NORTH BY NORTHWEST JUNE 2015

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

JUNE 2015 / £3.95

SKY HIGH

PAUL WALSH ON CITY SOCIAL

GET INTO THE GROOVE

THE RETURN OF DISCO

ON TREND

MINT VELVET’S TIMELESS APPEAL

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contents June 2015

60 ART & CULTURE

10 WHAT’S ON

33 MEN ONLY

Diary dates for June

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CULTURE REVIEWS

Caitlin Davies on Peter Pan and Down Stream

FASHION

20 STYLE CONFIDENTIAL

This month's hottest trends and products

22 LAST DAYS OF DISCO

Charlotte Adsett channels Studio 54 redux and 70s glam for June's shoot

28 The best buys for Dad this Father's Day

HE ALTH & BE AUT Y

36 BEAUTY CONFIDENTIAL June’s best beauty buys and reviews

FOOD & DRINK

45 TABLE TALK

Restaurant openings, vodka kitchens and Exmouth Market Safari

46 PAUL WALSH

City Social's Executive Chef on heading up Jason Atherton's latest venture

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FOOD REVIEW

Say bienvenida to Ceviche Old St

KIDS & EDUCATION

55 WEIRD SCIENCE COVERS City & Angel – Lyla Stripe Maxi Dress, Gigi Cuff; East – Tezel Spot Blouse, Seville Trouser, Summer Belle Clutch; NXNW – Limited Edition Maddison Dress Shop the Coast SS15 collection from c oa s t- s t o r e s . c o m

Amanda Constance discovers Saturday classes the kids can't wait to go to

TRAVEL

60 ISLAND LIVING

Emma J Page ventures to Taormina, Sicily for a cultural seaside getaway

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INTERIORS

66 INTERIOR INSPIRATIONS

Bathe under the stars and bring the outside in this summer, says Jessica Klingelfuss

70 COLOUR ME IMPRESSED

Interiors guru Abigail Ahern on her new book and infusing your home with colour

90 PROPERTY NEWS

Nigel Lewis on the classic Victorian terrace house, and other news and views on the area

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 16:44

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EDITOR CATHERINE HALES SENIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ELIZABETH HUTTON EDITORIAL ASSISTANT STEPHANIE KING CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITOR CHARLOTTE ADSETT CONTRIBUTING INTERIORS EDITOR JESSICA KLINGELFUSS EDITORIAL INTERNS JASMINE WARD EMILY BELFIORE GENESIS MONTALVO ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER KRISTIAN BRUMBY MAJOR ACCOUNTS DIRECTOR TAMSIN LUCK PROPERTY DIRECTOR ANDY ELMER PROPERTY EXECUTIVE JENNI RAWSTHORNE PROPERTY EDITOR HUGO HUNTER ART DIRECTOR RAY SEARLE SENIOR DESIGNER PHIL COUZENS PRODUCTION MANAGER STEWART HYDE MIDWEIGHT DESIGNER GEMMA ISTEED PROPERTY EDITORIAL DESIGNER ANDREW MAVIN DESIGNER EKREM YILMAZ JUNIOR DESIGNER REBECCA NOONAN FINANCIAL CONTROLLER AYSHA HABIBI CREDIT CONTROL MANAGER ALEXANDRA HVID PA TO THE DIRECTORS MARIANNE MCFADDEN DIRECTORS ALEXANDRA HUNTER MANAGING DIRECTOR SHERIF SHALTOUT For editorial enquiries please email: catherine@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 subscriptions for 12 months, £30 respectively (to cover postage and packaging). Please email us with your preferred option and details.

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EDITOR’S letter

J

une is my favourite month of the year. It’s officially summertime, the weather is (slightly) better, and it is finally my birthday.

Yes, admittedly I’m a little biased but I truly believe June to be superior to every other month of the year, and just one glimpse at our diary pages will tell you why: festivals are in the offing, fashion gets an injection of vitality and all kinds of delicious food comes into season. If you don’t believe me, just look at this month’s issue.

We kick off with a preview of the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production of Peter Pan on page 12; sitting outside and watching a show is one of summer’s greatest pleasures and until June rolls around, it is a decidedly risky business.

Around this time of year, the style stakes are really raised, with designers bringing out bold colours and flesh-flashing confections. We speak to the founders of luxury brand Mint Velvet about their

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influences and ‘relaxed glamour’ aesthetic on page 28, and if that doesn’t get your fashion juices flowing, then our retro, Studio 54-inspired shoot on page 22 definitely will. Don’t believe the rumours: disco is not dead.

Still not satisfied? Our interview with Head Chef Paul Walsh at City Social on page 46 should satiate your appetite.

Once you’ve read about his seasonal dishes and passion for produce we guarantee you’ll be saving a date this June to stop by his restaurant.

If June in London doesn’t appeal, then perhaps June in Sicily will do the trick? Emma J Page samples a spot of la dolce vita and walks in the footsteps of Elizabeth Taylor on page 60. I hope you enjoy the issue and my favourite month of the year. Ciao! u

Catherine Hales Editor

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Tim Moss Bespoke kitchens www.timmoss.co.uk

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Illustration: London Places and Spaces by Erica Sturla

The Prize for Illustration 2015

London Places and Spaces

Media partner

An exhibition of the best entries 15 May – 6 September 2015 London Transport Museum Covent Garden Piazza WC2E 7BB

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SILVER LINGINGS: BEHIND THE SCENES

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© ZARA PICKEN, UNDERGROUND FASHION; LO N D O N T R A N S P O RT M U S E U M , THROUGHOUT JUNE,

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SIDI LARBI CHERKAOUI

© MARINA MEDVEDEVA, MAGIC IN THE CENTER OF LONDON, 1677

9 -13 Ju n e S a dl e r ’ s Well s This is the first international large-scale tango production to be directed by a non-Argentine artist. Offering audiences the chance to explore this style of dance from a different cultural perspective, this is a sexual, powerful and beautiful show inspired by the night bars of Buenos Aires. ◆ Rosebery Avenue, EC1R; sadlerswells.com

CLASSIC & SUPERCAR PAGEANT

The Prize for ILLUSTRATION 2015

2 1 Ju n e S t Jo hn’ s Wo o d Treat Dad this Father’s day and take him to see his dream car. Organised by the St John’s Wood Business Association, this free pageant raises money for charity through voluntary donations and ensures the whole family is entertained with a brilliant fun fayre for the kids. ◆ St John’s High Street, NW8; stjohnswoodhighstreet.com

Throughout Jun e L ondon Tra nsport Museum

For 2015, the theme of this prestigious art competition is ‘London places and spaces’. From the iconic to the secret, the architectural to the natural, the historical to the modern, each of the works entered capture a different part of the city’s character.

Impressively they each manage to create an image we instantly recognise as home.

Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E;

ltmuseum.co.uk

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WATER WORKOUT

Fr i d ays t h ro u go u t Ju n e L o ndo n Fi el ds Li do Get fit in the sun with an outdoor workout at the olympic-sized lido in London Fields.

Benefiting from the resistance of water, these weekly exercise classes are ideal for those who need support but still want to feel physically tested by a good aerobic session. ◆ London Fields West Side, E8; better.org.uk

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ARTS & CULTURE / TALKING TOPICS

LUNA GALE

© SHAUN WEBB

Fro m 13 Ju n e Ha m p s te a d T he a tre his is the latest play from multi awardT winning playwright, Rebecca Gilman. Following a veteran social worker, played by the great Sharon Small, we watch as the future of a baby born to two troubled teenagers is deliberated. As an unflinching examination of the reverberating effects of denial and betrayal this is a raw and compelling play. ◆ Eton Avenue, NW3; hampsteadtheatre.com

must see

Grow London 1 9-21 Ju ne T h e C onte m p orar y G a rd e n Fair

Finally, a cool gardening show for Londoners. Inspired by the stylish fairs in Europe, Grow is undoubtedly the city’s most exciting new horticultural event. Showcasing the work of over 100 carefully selected urban gardeners and designers there will also be free workshops, talks and Nyetimber champagne parties to enjoy.

SPITALFIELDS RE-SOUNDED TOUR

13 Jun e B isho psgate In stit ute obo award-winning jazz musician Shabaka M Hutchings will be presenting a new piece of music crafted from the noises he collected for his year-long East London sound archive project.

Having recorded everyday sounds from the Spitalfields area, Hutchings will take you on a walking tour to the places he found aurally captivating.

230 Bishopsgate, EC2; spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk

Hamptead Heath, NW3; growlondon.com

PLAY OF THE MONTH Thro u gho u t Ju n e , Alm e i da T h e atre

THE GREEK FESTIVAL he Almeida’s Greek Festival begins this month with Robin Icke’s radically re-imagined version of Oresteia. First performed in 458BC, this is the first major London production of Aeschylus’ work in over a decade. Merging the original trilogy into one, the play tells the story of Orestes as his parents are at war with one another. Revolving around adultery, murder, revenge and justice,

© CREDIT DAVID STEWART

T

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this deals with the same themes of the original (including theology, politics and blood relationships) but makes them accessible to the modern audience. Proving that the Greeks really were ahead of their time, this is a brutal but beautiful tragedy you can't miss. ◆ Almeida Street, N1; almeida.co.uk

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ARTS & CULTURE / TALKING TOPICS BOOK REVIEW

DOWN STREAM

THEATRE PREVIEW

PETER PAN Wr i tt e n b y j. m . ba r r i e Directed by Timothy She ader & Liam Steel

A

ll children, except one, grow up.” That is how it starts. Peter Pan tells the story of a young boy who lives in a magical world called Never Never Land, with his trusted companions, the Lost Boys, where they spar with pirates, consort with mermaids and befriend Indian princesses.

Then, one night, whilst in pursuit of his shadow, Peter crashes into the lives of the Darling children. He convinces them to fly with him to the land where children never grow up, pointing out that, “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.”

Off they fly, second star to the right and straight on ’til morning.

Amid their adventures, it takes a little while for Wendy, Michael and John to realise that the things they will miss by staying in Never Never Land (Nana the dog, their mother and the chance to ever be parents themselves) are too great a sacrifice.

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They return to London, taking the Lost Boys with them and leaving Peter to stay a child forever.

Partially based on George Llewelyn Davies, who was killed in action in WW1 along with many other lost boys, and partially based on Barrie’s own brother who died young and whom his mother told him would always remain a child to her, Peter Pan is just as innocent, exuberant and sad now as it was then and will be brought back to life by Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel this summer at the magical Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park. Expect high flying acrobatics, a swashbuckling Captain Hook and, of course, a ticking crocodile all set in the stunning surroundings of the park. If you miss it one night, not to worry, as Barrie himself said: “All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.” ◆

B y c a i t l i n d av i e s Aurum Press Ltd, £16.99

f you’ve walked past the Thames lately and your first impulse hasn’t been to dive headfirst into its depths, you are clearly not Caitlin Davies. Picking up on the current trend of plunging into the river willy nilly whether it be a thrillseeking attempt at wild swimming or racers battling the swirling eddies for victory and glory (or at least a small trophy), Davies has produced Downstream, a charming compendium of the history of swimmers and the Thames.

Her enthusiasm is palpable as she mines historical accounts and untouched archives for anecdotes and facts: from English kings determined to go for a dip to David Walliams stroking his way downstream in 2011. Walliams did then fall ill as a result of this swim, but don’t let that put you off ! A great and informative read, written in an accessible style that carries the reader along with the current. u By Catherine Hales

I

15 May - 14 June 2015 Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, NW1; openairtheatre.com

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CONCEPT

KITCHENS CONCEPT KITCHENS | DESIGN & FUNCTION

Kitchen dreams are coming true...

40, Offord Road, Islington N1 1EB 020 7700 1555 www.conceptkitchensislington.co.uk

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Silver

LININGS

Absolutely goes behind the scenes at Grant Macdonald the London-based silversmith taking the world by storm W o r d s c at h e r i n e h a l e s

W

e were standing in a room filled with beautiful objects, some in glass cabinets, some on display tables, others merely depicted in photographs hanging on the walls; knives and forks with fantastical twisted handles and thin stemmed champagne flutes all crafted from gleaming silver were positioned strategically around the room. However, try as I might, I remained fixated on the object in front of me. I could not, for the life of me, figure out what it could be. The base was a box with a small display screen that looked almost like your common or garden kitchen scale but with a ‘T’-shaped contrivance protruding out of the middle, all of which was coated in silver. Others gathered to see what I was staring at. ‘Is it a lamp?’ someone posited. ‘It can’t be, where’s the bulb?’ ‘Look, it’s definitely a scale,’ another said firmly. ‘Then what’s that bit sticking out of it?’ We were baffled. Eventually, Charlotte, one of the representatives from Luxx PR in charge of showing us around drifted past. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said, feeling foolish, ‘but what actually is this?’ ‘Ah,’ said Charlotte, ‘That is actually for weighing falcons.’

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Engraving a letter opener

THEY have become KNOWN FOR their beautiful bespoke WORK I had come to the London Bridgebased workshop and offices of Grant Macdonald, the renowned silversmith, partly to attend the unveiling of an incredible clock that had been crafted by the company and partly to take a peek behind the scenes and see what actually goes on in a modern silversmiths. We were told that we could even try our

hand at some practical silversmithing ourselves, although as someone who is likely to injure themselves making toast this prospect filled me with equal parts excitement and fear.

Our tour began in the offices, where a mysterious looking machine was whirring away. In the past, the first step involved in silversmithing was to make an incredibly detailed model out of wax, a process that could take several hours, even days. If the client wanted something altered, the process had to begin again.

Nowadays, however, there are 3D printers.

Wonderfully comprehensive 3D models are produced by superimposing wafer thin layers of plastic on top of one another to the specifications of a model designed on a computer. I found it hard to pay attention to this explanation though, as the printer itself was utterly mesmerising – the fact that something on a screen was appearing fully made seemingly out of thin air approached Star Trek levels of futuristic.

As we proceeded on our tour, however it became clear that this was one of the only parts of silversmithing to introduce new technology in hundreds of years.

In the workshop computers were replaced by wooden workbenches, weathered tools and even an anvil, as well as good, old fashioned elbow grease. We were taken through the process step by step, meeting

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ARTS & CULTURE / BEHIND THE SCENES Working on the base of a bespoke elephant piece

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ARTS & CULTURE / BEHIND THE SCENES The process of filing the silver to smooth out scratches

Grant Macdonald’s team of highly skilled craftsmen, each of whom is dedicated to a different stage of the operation until we reached a tray of silver keyrings bearing our names. It had arrived, the moment I had been dreading: audience participation.

