House For Sale £4,350,000
Westbourne Terrace, London W2

This beautifully designed and spacious maisonette occupies the ground and lower-ground floors of a grand stuccoed Victorian townhouse in the Bayswater conservation area. Grade II-listed, the apartment is defined by its skilful blend of historic features and contemporary architectural elements. Spanning nearly 2,800 sq ft across two floors, it comprises a series of versatile and well-appointed rooms, including three bedrooms. Additionally, the apartment has a designated parking space and a wonderfully verdant courtyard garden. Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and the countless fashionable shops and restaurants locally and in the West End are just a short walk away; immediate transport links are exceptional.

Setting the Scene

Westbourne Terrace is a long tree-lined avenue with palatial stucco-fronted terraces flanked by intersecting streets. This particular terrace was constructed in the 1840s under the guidance of William Kingdom and renowned architect Thomas Marsh Nelson. The architectural style of Westbourne Terrace represents a transition from classical influences to the Italianate style, as noted by architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner. The road is renowned for its grandeur, described as the ‘most spacious and dignified avenue’ in the Bayswater area. Its development played a pivotal role in the expansion of the neighbourhood during the mid-19th century, encompassing the creation of handsome garden squares and surrounding streets.

The building the apartment is set in has an exquisite main façade, positioned on a private carriageway that runs parallel to and set back from the main thoroughfare. The ground floor entrance is topped by a magnificent Tuscan porch featuring fluted columns. On the upper levels are quoins, intricate plasterwork, and fluted Corinthian columns supporting entablatures with pediments above the grand box sash windows; an elegant cast-iron balcony spans the width of the first floor. Internally, the apartment is defined by exceptional craftsmanship, with exquisite plasterwork and fireplace mantels in the principal rooms. Beautiful materials are prevalent throughout, including French oak and polished granite floors, adding to the overall grandeur. For more information, please see the History section.

The Grand Tour

Entry to the house is through the exterior porch and the spacious main hallway, elegantly laid with the original black and white chequered marble floor. The hallway leads to the apartment’s private entrance on the ground floor. Opening to the wide set hallway, stained French oak runs underfoot, warmed by underfloor heating throughout. Walls feature exquisite decorative mouldings and are inset with handblocked wallpaper in an elegant oriental design.

The entrance hall forms a central point connecting an enfilade of impressive living spaces. Each room has beautiful plaster cornicing and stone chimneypieces in a bolection design, complete with working fireplaces. The rear space, currently used as a dining room, has French windows that open onto the balcony overlooking the garden. Interior wedding doors can be closed if desired to create a more intimate setting. The secondary living space, used as a drawing room, basks in the morning light that pours through a large casement window with panelled shutters. An architrave flanked by custom-designed full-height bookshelves adds a touch of elegance to the entrance hall.

The kitchen is located at the end of a corridor towards the rear of the ground floor plan; the corridor is cleverly designed with concealed cupboards that act as an overflow larder. The kitchen itself showcases bottle-green cupboards topped with black granite slabs. Designed for practicality, the space has large double stainless-steel sinks and a stainless-steel base unit with a matching wall shelf along one wall, positioned above the Smeg range cooker. A seating area at the end of the room is perfect for informal kitchen suppers or breakfast while overlooking the garden below. Additionally, there is direct access to the garden’s balcony from the kitchen through a glass door.

The staircase leading to the lower-level sleeping quarters is a contemporary intervention crafted from honed and polished grey granite flagstones. The handrail, a custom-made piece of cast iron, connects both floors. Adjacent to a window that overlooks the fountain, the large hallway on this lower floor has ample space for a desk or armchair and has its own separate entrance to the garden.

Situated at the front of the plan, the two main bedrooms have remarkable original features. In the first bedroom, a stunning ceiling fresco has been painted between proud strapwork framing. French windows open to the garden, while a stone bolection chimney piece surrounds the open hearth, grounding the room. Additionally, the room has a beautiful walk-in dressing room with cabinetry featuring glass-fronted drawers reclaimed from an antique shop.

