7 bedroom house

Fully detached family home close to Holland Park with the feel of a country house, offering a south-west facing garden and historic interiors.

Entering the house on the raised ground floor, the grand entrance hall connects the main rooms. At the front of the house is a dining room, lined with ornate bookshelves. In the middle is a kitchen with a more informal eating area, while the former artist’s studio stands at the rear of the house. This magnificent space now serves as a reception room, with double-height ceilings, a large bay of latticed windows and an overhead skylight to ensure the room feels bright. In addition, a south-west facing terrace leads down into the garden.

On the lower ground floor is a well-proportioned family room with garden views. In addition, this floor contains two bedrooms, one with a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom, the other with an ensuite bathroom and adjacent sitting room. A utility room, an additional kitchen and a guest loo complete this floor.

On the first floor is a generous principal bedroom suite, with bay windows on either side of the house flooding the space with light. This suite includes a well-proportioned dressing room and an ensuite bathroom, while a further bedroom and bathroom complete the floor. On the second floor, three more bedrooms and a further dressing room share an additional bathroom.

The house was built in 1856-7 and its most celebrated resident was the Victorian painter Gustav Schmalz, who constructed the beautiful studio space. Its current interior was designed by Chester Jones in a characterful style recalling this artistic history. Today, the main rooms are filled with delightful decorative details, but with the potential to be reimagined for future generations.

The mature rear garden faces south west, enjoying light for much of the day. The different garden sections include a paved seating area, formally arranged flowerbeds and a fountain. A brick wall surrounds the garden, while the absence of overlooking properties add to the sense of seclusion. In addition, the front garden is enclosed by shrubbery and pleached trees for further privacy.

The rear garden also contains a separate building with a home office and a garage leading out onto Napier Road.
This section of Addison Road is lined with grand Victorian villas set back from the street.
In the mid-nineteenth century, the neighbourhood was popular with artists, including Lord Frederick Leighton, whose nearby house is now one of the most beautiful small museums in London. Hollard Park is also a short walk away, and so too Kensington Olympia train station. In addition, the celebrated shops and restaurants of Kensington High Street are within easy reach.