hogg, Yasmin Mills, Patrick Cox, Gary Kemp, Dylan Jones and Ben De Lisi took to the dancefloor in tribute. u

Party people Our reporters track the season’s hottest parties

EDWARD ENNINFUL

a t T h e C a fe R o y a l dward Enninful, Fashion and E Style director of W magazine, collected the Isabella Blow award for Fashion Creator at the 2014 British Fashion Awards. In his honor, close friends Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss threw a party in the exquisitely restored Oscar Wilde Bar at Hotel Café Royal. Arriving in a fleet of luxury Infiniti hybrid saloons, fashion royalty including Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, Joan Smalls, Mario Testino and Rhianna, were welcomed into the decadent Oscar Wilde Bar by Naomi and Kate and served Grey Goose Le Fizz on arrival. u

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> FASHION CONFIDENTIAL

p. 24

JULIEN MACDONALD ON PORTOBELLO

p. 26

THEA PORTER REMEMBERED

p. 41

BRITISH BEAUTY Heritage brand Burberry has brought together two Brit supermodels for the first time, as their poster girls for the spring collection. Shot by Mario Testino, it features a technicolour take on the classic trench. burberry.com

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FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:04

st y l e C e n t r a l

AIME Ledbury Road's French boutique

Fur bags and hats, elaborate necklaces and the best lingerie sets for a steamy Valentine's Day

Wo r d s p e n d l e h a r t e

w o rd s charlot te adset t rench-Cambodian Val Heng Vong launched Aime in Ledbury Road in 1999 when she and her sister were unable to find stylish Parisian labels in London. She is credited with introducing the then unheard-of French cult designer Isabel Marant to London. Since then, Aime has spawned a Shoreditch sister shop and established itself as a fashion and lifestyle emporium. From French labels Isabel Marant (both Etoile and mainline), A.P.C. and Repetto, the selection has widened to Spanish designer Masscob and Italian brands Forte Forte and Faliero Sarti. Recent additions include Soeur. They also stock jewellery by Marina Spyropoulos, Isabel Marant and Serge Thoraval. Always understated and never showy, expect to find lots of navy and grey pieces in sharp, classic cuts alongside colourful silkscreen prints. There are scented candles and beautiful textiles for the home, making this one of W11's most tempting spots to shop. Aime is a little pocket of Paris in London, where you're certain to find a fashion fix, a gift for a friend or something for your home. u

Candy Crush Bon Bon Bags

●AIME 32 Ledbury Road, W11

aimelondon.com

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

CH_Feb_Fashion_Notes_v2.indd 24

Following the huge success of her faux fur popsicle scarves, London fashion designer Charlotte Beecham of Charlotte Simone has created the ‘Bon Bon’ bag in collaboration with her friend and Rita Ora’s super-stylist Kyle De’volle. The candy coloured fluffy ‘Bon Bons' (modelled here by Daisy Lowe) look as edible as they sound. Bon bon bags, £150; charlottesimone.com

24 19/01/2015 10:01

FASHION / NOTES

LOCKET LOVERS Loquet

Nothing says ‘I love you’ quite like a bespoke piece of jewellery. The keepsake ‘Loquet’ concept was created by Sheherazade Goldsmith and Laura Bailey, with the idea lockets can be personalised with collectable charms, initials and birthstones. Start dropping hints for Valentine’s day now. From £450; loquetlondon.com

of the best

LINGERIE SETS 01

HIGH LIFE House Of Hackney X Terr y Havilland

East London fashion and interiors label du jour House of Hackney have joined forces with legendary rock n’ roll shoemaker to the stars Terry de Havilland to create a range of 70’s inspired printed wedges and platforms. Shoes, £375; houseofhackney.com

FLORAL FANCY G i a m b a t t i s t a Va l l i

Italian couturier Giambattista Valli, as worn by Amal Alamuddin the first time she stepped out as Mrs Clooney, designs beautifully constructed and ultra feminine dresses. This dress (£1,778) is a wise investment for your spring wardrobe. Available from mytheresa.com

UNDERCOVER LOVER Petit B iscous

Desperately seeking the dream underwear set for yourself or a loved one? Our favourite luxury lingerie boutique Petit Biscous offers a personal styling and fit service, a VIP shopping app and stocks drool worthy designer collections from labels such as Bordelle, ID Sarrieri and Lascivious. Body by Petit Biscous, £140 187 Kings Road, Chelsea, SW3 5EB, 020 7352 7044 petitbiscous.com

25 CH_Feb_Fashion_Notes_v2.indd 25

01. LOVEDAY LONDON Bra £120 + suspender belt £90 + briefs £80 lovedaylondon.com, 02. FLEUR LONDON Lace Boudoir bra £79 + briefs £95 fleurlondon.com,03. eurlondon.com, BORDELLE Bra £80 + briefs £45 bordelle.co.uk, 04. WILLIAM WILDE X LASCIVIOUS £135 + briefs £120 lascivious.co.uk 05. STELLA MCCARTNEY Bra £60 + Briefs £35 net-a-porter.com

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:02

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INTERVIEW

KING OF

GLITZ

With London Fashion Week on the horizon, Julien Macdonald tells Absolutely why Portobello is a launchpad for new designers W o r d s C a m i l l a D av i e s

t London Fashion Week in September 2014, designer Julien Macdonald debuted a wedding dress decadently dripping with real diamonds and fresh water pearls, costing upwards of an eye-watering four million pounds. But you wouldn’t expect anything less from the capital’s king of glitz. Growing up in a small Welsh town, Macdonald was taught to knit by his mum before relocating to Brighton to study for a degree in knitwear. Next came an MA at the Royal College of Art – and soon catching the eye of Karl Lagerfield, at just 24 he scooped the influential job of designer of knitwear at Chanel. Since 1997, Macdonald has been busy building an iconic brand under his own name, dressing celebrities (Kylie Minogue and Elle Macpherson are big fans) as well as the high street with his Debenhams collections, all sprinkled with his signature sparkle. Last February the designer took time away from the fashion circuit to launch his London couture atelier in Notting Hill, supplying

celebrity’s crème de la crème with fantastical creations. London has long played a role in Macdonald’s sequin-filled success story. Insisting that Portobello has “always been authentic,” he believes that the market is still a credible launch pad for new designers. “I go every Friday and I’m always looking through the vintage stalls and the antiques – it’s always a fabulous resource. Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino – you see loads of stuff by some of the world’s top designers.” The Notting Hill resident may choose to shop locally, but his talent has certainly taken him far and wide. “I’ve shown in Paris when I was at Givenchy. Anna Wintour invited me once to New York to do a show. I’ve been round the fashion capitals and the thing is, there’s no place like home,” he says. What’s more, the area is globally influential when it comes to garments – “now more than ever,” says Macdonald. “The young designers come out of London and the quality of clothes are on an all-time high.” That, and the flipside of the fashion coin is seeing a resurgence in the capital. “Men’s Fashion Week is amazing and it’s drawn an international

PORTOBELLO

has always been AUTHENTIC

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FASHION / PROFILE fashion crowd back to London which it deeply needed.” Macdonald himself recently travelled west from Mayfair to Notting Hill, placing his bespoke atelier closer to the fashion source. “Mayfair is great but sometimes it can be a bit uninspiring,” says Macdonald. “The thing is, you might be in the best location in London but you tend to see the same kind of people every day; the Mayfair crowd.” Cross Hyde Park, however, and, “Notting Hill is multicultural and all different ages; you see fashion being made there, on Portobello Market. And it’s just an eclectic mix of people that I like to see; more fashionable people doing different trends. Whereas in Mayfair you usually just see rich people in expensive clothes.”

In recent years the designer has not only reached out geographically, he’s also extended his designs beyond his iconic barely-there gowns and launched his first range of bespoke eyewear. “It’s been a long process; all in all a little over a year - which is probably the longest deal like this I’ve ever done - because it’s all very technical and such a different world for me,” says Macdonald of his venture. Famed for his glittering, high impact gowns, Macdonald insists that his foray into the optical field is still totally ‘him’. “There’s my design aesthetic - the glamour, the snakeskin, the baroqueness - and then there’s the putting it onto a practical item that people have to wear every day. If you look at most optical ranges, they’re quite dull and boring but people keep them for a long time. So I decided that what I wanted to do – what I had to do – was to make them more fashionable.”

The designer looked towards his fashion archive to create 17 frames for his Vision Express collection. The glasses, “all have a lot of snakeskin or snake themes and feature a lot of baroque swirls. They basically channel my love of crystals, sparkles and glamour. So I’ve used all those elements – from my archive dresses and new ones – and put them into a range of glasses.” Macdonald’s career in the spotlight has had its highs, notably, “when I got awarded an OBE from the Queen for my

LONDON HAS

LONG played a role in his SEQUIN-FILLED SUCCESS STORY services to fashion,” and his 20-plus years in the industry is a testament to his design success. “Sustaining a business in fashion is the hardest thing because fashion is fickle - you come and go like the wind.” His turn on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 also helped renew support – and Macdonald was able to don his fair share of dazzling rhinestone-encrusted outfits in his four weeks on the show. “I stole a pair of highwaisted trousers covered in crystals and my first Strictly top, covered in rhinestones and sequins!” he admits with a laugh. The key to the designer’s lasting popularity also lies in his ability to move between high street and catwalk. His eponymous label staged its first runway show for Spring/Summer in 1998 and since then he’s mediated between high profile fashion events in the capital, and work with the high street. A fan of the flamboyant who is inspired by the work of Gianni Versace and whose muses include “supermodels like Naomi, Christina, Helena and Kate,” Macdonald loves to represent “fabulous, glamorous women.” “The women who wear my clothes are glamorous and they’re definitely not shy,” says Macdonald. He describes his signature style as “uber glamorous, super sexy, with a broad age appeal – from young girls to 80 year old women. Women of all ages, shapes and sizes can wear my clothes. That’s what I like about it; it’s not just one kind of woman.” u The Julien Macdonald eyewear is available now in Vision Express stores. visionexpress.com/julienmacdonald

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MY MOST TREASURED POSSESSION…

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FASHION / FOCUS 01

Bohemian

RHAPSODY

Fashion designer Thea Porter is the subject of a new book and exhibition opening this month. Absolutely delves into her Kensington connections Wo r d s P E N D L E H A R T E

ashion designer Thea Porter is remembered this month as an exhibition of her work opens at the Fashion and Textile Museum, accompanied by a new book published by the V&A. Though her famed shop was in Soho and her home in Mayfair, her Kensington connections are strong – it was at Lebanese restaurant Caravanserai in Kensington High Street that she showed her first collection in 1968, and in a Kensington care home that she spent her final days. Porter is the woman credited with introducing bohemian, Middle Eastinspired chic to 1960s London and her signature chiffon kaftans were worn by everyone from from the Beatles and Pink Floyd to Elizabeth Taylor, Faye Dunaway and Barbara Streisand. Joan Collins famously said: ‘Thea’s are the only clothes I never throw away’. (Doro)thea Seale Thea Porter Gipsy dress grew up in Beirut and by Willie Christie, 1969. married attaché to the

Maudie James modelling a multi-layered silk chiffon skyscraper print dress in 1970. Photograph by Patrick Hunt. Courtesy of the Venetia Porter collection / Image © V&A Photographic Studio

01 Front window of the shop and model posed inside wearing a typical Thea Porter print, 1970. 02 Claudia Bruce wearing a peasant-style dress in a Persian paisley print combined with Damascus fabric, and a leather and feather headdress. Greek Street, London, 1969. Courtesy of the Venetia Porter collection / Image © V&A Photographic Studio 03 A model wearing a printed silk dress with brocade panels at the press lunch for the New York opening. July 1971. Courtesy of the Venetia Porter collection /Image © V&A Photographic Studio

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XXXXXX FASHION/ XXXXXXX / FOCUS HER CLOTHES

drew inspiration from AN EXOTIC VIEW

of the Middle East

British embassy Bob Porter in 1953, moving to London with him in 1964. Here she established herself as an interior designer. After a variety of jobs and commissions, she rented a first floor showroom on Berwick Street in November 1965, followed by the opening of Thea Porter Decorations Ltd, at 8 Greek Street in 1966. Porter’s early fashion designs were in menswear and three members of Pink Floyd wore her embellished jackets and printed shirts on

