Holiday Homes: Why the Four Seasons is pouring millions into Hvar, Croatia’s answer to the white island September 28, 2016 Hvar, in Croatia, seems to have it all: great weather, a fabulous coastline and a cool, relaxed ambience. Popular with the island’s young clubbers as well as the high-end sailing set, it’s even being hailed as a potential successor to Ibiza, all of which is attracting increasing numbers of property buyers and investors. It helps [...]
Why more private developers are looking to buy up the air rights above your building and make a fortune September 28, 2016 It isn’t hard to find a property expert claiming the future of the London housing market is up in the air. But there’s a growing band of developers who agree with them, albeit in a more literal sense. Smaller housebuilders have to get creative when looking for viable development opportunities, and for an ambitious few, [...]
Foxtons has moved into The Big Issue’s former offices in Vauxhall September 28, 2016 Foxtons has moved into The Big Issue's former office in Vauxhall after the local council rejected the estate agent's plans for an illuminated shop front. The Big Issue's head office had been in Vauxhall for 15 years. But now the magazine – which raises money for the homeless – is headquartered in Finsbury Park, in the constituency of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Foxtons officially opens [...]
Apple is moving to Battersea Power Station in 2021 September 28, 2016 Apple has said today that it will be leasing space at the Battersea Power Station. The tech giant will be taking around 500,000 square feet across six floors inside the converted riverside power station. When Apple moves in in 2021, it will account for 40 per cent of the development's total office space. Apple will be moving [...]
My house: Hairdresser to the stars Paul Edmonds, whose clients include Emma Thompson and Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, tells us about his brutalist home September 27, 2016 Hairdresser to the stars Paul Edmonds, who is soon to open a salon in Battersea Power Station, talks about his brutalist house in Lambeth I must be drawn to brutalist architecture – I used to live in the Barbican. I can remember my grandmother visiting and saying it looked like a prison; she couldn’t believe [...]
Rolling out the rad carpet: How two sisters have collaborated on a collection of psychedelic rug designs September 27, 2016 When sisters Amy and Lucy Kent decided to collaborate on a series of eleven rugs, the result was something unexpectedly beautiful, a “greater than the sum of its parts” deal that merged Amy’s bespoke rug making business with Lucy’s abstract painting. “Painterly designs are becoming increasingly popular,” explains Amy, “and I knew that Lucy’s abstracts [...]
How boutique architects Russian For Fish turned a damp terrace into a spectacular modern home September 27, 2016 This property in Kensal Green had been empty for a while when we were approached to work on it, and it was looking a bit sad. The couple that had bought it were both graphic designers and they had very specific ideas about what they wanted out of the renovation. The property was very typical [...]
This Victorian home was turned into a House of the Year contender by two enterprising engineers September 26, 2016 When Tim Lucas searched for a family-size property under £500,000 on his local estate agents’ website, he was offered a crumbling collection of stables that hadn’t seen a horse since Queen Victoria was on the throne. This was London after all, what did he expect for that money? Most househunters would have shrugged their shoulders [...]
Dubai loves an engineering challenge and the new Burj Al Arab sea terrace is up there with the biggest September 26, 2016 As engineering feats go, one that is half the weight of the Eiffel Tower and slightly larger than the size of a football pitch is pretty significant. Add the fact that the brief was to create an ultra-luxe, environmentally sensitive terrace extension to the 7-star hotel Burj Al Arab, whilst it remained open, and you [...]
Julius Shulman: the photographer who helped to define LA September 26, 2016 Many architects have made their mark on a place, planting seeds of creation that go on to define a street or neighbourhood. A select few become synonymous with a certain style, or even an entire city. But not many shape the way people think about an entire state; Julius Shulman achieved just that without designing [...]