The hard part had already been taken care of (the actual shaping and crafting of the keyring) we would just be finishing it off. I was lead to a workstation, handed a file and told to sand off the scratch marks on the silver that would prevent it from becoming smooth and shiny when it was polished. This was a pleasant surprise – the only thing I had to worry about here was accidentally sanding off my gel manicure.

We were instructed to hold the keyring against the wooden edge of the bench firmly and file in one direction away from our fingers. I felt confident and seemed to be making good progress until I realised that my fingers had begun to cramp after a measly few minutes and that I couldn’t hold the keyring without flexing vigorously.

Once we had given it the old college try, the (incredibly encouraging) professionals took over. Our next task was to solder the ring at the top of the keyring closed. This sounded far more hazardous. We were lead into the room containing the anvil I had spied earlier and, sure enough, it soon became evident that this task would involve

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Annealing the silver using a torch

Grant Macdonald Imperial Clock

both fire and a level of coordination that I severely lack. I let the others take over and emerged with all ten fingers in tact. The keyrings were then taken to be polished as we moved on to bubbles and nibbles in the room where the clock was being displayed.

Grant Macdonald have become known for their beautiful bespoke work, taking

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commissions from clients around the world and for luxury car brand Aston Martin. The stunning Imperial Clock is worth £100,000 and is inspired by the 18th Century French Ormolu Clock; it took 320 hours of handcraftsmanship and 80 hours polishing and is now on display in the Grant Macdonald store in Harrods.

Grant himself joined us for a glass of champagne (served in a silver flute) after our tour and shared some of his story, telling us about the first thing he ever made in silver: a small spoon that he still has to this day. His accomplishments range from the sublime to the fantastical from the reconstruction of the orb and cross that sits atop the Church of Our Lady in Dresden (originally destroyed in the bombings of WWII) to the crafting of eight foot tall palm trees for a palace. Each project is imbued with the precision, creativity and expertise of this London-based team of craftsmen, who are emerging as one of the premier silversmiths in the world. And as far as I'm concerned, anyone responsible for designing a falcon scale, is well on the road to greatness. u Grant Macdonald, 36 Bear Lane, SE1; Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1 ; grantmacdonald.com

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BATH SORTS

BATHROOM DESIGN SPECIALISTS

38 Offord Road, Islington N1 1DL 020 7700 1333 www.bathsorts.co.uk

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> FASHION CONFIDENTIAL

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LAST DAYS OF DISCO

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MEN ONLY

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ON THE MOVE ‘The Spirit of Trave’ campaign from luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton celebrates the brand’s travel history and features a colourful summer handbag and famed trunk collection. louisvuitton.com

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st y l e C e n t r a l

Polka dots, antique jewellery and a new holiday wardrobe are essential buys this month Wo r d s c h a r l o t t e a d s e t t

V JEWELLERY Wo r d s s t e p h a n i e k i n g ttention fashion magpies: this is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. SS15 is coming, and you need to be prepared. So heed our Public Service Announcement and arm yourself with summer’s hottest accessory label: two-time UK Watch & Jewellery Awards nominee, V Jewellery. No, literally; arm yourself with the covetable creations by this month's ‘Brand To Watch’. Whether it’s the fan favourite Simplicity Spine or Deco Chrysler rings, or the limited edition Astoria bracelet set in cubic zirconias, green adventurine and black agate, it is critical that you decorate your limbs with one of Laura Vann's lust-worthy pieces. Why? Because even though she only celebrated V Jewellery’s second anniversary in April, the West Midlands-based designer has already cemented her label on fashion’s most wanted list. Not bad for a Central Saint Martins Graduate who started a company at 22. Vann's impossibly cool pieces are often seen adorning the extremities of celebrities, It girls and bloggers, from Katy Perry to Millie Mackintosh.

V Jewellery's timeless aesthetic withstands the rapidly changing fashion seasons. But surely accessories that expertly balance decadence with minimalism have an exorbitant price tag to match? Not the case; V Jewellery's Sterling Silver and semi-precious stone items start at the incredibly affordable £60. Achievable and aspirational? V Jewellery is the answer to every woman's prayers.u

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● V J E W E L L E RY vjewellery.co.uk

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Life’s a beach Beach Flamingo

Summer holidays are just around the corner, and that means one thing - a whole new vacay wardrobe. Beach Flamingo is a one-stop holiday shop for luxury swimwear, kaftans, beach bags, and sandals.

This expertly edited website features the hottest beachwear brands of the moment, including Lisa Marie Fernandaz, Adriana Degreas and Lazul. See you by the pool. beachflamingo.com

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FASHION / NOTES

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VINTAGE CHARMS A n n i n a Vo g e l

Beloved by industry insiders and the likes of Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker, Annina Vogel specialises in reworking Victorian charms and trinkets sourced from all over the UK to recreate unique ready-to-wear pieces. Annina also offers engraving and bespoke services. anninavogel.com

of the best

POLKA DOTS Go dotty for the polka print

editor’s

PICK

02

01

WAKE UP A .W. A . K . E

Introducing the fash pack’s new favourite label A.W.A.K E (an acronym for All Wonderful Adventures Kindle Enthusiasm) that features sculpted cuts and 60’s era statement bows.Stand out from the crowd in this net neoprene maxi dress. £835; avenue32.com 04 03

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Chloe

We’re not sure if any other SS15 piece quite sums up the modern bohemian vibe of this season like this Chloe silk chiffon blouse. The romantic ruffles, bell sleeves and gypset vibes are very Joni Mitchell circa 1970, which equals top marks in the fashion circuit. £1,480; mytheresa.com

05 06

HOT STEPPER

07

Gucci

Score some serious style points this summer with a pair of mules - this season’s must haves. This wooden pair are part platform and part Swedish clog – the other shoes du-jour – so will instantly update your look. £490; net-a-porter.com

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O1. LK BENNETT, Bag, £225; lkbennett.com, 02. DOLCE & GABBANA, Dress, £1,200; net-a-porter.com O3. RED VALENTINO, Blouse, £310; farfetch.com, 04. COMME DES GARCONS, £109; theshopatbluebird.com 05. SALONI, Skirt, £435; farfetch.com, 06. MARC BY MARC JACOBS, Scarf, £170; mytheresa.com, 07. FINDS + BENOIT MISSOLIN, Headpiece, £310; net-a-porter.com 08. BIONDA CASTANA, Shoes, £415; avenue32.com

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Dress, £945, A.W.A.K.E.; Browns Earrings, £398; Vicki Sarge Rings from a selection at Joubi Backdrops used throughout, from a selection at Fabric House

L A S T D AY S O F

DIS C O Take inspiration from Studio 54 and 70s Glam Rock to dazzle on the dance floor Contributing Fashion Editor charlot te adset t Photography RUTH MORRIS

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Dress, £300; Pinko Turban £130; Missoni at mytheresa.com Clutch bag, £625; Jimmy Choo Earrings, £268; Vicki Sarge

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Jumpsuit, £130; AQ/AQ at Harrods Arm cuffs, £344 each, and earrings, £518; Vicky Sarge

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Gown, ÂŁ19,560; Ermanno Scervino Earrings, ÂŁ247; Vicki Sarge Ring from a selection at Joubi

Contributing Fashion editor; Charlotte Adsett Photographer; Ruth Morris Model; Sofia Simon at Elite Models Make-up; Michelle Campbell at Carol Hayes using Nars Hair; Ryo Okada using Bumble and Bumble Fashion assistants; Stephanie King and Jasmine Ward Photographer's assistant; Ryan Davies With thanks to Fabric House, 46 Goldhawk Road, London, W12 8DH for providing fabrics as backdrops

STOCKISTS brownsfashion.com ermannoscervino.it harrods.com jimmychoo.com joubi.co.uk karenwalker.com mytheresa.com natashazinko.com nicholaskirkwood.com net-a-porter.com pinko.it vickisarge.com

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Branch on the park is a beautiful jewellery shop in the heart of East London, Victoria park.

It is an absolute treasure trove with vintage cabinets filled with all that glistens and sparkles.

The shop is filled with precious and semi precious jewellery, Julia Cook owner and Goldsmith also makes private commissions.

If you are getting engaged, married, its your anniversary or birthday Julia can make something especially for you.

Images by Madeleine Waller

22ct gold with Peridot, black diamond and rhodalite garnet

Opening Hours Wed to Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5

If you can't make it to the shop a collection of Julia's work is available to buy online at

0208 533 7977

www.blossomingbranch.co.uk

julia@branchonthepark.co.uk www.branchonthepark.co.uk

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MINT CONDITION The founders of luxury brand Mint Velvet reveal their inspiration Wo r d s A b s o l u t e ly

ABSOLUTELY: What made you choose Muswell Hill as the location for your store?

MINT VELVET: All of our boutiques are in gorgeous market towns and Muswell Hill was an obvious choice for one of the London locations.

ABS: What era in fashion is your favourite?

MV: Now – it’s great to be wearing clothes that we feel great in.

ABS: Who is your fashion icon?

MV: If I had to pick one celebrity to sum up the feel of the brand, it would be Christy Turlington. Her style is effortless, she is feminine without being girly, and she looks chic and sophisticated even when she’s dressed down. We would love to dress her!

ABS: How would you characterise Mint Velvet’s aesthetic and style?

MV: We’ve actually coined our own phrase – “Relaxed Glamour” – easy effortless style that you can simply slip on ABS: What kind of woman buys your clothes?

MV: Essentially our customer wants to wear the trends in a relaxed way; she wants to be fashionable, but not feel hampered by what she’s wearing. She’s a modern woman with modern demands on her wardrobe and she wants luxury items that will stand the test of time.

ABS: How did the company start?

MV: We came up with the idea for Mint Velvet in June 2009 and launched the business shortly after in October, so it’s only been 5 years since we got going. We were frustrated by the lack of wearable women’s fashion out there; we wanted luxury but without the matching price tag, and Mint Velvet answered our own needs and the obvious gap in the market.

ABS: Where do you source your fabrics from?

MV: We source our fabrics from all over the world; from Italy to India.

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

C&A_JUNE15_MINT_VELVET.indd 28

We believe that FASHION should be FUN... if you FEEL good, you LOOK good What is your favourite piece from the new season?

MV: It’s so hard to pick one thing! The footwear this season is great – there’s so much to choose from and there’s everything from boho boots to classy heels.

ABS: Do you have any famous patrons?

MV: Kate Middleton has been spotted wearing Mint Velvet a few times, and over the years we’ve had everyone from Elle Machpherson to Geri Halliwell indulging in our relaxed glamour collections. We’d love to see Olivia Palermo sporting some MV!

ABS: Does the brand expand beyond fashion?

MV: Yes, over the last couple of years, we have expanded our homewear collection and are due to launch more later this year. We’ve also successfully launched our lounge and nightwear collection, Hygge (inspired by the Danish art of being cosy) which will also be growing this year.

ABS: Where do you see Mint Velvet going in the future?

MV: The business is set to continue growing in the UK and we are planning to open about 10 further boutiques over next few years, and will start to look at international opportunities in 2015. The website continues to grow, as online becomes increasingly important, with exciting new developments helping our customer shop with ease, and put looks together. We’re adding lots of fantastic content on our MAGAZINE, offering more product options, and putting in places services, like Click & Collect and Sunday deliveries, to make shopping even easier for our customers.

28 15/05/2015 16:44

FASHION / FEATURE ABS: How important do you think it is to have women heading up businesses, especially those aimed at other women?

MV: As we are the Mint Velvet customers, it really helps us keep the brand on track, and continue to design collections that fit and flatter.

ABS: Are you inspired by other cultures?

MV: Everywhere – inspiration can come from many places – we love browsing Pinterest, checking out style in the streets and markets and visiting different countries, art exhibitions.

ABS: What makes the brand unique?

MV: Our approach to fashion; we believe that fashion should be fun and that if you feel good, you look good.

ABS: What do you love about North London?

MV: It’s so leafy and still has the community feel – there’s a great café culture and lots of gorgeous parks to stroll about in; it’s amazing that you can be in the craziness of central London in less than 30 minutes. u 172-174 Muswell Hill Broadway, N10; mintvelvet.co.uk

29 C&A_JUNE15_MINT_VELVET.indd 29

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 16:35

GIFTS

•

CLOTHING

•

CARDS

Sublime is a fashion and lifestyle boutique, a haven of delectable delights and everywhere you look there are gorgeous treats and gifts. We source our products from all around the world and because we’re finding new things all the time, with each visit you never know what you might find.

www.sublimeshop.co.uk 225 Victoria Park Road, London E9 7HD 020 8986 7243 & 126 St. John Street, London EC1V 4JS 020 7253 1112

SUBLIME.indd 1

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FASHION / TRENDS

GIANVITO ROSSI, Leather mules, £445; net-a-porter.com

PIERRE HARDY,

Snakeskin '61' shoulder bag, £1,055; farfetch.com

ANYA HINDMARCH,

Metal crisp packet clutch bag, £995; anyahindmarch.com

MCQ BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, Leather biker jacket, £770; mytheresa.com

JONATHAN SAUNDERS,

OSCAR DE LA RENTA,

Lame wide-leg trousers, £1,030; net-a-porter.com

ROBERTO CAVALLI SS 2015

'Naomi' crepe dress, £1,325; matchesfashion.com

LINDA FARROW,

Metal cat eye sunglasses, £675; lindafarrow.com

HOT METAL

Shine on this summer in gold and silver metallics BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE,

ALEXANDER LEWIS,

Leather foil pencil skirt, £680; avenue32.com

B y charlot te adset t

'Bao Bao' tote bag, £420; isseymiyake.com

NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD,

Leather studded heel pumps, £485; brownsfashion.co.uk

SAINT LAURENT,

Leather ankle boots, £710; mytheresa.com

MARIA BLACK,

18ct yellow gold 'Wing' single earring, £300; brownsfashion.co.uk

31 FASHION PRODUCTS_June.indd 31

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 14:43

Fine fitted kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms

3,200 Square feet of contemporary kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms from Italy and Germany. Mark Nicholas Design one stop shopping for the finest home interiors on display in London. Why not call today to arrange a consultation to find out what we can do for you.

