Located in Townhouse Mews on St Stephen’s Avenue in Shepherd’s Bush, the historical address that was once the old Virgin recording studios – where Elton John famously recorded the fastest selling single of all time, ‘Candle in The Wind’ as a tribute to Princess Diana – is a 2000 sq ft. four-bedroom family townhouse for sale for £1,895,000, via DEXTERS.
The state-of-the-art St Stephen’s Avenue townhouse, part of a bespoke arrangement of 12 elegant, modern mews homes positioned behind a secure gated entrance, is set over four floors and comprises four en-suite bedrooms, two reception rooms and an open plan kitchen/dining area, with its own quiet courtyard, terrace and private roof terrace.
The ground floor hosts a magnificent open plan kitchen/dining and reception room which benefit from plenty of natural light from the unusually high ceilings. In addition to this, there are bi-folding doors that span the width of the house and lead onto the landscaped courtyard garden.
Occupying the entirety of the floor to ceiling wall is a striking, built-in library bookcase complete with a sliding ladder. The designer kitchen features integrated appliances and a breakfast bar for informal, everyday family-dining thus, enhancing the home’s contemporary atmosphere. A utility room and guest cloakroom can also be found on this level.
A stylish, suspended wood and glass staircase leads to the first floor, which also provides its own entrance to the home and offers a second, galleried reception room that overlooks the ground floor. To the rear of the living area is a guest bedroom complete with en-suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe.
The second floor has another bedroom suite with a large walk-in wardrobe and bathroom, complete with dual sinks and terrace access. The third floor holds two additional bedrooms both offering en-suite bathrooms, and up the final set of stairs buyers will find a charming roof terrace with sweeping views over the rooftops of West London.
The townhouse has underfloor heating throughout and its modern finish makes St Stephen’s Avenue the perfect home for sociable families who embrace entertaining.
The former Virgin recording studios, aptly named ‘Townhouse Studios’ had been created by Richard Branson for his Virgin record label in 1978, in an existing building that previously housed the Goldhawk Film Studios. The building served as a ‘London residential’ with studios, mastering rooms, accommodation, a canteen and recreation rooms all under one roof.
Phil Newell, technical director at Virgin when the studios were built, was instructed by Branson to build ‘the best studios on the planet’ and £2 million was invested in creating a state-of-the-art facility where the biggest stars from the last three decades, including Queen, Coldplay, the Sex Pistols and Robbie Williams flocked to record their material. The renowned ‘Stone Room’ was responsible for the famous drums sound on Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’.
The studios were later bought by EMI in 1992 and the Sanctuary Group in 2002 after years of playing host to bands like Oasis, Blur, Duran Duran, The Killers, Muse and Kaiser Chiefs, as well as singers such as Tom Jones, Sting and Kylie Minogue. The studios eventually closed, and the equipment was auctioned off in 2008.
Located down a residential street, Townhouse Mews is less than a mile away from Westfield shopping centre and is surrounded by a range of local amenities on Goldhawk Road. There are easy transport links to central London, as well as access to a quaint green known as Ravenscourt Park.
Georgia Buckley, Director at DEXTERS Shepherds Bush says: “The extraordinary history of this now-modern family home not only adds character and flare, but means you could be sleeping in the same room that the Sex Pistols once performed in. With a blend of Victorian and modern properties scattered all over Shepherd’s Bush, the style of Townhouse Mews creates a generous amount of space and is an ideal property for families who want to embrace all the diversity that London has to offer, but with a subtle suburban charm.”
St Stephen’s Avenue is for sale with an asking price of £1,895,000.
