Freddie Mercury’s London home for sale for $38 million
By Catherine Nicholls, CNN
London (CNN) — The former London home of rock legend Freddie Mercury is available to buy – that is, for those with a cool £30 million ($38 million) to spare.
Garden Lodge in Kensington, west London, was home to the Queen front man for 11 years, and boasts features including a Japanese sitting room, a double height drawing room, a bar/library and a music center.
The property was bought by Mercury on the spot when he first visited it in 1980, according to Knight Frank, which is handling the sale.
Collaborating with specialist interior architect and designer Robin Moore Ede, Mercury renovated the home over the next decade, using the finest materials and his personal design taste to create what he called his “country house in central London,” Knight Frank said in a press release Monday.
The Queen singer designed his home to be a “memorable, inviting place that reflected his vibrant personality and eclectic vision,” the release added.
In this spirit, the dining room was painted citrus-yellow, reportedly Mercury’s favorite color, with complementary jewel tones in the cornices of the room.
Once home to the grand piano that Mercury used to compose “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the drawing room offers views of the property’s garden, which is adorned with large magnolia trees and “oriental inspired” water features.
The property’s principal suite is entered through what used to be Mercury’s dressing room, where he stored his clothes and stage costumes. The room is mirrored from floor to ceiling, with multiple cupboard doors.
Upon his death in 1991, Mercury bequeathed the property and all of its possessions to his close friend and confidante, Mary Austin.
After more than 30 years taking care of them, Austin, now 72, auctioned about 1,400 of Mercury’s belongings last year, and is now looking to sell Garden Lodge for offers in excess of £30 million ($38 million), according to Knight Frank.
“This house has been the most glorious memory box, because it has such love and warmth in every room,” Austin said in the press release.
“It has been a joy to live in and I have many wonderful memories here. Now that it is empty, I’m transported back to the first time we viewed it.
“Ever since Freddie and I stepped through the fabled green door, it has been a place of peace, a true artist’s house, and now is the time to entrust that sense of peace to the next person,” she added.
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