48 Penton Street, Islington, London N1 Tel: 020 7278 7573

MARK NICHOLAS.indd 1 MARKnicholas.indd mark NICHOLAS DESIGN.RHP.indd 1 2

Fax: 020 7833 2273

Email: enquiries@marknicholasdesign.com

www.marknicholasdesign.com

15/09/2014 16:32 01/06/2012 14:08 17/04/2013 13:49

FASHION / GIFT GUIDE ROYAL ACADEMY

CARAN D'ACHE

Beard Grooming Kit, £30; royalacademy.org.uk

Caelograph Zenith 45, £92,500; penshop.co.uk

ROCOCO

Sea salt caramel milk chocolate ganaches £13.50; rococochocolates.com

MR LYAN’S

Rainy Day Spritz, £34.99; selfridges.com

VILEBREQUIN vilebrequin.com

HAIG CLUB

Single Grain Scotch whisky, £45; waitrose.com

ASTON MARTIN

Luxury picnic hamper, £2,950; grantmacdonald.com/ astonmartin

RAYMOND WEIL

Frank Sinatra Maestro Watch, £975; raymond-weil.com

ASPINAL OF LONDON The Small Mount Street Tech, £495; aspinaloflondon.com

JOHNNIE WALKER

Blue label scotch whiskey, £150; 31dover.com

MEN ONLY Stuck for what to get Dad this Father Father’s Day? Here’s Here some gift inspiration.

IDLER ACADEMY Ukelele Lessons, £40; idler.co.uk

B y C at h e r i n e h a l e s

MOULTON

THEO FENNELL

New Series Double Pylon, £16,250; bikefix.co.uk

8ct Yellow Gold Speech Bubble Cufflinks, £3,500; theofennell.com

VALENTINO

Uomo Edition Noire Collector, £65; harrods.com

33 B&C_JUNE15_Fathers_Day_Prod.indd 33

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 15:31

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

W I NNER BEST P I LAT ES ST U DI O – TAT LE R G YM AWARD S 2 0 1 3 & 2 0 1 4 YOUR FIRST CL ASS JU ST £ 1 2 . 5 0 .

Notting Hill, Chiswick, Mayfair, St James’s, Hatton Garden, City | www.tenpilates.com

TEN PILATES.indd 1

09/01/2015 15:56

> BEAUTY CONFIDENTIAL

p. 36

MIRACLE MAKE UP

p. 39

FITNESS CONFIDENTIAL

p. 41

THE NEW FACE Showing she's not the only Delevingne who can strike a pose, Poppy has been signed as the new face of Jo Malone. Otherwise known as the ‘Jo Malone London Girl’, and from seeing the campaign we can see why. jomalone.co.uk

35 C&A_June15_Beauty_Opener.indd 35

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 14:19

S pa r e v i e w

The best SPF products to keep your skin safe, pro blo and Sunborn Yacht’s floating spa W o r d s R o m y va n d e n B r o e k e

The

ELEMIS SPA Sunborn Yacht Hotel, E16 Wo r d s A ly H a z l e w o o d

he Sunborn Yacht Hotel is something of a floating palace, a 420ft yacht, with 135 rooms moored in the docks near ExCel, a mere 15-minute taxi ride from London City Airport.

A spa on a moored yacht sounds impossibly glamorous, so I was happy to drag myself out into the freezing cold weather to travel halfway across London for some well-needed R&R. It brought to mind a glitzy ballroom from a bygone era crossed with a conference centre.

Possibly the most impressive aspect are the striking river views and light drenched decks, I could well imagine the joy of a cocktail on the terrace in the summer months.

There are 2 small treatment rooms and a shower facility on the Sunborn, and I have to say they were a little on the cold side due to the freezing temperatures outside, but I was given extra towels to keep warm.

The Elemis spa prides itself on its age defying products, which combine active natural ingredients with cutting edge scientific technology and the excellent therapists will tailor skin-specific treatments to nourish, hydrate and renew, leaving you feeling relaxed and invigorated.

My only complaint was the music in the spa rooms, it was improbably bad, a sort of mix between Richard Clayderman underpinned by an Irish tin whistle. Quite possibly the least relaxing music I’ve ever heard in a spa!

My overall verdict is that this is a great resource for worn out Excel delegates, but don’t go there expecting a luxe experience. The treatment itself was lovely, but the space is functional and basic. ◆

T

Wet, wet, wet Bobbi Brown

Deep Tissue Massage £58 for 45 minutes

Still heading classic make up brand Bobbi Brown's campaigns, Kate Upton models waterproof make up with ease in this sultry shoot promoting its Longwear Eye Collection. bobbibrown.co.uk

● E L E M I S S PA Royal Victoria Dock, ExCeL London, E16 sunbornhotels.com

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

CHIS_June15_Beauty_Notes.indd 36

36 15/05/2015 14:16

HEALTH & BEAUTY / NOTES

8 of the best

HEAVEN SCENT

SPF PRODUCTS

B loom Perfumer y

Open the SS15 perfume season with orange blossom, one of the first gorgeous spring blooms. Try Néroli Blanc Intense by Au Pays De La Fleur D’Oranger for a tangy green floral.

Small scale boutique production by a Provence perfume house specializing in neroli. Exclusive to Bloom Perfumery 4 Hanbury Street, E1, 100ml £70; bloomperfume.co.uk

02

editor’s

PICK 01

SUN KISSED Estée Lauder

Whether you’ve actually been sunning yourself on a Caribbean beach or only wish you had, Estée Lauder’s brilliant Bronze Goddess collection will have you glowing.

Our favourite? Their Illuminating Powder Gelée. £32; esteelauder.co.uk

03 04

SCRUB A DUB

05

& Other Stories 07

Leading scandi clothing brand & Other Stories started life as a beauty business. Still going strong with regular beauty launches, this new Floral Memento scrub is an affordable way of prepping skin for a tan this summer. £7; stories.com

best

BUY

CURL ME Pro Blo

This detachable hairbrush is the perfect tool for achieving a bouncy blow dry at home. Each brush end can be left in the hair for extra curl. problogroup.com

37 CHIS_June15_Beauty_Notes.indd 37

08

06 1. CHANEL, UV Essentiel SPF 50+, £41; chanel.com 2. CLARINS, Super Restorative Day Cream SPF 20, £69; clarins.co.uk 3. CLINIQUE, Anti-blemish Solutions BB Cream SPF 40, £27; clinique.co.uk 4. CREME DE LA MER, Reparative Skintint SPF 30, £65; cremedelamer.co.uk 5. SISLEY, Age Minimising Global Skincare SPF 30, £158; sisley-paris.com 6. KIEHL’S, Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50, £31; kiehls.co.uk 7. PERRICONE MD, Photo Plasma SPF 30, £57; perriconemd.co.uk 8. LA PRAIRIE, Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Sun Cream SPF 30, £107; laprairie.co.uk

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 14:17

Transform your life with the help of certified Metamorphic Technique practitioner Valerina Brookes.

With her 20 years’ training and experience in alternative medicine, Valerina uses a soothing touch on your feet, hands and head, to help you to shift unwanted habits and energy patterns that no longer serve you.

What you think of yourself and your life often becomes a pattern. Unresolved patterns can surface as mental or physical illness, emotional problems, or limiting attitudes and behaviour.

Following Metamorphic Technique sessions with Valerina, clients have experienced: • Headache relief • Ankle pain relief • Increased energy • Clarity of thought • Creativity boost • Increased self-confidence and self-awareness

07736 406 858, contact@metamorphictouch.co.uk www.metamorphictouch.co.uk

MM.indd 1

01/05/2015 09:30

HEALTH & BEAUTY / PRODUCTS

ALPHA-H,

ZELENS,

Lip Enhancer 5ml, £32; spacenk.com

Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid 100ml, £33.50; alpha-h.com

INIKA,

Mineral Illuminiser Pot, £17; inika.co.uk

CHANTECAILLE,

Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15, £58; spacenk.com

BAREMINERALS,

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue SPF 30, £26; bareminerals.co.uk

ESTÈE LAUDER,

Double Wear Brush-On Glow, £23.50; esteelauder.co.uk

STILA,

One Step Iluminate, Illuminating Serum, £24; stila.co.uk

CRÈME DE LA MER,

The Reperative Skintint SPF 30, £65; cremedelamer.co.uk

KIEHL’S,

Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream, £23.50; kiehls.co.uk

SHU UEMERA,

Poreraser UV Under Base CC Mousse in Pink, £29; liberty.co.uk

TOUCH BASE

Perfect the fresh faced look this summer with these miracle products B y R O M Y VA N D E N B R O E K E

RODIAL

Hyaluronic Cheek Sculpt, £24; rodial.co.uk

PERRICONE MD,

JANE IREDALE

High Lighter Pencils Doubly Dazzling, £16; janeiredale.com

39 JUNE15_BEAUTY PRODUCTS.indd 39

No Foundation Foundation Fair, £48; perriconemd.co.uk

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 14:20

SESSIONS

FROM UNDER £10* *Price dependant on package

HAVE YOU TRIED

GROUP PERSONAL TRAINING? Double your results in half the time!

Training’s more fun when you’re not doing it alone!

Book your complimentary consultation today moversandshapers.co.uk/try

Muswell Hill: 148 Fortis Green Road, London N10 3DU Tel: 020 8444 2900 Queens Park: 68 Salusbury Road, London NW6 6NU Tel: 020 7624 8687 West Hampstead: 148 West End Lane, London NW6 1SD Tel: 020 7372 4222 Stanmore: 15 Church Road, Stanmore, Middx HA7 4AR Tel: 020 8954 9554

MOVERS&SHAPERS.3.indd 2

08/05/2015 11:42

review

HEALTH & BEAUTY / NOTES

ORBIT ABSEIL

SWIM TEAM

Just when we thought we couldn’t love this Australian brand anymore, we saw their SS15 swim collection. With tropical prints, bold colours and practical designs, you can jump, dive and race without fear of revealing your modesty. wearehandsome.com

The UK’s highest free-fall

I

’ve always been up for a challenge so when I received an email asking whether I’d like to free-fall down the Olympic Park’s ArcelorMittal Orbit I immediately said yes. Two weeks later I regretted this hasty decision. Standing with my back to the city of London, my heels hanging over the edge of a 80m drop, I felt simultaneously sick and excited. Reluctantly lowering myself off of the safe platform, all I could see were my ‘supporters’ and other random spectators laughing at my colourless, adrenalinefuelled face. Admittedly, the initial plunge was hilariously terrifying. Once free from any surface, however, the decline became quite peaceful. Hanging somewhere inbetween the top and the bottom I took in my surroundings and realised how incredible it was to be seeing London from such a height without any glass in the way.

It was surreal. I highly recommend it. ◆

Fitness

CONFIDENTIAL Get in shape with the top fitness trends, tips and gear Wo r d s e l i z a b e t h h u t t o n

WELL JELL

Jealous Sweets ave you got a sweet tooth? Us too.

Thankfully, we’ve discovered these H vegan, gluten-free chewies. Full of natural fruit juices, such as grapefruit, pineapple and pomegranate, these tongue tingling sour beans and fizzy worms are giving Haribo a run for their money. thejealouslife.com

PASS THE CLASS ● A R C E L O R M I T TA L O R B I T From £85 per person arcelormittalorbit.com

London’s fitness scene has exploded in the past year. From barre and pilates to boxing and bootcamp, there are so many new classes to try out. For ease, and no long-term commitment, we recommend Class Pass. The one membership (£89pm) that gives you unlimited access to the best gyms in the city.

classpass.com

41 C&A_JUNE15_Health.indd 41

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 14:48

THE

ITALIANS HAVE ARRIVED

Y

DELICATESSEN, RESTAURANT, CAFFÈ, WINE & GIFTS

3 1 SH AD TH AME S , LONDON S E 1 2 YR @Valentina_deli

towerbridge@valentinafinefoods.com 020 7036 6028

valentinafinefoods

SHEEN | PUTNEY | SEVENOAKS | NOTTING HILL | WEYBRIDGE | REIGATE | CHISWICK | TOWER BRIDGE

VALENTINA.indd 1

14/05/2015 09:24

> TABLE TALK: VODKA, CHILLI AND A FOOD SAFARI

p. 45

FOOD REVIEW: CEVICHE

p. 51

PETIT DÉJEUNER Crossaints are great, obviously. But French bakery Maison Blanc has just taken things to the next level by filling their pastries with pistashio, red velvet and chocolate cream. Heaven. maisonblanc.co.uk

43 C&A_June15_Food_Opener.indd 43

JUNE 2015

18/05/2015 11:37

ABSOLUTELY / PROMOTION SOAK up the atmosphere with LIVE MUSIC and a refreshing COCKTAIL

FOODIE FUN

F

The ultimate festival of food and drink is coming to Alexandra Palace.

oodies Festival is coming to Alexandra Palace from the 3-5 July, and we are giving away VIP tickets to celebrate. Enjoy a plethora of Michelin-starred food from celebrity chefs, delicious produce from local producers and more street food than you can shake a satay stick at.

Start your day off with a masterclass in the Aga Rangemaster Chefs’ Theatre where The Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite will be cooking his favourite

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

C&A_June15_Foodies_Fest_adv.indd 44

summer recipes for you to sample. TV chef Aldo Zilli, Rakesh Ravindran Nair of The Cinnamon Club, Adam Handling at Caxton and Arnaud Stevens of SixtyOne will also be inspiring you to experiment with new flavours throughout the day.

The Champagne and Craft Beer Theatre invites you to attend a masterclass with experts Charles Metcalfe and Neil Phillips, who will guide you through British sparkling wine and the finest vino of the season. Or, learn the best food pairings for your favourite brew from beer expert Melissa Cole.

Afterward, why not try your hand at sushi rolling in the New Tasting Theatre or help forage for herbs to create booze infused canapés? Then sample produce from more 200 companies who will be selling their award-winning cheeses, sauces and jams, cakes and breads, olives, cured meats and more. Finally, head over to the Street Food Avenue and Feasting Tent where you can tuck into delicious cuisine from around the world.

After a day full of feasting and fun, soak up the bustling atmosphere on the grass with live music, refreshing cocktails and a jug of Pimm’s from the Giant Pimm’s Teapot or a mojito from the Mojito Galleon. With a chili eating competition and picnic in the park masterclass in the Children's Cookery Theatre, this festival is guaranteed to be a tasty day out for the whole family! u

WIN VIP TICKETS TO FOODIES FESTIVAL To celebrate Foodies Festival’s 10th anniversary we are giving away five pairs of VIP tickets. As a VIP you will start your day with a glass of bubbly, attend a food and drink masterclass, receive full use of the VIP area and take home a goody bag. For your chance to win send your name and contact details with the subject title ‘Alexandra Palace’ to: info@zest-media.com; foodiesfestival.com/alexandra

44 15/05/2015 14:54

FOOD & DRINK / NOTES Exmouth Market

SAFARI ~ Ta s t e To u r ~ ◆ ◆ ◆

Exmouth Market, EC1 Wo r d s e l i z a b e t h h u t t o n

W

hy eat at one restaurant when you can dine at three? That’s the beauty of the Exmouth Market Safari; the culinary adventure that involves stopping at a different eatery for each course.

