COTE DE TEXAS: Bachelor Pad, English Style

Bachelor Pad, English Style

 

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We all know how bachelors in America live – with lots of cushy leather sofas  and reclining chairs!  Throw in a giant flat screen TV, some sports memorabilia on the wall, add a huge coffee table, and most single men would be heaven – just like this crew here.  And no, I don’t know who this fine group of men is- they came straight from the internet.   But, don’t they look familiar?  Do all bachelors around the world live like ours?   Or do they have more……taste?    For instance, how does a single man in England live?    Maybe someone who truly is cultured and actually likes to collect antiques?    Enjoy!

 

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This house for sale in London, is four stories, including a basement, and is approximately 6,000 sq. ft of living space.   Located in Mayfair, close to Regents Park with its famous restaurants and shops, (perfect for our cultured bachelor) the house has 4 to 5 bedrooms, a roof terrace, and a one car garage, which is shown, above, on the far right.  The building to the left with the arched windows is not part of this townhouse. In England, many houses have names and this one is called “Nightingale House.”  The price is not listed, but like the old saying goes – if you have to ask the price……..

 

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The front hall with its beautiful marble floors is centered between the drawing room and dining room.  Notice the gorgeous wood doors that close off the cold winds that blow in from the open front door.   There are more beautiful doors leading to the drawing room on the right.  In England, traditionally the houses are not open concept as they are in the U.S.  Rooms lead off from a center hall and are closed off with doors.   When modernizing homes, some owners will open up adjoining rooms by breaking through the walls, but the hallway with all the doors remains an important element of the design.

 

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Glancing at the first room visible in the house – it is obvious that a single man lives here.  What woman would turn her drawing room into what looks like a lawyer’s office from the 1800’s?     Obviously, our bachelor uses this space for his study.   And what a wonderful space it is, I could use an office this big!  Notice all his antiques – the unusual collection of brass reflecting telescopes add quite a lot of atmosphere here.   He obviously loves globes – I count seven in this room alone.  I adore the two revolving bookstands on each side of the mantel.   The crystal chandelier makes the room seem so grand!   The moldings are beautiful, as would be expected in a house of this quality.   And yes, there it is, on the right, the obligatory tufted brown leather sofa and chairs.  Why is it that men hate upholstery fabric?????     Boy, what I could do with the room!!!!

 

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Across the hall from the drawing room, the dining room could double for a law office conference room.  The set of antique leather chairs are indeed quite wonderful,  but very testosterone driven.   And what woman would use twin globes as a dining room centerpiece?    He’s obviously very anal – everything is perfectly symmetrical – the tablescape and the mantelscape are carefully arranged.  Still, the room is beautiful and very appealing in a masculine way.   I wonder if he uses his house as an office and this IS his conference room?   Or, maybe he is an antique  dealer and sells his merchandise from this house.

 

 

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The stair hall with a stunning skylight.  How gorgeous is this townhouse?   Look at the finials on the newel posts!   The large mirror on the landing reflects it all back downstairs.  

 

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The second floor drawing room.  This room is identical in size to the first floor drawing room.   Our bachelor must be an antique dealer!  I’ve never met a single man this into antiques without being in the business.    More telescopes and more globes – typical items that men collect.   And of course a single man who lives here – would any woman let a TV ruin a room like this??????   Does it have to be this conspicuous and huge?    Notice his antique French leather chair just sitting ready right in front of the screen.  Without the TV, it would be almost impossible to tell what era this house is from.   It definitely could use a woman’s soft touch such as curtains and upholstery fabric, but for a man – it’s pretty good!!

 

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The second floor has just the master bedroom and the drawing room.  The children’s (if there are any!) bedrooms are on the top attic floor.  Notice how high the ceilings are – the cabinet looks dwarfed here!  There’s no TV, but he has his stereo and speakers in here.  This room, and the whole house, really desperately needs a woman’s touch.  

 

 

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The master bathroom is stunning with its marble fireplace and brass tub!!!!  And yep, he’s got a telescope in here too, just in case he needs to examine the bathwater for floating germs, I suppose. 

 

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The kitchen is very beautiful – with its tan cabinetry and bold black and white tile floor.  The stainless range is fabulous!  Wonder how much cooking goes on in here?    This room is located on the basement level. 

 

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The breakfast room, also in the basement,  is lovely.   I really love the wall clock.  So let’s see, he plays chess and he has a dog!  I spy his pup’s rag toy to the right of the fireplace.  At least our bachelor is not alone in this huge home.   I was getting worried about him.

 

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Hee-hee!   Well, I asked for upholstery – so I got it!   Not exactly the quality I had in mind though.  I love how he’s covered his ottoman so that the dog doesn’t ruin it.   And could he have a bigger TV in here?   He smokes too!   I’ll bet it smells terrible in this basement room.  A wife would certainly make him go outside to smoke.   Maybe he is married – to that thing in the corner!   What is that – and shouldn’t it be in a museum, not a house????  

 

 

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For those who like to read floor plans:  it’s a little hard to make out the writing, though.

 

So, what do you think?   Would you like to live here and give it your feminine touch?  The house is a beauty without a doubt, and our bachelor did a wonderful job of remodeling it, it just needs a good interior designer.  I wonder why he’s moving?   Is it too big for him, or is he getting married and his wife has her own house?   Or perhaps he is a victim of the economic climate in England that is just as bad as in the states? What do you think?

86 comments :

  1. Good Post! So true on ( most ) guy's basic needs. Luckily for us we can save them & culture them! ha ha ha!
    la maison fou

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  2. Hi Joni
    Maybe this posting should be mandatory reading for all bachelors.

