Property of the Week: 48 Sloane Square in Chelsea has been restored to its original Art Deco glory
48 Sloane Square, Chelsea, £6.95m
When property developer Aristo refurbished this second floor apartment overlooking Sloane Square, it pulled out a perfectly preserved newspaper from 11 August 1904, the year the building was built, from underneath the floorboards.
This window into the art deco era inspired a theme for the entire project and Aristo set out to recreate the style of the period in modern Chelsea. It took 14 months to get the look just right, but the result is a three bedroom home bursting with bespoke craftsmanship and surprising spaces.
“Hidden” rooms are a theme. One of the glass panels in the mirrored entrance hall reveals a “secret” powder room; the speaker system is tucked away behind silk panelling designed to look like wood; silk-lined walls that appear to be hiding a drinks cabinet are actually a gateway to the kitchen; and a secret door in the drawing room, which is also part of the wall panelling, reveals two guest bedroom suites.
A multitude of one-off vintage and custom-made pieces are scattered across the 1,898sqft of the apartment, from the art deco wall lights in the drawing room to the art deco wrought bronze gates framing the dining room, which took an Italian artisan over 1,000 hours to design and create, and which weigh in at over a tonne. The room’s emerald, Chinese silk wallpaper, meanwhile, took 18 weeks for an artist to handpaint, while specially-curated art deco bronze artworks feature throughout, alongside more contemporary pieces.
All the finishes, from the marble fireplace to 24-carat gold and black painted Murano glass taps, have been cut, fitted and finished by hand using traditional 19th century craftsmanship, making this apartment an impressive homage to a lost era.
Call Russell Simpson on 020 7225 0277 or email russellsimpson.co.uk
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