18 Stafford Terrace

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One of London's greatest hidden treasures must be the home of the Sambourne Family in Kensington, 18 Stafford Terrace, which is preserved, frozen in time, an example of high Victoriana at its most elaborate and intriguing. What is even more fascinating is when you discover this extravagant style was executed on a rather modest income. 

Framed prints, not artists originals, cover the walls, the gaps between are filled with expensive Japanese wallpaper, the budget did not extend to papering behind. Otherwise the walls are filled with works by the home's owner, Edward Linley Sambourne, the Punch cartoonist. The rooms are crammed with his collections, that convey his desire to communicate his standing as a modern, cultured gentleman: a savant; ahead of trends and abreast of style. 

A visit is an insight into the life of a family that moved amongst the artistic movers and shakers of the period. Besides two children, who preserved the home after their parents' deaths, the house also gave birth to the Victorian Society, the body which ultimately guaranteed its future.



Book a tour, by far the best way to appreciate the full splendour, and you may be lucky enough, as we were, to have the wonderful Shirley Nicholson, author of two books about the house's owners, as your guide. Shirley's shared passion, on top of the unique peek back in time, was a privilege we were not expecting.

Discover more about 18 Stafford Terrace on the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's website here. 

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