Luxury lifestyle, prime property
EASE INTO SUMMER
OUT AND ABOUT
Taste the warmth of Argentine cuisine at Sucre on Great Marlborough Street. Using open fire for maximum flavour, dishes are made to share and pair with cocktails. Want a more intimate setting? Head for Downstairs at Sucre. sucrerestaurant.com
KEEPING MUM
One-person play, Every Brilliant Thing at @sohoplace opens with Lenny Henry, followed by Jonny Donahoe (also co-creator), Ambika Mod, and then Sue Perkins. Following a child who makes a list of everything that’s wonderful in the world for their mother, it's about the lengths we go to for those we love, and is making its West End debut after the 2016 HBO film release. Opens 1 August. sohoplace.org
BRIGHT IDEAS
Lighthouse Social, London’s newest private members club is an interiors dream. Overlooking the River Thames and inspired by its Fulham neighbours, this brainchild of Jamie Caring was built to help the modern Londoner to spark connections. Unwind in Lillie’s, the lounge named after Fulham’s own Lillie Langtry, or dine at the club’s restaurant which celebrates a fusion of Korean and south-east Asian flavours and American comfort food. lighthousesocial.com
ROYAL ROAST
This bank holiday, embark on the ultimate London family day out at the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival. There's plenty to see throughout the weekend in the grounds of Henry VIII's former home: explore the palace itself, discover artisanal producers, play fete games and shop. 23-25 August hrpfestivals.com
FRESHLY MINTED
Jewellery collections that sparkle, inspired by travel, heritage and nature
The royal seal
Celebrating its 250th anniversary, British jeweller Mappin & Webb has joined forces with The Royal Mint to create an exclusive 15-piece collection (above left). Additionally, the brand has unveiled fresh floral designs, set with 25 sparkly diamonds. mappinandwebb.com
TUTTI FRUITY
Sloane Street jeweller Anabela Chan’s latest collection, Fruit Gems, fuses science, nature and artistry. In a first for the jewellery industry, the colourful range features gemstones synthesised from natural fruit and vegetable waste, such as beetroot, spirulina and blueberry. The innovative collection made up of rose quartz, sapphires, rubies and other beloved stones, comes after the designer’s Waste to Wonder research theme. So, now you can eat and wear one (or more) of your five a day. anabelachan.com
OUT OF AFRICA
Around Africa in 10 Days is a collection born from a family trip made by Boodles chairman Nicolas Wainwright and his niece Honour, director of marketing. Named for the continent's awe-inspiring wildlife and natural landmarks, such as Victoria Falls earrings (above), the range is a labour of love, and fully traceable from mine to the Boodles workshop. boodles com
NATURAL BEAUTY
Marking the 20th anniversary of the iconic Talisman collection from De Beers, the jewellery house is writing a new chapter for the iconic line to connect wearers to the Earth's energy. Drawing from the allure of natural luxury, the pieces include rings, pendants and earrings, all embedded with the warmth of golden hour. debeers.co.uk
MY FIRST LONDON
HOME
TONY WOODS
The multi-award-winning founder of Garden Club London talks to Anne Cuthbertson about overcoming bullies and rude celebrity clients to fulfil a lifelong passion for plants
I grew up in the Lake District, in a really rural area of small villages, with farms and a close-knit community.
My parents were serial house renovators. We moved house a lot and lived in building sites our whole childhood and teenage years. Weekends and holidays were spent clearing the garden, digging holes and making dens with my brothers and sisters.
I was a strange child. I loved plants and growing things. If it was my birthday, I wanted a chicken I started to rescue ex-battery hens and used to buy ex-free-rangers for 50p each and sold the eggs to neighbours, so I was quite entrepreneurial.
I had a good idea of what hard work was. By the time I was 15, I could mix cement, plant trees, and lay foundations. And there was no question that I wanted to go to horticultural college.
When I was at secondary school one of our art teachers started a gardening club and five or six geeky kids joined. But the kids that did it got bullied. The other kids would come along and smash things up.
Now gardening is so cool. If you’re a 16 year old, you can be out on the allotment, or look after houseplants. But I was bullied for gardening. My dad was in the police, and I was into gardening –it was a double whammy.
Years later, I called my business Garden Club London in honour of all those kids who made my life hell!
I first moved to London in 2008, to Victoria Drive in Southfields, really close to Wimbledon. It was an ex-local authority house share that had been carved into more rooms than it should have been.
After a year, I moved to Putney, then Lavender Hill – all rental –then with my now-wife Lizzie to Clapham South, to Alderbrooke Road, for four or five years before moving to Folkestone. After moving house so often as kids, this feels like home.
