close

The Househunter 18/3/16

Screen Shot 2016-03-14 at 15.44.22

Now I don’t know about you but most of my late night, one too many glasses of wine, mad schemes involve winning the lottery and buying a house in Italy. Usually I content myself with the almost realistic; buying something really cheap like a rustico (old, generally knackered farm building) and gradually converting it to the house of my dreams.

But, every now and then I see something like this.

Screen Shot 2016-03-14 at 15.53.08

And “this” is a an eight million dollar house in Tuscany that USED TO BELONG TO MICHAELANGELO. The current owner actually has the original deeds and documents. Imagine that. It’s going to take more than a couple of glasses of red wine to believe that this is a plan that we can pull off. Lottery or no lottery.

Screen Shot 2016-03-14 at 15.44.57

It slightly blows my mind to think that he actually lived here and the current owner has restored it as accurately as possible. Do you think it’s fabulous? I do but perhaps it doesn’t float your boat in the same way.

It’s between Florence and Siena should you need any realistic details. Or, you know, for when you come and stay with me. There are eight bedrooms after all. If you want to see the rest it’s on the market with Handsome Properties International  (of course it is).

Screen Shot 2016-03-14 at 15.45.15

Right we’re leaving Italy now because I sense that you lot mostly like your house porn a little more modern. So worrabout this then? It’s squillions of pounds (£24m to be precise) so the only way you’re getting to see in is if you come with me now. It’s on the market with Savills (via onthemarket.com) and is a five bedroom mews house in Primrose Hill, which is a very chichi part of north London let me tell you. And I can tell you because I was there yesterday. I was passing through in a taxi because it was far too expensive for me to actually get out of the car and buy anything.

img_0_1_hd

This though, was inspired by the house below – which was built in 1932 by Pierre Chareau in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.

FROM la maison du verre published by Thames & Hudson via the Wall Street Journal
FROM la maison du verre published by Thames & Hudson via the Wall Street Journal

If I’m honest I might find the outside more interesting than the inside but now we’re here we should have look. Although that staircase is something isn’t it? That would make a great photograph to hang on the wall, which may be the closest we get.

img_6_1_hd

The site was previously home to a recording studio, a shell casing factory during WWI and a milking dairy from the 1950s when cows grazed on Primrose Hill. Now obviously five bedrooms doesn’t sound many when you look at the size of it but there is also an orangery, a cinema and indoor swimming pool. Oh and those receptions are double height.

img_2_1_hd

Actually, I think the space is growing on me. I mean that does look a pretty cool place to have a bath doesn’t it? Although that chair makes it look as if you would be having a meeting. Somehow it’s not the kind of chair you drape a towel over, it’s a chair for concentrating in.

Screen Shot 2016-03-17 at 15.39.58

And there I shall leave you. It’s Friday, have a glass of wine and contemplate your fantasy house buying. I know I shall be.

 

Kate Watson-Smyth

The author Kate Watson-Smyth

I’m a journalist who writes about interiors mainly for The Financial Times but I have also written regularly for The Independent and The Daily Mail. My house has been in Living Etc, HeartHome and featured in The Wall Street Journal & Corriere della Sera. I also run an interior styling consultancy Mad About Your House. Welcome to my Mad House.

2 Comments

  1. Friday? Check! Wine? Check! Mad scheme? I would swap the furniture — Tuscany goes to Primrose Hill and vice versa. I’m sure I can scrounge up 32 mil.

  2. I love the Italian property just slightly above my budget so I won’t be making an offer. The interiors are too traditional for me. I notice more and more holiday homes are stylish, contemporary and similar to our own homes. These are always first on my list for hols.

    Sorry the Primrose Hill pad doesn’t float my boat – the interiors seem really cold.

    Thks for the great posts this week.

Comments are closed.