To start things off, we recommend quenching your thirst with a cocktail at Bonnie Gull. Our pick, the ‘wanna be plantain something’, is a brilliant mix of rum, banana and lime – deceptively easy to drink. Next, hit Morito for their standout tapas dish, the cumin and cinnamon spiced lamb, aubergine, yoghurt and pine nuts. Albeit small, this plate will make a big impression with a great blend of flavour and texture. Finally head to Blackfoot, the pork-based restaurant who take things to the next level with their signature dish, ‘the long smoke’. This pepper, treacle and star anise encrusted wedge of pork belly is slow cooked for 10 hours and proves that you can’t rush greatness. Served alongside creamy coleslaw and pickled gherkin, it’s an epic creation. Finally, make one last indulgence with the wonderfully zesty ‘like a key lime pie’. A lively, fun and tasty street, go to Exmouth Market for dinner and you’ll leave EC1 with every sort of craving satisfied. ◆

TABLE TALK Restaurant openings, vodka kitchens and Exmouth Market Safari OPEN SEASON

KITCHEN SIPS

Granger & Co. hose who have previously enjoyed T the scrumptious food on offer at this Aussie favourite will be thrilled to hear that they are adding a third location right by King’s Cross, perfect for commuters searching for a cracking breakfast. We recommend the scrambled eggs.

Ketel O ne opping up this month at The Folly P is the Ketel One Vodka Kitchen, inspired by the Nolet Family’s home (the creators of Ketel One). Think crates of overflowing fruit and veg, Bloody Mary masterclasses and all the vodka you could ever drink.

41 Gracechurch Street, EC3V; thefollybar.co.uk

grangerandco.com

TAVERN LIFE 5CC S inger Tavern

Joining a their list of speakeasy-style bars from 5CC comes the Singer Tavern, an underground bar with a little something extra. If the atmospheric lighting, vintage leather furniture and exposed brick walls aren’t enough to get you down there, then the expertly mixed specialist cocktails will.

1 City Road, EC1Y; 5cc-london.com

● EXMOUTH MARKET Exmouth Market, EC1R; exmouth.london

u

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH u

The new Mexican Chorizo kit from Cool Chile Company, contains the finest spices, chorizo and detailed recipe cards. Ideal. £2.10; coolchile.co.uk

45 C&A_JUNE15_Food_Notes.indd 45

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 14:49

Social

NETWORK We speak with City Social's Executive Chef Paul Walsh, the man taking Jason Atherton's latest venture to new heights in London's iconic Tower 42 W o r d s C AT H E R I N E H A L E S

CATHERINE HALES: Where am I talking to you from?

PAUL WALSH: I had to shoot over to New York last minute so I’m over here with Jason [Atherton]. He’s doing the opening of his new restaurant called the Clock Tower.

CH: Ah, so this is a transatlantic call?

Good to know. When did you first start cooking?

PW: I’d say properly, my last couple of years at school. At age 15 or 16 I started to show a bit of an interest and then I decided to go off to college and that’s when I began understanding it a bit more.

It intrigued me and I enjoyed it more than doing something just because someone told me to do it – I wanted to do it.

CH: Where did you work first?

PW: My first job was at The Savoy. It happened quite strangely: while I was on my summer break from college I went to The Savoy and asked for a job, just to work for free for a couple of months until I went back. I did it again then next

I WANTED to do something DIFFERENT, OPEN something of my own from SCRATCH summer and when I finished I gave them a call and asked if it would be alright if I came to work there properly. I then ended up working at The Savoy Grill when Marcus Wareing and Gordon took it over.

That’s how I met the Gordon Ramsay crew and went on to Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road.

CH: How did you meet Jason?

PW: We were both working for Gordon at

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

C&A_JUNE15_Paul_Walsh.indd 46

the same time – I was working at Royal Hospital Road and Jason was working at Maze so that was how I first heard about him and how we originally met.

CH: What drew you to City Social?

PW: I wanted a new challenge. [I] thought to myself, ‘I’ve got plenty of gas left in the tank at the moment and I’m just going to go for it.’ I wanted to do something different, open something of my own from scratch. Then I got the opportunity to work for Jason. We met up and he said he had a new project he was working on and asked whether I’d like to be involved and then it went from there.

46 15/05/2015 15:13

FOOD & DRINKS / PROFILE

47 C&A_JUNE15_Paul_Walsh.indd 47

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 15:09

A N G E L C E N TRAL* •

S H O P P I N G D I N I N G E N T E RTA I N M E N T •

•

•

ANGELCENTRAL.CO.UK *Formerly known as N1 Centre, 21 Parkfield Street, Islington, N1 0PS

ABBEY ROAD FRAMING 020 7328 6915

Bespoke & Ready-Made Frames Mirrors, Limited Edition Prints Ceramics, Greeting Cards & Gifts

67 Abbey Road St John’s Wood London NW8 0AE info@abbeyroadframing.co.uk www.abbeyroadframing.co.uk Absolutely1502-AbbeyRoadFramingFINAL.indd 1

_ADVERT PLACEMENTS.indd 2

27/01/2015 16:32

15/05/2015 14:57

FOOD & DRINKS / PROFILE CH: Did you come up with the concept and put together the menu?

PW: The menu is mine, I do all the dishes but the concept and the design of the restaurant was Jason. He has people who he works with on that side of things so the banquette tables and all the furnishings were already in progress we had to work on the kitchen a bit. We smashed the old one down and started again. But the menu is pretty much mine, he leaves it to me.

CH: How would you describe the menu?

PW: To be honest, all of our cooking is just focussed on good products. We try to get the best produce and we go through every single bit of veg, onion by onion, radish

had on the menu and worked hard to do well from day one is soufflés, we’ve done about ten different flavours since we started.

CH: Do you have any interests outside of the kitchen?

PW: To be honest, all I really do on my days off is spend time with my kids. I have two kids, three and five years old so I do stuff with them, like take them swimming.

Just have fun with them, really.

WE’RE constantly evolving, CREATING NEW THINGS by radish, selecting all the best stuff and we give our suppliers so much aggro.

For instance, asparagus is in season now, we’ve got it and we go from there; I brainstorm, I’ll write down all the things I think will go with it and start coming up with stuff.

CH: So how often you add new dishes to the menu is based on what comes in, then?

PW: Yeah, but we’re always working on something. We did the asparagus

dish (Wye Valley asparagus, smoked Clarence court egg yolk, parmesan biscuit and hazelnut vinaigrette) and now we’ve got all the lovely berries coming in. We’re constantly evolving, creating new things.

We change with the seasons as well; as soon as you come out of winter and move into spring you start getting all the wild garlic, mirelles, all that kind of stuff so I really try and ‘spring up’ all the dishes.

CH: What’s your ultimate ambition?

PW: I think eventually I’d like to have my own restaurant – it doesn’t necessarily have to be on the same level as City Social but something that’s my own. That’s what everyone wants, growing up in this industry but it’s about how to get there. It’s tough.

For me it’s more about enjoying it and I think the goal at the end of the day is to have done something half decent with my career and worked at a good level, then I’ll be happy. ◆

CH: Do you have a signature dish?

PW: It’s very hard to have a signature dish when we’re changing them all the time [laughs]. Something we’ve always

24th Floor, 25 Old Broad Street, EC2N; citysociallondon.com

49 C&A_JUNE15_Paul_Walsh.indd 49

● CIT Y S OCIAL

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 15:09

ADD A SPLASH OF ART Hampstead, London. 11 – 14 June 2015. 110 galleries with 1,100 artists.

Buy tickets: affordableartfair.co.uk

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FOOD & DRINK / REVIEW We had selected the Don Ceviche, seabass, amarillo chilli tiger’s milk and sweet potato and the Tiradito Chifa, thinly sliced tuna, pickled daikon, chifa tiger’s milk and crispy vermicelli. The tuna was piquant verging on sharp and its texture contrasted wonderfully with the crunchy vermicelli but for me the sea bass was the clear winner. The combination of the sweet potato and the fish made for an exquisite sweet/savoury balance and its freshness was evident in every mouthful.

Next up was Pulpo Parrillero, octopus, mushroom, potato and Botija olive mayo followed by Pollo a la Brasa, original recipe marinade, corn-fed quarter rotisserie chicken, chips and hot amarillo chilli dip. The only disappointment the whole night was the octopus, which was on the rubbery side and couldn’t hold

Ceviche

We stop by the newest addition to Old Street’s burgeoning foodie scene Wo r d s c at h e r i n e h a l e s

M

any are aware of Ceviche’s reputation for serving up scrumptious Peruvian delicacies and delighting (and intoxicating) diners with frothy pisco sours. I had come to Old Street to see if their new location would live up to the hype and, I am pleased to report, live up to the hype it did. We started off with a couple of the aforementioned pisco sours and with the first foamy sip, felt all the stresses of the day melt away.

Anyone who thinks Peruvian cuisine is narrow or niche has not seen the menu at Ceviche and we decided to go the whole hog (although, ironically hog was one of the few things we didn’t eat) and order from every section. To start we chose the Tequeños de Ají de Gallina, wonton fritters with traditional creamy chicken, onion, parmesan filling and amarillo chilli

dip. Yes, they were as heavenly as they sound: the outside crispy and flaky, the inside devilishly buttery and smooth. My only criticism? I could have eaten about a dozen more. As it turned out, it was lucky I didn’t because no sooner had we finished than our ceviche arrived.

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a candle to the ceviche. The greatest surprise was the chicken: a strange thing to order in a Peruvian restaurant, perhaps, but our eccentricity paid dividends with one of the most succulent and tender rotisserie chickens I have ever eaten. Their marinade succeeded in making this much maligned fowl tangy and interesting and unlike anything I’d tasted before. When people say ‘it tastes like chicken’, they aren’t talking about this chicken. To top it off we went for a traditional pudding of Tres Leches de Lúcuma, Lúcuma cream, milk-soaked cake, cancha corn and chocolate shard and mirasol chili meringue. Although I’m still not totally sold on chili meringue, these small cakes were heavenly; moist but still light and not too milky, if you get my drift. A must-visit, even for those who don’t count themselves big fish fans. ◆ ● C EVI C H E OLD ST 2 Baldwin Street, EC1V; cevicheuk.com/oldst

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 17:26

North Bridge House Canonbury Senior School & Sixth Form

Relocating to London?

Discover a high quality independent education in the heart of Islington.

Open Event: 9am, Thursday 11 June 2015 Book a place today at northbridgehouse.com/open

Text Tour to 81025 for more info | admissions@northbridgehouse.com | 020 7267 6266 (Option 5)

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> SMALL TALK: TOP BUYS FOR KIDS p. 55 WEIRD SCIENCE: ENGAGING EXPERIMENTS p.57

THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT The Stella McCartney Kids collection focuses on vibrant, playful staples and seasonal separates to keep kids looking fresh this summer. stellamccartney.com

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JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 16:10

Order in 30 seconds, collected in an hour, delivered the next day

QUALITY FOR SERVICE FOR DRY CLEANING,SHIRTS & LAUNDRY FOR

To order call 020 7060 4939 or visit ihateironing.com ENJOY 20% OFF YOUR FIR ST OR DER WITH THE CODE ABSO20

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KIDS & EDUCATION / NOTES MINI MODERN

Soft Gallery Tine Holt Møller and Barbara Hvidt teamed up to create Soft Gallery in 2007. Now the Danish label has become synonymous with contemporary cool kids fashion; classic cuts are enlivened with detailed embroidery, striking prints and on-trend colour palettes.

Available at scandimini.co.uk

TRIED

&TESTED

SNUZPOD The Little Green Sheep

Wo r d s H E L E N B A R O N

SMALL TALK Summer shades, stylish kids’ furniture and the latest collaboration from Steiff

HOT HOUSE

Caramel Baby & Child

Childrenswear with a British twist doesn’t get better than this - kids fashion house Caramel Baby and Child’s latest SS15 collection is as covetable as ever, with pieces inspired by spring blossoms, snowdrops and a neutral palette to ‘let the season shine bright’.

Palau Dress in sea salt, £100; caramel-shop.co.uk

From £169, thelittlegreensheep.co.uk

STEIFF X MIFFY

SETTING STORE

Steiff

Smallable

Any collaboration between Steiff and Miffy was bound to be special.

Celebrating 60 years of Miffy’s minimalist magic, this jointed doll is intended for adult collectors, but works just as well in the nursery. £169, steiff.com

Nobodinoz is the go-to design store for style-savvy tots. We especially love this half-open wardrobe: a way to store all those clothes you’ve been buying for your wee one. Nobodinoz white wardrobe, 1,3500 €; ensmallable.com

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A

newborn sleeps up to 18 hours a day, which makes their crib a purchase of particular importance. The Snuzpod is one of the best (and nicest to look at) of the newish breed of bedside cribs. Designed to attach securely to your own bed, with a zip-down breathable mesh wall that lets you access, comfort (and breastfeed) your baby while keeping them safely in their own space, it also functions as a standalone crib and a rocking bassinet for use around the house. Alongside the range of super soft, all-natural organic bedding products from The Little Green Sheep, it’s a definite winner. ◆

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 15:01

The Fireplace Specialists

“We are the UK’s leading suppliers and installers of luxury fireplaces and stoves manufactured by DRU, Faber, Spartherm, Stovax and many more.

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08/05/2015 09:39

Manufacturers of Engineere d, Solid, Pre-finished and Parquet floori ng all from sustainable ti mber

020 8871 9771 www.naturalwoodf loor.co.uk

FREE PARKING AT THE LONDON SHOWROOM The Natural Wood Floor Company, 20 Smugglers Way, Wandsworth London SW18 1EG

_ADVERT PLACEMENTS.indd 3

15/05/2015 15:04

KIDS & EDUCATION / SCHOOL TALK

ASK THE EXPERT

Weird Science

A new education company is engaging children with brilliant experiments W o r d s A M a n d a C o n s ta n c e

dav id wel l esl ey w esl ey Fo u nd e r, I n d e p e nd ent Sc hool s Show

The importance of learning & speaking languages early on

ILLUSTRATION BY PHIL COUZENS

ith summer holidays, sunshine and beaches just W around the corner, combining language lessons with water sports and cultural trips is an excellent way to boost your child’s skills, over the long break.

