Great Houses of London

The great houses of London represent one of the marvels of English architecture and yet they are almost entirely unknown. They are for the most part disguised behind sober facades but their riches within are astonishing.

This book will range from the romantic 17th century Ashburnham House, nestling in the shadow of Westminster Abbey, through the splendid 18th century aristocratic palaces of the West End, to the curious and quirky arts and crafts houses of Holland Park and Kensington, to the cool modernist houses of Hampstead and the exuberant post-modern interiors of the last thirty years.

Every house has its own story to tell. This might be the colourful history of the occupants (such as the Duke of Wellington entertaining ladies at Apsley House), the great art collections they held (the Titians at Bridgewater House or Sam Courtauld's Impressionist paintings at Home House), or the architectural wonders of William Kent's 44 Berkeley Square and Burges's Tower House in Melbury Road. The book promises to be a great revelation.

The Houses:

Lambeth Palace; Ashburnham House; Marlborough House; 4 Cheyne Walk; 44 Berkeley Square; 1 Greek Street (House of St Barnabas); Wimborne House; 10 Downing Street ; 3 Grafton Street; Spencer House; 106 Piccadilly; 20 St James's Square; Home House; Mansion House; Dover House; Apsley House, No. 1 London; Stratford House; Soane Museum; Regent's Park houses; Seaford House; 4 Grosvenor Square (Italian Embassy); Lancaster House; Bridgewater House; Kensington Palace Gardens; Speaker's House; Leighton House; 18 Stafford Terrace; Astor House; Tower House; Debenham House; Emery Walker's House; 46 Grosvenor Street; 54 Mount Street (Brazilian Embassy); 64 Old Church Street (Hamlyns); 2 Willow Road (Erno Goldfinger); St Leonard's Terrace (Richard Rogers); 6-9 Carlton House Terrace (Royal Society); Spitalfields; Malplaquet House; 10 Milner Street

JAMES STOURTON is Chairman of Sotheby's UK. He writes regularly for The Times, the Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Spectator and Apollo. Previous books include Great Smaller Museums of Europe (2003) and Great Collectors of Our Time (2007).
During a photographic career that has spanned over 35 years, FRITZ VON DER SCHULENBURG has achieved international acclaim. His photographs have been published in numerous interior design and architectural magazines, including The World of Interiors, House & Garden and Architectural Digest. He has also published several volumes of his own work. These include: Neoclassicism in the North, The English Garden Room, Romantic Scotland, Empire, and Living by Design.