Nigel Watts
Member
- Messages
- 1,779
- Location
- London N7
I visited Leighton House in Kensington for the first time yesterday, found the wallpaper for my bedroom and saw some astonishing artists' houses.
Lord Leighton seems to have been the Damian Hurst of his day, rising from obscurity to achieve extraordinary fame and wealth. The house which was built for him became a museum on his death. Very plain on the outside it has some extraordinary interiors, the Arab Hall in particular.
However it was the wallpaper in his remarkably simple bedroom which caught my eye: Morris's India pattern in a dark greeny blue:
All woodwork was a murky dark blue green (as were all the simple frames of his pictures - sepia photos of old masters) and the curtains were a mauve velvet hung on simple but chunky brass rods. Cornice and ceiling were white. The wallpaper was replaced not many years ago but Morris & Co don't seem to be printing the design in that colour just now. I have e-mailed them to see if they can run me off a batch.
That part of London, to the West of Holland Park and north of Kensington High Street has some astonishing houses, many built by and for artists. I wish I had done my homework before making the visit. Next to Leighton House is an artist's house built by Phillip Web. Like much of Webb's work it was so subtle that I missed it completely. Round the corner is the gothic house William Burgess built for himself, now owned by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin who committed himself to restoring it. Not open to the public unfortunately it has interiors every bit as exotic and fantastical as Leighton's.
Next door, almost obscured by tress and hedges, is one of Norman Shaw's wonderful artists' houses, in his "Queen Anne" style, where Michael Winner lived until his recent death. There is another Shaw house further down the road but the party I was with wanted lunch so we didn't get to it. Yet further on is Ricardo's opulent ceramic tile clad masterpiece he designed for the founder of Selfridge's. Another visit is called for I think.
Lord Leighton seems to have been the Damian Hurst of his day, rising from obscurity to achieve extraordinary fame and wealth. The house which was built for him became a museum on his death. Very plain on the outside it has some extraordinary interiors, the Arab Hall in particular.
However it was the wallpaper in his remarkably simple bedroom which caught my eye: Morris's India pattern in a dark greeny blue:
All woodwork was a murky dark blue green (as were all the simple frames of his pictures - sepia photos of old masters) and the curtains were a mauve velvet hung on simple but chunky brass rods. Cornice and ceiling were white. The wallpaper was replaced not many years ago but Morris & Co don't seem to be printing the design in that colour just now. I have e-mailed them to see if they can run me off a batch.
That part of London, to the West of Holland Park and north of Kensington High Street has some astonishing houses, many built by and for artists. I wish I had done my homework before making the visit. Next to Leighton House is an artist's house built by Phillip Web. Like much of Webb's work it was so subtle that I missed it completely. Round the corner is the gothic house William Burgess built for himself, now owned by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin who committed himself to restoring it. Not open to the public unfortunately it has interiors every bit as exotic and fantastical as Leighton's.
Next door, almost obscured by tress and hedges, is one of Norman Shaw's wonderful artists' houses, in his "Queen Anne" style, where Michael Winner lived until his recent death. There is another Shaw house further down the road but the party I was with wanted lunch so we didn't get to it. Yet further on is Ricardo's opulent ceramic tile clad masterpiece he designed for the founder of Selfridge's. Another visit is called for I think.