At a recent Chatham House event, the place of English as a global language was discussed. Key points that resonated were that yes, English drives influence, but to act locally languages are essential. Europeans with languages are taking the jobs of Brits, who increasingly find that they can’t compete with their continental peers; and as competition for places heightens, leading MBA graduate schemes are viewing languages as a requirement.

The learning and speaking of languages helps to make us recognise that the world is a multi-faceted place, with cultural and linguistic subtleties driving both family and business life.

Aside from all of these formalities, languages make life richer, more vibrant; introducing them to your child early on will ensure that they can reap the benefits later on. u

The learning of LANGUAGES helps us recognise that the world is a MULTIFACETED place

A

few months ago, John Cridland, the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) Director General, criticised the quality of science teaching in our primary schools: “Science education in primary schools is being squeezed out, with over half of teachers believing it has become less of a priority with too many schools struggling to teach the recommended two hours every week.”

His remarks followed research carried out by Brunel University and the CBI, which also found a third of teachers lack confidence when teaching the subject. “How can we expect to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers if we don’t deliver high-quality and inspiring science lessons at primary school age?” asks Cridland.

A new education company, Richer Education, has set up a Science Saturday School to tackle the problem. Conducted in partnership with Imperial College, London, the classes “aim to inspire and motivate children aged 5-11”, says cofounder Rafael Hernandez. “We want to get them while they are young,” he explains.

“Science education in secondary schools is not engaging students, so we want to get students to really love it at primary so that they go on to study it successfully.”

Hernandez, 42, a maths teacher originally from Venezuela, teamed up with Sian Chalkly, a science specialist and fellow teacher at a Woolwich secondary school, with the idea of providing inspiring, hands-on science lessons for children. “The emphasis in the classes is on practicals,” says Hernandez. “We want children to explore science with their own hands; they must touch and see at the same time as understanding the science behind it.”

It is this practical element of science education that Hernandez says has fallen victim to the relentless target-driven culture of schools. State primaries generally have one teacher for everything and simply don’t have the time to cover the whole curriculum

57 Chiswick_JUNE15_Education.indd 57

as it is. A 2013 Ofsted investigation found that science lessons were not good enough in more than a quarter of schools and only one-in-20 teachers in primary schools holds a science degree.

Secondary schools have the facilities and the specialist teachers but ‘teaching to the test’ rarely allows for the time for practical experiments or a deeper understanding of the topics. “It’s all about targets,” says Hernandez. “When there is a topic that might require greater in-depth explanation teachers just skip the subject altogether.

“Things aren’t necessarily much better in the private sector. Prep schools often have the specialist teachers but rarely allow the time for practicals.

For two hours every Saturday morning the children have access to Imperial College’s labs and facilities, where PhDladen scientists such as Sian Chalkly teach sessions linked to the Key Stage 2 curriculum, centred on a theme or topic that cover all three sciences and each session is based around a practical experiment.

Future plans include further partnerships with universities across London. Ultimately, says Hernandez, “we are not reinventing the wheel or changing the world, we just want to get students to love science.” u For more information or to book a class, visit richereducation.co.uk/saturday-school

JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 14:28

HIGHGATE PRIVATE HOSPITAL

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> ISLAND LIVING: WE FIND THE GOOD LIFE IN SICILY p. 60

CIAO, BELLA! Emma J Page visits the pretty hilltop town of Taormina and finds that the place is as enchanting in reality as it was in La Dolce Vita...

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15/05/2015 15:23

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Island

LIVING

We go in search of the good life in Sicily’s historic Taormina and discover ruins, cliffs and clear seas Wo r d s E m m a J Pag e

T

here aren’t many three wheelers that can instantly evoke the glamour of la dolce vita, but it turns out that a classic Italian Ape Calessino is an exception to the rule. It’s a warm, cloudless day and I’m travelling up a steep hillside on the way to the tiny village of Castelmola perched high on the crags above Taormina, overlooking the Ionian Sea on Sicily’s east coast. Classic car enthusiast Enzo is next to me, steering the vehicle with its scooter-style handlebars when we make a sudden, unscheduled stop by the roadside. Non-plussed, my eyes follow him as he leans over a low rock wall, fishing a penknife from his pocket. Moments later, he climbs backs into the Ape and hands me a freshly plucked fig.

‘Mangia, mangia,’ he instructs.

And as I bite into the ripe fruit, I realize exactly why life on this island remains so intoxicating.

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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Taormina’s annual film festival made this pretty hilltop town the place to see and be seen in the 1950s and 60s. From Truman Capote and Sofia Lauren to Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, there’s barely a Hollywood name or Cinecittà legend who hasn’t ambled through its gardens, relaxed on a lushly planted terrace with a typical brioche and strawberry granita, or explored its dramatic coastline by fishing boat. But even the big stars who’ve made the area their home can’t outshine the town itself, uniquely positioned 200 metres above sea level, with direct views across to Mount Etna and presided over by an immaculately preserved Greek Theatre.

Long before its dolce vita heyday, Taormina’s ancient buildings, clustered cheek-by-jowl across the hills, wowed early 19th century travellers on their Grand Tour of Europe, seduced by the town’s Palazzo Corvaja, with its Moorish origins and endless bougainvilleaclad alleyways. A steady stream of visitors has been flowing to the

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TRAVEL / WANDERLUST

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JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 15:25

THE

Classic & PAGEANT

ST JOHN’S WOOD HIGH STREET SUNDAY 21 ST JUNE, 10.00AM - 5.00PM www.stjohnswoodnw8.com

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TRAVEL / WANDERLUST oranges and lemons that Sicily is famous for, to almonds, olives, honey, prickly pears, aubergines, artichokes, capers and pistachios. And Planeta, the island’s famed winemaker, has opened a sixth vineyard right on the mountain’s slopes, producing award-winning reds, whites and roses, all from its mineral-rich soil.

The day I visited for an informal tour, I joined the family, including celebrated wine connoisseur and chef Diego Planeta, for a hearty lunch of busiati con erbe spontanee (homemade pasta with wild greens) sitting at a sun-dappled trestle table in the shadow of a vast olive tree.

You’ll soon discover than Sicilians are immensely hospitable people.

The world’s cinematic gaze may have shifted elsewhere but the town remains as intriguing as ever. Wander through its lush public gardens, planted by English

THERE’S VERY MUCH an island ATMOSPHERE area ever since, many staying at the town’s oldest bolthole, The Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo with it’s sweeping views of the coast and fiery Mount Etna in its eyeline.

Now the luxury hotel has expanded along the hillside and lost none of its original charm, with a vast, comfortable terrace, said to be the spot where DH Lawrence worked on Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Meanwhile, an ancient passageway connecting the building to the adjacent Greek Theatre still provides discreet access to the open-air stage for names including Sting and the stars of the Russian Moiseyev Ballet during the town’s annual festival.

There’s plenty to explore in the area, from the lava-clad slopes of nearby Mount Etna, from which there are regular, largely harmless eruptions, forming part of daily Sicilian life, to small surrounding villages including Forza D’Agrò and the old shepherd’s sanctuary of Madonna della Rocca.

And it’s not difficult to evoke a sense of retro glamour if you choose to unearth these treasures in a vintage car such as Enzo’s Ape, or a

classic Fiat 500. Otherwise, head to the Timeo’s sister residence, Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea, if you want to retreat to its private gardens and relax on its stretch of shingle beach. Fortunately, the warm bath-like waters of the Ionian Sea and the sight of tiny Isola Bella, a small nature reserve marooned just off the coast, more than make up for any temporary discomfort underfoot. Both hotels allow their guests to share facilities, with a regular shuttle, or cable car, zipping between the two.

Though mainland Italy is a only a few kilometres from this part of Sicily, there’s very much an island atmosphere here, largely due to its self-sufficiency.

Mount Etna is as generous as she is temperamental: her surrounding fertile land produces abundant bounty, from the aristocrat Florence Trevelyan at the turn of the last century, pause for a drink at the Shaker bar, favourite haunt of Tennessee Williams, or drift through the Bay of the Sirens on a rainbow boat.

I quickly discovered that it’s not at all difficult to conjure up your very own slice of la dolce vita here. ◆ u Emma travelled as a guest of Kirker Holidays. A four-night stay combining two nights at Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo and two nights at Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea is priced from £998pp (two sharing). It includes return flights from London to Catania, return private car transfers, accommodation with breakfast, and the services of the Kirker Concierge. Kirker Holidays, 020 7593 2283; kirkerholidays.com

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JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 15:25

DINING

LIVING

London & Surrey 020 7253 3206 or 01372 379810

WHARFESIDE.indd 1 2015.indd 1 Absolutely Magazine June

KITCHENS

BEDROOMS

www.wharfside.co.uk 05/05/2015 05/05/2015 15:46 15:24

> INTERIOR INSPIRATIONS

p. 66

TRANSPARENT GENIUS

p. 69

COLOUR ME IMPRESSED: ABIGAIL AHERN

p. 71

POWER PLANT Bringing the great outdoors inside, Cole & Son’s new ‘Folie’ collection is booming and blooming with vibrant designs inspired by 18th and 19th century French gardens. Intricate tableaus take you on a leisurely stroll through statues, follies, menageries and architecture found within these grand landscapes. The result is total bliss. cole-and-sons.com

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JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 15:48

10 of the best

leafy looks ATT PYTA

Bathing under the stars, bringing the outdoors inside and Kit Kemp

Brass Pot, £30; attpynta.com

Wo r d s J e s s i c a k l i n g e l f u s s

HOUSE OF HACKNEY

PALMERAL Globe-Trotter 30” Wheeled Suitcase, £1,295; houseofhackney.com

ATKIN & THYME

Leaf Cushion in Emerald Green £29; atkinandthyme.co.uk

THE FARTHING

Fauz Aloe Plant Potted, £280;thefarthing.co.uk

HEALS

TOG Indoors Outdoors SS15; heals.co.uk

Summer Soak Bathing under the Sky

Being at one with nature comes easily with handcrafted luxury wood-fired hot tubs and barrel saunas. Take time out to rejuvenate and enjoy a digital detox with friends in these fine outdoor oases, which are heated manually using traditional, stainless steel wood-burning stoves. bathingunderthesky.com

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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HOMES & INTERIORS / NOTES AMARA

SS15 Botanicals; amara.com

SHINE ON Tom D ixon

This chic candle from proficient designer Tom Dixon will not only fill your home with delicious notes of Earl Grey tea and warm leather, it’s stylish nickel holder and marble lid will look good whilst doing it.

Scented Candle Royalty £55;

tomdixon.net

TAKE A SEAT Anthropologie

Spotted in Manhattan's Crosby Street Hotel, designer Kit Kemp has been snapped up by Anthropologie to curate curate a collection of furniture and decor.

We’re in love with her Folkthread Piped Armchair. £898; anthropologie.eu

must

HAVE CP LIGHTING

ACQUA DI PARMA

CP3d Green Pendant light, £360; cplighting.com

Tea Leaves Candle, £80; harrods.com

PAGE TURNER Abigail Ahern

‘Banish beige. Boost colour.

Transform your home.’ Abigail Ahern’s new book gives homeowners the tools to inject a little vitality into their decor without breaking the bank. £16; quadrille.co.uk

CONRAN SHOP

Medium Cactus Vase, £36; conranshop.co.uk

PLUMP IT UP Kvadrat/Raf Simons

Following the successful launch of the first Kvadrat/ Raf Simons collection in 2014, Kvadrat has now explanded the collection with three new textile designs and an allied range of cushions and throws. kvadrat.dk

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URBAN BOTANIST

Gem Terrarium, £54.95–£64.95; theurbanbotanist.co.uk

JUNE 2015

18/05/2015 09:54

DESIGN PROPOSALS

INTERIORS

PLANNING CONSENTS

COST ESTIMATES

BUILDER SELECTION

Window shopping Replacing beautiful timber windows and doors, beautifully

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

AFTER CARE

THE COMPLETE HOUSE REMODELLING SERVICE FOR HOME OWNERS

CREATING SPACES FOR LIVING

www.ayrtonbespoke.com

TAG ARCHITECTS 14 Belsize Crescent, London NW3 5QU

Telephone 020 8877 8920 Email enquiries@ayrtonbespoke.com 406 Merton Road, London SW18 5AD

For more information please contact us on 020 7431 7974 or tag.arch@virgin.net or visit our website at www.tag-architects.co.uk

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HOMES & INTERIORS / PRODUCTS

MICHAL FARGO

Coral Vase, 44 € michalfargo.com

KOLLETIV PLUS ZWEI

‘The Importance of The Obvious’, ‘Bonbon’ series, from £1,440; kollektivpluszwei.com

TROELS FLENSTED

small tall tables, £599; troelsflensted.com

CHEN CHEN AND KAI WILLIAMS

‘Resin Bench’, £2800; chen-williams.com

‘Faceture’ vase/ candleholder, £55; designmuseumshop.com

INGE CLEMENTE

PHIL CUTTANCE

WONMIN PARK Haze Chair, POA; wonminpark.com

ALCAROL

‘Dolomyth’, £3,700; mintshop.co.uk

WIKTORIA SZAWIEL ‘Series 2’ side table, £1290; wiktoriaszawiel.com

TRANSPARENT GENIUS You’ll find clear winners in this top crop of resin-based pieces

By Jessica klingelfuss

GALLERY FUMI

‘Trapped Sphere Oil’, by Faye Toogood, £28,800 (ex VAT); galleryfumi.com

SUSPACIOUS

‘Join’ dining table, £1785-£1900; suspacious.com

ESTABLISHED & SONS

‘Iro’ sideboard by Jo Nagasaka, POA; establishedandsons.com

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JUNE 2015

15/05/2015 15:00

You can paint a room in any hue you like if you stick to just three rules: Make it personal.

Take Risks. Be curious.

ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES

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HOMES & INTERIORS / INSPIRATION

EXTRACT

COLOUR ME IMPRESSED

Find the courage you need to add a splash of vitality to your home with a helping hand from North London-based interiors guru Abigail Ahern’s new book Colour.

Wo r d s a b i g a i l a h e r n P h o t o g r a p h y G r a h a m At k i n s - H u g h e s

COLOU R CHALLENGE ow to stop procrastinating about colour. Pushing your colour choices will utterly reinvent your space, turning it into a place you will never want to leave. The trick is not to be afraid!

I suffered from colour paralysis for years. Deciding on the paint colour for one room is hard enough, let alone figuring out a palette for the whole house. Will your chosen hues work together? Should they harmonise, clash, contrast?

Everything changed when i started experimenting, dabbling in new shades, taking a few risks. Nowadays, my approach to colour is super simple.

