The London family home of Lesley Clarke, Co-Founder & CEO of Nicky Clarke Worldwide, is for sale offering 5,552 sq.ft. (515.8 sq.m.) of living space and eight bedrooms comprised of an elegant 4,714 sq.ft. (437.9 sq.m.) six bedroom Italianate white stucco house on Queens Grove, one of the most sought after addresses in St John’s Wood, with a gated driveway, beautiful rear garden and an 838 sq.ft. (77.9 sq.m.) two bedroom contemporary studio house located on Woronzow Road: marketed by sole agent Aston Chase.
Brought to market for the first time in 26 years, the tastefully interior designed and immaculately presented family house is located on a prominent plot with sizeable garden and benefits from generous ceiling heights, tall windows and large entertaining spaces, providing a welcoming home with an extremely bright and airy ambience.
The five storey Victorian house, with Corinthian stucco columns and decorative parapet, was built in circa 1844 by Eyre Estate master builder William Holme Twentyman (1802-1884); designed by English architect John Shaw Jnr (1803-1870), a devotee of the stucco Regency architecture of Bath and Regent’s Park.
Since 1994 the beautiful house has been the London home of Lesley Clarke, where she raised her son Harrison and daughter Tellisa, and has entertained family and close friends, the latter including various A-list celebrities such as George Michael, Mick Hucknall of pop band Simply Red and lead members of Depeche Mode and Oasis.
With a background as a fashion designer and responsible for the management and interior design of the Nicky Clarke salons, Lesley Clarke is the glamorous CoFounder & CEO of Nicky Clarke Worldwide, founded in 1991 from a salon on Mount Street in Mayfair. Over the years Lesley has project managed the interior design of the house, updating rooms on an ongoing basis, with the upper floors done just 18 months ago.
Arranged over garden level, raised ground and three upper floors the main house has an entrance hall, three spacious reception rooms, study, family kitchen and breakfast room, principal bedroom suite with walk-in dressing room and principal bathroom and five further bedrooms (four with ensuites), utility room and guest cloakroom.
The entertaining space has been cleverly arranged so that the family relaxation and leisure areas are on the garden level whilst the more formal entertaining spaces are on the raised ground level.
On the garden level the spacious fully fitted designer kitchen and breakfast room has integrated appliances, units and cupboards, including a four oven Aga, complete with polished timber flooring. The kitchen interconnects with the family room, with a large bay with French doors opening onto the rear garden. There is also the 12-seat dining room on this floor, with French doors leading onto the garden.
On the raised ground floor the entrance hall gives access to the main reception room and study. Benefitting from a generous ceiling height and tall floor-to-ceiling windows the reception spans the entire depth of the house, arranged to provide two large interconnecting entertaining areas with parquet flooring, twin marble fireplaces and a rear bay with French doors opening onto a balcony overlooking the garden.
With a cream and ivory colour palette to the interior design, the double reception room has comfy sofas and chairs with a baby grand piano as the centerpiece of the space. The white piano was once owned by music legend Neil Sedaka on which he composed some of his world famous songs which include Solitare (1972), One Day Of Your Life (1970), (Is This The Way To) Amarillo (1971), Oh! Carol (1959), Laughter in the Rain (1974), Calendar Girl (1960) and Breaking Up is Hard to Do (1962).
The stumptuous principal bedroom suite occupies its own private floor on the first floor of the house. The walk-in dressing room is lined with built-in mirrored wardrobes whilst the principal bathroom has marble slab flooring and walls with built-in mirrors and bespoke shelving, a marble clad bathtub and separate walk-in shower. There are four bedrooms (three with marble ensuites) on the second floor and a further bedroom suite with ensuite on the top floor.
To the rear of the house, the French doors open onto a timber decked terrace which is shielded by glass wind deflector screens. The terrace provides the perfect outdoor living and entertaining area during warm weather. From the terrace steps lead up to a stone paved patio which opens onto the main lawn and extensive landscaped gardens which are one of Lesley Clarke’s favourite features of the property.
The separate contemporary studio house at the bottom of the garden has a reception room with open plan kitchen, two bedrooms, a main bathroom and a guest cloakroom/shower room. The property offers flexible accommodation which could be used as a home office, wellness facility or guest house.
