Central St Martins gives King's Cross the edge
Central St Martins' new campus is fizzing and the first of 2,000 homes are launched, as 67 acres of King's Cross becomes London's hottest district.
Property insider: Kingston upon Thames
There is something of a buy-to-let boom quietly rumbling away in Kingston upon Thames, the family favourite south-west London suburb. We get the property lowdown.
Spotlight on Stoke Newington
Young professionals and families are attracted to "Stokey" by the mainly Victorian housing stock and the neighbourhood's arty and bohemian vibe.
Spotlight on Harpenden
Close to woods and parkland, with good links to London, this small town has a lot to offer those looking to start a new life out of the city.
Don't move - let the light come to you
A Chiswick couple dramatically changed their 'for now' house into a forever home. And many others are transforming their family homes.
Find a rated tradesman
Want to add value to your property, make your house a home, or sell your place fast? With 1,000s of tradesmen nationwide, rated and recommended by previous customers, this is the smart way to find a reputable tradesman.
Buy of the week: Streatham Hill
On leafy Downton Avenue in SW2, plenty of family space can be yours for £550,000 at this Edwardian home. There are four bedrooms and a convertible loft space, and the open-plan kitchen/breakfast room has French windows to a good-size garden.
Swap of the week: Dalwood, Devon
Cosy up by woodburning stoves or cook a feast in the vaulted kitchen/breakfast room of this 18th-century thatch for £525,000. Three bedrooms overlook cottage gardens and a timber studio makes a perfect home office.
Life-changer: St Erth Praze, Cornwall
Tregenhorne Farm (£550,000) has four acres of paddocks, stables and valley views, minutes from Cornwall's north coast. You can run your own equestrian business from the garden office and the four-bedroom home has a country kitchen with an Aga.
Spotlight on Harpenden
Close to woods and parkland, with good links to London, this small town has a lot to offer those looking to start a new life out of the city.
Property search
The last word in Latin luxury
Get the Italian look in London, says Barbara Chandler
Armchair with rope weaving by Patricia Urquiola, £2,368 from B&B Italia
“Many family firms have furniture in their blood,” says Bob Lloyd-Davies, who runs a new Clerkenwell showroom for Poltrona Frau, which includes items from Cassina, Cappellini and Edra.
A dazzling white chesterfield has its pristine hide tightly buttoned into classic diamond-deep pleats. Apparently it’s fully cleanable. Poltrona Frau has a leather pedigree from 1912, and kits out luxury cars such as Maserati and Ferrari.
A short walk away is the Moroso showroom. This bells-and-whistles brand’s muse is the mercurial Patrizia Moroso herself. Moroso sells pieces from the latest Milan furniture fair.
Trading for the past few months is Molteni on Shaftesbury Avenue. Andrea Molteni’s family firm dates from the Thirties. Oversized seating nestles against an impeccable kitchen installation by sister brand Dada, with doors that slide open or ascend at the lightest touch.
The Proust Geometrica for Cappellini, from Conran. £6,099 ex VAT (www.conran.com)
On the other side of Oxford Street, Minotti opened in February. A small workshop that opened after the Second World War is now a Milan megabrand, offering large-scale furniture to order.
Brompton Cross boasts B&B Italia, showing Patricia Urquiola’s outre and outsized curlicued cane chairs; while Boffi, the celebrity kitchen king, is next door. A short walk away are Bisazza’s mosaics from Venice, and tiny squares of glass and metal, make-up murals by top contemporary designers.
And in Pimlico, a posh period town house is yet another Italian triumph. This is Promemoria, refurbished last year over four floors by designer Romeo Sozzi.
It is the last word in luxury, with marquetry tabletops, wood panelling, a working kitchen and bannisters upholstered in grey silk velvet. Even the door handles are hand-blown in Murano glass.
Promemoria Scrigno side table (in linen and velvet) from £3,680
Contacts
Armani Casa: 113 New Bond Street, W1 (020 7079 1930; www.armanicasa.com)
B&B Italia: 250 Brompton Road, SW3 (020 7591 8111; www.bebitalia.it)
Bisazza: 60 Sloane Avenue, SW3 (020 7584 8837)
Boffi: 254 Brompton Road, SW3 (020 7590 8910)
Molteni: 199 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (020 7631 2345)
Minotti: 77 Margaret Street, W1 (020 7323 3233; www.minotti.com)
Moroso: 7-15 Roseberry Avenue, EC1 (020 3328 3560; www.moroso.it)
Poltrona Frau: 150 St John Street, EC1 (020 7600 0600; www.poltronafrau.it)
Promemoria: 99 Pimlico Road, SW1 (020 7730 2514; www.promemoria.com)
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