A home for sale in one of the most celebrated artists' enclaves in London, where David Hockney sketched and Isadora Duncan danced

In 1899, London was enraptured by a bold new artist who'd thrown off centuries of convention: Isadora Duncan. At the age of 21 she'd left her native San Francisco and moved to London to pursue life as a dancer, where she threw off the confines of traditional ballet and created an astonishing new style of movement and performance, dazzling the public. 'It was not long before the phenomenon of a young woman dancing barefoot, as scantily clad as a woodland nymph, crowded theatres and concert halls throughout Europe,' reads her entry in Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Duncan's performances weren't limited to just the stage, however: she'd made her home in a recently-built Kensington development — Pembroke Studios, where one of the apartments is now for sale — and it sounds as if it was a raucous, chaotic time. The dancer had sub-let the apartment from the painter John Young-Hunter, who later told the tale of a tenant who, 'along with her friends was hilariously noisy both inside and out the studio.' The parties caused a ruckus, and prompted several complaints, not least thanks to 'a rented piano adding an accompaniment to the din throughout the night.'

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Pembroke Studios — as the name implies — weren't just any west London homes, but rather a purpose-built, mews-style block of 12 apartments arranged around communal gardens in a mini gated community. Every aspect of the design was geared towards helping artists develop their craft: the apartments all had double-height ceilings, and cavernous studio rooms where huge windows let the light pour in. All those rooms faced north; it's the best light for artists, much softer and less changeable than the harsher direct sunlight of a south-facing room.

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The Studios — built in 1890–91 by developer Charles Frederick Kearley — weren't unique in London, but they are almost unique in having survived the ensuing 130 years in near-original condition. A couple were damaged by bombs during the war, and a mezzanine floor has been retro-fitted in another, but nine of the 12 give a true flavour of the original purpose of their creation (this example included) and they are Grade II-listed in recognition of their rare place in the architectural make-up of the capital.

Isadora Duncan didn't actually stay long at Number Three — no doubt to the great relief of her neighbours — but over the years dozens of hugely successful artists have been based here. David Hockney is perhaps top of that list: he lived at Number Five, and the Historic England listing details how this space was utilised in some of his work: 'Hockney’s studio interiors feature in a number of his lithographic and photographic works, and much of his research on the use of optical devices in historic realist painting was undertaken at Pembroke Studios; many of his experiments with camera obscura and camera lucida were undertaken in studio 5.'

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This isn't to say that time has stood still at Pembroke Studios, nor at this apartment in particular. It was for a quarter of a century the home of the architect Charles Smallwood — whose firm thrives to this day — and constantly improved and upgraded this apartment while staying true to its spirit and origins: The result is 'a masterclass in understated sophistication', in the words of the agents, Blue Book. 'Smallwood, renowned for drawing inspiration from timeless traditions, treated the house as both canvas and home,' they add.. 'His vision created a place that is as practical as it is beautiful, blending natural materials, global influences and fine craftsmanship.'

Blue Book's listing has far more details about (and pictures of) the apartment, Pembroke Studios in general, and the many artists who've lived here in the last 130 years. The only sadness is that, at £4.35 million for a 1,574sq ft home, it's more likely that your neighbours will be city brokers and tech whizz-kids than up-and-coming artists or trailblazing dancers.

The apartment in Pembroke Studios is for sale at £4.35 million via Blue Book — see more pictures and details.