I began working for a landscape company, in billionaires’ gardens, for celebrities, or sometimes just helping someone in a rental prune back their garden.
Some of the client requests were completely bonkers. One very famous person, who had an immaculate designer garden, said the grass was the wrong shade of green. They were flying back from America and insisted their grass was sprayed green. We applied this lawn paint but it rained and the dye leached onto his
limestone steps. It looked like something out of Halloween. The client came back and screamed at us. We had to bleach it clean.
We had a similar client who lived on a street in Notting Hill – a very well-known, very rude person. They had super-renovated the terrace and everything in the garden was painted white. We didn’t really want to do the work – it was outdoor cleaning not gardening – but the concierge pleaded with us.
It turns out there was an old chap who lived next door whose life had been ruined by all the building work. So, he would buy blackberries from Portobello Road Market and feed them to the birds who would go and shit all over the neighbour’s white garden.
Fast forward a few weeks later, and it had snowed. The concierge asked us to come back and melt the snow because it had turned grey. He wanted us to make it disappear because it was not the right shade of snow.
We did our first million-pound garden last year. It was stressful, but the clients and their kids were so appreciative.
“ONE VERY FAMOUS PERSON, WHO HAD AN IMMACULATE GARDEN, SAID THE GRASS WAS THE WRONG SHADE OF GREEN AND INSISTED WE SPRAYED IT WITH LAWN PAINT”
You’ve got two types of clients. One will text you when they know you’re on holiday to tell you that a lightbulb isn’t working. The other one will take a picture of a flower that has just come out in their garden and send it to you.
Our first [RHS] Chelsea garden was a step into the unknown. You have to balance keeping your business running and competing at the Olympics of gardening.
We did the floating park in Paddington on Merchant Square. That was a combination of real naivety and excitement. We knew we had to do something that had never been done before in Europe. At one stage, the headline in the Evening Standard was ‘London’s floating disaster’. But we got it finished. It’s eight years old now, and we’ve won many awards for it.
I’m a real plants person. My perfect urban garden would have lots of herbs to really hack into for cooking: mint for tea and mojitos, lemon verbena for garnishing. And lots of scent – star jasmine and martagon lilies. There’d be no outdoor speakers – just bring a bluetooth speaker out – no coloured lighting, and no inconsiderate fire pits. L
The Komorebi Container Garden, designed by Garden Club London and Masa Taniguchi and sponsored by Hamptons, won gold at RHS Chelsea and has been relocated to a school rewilding project in Kent. gardenclublondon.co.uk
FOR LIFE’S FINER THINGS
Auriens Chelsea offers elegant living and a vibrant community just off the King’s Road
London remains a popular choice for downsizers, especially those seeking easy access to cultural attractions, outstanding dining, and everyday convenience. Auriens Chelsea offers an elegant solution with 56 beautiful apartments just off the King’s Road, where state-of-the-art facilities and a like-minded community create the perfect setting for this next chapter.
More than just a smart address, Auriens offers a lifestyle for those with curiosity and an appreciation for life’s finer things. Live jazz dinners, guest speaker afternoons, wine tastings and classical recitals are just part of a varied, evolving calendar. Regular activities, such as art and singing classes and wellness programmes, are shaped to support both mind and body, helping residents stay engaged and active.
Health and wellbeing are thoughtfully integrated into every aspect of life at Auriens. In addition to a spa, gym and 15-metre swimming pool, residents benefit from tailored programmes created by trusted experts focused on increasing both lifespan and health span. For those who need extra support, Draycott Nursing & Care provide s discreet, high-quality care. Its presence ensures peace of
mind for residents and their families, whether the need is occasional or ongoing.
Auriens’ restaurant is led by head chef Panos Kotalakidis, formerly of The Savoy, with a menu that reflects quality and seasonality. Concierge Dan McCaskie and his team, with backgrounds in some of London’s finest hotels, are the friendly faces always on hand in the lobby. Whether it’s booking a holiday, a restaurant reservation, help with IT or collecting a prescription, they make daily life run smoothly.
The surroundings are elegant but relaxed, with a library, cinema and speakeasy bar. From 24-hour security, housekeeping and maintenance to in-apartment dining, a dedicated chauffeur and house car, every detail is taken care. But what truly defines Auriens is its people. “The sense of community here is extraordinary,” says Henry Lumby, chief c ommercial officer. “There’s a warmth that comes from friendships between residents and the close bonds formed with our team.”