Brightest Sun Travellers, Jan Ward and Norman Parkinson by Norman Parkinson, Vogue, January 1971 © Norman Parkinson Archive

Romantic silhouettes, with full Victorian skirts and puffed sleeves, appeared throughout Porter’s career. This example is sketched in white cheesecloth with red rose trim. Courtesy of the Venetia Porter collection / Image © V&A Photographic Studio

the cover of their first album, Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The Beatles were her first big spenders when they came in to buy hangings, curtains and glass paintings to decorate their Apple Boutique. The location of Porter’s shop helped to mix the worlds of art and fashion and she was a regular at infamous Soho drinking club the Colony Room. Porter was part of a cultural renaissance in British fashion

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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design in the 1960s that was spearheaded by designers such as Zandra Rhodes and Bill Gibb, who found inspiration in other cultures and history. Yet Porter’s designs and influences were singular and distinctive. For nearly two decades she created clothes that drew much of their inspiration from an exotic view of the Middle East. Combining richly patterned silks with antique fabrics, her creations were exotic, glamorous and highly personal. Exhibition curator Laura McLaws Helms said: ‘Thea Porter’s ambition was to create clothes that were intrinsically beautiful, and that would last. Today, they are appreciated by not only the customers who have treasured them, but also by a new generation of devotees who continue to seek out her designs: Kate Moss, Julia Roberts, Nicole Richie, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen – the appeal of a unique and original Thea Porter dress endures today among some of the most

fashionable women in the public eye.’ Kate Moss famously wore a blue Thea Porter dress on the day before her wedding to Jamie Hince in 2011. u

Thea Porter in her workroom at the back of the Greek Street shop

An accompanying book by Venetia Porter and Laura McLaws Helms is published by V&A Publishing . Thea Porter: Bohemian Chic opens at the Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street SE1 on 6 February and continues until 3 May ftmuseum.com

42 19/01/2015 10:50

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GROUP EX

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HIGH IM

STABILITY STA ST S TA T AB A BILITY B BIL IIL LIIIT LIT L TY T YH CONDIT HENCH HEN ENCH ENC EN C H D ND N CLIMB CL C LIM LI L IM I MB M B WIN FOOTBALL FOOTB FOOTBA F OOTBA OOTB ALL A LL TION TI TIO ON O NB PUSH PUS PU P USH US U SH S H FOR F OR O R FLEXIBILITY FLEXIBILIT FLEXIBILI FLEXIBIL IT TY T Y BREATH BR RE R EA E ATH A TH CLASS LAS L LA AS A SS S S PLAYFUL PLAY P PL LAY LA L AY A YF Y FU FUL F UL U L FOCUS FOC FO C CUS US HEALTH H HE E EA ALTH AL A L LTH TH ELIT E LIT LETE ETE ET E TE BOD TE BODY BO DY D Y CYCLE CY C YCLE Y CLE FREE RUN MPICS PICS S STABILITY STA ST TABIL TA AB A BIIL B IL LIIIT TY T YT TENNIS TE EN E NN N NIS N IS MUSCLE MUSC MU M US U SCL SC CLE C LE L EC COMBAT COM CO OM O MB M BA B AT A T WOM TAKE ADVANTAGE CHALLENGE WOMEN WO WOM MEN M EN ESH SHCON SH GOAL GO OAL BADMIN OAL CONDITION CO NDITION NDITION CHANCEG ROLLER ROLL RO LL LER HOCKEY LER

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FASHION / BEHIND THE SCENES SPOTLIGHT

BEST FOOT FORWARD Bespoke shoemaker Anthony Andrews talks designing for Kathleen Turner and clients the world over W o r d s E l i z a b e t h Va n L i e r

here is something almost magical about the underground workshop of shoemaker Anthony Andrews. With its abundant and muti-coloured displays of suede and leather skins, its smell of polish and woodshavings and its shelf upon shelf of shoemaking knick-knacks, it’s like the setting for a modern day fairy tale. As Anthony (or Tony as he prefers) leads me around the rabbit warren of a basement, he introduces me to various members of his team, joking with them in his deep, cockney dialect. It’s a sprightly working environment, one that is both captivating and alluring. Witnessing first hand, the detail – the minute detail – that goes into every single design (the stitching, the gluing, the measuring) is nothing short of astounding. And the passion – the sheer passion! At one point Tony shows me a pair of American shoes from the 19th century, and he starts to quiver with excitement – ‘Look, just look at that stitching!’ I’d never seen enthusiasm quite like it. ‘My father [Len] was a sergeant major in the army and following that, went to a tech college to learn shoemaking,’ Tony tells me from the comfort of his

WHAT I DON’T KNOW about

[shoes] isn’t worth KNOWING

rugged but homely office. ‘After that, he went into orthopedic shoes and got a job in a firm – like the guys downstairs – shoemaking.’ A diligent worker, to please a client one day who needed his shoes fixed quickly, Len decided to take them home to work on overnight – a practise which was forbidden. For this ‘gross misconduct’, Len was sacked. None the

47 NH_FEB15_Footware.indd 47

wiser, the client returned some weeks later with more work for Len. When he heard of the redundancy, he marched straight out of the shop to give the work to Len direct. He then decided to give all future work to Len and encouraged him to set up on his own. So Len turned his basement into a workshop and set about making orthopedic shoes. After school each day, his son – the 11-year-old Tony – would go downstairs to help him, staying up till midnight most days to get through the workload. So it was that Tony followed in his father’s footsteps. And nearly 50 years on, he is still as obsessed with shoes as ever – ‘what I don’t know about them isn’t worth knowing’, he tells me. Whilst orthopedic footwear might be his speciality, Tony can design and make any shoe. Indeed, he can add 6 inches to the height of a man, simply through a carefully crafted heel. ‘Customers come to us to design (with our help) their own footwear. They choose from our vast selection of colours and prints, and animal skins – like crocodile, snake, stingray and ostrich. [Generally] the most common complaint we come across is from customers finding it difficult to buy ready-made shoes because one [of their] feet is bigger than the other.’

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:42

FASHION / BEHIND THE SCENES Kathleen Turner...

WAS THRILLED TO BITS with our COPPER INSOLES

For me this was a light bulb moment. I have this problem, I thought to myself, why on earth have I not done anything about it before? In fact, why do I always go for the larger-sized shoe, the pair that accommodates ‘bigfoot,’ and totally neglects the swamped and struggling ‘littlefoot’? I peer down at my factorymade clodhopper plus-size left boot and want to throw it out onto the street. ‘Our most popular style for women is the slip-on court shoe, and for men, the Oxford brogue,’ Tony continues. ‘But we can make hundreds of different designs – even copy an old favourite.’ I must confess I drift off at this point, fantasising about the cloning of my beloved (albeit exhausted) pair of leather thigh-high boots. Might they finally now see the light of another party? And speaking of party shoes, if anyone knows anything about them, it’s Tony. He has designed many a pair in his time, some of which were for Hollywood A-listers. ‘A lot of [celebrities], if they’ve got a problem, [they] don’t really want me to say anything about it,’ Tony continues. ‘But with people like Kathleen Turner, it’s not a problem. She’s thrilled to bits with our copper insoles, which helped her with her arthritis. And we

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NH_FEB15_Footware.indd 48

made a couple of pairs of shoes for her as well. She was just blown away by them.’ My whole morning is whiled away nattering to Tony. He tells me about his varied and fascinating client list, many of whom come to him from all over the world. Like the woman from the Seychelles, who had, alarmingly, a stump for a leg. Tony and his team designed a pair of boots with a filler to support it. When she put them on, ‘you wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with her!’ Tony says, full-of-beans. ‘She was in here, crying…’. Then there was the story of a young boy, whose deformed legs were saved from amputation by a pair of Tony’s miracle shoes. They are truly touching tales. All of which served to confirm what I had thought at the beginning. There is something magical and fairy tale-like about Tony, his workshop and the work that he does. And that he can design a girl her very own bespoke shoes, tailormade to bigfoot and littlefoot, well, that’s just magic also. u 12 New Cavendish Street, W1G, 020 7486 4664; specialfootwear.co.uk

48 19/01/2015 10:46

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07/01/2015 09:25

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> BEAUTY CONFIDENTIAL

p. 52

PERFECT PALETTE

p. 55

BRACE YOURSELF

p. 58

BERRY BEAUTIFUL Putting the berry in Burberry, the British heritage brand swept raspberry-red lipstick across model's lips for their SS15 show. Ultimate spring seduction. burberry.com

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FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 09:47

t r e atm e n t R e v i e w

DEBBIE THOMAS

Josh Wood's Atelier Beaute Wo r d s p e n d l e h a r t e

Romance in a bottle, how to look gorgeous this Valentine’s day and the best sunblocks for February travellers

ooking at my face, Debbie Thomas immediately tells me that I have L lots of sun damage. This makes me feel a bit guilty about my imperfect sunscreen use – until she announces breezily that most sun damage happens before you’re 11 years old. Eleven! So it’s really not my fault at all but my parents’. Immediately I transfer the guilty feeling onto my own children, not yet eleven, and wonder about my inadequate sunscreen approach. Surely they’re fine, in London, mostly? We only have very few hot days after all. Debbie explains carefully that she will go without sunscreen in London, on days where she leaves the house before dawn and returns after dark, as long as she remains indoors all day and doesn’t go out for lunch. No wonder I have more sun damage than her. But sun damage is something that Debbie can work on. She claims to suffer from acne (though you’d never guess it) and says that’s what led her to specialise in skin. But all other treatments paled in comparison the moment she discovered the laser. Her laser therapies are extremely effective at everything from rejuventating skin to removing pigmentation, broken veins, scars and blemishes (including sun damage). The sensation is 'like being flicked with a warm rubber band,' she says, accurately, and though not exactly pleasant it's easily bearable and results are certainly impressive. Debbie Thomas is new to the brilliant Josh Wood Atelier, so book yourself in. u

W o r d s R o m y va n d e n B r o e k e

Eye Candy Estée Lauder

This year has been quite a year for Kendall Jenner – not only has she struck up a covetable new friendship with Cara Delevingne but she has also landed a job as the face of Estée Lauder. Bravo. Esteelauder.co.uk

● D E B B I E T H O M A S AT J O S H WO O D ' S AT E L I E R B E A U T E 6 Lansdowne Mews, W11, 020 3393 0977; debbiethomas.co.uk; joshwoodcolour.com

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52 19/01/2015 09:45

HEALTH & BEAUTY / NOTES

8 of the best

RED ALERT Kevyn Aucoin

SUNSCREENS

New for Valentine’s Day is Kevyn Aucoin's Bloody Gorgeous Box Set, a collection of six of the make-up artist’s most iconic products in his favourite shade, Bloodrose - the ultimate red. £100, Available at Space NK, 127-131 Westbourne Grove, W2 spacenk.com

best

editor’s

BUY

PICK WHITE LINE Odin

Not only do these fragrances from Odin New York look stylish on your dressing table, they're also unisex so can be spritzed on both you and your partner this Valentine's day. £140; odinedt.com

LOVE IN A BOTTLE Lalique

Attention loverbirds! This heavely scent is the perfect gift for a loved one this Valentine’s day. The L’Amour Lalique perfume comes bottled in a collectable crystal flacon and has top notes of rosebed and neroli. Beautiful. L’Amour Lalique, £1,100; lalique.com

SHINE LIKE A DIAMOND BeautyLab

Slather your face in black diamond extract with this energizing serum from grooming giants, BeautyLab. It’s sure to keep you looking fresh this February. £90; beautylab.com

53 B&C_FEB15_Beauty_Notes.indd 53

07 06

1. ELEMIS, Liquid Layer SPF30, £27; timetospa.co.uk 2. SOLEIL, Organique Sunscreen Mist SPF15, £24, abeautifulworld.co.uk 3. DERMALOGICA, Dermalogica Super Sensitive Shield SPF30, £39; dermalogica.co.uk 4. LA ROCHE POSAY, Anthelios XL Compact Cream SPF 50, £19.50; boots.com 5. LANCASTER, Sun Delicate Skin SPF50, £21; selfridges.com 6. KIEHLS, Activated Sun Protector SPF50, £25, kiehls.co.uk 7. MURAD, Water Resistant Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF30, £29; murad.co.uk 8. SISLEY, Sisley’s Sunleÿa G.E Age-Minimising Sun Care SPF15, £158; sisley-paris.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 09:45

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Sali’s

Hair & Beauty Spa London Sali’s is now offering CACI – NON SURGICAL TREATMENTS and ENVIRON; new generation skincare, using state-of-the-art-technology in skincare. We also offer a range of exclusive body and face treatments.

