Houses of artistic merit, whatever their size, have a perennial appeal for London buyers, provided the location is right. Proof of this is the £1m guide price quoted by Knight Frank for a 740sq ft working artist’s studio on the third floor of 18, Kensington Court Place, W8, at the junction of Court Place and the ever-desirable Thackeray Street, with its eclectic mix of shops and cafes.
The studio retains many period features and offers a unique space that not only stimulates creativity, but also provides adequate living space for a busy artist with his head in the clouds. A small but practical kitchen is tucked out of sight under the stairs and a large upstairs provides the perfect perch to enjoy another view of the city, create a bedroom separate from the main artistic space or view a piece of art from a different perspective.
At around the same time as the likes of Merritt were honing their skills in the nearby Tite Street, 18, Kensington Court Place provided the studio from which the illustrator and portrait painter Claude Allin Shepperson observed and captured for Punch’s readers the world of early-20th-century Kensington, which revolved around the drawing room, the nursery and the leafy green spaces of Kensington Gardens.
The new owner of this airy studio need not look further than the view from their windows for artistic inspiration. Nestled in the heart of Kensington, the wonders of the Natural History Museum, V&A and Hyde Park are quite literally on No. 18's doorstep. With the large north-west facing window flooding the entire apartment with natural light, it may be hard to tear one's eyes from the wonders of the outside world to the wonders of the canvas, but we have no doubt the future owner will endeavour to try.
50 best places to live near London
The indispensable guide for getting into the country without ending up out of touch with the town.
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
The eight trends that'll define the London property market in 2019
The city scene is ever-changing and this next year will be no different, with a predicted rise in demand for
Credit: Strutt & Parker
A seven-bedroom townhouse that has everything – including the biggest price tag in Kensington
47 Phillimore Gardens has everything – one of the most incredible postcodes in England, 6,520 square feet of space and
Credit: Savills
Four stupendous homes for sale in Notting Hill, with cinemas, gardens… and eight-figure price tags
Notting Hill certainly has some of London's most expensive houses – but they're also among its most beautiful, as our selection
The banks, post offices and train stations that have been transformed into fine family homes
Old schools, banks and other municipal buildings have now become desirable addresses in the town and countryside, as Nicola Venning
-
Dawn Chorus: A Blue Plaque for Marc Bolan, holidaying in the Caribbean with Francis Ford Coppola and a history of the National Gallery in 25 picturesPlus the best of the property pages, and how the railways will save the countryside.
-
Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courtsFrom Italy to Indonesia, when it comes to hotel amenities, a picturesque tennis court will always trump a 24-hour gym. So, before you book your next holiday, take a look at our pick of the 12 best.
-
Five palatial mansions for sale, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country LifeSometimes bigger really is better.
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villaIgnore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in CornwallAt Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North DownsA contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record highPlus, how first-time buyers prop up the mortgage market, why you need to move north if you want to live by yourself, and house-price growth slows
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riotUnlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in NorfolkWillow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's historyWith 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