Forget expensive colour consultations and instead look upon colour as you would the prospect of conjuring up a delicious meal. Each colour (ingredient) has a different flavour profile; each can be combined to tantalising effect.

Rather than playing it safe (as we are all inclined to do) push out of your comfort zone. I know this isn’t easy. Last year, for example, I decided to change the colour palette throughout our

H

house. Everything was painted grey, but I wanted each room to have a different hue, whilst still aiming for a cohesive palette. It was one of the hardest decorating decisions I’ve ever made.

Accessories that I thought would work in each space didn’t sit right with the new palette. Rugs, lights, flowers, furniture – nothing stayed put. Luckily most of this stuff only moved rooms, but it took a while to get things right and it’s still not 100 per cent there.

But i like how it’s making me think.

I like how shades I have never loved or used, had previously overlooked or dismissed – purple reddish tones like plum and grape – are entering my life.

I like how they are making me think differently. The truth is, the more colour risks you take, the more intriguing your space will look. It really is life changing!

TIP

When it comes to colouring your home try going outside the lines.

One of the best ways to expand a space is by using sharp shots of colour, like this amazing green on the walls and the turquoise chair.

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FINDING COLOU R INSPI RATION f you have no idea where to start on your colour scheme, the best, simplest advice I can give you is to follow your gut. When I decorate, I don’t get hung up on particulars, like the amount of natural light in a space, the architecture, the size of a room or its orientation. Instead, use your natural intuition when it comes to selecting colours and make sure they are personally right for you.

I

C R E ATE A M O O D B OA R D u Start by pulling together images out of magazines, screen grabs and swatches that instantly appeal, to see if a common theme arises.

P I C K CO LO U R S TH AT S U IT YO U R P E R S O N A LIT Y u And don’t listen to anybody other than yourself when selecting a palette. (You can be sure I don’t!) Once you tell friends or family about your new colour plans, you’ll get all those old clichés thrown at you: ‘blue is cold’; ‘red and orange clash’; ‘blue and green should never be seen’.

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HOMES & INTERIORS / INSPIRATION Actually, the more you ditch the old rules and decorate from your heart, the cooler your pad will look.

S H O P YO U R H O M E u By which I mean, look at the colours you already live with, from the clothes in your wardrobe to a large piece of art or your favourite rug. If you find you gravitate to certain hues, reflect these in your decorating scheme.

K E E P YO U R E Y E S P E E LE D u Inspiration can come from anywhere.

For me, oftentimes it is literally on my doorstop. I’ve had a love affair with grey for as far back as I can remember. It’s all those saucepan-lid grey London skies. I love them!

Then again, the colours in my latest paint range – tobaccos; noirs; inky blues; earthy reds, shots of bold teals and jungle greens – came from my time living in Manhattan, NYC, with its hub of Kafkaesque hangouts, unsanctioned street art and hipster counterculture. It’s an effortlessly cool palette that I really gravitate towards.

I F A LL E L S E FA I L S , F I N D I N S P I R ATI O N I N N ATU R E u Colours that appear in nature will always work indoors and it takes the thinking out!

TEN WAYS TO COLOU R CONFIDENCE 1 Start by picking a colour for your biggest room – say your living room or kitchen. Choose a hue that feels beautiful and inspiring, and true to what you love.

Build on this to create a limited palette of colours for your entire home, using different combinations of those colours in each room.

Use an existing feature in your pad to inspire the basis of your colour scheme.

This could be a view from the window, a work of art or any favourite item you own.

2

3 Think about what you want your home to communicate to the outside world. No one will be talking about your beige-on-beige home, so go a little crazy. Be reckless, I say! The more your confidence grows, the more you’ll feel like experimenting with colour.

Be brave! To start with, decorating with colour can seem like a daunting task.

Colour behaves differently according to where you put it. The effect changes again 4

Bohemian cushions with a south-of-theborder vibe dress up the leather sofa, lending a colourful vibrancy to this living space

once you add lighting, pattern, texture and greenery into the mix. I think this is why people favour whites over any other colour group, as they distort less when other elements are thrown into the mix.

However, to me, this is a bit like decorating by numbers. Too easy! Bold hues, on the other hand, make everything on display feel grander, cooler, more intense, with beautiful undertones subtly changing in the daylight. You’ll never look back!

Remember, there are no no-nos. Well almost none. Pastels are one grouping I never want to work with. But then plop me in Miami and I’m sure I’d be instantly seduced!

5

6 Use colour in unexpected places: behind closed doors, inside kitchen cupboards, bedroom wardrobes, the loo – all those tucked away places that surprise the minute you enter.

7 Remember the small stuff. Introduce colour through cushions, vases, bowls, fruit, greenery – you name it. There should be splashes everywhere for your eye to alight on!

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8 All colour schemes are improved by accents: the final touches of colour that add an element of surprise, and bring rooms to life. There are no fixed rules when it comes to choosing these; just take care with the amount of colour you use and where you use it. As fab as that bright orange might look on a pillow, it may not feel quite so amazing on four walls because the impact will be so much stronger.

9 Patterns provide necessary punctuation; don’t neglect them. They anchor a space like nothing else I know.

10 Create the illusion of space by blurring the boundaries between walls and ceilings. Paint them all out the same colour and suddenly you’ve made your space a zillion times bigger. Promise! ◆

Colour. by Abigail Ahern, Photography by Graham Atkins-Hughes.

Available from Quadrille Publishing, £16; quadrille.co.uk

JUNE 2015

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FIND

THE

HOME

YOU D E S E RVE

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“A SPECTACULAR DELIGHT THAT WILL ROB YOU OF YOUR BREATH” SUNDAY TIMES

T H E E L EC R I F Y I NG C I RC U S S ENSAT I ON 9 June - 12 July

Sadler’s Wells Theatre The Peacock

sadlerswells.com 0844 412 4300

Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company Flamencura

20 - 28 June Sadler’s Wells Theatre

SINGING FROM THE HEART Being a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral is the experience of a lifetime St Paul’s choristers sing in one of the most famous and beautiful places of worship in the world, perform in concerts around the globe, and receive a first-class academic education at the Cathedral School. Boys are not expected to have fully-developed voices or much formal singing experience – enthusiasm, intelligence and musical potential are the keys.

— — — — —

100% tuition fees for all choristers Assistance with boarding fees available One of the top preparatory schools in the country The finest musical education An amazing start to life

If your son is aged 6–8 and shows musical promise, do get in touch.

He could become one of the next generation of choristers at St Paul’s.

For more information please contact: Clare Morgan, Registrar, St Paul’s Cathedral School 020 7248 5156 · admissions@spcs.london.sch.uk

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15/05/2015 14:54 15/05/2015 15:05

June 2 0 1 5

PROPERTY NEWS p.82 IN THEIR OWN WORDS p.92 NIGEL LEWIS p.98

LINDEN ROAD N10

£1,850,000

his house offers a high specification, large garden, great views and off street parking in a sought after location. The four double bedroom, semi detached family home has been fully renovated and offers far reaching views from the decked patio, terrace overlooking the garden, and all three floors. The property is beautifully secluded and has a wider than average garden extending to 90’. u T

MUSWELL HILL

77 NXNW_June15_PROP_FC.indd 77

020 8444 3388

martyngerrard.co.uk

JUNE 2015

18/05/2015 10:42

50 years of fulfilling dreams

...for all generations

HOWARD WALK, HAMPSTEAD GARDEN SUBURB, N2

£1,200,000

Arranged over three floors this four bedroom semi-detached family home with rear garden and off-street parking.

THE OWNERS LOVE…

WE’VE NOTICED…

“Our beautiful family kitchen really is the heart of our home. It is a bespoke kitchen which was made in Germany, and being in there is a real pleasure”

‘The property is well located for access to East Finchley underground station, High Road and shops’.

“Our garden is a lovely space in the summer, and our daughters have enjoyed playing in a safe and private environment” “Howard Walk is a really nice road, our neighbours are friendly and it is an incredibly peaceful place to live”

‘Hampstead Garden Suburb is home to some very popular schools and places of worship’.

• 4 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • Through lounge • Modern designer kitchen • Off-street parking • Rear garden • Energy rating: E

East Finchley Office • T: 020 8883 0077 • E: N2@martyngerrard.co.uk • 66/68 High Road, East Finchley, N2 9PN MG_NXNW.indd 1

www.martyngerrard.co.uk 14/05/2015 15:16

50 years of fulfilling dreams

...for all generations

LINDEN ROAD, MUSWELL HILL, N10

£1,850,000

A four double bedroom semi-detached family home with off-street parking which has been fully renovated throughout.

THE OWNERS LOVE…

WE’VE NOTICED…

“The expansive and far reaching views from the living room, decked patio, master and rear bedrooms”

‘This house offers a rarely seen combination of high specification, large garden, great views and off street parking in a sought after location’.

“Outstanding open plan, architecturally designed living accommodation with terrace overlooking the garden” “Generous double bedrooms throughout with unusually spacious master suite with dressing area” “Beautifully secluded, wider than average garden extending to 90’ “

‘Muswell Hill Broadway, the Parkland Walk, Alexandra Palace and Highgate Woods are easily reached from the property’.

• 4 Bedrooms • 2 Receptions • Master bedroom suite • Off-street parking • Energy rating: E

Muswell Hill Office • T: 020 8444 3388 • E: N10@martyngerrard.co.uk • 300/302 Muswell Hill Broadway, London, N10 2QR

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Pinnacle is a unique new-build development of exclusive one, two and three bedroom apartments and four bedroom luxury townhouses in the heart of Muswell Hill.

Co

Prices from £499,950 to £1,995,950

A JAMM LIVING DEVELOPMENT MG_CORP.indd 1 Pinnacle DPS Advert_print.indd 1

13/05/2015 15:08

Register your details now at:

WWW.PINNACLE-N10.COM

Computer Generated Image

LAUNCHING JUNE 2015 Register your interest with the sole selling agent:

Computer Generated Image

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Martyn Gerrard Muswell Hill Office T: 020 8444 3388

13/05/2015 12/05/2015 15:08 17:48

PROPERTY ROUND UP The inside scoop in your area

WESTWOOD HILL, SE26: £425,000

GLASSLYN ROAD

E X P E RT A DV I C E

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A FIRST-TIME LANDLORD?

N8

£1,750,000

Freehold

stunning five bedroom semi A detached house offering over 2500 sq ft of living space and a southerly garden, situated on a highly regarded residential road on the Highgate periphery. This fine home features three bathrooms with additional guest wc, secluded rear garden and is finished to an exceptional standard throughout. Crouch End locals are spoilt for choice when it comes to outdoor space, as the area is surrounded on every side with parkland. For example, there are Alexandra Park’s 196 acres of woodland.  KFH, Crouch End 020 8348 8181; kfh.co.uk

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F

ind a good letting agent. They should be a member of ARLA (Association of Residential Lettings Agents), the Property Ombudsman, the TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) and the LRS (London Rental Standard). Make sure they advertise extensively and have good contacts with relocation agents and international companies who relocate their staff to London, so you can be sure they’ll find you a good tenant.

Most tenants prefer to rent a professionally managed property so check your agent

DEBBIE REITER Manager

Benham & Reeves Residential Lettings Hampstead

HIGH QUALITY KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THE PROPERTY LETS QUICKLY

has a dedicated property management department.

They should be local so they are on hand to deal with issues promptly.

Excellent presentation is key. Renters expect stylish furnishings and a high quality kitchens and bathrooms – these are essential to ensure the property lets quickly.

Also consider insurance.

Buildings insurance (if your property is freehold) and contents insurance if your property is furnished.

Think about specialist landlord’s insurance and rent guarantee insurance.

Inform your insurance and mortgage providers that the property is rented. 

 Benham & Reeves Residential Lettings Hampstead branch 020 7435 9681; brlets.co.uk

82 18/05/2015 11:23

PROPERTY / NEWS NUMBER CRUNCHING

FIVE MINUTES WITH

CLAIRE MURRAY

» % of sales in North & North West London by price band.

UNDER £250K

4.6%

Sales Manager Portico, Camden

£250K-£500K

31.2%

Why this area?

Camden has an atmosphere like no other, offering a fantastic live music scene, a labyrinth of open-air markets, picturesque parks, canals and an eclectic dining scene.

£500K-£750K

22% £750K-£1M

14.6%

F E AT U R E P R O P E R T Y

PARK AVENUE SOUTH N8

£1,300,000

Data supplied by Lonres, analytics by Dataloft

£1M-£2M

18.4%

beautiful, four bedroom Edwardian house on Park Avenue South, N8.

Of particular note is the dual aspect living room to breakfast room. You can easily walk from Park Avenue South to Priory Park, Alexandra Park, Crouch End Broadway or

A

9.2% £2M+

LAUNCH

KNIGHT FRANK TO LAUNCH BELSIZE PARK BRANCH night Frank are pleased to announce the opening of the Belsize Park office at 2c England’s Lane, NW3 4TG at the end of May 2015. The office will be the 28th London residential office for the business, and the fourth office to open in London in 2015.

Mark Proctor will be heading the office. Mark comes to the Belsize Park office after

K

MARK PROCTOR Office Head Knight Frank Belsize Park

ENJOY A COUNTRY WALK OVER THE FIELDS TO QUEEN’S WOOD

enjoy a country walk over the fields to Queen’s Wood (Highgate Underground Station). This popular tree-lined avenue is close to the shops, cafes, restaurants and cinemas of both Crouch End and Muswell Hill Broadways.

There are also great bus links to Finsbury Park.   Prickett & Ellis 020 8444 8484; prickettandellis.com

11 years at Knight Frank St. John’s Wood, where he specialised in the Primrose Hill area. Mark identified increasing movement between Primrose Hill, Belsize Park and Camden – the new office will service this increasing demand, and sit perfectly between the St John’s Wood and Hampstead offices. Mark says, “I am really excited that Knight Frank will be the first truly global estate agency with a local presence in Belsize Park.”   knightfrank.co.uk

What is your company ethos?

We’re approachable, consultative and we take a knowledge-driven approach to property. We truly listen to our clients and we focus on their long-term best interests.

PARKWAY, NW1: £880,000 LEASEHOLD

What are your clients like?

All different! Camden breeds diversity, but the area attracts a huge amount of young professionals (40%) and investors (36%) looking for one or two bedroom properties below the £1 million mark.

What are your favourite properties right now?

1 Parkway is a contemporary property literally opposite Camden Tube and Chesterford Gardens is a period property next to Hampstead Heath. They’re very different but both stunning – I couldn’t pick!

