A 301-year-old London townhouse that moonlights as a boutique hotel and swanky photoshoot location is on the market for £2 million (US$2.84 million).
Built in 1717, the four-story house is on Mile End Road, within East London’s Stepney Green conservation area, defined as a region of "special architectural and historical interest," according to Historic England. It hit the market last month.
A Victorian Water Tower-Turned-Modern-Home in London https://t.co/o0zAuNVhvB pic.twitter.com/a1ZlxXCi6r
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In the mid-1990s, after sitting empty for decades—and having last served as a laundromat in the 1960s—the house was bought by interior designer David Carter. Shortly after his purchase, and with help from a grant, the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust embarked on an extensive project to save the house from dereliction. The work included the restoration of its many period features, including paneling, cornices, fireplaces, balustraded staircases and shutters, according to a news release from listing agent Savills.
"Its current owner has done an incredible job in his sensitive restoration works, and the result is a magnificent home in one of East London’s most charming residential and conservation areas," said Laura Laws, head of residential, Savills Wapping in the news release.
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More recently, the three-bedroom home has been featured in television documentaries, coffee table books and magazines, acting as a photoshoot location. Notable visitors have included Helen Mirren, Thandie Newton, Orlando Bloom and Robert Pattinson, according to Savills.
Since 2009, Mr. Carter has also operated a mini-hotel out of two of the home’s bedrooms.
"When I bought the house 20 years ago, most people thought I was mad. East London was not the cool, hipster place it is now," said Mr. Carter in the news release.
"The house was more than a project. It was a ruin," he continued. "But despite its derelict state there was something special about the house. It had survived wars, plagues and revolutions, and it was an architectural gem. It just needed someone to love it and restore it to its former glory."