Elvaston Mews in Kensington and Chelsea: The 19th century stable that’s as space-age as they come April 30, 2015 London’s mews houses are selling like proverbial hot cakes right now. But take away the “cool” factor and they’re pretty difficult buildings to work with. Built in the 19th century as stables for the wealthy owners of mansions in Kensington and Chelsea, they’re short, square, dark and rarely come with outside space. The mews [...]
Reading rooms: Immerse yourself in the world of the modern library April 30, 2015 In this digital age, one could be forgiven for thinking libraries were a thing of the past. Think again: at the top end of the market, they’re making a comeback of sorts as a modern luxury with the added bonus of showing visitors how culturally refined you are. “Since things like e-readers have come along, [...]
My house: Alexandra Jefford, jewellery designer April 30, 2015 I fell in love with our house a year before we moved in. I forced my poor husband to leave his beloved Chelsea, mainly because I wanted my daughter to be able to walk to school, and this place in Parson’s Green was the first we visited. I walked in the door, thought “this is [...]
Beautiful things: Brass vessels, Samsung’s easel TV and Tom Dixon furniture February 19, 2015 Make storage stylish with these handcrafted stacking vessels Storage is a vital, but throughly mundane, fact of life. Fortunately, the brother and sister team behind Utopia & Utility have come up with a solution that’s both functional and fashionable. These stacking vessels are actually three different containers made by three European craftsmen to form one [...]
Kelly Hoppen reveals how she re-invented luxury in Mauritius while growing a global design empire February 19, 2015 Kelly Hoppen is an internationally renowned designer, the empress of all things taupe and beige, an entrepreneur, and a business ambassador for the UK. She was even a fixture on the BBC’s Dragons Den for two years, but she recently left “due to a packed schedule”. Juggling so many roles sounds like it requires time [...]
God save McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition celebrating Alexander McQueen comes home February 19, 2015 Duck feather dress from McQueen’s 2009 Horn of Plenty show A world beholden to mercantile concerns, where in follows out with bewildering arbitrariness and where genius gets distorted, compressed and subsumed into the commercial vortex that is the retail industry – fashion is no place for an artist. But an artist is what Alexander McQueen [...]
Return to Utopia: The desire to live where you work harks back to the industrial towns of yesteryear February 19, 2015 On frosty, damp mornings like the ones London has seen of late, the morning commute is worse than ever. Biting winds followed by packed, sweltering trains, followed by more wind – it’s as if the commute was specifically designed to make you as ill-prepared as possible for the day ahead. Yet it’s accepted by millions [...]
A room with a view: Why Brits are flocking back to Italy’s Lake Como February 19, 2015 It was the Romans who discovered Lake Como, and built their villas overlooking its stunning scenery. Today, the Mediterranean microclimate created by the lake’s waters is enjoyed as much as ever, though many now prefer an apartment in place of a villa. Aside from the views across the lake, and the uniquely benign climate it [...]
A very big house in the country: Whitestaunton Manor is a Grade-I listed estate with a very textured history February 19, 2015 Nestled in a quiet country village on the outskirts of Somerset lies a house with architecture so rare the only other place you’ll see anything like it is in the Houses of Parliament. In fact, most of Whitestaunton Manor, listed Grade-I for architectural or historical interest, is older than that venerable institution; it’s even namechecked [...]
Life on the edge: The luxury properties on the outskirts of the City February 19, 2015 Life on the City fringes is set to get a lot more glamorous. Developers are already lining up to capitalise on postcodes in east London that are set to soar once Crossrail arrives in 2018. An area that’s sure to see the benefits is Whitechapel, whose prime addresses will sit 262ft above Aldgate East station. [...]