Property of the Month: A grand period apartment in Covent Garden
London living doesn’t come much more central than this
Whatever your thoughts on Covent Garden – tourist trap, foodie haven, shopping fantasyland – you’ve probably never thought about actually living there. After all, just like nearby Oxford Street and Regent Street, no one really lives in a place like Covent Garden, do they? Well, it seems they do, and, if this King Street apartment is anything to go by, they do so in considerable style.
If you’ve ventured to theatreland recently, the grand Baroque building which houses this apartment may well have caught your eye. Standing proudly with its dusty pink façade, large sash windows and entryway colonnades, it occupies a prime position overlooking the main Covent Garden piazza, with views to the market on one side, and the 17th-century, Inigo-Jones-designed St Paul’s church to the other.
Designed by Thomas Archer and built in 1716 at the behest of its first owner, Lord Russell, First Lord of the Admiralty, the Grade II-listed building is, in fact, one of the oldest buildings in Covent Garden. It has recently undergone a major restoration, with sensitive renovations designed to preserve the property’s beautiful period features while transforming it into a modern and luxurious place to live.
The result is a handful of apartments such as this, which occupies the entire first floor and boasts nearly 2,750 sq ft of prime London living space. “King Street is a truly magnificent apartment situated in the oldest building in Covent Garden,” explains Claire Reynolds, Head of Savills Mayfair and Co-Head of Prime Central London. “Sales like this really don’t come to the market very often, and therefore it offers a rare opportunity for a buyer to own a very special historic property in one of London’s best-loved locations.”
Separated into two wings, an impressive entryway delivers guests into the centre of the apartment, with two en suite bedrooms situated to the left and a series of gorgeous reception rooms and the kitchen to the right – all of which benefit from impressive views thanks to the apartment’s numerous expansive windows.
Highlights include ceiling heights in excess of four metres throughout, while the main reception room is the most impressive in terms of period features, with Baroque plaster decoration, bolection moulding, panelling and cornice detailing making this an incredibly elegant space. Feature fireplaces can also be found in the adjoining drawing room/study and kitchen-diner.
Bedrooms are large and light-filled and currently decorated to offer new owners a blank canvas on which to impart their personal style. The master suite is particularly stately, having been cleverly designed to incorporate a dressing room, while also offering a large bathroom with separate WC.
“What is so special about King Street is that its original period features have been carefully restored and there is a real sense of grandeur,” adds Reynolds. “As the apartment sits across the entire first floor, it has a total of seven grand sash windows across the façade which have incredible views over Covent Garden piazza. It’s the kind of outlook that offers a unique window into London life because you’re seeing the city’s comings-and-goings and some of its best-known landmarks from your own protected and private vantage point.”
The King Street apartment is listed for sale with Savills for £8.25 million, savills.com