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12/01/2015 15:51

HOLLAND PARK DENTAL CENTRE

New Year, New You: You are NEVER too old to have the straight teeth you always dreamed of. Holland Park Dental Centre has made that dream even easier to achieve: To celebrate the New Year and the appointment of internationally recognised specialist orthodontist Dr Anthony Lam, Holland Park Dental Centre has a NEW YEAR, NEW YOU offer to make you smile: Orthodontic Consultation at the SPECIAL RATE of £55.00 with FREE tooth whitening at the completion of every orthodontic treatment. The centre offers a range of orthodontic treatments, including Invisalign, the virtually invisible braces which are almost impossible for people to see you are wearing. Now there is nothing stopping you from realising your dreams in the New Year. For additional exciting discounts visit www.hollandparkdental.co.uk Free tooth whitening at the completion of every orthodontic treatment, embarked upon during the promotional period until 28 Febrauy 2015.

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BEFORE

Holland Park Dental Centre, 170 Holland Park Avenue, London, W11 4UH

16/01/2015 10:40

19/01/2015 14:49

ABSOLUTELY / PROMOTION then there was the dancing. I remember the roar of friends, family and even people who didn’t know me when I finished my dance with Nuno and then when the judges lifted 4 golden paddles each showing a ten. I was simply gobsma cked! When I was declared the winner and handed the glitterball trophy, there were tears, hugs and kisses; I can honestly say that it was like an out-ofbody experience! Thank you, Park Club.

SIMONE DAILEY Ironwoman Triathlete

A VERY GOOD YEAR A look back at the highlights of 2014 and why there’s nowhere better than the Park Club to achieve your New Year goals

Since joining The Park Club in late 2012 I can honestly say this is one of the best gyms in London for a number of reasons! I am not only a member and triathlete, but also a strength & conditioning coach who works from various gyms in and around London, but I choose to train here. As a triathlete who competes at world level in Ironman, I could not ask for a better setup. The outdoor pool is incredible and very rare to come across in London; the Watt bikes are great for my monitored bike sessions and having the outside grounds to run around with some hilly terrain is perfect in every sense. I have a great coach and team here and a great support unit. The food is delicious, with a wide range of healthy meals for pre and post training, and always served by friendly staff in a warm outgoing atmosphere. What more could I ask for?

ISLA CULMER-JENKINS Karate Student

NICK CURTIS-RALEIGH Contender in Parx Boxing 2014

I took part in the charity boxing event at the Park Club in the spring of 2014 – an unforgettable experience. I boxed against my twin brother, Guy, so no pressure there then! The whole event was brilliantly organised, from the training with personal trainers Lee and Ali, the medical checks, the way we were kept motivated, the fundraising (collectively the event raised over £20,000 for charity) and the superb venue. I will always remember walking through into a floodlit arena, music blaring, packed with about a thousand roaring spectators, film crew, and, of course, a boxing ring right in the

middle. All of the boxers felt an enormous sense of achievement and our friends and family thought it was an extraordinary and unique event.

JO DEAN Winner of Strictly Charity 2014

My family and I have always loved The Park Club, but I love it even more since taking part in Strictly Charity 2014. The entire experience was amazing. The quality of our Professional Dance partners, the lighting and sound, the dresses, make-up and hair, alongside the technical run-throughs, the celebrity panel and compère, made us all feel like we were involved in the real event. And

57 CHIS_FEB15_TheParkClub_ADV.indd 57

When Isla first started Karate, even though she had asked to join the class, initially she stood outside of the door too scared to go in. After some excellent and very kind persuasion from Sensei Alex, she finally plucked up the courage to give it a go. At age seven, she is now an orange belt and has every intention of going for her black belt. So far it’s been an amazing journey for her. Not only does she really enjoy it but it has built up her confidence tremendously. u

● The Park Club

020 740 4599; theparkclub.co.uk For tickets to Parx Boxing 2015 go theparkclub.co.uk/sections/parxboxing

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 09:25

XXXXXX &/ XXXXXXX HEALTH BEAUTY / REVIEW

62% OF WOMEN surveyed ADMITTED that THEY WOULD WORRY about kissing SOMEONE WHILE wearing BRACES

Tooth or dare

Orthodontic treatment can be so discreet as to be almost invisible. Absolutely signs up for the perfect smile Wo r d s P E N D L E H A R T E

ebruary is the month of romance, as everyone knows. But a side effect of Valentine’s day is that it exposes hidden insecurities and can cause its own particular form of misery within all the love talk. And one particularly British form of misery is the one associated with the less-than perfect smile, the wonky tooth look that’s a common cause of confidence loss in the romance department. A recent dentist’s survey showed that as many as 13% of people had been prevented from going on dates by feelings of shame about their smile. I should know. My parents were less than dedicated to the dental schedule and my genes didn’t help me either. As an adult I have always assumed that a brace was something you wore as a child

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or missed the opportunity forever. The idea of wearing a metal tramtrack brace in your forties does nothing to diminish smile shame (the above-mentioned survey also discovered that over 60% of women would worry about kissing someone while wearing braces). But all of this, it transpires, is extremely common. These days, we’re never to old to get a brace and the brace doesn’t have to be ugly. More than that, it doesn’t even have to be visible. Internationally recognized specialist orthodontist Dr Anthony Lam has recently joined the Holland Park Dental Centre, bringing with him his highly regarded Harley Street expertise in discreet orthodontics. “You are never too old to have the straight teeth you always dreamed of,” is his motto. When I arrive for my consultation, I am assuming that he will tell me that nothing can be done for

my teeth unless I sign up for five years of metal mouth, which I won’t countenance. I am expecting him to tell me that I’m not even a candidate for tooth whitening, thanks to a crown and a veneer. “If we could do anything to your teeth, what would you like us to do?” he asks, straight off, angling for the best case scenario. I’d like them straighter and whiter. Wouldn’t everyone? “How important is it for you to not have a visible brace?” he asks. Ah, here we go. Metal mouth. Very important, I say. Amazingly, there are options for me. I can have the visible brace for a few months (no thanks), or try the invisible one for a year. The invisible brace is a removeable clear mould that fits behind your teeth and replaced every six weeks or so. You take it out to eat and brush and I am assured that it doesn’t even hurt. This high-tech construction involves x-rays of my mouth being sent to the US and I will have a year’s worth of appointments followed by a course of whitening (the veneer and the crown? No problem. They’ll just replace them if necessary). My crowded bottom teeth will be realigned while my gappy, sticking out top teeth will be straightened and equally spaced. They will somehow realign the gums if necessary too. So I’m going to do the thing I thought I’d never do. I’m getting a brace. Wish me luck. u

● Holl and Park Dental

170 Holland Park Avenue W11; 020 7603 4155 hollandparkdental.co.uk

58 19/01/2015 10:20

“ Fast, fun and devastatingly effective at sculpting legs, backside and above all the stomach” S TA N D A R D

W I NNE R B E S T P I L ATES S TU DIO – TAT LE R GYM AWARDS 2013 & 2014 Y OU R F I RST CLASS JU ST £12.50. Notting Hill, Chiswick, Mayfair, St James’s, Hatton Garden, City | www.tenpilates.com

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> FOOD NOTES

p.63

NOURISH YOURSELF THE AMELIA FREER WAY

p.65

W11'S MAZI REVIEWED

p.69

SICILY VIA NEW YORK Now open in Kensington Park Road Piccola Cucina has built up a great reputation in New York, Miami, Italy and Ibiza for serving deliciously authentic food in a homely, cosy setting. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit like eating very well in your own front room, if your front room is in a Sicilian stucco-clad house decorated with hand-made tiles and locallycrafted dressers. 186 Kensington Park Road, W11; 020 7221 0154

61 NH_FEB15_Food_Opener.indd 61

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:18

Away

TA K E

A healthy lunch @ santo

AVA I L A B L

Every Friday & Saturday 12 to 5 pm 299 portobello road, notting hill, w10 5td | 0208 968 4590

SANTO.indd 1

17/06/2014 12:17

FOOD & DRINK / NOTES RECIPE

GLUTEN-FREE PANCAKES B y T HE D ETOX K I TCH EN Serves: 4

ade wtih rice milk and rice flour, these are dairy-free and gluten-free Pancake Day options.

INGREDIENTS • 2 eggs • 150ml rice milk • 150g rice flour • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tbsp honey • 1 pinch salt

TABLE TALK Welcoming Piccola Cucina to W11 and returning to Bibendum for a seafood feast this Valentine's Day PICCOLA CUCINA METHOD Beat the eggs and add in the milk, mix well with a whisk and then sift in the flour and baking powder gradually, making sure to vigorously whisk the mixture so that it is not lumpy. Continue to whisk until smooth then add in the honey and salt. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.While the batter is resting, gently crush the pecans either in a pestle and mortar or place them in a plastic bag and break them up using a rolling pin. Then tip them into a bowl and add in a tbsp. of honey, combine well and then spread them on top a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool and crunch up! Add a drop of oil to a small non-stick frying pan and pour in a small ladle full of the batter. Cook for 1 minute on each side.Serve the pancakes with a spoonful of the crunchy honey pecans.

Hurrah for W11, new home to this splendid New York Sicilian restaurant. Sourcing all their food straight from Italy every day, this restaurant is marveously true to its roots, despite its transglobal success. 186 Kensington Park Road W11; piccolacucinagroup.com

Forever a perfect match, chocolate and Valentine's Day are making an inevitable reappearance at Hotel Chocolat this February in their delicious Valentine's Collection. Skillfully crafted to help you go that extra mile for your loved one this year, this chocolate collection ensures the only hearts being broken this Valentine's are the salted caramel-filled chocolate ones. hotelchocolat.com

Bibendum ringing you a menu of classic French dishes, delicious wines and exquisite seafood, Bibendum set on making your Valentine's Day extra special this year. The ground floor Oyster Bar will be at your disposal all evening serving fresh shellfish and chilled champagne, while upstairs will offer a menu including dishes from the restaurant's earliest days. 81 Fulham Road SW3; bibendum.co.uk

detoxkitchen.co.uk

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HOTEL CHOCOLAT

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:16

URBAN MEADOW Welcome to Urban Meadow Cafe & Bar, fresh British dining beside the iconic location of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hyde Park.

OPENING TIMES: Monday - Friday 6:30 - 23:00 // Saturday 7:30 - 23:00 // Sunday 7:30 - 22:30 Bar open until midnight hummingbird AD 190mmx134mm_Layout 1 13/01/2015 16:03 Page 1 HALF HORIZONTAL.indd 1

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Say thank you ...

...with a box of cupcakes ! hummingbirdbakery.com

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19/01/2015 14:50

FOOD & DRINK / RECIPES

CHICKEN NUGGETS WITH MANGO AND AVOCADO SALSA Here’s a recipe for the whole family, a healthy version of chicken nuggets.Throw in a good measure of childhood nostalgia and enjoy.

P re p ti m e : 1 0 m i n utes C h i l l ti m e : 30 m i n utes C o o k ti m e : 1 5 m i n utes Se r v e s : 2 – 3 INGREDIENTS • 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes • 250ml coconut milk • 115g coconut flour • ½ tsp ground cumin • ½ tsp tumeric powder • ½ tsp ground coriander • 75g desiccated coconut • a pinch of salt • 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted • 4 large lettuce leaves from an iceberg or cos lettuce, to serve Salsa: • 1 avocado, peeled, stoned and cut into small cubes • 1 mango, peeled, stoned and cut into small cubes • 15g fresh coriander, torn • 1 red onion, peeled and finely diced • 1 red chilli, finely diced • 2 tbsp coconut aminos

TRY AT HOME

Glow Girl

W8-based nutritionist Amelia Freer is the woman behind Boy George's weight loss. Her new book offers a complete guide to detoxing your kitchen Wo r d s A M E L I A F R E E R

65 NH_FEB15_Great Global Chefs.indd 65

METHOD

01 Put the chicken cubes in a bowl with the coconut milk and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 02 Meanwhile, make the mango salsa. Mix the avocado, mango, coriander, onion and chilli together in a bowl and pour over the coconut aminos. Refrigerate until needed. 03 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. 04 Put the flour and spices in a bowl and put the desiccated coconut on a plate. Take a chicken cube, roll it in the spiced flour, then roll it in the desiccated coconut until it is well coated, then put it on a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining chicken cubes. 05 Pour the melted coconut oil over the chicken and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crispy. 06 To serve, put a spoonful of the mango salsa into each lettuce leaf, add a few chicken nuggets, fold in the sides of the lettuce to enclose it and eat like a sandwich.

