63 Harley Street, London W1...

Damn..

I’m disappointed that me & And missed the opportunity to buy this beautiful Art Deco house that was up for sale in January this year…

At £6,950,000, I think it would have been a bit of a bargain… nine bedrooms, a reception area that just about covers the whole of the ground floor, a lift, two roof terraces, at least three kitchens and 5 bathrooms, not to mention a Harley Street address and Grade II Listed Status.

Designed by Edmund Wimperis, William Begg Simpson & Leonard Rome Guthrie and completed in 1934, the commission for a celebrated eye surgeon and his wife (the Blue Plaque on the front wall commemorates one “Sir Stewart Duke-Elder”) was for a suite of easily accessible, purpose-built consulting rooms with a family residence and servants quarters spread across the rest of the space.

The design of the building was a modern take on the traditional town house and the interior featured specially designed built-in furniture, panelling, and lighting fittings. The building has been empty for at least the last 5 years, however at the end of last year it was granted planning permission for change of use to a solely residential building, hence the sale…

The plans are pretty interesting, full of Art Deco curves and features, and although there appears to be no garden, set backs and internal courtyards to the rear, would have meant that the interiors would have been very bright. I particularly like the arrangements around the second consulting room (now a bedroom) at first floor level. Originally the domain of Mrs Duke Elder (or Lady Phyllis to her society chums and also a highly regarded ophthalmologist), the room is reached via a rather fine elliptical stair in the rear hallway that leads past an open terrace with a wonderful circular roof light over the Masters surgery below…

So, despite the estate agents particulars suggesting the property was now in need of “full refurbishment” I still think, that if I did have a spare £7M lying around (plus at least another £1M to do it up), I would have been very tempted to buy this rather splendid house in the centre of town… (no idea where we’d put the car though…)

There is more about the house and its owners here if you’re interested…

About these ads