Lavish London home once owned by Picasso’s muse hits the market for $3.1 million
London socialite Sharmini Tiruchelvam lived a life of luxury in this Sussex Gardens apartment.
Tiruchelvam, who was painted by Pablo Picasso and photographed by Sir Cecil Beaton, threw lavish parties at the two-bedroom home. Laurence Olivier, Princess Margaret, Omar Sharif and Elizabeth Taylor were among her guests.
Now, the raised ground-floor apartment is on the market for £2,345,000, or around $3.1 million.
Converted from a Victorian house, the 1,577-square-foot stucco-fronted building sits across from St. James’s Church and Hyde Park in the heart of London.
Hand-cut beveled glass and wood paneling sit inside the white portico entrance. In the larger grand hall, high ceilings are suspended over wood flooring, and white Victorian-style paneling lines the walls.
In the adjacent reception room, sash windows let light into the room’s Victorian details: half-paneled walls, dado rails and a lattice ceiling. A carved mantle and fireplace, one of three in the home, anchor the room.
The aesthetic continues into the kitchen, where Victorian plasterwork contrasts with the modern, brushed-steel kitchen appliances.
The master bedroom, which has a marble mantle and jet-black parquet floors, sits adjacent to a bathroom outfitted with a hand-cut mirror mosaic, providing reflections reminiscent of a Gustav Klimt painting.
Harrods Estates holds the listing.
Born in Malaysia, Tiruchelvam also wrote and acted during her career. In addition to posing for Picasso, she was the subject of some shots from celebrity photographer Lord Snowdon.
Twitter: @jflem94
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