The charming recessed kitchen and dining room with wood-fronted cabinetry overlooks a 50 ft long garden
The charming recessed kitchen and dining room with wood-fronted cabinetry overlooks a 50 ft long garden
Set discreetly on Queensdale Road, in a conservation area near Holland Park, is this generous four-bedroom Victorian home. At the back of the maisonette, a leafy garden, perfect for languorous afternoons soaking up the sun, extends 50 ft behind the house. In front, the living room overlooks a pretty terrace of pastel-coloured houses.
Setting the Scene
The Norland Conservation Area is a beautiful space in west London, covering the area between Holland Park Avenue and Portland Road. Filled with character, its focus is to maintain the buildings, businesses and spaces of the area which surrounds Queensdale Road, where this house is located. Private squares and green spaces abound, providing an elegant backdrop for the Victorian house. The house has been decorated by its current owner, an actress, in a playful and eclectic style inspired by her time spent working at Graham & Green furniture store in Portobello. It is currently filled with a unique combination of antique pieces and colourful furnishings, which provide the perfect backdrop for her art and ceramics.
The Grand Tour
Entrance to the house is via the raised-ground level, up a set of steps running alongside the front garden. The hallway leads to a wonderfully bright south-facing living room on the left, illuminated by large bay windows which maintain their original shutters. Intricate cornicing runs around the ceiling of the room and a ceiling rose and fireplace complete the space, which leads down to a charming recessed kitchen and dining area overlooking the garden. Here, wood-fronted units are built in underneath open shelves, with tiles in terracotta and black grounding the scheme against superb Osborne & Little wallpaper. There is a guest WC on this level and ample storage space throughout.
Stairs lead up to the first floor, where the master bedroom and large family bathroom are located. Three further bedrooms can be found on the second floor, one of which is currently used as a study. All the rooms feel light and airy, partially due to their sizable sash windows, but also aided by a variety of wallpaper which lends a truly unique atmosphere to each space. The master bedroom has built-in bookshelves and a working gas coal fire, while the large bathroom contains a wood-panelled bath and built-in vanity unit. A white and blue colour palette here is brightened by sunlight entering through the sash window.
The upper levels of the house overlook a row of pastel-coloured houses behind, visible through the leaves of tall trees in the garden. The three bedrooms on the second floor have a mixture of built-in wardrobes and shelving and are serviced by another bathroom. There is also potential to convert the large attic space for those with grand designs in mind.
The Great Outdoors
A 50 ft long garden extends out behind the house, replete with beautifully planted flowerbeds and a pretty summer house at one end. There is a paved seating area which – British weather permitting – is the perfect spot for a morning cup of tea, surrounded by hedges and trees that provide privacy.
Out and About
Holland Park is one of London’s most desirable neighbourhoods, awash with independent shops, cafes, and restaurants. Weekends can be spent sampling delights from the butcher C. Lidgate or fishmonger The Fish Shop, perhaps with a trip to independent booksellers Daunt Books or local Soho House cinema The Electric thrown in for good measure. Portobello Market is close at hand, as well as a selection of delectable restaurants – Core by Clare Smyth and The Ledbury are both local (and Michelin) favourites – and bars such as Julie’s.
Green space is within easy reach of Queensdale Road: Holland Park and its calm Japanese-style Kyoto Gardens are just minutes away. The wide expanse of Hyde Park and neighbouring Kensington Gardens is slightly further away but still easily accessible for weekend picnics and strolls.
Queensdale Road is less than ten minutes’ walk from Holland Park and Shepherd’s Bush Underground stations (both Central Line) and Shepherd’s Bush Overground. Notting Hill Gate Underground is a 15-minute walk (Central, District and Circle Lines) while the nearby Westway provides quick access to the A40 and surrounding motorways.
Further Reading
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Notting Hill: A Walking Guide by Julian Mash
Council Tax Band: E
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