Tiny studio flat in London includes a one-off piece of art adorning the walls
Artist John Pascoe's imaginative hand-painted studio apartment near London's Clissold Park is for sale for the first time in 30 years.
The small 171 sq ft studio in a generously proportioned Victorian terrace house is situated on Northolme Road in Islington, an attractive and leafy residential street within the Sotheby conservation area.
Thoughtfully renovated, the property contains a combined bedroom/reception area with a modern kitchen, plus a separate shower room and garden views.
The interior is a labour of love – opera director and set designer John was inspired by the beauty of Clissold Park to create a mural that wraps around the whole studio, detailing the sunlit monuments, ancient trees and lakes. He spent six hours every day for four months painting scenes on the walls, amassing to over seven million brush strokes. The nature-inspired wall mural has been the backdrop to many significant operatic projects, which is why the artist refers to the studio as his Back Room Opera Box.
With a career spanning more than 40 years, John has worked on multiple productions with Plácido Domingo and designed productions for Royal Opera House, Rome, San Francisco and New York's Met Opera.
'My great joy when painting murals is to inspire people to move beyond the physical walls into the creative space of their imagination,' says John, who has just completed a 100 ft long mural in a Pembrokeshire farmhouse. 'In the case of my Back Room Opera Box, the 14.7 ft by 12.2 ft space transforms into an endless parkland where their imagination allows them to wander.
'I believe that nature has an incredible power to enhance our wellbeing and I hope that here I have created a slice of tranquillity in the city. Hopefully the next occupant will find themselves walking between the trees in a kind of endless, calming and beautiful dream.'
Throughout the property, contrasting green shades very much bring the outside in, while statement features include an ornate fireplace and mirror with gold detailing and antique tiles, plus deep and wide sash windows, creating a light and airy space.
Joe Marshall, property agent at Savills Islington, calls the property a 'rare gem with a particularly uplifting and calming interior'. He comments: 'This characterful studio is in a Victorian house which has been in the same family for 30 years. The current owner grew up in the house before it was converted into flats and the careful, thoughtful and personal design of the studio reflects that it resides in what was once a much-loved family home.
'I have never seen a property for which the whole interior is inspired by, and so intricately linked to, its natural surroundings, with a rich palette of earthy greens used throughout and of course the hand-painted mural of the park itself. The creative space of the Back Room Opera Box provides a buyer with a unique opportunity to purchase a beautiful home which includes a one-off artwork adorning the walls.'
The property is offered chain-free and is on the market for £230,000 via Savills.
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