The beautifully designed Jack-and-Jill bathroom is equipped with exceptional fittings and materials. The brassware is nickel-plated to complement the sanitaryware, which includes a cast iron roll-top bath, a high-level cistern and lavatory, and an oval sink set into a unique marble washstand. Encased in Tadelakt, the shower incorporates a steam room, forming a hammam of sorts. Limestone benches line the walls, and the ceiling is designed in a tented shape, painted with stars—a perfect spot for relaxation. Additionally, a speaker system is built into this room.

This is connected to a large secondary bedroom papered with a pretty Kit Kemp design. The room has a wall of cupboards ingeniously fronted with reclaimed window shutters, mirroring the original ones framing the large box sash window, which are original to the house. Another original architectural feature in this room is the handsome stone chimney piece.

Wrapping around the spacious lightwell towards the front of the house, two versatile spaces can be utilised as an office space, home gym, or additional sleeping quarters. The second space includes its own en suite shower room, and there is also a spacious laundry/utility room available. Furthermore, a third main bedroom is positioned at the rear of the plan, overlooking the garden, and includes its own en suite shower room.

The Great Outdoors

The west-facing garden is a beautifully landscaped outdoor room with a remarkable level of privacy and tranquility, and not overlooked. Access to the garden is available from multiple points on both floors, including a thoughtfully designed and spacious cast-iron balcony that leads to a wide-set staircase descending to the courtyard garden. Secondary entry points are accessible from both the lower ground hallway and the principal bedroom. There is a constant dialogue between the indoors and outdoors, particularly during the summer when they seamlessly merge, evoking a feeling of Europe in warmer months.

The courtyard garden is laid with reclaimed stone stable blocks, creating a charming atmosphere. A highlight of this space is the sunken pond, which has a brilliant collection of koi fish. The gentle sound of water trickles from a decorative wall-mounted lead fountain, adding to the serene ambience. Illumination at night transforms the garden into a captivating setting. Flourishing plants contribute to the beauty of this outdoor oasis, including clematis along one wall, as well as plentiful mature ferns and mulberry bushes. Ample seating is available, providing a perfect space for outdoor entertaining.

Out and About

Westbourne Terrace is brilliantly located, easily reachable from the West End by foot and a short cycle or walk through Hyde Park to both Kensington & Chelsea to the south and Notting Hill to the west.

In the immediate vicinity, the cafes, restaurants, and purveyors on London Street and Craven Terrace are all very popular, while the open-air Italian Gardens Café at the entrance to Kensington Gardens at Marlborough Gate is at the heart of the local community. Nearby Queensway has a further and extensive selection of retailers, including a branch of Waitrose. The famed Whiteley’s building’s newly created conversion to The Whiteley is due for completion in late 2023, encompassing a luxury mixed-use development, completing the rejuvenation of the historic Queensway thoroughfare.

Kensington Gardens and the wide-open parkland of Hyde Park, London’s finest and largest Royal Park, are just two minutes’ walk away. The parks have a boating lake; famed rose gardens, and in the summer months, open-air concerts. The Italian Gardens, closest to Westbourne Terrace, are particularly beautiful, created in the 1860s as a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria and formed of four basins made of Portland stone and marble. Laid out over some 625 acres when included together (being first separated by Queen Caroline in 1728), they form two of London’s eight Royal parks, Grade I-listed, and were originally King Henry VIII’s hunting ground.

Local schools are excellent, with many prep schools within walking distance, including Hope Montessori, Connaught House School, Wetherby Prep School and the ICS International School. Further senior schools are a short distance away, including Queens College, Westminster School and Francis Holland.

Transport links are exceptional, with Lancaster Gate (Central line) and Paddington (Hammersmith & City line, Circle line and Metropolitan line) very close to Westbourne Terrace. Paddington also has access to the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail), connecting directly to Heathrow Airport, the City and Canary Wharf to the east. Kings Cross St Pancras, Euston, and Victoria stations are also nearby, as is the A40 via the Westway.

Council Tax Band: G
Underlying Lease Length: 972 years remaining
Service Charge: Approx. £2,500 per annum
Ground Rent: Peppercorn