Home of the Week: Cara Delevingne’s Childhood Home in London Lists for Nearly $30 Million
A historic, 19th-century London mansion with several notable owners recently hit the market for $29.4 million (or £23.5 million) in the city’s posh Belgravia neighborhood.
Architect Thomas Cubitt is known for developing many of London’s most notable streets and squares, and he designed most of the buildings on Lyall Street, including this imposing mansion built in 1838 for an executive of his family’s construction company. Since then, the home’s hallways have been graced by the who’s who of London society.
More from Robb Report
This Chicago Home Had a Cameo in 'The Bear.' Now It Can Be Yours for $2.2 Million
This Vancouver Mansion With a Pool and Basketball Court Is Yours for $48 Million
In the 1960s, controversial casino tycoon and zoo owner John Aspinall purchased the home and entertained the likes of socialite Lady Annabel Goldsmith, Sir Jimmy Goldsmith, Lord Lucan, billionaire Gianni Agnelli, Mark Birley (founder of the famed Annabel’s member’s club), and Andrew Cavendish, among others. Sometime after Aspinall’s death in 2000, the home was bought by property developer Charles Delevingne, and it is where he raised his children, Poppy, Chloe, and Cara.
The daughters, all socialites, often rubbed (and still rub) shoulders with members of the British Royal Family, along with A-list movers and shakers in the worlds of fashion and entertainment. Cara, one of the world’s most notable fashion models, has appeared in campaigns for top brands like Burberry, Chanel, Stella McCartney, and Marc Jacobs. And just this week, she strutted her stuff in a bejeweled chainmail ensemble at the Met Gala.
The current owners purchased the property from the Delevingne family in 2014, and this is the first time the home has been listed in 10 years.
“This magnificent mansion on Lyall Street in the heart of Belgravia is one of the finest houses in the district,” Gary Hersham, founding director of Beauchamp Estates, said in a press statement. “Lord Lucan was a regular guest, and the house gained global publicity when it was involved in the events surrounding his disappearance, which remains a mystery to this day. Now fully refurbished, it offers a magnificent trophy home for a family wanting a large house in Belgravia, one of London’s most sought-after addresses.”
The Grade II-listed property is nothing short of impressive and has undergone extensive updates and renovations over the years. Now listed with Beauchamp Estates, the 5,456-square-foot mansion sprawls over five floors (including a basement level), all of which are connected via an elevator. There are five bedrooms and six bathrooms. The current owners have incorporated several animal motifs—from actual painted animals on the walls to animal sculptures and cheetah prints—that pay homage to Aspinall’s history as a zoo owner.
The home’s design is certainly over-the-top, but it’s a true trophy property in the heart of one of London’s poshest and most sought-after residential neighborhoods. It comes as no surprise that it was built for entertaining, as Aspinall owned a private members’ only gaming club down the road, now known as Crown London Aspinalls, and would regularly invite his famous friends over. You enter through a grand, marble-swathed entrance hall with soaring ceilings, a Regency-style marble fireplace, and elaborate chandeliers, and continue through a sitting room with several Asian-inspired design elements, including Chinese lacquer cabinets, Asian artwork, animal sculptures, and carpets inlaid with Japanese dragons.
The second floor houses the drawing room, a massive space that occupies the entire width of the house and was the site of many of Aspinall’s raucous parties. Interestingly enough, a large photo of model Kate Moss and not Ms. Delavigne graces the drawing room. French doors open to a spacious terrace overlooking the home’s portico. Animal inspiration abounds in this room, which includes animal-print wallpaper and animal-inspired furniture. This floor also has a study/office.
The primary suite occupies the entire third floor and features a large bedroom, walk-in closet, and marble bathroom. The additional bedrooms are located on the third floor, and the fourth floor houses a 40-foot-long landscaped rooftop terrace garden overlooking leafy Lyall Street. The home leisure and recreation areas—plus the fifth bedroom—are located in the finished basement and include a movie theater with a bespoke cocktail bar, a gym with a steam/spa room, and a professional catering kitchen. (The family kitchen is found on the ground floor.)
Charles Lloyd, head of Beauchamp Estates in Mayfair and Belgravia, said in a press statement that the Belgravia mansion offers excellent depth and width and, as such, is considered one of the grandest homes in the neighborhood.
Click here for more photos of Cara Delevingne’s childhood home.
Best of Robb Report
Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
