1898
Building of the studios started in 1898. One of a group of eight, it was originally known as number 4 Egerton Place Studios.
They were built as live / work spaces for artists / photographers and architects. So the initial starting point is to loose the contemporary done up to sell look, and go back to the artist studio history of the house. It’s why it was built and its initial owners were all artists of various sorts.
So think Victorian bohemia, lots of wood, rich painterly colours, draped fabrics and rugs, a warm but decadent feel where you might expect Oscar wilde to pass you an opium pipe. George Charles Bereseford 1864 - 1938
The first owner of the house was George Charles Beresford grandson of the Marquess of Waterford and an early portrait photographer. He photographed a colourful mix of artists, aristocrats and writers. He was close friends with Rudyard Kipling (who based one of his key charactors on him), Augustus John, Virginia Woolf and Sir William Orpen. So very much the Bloomsbury set / Chelsea Arts Club scene.
There are over 300 of his portraits which one can buy from the National Portrait Gallery (for around £50 a pop). I really like the idea that one knows all of them have been sitting there in the studio for the shots. Augustus John Rodin J.M.Barrie Charles Ricketts
Virginia Woolf Lady Morrell Queen Victoria of Spain Lady Cooper
H G Wells Lord Douglas Winston Churchill William Yeats
William Rothenstein Vanessa Bell Jacob Epstein Gabreille Enthoven
Lionel Burleigh High Speed Artist
A true Chelsea eccentric Lionel resided at number 20 in the 1940’s after the war An ex-alcoholic he re-directed his enrgies into painting, producing an average of 27 paintings a day. The only drawback is they’re not very good! I have found one though that could look great as a mural in the downstairs toilet. The other amusing thing about him is that he did also start Englands first independent newspaper The Com- monwealth Sentinel. He was frustrated that newspapers printed nonsense and figured he’d start his own. Unfortunatly he forgot to arrange any kind of distribution, so the 50,000 copies were delivered to him at Browns Hotel, and the Police were called due to them blocking traffic. Sir William Orpen
On the first floor the scheme has been inspired by the William Orpen portrait above. The Classic masculine lines of a panelled library are softened with touches of pastel pink, a fur throw, and delicate chadeliers.
Marchesa Casati An Italian heiress who blew her entire fortune on art, parties and fashion. She had to sell her palace in Venice and moved over to London just around the corner in Beaufort Gardens. Above is a portrait of her by her close friend Augustus John, in turn the closest friend of the studios first owner Mr G.C.Beresford. Balcony-terrace
Roof light WARDROVE Bedroom 1 SHELVES
SLIDING DOORS OPEN SOFA/BED CLOSED BED DOWN
Bedroom 2 WARDROVE
SIDE TABLE 1 AND 2 SHELVES join together to make the coffe table 17 16 15 14 13 18 19 12 down 11
Toilet WARDROVE 2 up WARDROVE
Linen Cupboard
Bedroom 3 Toilet SLIDING DOOR 4 SHUT Bathroom 2 WARDROVE
PROPOSED GA FIRST FLOOR PLAN (final version ) Scale 1:50
A3 20 Yeomans Row PV9-902 London, SW3 2AH
Proposed First Floor
FRANCISCO A. GUTIERREZ
JOHN TEALL
1/50 23-12-14 PROPOSED GA FIRST FLOOR VERSION 9 Rudyard Kipling The spare room is dedicated to Rudyard Kipling who spent a great deal of time in the studio being best friends with G C Beresford on whom he based Mc’Turk.
Virgnia Woolf
As photographed above in the room that is now to be the top bedroom, Virginia was a close friend of the original owner G.C. Beresford. This photo was also on the British Stamp in 2006.
The proposals for the bedroom are based on the designs of her country home Monk’s House in Charleston. The house was decortaed by her sister Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.