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 09:40

XXXXXX FOOD & /DRINK XXXXXXX / RECIPES

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMELS eriously decadent and truly delectable, t these salted caramels are hard to resist. Make them to share with friends or when you know you won’t be tempted to eat the lot!

• chocolate coating: • 25g cocoa powder • 25g coconut oil • 2 tbsp coconut crystals

Prep ti m e : 15-20 min u tes S o a k ti m e : 20 min u tes Free ze ti m e : 3 hou rs Make s: 12 caramels

01 Soak the dates in a bowl of hot water for 20 minutes, then drain and put them into a blender with the coconut milk, coconut oil, salt and vanilla powder. Blend into a smooth paste, then transfer to a freezerproof container and freeze for 1 hour. 02 Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. 03 Roll a hazelnut in the caramel mixture until it’s coated – it’s messy and the balls won’t be a perfect shape but this doesn’t matter, just keep using teaspoons to handle the caramel. 04 Dust with a little coconut flour so the balls don’t stick together and put onto the lined baking tray. Repeat until all the mixture is

INGREDIENTS • 14 small medjool dates, pitted • 75ml coconut milk • 75ml melted coconut oil • ¼ tsp Maldon sea salt, plus sea salt ﬂakes for sprinkling • ½ tsp vanilla powder • 12 raw hazelnuts • coconut ﬂour, for dusting

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METHOD

used up, then put the tray into the freezer and freeze for 3 hours. 05 While the nuts are freezing, make the chocolate coating. Put all the ingredients for the coating in a pan and set over a low heat, stirring until melted. Remove from the heat and leave the mixture to cool a little until it is thick enough to drizzle over the caramel balls. 06 Pour the coating over the caramel balls, sprinkle a little salt over each, then pop back into the freezer for 30 minutes.

Eat. Nourish. Glow. by Amelia Freer is published by HarperCollins, £16.99 p/b. ameliafreer.com

66 19/01/2015 09:40

Ukai (oo-kaaee), our name, is inspired by the traditional method of river fishing practiced for some 1,300 years using Cormorant birds to catch sweetfish. Due to interest, many of its various Japanese inspired products including flower teas (which blossoms in front

UKAI SUSHI_APRIL.indd 1

of you eyes), and a variety of stylish tableware are now available to be purchased. Ultimately, Ukai’s passion is sushi. With the simplest recipe; the freshest sustainable ﬁsh, the highest quality of ingredients and a trained and loving chef.

18/03/2014 09:58

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We want to be your neighbourhood favourite. Our simple, fresh and tasty Japanese dishes will bring delight to you. You can come and dine in our cozy sushi bar, call for takeaway, or order for delivery. We dont just sell fish! Eat Sushi provides lots of Japanese food including japanese curries, rice dishes and noodles.

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GOODE & WRIGHT Enjoy a romantic meal at Goode & Wright this Valentine’s Day. The eclectic bistro in the heart of Notting Hill is preparing a special love laced menu for the occasion. Known for it’s great British produce, dishes include; wild trout tartare with Nori seaweed and seared foie gras with toasted brioche and aged balsamic. It will be a night to remember.

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19/01/2015 09:53

19/01/2015 14:51

FOOD & DRINK / REVIEW we're tucking into spicy tiropita, broken filo pastry, leeks and chillies served in a large mason jar. The presentation is great but is nothing to the flavours, which are phenomenal. The heat of chillies perfectly contrasts with the mild cheese and leeks. As another table's order arrives we stare, covetously. Gradmama's meatballs are next and have us in ecstasies once again, with their piquant tomato sauce and crunchy homemade crisps. One by one our dishes arrive, Feta Tempura with lemon marmalade and caper meringue, Black Truffle chicken Hunkar Begendi, Lamb Cutlets seared in smoked garlic butter and Fresh Calamari in rocket pesto riceless risotto. The feta is crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside but the real revelation is the caper meringue, a devilishly delicious confection walking the line between madness and genius. The lamb cutlets are succulent and the

Mazi

Some of the most original cooking in W8 defies all our preconceptions about Greek food Wo r d s c at h e r i n e h a l e s

ucked away on Hillgate Street, the restaurant is on the small side, with an unassuming and chic front masking a vibrant and busy atmosphere inside - on a Thursday evening at 9pm, the place is packed with walk-ins being turned away and only those with a coveted reservation allowed over the threshold. The decor is simple; think white walls, exposed brick and deconstructed lighting. We start with a cocktail (because, why not?) and my companion selects the Chios Mandarini Martini while I am swayed from my original choice by the offer of a Passion Fruit Martini. The menu is based around a tapas style sharing concept but offers dishes big enough to easily fill the conventional Starter, Main,

Dessert formula for only children etc. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an embarrassment of riches but we manage to narrow it down to six dishes. Perhaps narrow is the wrong word. The plates arrive when they're ready and soon

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smoked garlic is subtle and fragrant. When the calamari arrives we are slightly nonplussed until it is explained that what looks like risotto is actually diced calamari in rocket pesto. This unconventional approach pays dividends. My only gripe is with the chicken, which I find slightly overwhelmed by black truffles. All this is capped off with a dessert of warm donut balls (loukoumades, in Greek) in subtly flavoured lavender honey with a rich, gelatinous chocolate sorbet. This is exquisite. Without sounding too gushing., Mazi succeeds in serving some of the best, most original food I have ever had the pleasure to eat. A triumph. u

â&#x2014;? M a zi

12-14 Hillgate Street, W8, 020 7229 3794 mazi.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:30

Luxury European Furniture since 1962

London Luxury Furniture Showroom 020 7253 3206 WHARFESIDE.indd 1

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> INTERIORS NOTES

p. 72

MARBLE MOODBOARD p. 75 A NOTTING HILL FAMILY HOUSE

p. 76

ZOOM IN Zuzunaga's Zoom In Zoom Out collection is inspired by the Op Art movement and is a tribute to Bridget Riley. The blanket is knitted using 100% extra fine Italian merino wool and made in Spain. Zoom Out blanket, ÂŁ154 from zuzunaga.com

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FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:25

10 of the best

map and globes

Map it out and paint the town with this month’s home picks

BHS

Map Printed Bedding Set, £25; bhs.co.uk

Wo r d s g e m m a b i l l i n g t o n

HOUSE OF FRASER

Revival Wire Globe, £50; houseoffraser.co.uk

BOMBUS

Bespoke Map Heart, £92; bombus.co.uk

ASPACE

Vintage Map Duvet Set, £85; aspace.co.uk

must

HAVE

Modern Way Heals’ Modern Craft Market

JEREMY HARNELL

Not All Those Who Wander Unframed Poster, £20; johnlewis.com 05

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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Heals’ Modern Craft Market will be returning to the central London store for the second year running. Taking place for one week this February, the event will showcase the best in contemporary craft as well as giving enthusiasts the chance to take part in a series of live workshops. 2 - 15 February; heals.co.uk

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HOMES & INTERIORS / NOTES NEWGATE CLOCKS

VERY BERRY

Giant World Poster, £252; amara.com

P a n t o n e C o l o u r o f t h e Ye a r

Colour experts Pantone have announced ‘Marsala’ as the Colour of the Year 2015. Described as a ‘naturally robust and earthy wine red,’ many interior brands have followed suit and introduced it to their ranges. Prepare to welcome this rich berry hue into your home and for Marsala madness to hit the high street. pantone.co.uk

MY PRECIOUS

JAN CONSTANTINE

The Ruby Tree

West London designer Bethan Gray, and Islamic Art & Craft scholar, Mitchell Abdul Karim Crites, have teamed up to launch the Ruby Tree, a collection of beautiful tableware and furniture inspired by Islamic design. The collection is available exclusively at Harrods. Photo ©Julian Abrams; therubytreecollection.com

MELLOW YELLOW Dulux

‘Big Nature Small Me’ is a winter colour trend forecast by Dulux. Inspired by the great outdoors, the ‘rich colours... form a great escape from the streamlined, grey, hi-tech world we increasingly live in’ according to Dulux Interior Designer, Lisa Jennings. dulux.co.uk

New York Cushion, £128.50 janconstantine.com

OLIVER BONAS

dulux pic here

Globe Decorations, £4.50 oliverbonas.com

ALEXANDER & PEARL Quest Trunk Chest, £575; alexanderandpearl.co.uk

editor’s

PICK

BEST IN SHOW Holloways of Ludlow

Interior retailer Holloways of Ludlow will celebrate their 30th anniversary this year with a series of events and new collections. With five locations in Brook Green and west London, this year Holloways are also set to open a seventh showroom in Shropshire. hollowaysofludlow.com

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ASPACE

Beanbag, £65; aspace.co.uk 06

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:22

ARTIGO Collection

FRENCH MANUFACTURER

Be inspired by our stylish range of kids, adult, living and dining room furniture at www.gautier.co.uk

37-41 Westbourne Grove, London W2 4UA

FREE INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE

Tel. 020 7221 2393 100 STORES WORLDWIDE

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DUBAÏ

PARIS

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TORONTO

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13/01/2015 15:58

HOMES & INTERIORS / PRODUCTS EARNEST STUDIO & DANA CANNAM DESIGN,

ISABELLE STANISLAS

'All of a Piece' tableware, £320 each; all-of-a-piece.com

'So-Cross' chair, POA; so-an.fr

TERENCE WOODGATE

EERO SAARINEN, FOR KNOLL

‘Solid light’, £197; terencewoodgate.com

'Saarinen' round table, £3,350; knoll.com

GAMFRATESI, FOR GUBI ‘TS’ table, £345; gubi.dk

LEE BROOM

‘On the rock’ glassware, POA; leebroom.com

JAMES IRVINE, FOR MARSOTTO EDIZIONI Connoisseur 32, POA; marsotto-edizioni.com

APARENTMENT

ANNA FABRIZI

'Connecting Dots' coat hooks, £80; maffe.it

MARBLE MARVELS

'Marblelous' stairs, POA; aparentment.com

SEAN WOOLSEY

Filetto Rosso Marble & Tri-Mod Base Table, $900; seanwoolsey.com

Keep things fresh this year with all things marble By Jessica klingelfuss

SIMON LEGALD, FOR NORMANN COPENHAGEN, ‘Craft’ salt and

pepper mills in black/white marble, £64; normann-copenhagen.com

E. BARBER & J. OSGERBY,

The Bottle Table, POA; cappellini.it

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FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:24

XXXXXX / XXXXXXX AT HOME

House of Fun This Notting Hill house is a playful and quirky family home. Absolutely quizzes Nicky Mudie of W10-based interior designers Violet & George about its story I n t e r v i e w p e a r l b oy d

ABSOLUTELY: What was the initial brief? NICKY MUDIE: The brief from the client was to create a family home. There are four small children in the family so a playful environment for fun and relaxation with the parents was required. The client wanted the space to be about the children with adult entertainment and socialising as secondary to the children’s environment. Violet & George were asked not to make the home too grown up and we reflected this in the home by using a colourful, playful palette. In each of the girl’s bedrooms we used their favourite colours to decorate the walls. The master bedroom is the only room in the house which remains completely for a grown up. The client owns plenty of urban art and this theme was used repeatedly.

WE WERE asked

not to make the home TOO GROWN-UP

Xenz is a celebrated urban artist and we worked together with him painting the butterflies and birds in the corridor to the girls’ bedrooms in his distinctive urban Chinoiserie style. We commissioned Ben Allen to paint the dazzle effect on the guest WC walls and the bespoke rhino and elephant panels in the dining room. ABS: What did the house look like when you first saw it? NM: The home was a developer shell and empty space for Violet & George to unleash creativity upon. We were asked to decorate throughout the property.

