Kensington Residence

Originally built in 1873 as a coach house serving nearby Kent House, the imposing redbrick and white stucco townhouse of Ashburton House has been painstakingly restored by Katharine Pooley. The final interior, pieced together over two years, artfully balances a contemporary aesthetic with rich historic detailing.

Standout architectural features include the intricately inlaid marble entrance hall floor, a linear bronze staircase scrolling gracefully upward through the building, generous sash windows to both the front and rear façade ensuring each of the seven floors is flooded with light, and a limestone clad roof terrace with unparalleled views over the roof tops and chimney pots of Knightsbridge below.

The owner of the property, an old friend of Katharine’s, of Persian extraction, has a love of contemporary art and the interior reflects this with unexpected but precisely positioned flourishes of colour. A handful of large-scale, impactful paintings, form a vivid backdrop to an exciting and eclectic collection of Classical and Asian artefacts and sculptures.

A pair of classical Italian Grand Tour Bronze urns with relief scenes of classical antiquity are displayed to maximum effect against the white stucco polished plaster of the curved staircase, whilst in the entrance hall a large plaster bust cast of the Gaddi Torso, (the original resides in the Uffizi Gallery Florence) is impressive both for its scale and beauty.

The tonal dining room is brought to life by a glorious shimmering emerald and coral impressionistic painting by English contemporary artist, Rebecca Meanley, in front of which a pair of French Baroque style rock crystal candle sticks add theatrical flourish.