King's Road, London, SW10

This five-bedroom, white-stucco townhouse occupies a quiet position on leafy King’s Road, within the coveted ‘Ten Acre Estate’. Unfolding over four storeys, the house is defined by tall, elegant sash windows. A farmhouse-style kitchen opens to a private, stepped garden at the rear, bringing a feeling of rural life to central London. King’s Road is excellently placed for the best of Chelsea, Sloane Square and South Kensington, and is a short walk from the green expanse of Battersea Park, just across the River Thames.

Setting the Scene

On a leafy stretch of the King’s Road is this row of archetypal west London townhouses, each with tall sash windows behind wrought iron Juliet balconies. The house sits within the sought-after ‘Ten Acre Estate’, a collection of beautifully wide streets roughly demarcated by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Beaufort Street. Much of the area was parkland and rolling countryside until as late as the 1700s, with Park Walk forming the western boundary of Chelsea Park.

This part of west London is still characterised by its greenery, as well as its tapestry of largely 18th and 19th-century buildings, with some later 20th-century additions. In the 1960s and 1970s, it became known for its bohemian fashion scene and was frequented by the likes of Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood, whose first shop sat at 430 King’s Road. Today, its proximity to excellent schools, wonderful boutiques and eateries, and wide, open green spaces makes it an enduringly desirable spot.

The Grand Tour

Set back behind wrought iron railings, the house’s refined, black-painted front door sits in contrast to its crisp white façade. Behind, a long hallway unfurls, with a spacious double sitting room on the right. Here, original cornicing and a retained marble fireplace lend a stately elegance, softened by “Dorset Cream” by Farrow and Ball-painted walls. Bookshelves in the middle create a gentle delineation between the front and the back of the room.

More bookshelves line the glazed extension beyond, making for the perfect study. French doors to the rear open onto a balcony overlooking the garden below; during the warmer parts of the year, these can be left open to allow a light breeze to circulate. Cleverly concealed storage space is accessible from the extension.

A staircase in the entrance hallway descends past a guest WC to the lower-ground floor. The kitchen and dining room sit at the bottom of the stairs, with polished timber floorboards running underfoot throughout. Cream-toned cabinetry is offset by a deep blue gas-fired Aga, above which the current owner keeps her pulley maid, which uses the warmth emitted to dry clothes in the cooler months.

To the rear of the room is space for a large table beside glazed doors that open out to the garden, an ideal set-up for summertime parties. Innovative storage solutions have been integrated throughout, including kick drawers beneath the kitchen cabinets.

Towards the front of the plan is a room currently used as an artist’s studio, making use of the wonderful quality of light that streams in through sash windows. Its versatility would lend it to being an excellent formal dining room too, or even a sixth bedroom.

On the first floor, the primary bedroom is magnificently proportioned, with an en suite bathroom accessed by way of an adjoining walk-in wardrobe. Two full-length sash windows give way to Juliet balconies, with built-in bookcases on either side. On the half landing above the first floor is another bedroom, lined with pink toile de joie wallpaper and with views over the garden.

There are three bedrooms on the second floor, each a calm space appointed in serene, light tones. There is another bathroom here, with a window well-positioned for views of the tree-lined street below.

The Great Outdoors

A wonderfully pretty, tiered garden extends beyond the house. Stone is overhung with green vines, secreted behind raised planted flower borders and mature trees including a lime and sycamore. The lower tier, accessed through the kitchen, is bordered by walls, where a pink rose bush climbs to the second tier, separated by elegant black railings.

Out and About

Known since the 1960s for its array of independent shops, the King’s Road is an epicentre for the well-groomed and well-heeled. It has all the usual designer suspects, alongside independent institutions like cowboy boot purveyor R. Soles, and nearby John Sandoe Books, loved for its always meticulous, often suprisingly curated selection.

Replete with family businesses, the area has a wonderful village feel. One such example is Wyndham’s, a fantastic local butcher’s just opposite the house.

Nearby, the Saatchi Gallery is a global authority on contemporary art. The Chelsea Physic Garden occupies four acres of horticultural heaven and is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe. For aural delights, Cadogan Hall is a wonderfully theatrical space. The area has always provided an excellent quality of restaurants, with ‘farm to fork’ Rabbit a current favourite. For something more low-key, La Famiglia is a divine local Italian.

Numerous schools are nearby for all ages, notably the nearby Thomas A’s School. The house is within the catchment area for Marylebone School, an Ofsted “Oustanding”-rated state secondary school. The recently renovated RCA complex designed by Herzog & de Meuron is also nearby.

The Underground stations of Sloane Square and South Kensington are within easy reach for the District and Circle Lines, and the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Airport.

Council Tax Band: G