 Portico, Camden 020 7482 1060; portico.com

SPOTLIGHT ON NW5 [ AVERAGE ASKING PRICE ]

£939,075

[ AVERAGE PROPERTY VALUE ]

£783,485

[ AVERAGE ASKING RENTS ]

£2,337

PCM

Data provided by zoopla.co.uk

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JUNE 2015

18/05/2015 11:23

Completely at home in North London.

Our services Sales and Lettings Property Management Block Management Property Solicitors Chartered Surveyors Financial Services Visit kfh.co.uk

With over 35 years’ experience and more than 50 branches across the Capital, our local knowledge and London network will ensure we achieve the right result for you.

Our dedicated North London branches include • Belsize Park • Muswell Hill • Crouch End • St John’s Wood • Highgate • West Hampstead

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Broadhurst Gardens, South Hampstead, NW6 £4,700,000 West Hampstead 020 7328 2238 westhampstead.sales@kfh.co.uk

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Impressive 5,681 sq ft semi detached six bedroom house retaining many original features, with a charming 39 ft rear garden opening onto an extensive secure meadow. The property is situated close to excellent transport links.

• • • • • • • •

Six double bedrooms Three reception rooms Kitchen/dining room Study Large cellar Rear garden Freehold EPC rating E

15/05/2015 14/05/2015 09:53 17:20

Linden Road, Muswell Hill, N10 £1,850,000 Muswell Hill 020 8883 0123 muswellhill.sales@kfh.co.uk

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Situated on a quiet residential turning between Muswell Hill Broadway and Highgate underground is this stunning and refurbished four double bedroom semi detached house with excellent views over London.

• • • • • • •

Four double bedrooms Three stylish bathrooms Modern fitted kitchen Two reception rooms Decked terrace 86 ft rear garden Freehold

15/05/2015 14/05/2015 09:53 17:21

Redston Road, Crouch End, N8 £1,400,000 Crouch End 020 8348 8181 crouchend.sales@kfh.co.uk

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A spacious five bedroom Edwardian family house with private driveway and generous rear garden. The property is situated on a sought after residential road in Crouch End.

• • • • • • •

Five bedrooms Two reception rooms Two bathrooms Contemporary kitchen Dining room Rear facing balcony Freehold

15/05/2015 13/05/2015 09:53 17:12

Omega Terrace, High Road, Wood Green, N22 Prices from ÂŁ549,995 Omega Terrace is a gated development of just four beautifully presented new build mews houses, completed to an exacting standard of finish and specification and ideally located in the heart of North London. Each house has well laid out accommodation set over three floors, with the benefit of outside space. Freehold.

Land and New Homes 020 8222 7200 newhomes@kfh.co.uk

Millers Apartments, Nightingale Road, Crouch End, N8 ÂŁ535,000 A new build duplex apartment with a high specification and finish, located on a leafy residential road in Crouch End. The specification includes as standard, a contemporary kitchen with quartz worktops, a range of integrated appliances and fitted flooring throughout.

There is also an underground parking space.

Leasehold.

Land and New Homes 020 8222 7200 newhomes@kfh.co.uk

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Dennington Park Road, West Hampstead, NW6 £1,950pcm

Located on a sought after central West Hampstead road is this two double bedroom, two bathroom garden flat with private rear garden. The property is situated close to local amenities and excellent transport links.

• • • • • • •

Two bedrooms Two bathrooms Large reception room Modern kitchen Share of rear garden Close to amenities and transport EPC rating D

West Hampstead 020 7604 5150 westhampstead.lettings@kfh.co.uk £210 tenancy agreement fee per property. Other fees apply, visit kfh.co.uk/lettingsfees

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15/05/2015 13/05/2015 09:53 17:13

Grosvenor Gardens, Muswell Hill, N10 £6,067pcm Muswell Hill 020 8883 2340 muswellhill.lettings@kfh.co.uk

A stunning Edwardian six bedroom home arranged over three floors. The property boasts three bathrooms, large kitchen/diner, two reception rooms and 120 ft garden.

• • • • • • • •

Six bedrooms Three bathrooms Two reception rooms Large kitchen/diner 120 ft garden Off street parking Unfurnished EPC rating E

£210 tenancy agreement fee per property. Other fees apply, visit kfh.co.uk/lettingsfees

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15/05/2015 13/05/2015 09:53 17:13

Help us support Housing for Women.

On Sunday 7 June 2015, KFH are taking part in the London Estate Agents’ 10km run at Regent’s Park to raise money for Housing for Women.

The charity has been housing women in London for 80 years.

Your donation will help vulnerable women access support and secure affordable housing for themselves and their families.

To donate, please visit kfh.co.uk/charity-run

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PAUL BROOKE Hotblack Desiato, Camden Photography

R E B ECCA N O O N A N

A

fter spending my formative years on the south coast, travelling between Singapore and boarding school in Dorset, I settled for a career with the Atomic Energy Authority.

However, the nuclear career I was looking for lay elsewhere and I knew I wanted to be dealing with property. I decided that the best place to do this was London, so I set off in my 30 year old MG midget (not a classic then, and the car never made it) to begin my ‘intrepid’ career in estate agency.

I, like many within the industry, have a passion for property, but for me it’s also about the interaction with people. It gives me enormous pleasure matching the two together, often forming strong friendships which last for many years along the way.

After a faltering start in Muswell Hill finding my feet (this was interrupted by a spectacularly unsuccessful trip to South America trying to sell whiskey), I started with Stickley & Kent,

MY FIRST JOB AS AN AGENT WAS INTERRUPTED BY AN UNSUCCESSFUL TRIP TO SOUTH AMERICA TRYING TO SELL WHISKEY

who went on to become Copping Joyce, based in Camden and I soon became a Partner in the business. When the group was sold, I opened an estate agency in Primrose Hill with a solicitor friend of mine who I had dealt with over the years at Stickley & Kent, and a surveyor. This lasted four years and was a huge learning curve for all of us but we eventually ended the partnership and I joined an agency with three offices in North West London as a Director. Not being one for swapping and changing too often (three career moves in 20 years) and knowing the directors at Hotblack Desiato well, I decided I would relish the opportunity to work with them and didn’t want to miss the opportunity I was given.

As far as I’m concerned, Hotblack Desiato embodies everything that is good about estate agency. They provide exceptional levels of service, integrity, experienced and knowledgeable teams in all of the offices and, predominantly, for one and all it’s a stimulating company to work for.

During my first few weeks I was reminded so much of the days when I first started in the business nearly 20 years ago.

Picking up the phone to talk with people rather than firing out an email, listening and finding the time to build a rapport with vendors and buyers alike.

Meld this with all the modern technology that unfortunately many in this business depend upon, rather than use as an additional tool, and you have a winning formula. Hotblack Desiato has plans for further expansion and I am looking forward to being part of the journey with this forward looking company, where diligence, service and old fashioned standards are still a priority… how refreshing. u

HOTBLACK DESIATO • 020 7482 2894 • hotblackdesiato.co.uk

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92 18/05/2015 11:35

PROPERTY / PROFILE

93 NXNW_Property_ITOW.indd 93

JUNE 2015

18/05/2015 11:35

We are delighted to be joining the Belsize Park neighbourhood with our new sales and lettings office opening at the end of May. Whatever your property needs, our team will be able to help, so pop in when we open or get in touch now on

020 8022 5463 2c England’s Lane, Belsize Park NW3 4TG KnightFrank.co.uk/belsizepark

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Belsize Park Gardens, Belsize Park NW3 Three bedroom first floor apartment Offered for sale is this recently refurbished three bedroom apartment set in an impressive white stucco fronted house. Arranged over arguably the best floor of these properties, the first, the apartment benefits from being incredibly bright. Master bedroom with en suite shower room and dressing room, 2 further bedrooms, family bathroom, kitchen, reception/dining room, 2 terraces. EPC: E. Approximately 134.5 sq m (1,448 sq ft).

Share of freehold

Guide price: £2,000,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/belsizepark belsizepark@knightfrank.com 020 8022 5463

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/HAM140230

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1,50 Belsize Park Gardens Absolute NXnw

15/05/2015 09:35

14/05/2015 17:10:52

LANDMARK POSITION…

LoNg sTaNdiNg NamE you CaN RELy oN.

12 Topsfield Parade Crouch End London N8 8PR 020 8348 5515 www.castles-estateagents.co.uk

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020 8348 5515

crouch.end@castles-estateagents.co.uk

www.castles-estateagents.co.uk

Hanley Road, N4

ÂŁ799,999 LEASEHOLD

An exceptionally well presented and spacious three-bedroom maisonette set within an imposing Victorian residential building. The property further comprises, two bathrooms, kitchen/diner, reception, utility room and a private southerly facing rear garden. Position within a moments walk of Stroud Green Road's desired amenities and Finsbury Park station. We highly recommend an early viewing.

Park Avenue North, N8

ÂŁ1,499,999 FREEHOLD

Bright, spacious 4-bedroom family home positioned on a tree-lined road directly leading to Alexandra Park with west-facing rear garden. Well maintained by the current owner offering a delightful blend of character & contemporary detailing. Comprising through-reception, kitchen/diner, family bathroom & enviable en-suite incorporated into master bedroom, private roof-terrace with unparalleled views over Alexandra Palace.

Benefiting from basement storage and off-street parking for 2 cars

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6 BEDROOM HOUSE, MACAULAY ROAD, CLAPHAM, £7.5M – SAVILLS, 020 8022 7409

8 BEDROOM HOUSE, HIGHBURY HILL, N5, £6.75M – SAVILLS,020 8022 7239

IF YOU LIVE IN A VICTORIAN HOUSE OR APARTMENT IN LONDON THEN YOU ARE RESIDING IN A LIVING PIECE OF MIND BOGGLING HISTORY

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98 18/05/2015 11:38

PROPERTY / STYLE BIBLE

VICTORIAN VALUES Identikit investment to period perfection Wo r d s NIGEL LEWIS

T

here are a handful of facts about London’s Victorian homes that I reel out at dinner parties, in part to stop people asking how much their homes are worth, but really because I think they are astounding.

If you live in a Victorian house or apartment in London then you are residing in a living piece of mind boggling history. The era, which in architectural terms lasted approximately 60 years, was so different from now it’s hard to paint a believable picture – and millions of Londoners live in the results.

First, let me do the maths.

Between 1841 and 1911 approximately 300,000 homes were built in London, many in a very similar style. This is ironic because, although we think of our city as largely a Victorian one, houses from the era now make up just 10% of the capital’s household total of 3.1 million.

Another extraordinary fact is that 90% of London’s Victorian homes were built to be rented, and not owned. It was really only the larger properties, built for London’s super wealthy, that were bought.

For the most part, the landlord

A LACK OF ANY RULES MEANT VICTORIANS WERE FREE TO BUILD HOW THEY LIKED

(who was usually also the builder) controlled the property market.

But another characteristic of the Victorian home – their uniformity – is less surprising. While many purists complain that ‘Barratt’ homes tend to all look the same, the same can be said for many Victorian ones. In the early days of Queen Victoria’s reign a lack of any rules about architecture, build quality or green belt meant Victorians were free to build how they liked. This, some argue, is why the identikit Victorian home is rife in London, and why so many of its Victorian streets look similar – because developers preferred the economy of off-the-shelf designs.

Despite this uniformity, period properties command a premium today. In 2013 researchers from property consultants Huntly Hopper found that period properties had risen in price four times faster than their new-build

99 C&A_JUNE15_Prop_STYLE BIBLE.indd 99

counterparts, particularly in central London. But what is it about Victorian homes that makes them so valuable?

The most plausible answer to this question is that it’s all down to space and location. Victorian homes were built when London’s population was soaring, but still small by today’s standards (3.9 million in 1871 compared to 8.2 million today).

The land in fast-expanding suburbs such as Islington, Paddington, Belgravia, Holborn, Finsbury, Shoreditch, Southwark and Lambeth was, in general, not expensive to buy and therefore builders had the luxury of space to play with – something their counterparts today do not.

But let’s not forget design.

Victorian homes also feature the kind of detail we like to believe is the mark of quality. The Gothic and Regency styles were usually the inspiration for these ‘dressings’ and can include pilasters and columns outside your front door, ornate window lintels and even pediments, large bay windows, the use of coloured bricks to create patterns, and decorative rooftops.

With this much stacked in their favour, I guess I shall be talking about them over three courses for some time to come. u

JUNE 2014

18/05/2015 11:38

Grasmere Road, Muswell Hill, N10

ÂŁ1,250,000 Freehold. Sole Agents

Located in a quiet and popular Lake road is a charming five bedroom, two bathroom end of terraced Edwardian residence.

The property is set over three floors and retains a wealth of original period features, an abundance of light and a delightful south-westerly facing garden. Situated within a short distance from Muswell Hill Broadway and its large selection of shops and restaurants, bus services providing easy access to Highgate tube (Northern Line) and Bounds Green tube (Piccadilly Line). Also close at hand is Alexandra Park and Palace with its main line station with easy access to the City (Moorgate and Old Street). Within favourable distance of Rhodes Avenue primary and Alexandra Park secondary schools. Being sold with no upward chain.

Contact our Muswell Hill Office on 020 8444 1771

Tetherdown, Muswell Hill, N10

ÂŁ1,150,000 Freehold. Sole Agents

Situated within a short walk of Muswell Hill Broadway and its large selection of boutique shops, restaurants and excellent bus services to Highgate and East Finchley tube stations (Northern Line) is a fine example of a beautifully refurbished three bedroom, two bathroom mid terraced Victorian residence with off street parking for one car. This truly stunning house has been equipped to the highest level of specification throughout including complete re-wire, heating and plumbing, contemporary modern bathroom suites and a spectacular fitted kitchen/diner with double glazed concertina doors leading to a landscaped west facing garden.

Located within catchment of Fortismere secondary and Coldfall primary schools.

Contact our Muswell Hill Office on 020 8444 1771

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www.tatlers.co.uk

Creighton Avenue, Ringwood Estate, N2

£1,995,950 Freehold. Sole Agents

Carysfort Road, Crouch End, N8

£1,275,000 Freehold. Sole Agents

An outstanding five bedroom semi detached 1930’s built house offering spacious family accommodation over three floors. The property is being offered in superb condition having recently been refurbished throughout, to an extremely high standard, featuring a 23’ kitchen/dining room, 95’ garden and off street parking for 2 cars, plus garage. Situated in this sought after avenue being within the catchment for Fortismere Secondary School and within easy reach of East Finchley Tube Station (Northern Line) and the excellent local shopping facilities of Muswell Hill Broadway.