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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HOME & INTERIORS / FOCUS

ABS: What were its best and worst features? NM: The living room space with its double height and mezzanine was the best and worst feature. The room has a huge impact when you walk in from a dark corridor to such a huge room. But Violet & George were given the aim of creating a cosy and family-orientated living space. We achieved this by commissioning large bespoke pieces of furniture to be created for the space. A huge sofa dominates the floor space and is super comfy to lounge on. A huge bookcase was a great way to display colour and the client’s personality and a desk area

dominates the huge wall opposite the fireplace.

making sure that the kids aren’t isolated in any way from the rest of the family.

ABS: Tell us about the mezzanine. NM: We created a space for the younger members of the family to do their homework on or play on the computer. It is a great space because the adults can watch the children from the luxury of the living room. This meant that adult supervision is slightly removed so the kids can do their own thing. The mezzanine desk space was a great way of making children feel they have their own space to do their school work, while keeping the whole home unified and

ABS: The lighting is interesting. How was that worked out? NM: The living room ceiling is extremely high. It was important to install dramatic lighting that wouldn’t be dwarfed in comparision to the size and drama of the main room. To choose the absolute right lighting, we visited Decorex together with the client to choose furnishings. I also tool inspiration from Design Junction for lighting pieces. The lighting needed to be sculptural and bold to hold its own in such a strong architectural space.

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FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:59

Basement Design Construction and Complete Project Management

www.cranbrook.co.uk 0800 525 883 26 - 28 Hammersmith Grove W6 7BA London Free no obligation initial design survey, feasibility advice, quotation and 3D visualisation

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23/12/2014 13/01/2015 11:49 15:07

HOME & INTERIORS / FOCUS ABS: There are lots of different colours and textures. Tell us about those. NM: The architectural features are bold, therefore we were given scope by the client to be bold with the colour palette. The boldness of the whole property meant we needed to use strong textures to complement the confidence of the colours and patterns.

ABS: What are your design inspirations? NM: I am constantly inspired by the world around me; it is usually colour and pattern that inspire me the most. The autumnal colours of trees, slate roofs on stone houses, most recently the colours of the houses in a small hillside village in Provence, the warm orangey glow of the lighting in bars in Prague in the winter. I love to travel and

ABS: What’s your background? NM: I’m passionate about interiors and fabrics and have been from an early age. A fascination for fabric’s functionality led to studying textile design at university. I went into interior design and was a founding member of Godrich Interiors – I was always drawn to the softer side of furnishings such as fabrics, curtains and upholstery. I spotted a gap in the market for an interior design house specializing in fabrics. We’re very proud to harness old traditions and dying skills and use British skilled artisans to create our curtains, lighting, upholstery and passementerie.

WE ARE CONSTANTLY taking inspiration FROM MYRIAD SOURCES see the world through fresh eyes. I went to Miami last year and was blown away by the design there – the intricate details of the Art Deco buildings act as a perfect backdrop to the modern design being created in hipster areas such as Wynwood. ABS: And your favourite interiors? Violet & George is led by its clients’ tastes and preferences. We pride ourselves on our creativity – you won’t see a signature style so we are constantly taking our inspiration from myriad sources. I love being given artistic freedom with a client’s home. It’s great to fill a home with colour, vibrancy, pattern and texture but the client is always the first point of reference. Fabrics, wallpapers and bespoke finishes play an important roll and the end result is one that is playful, youthful and animated. Our favourite room to have fun in is always the smallest room in the house – the guest loo. From graffiti to wallpaper to mirrored tiles, we like to create a space that will start a conversation when guests come to visit. u

violetandgeorge.om

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FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 11:00

Oance upon time... et our Fairy Godmother create a magical experience for your little girl by transforming her into a princess at the Disney Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Harrods. Discover more at disneyboutiqueatharrods.com

Experiences from £100. Bookings subject to availability. Featured gown is from the £1,000 Royal Package. Full terms and conditions apply; read them at disneyboutiqueatharrods.com

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17/09/2014 16/09/2014 13:38 15:07

> KIDS' NOTES – PREEN FASHION FOR TOTS, GOLDEN TICKETS AND TOY MACAROONS

p. 83

SCHOOL TALK

p. 85

STYLE FILES Girly Style Wardrobe by Yoshiko Tsukiori and published by Laurence King shows you how to make clothing for little girls, inspired by the simplicity and elegance of Japanese fashion. The book comes with comprehensive instructions and patterns. £14.95, p/b. laurenceking.com

81 NH_FEB15_Kids_Opener.indd 81

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:28

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19/01/2015 14:53

KIDS & EDUCATION / NOTES MINI ME Preen

Preen, founded in Notting Hill by Thea and Thornton Bregazzi, unveiled its first childrenswear collection last year. The range incorporates Victorianinspired prints from the label’s mainline collection so that kids can be as stylish as their parents. preenbythorntonbregazzi.com

SHELF LIFE

SEW FAB £12.95 L a u re n c e Ki n g Au t h o r l e s l i e wa r e

SMALL TALK Mini Preen, a sewing lesson and a real golden ticket

J I T T E R B UG Blade & Rose

Blade & Rose specialise in ‘bootyful’ legging designs that will ensure baby is well on the way to her first stylish steps. The playful designs are perfect for climbing toddlers with their cheeky bottom-prints, while the soft yarn mix is durable and stretchy to accommodate exploring. bladeandrose.co.uk

T O P T I C K ET

PA RT Y P I E C E Tasteful toys

Charlie and the Chocolate Fa c t o r y - T h e M u s i c a l

The best toy ever at JoJo Mamanbebe is this tea tray featuring darling pastelcoloured wooden macarons. For the more sophisticated toddler tea party. 101 Westbourne Grove, W2

Gift vouchers for the fabulous Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical now come in the form of actual gold tickets, so hide one in a Wonka bar and wait for the reaction. Box office 0844 874 0664

83 NH_JAN15_Kids_Notes.indd 83

e a stylist and fashion designer in B one with Sew Fab, the ultimate style and sewing workbook for any fashion-obsessed girl. Packed with gorgeous illustrations, step-by-step projects, tips and fun activities, you will be creating unique clothing and accessories in no time. It will teach you not just to sew, but how to wear your creations with flair. Sew Fab will take you from new sewing recruit to ‘Sew Ready’ in no time, teaching 8-13 year-olds all they need to know to sew their own unique wardrobe. ◆

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:27

DISCOVERMORE

Embracing an innovative, modern approach whilst keeping traditional values at its core, Kew House School takes an exciting stance on 21st century education. With state-of-the-art facilities, a broad curriculum and excellent pastoral care, Kew House is

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The new independent co-educational senior school for students aged 11-18 in West London

FULL PAGE.indd 2

@kewhouseschool

19/01/2015 14:54

KIDS & EDUCATION / SCHOOL TALK

Working partnership Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt wants independent schools to work more closely with state schools. He might be surprised to find that many are doing so already Wo r d s A m a n d a C o n s ta n c e

n north Kensington, in the backwaters of Notting Hill largely ignored by the fashionistas, there is a stateof-the-art, brand spanking new school. This is Kensington Aldridge Academy, a secondary school for the local community. Nearly all the pupils live within a mile, the majority from the surrounding estates. It couldn’t be more inner city. Yet who are its educational partners? Two bastions of private school privilege – Godolphin & Latymer and Charterhouse. Eton College has sponsored a new school, too; Holyport College, a state free school which also opened its doors to Year 7 last September. The Independent Schools Council (ISC) – which represents the majority of the UK’s private schools - says nine out of 10 independent schools already take part in partnerships with state schools. Was Tristram Hunt ignorant of examples such as these when he pledged to strip fee-paying schools of business rate relief? The shadow education secretary provoked a furious backlash from private school leaders when he said that if Labour came to power, independent schools could lose tax relief worth a combined total of £147m a year unless they worked more closely with the state sector. Under the plan, independent schools would be expected to sponsor state academies, share teachers, train new staff, help state pupils apply to top universities, tap into alumni networks to offer more work experience placements, run summer schools, and provide and run joint extra-curricular activities.

THE ADVANTAGES of these partnerships ARE COMPLETELY TWO-WAY “Well I, along with hundreds of colleagues, have got news for him,” says Jo Heywood, headmistress of Heathfield in Ascot. “Almost all of us are already involved in partnerships with excellent schools in the state sector, including many of the initiatives he has suggested, and we are fed up with these repeated attacks on our schools and how we run them.” Perhaps the problem for private schools is that, while many have established strong partnerships with the state sector, they just haven’t done a very good PR job explaining it. “If there is one mea culpa in all of this, it is that we haven’t done what

85 NH_FEB15_Education.indd 85

we’re normally very good at doing, which is sort of blowing our own trumpet,” says Charlotte Vere, the ISC’s general secretary. Mark Beard, headmaster of University College School in Hampstead, alma mater of the Honourable Tristram Hunt, himself the son of a baronet, accused Labour of displaying great ignorance of how modern private schools work. “If the shadow education secretary were to visit his old school, what would he find?,” asks Beard. “A nest of privilege, devoted to raising the children of oligarchs and City financiers in secluded, toffish privilege? On the contrary, he would find a diverse population of pupils, from all creeds and backgrounds.” UCS spends £1m a year on fees assistance and has a range of collaborations with state secondary schools, including Westminster Academy, UCL Academy, London Academy of Excellence, and a number of primaries. “Indeed, if Dr Hunt were to be so tasteless as to try to put a monetary value on the amount of public benefit that UCS generates each year, he might be shocked to find that it comfortably outstrips the value of its charitable status,” says Beard. It doesn’t take much digging on the websites of London’s top schools to find a list of their ‘community’ work. Andrew Halls, headmaster of King’s College school in Wimbledon, says: “The advantages of these partnerships are completely two-way”. Halls says King’s parents know the programme has a cost – which they are effectively bearing in their fees – “but not one of us, not a single parent, would wish it otherwise”. u

FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 09:57

At Hampton Court Palace we’ve been mixing business with pleasure for centuries Henry VIII’s lavish hospitality was well known, as were his abilities as a statesman. Whilst at Hampton Court Palace, Henry was just as likely to be found at the banquet table as he was in meetings with advisors. To this day the palace plays host to those who like to work and play.

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FULL PAGE.indd 1

23/12/2014 11:38

> TIM LOTT IN BALI

p. 88

UK GETAWAY: BARNSLEY HOUSE

p. 93

PUCCINI'S TUSCANY

p. 95

BEAUTIFUL BALI Tim Lott indulges his senses at the two fabulous Four Seasons resorts in Bali, before embarking on some unusual excursions on the island. fourseasons.com

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FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:56

XXXXXX / XXXXXXX

ALL RICE NOW

Absolutely tries out some unlikely excursions from the Four Seasons’ two wildly beautiful resorts in Bali Wo r d s T I M L O T T

am travelling to one of my favourite islands in the world - Bali - and staying with my favourite hotel chain, the Four Seasons. What can go wrong? Very little, it turns out. On first arrival, I do find myself fooled. The Four Seasons at Sayan, near the famed cultural capital of the island, Ubud, lies just off a busy road. We pull off into a dirt track, which reveals little but unvariegated jungle. I’ve heard this place is huge – where the hell is the hotel? All we can see is a single, peculiar structure: a large rotunda, about the size of a helicopter landing pad, with a lily pond on top. I cross a bridge to the rotunda, where a flight of stairs takes me down – and down again. The people behind Four Seasons are clever. They have gone deep into the place. The hotel starts to appear – reception, restaurant, bar, terraces, suites. By the time you make it to the lowest level, down near the sacred river than runs through the site, you are in no doubt that this is the heart of a jungle - trees and hills loom all around you. The deep, deep greenness and pleasant sense of disorientation are startling. There are many status levels of rooms, and I am childishly delighted with mine – private pool, outside shower (that’s a good thing in Bali), a bed twice the size of my king size at home. But it turns out to be one of the more modest habitations – the largest one is not so much a hotel room as a private mansion. What do you do in the place like this? You loaf about, obviously – eating, drinking, sunbathing, the usual

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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TRAVEL / BALI