Apartments are available to purchase from £2.75m and are open to those over 65. The Friends of Auriens initiative offers select guests the chance to connect with this exceptional community through curated events and experiences. L
For more information, call 020 3006 8827 or visit auriens.com
Fly the flagship
THIS SUMMER, INDULGE IN RETAIL THERAPY WITH OUR GUIDE TO LONDON’S SEASONAL SHOWROOM OPENINGS AND IN-STORE EXPERIENCES
TISSA FONTANEDA X SWAROVSKI
JOHN BELL & CROYDEN
IN ROTATION Left to right: One of August Collection’s current Premium Collection properties, this six-bedroom Les Hautes Vallettes villa offers co-owners a rustic-luxe slice of French Riviera living, complete with a swimming pool, sun-soaked terraces, mature gardens and a pétanque court; available through The Hideaways Club, Casa Cielo in Sardinia’s Golfo Aranci region has five bedrooms, an outdoor pool and sits within easy reach of the island’s buzziest beaches and resort towns
PORTFOLIO HOLIDAYS
WHY HAVE ONE HOLIDAY HOME WHEN YOU CAN HAVE FOUR?
CHARLOTTE DUCK LEARNS HOW FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP GIVES LONDONERS MAINTENANCE-FREE HOLIDAY HOMES ALL OVER THE WORLD
Fancy owning a villa in Majorca, a Cotswolds cottage and a farmhouse in Tuscany for a fraction of the price and have none of the stress of maintaining them? Fractional, or co-ownership, where multiple individuals own part of a property and are allocated a proportion of time to use it, is becoming increasingly popular – particularly in London. “Co-ownership is the concept of sharing ownership of a holiday property. It makes sense from a financial and user perspective,” says Mélie Dunod, CEO of August (augustcollections.com). This is supported by research which shows those with second and third homes actually only spend 10 % of their time in them.
August’s clients can choose from t he City Collection, with starting prices of €405,000 and properties in London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Cannes, or the Villa Collection, which has an entry price of €435,000 and includes a farmhouse in Tuscany, flat in the Alps, villa in Majorca, Cotswold cottage and house in the s outh of France. Depending on the size of your share, you’re allocated a certain number of weeks a year and then pay an annual management fee and cleaning fee every time you stay. Unlike timeshares, with this ownership model, you own the right to the deeds and a proportion of the
asset , rather than just the right to use the property. Homes are three- or four-bedroom and would cost up to €1.8m to buy, as they’ve been renovated to a high standard with designer interiors.
“We use bespoke art from local artists and have
HOLLAND PARK VILLAGE LONDON
HIGH PROFILE YET UNDER THE RADAR, THIS CELEBRITY-FRIENDLY ENCLAVE IS PERENNIALLY POPULAR WITH BUYERS FOR ITS SPECTACULAR HOMES, EXCELLENT SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY LIFESTYLE
Elegant, leafy Holland Park, with its snow-white stucco houses and pretty mews streets, is home to some of London’s most high-profi le residents, from global music stars to footballing royalty. Jimmy Page, Sir Elton John and the freshly knighted Sir David Beckham are just some of the household names to call it home.
“Holland Park o ers a quieter and more refi ned lifestyle compared to the buzz of its bohemian neighbour, Notting Hill,” says Julian Kroll, head of sales at John D. Wood & Co’s Notting Hill o ce. “Known and valued for its discretion and exclusivity, Holland Park has long attracted some of London’s most high-profi le, elite residents – from global business leaders to celebrities like the Beckhams – all drawn to its sense of privacy and elegant charm.”
some of the best state and independent schools, the acres of Holland Park itself, with its wooded areas, Kyoto Garden, and peaceful atmosphere, o er residents the perfect lifestyle balance. The dining scene is fashionably understated too, with beloved local spots like Six Portland Road and t he Belvedere being popular with residents
“Holland Park has long attracted some of London's most high-profile, elite residents”
Charlie Kennard, head of department in Savills Kensington o ce agrees, saying:“ life here feels more relaxed, removed from the hustle and bustle, yet o ering all the convenience today’s buyers seek.” As well as excellent transport links and
And then there are the houses.
“Architecturally, Holland Park boasts some of the capital’s grandest Victorian villas and stucco-fronted townhouses, often set on wider, treelined streets and larger plots,” says Kroll. “Sought-after addresses such as Ilchester Place, Addison Road, Abbotsbury Road and The Phillimores consistently command among the highest £psf values in London, particularly for freehold houses with gardens and proximity to the park.” The most prestigious properties reach up to £30m.
Kroll concludes: “While Notting Hill may sparkle with colour and energy, Holland Park is an enclave that feels at once central and yet serenely detached from city life.”