DE VERE GARDENS

De Vere Gardens is a grand and elegant Victorian terrace constructed by the renowned builders of the day, C.A. Daw (who still manage this building), in the 1870s and is the Centrepiece of the De Vere Conservation Area. It runs south from Kensington Gardens, the Royal Park dominated by the magnificent 18th century Kensington Palace designed by Sir Christopher Wren: the official residence of the Prince & Princess of Wales, with its fabulous Orangery restaurant and gardens. De Vere Gardens is a wide residential avenue featuring substantial homes, an echo of a Paris boulevard, next to smaller picturesque streets, together evoking the charm and atmosphere of an historic village. It’s two minutes’ walk from the Royal Park, less from the quaint shops clustered around Launceston Place Green.

This particular apartment occupies a prime elevated position towards the southern end of the street. It spans the top two (4th and 5th) floors of the building, with lift, yet has surprisingly high ceilings. Its landing is shared with no other apartment, giving an immediate feeling of privacy. The entire apartment has been comprehensively refurbished, to an exacting standard. Its lower floor has a spacious entrance hall, with striking elliptical staircase, four double bedrooms and three bathrooms (two en suite). The principal bedroom suite looks west through double windows over the front of the building, with plenty of fitted wardrobes and an en suite bathroom including “His & Hers” basins, a stylish free-standing bath and a separate open shower. Adjoining, there are two more double bedrooms, which share a guest/family bathroom and are separated by a walk-in closet. At the other end of the corridor, beyond an ample utility room, lies the guest double bedroom suite with a walk-through dressing area (complete with abundant fitted shelving and wardrobe space) along with an en suite shower room. It would also make an ideal space for a nanny.

The apartment’s truly exceptional feature awaits at the top of the sweeping staircase. The open-plan kitchen, dining and living space is positioned above the surrounding buildings, giving expansive and eye-catching 270 degree views to the east, south and west. Very private but gloriously panoramic, you gaze through the full height sliding picture windows over the local roofscape, surveying much of London’s iconic skyline: the Royal Albert Hall, the Queen’s Tower, the Natural History Museum, the Brompton Oratory and, in the distance, the Shard. From the reception space you then look, and step, straight out through wide sliding French doors onto the stunning decked roof garden; designed by multiple Chelsea Flower Show gold-medallist Andy Sturgeon. Its seclusion, the warmth of its west-facing aspect during the day and the impact of its spectacular night-time lighting, give it the intimacy of extra living and entertaining space; particularly magical for evening entertaining.

The apartment’s contemporary feel contrasts with the more traditional style of the building’s communal areas. Looked after by a daytime porter, these areas have been beautifully preserved and recently refurbished to a high standard. They feature the original columned stucco/marble portico, wood flooring and wooden banisters/trim, all centred around a splendid wood-panelled lift. In addition, the lower ground floor provides an unusual bonus: a series of under-pavement private vaults, accessible from the pavement or through the basement. They have been renovated to give walk-in storage space as wine cellars, laundry rooms, bicycle sheds etc. Four of the vaults belong to this particular apartment.

De Vere Gardens is wonderfully tranquil with little through traffic but is just a few minutes’ walk from an array of excellent amenities on and around Kensington High Street and Gloucester Road. These include plenty of renowned restaurants, bistros, delicatessens, patisseries, cafes and boutiques: the Kensington Ivy, Launceston Place, Le Montparnasse Café, Wholefoods and Partridges. Several highly-rated schools are also within easy walking distance: Thomas’s Prep (1 minute), Le Lycée Francais (15 minutes) and Holland Park School (15 minutes). The public transport links are excellent too. Various and frequent bus services pass along Kensington Road (1 minutes’ walk) and there are Underground Stations at High Street Kensington (10 minutes away – District & Circle Lines), Gloucester Road (8 minutes away – Piccadilly, District & Circle Lines) & Queensway (12 minutes away – Central Line).