The issue with a lot of houses in London is that they can look a little boring. It is not the houses’ fault, of course. London is a big city and a lot of people need to live here. Things generally have to be quite uniform so that they can fit. There is beauty in repetition, of course, but not necessarily in individuality.
However, sometimes things get through. It should perhaps be no surprise that Vale End, the former home of the artist Arthur Croft Mitchell, should stand out on Mallord Street in Chelsea, SW3. On first glance, it seems fairly traditional and of its place. And yet it somehow stands out. It’s currently up for sale with Savills and Farrar for £9 million.
Originally built in 1914 for Croft Mitchell, the property has remained in the family until the current day. Its bespoke design remains to this day, notably the two studio spaces on the first and second floors. The property offers three bedrooms and a large garden.
Much care has been taken in the original design of Vale End. The blue walls of the first floor studio, were chosen specially to control the 'temperature' of the light within the room. The green window frames were requested by his wife, Molly, to complement the foliage.
Now it would be remiss to not point out that Vale End requires a little bit of work, but an opportunity remains an opportunity until it is acted upon. Looking at the images of the studio spaces, the mind runs with possibilities as to how to use it.
Mallord Street, so named after Joseph Mallord William Turner, has been an artist’s enclave for generations. Augustus John was a neighbour. Cecil Arthur Hunt, Graham Petrie, A. A. Milne, and John Francis Kavanagh have all lived here.
It is astoundingly rare to find a home such as this, in a place such as this, that is effectively a blank canvas. What an opportunity.
-
Ospreys: The bird that went extinct in Britain for 40 years, and its journey to conservation success storyOnce extinct in these isles, the gargantuan, deep-diving osprey locks onto its piscine prey with a laser-like precision akin to the trajectory of a blunt-tipped missile. Naturalist and author Mark Cocker tells more.
-
'Daniel Day Lewis rang up one day... he wanted us to make him one in a Staithes pattern': Why the gansey jumper is still a compelling yarnDesigned to protect the wearer from wind, rain, salt spray and sun, chunky gansey jumpers retain a special place in fishermen’s hearts and modern fashion.
-
Crenellations and the mod cons at this gloriously practical Devon castleSituated in the hamlet of Charles, St Petroc is a fabulously fun four-bedroom home.
-
Re-lighthouse my fire: This secluded Scottish lighthouse conversion with views of the Old Man of Hoy could be your new homeHolborn Head Lighthouse in Scrabster, Caithness, is B-listed and — best of all — comes with a cosy studio in its former fog-horn shed.
-
A picture-perfect Cotswolds manor house with magical gardens and an ancient orchardThe Manor House in Blockley is a wonderful family home that offers seclusion, privacy and beauty with a location on the edge of a charming village.
-
An elegant country house that comes with 63 gloriously unspoilt acres of Devon, and 400 fascinating years of historyPenny Churchill takes a look at the beautiful Hudscott Manor.
-
A tranquil cottage in Essex where Grayson Perry used to do his paper roundGreat Bardfield was home to a variety of famous artists, and with properties such as Vine Cottage, it's not difficult to understand why.
-
A home of horticultural and architectural grandeur for sale near BanburyReception and bedrooms on the inside, garden rooms by Lanning Roper on the outside.
-
22 charming country homes for sale, from £500k to £3m, as seen in Country LifeOur regular look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life includes everything from thatched cottages in the West Country to sprawling estates.
-
An effortlessly contemporary home in Surrey for quiet contemplationGraylings in the Surrey Hills was designed by Baufritz and is a delight of modern design.
