Inside the late Michael Winner's extravagant 47-room Kensington mansion as it finally goes on sale for a staggering £50m
By KATY WINTER
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Film director Michael Winner’s beloved mansion has long divided opinion thanks to its extravagant décor and almost ludicrous scale. Some (including Jan Moir in this paper) called it garish; others opulent.
Now, as the 47-room mansion in West London's Holland Park goes on the market, the interior can be revealed in all its glory so readers can judge for themselves.
Winner spent millions renovating Woodland House after buying it as a set of flats and reinstating the building to its former grandeur.
These pictures reveal the palatial size and extravagant luxury with which the residence was decorated - a real reflection of the larger-than-life personality of Winner, who passed away in January this year.
Extravagant: Michael Winner with wife Geraldine in the massive main bedroom of his beloved Woodland House. Winner wanted to leave the residence to the nation as a museum but the council said they could not afford to run the property
Impressive: The master bedroom in Woodland House, which King Edward VII once deemed 'one of the finest rooms in London' is so vast it is divided up into separate areas and even has a staircase in it leading to a separate part of the bedroom
The scale of the master bedroom can be seen by the size of the widescreen TV at the back of the room
Michael Winner, seen here with former girlfriend Paola Lombard, filled his house with antiques and object d'art, emphasising the house's features like beautiful wood fireplaces
The numerous floor to ceiling windows are one of the crowning features in the main bedroom, and bathe the double bed and canopy with natural light throughout the day
Flamboyant: The house was once owned by famous Victorian artist Sir Luke Fildes and still recalls the exuberant glamour of upper-class Victorian life in many of its 47 rooms
The director and restaurant critic’s extrovert personality made him a national treasure during his lifetime.
When Edward VII sat for a portrait in Fildes’s studio - which became Winner’s bedroom - he described it as ‘one of the finest rooms in London’.
The house sits on the bend of a leafy crescent in Kensington and was built in the Queen Anne style by Richard Norman Shaw for a Victorian artist called Sir Luke Fildes.
The house was originally three flats, which were bought by Winner's property magnate father, George, and it remains leasehold. The freeholder is Charlotte Townsend, one of Britain's richest women.
Winner took possession of the house in 1978 when it was still flats and spent millions creating an opulent home, complete with swimming pool, cinema and extensive gardens, which he loved.
Some of the rooms were created by interior designer Tessa Kennedy and some by Winner himself, and contain lavish fabrics and decorations as well as collections of objets d’art.
The house and gardens have more than 3,400 electric bulbs in them, and the garden is lit up so dramatically that Winner used to joke that his house was visible from space.
The house boasts an impressive history, with the home cinema reportedly being the venue where Warren Beatty once snogged Michelle Phillips, the Mamas And Papas singer, while Winner and his then girlfriend were trying to watch The Day Of The Locust.
Despite making the Victorian marvel a regular feature in celebrity and architectural magazines down the years, Winner was looking to sell the house in his later years.
It was originally his wish that it be taken over by the local council and become a museum, but the council declined, saying they could not afford to run it.
Now, with the house on the market again, it has been reported that a buyer has put in a bid said to be around £50 million. The sale has yet to be finalised.
Opulent: One of the sumptuous bedrooms in the house, which in total boasts 47 rooms, some of which were decorated by interior designer Tessa Kennedy and some by Winner himself
Spacious: The main en suite bathroom features a massive bath tub and marble floors, as well as his and hers sinks
Relaxing: The magnificent indoor swimming pool which is one of the many improvements made by Winner to the house
The cinema room in the house has three rows of seating, with Winner's chair taking pride of place in the front center of the room
The sitting room adjourning the dinning room is just one of the many 'living spaces' in the 47 room mansion
The house is rich in British film history, with many stars having stayed there and Winner's film memorabilia covering the walls of the cinema room
Unusual: The vast size of the house and its redevelopment from three flats means it is a warren of halls and staircases with a seemingly endless number of rooms. Right, there is a dedicated jacuzzi room off the pool area
Michael's editing room inside his mansion where he cut some of his films such as Death Wish and The Big Sleep
The stunning re brick building is situation in one of London's most wealthy areas, and was purchased by Winner's father as 3 separate flats
The house has beautifully landscaped front and back gardens, which considering its central London location is highly prized
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2312964/See-inside-Michael-Winners-palatial-Holland-Park-mansion.html#ixzz2RH5FVkL9
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