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By Olivia Lidbury Interiors 22.05.2023

6 Iconic British Homes Where You Can Actually Snoop Around

These homes belonging to genre-pushing artists and designers have been masterfully preserved, providing a history lesson and a real-life window into how these tastemakers once lived.

Instagram is a great source of inspiration for interiors, but there’s another, entirely authentic genre to mine: actual houses. Some homes belonging to genre-pushing artists and designers have been masterfully preserved, providing a history lesson and a real-life window into how these tastemakers once lived.

Like stepping back in time, it’s surprising how many details and decorative techniques continue to endure. So stop scrolling, make a date in the diary and get out for some IRL influencing at these six iconic British Homes.

1. Polesden Lacey, Surrey

Try to imagine the scene: frazzled from her busy weeks in Mayfair, the wealthy socialite Margaret Greville retreats to Polesden Lacey in the countryside, where on weekends, she hosts celebrities and politicians at lavish parties. This was a reality for Margaret, a lover of fine things, who also welcomed the future King George VI on his honeymoon. Renovated by the architect duo famed for remodelling the Ritz in London, the gold-trimmed saloon sums up her maximalist approach to life.

2. Farley’s House, East Sussex

Lee Miller was a one-time model, muse and photographer who had art world connections (she snapped Pablo Picasso and was Man Ray’s lover) and a serious job (she documented the devastation of World War II on Europe). Farley’s House is where she and her husband set up home in 1949, and it is filled with contemporary art treasures from the leading figures of the time who dropped by to visit. As photos are banned, you won’t get much documentation of the interior on Instagram, and it’s only open two days a week – all of which only adds to its under-the-radar appeal.

3. The Cosmic House, London

Postmodernists, rejoice! This unique house, remodelled in the late 1970s, is a play on the genteel architecture of a well-heeled part of West London. The brainchild of landscape designer and all-round intellect Charles Jencks and his wife Maggie, an architect and notable designer were commissioned to create rooms designed to spur critical thinking and debate. The result is the most unpredictable of spaces, where proportions are skewed and the furniture nothing like you’ve ever seen before. Get on the waiting list for a visit pronto.

4. Emery Walker’s House, London

Emery Walker’s house in Hammersmith is the most authentic and best preserved Arts & Crafts style in Britain. It just looks as it did in the late 1800s, when the typographer and printer chose almost entirely the soft furnishings and wallpapers created by his dear friend, the textile designer William Morris, for his elegant townhouse. Walker was a key member of the Arts & Crafts movement, and the eclectic rooms have been painstakingly preserved. Guided tours will take you back in time, along with themed exhibitions running simultaneously.

5. Dennis Severs’ House, London

This space is a curious proposition: Dennis Severs was an American who bought a dilapidated house dating back to the 1700s in a historic part of central London, and made turning it into a ‘living museum’ his life’s work. He invented a fictional family who had lived there for centuries, and the effect is so authentic, it’s as if they just popped out. It’s especially magical during candlelit winters.

6. Charleston Farmhouse, East Sussex

You could eke an entire day out at picturesque Charleston. From the bucolic gardens and contemporary gallery space, to the curated gift shop and Italian street food cafe, the jewel in the crown, of course, is the house. The country home and studio of painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, it was here that some of the 20th century’s most radical artists and thinkers – known as the Bloomsbury group – gathered. Their influence is felt everywhere, with the decorative paint touches which adorn every room still influencing many artists to this day.

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