Culross Street, London, W1K

HISTORY • Originally built in 1732, the building was reconstructed and restored by renowned artist and architect Frederick Etchells (whose work is featured at the Tate Gallery) in 1927. He favoured a Georgian style that set the tone for the restoration of the rest of the neighborhood. • The building was also once home of Hugh Waldorf Astor, newspaper scion (of the famed American Astor family) and son of John Jacob Astor V, first Baron Astor of Hever, Member of Parliament and owner of The Times of London. THE NEIGHBOURHOOD • Located behind the former U.S. embassy on one side this short stretch of Culross Street may well be one of the most sought after locations in London. • While most houses on Culross Street are listed, 14 Culross Street is freehold which allowed the opening up of the floor plan for space and light, the addition of a lift, conservatory and (concealed) heating and air-conditioning. • A unique bonus is the quiet and secluded communal garden. GENERAL • The building has been re-built and re-envisioned by award-winning architect Neil Wilson for a modern interior floor plan and an exterior restored to its former historic glory. • The façade has been painstakingly restored to Etchell’s design with widened windows on the second floor and floor-to-ceiling height balcony windows on the first floor having obtained special permission. Window surrounds and the double-door entrance have been restored to the original Georgian historic style and updated with hand-finished marble for a subtle contemporary feel. • Hardwood sourced from a Victorian-era ship have been used with a bespoke pattern to clad the ground floor lobby, dining room and kitchen as well as the first floor library area and formal drawing room. • Every room is extensively pre-wired with CAT-5 cables for data, security and home automation (positioned for blinds, television and lighting), multiple telephone cables, and high-end audio cables, culminating in a data/server/media-hub room on the ground floor. High fidelity speakers have been fitted in all rooms as well as key pads for customizable lighting schemes and programmable touch screen thermostats to control the underfloor heating. • All rooms feature air-conditioning and heating through individual built-in ceiling units as well as underfloor heating. • Stone finishes in bathrooms were created by the award-winning Ka Design Atelier renowned for work on royal residences and mega-yachts, with rare onyx and marble, water-jet inlaid panels (some of which are back-illuminated), and sinks hand-carved from solid blocks of marble and onyx. • All bathrooms on the upper floors feature toilets and bidets and dual bath/shower options as well as heated towel rails and underfloor heating and mirrors with built in demisters. • A lift has been added with access to each floor from the basement to the rooftop conservatory. GROUND FLOOR • The double height lobby provides for a dramatic entrance. The original Georgian staircase with its 18th century rare Baltic pine has been restored and updated with Italian marble steps and balusters. • The German Sie Matic kitchen (with specialized drawers and units) is appointed with high end appliances from ATAG and Siemens, a professional-class Wolf stove, griddle and oven, a Miele dishwasher with heated drawer, as well as other kitchen amenities such as an in-built meat grinder, and food disposal unit. The onyx backsplash is backlit and the counters are hand-finished from a rare gray granite with purple blooms. • The Guest WC features quartzite slabs and a backlit panel comprised of natural ancient geodes and a 65-million year-old large ammonite set into the floor. • The dining room features an Italian Statuario marble fireplace inlaid with solid copper and a matching bespoke floor medallion set into Victorian-era hardwood. LOWER GROUND FLOOR • A set of ‘floating’ stone cantilevered stairs affixed into the steel structure of the building leads to an expansive lower ground floor. The flooring is rendered in Italian statuario marble with a complex geometric inlay. The vestibule features an additional backlit onyx ‘bamboo’ bathroom, a boiler room with ample room for a washer dryer, and a fuse-box closet. • The lower ground floor bedroom with an en suite bathroom is lit by natural light and ventilation that enters the bedroom through a door that opens onto an exterior light well. • An office room with a built-in kitchenette (note: the room may also be used as a bedroom) leads to a specially waterproofed vault or wine storage area and a sauna or gym clad with marble and wood. FIRST FLOOR • A large formal drawing room with a fireplace overlooks the shared garden. • An open library area featuring original, restored neo-Georgian fireplace and shelving overlooks the lobby through side-mounted glass-panels creating a traditional and yet contemporary space. SECOND FLOOR • Two light-filled bedrooms appropriate for king-sized beds feature en suite bathrooms and lift access. THIRD FLOOR • The spectacular glass faceted solarium that opens onto a balcony overlooking the garden was designed by architect Neil Wilson to create a unique leisure and entertainment space and was constructed with custom-designed aluminum and glass members that were specially craned in and for which unique architectural permission was granted. • A gorgeous room with a mansard roof constructed of new solid timber beams create a cozy chalet-like space which is adjoined by an en suite onyx bathroom. COUNCIL TAX