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FEBRUARY 2015

19/01/2015 10:52

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TRAVEL / BALI trials of a travel journalist. But there are activities and excursions too, one of which I think sounds pretty patronising. All the same, I give it a go. A (half) day in the life of a Balinese rice farmer does not sound to me like a recipe for a fun morning – slogging in the fields to plant and extract Bali’s staple crop is not the stuff of leisure. I take a hike first through the rice terraces and beyond, eating breakfast out of banana leaves with an eccentric guide who teaches ‘laughing yoga’. This means I have to stop every few hundred yards and, well, laugh. ‘In Bali we laugh - for no reason’ says the guide. Fair enough – but it does feel like you have, on instruction, gone slightly mad. I visit a ‘typical Balinese home’ – with in-house temple and requisite smiling toothless grandmother cosseting an infant

OUR ECCENTRIC GUIDE teaches_ 'LAUGHING YOGA' on the yard – then get down to some rice farming. You jump in the mud, which comes up to your knees. You smooth it down. When you try and get out of the mud, your boots come off. You plant some seeds. Repeat and wait for six weeks. Is it an experience worth having? I think it would probably be better to ask a Balinese rice farmer. As for me, it’s not high on my list of career aspirations. A visit to a jewellery factory, rather like rice farming, doesn’t necessarily feature highly among my must-dos in Bali, but jeweller John Hardy has a remarkable

place 20 minutes from Ubud specialising in Balinese-inspired designs. I can’t afford any of the beautiful pieces they make here – I ask about a silver water jug, and it turns out to be $6,000 – but the showroom alone is worth the visit for its architecture, a vast, high bamboo cathedral, almost as narrow as a canoe and suspended over a rice paddy. Hardy has made a lot of money out of his business, but rather than blow it on making still more money, he’s set up a school in Bali: the Green School. A remarkable place with a holistic ethic, it feels like a Californian cafe complex at first – the entrance, without fences or gates, is just a series of cafes selling vegan ice cream (‘sacred scoops’) and ‘raw food’. No turkey twizzlers here. Rock music from the students decorates the air. The classrooms are open-sided and built of

bamboo. Students swim and take lessons on the bridge that joins the two sides of the premises. A visit to a school may not sound like a great day out, but the Green School will change your whole idea of what it means to be educated. I can’t imagine finding a place as pleasant as the Sayan site, but the resort at Jimbaran Bay trumps it. I am greeted with a welcoming ceremony at the hotel’s temple (with in-house priest) because we are here not only to elegantly loaf about but also to add to our stocks of karma. Bali is one of the most spiritual places in the world, and this resort reflects that, with a large menu of meditation and yoga practices. I undertake a ‘karmic cleansing’ ritual on a high open terrace overlooking the vast beach below. Traditional rituals involve incense flowers and Sanskrit prayers. At its climax, to my surprise (my eyes closed, joining in prayer) a jug of water is emptied on my head by the priest – holy water, it turns out. So that’s ok, I tell myself, shivering back to my room. Leaving my room on the final day, gazing from the balcony to the sea and across another private pool, I feel that although I am a spoiled and hedonistic tourist, I must have done something very right in a past life to end up here, even for a few days. Next time round I’m unlikely to be so lucky. u 5 nights in Ubud at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan before visiting Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay for 5 nights, starting from £2090 per person. Travelling with Audley Travel this includes all flights, transfers and is on a bed and breakfast basis. 62 (361) 701010. fourseasons.com/bali audleytravel.com

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TRAVEL / UK GETAWAY THE HOTEL

he handsome and intimate late 17th century former home of inspirational horticulturalist Rosemary Verey (whose beautiful garden frames the building) is the setting for this Cotswold hotel. Eschewing a chintzy or old-timey decor scheme, the house provides the ideal bolt-hole for stressed-out Londoners, a holistic hideaway for those seeking some pastoral downtime with the mod cons of their urban lives still intact. Our room was in the old building with a bay window overlooking the garden. Our bathroom was huge, with quaintly slanting wooden floors, double sinks and a rainforest shower, its glitzy tiles in contrast to the neutral decor of the bedroom. The spa experience was extended to the room with a huge hot tub featuring more knobs than we knew what to do with. Expect to be in your robe for much of your stay. With only 18 rooms, the hotel is boutique-y, and the spa (which is reached by a picturesque woodland walkway) is a big draw, with five treatment rooms, a sauna, steam room, relaxation room and – the jewel in the crown – a heated hydrotherapy pool, much enjoyed in colder months thanks to its steam-misted view of the surrounding cow-studded pastures. u

BARNSLEY HOUSE G LO U C E ST E RS H I R E Wo r d s H E L E N B A R O N

THE RESTAURANT

e dined at The Potager Restaurant – another reference to the esteemed Ms Verey and her famous ornamental vegetable garden. It makes sense then that the vegetables themselves come straight from garden to fork. Specialist vegetables are the stars of the plate here. The Sunday roast draws many a local, as we learned the next day at checkout – the whole house was abuzz with the kind of comings and goings you might expect at Downtown Abbey, guests piling into the drawing room to start proceedings with a glass of fizz. The restaurant itself looks straight out onto the hotel’s main lawn and in the summer months meals can be enjoyed on the picturesque terrace. u

THE AREA

ibury is the prettiest village I’ve encountered in the Cotswolds (and just a short drive from the area ‘capital’ of Cirencester). Arlington Row is a strip of neatly assembled weaver’s cottages built of local stone – which makes a welcome change from the honey-coloured stone with which the area is so synonymous. The village sits astride the River Coln and next to the Bibury Trout Farm and Saxon church of St Mary. The cottages were built in 1380 as a monastic wool store and are one of the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds. u

THE DAMAGE Rooms start at £290 per night. Barnsley House, Barnsley, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5EE; 01285 740000; barnsleyhouse.com

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TRAVEL / ITALY

Puccini’s legacy

Open air opera is a highlight of this beautiful part of Tuscany between Pisa and Lucca W o r d s f e l i c i t y h aw k i n s

n iconic 1970s portrait of Any Warhol, by Oliviero Toscani. A glass chandelier, given as a gift by Modigliani’s daughter Margaret. These are a few of Claudio Zeppi’s favourite things that he shares with his guests at the amazing Villa Lanfranchi. Others include a historic kiosk from Pisa’s famous Piazza dei Cavalieri; photos from Jan Saudek’s studio; art installations by the Tate’s young resident artist Jack Cornell; 17th-century marble angels from a Neapolitan church; silver plates from the set of Visconti’ The Leopard and a selection of 18th century nomadic

IT'S A renovated

13th century BELL TOWER on the shore of lake

MASSACIUCCOLI

wedding dresses. This 16th century pink-stuccoed villa is a flamboyant gem of a retreat, set between Pisa and lovely Lucca. Both a much-loved home and a living gallery, it’s a happy place – packed with Claudio’s curious collections of everything from medical funnels to toy soldiers and pickled snakes - offering

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endless ways to amuse and amaze. Plus, it’s also a very handy base for the annual Torre Del Lago Open Air Puccini Opera Festival, where we’d booked to see Madame Butterfly. Torre Del Lago, a renovated 13th century bell tower on the shores of Lake Massaciuccoli, was home to composer Giacomo Puccini for around 30 years from 1891. He loved the seclusion of the tiny village, where, as a popular celebrity with a colourful love life, he could live unwatched by prying eyes. Working mainly at night, with dampers on the piano so as not to disturb his wife and son, he finished Manon Lescaut here and composed many favourites, including Madama Butterfly, La Bohéme and Tosca.

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XXXXXX//ITALY TRAVEL XXXXXXX bed where he was born. By the old city walls, the lovely Teatro del Giglio also has a quirky Puccini exhibition featuring characters from his operas. A figure of the composer himself sits in ‘his’ box, close enough to the stage for him to leap across and correct any unfortunate errors. The area around Lucca is premium Puccini country, but it also has something to suit every taste and age. The local food and wine are sublime – as we discover at Lucca’s leading Cantine Bernardini, which offers popular, bespoke cookery courses. Tasteful Tuscany is, of course, beloved by international style setters. And, at the Enoteca Marcucci in gorgeous little Pietrasanta, a huddle of British iPhoneites hide behind the restaurant’s huge mandatory ham, trying to sneakily snap designer Paul Smith enjoying a quiet dinner-a-deux. Our rosy haven, with its lush gardens and pool, proves a perfect The restored Villa Puccini is now a museum, crammed with paintings, letters, manuscripts and fascinating photographs showing Giacomo as a portly Freddie Mercury lookalike with a passion for snipe hunting, interior design and newfangled inventions like the car and telephone. While we are poking round the shop, his granddaughter, Simonetta Puccini – now in her 80s - pops in to tell us about her work protecting Puccini’s heritage and her support for the Oracle Cancer Trust, a British-based charity dedicated to beating throat cancer, the disease that killed Giacomo. Shortly before he died, Puccini expressed a wish for his operas to be heard in the open air. Lively, fun and unpretentious, the annual Torre del Lago festival – held in a stunning lakeside arena close to his old home – is a great memorial. The 2015 festival runs from 24 July to 29 August, with the enthusiastic new

management encouraging fresh, new singing talent from all over the world at their opera Academy. They also love bringing music to the people, with openhouse initiatives like free dress rehearsals and flash mob operas, held randomly in nearby village squares (or the huge local Co-op). Torre del Lago’s Gran Teatro all’aperto seats 3,400, with a covered, cathedral-like foyer where, if it rains, the cast sometimes continues the performance. And opera-goers can now dine in a new, garden area near the edge of the lake.

PUCCINI EXPRESSED a wish for his OPERAS TO BE heard in the OPEN AIR As dusk descends over the water, the orchestra strikes up. This colourful Butterfly delights for many reasons: the unusually buff, bare-chested Pinkerton, the glorious Humming Chorus and the huge rising stage moon competing with the real thing shining brightly above Lake Massaciuccoli, and periodically obscured by silent flocks of white birds. Keen for an extra helping of Puccini, we set off early the next day for the walled city of Lucca, where the composer grew up. His family’s old apartment has been restored as an intimate museum full of Puccini memorabilia, including the

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place to chill out. The spacious rooms, many hand-stencilled by Claudio himself, are full of character. Standout memories include the opera soaring to greet us as we first roar though the villa’s electric gates, a home-cooked candlelit dinner served in the beautiful poolside gazebo and watching Anna Karenina at midnight in the villa’s open air cinema, set in a rustling bamboo grove. These were days and nights - of real theatrical magic. u u Villa Lanfranci was booked through Tuscany Now - who offer a wide selection of beautiful villas with pools throughout Italy. The villa sleeps up to 14, costing from £3,689 per week. 0207 684 8884; tuscanynow.com u Torre del Lago festival tickets and other exclusive Italian special interest visits can be arranged through info@liaisonsabroad.com; 0203 3186147

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> IN THEIR OWN WORDS p.114 NEWS p.108 LUXURIOUS LETTINGS p.134 PRIME PURCHASE p. 147

Lansdowne Crescent, Notting Hill W11

ÂŁ7,500,000 Freehold

A large Grade II listed Victorian house on the terraced outer side of this elegant crescent. With its own private terrace leading directly onto communal gardens this seven bedroom house has superb entertaining space and is wonderfully bright being south facing and is beautifully presented. JSA with Knight Frank Kensington 020 7229 0229

gareth.jones@carterjonas.co.uk

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Period property, extensively refurbished just off Harley Street

Matching people and property in London for 150 years.

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Portobello Road W11 ÂŁ2,950,000 This beautiful three-bedroom house, arranged over three floors and with three reception rooms, is located on an iconic road in otting Hill close to estbourne rove. reehold. EPC=

Notting Hill: 020 7313 2890 sales.not@marshandparsons.co.uk

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Holland Park W11 ÂŁ1,800,000 This exceptional two-bedroom, first floor apartment with stunning living space, is situated within one of Holland Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renowned Italianate villas. Leasehold. EPC=E

Holland Park: 020 7605 6890 sales.hol@marshandparsons.co.uk

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carterjonas.co.uk Offices throughout the UK

QUEENSDALE ROAD Holland Park W11

A superb house on the corner of Queensdale Road and Queensdale Place with a south/ westerly aspect. The house has been totally refurbished and is beautifully presented throughout.