Contact our East Finchley Office on 020 8883 1001

A beautifully presented mid terraced Edwardian family home located on this quiet turning in central Crouch End. This charming property offers excellent living space and has been well maintained throughout by the current owners. Arranged over three floors there are four double bedrooms and spacious family bathroom. The kitchen diner is fantastic for entertaining and opens on to a 48’ garden whilst the loft conversion is currently being used as a second reception, although could easily be arranged as a master bedroom. Located within walking distance to Crouch End’s Broadway’s excellent range of shops and restaurants and transport links, also close by to Priory Park.

Contact our Crouch End Office on 020 8341 4050

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PROPERTY / COUNTRYSIDE PASTURE

GREAT SHELFORD,

NEAR CAMBRIDGE

£1.25m

reat Shelford is one of those places dotted around Cambridge that are referred to as a ‘necklace village’ because, although they look and feel rural, they are only three or four miles from the centre of this venerable city of learning. What makes this village even more popular is that the M11 is just a few miles away to west, plus it has a train station from which the pin striped can be in Liverpool Street within an hour and 20 minutes.

“You get a lot more for your money here – large four bedroom homes in central Cambridge are thin on the ground and a lot more expensive,” says Chris Carey of local agent Bidwells (01223 841842).

Great Shelford is not a dying village and has a “good range of local facilities including a bank, butchers, doctor’s surgery, and a nice village community,” says Chris.

G

FROM PAVEMENT TO PASTURE LONDON

CAMBRIDGE

Words NI G EL L EW I S

M

ost Londoners eventually succumb to the itch that has to be scratched – to move to the country. But the question is where, and will that fabled ‘more space for the same cash’ be achieved in return

PAVEMENT SHAD THAMES

£1.25m

had Thames is arguably where the gentrification of London’s former docklands began in earnest and was one of the first hunks of crumbling former wharf and warehouse to be smartened up into new apartments. This property is in the fragrantly named Saffron Wharf, which underwent its conversion during the mid-1990s and remains one of the more desirable of the Shad Thames blocks.

Overall prices here reflect its location – you can walk to your job in the City in around 20 minutes S

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for a longer commute? This month we look at two properties – a two bedroom apartment in Shad Thames and a Georgian detached, four bedroom house on the southern outskirts of Cambridge, both on the market for £1.25m, both ideal for City workers. Could you make the move?

over either London Bridge or Tower Bridge. But for many people it’s also the look and feel of the area that draws them in; the cobbled or partially cobbled street, brick archways and original vernacular of this former warehouse district make it unique for London. Later warehouse district developments along the Thames were either more clinically redeveloped (such as St Katherine’s Dock over the river in Wapping) or less well located.

Within this flat in Shad Thames £1.25 million buys you two double bedrooms, two bathrooms, a Juliet balcony, a porter, private parking and use of a communal gym. It’s on the market with local agent Cluttons (020 7407 3669). u

One property he currently has for sale in the village is an early Georgian property with Victorian additions that sits in the centre of a two-thirds-of-anacre plot of land.

Because the house needs updating and expansion work it’s therefore keenly priced for a property within the Cambridge property market, one of the UK’s hottest – a status it’s had before, during and after the financial crisis. u

LEFT

SAFFRON WHARF, SE1

RIGHT

GREAT SHELFORD, CB22

THE CAMBRIDGE PROPERTY MARKET IS ONE OF THE UK’S HOTTEST – A STATUS IT’S HAD BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

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S AL ES

MAIN T ENANCE

L E T T INGS

0207 099 4000 portico.com

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PARKWAY, CAMDEN, NW1 ÂŁ880,000

KE Y FE AT URES Fully Refurbished Two Double Bedrooms Third Floor Located in the Heart of Camden Town Lease in Excess of 200 Years Finished to a High Quality

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Acton 020 8993 6767 Battersea 020 7738 1538 Bloomsbury 020 7291 0650 Camden 020 7482 1060 Clapham 020 7501 0454 Dulwich 020 8299 6066 Fulham 020 7731 7788 Highbury 020 7288 9440 Islington 020 7354 3283 West Hampstead 020 7794 1000

portico.com

GREENL AND STREE T, CAMDEN, NW1 ÂŁ370 P/ W

KE Y FE AT URES Spacious Property Bike Storage Immaculately Presented Brand New Kitchen & Bathroom Secure Entry Located in the Heart of Camden Town

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THE VIEW IS EVER CHANGING XY Air is the jewel in the crown of the iconic Le Corbusier-inspired XY development.

With breathtaking views from generous private terraces, this is design-led living for King’s Cross.

Prices starting from £555,000*

VISIT XYAPARTMENTS.COM OR CALL 020 3320 8220 FOR MORE INFORMATION Delivered by Camden’s Community Investment Programme

*Prices correct at time of going to press.

View from XY Air.

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PROPERTY / AWARDS

THE ESTAS AWARDS

entrant Patrick Henry based in Clapham. Henry who only started the agency just over a year ago said, “In an industry that is moving further into the online sphere, it is critical that traditional estate agents focus on the service they deliver for their clients. The best form of advertising for us is word of mouth.”

Chamberland Residential took the gold for Best Letting Agent in London South as rated by landlords.

“The ESTAS are the pinnacle of awards in an industry for those who truly care about the work they do

Phil Spencer announces top London agents at the ESTAS

L

ondon agents took centre stage at The ESTAS this April. The awards, which were once again hosted by TV Property Expert Phil Spencer, were presented at a lavish lunch and awards ceremony at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane and were attended by 800 of the UK’s top property professionals.

The awards, celebrating their 12th year, determine the best estate and letting agents in the UK through research carried out amongst customers who are asked a series of questions about the service they have received from their agent.

Customers completed over 25,000 surveys during the competition.

Spencer, who has hosted the ESTAS every year since their inception in 2003 said, “An agent’s role is to guide people through one of the most stressful times in their lives and that’s not an easy job. The ESTAS help agencies to focus on customer

service levels and that’s why firms keep coming back year after year.”

The Edmonton branch of Kings Group won gold for the Best Estate Agent category in the London North region and five other Kings branches were shortlisted across the South East. Karl Knipe Director at Kings Group said, “The ESTAs is the premier property industry litmus test for customer satisfaction.”

In the Best Letting Agent category, Thorgills Chiswick won the gold for landlord feedback.

Ben Madden, MD at Thorgills said, “Having won two ESTAS in 2014, we entered again this year to help ensure our exceptional service standards were being maintained.

Given that the awards are based on client votes, the opportunity to independently review the quality of our work is extremely beneficial.

Thankfully the hard work everyone puts in, once again paid off!“ In the London South region there was a surprise gold for first time

CUSTOMERS COMPLETED OVER 25,000 SURVEYS DURING THE COMPETITION

ABOVE

PHIL SPENCER

LEFT PHIL WITH THE CHAMBERLAND RESIDENTIAL TEAM

107 C&A_June15_ESTAS.indd 107

and the customer service they give” said Nicole Chamberland who owns the agency. “Being rated by your very own clients is the only way to truly know how well you’re doing. This is our second gold and our fourth award since we started trading in 2011. You also get to see your clients’ comments on your performance over the year, which literally brings tears to my eyes each time I read them... it makes all the stress, sweat and tears completely worth it in the end!”

Simon Brown who owns The ESTAS said “The ESTAS are special because shortlisted and winning firms are selected purely on the service they deliver to their clients.

Just taking part shows an agent’s commitment to their customers and to be shortlisted is a great achievement in itself. u  The ESTAS competition for 2016 is already underway and agents, mortgage brokers and conveyancers can register via thestas.com.

JUNE 2015

18/05/2015 11:43

H O T B L A C K

D E S I ATO . C O . U K

HOTBLACK DESIATO INVITE YOU TO THEIR NEW HOME IN ARCHWAY HIGHBURY HILL, N5 A beautiful two bedroom flat with west facing garden just down from the clocktower on Highbury Hill.

£899,950

With four offices in North London, no other agent offers homeowners a more local and bespoke service

Our new office: 31 Junction Road, N19 5 QT Opening 17th March 2015 T: 020 7288 9690 ARCHWAY, N19 Beautifully renovated one bedroom flat with good transport links. EPC B

£430 pw

SALES • LETTINGS • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT NEW HOMES • PROPERTY ACQUISITON Join our portfolio of over 500 managed and let-only properties in North London

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R E S I D E N T I A L

C O N S U LTA N T S

YERBURY ROAD, N19 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home modernised to a high standard close to Yerbury School.

BRYANTWOOD ROAD, N5 A stylishly converted townhouse offering c2000sq/ft over four beautifully arranged floors. EPC D

£1,725,000

£1,200 pw

Islington Office 314 Upper Street London N1 2XQ

Camden Office 67 Parkway London NW1 7PP

Highbury Office 2 Highbury Park London N5 2AB

Archway Office 31 Junction Road London N19 5QT

T 020 7226 0160 E islington.sales@hotblack.co.uk E islington.lettings@hotblack.co.uk

T 020 7482 2894 E camden.sales@hotblack.co.uk E camden.lettings@hotblack.co.uk

T 020 7288 9696 E highbury.sales@hotblack.co.uk E highbury.lettings@hotblack.co.uk

T 020 7288 9690 E archway.sales@hotblack.co.uk E archway.lettings@hotblack.co.uk

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Smart quickly narrows their search from a million to one.

Use our smart tools to find your perfect home.

ZOOPLA.indd V1 ZOOPLA A41Advert 210x297_2014 12 19.indd 3

30/04/2015 09:50 09:42 08/01/2015

Albert Street

Camden NW1

A fantastic opportunity to acquire a large, 4 storey, mid terraced period house in one of the most sought after roads in Camden Town. The accommodation is currently arranged as a lower ground floor 1 bedroom flat & an upper garden maisonette which benefits from 2 bedrooms, double reception room, kitchen/diner & additional reception room on the raised ground floor. The rear garden benefits from a south westerly aspect. The property represents excellent potential to restore to a wonderful family home.

ÂŁ2,200,000 freehold

Camden

020 7267 2053 sales.camden@chestertons.com

EPC rating D

chestertons.com

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THE SEX PISTOLS’ DOG MESSED ON THE CARPET AND THEY SPILT WINE OVER A MIXING DESK

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PROPERTY / MOST POPULAR

STUDIO HOUSE The home with an incredible track record Four bedroom maisonette, Lansdowne House, W11 Wo r d s NIGEL LEWIS

T

his property has so many stories to tell that you’d never be short of dinner party topics – in fact, the kitchen/ diner was once the main recording room in a studio where Shirley Bassey, Queen, Bryan Ferry and John Lennon all laid down tracks.

Such popularity has also brought attention from buyers; it’s currently one of the most popular properties on website, OnTheMarket.com, in London, which may be because any music fan is likely to have an interest in the address.

More than 300 silver, gold and platinum discs were produced at Lansdowne Studios between the late 1950s and the early Noughties, and its musical past involved some pretty colourful visitors. After an all-night session, the Sex Pistols had sprayed shaving foam all over the studio window, their dog had messed on the carpet and they’d spilt wine over a mixing desk, according to the studio’s engineer.

When it closed in 2006, the current owner completely renovated the space, discovering even more about its history. Built in 1904 as

LANSDOWNE HOUSE PREVIOUSLY HOUSED A STUDIO SPACE AS WELL AS A SMOKING ROOM AND EVEN A THERMAL BATH

a place where struggling painters could work, Lansdowne House previously housed a studio space as well as a smoking room and even a thermal bath.

The property was completely updated, two big skylights were installed, and there are now four double bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, along with two terraces, one of which can be used for parking. However, there are still nods to the past; in the wooden-panelled conservatory room, a cupboard retains the ornate Edwardian coat hooks that were used by the painters, while black-and-white photographs of the artists who recorded there hang on the white corridor walls – which Marsh and Parsons say could be included in the price.

“Everything is open to negotiation

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and the apartment’s illustrious recent history is certainly beautifully documented by the photos – it would be a shame to see the collection and the property separated,” says Keith Gorny, Prime Sales Director at Marsh & Parsons’ Kensington branch.

The maisonette, in Holland Park, London, has undergone such a successful and stylish transformation that it was featured in magazines and on TV shows, including Grand Designs.

“While every property we deal with in Prime Central London has qualities that set it apart to a greater or lesser degree, this really is an exceptional space,” says Keith.

Even though it’s priced at £7.5 million, the property isn’t at the top of the market in Notting Hill and Holland Park - a market that Keith says has quietened down a little locally.

“Activity is thinner than over the corresponding period last year but this is to be expected during an election year,” he says. “Transactions continue and values are holding up.

A notable Marsh & Parsons sale over the last month has included some record breaking prices, not least a Notting Hill house at £24 million that’s set a new precedent!” u

JUNE 2015

18/05/2015 11:46

Beaufort Park

ÂŁ700 pw Furnished

3 Bedrooms | Reception | 2 Bathrooms | Apartment Terrace | 24hr Concierge | Gym | Parking | EPC – C | Sole Agents Colindale 020 3503 0017 bp@brlets.co.uk

Thirteen offices open six days a week Monday - Saturday Canary Wharf | City | Colindale | Ealing | Fulham | Greenwich | Hammersmith | Hampstead | Highgate | Hyde Park | Kensington | Knightsbridge | Wapping Additional charges apply: Tenancy Agreement, Credit Check & Inventory Report. For details visit www.brlets.co.uk/tenantinfo

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To arrange a viewing or for more information call

020 7319 9783

Hampstead

£425 pw Furnished

London’s Letting Agency

info@brlets.co.uk www.brlets.co.uk

Highgate Borders

£500 pw Furnished

1 Bedroom | Reception | 1 Bathroom | Apartment Close To Amenities | Tube Nearby | EPC – E | Sole Agents Hampstead 020 3503 0908 hamp@brlets.co.uk

2 Bedrooms | Reception | 1 Bathroom | Apartment Private Garden | Close To Amenities | EPC – D | Sole Agents Highgate 020 3302 2601 high@brlets.co.uk

Highgate

Hampstead

£900 pw Unfurnished

4 Bedrooms | Reception | 2 Bathrooms | Apartment Private Garden | Close To Amenities | Tube Nearby | EPC - E Highgate 020 3302 2601 high@brlets.co.uk

£2,750 pw Unfurnished

5 Bedrooms | 2 Receptions | 3 Bathrooms | House Patio Garden | Near Amenities | EPC – E | Joint Sole Agents Hampstead 020 3503 0908 hamp@brlets.co.uk

Dubai | Hong Kong | India Malaysia | Singapore BR.indd 2

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FOR SALE

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