• Gilston Road is an end-of-terrace property detached on three sides. Courtesy Knight Frank
    Gilston Road is an end-of-terrace property detached on three sides. Courtesy Knight Frank
  • It affords that rarest of commodities in London: privacy. Courtesy Knight Frank
    It affords that rarest of commodities in London: privacy. Courtesy Knight Frank
  • The study features refined oak panelling. Courtesy Knight Frank
    The study features refined oak panelling. Courtesy Knight Frank
  • Other walls are stainless steel - ideal for entertaining should errant drinks be sloshed about. Courtesy Knight Frank
    Other walls are stainless steel - ideal for entertaining should errant drinks be sloshed about. Courtesy Knight Frank
  • The central hallway is gloss black acrylic. Courtesy Knight Frank
    The central hallway is gloss black acrylic. Courtesy Knight Frank
  • One of the immaculate three bedrooms with verdant views of the garden. Courtesy Knight Frank
    One of the immaculate three bedrooms with verdant views of the garden. Courtesy Knight Frank
  • Another bedroom is light and capacious. Courtesy Knight Frank
    Another bedroom is light and capacious. Courtesy Knight Frank
  • The house is girded by a walled garden which provides a sense of the bucolic in the heart of London. Courtesy Knight Frank
    The house is girded by a walled garden which provides a sense of the bucolic in the heart of London. Courtesy Knight Frank

Luxury

Dedicated follower of fashion? Tom Ford's £13m former house is up for grabs

American fashion designer's former residence is perfect fit for 'a single man'

Tim Kiek

December 10, 2020

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From its bustling metropolises to quaint villages, the UK offers diverse locations for luxury living. Spectacular residential properties range from historic country castles to cutting-edge city apartments. In this new series, The National showcases the best and most luxurious the UK has to offer.

Featured property

Gilston Road, Chelsea, London, SW10 - £13.45m/$18.1m

Ford almighty

Tom Ford is the personification of fashionista - and his dedication to fashion is felt in every nook and cranny of Gilston Road.

Architectural parlance is dominated by the concept of reflection: properties being either reflections of their surroundings or their owners.

The man in charge of selling the property, Knight Frank's Charles Olver, is in no doubt to which category Gilston Road belongs.

'It feels like it has been designed by one of the world’s most stylish people," he says.

"It's a proper entertaining home. A statement piece."

The swing to haute couture marks a departure from the last instalment of The National's UK luxury property series where readers were given the chance to look inside Seton Castle, a frequent haunt of Mary Queen of Scots.

With the Elizabethan era not renowned for its sense of fashion, it would be a stretch to call the bodice-wearing, full-skirted Mary a fashionista. It's less of a stretch to apply the epithet to ex Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent creative director Mr Ford.

Gilston Road is located in The Boltons Conservation Area in Chelsea, London, and it is reputed to be the third most expensive street in the UK.

Given the post code's prestige, it is unsurprising that it is home (or second/third/fourth home etc.) to a panoply of Middle Eastern and other royal families. Indeed the Thai royal family has a home nearby, Mr Olver revealed.

English royalty meets fashion: Prince Charles speaks to Tom Ford during a reception for Americans living and working in the UK. Getty Images
English royalty meets fashion: Prince Charles speaks to Tom Ford during a reception for Americans living and working in the UK. Getty Images

The earlier allusion to the property's suitability for single men wasn't merely a contrivance allowing mention of one of Mr Ford's filmic oeuvre - the house is ideal for a man about town.

"It's designed for bachelors or people who come to London frequently on business," said Mr Olver.

At this stage the temptation is to suggest it would be a good fit for 'nocturnal animals' - but this would undoubtedly be a contrivance.

Gilston Place - on the runway

One of the property's most compelling charms is its duality.

"It's like a country mansion in the centre of town," said Mr Olver.

"A walled garden goes around the entire house - and that just does not exist in London, let alone other locations.

"It's so light and green you really could be in the country."

The sense of self containment is extended to the house itself. It's detached on three sides and affords that most valuable of commodities in London: privacy.

This said, when privacy isn't required the house is born to entertain - and its stainless steel walls, oak panels, white alabaster stairway and black marble flooring mean cleaning up after a decadent soiree wouldn't be too much of a drag.

These interiors remain mostly unchanged from the time of Tom Ford's refurbishment.

Gilston Place highlights

  • Three bedrooms
  • Three bathrooms
  • Three reception rooms
  • Walled garden
  • Cellar
  • Gym

And here's the floor plan:

Gilston Road floorplan. Courtesy Knight Frank
Gilston Road floorplan. Courtesy Knight Frank

Gilston Place is on the market with Knight Frank

UK luxury property series

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Tom Ford gallery

  • Tom Ford poses with Hollywood stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams at the Venice Film Festival. Getty Images
    Tom Ford poses with Hollywood stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams at the Venice Film Festival. Getty Images
  • Tom Ford is pictured with actors Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth McGovern during a reception for Americans living and working in the UK. Getty Images
    Tom Ford is pictured with actors Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth McGovern during a reception for Americans living and working in the UK. Getty Images
  • Giancarlo Giammetti, Tom Ford and Valentino Garavani pose at a book launch in London. Getty Images
    Giancarlo Giammetti, Tom Ford and Valentino Garavani pose at a book launch in London. Getty Images
  • Tom Ford and Rita Ora attend the British Fashion Awards in London. Getty Images
    Tom Ford and Rita Ora attend the British Fashion Awards in London. Getty Images
  • Prince Charles and US Ambassador to Britain Matthew Barzun speak to Tom Ford during a reception in London. Getty Images
    Prince Charles and US Ambassador to Britain Matthew Barzun speak to Tom Ford during a reception in London. Getty Images
  • Actress Eva Longoria and Tom Ford onstage a Cinema Against AIDS Gala in Cap d'Antibes, France. Getty Images
    Actress Eva Longoria and Tom Ford onstage a Cinema Against AIDS Gala in Cap d'Antibes, France. Getty Images
  • Tom Ford poses with the Silver Lion for Grand Jury Prize for 'Nocturnal Animals' during the 73rd Venice Film Festival. Getty Images
    Tom Ford poses with the Silver Lion for Grand Jury Prize for 'Nocturnal Animals' during the 73rd Venice Film Festival. Getty Images
  • Tom Ford and actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson attend a 'Nocturnal Animals' screening in Leicester Square. Getty Images
    Tom Ford and actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson attend a 'Nocturnal Animals' screening in Leicester Square. Getty Images
  • Jim Moore and Tom Ford attend Milan Men's Fashion Week. Getty Images
    Jim Moore and Tom Ford attend Milan Men's Fashion Week. Getty Images
'Operation Mincemeat' 

Director: John Madden 

 

Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton

 

Rating: 4/5

 
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