Former Earl’s Court basement nightclub transformed by Princess Beatrice’s husband goes on sale for £3 million
A luxurious party pad, once a basement night club at the centre of London’s LGBTQ+ scene, has gone on sale for £3 million.
Catacombs was a dance club on the lower ground floor of an old period property in Earl’s Court – a much-missed, must-visit venue.
Dimly-lit stairs led down to the disco-dominated dance floor, which packed in 1970s hedonism on Old Brompton Road.
It closed more than 30 years ago and was abandoned before being converted into an ostentatious townhouse in 2009 by Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, property developer and husband of Princess Beatrice.
The boss of building firm Banda, age 37, lived there himself before putting it on the market for £2.5 million in 2013.
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Homes & Property can now reveal that the two-bedroom home is on sale once again for £3 million, via property agent JLL Residential.
It’s a far cry from the dingy club. The airy glass atrium lobby overlooks a subterranean reception room, which is accessed via a glazed cantilevered staircase.
Glass bricks are dotted overhead, giving a glimpse of the street above and there are 10ft sky lanterns which flood the home with natural light.
The living room has an inbuilt cinema room, with a ceiling projector, and an electric centrepiece fireplace. It has Smart Lutron lighting and an integrated 26-speaker Sonos sound system.
This hidden home is all about the extras: there’s a spa with a pink neon sign that reads ‘design for living’ – a nod to both Mapelli Mozzi’s favourite Noel Coward play and his trade.
Behind a bookcase is a study and a wine cellar which have been built into the old coal caves – the original foundations date back to 1902.
The second floor is dedicated entirely to the plush master-bedroom with en suite and a north easterly facing balcony overlooking the residential streets behind Old Brompton Road.
The conversion of the Catacombs into a luxury pad was seen as a sign of the gentrification of Earls Court as clubs and bars shifted to Shoreditch and Vauxhall and the gritty, urban area became more residential over the last three decades. This trend continues.
“Demand to move to Earls Court remains high” says James Bonham of Marsh & Parsons. “It’s central, close to all the museums of South Kensington but at [comparatively] more affordable prices.” He says UK, European and Hong Kong buyers dominate the local market.
JLL’s Tom Middleditch, who is selling the property, says there has been a peak in interest for luxury hi tech homes this spring with buyers taking advantage of the stamp duty window, which closed at the end of June. “Earls Court is a real hotspot for international buyers attracted by the history and on going regeneration,” he adds.
JLL Residential is selling the contemporary home for £3 million.
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