Holland Park & Notting Hill 020 7371 1111 gareth.jones@carterjonas.co.uk

JSA Knight Frank

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NORLAND SQUARE MANSIONS Holland Park W11 A spacious flat located on the first floor of this popular portered block in Holland Park. The flat has been refurbished tastefully throughout and has a beautiful outlook onto Norland Square from the balcony. Reception room • Kitchen • Bedroom Bathroom • Balcony • Communal gardens EPC rating C

Guide price £799,950 Holland Park & Notting Hill 020 7371 1111 gareth.jones@carterjonas.co.uk

HOLLAND PARK Holland Park W11 A superb apartment spans the entire first floor of this handsome Grade II listed villa. There is a south facing roof terrace and a magnificent drawing room. Reception room • 3 bedrooms 3 bathrooms • Kitchen • Study • Terrace

Guide price £4,500,000 Holland Park & Notting Hill 020 7371 1111 gareth.jones@carterjonas.co.uk

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Property News Campden Hill Road, Kensington

HOUSE HUNTING

with...

WILLIAM TELLWRIGHT

Associate Director of John D Wood & Co., Kensington 020 3151 6148; johndwood.co.uk

Most satisfying transaction I've had: A house in Holland Park when the buyer hopped over the wall unannounced, inspected the gardens and peered through the windows, and promptly bought it. Most interesting property I've been involved with: The sale of Debenham House on Addison Road, a Grade I listed mansion built for Lord Debenham which occupies a site of over an acre. The property I'd most like on our books is: Any house in Upper Phillimore Gardens, W8 as

they offer everything one might need in a London home. I never thought I'd see : One of the ‘immovable’ Elgin Marbles loaned to the St Petersburg's State Hermitage Museum in Russia. Finest property showcase: Campden Hill Road, Kensington, guide price £13.5 million. Two remarkable, newly built grand Philimore Estate town houses, of over 5,500 sq ft each, with swimming pools and 40 ft gardens, offering unique contemporary living (020 7908 1100).

Spotlight on W11

Average asking price - £2,217,263 | Average asking rent - £4,278 pcm | Average property value - £1,997,472

Data provided by ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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PROPERTY | ROUND UP

The INSIDE SCOOP of NEWS in your area

Prolific crime writer Agatha Christie’s Kensington property let by Bective Leslie Marsh

ocated within this quiet one-way street in Kensington, Campden Street boasts smart interiors, a beautiful reception with wooden floors, a private terrace and an abundance of natural light. Campden Street was home to Agatha Christie and her second husband, the archaeologist Max Mallowan from 1930 to 1934. Before she moved two streets away to Sheffield Terrace, Christie wrote some of her best loved novels during her tenure in Campden Street. These include three Poirot novels Murder on the Orient Express, Peril at End House and Lord Edgware Dies, and one Miss Marple book The Murder at the Vicarage.

What is the point of market predictions? RUPERT COLLINGWOOD

Founder & Managing Director at The London Management Company 020 7193 9979;

thelondonmanagementcompany.com

t the beginning of every year there is a significant amount of airtime dedicated to the analysis of the previous year's property market, as well as the predictions for the year ahead and 2015 has been no different. At the beginning of 2014 various predictions were made and few, if any, successfully predicted a 7.2% national increase lead by growth of 17.8% in London (according to Nationwide).

MINUTES with...

DAVID CAMPBELL

Head of Lettings at Westways 020 7286 5757; westways.co.uk

The house was on for £1,550 per week with Bective Leslie Marsh’s Kensington branch and was let in December. Bective Leslie Marsh, Kensington 020 7795 4288; bective.co.uk

I wonder therefore how many readers based property related decisions on the back of these sage prophecies? I can only surmise very few, which must then raise the question, what really is the value of all this prognostication? The answer is of course, self-promotion. It is an attempt (no different to this article… ahem!) to be seen in the market place as an expert, a trusted advisor, someone in the know and therefore to secure your business. It is a wonder, given the lack of successful predictions in 2014, that so many once again clamour for the media spotlight despite the obvious risks. If you really want to predict property prices you only need consider the following; in the first quarter of 2015 our city’s population is due to reach a record high, yet residential development will be unable to satisfy demand. As such, supply vs. demand dictates that over a 5-10 year period prices will increase. The relevance of this is simply comfort, your asset will go up in value, but the pace will vary from door to door.

How long have you been in this area? This is my fourteenth year running the managed lettings team here at Westways, I have worked in the Notting Hill and Bayswater area since 1975. What is your company ethos? Our aim is simple, to provide a dedicated and personalised service to our clients, based on our experience and knowledge of the local area. As an independent agent, our attention to detail and customer service has to be that little bit better than other agents to stay at the top. What are your favourite properties right now? We have just begun marketing for rent a lovely three bedroom maisonette in Harford House, Tavistock Crescent - it would be ideal for professional sharers and has a real house feel to it. The sales team have two flats in particular that I like: a newly refurbished two bedroom garden flat on Hormead Road and a four bedroom upper maisonette overlooking Formosa Garden on Warrington Crescent. What are your market predictions for 2015? We continue to see strong rental demand for local flats and expect this to continue in 2015. As young professionals are finding it harder and harder to get on the property ownership ladder, they have become discerning long term renters. We see increasing numbers of our landlords refurbishing their flats to meet tenant expectations and increase investment returns and they often turn to us for advice and to manage the works.

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facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Launceston Place, Kensington, W8

An exceptional and very special six bedroom family house, situated in this most prestigious and sought after street, in the De Vere Conservation Area.

Guide Price ÂŁ7,750,000 Freehold

Kensington 0207 938 3666 kensington@struttandparker.com

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Cottesmore Court, Kensington, W8

An outstanding and beautifully presented four bedroom flat on the top floor of this well maintained portered block with excellent entertaining space and spectacular views.

ÂŁ3,500,000 Share of Freehold

Kensington 0207 938 3666 Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, W11

A spacious one bedroom flat plus a study with wonderful communal garden views.

ÂŁ760,000 Share of Freehold

Notting Hill 020 7221 1111

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facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Lansdowne Road, Notting Hill, W11

A beautiful stucco fronted family house occupying over 3,000 sq ft, situated on one of the most sought after roads in Notting Hill.

£4,500 per week* Unfurnished

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.

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Cambridge Place, W8

An exceptional five bedroom, semi-detached, stucco fronted house on this prestigious and sought after street in Kensington, with the advantage of a garage.

£4,750 per week* Unfurnished

Kensington 020 7938 3866

Kensington.lettings@struttandparker.com

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IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Alan Isaacs

Director of Queens Park Partnership, Queens Park

Photography: rebecca noonan

aving lived in a council estate growing up, I always envied my friends whose parents had their own homes; my ambition from a young age was to get onto the property ladder. I left school at fifteen and my father managed to get me a job as a despatch boy in a large London advertising agency. I then spent fifteen years in the industry, ending up as an account manager. The seeds for my taste for selling were sown. It was while I was working at a company called Lonsdale Advertising that I met my wife, now of over twenty-five years, Caroline Stiff. Caroline’s late father, Geoffrey Stiff, owned an estate agent in Willesden Green called Camerons Stiff. Twenty-eight years ago Geoffrey had the vision to see the potential of this area off the Kilburn High Road called Queen’s Park and opened an office there offering me a route into estate agency; I took the opportunity. I have been working in the area for over twenty-five years, so in many ways Queen’s Park has been more of a home to me than where I actually live. The great thing about Queens’ Park is its lack of pretentiousness; people are down to earth, which creates a great sense of community. This is reflected in the bars and restaurants, often I will go and get a coffee and return half an hour later having bumped into somebody who has either bought from us or who is planning to sell and just wants a casual chat. There is also a sense of history, especially regarding the Park as it is run by the Corporation of London and of course, there is the annual Queen’s Park Day which is held every September, which we have sponsored for over twenty-five years now. Most of the houses in the area are of the

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Edwardian period and, because of the fairly strict planning controls imposed by the local council, have managed to retain their original façades. Nevertheless, houses do vary internally with loft conversions, side extensions and now cellars. Over the years the type of people coming into the area has changed, proving Geoffrey Stiff’s vision to be well founded. Ten years ago Queen’s Park attracted media types but now we are finding with the very good transport links heading towards Canary Wharf and the City, that people in finance such as bankers, city traders, and asset managers are flocking here for the relaxed atmosphere. With the transit nature of Europe we are also attracting a lot of foreign investment, especially from France, due to the new Lycee International de Londres opening in Wembley this September. The area is mostly made up of houses so this attracts families, people tend to stay in their houses longer and if they do move they generally want to stay in the area; moving up to Brondesbury Park to gain lateral space is very typical. We do have a very active flat market, which is affordable for first time buyers, and a strong lettings market too. The prospects for Queen’s Park are very exciting, with its good housing stock and great transport links the area is now a bonafide part of Central London. The only cautionary note is that Salusbury Road, known for its more Bohemian feel, is starting to attract corporate business, which I’m afraid, may change the ambiance of the location. It’s up to the longstanding residents and the local businesses to ensure that the area retains its wonderful character.

020 7328 2828; queensparkpartnership.co.uk

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PROPERTY | PROFILE Ostuni, 020 7624 8035; ostunirestaurant.co.uk

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High Life C L E V E L A N D S Q U A R E B AY S W A T E R W 2

A stunning apartment offering an abundance of period charm in a tranquil setting. Located on a prestigious award winning garden square this exquisite duplex offers exceptional space and light. The principal drawing room enjoys a westerly aspect across the garden square and tree tops offer privacy and seclusion. Cleveland Square is the largest private garden square in Bayswater. Notting Hill, High Street Kensington and Marylebone High Street. Oxford Street is also nearby and Hyde Park is just a stroll away. 3 B E D R O O M , 2 B AT H R O O M S ( 1 E N S U I T E ) , 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S , K I TC H E N , C LOA K R O O M , LO F T.

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SHARE OF FREEHOLD ÂŁ3,000,000 BOB CROWLEY BC@BECTIVE.CO.UK NOTTING HILL OFFICE 020 7221 4805

22 0 SQ M / 2 ,177 SQ FT APPROX E N E R GY R AT I N G D

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CHELSEA

COMMERCIAL

0 20 7589 6 67 7

020 7985 0715

KENSINGTON

LAND & NEW HOMES

020 7795 4288

020 7313 7711

NOTTING HILL

PROPERT Y MANAGEMENT

020 7221 4805

020 7221 0099

LADBROKE GROVE 020 7221 0330

W W W. B EC TI V E .CO.U K

BROOK GREEN

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Impressive Garden HEREFORD ROAD NOTTING HILL W2

A substantial white stucco fronted family house with bright westerly aspect and large garden in a prime Notting Hill location. This elegant Grade ll listed house offers an array of period features and an abundance of charm throughout. Two floors are dedicated to entertaining space with highlights including a magnificent raised ground floor double reception room, large eat in kitchen, additional dining room and a wonderful 54 ft walled garden accessed via both the reception and dining room. 6 B E D R O O M S , 2 B AT H R O O M S ( 2 E N S U I T E ) , D O U B L E R E C E P T I O N R O O M , K I TC H E N , D I N I N G R O O M , U T I L I T Y R O O M , C LOA K R O O M , S TO R AG E , GA R D E N , 2 PAT I O S , T E R R AC E .

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FREEHOLD ÂŁ4,450,000 BOB CROWLEY BC@BECTIVE.CO.UK NOTTING HILL OFFICE 020 7221 4805

25 4 SQ M / 2 ,73 4 SQ FT APPROX E N E R GY R AT I N G D

16/01/2015 10:48 16/01/2015 10:28

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Pipe Dream PORTOBELLO ROAD NORTH KENSINGTON W1 0

An exceptional upper maisonette forming part of a comprehensively refurbished property on the intersection of the world famous Portobello and Golborne Roads. Design team Cubic Studios have disguised behind a traditional Portobello façade a modern and inspired urban interior. The 3 storey maisonette has been skillfully and exceptionally redefined to create one of Portobello Road’s most exciting and contemporary homes. 3 B E D R O O M S , 2 B A T H R O O M S ( 1 E N S U I T E ) , 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S , K I T C H E N , S T U D Y/ S T O R A G E A R E A , GARDEN , TERR ACE .

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LEASEHOLD £2 ,250,0 0 0 M AT T H E W M A R C H A N T MM@BECTIVE.CO.UK LADBROKE GROVE OFFICE 020 7221 0330

139 SQ M / 1 ,49 2 SQ FT APPROX E N E R GY R AT I N G D

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CHELSEA

COMMERCIAL

0 20 7589 6 67 7

020 7985 0715

KENSINGTON

LAND & NEW HOMES

020 7795 4288

020 7313 7711

NOTTING HILL

PROPERT Y MANAGEMENT

020 7221 4805

020 7221 0099

LADBROKE GROVE 020 7221 0330

W W W. B EC TI V E .CO.U K

BROOK GREEN

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Park Life A RGY LL PL ACE N O RTH KE N S I N GTO N W 1 0

A stunning collection of luxurious and contemporary Town Houses located in a beautiful and tranquil corner of North Kensington. Built to an exceptional standard, these homes have been meticulously designed by boutique property developer Taylor Wimpey Central London. The properties benefit from fabulous views across Kensington Memorial Park. 5 B E D R O O M S , 3 B AT H R O O M S ( 1 E N S U I T E ) , E N S U I T E S H OW E R R O O M , R E C E P T I O N R O O M , K I TC H E N , D I N I N G R O O M , B R E A K F A S T R O O M , F A M I LY R O O M , S T U D Y/ P L AY R O O M , M E D I A R O O M , G Y M / B E D R O O M , U T I L I T Y R O O M , C L O A K R O O M , 3 T E R R A C E S , C O U R T YA R D , G A R D E N , U N D E R G R O U N D P A R K I N G .

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FREEHOLD ÂŁ3,500,000 M AT T H E W M A R C H A N T MM@BECTIVE.CO.UK LADBROKE GROVE OFFICE 020 7221 0330

31 0 SQ M / 3 , 3 41 SQ FT APPROX

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Luxurious Lifestyle Q U E E N ’ S GAT E M E WS S O U T H K E N S I N GTO N S W 7

UNFURNISHED £2 ,495 PER WEEK

A luxurious interior designed house within this popular mews in South Kensington. Refurbished to the highest standard, this elegant property offers a PoggenPohl kitchen, with stone heated flooring in the kitchen and dining area, hardwood floors throughout and garage. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite), reception room, kitchen, dining room, cloakroom, garage. EPC Rating C.

F R A N C E S C A F O R T U N AT I FF@BECTIVE.CO.UK KENSINGTON OFFICE 020 7795 4288

Edwardian Elegance OA K WO O D CO U R T H O L L A N D PA R K W 1 4

U N F U R N I S H E D £1 , 8 5 0 P E R WE E K

A substantial newly decorated 4th floor (with lift) apartment within this extremely popular Edwardian portered mansion block in Holland Park. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (1 en suite), 2 reception rooms, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, dressing room, balcony, lift, porter, communal gardens. EPC Rating D.

F R A N C E S C A F O R T U N AT I

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FF@BECTIVE.CO.UK KENSINGTON OFFICE 020 7795 4288

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CHELSEA

COMMERCIAL

0 20 7589 6 67 7

020 7985 0715

KENSINGTON

LAND & NEW HOMES

020 7795 4288

020 7313 7711

NOTTING HILL

PROPERT Y MANAGEMENT

020 7221 4805

020 7221 0099

LADBROKE GROVE 020 7221 0330

W W W. B EC TI V E .CO.U K

BROOK GREEN

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Communal Living ARUNDEL GARDENS NOTTING HILL W11

FURNISHED £3,0 0 0 PER WEEK (SHORT LET)

An elegant duplex flat with exquisite views over the communal gardens. The property has been modernised whilst retaining period charm and boasts vast living space on the raised ground floor, ideal for entertaining and a decadent master suite with large dressing area and en suite. 3 bedrooms, shower room, en suite bathroom, reception room, dining room, kitchen, garden, communal gardens. EPC Rating D.

K A T E F LY N N KF@BECTIVE.CO.UK NOTTING HILL OFFICE 020 7221 5388

Opulant Mews O PA L M E WS Q U E E N ’ S PA R K N W6

U N F U R N I S H E D £ 1 ,9 5 0 P E R W E E K

A rare opportunity to let this stunning contemporary designed mews house. The house has been thoughtfully designed for modern living with spectacular natural light and volume, unparalleled levels of interior design and a wealth of bespoke installations. 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite), 2 shower rooms (1 en suite), 2 reception rooms, kitchen, utility room, cloakroom, communal garden, bike storage, allocated parking. EPC Rating C.

K A T E F LY N N

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KF@BECTIVE.CO.UK NOTTING HILL OFFICE 020 7221 5388

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275 Willesden Lane, Willesden Green, London, NW2 5JA Tel: 020 8459 1133 Fax: 020 8451 2008 enquiries@cameronsstiff.co.uk www.cameronsstiff.co.uk

EPC - D

Kilburn Lane, NW6

£729,950 Freehold

Mid terraced period cottage situated on this ever popular

•

2 bedrooms, 4 piece bathroom suit

road opposite Moberly Sports Centre. The house is situated

•

Intercommunicating reception rooms

within close proximity to excellent transport links including

•

Light, bright modern fitted kitchen

Kensal Green & Queens Park. Good local amenities.

•

High ceilings, sash windows, paved garden

EPC - D

The Oasis, Harlesden Rd, NW10

£849,950 Freehold

Unique State of the Art house designed for living, working

•

Designed with low maintenance in mind

and entertaining - inspired throughout with a contemporary

•

Short walk from Willesden Green station (Jubilee)

feel. Tucked away in the discreet location of Harlesden Road

•

3 beds, 2 bathrooms and downstairs cloakroom

and set in a peaceful secure courtyard.

•

34 ft open plan living area & modern kitchen

www.cameronsstiff.co.uk

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EPC - D

Melrose Avenue, NW2

£1,195,000 Freehold

A unique detached house retaining plenty of charm &

•

4 bedrooms, 2 reception rooms, 2 bathrooms

character throughout and situated in this popular location

•

Excellent size kitchen/diner

close to Willesden Green Station (Zone 2 - Jubilee) & the

•

41 ft garden with storage at rear, OSP

stunning 94 acre Gladstone Park. CHAIN FREE

•

Off street parking for several cars

EPC - D

Dartmouth Road, NW2

£1,395,000 Freehold

Unique detached house built 18 years ago on the Mapesbury •

3 bedrooms, 2 reception rooms

Conservation Area in excellent condition with plenty of privacy. •

Stunning reception room onto garden

Great family home of 1360 sq ft with valid planning permission •

Large wrap around garden, patio, OSP

for extension.

Close to transport & local amenitie

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•

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SOMETHING EXCITING IS COMING TO NW6 tel. 020 7328 2828

CAMERONSTIFF.indd 1 ADVERTS 420 x 297 DPS.indd All Pages 5899 CS QUEENS PARK

tel. 020 8459 1133

tel. 020 7368 4830

16/01/2015 10:14

A new and exciting unique development of 14 stunning Penthouses located in the heart of Queens Park on Salusbury Road offering outstanding views of the area and into London. Built to the highest specification

One, two & three bedroom apartments available Private concierge Floor to ceiling windows and doors Generous floor to ceiling heights Moldunova bespoke Italian lacquer kitchens with Siemens appliances Stunning bathrooms with Italian porcelain floor & wall tiles Secure parking (by separate negotiation)

Prices start from: ÂŁ595,000 www.queensparkpenthouses.com

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020 7328 2828 62 Salusbury Road, NW6 6NS www.queensparkpartnership.co.uk

EPC - D

WINCHESTER AVENUE, NW10

£775, 000 Share of Freehold

We are delighted to offer For Sale this interior designed 2 bedroom garden flat set within this imposing period property within easy reach of numerous transport links & with excellent local amenities. The modern fully fitted kitchen has doors opening onto the garden.

• Beautifully presented18ft reception • Interior designed modern bathroom • Wood floors & fitted carpets • Sunny 95ft rear garden & patio

EPC - D

CARLISLE ROAD, NW6

£825,000 Share of Freehold

A bright and spacious split level apartment occupying the first and attic floors of this mid terraced period conversion boasting over 1000 sq ft of living space in good condition throughout. Carlisle Road is a pretty tree lined road in a quiet residential location close to Queens Park.

• 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms • Light bright accommodation • High ceiling, fireplaces • Part built into the eaves

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EPC - C

DOUGLAS ROAD, NW6

£1,499,950 Freehold

A truly unique and gorgeous sustainably refurbished Victorian family home spanning three floors and comprising 1650 sq ft. This idyllic family home feels spacious with high ceilings and the 18 ft open plan kitchen/diner with bi folding doors onto the garden. Great position close to Queens Park & transport.

• 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms • Extended & Modernised throughout • 26ft double reception room • Pretty secluded west facing garden

EPC - D

WRENTHAM AVENUE, NW10

£2,199,950 Freehold

A very well presented 5 bedroom family home arranged over 3 floors and comprising of just over 2500 sq ft with a 28 ft south facing double reception room and a modern 20 ft kitchen/breakfast room with bi fold doors. Retains many period features.

• Loft conversion & extended kitchen • Luxurious family bathroom • Sunny 60ft rear garden • Off street parking

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PROPERTY | NEW BUILD

QUEENS PARK Development

Just released: four stunning luxury penthouses in this presitigious Queens Park new development

ositioned in the heart of Zone 2, Queens Park Penthouses is a contemporary roof-top development comprising of 14 luxury penthouse apartments, situated above a brick Art Deco building. The first phase has just been released and prices start from £595,000 LH. Constructed with the highest quality natural materials, offering a boutique hotel aesthetic and fitted to the highest standards and quality, the apartments offer an abundance of natural light and space. Exclusive designer kitchens and bathrooms add to the elegant metropolitan style of living and the unusually expansive private terraces offer stunning, panoramic views across London. Situated at the heart of Queens Park’s popular and bustling Salusbury Road, this luxurious collection of penthouses raises the bar for modern living. Split over two

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levels, each penthouse boasts a private roof terrace which will provide the perfect start to every morning, and a delightful backdrop to a relaxed evening with friends. A concierge will take care of residents’ needs and the property has private and secure parking (by separate negotiation) at the rear of the building. There is also a gym on the doorstep of the development, to ensure easy living and a high quality lifestyle. Conveniently located, Queens Park Penthouses is a few minutes’ walk away from the excellent transport links into and out of London via the Bakerloo Line/British Rail at Queens Park or the British Rail Line at Brondesbury Park. Today, Queens Park is the epitome of London’s village-like enclaves. Enjoying a lofted position on Salusbury Road, the lifeblood of the area, Queens Park Penthouses are surrounded by an eclectic array of superb restaurants, gastro pubs,

bars, independent boutiques and health clubs. Just a few steps away from the front door you can shop for organic delights at the award-winning Farmer’s Market, enjoy the local Arthouse Cinema, work out at the gym and experience critically acclaimed cuisine in renowned restaurants or amazing coffee and pastries from the local deli. Samples of the interior specifications can be seen at the development launch event on 31st January.

Camerons Stiff 020 8459 1133; cameronsstiff.co.uk Queens Park Partnership 020 7328 2828; queensparkpartnership.co.uk Marsh & Parsons, New Homes 020 8368 4830; marshandparsons.co.uk

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020 7371 4171 LOCAL

ACTON

27 CHURCHFIELD ROAD W3 6BD

ASKEW ROAD

113 ASKEW ROAD W12 9AS

BROOK GREEN

138 SHEPHERDS BUSH ROAD W6 7PB

INDEPENDENT

INVOLVED CMYK

A a a

ADDISON GARDENS W14 5 DOUBLE BEDROOMS • FABULOUS FULL WIDTH KITCHEN/BREAKFAST/FAMILY ROOM RECEPTION • 2 BATHROOMS (1 EN SUITE) • SHOWER ROOM • UTILITY/CELLAR DECKED & RAILED ROOF TERRACE • 23'5 x 18'5 GARDEN • EPC RATING E 44

GUIDE £2.6M FREEHOLD

www.finlaybrewer.co.uk

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15/01/2015 12:24

PROPERTY | NIGEL LEWIS

London’s MOST POPULAR

Nigel Lewis, Absolutely's resident property writer, takes a look at London's most viewed property: 10, St Stephen’s Gardens, Notting Hill

his one bedroom apartment is not unique in London even if (for anyone outside the capital), its asking price of £850,000 might be. Selling agent Gareth Kelly of Marsh & Parsons is consequently puzzled that it’s been viewed 5,000 times on Zoopla since he was instructed to sell it two months ago. Gareth, who is sales manager at his company’s Notting

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