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  3. It would be an interesting house to go through. And just imagine what WE could do with it. Poor man, wouldn't stand a chance. Ha!

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  4. So that's what heaven looks like!!! OH please let me win the lottery. I wouldn't change a thing. The spiral bookstands on the first floor are what really caught my eye...I will keep these pics forever. Great Post.

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  5. Reading this post was better than watching The Office last night. Once again you had me totally laughing -especially with this line, "Maybe he is married – to that thing in the corner!" Thanks!

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  6. Big difference between American men and European men! I would be happy to be the token female living in that English home!
    GREAT post!
    ENJOY your weekend!
    Fifi

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  7. I had to stop and pause for 10 or 15 minutes after that marble entryway (my heart is still beating quickly).

    And the kitchen floor and that bathroom.

    Wow. What a beautiful place! I have to admit, I was wondering if the economy got him (yes, I think this is a world depression, er, recession)....

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  8. WOW, Mrs. Webb. This is a must read for all men. That first picture looks ALLLLL toooooo familiar!!! Hello LSU!
    I'll take the brass tub and the kitchen, please. I'm sure the man's not too shabby himself. Although, he's probably one of those scary good looking foreign men that intimidate.

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  9. Call me crazy but I love it as is!!!!!! I could move in and not change a thing.

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  10. This is truly the sort of home you dream about having for yourself. I love the decor and the overall size.

    Ciao

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  11. Funny Girl! A bachelor post. My guess is that is NOT an ordinary bachelors digs.

    Amazing place,though.

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  12. Um that's my husband in the red cap...taken at a friends house! J/K!!! That is one fine English bachelor pad! I'm not sure I could live there as it is but ohhhhhh wouldn't it be fun to decorate? My husband has one of those man rooms too. I tried to re-decorate it last summer but finally gave up because he insists on having all those stupid man things like speakers and a mongo tv!@@ My mom never liked anything electronic so after she passed the first thing my dad did was go out and by a mongo tv!!!! It made me stop and think....is that what I want MY husband to do when I die? So,that is when I decided he needed his own room to do with as he likes. I just hope his man room is in the basement in our next house and not on the main floor like it is here!!!! LOL
    ~Des

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  13. Great post. It really is a lovely home, but I couldn't help but think the overabundance of telescopes seemed a little phallic??

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  14. Not bad at ALL! The English bachelor is so much more dignified then us Yanks! This is a must see for my bachelor brother~Michael. He would love to add a tinMAN in his TV room. Sorta funny, when I lived in St Louis I once painted a mural in a home that had lots of those tinMEN in it. They referred to their home as a Tuscany Villa. Scared me when I was alone. Especially if they were holding a weapon. Does that scare anyone else?

    All and all, a beautiful bachelor pad!!!

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  15. Okay, the elaborate mantle decor with the telescope in the bathroom, that is too funny!

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  16. I guess "I'm in the 'know'" (or at least have good Google skills...) as this beauty is, sit down, 12,000,000 Pounds Sterling. That's almost $18million. With the exchange rate dropping, that's actually quite a savings as just a few months ago, this same place would have set you back $24,000,000. But Mayfair is one of THE addresses to own in the London area (Belgravia probably trumps it). I wonder how many more years are left on the Freehold? It had better be more than 30! (they are usually "let" in 100 year leases and the lease gets sold over and over again during that time - strange, eh?)

    This one is unique in that it has a garage! In LONDON! Where owning a car means you have to pay a tax for driving it in your city of residence! It's called a "Congestion Charge" and is about $14 PER DAY. Do you have to have big bucks to live in THAT town. But then, they've had $8-10/gallon "petrol" LONG before we blanched at $3.99/gal gas.

    I still think it's a lovely home, decorated conservatively with great regard and respect paid to the history of the building. The telescopes are probably antique and part of a collection (although, knowing how, when we lived there, the locals tend to NOT close their draperies, I can think of some not-so-worthy uses for those telescopes in the Big City! :)

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  17. WOW!! What a house.. the guy definetly likes his t.v's doesn't he? The entry was so striking. I thought I was going to fall off the chair when you asked if he was married to the thing in the corner. lol.. I was beginning to worry as well until I saw he at least has a pet..I'd be anixous to know if he's downsizing, can't afford it or what. It definetly needs a feminine touch..Always nice to dream isn't it? So, why not dream large.. hugs ~lynne~

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  18. What I would give to own this and have an unlimited budget to decorate. I might have found my dream!

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  19. Oh, and "that thing in the corner" on the last photo? It's a coat of amour, usually made of mail. I saw them everywhere when we lived there. I wonder if any Americans ever bought one to bring home? I hope not!

    It's all part of that "heraldry" culture. And doesn't it go with all the Coat of Arms on the wall! Which go so nicely with the large TV on the left, don't you think? NOT! And that is one of the ugliest fire fenders I've seen - looks like it's out of a Vegas lounge. And what's with the antique cradle on the window sill? This one room is really "out of whack" in comparison to the rest of the house. I do like the fireplace and stone mantle with the crest - I could go for that IF you get rid of the ugly guard. I'd rather have a nice ornate BRASS set without any leather, fabric, needlepoint on it at all.

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  20. Hi Joni! Great post. Now this house is manly of course, but hey, this dude's got to have some bucks so I'll bet the females are knocking on his door. Maybe he has a big ole door knocker! lol Really it is a lovely place...just needs a gal to go in there and sell off some of that stuff and put some frilly in there.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  21. Oh my...well...just OH MY! I don't know ANY bachelor who lives so...elegantly?
    Could I handle it? Probably. Would I live in that brass bathtub? Definitely! ;)

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  22. Oh Joni...I giggled at your summations and articulations! I do like the rug in the first pix and he does seem to enjoy collecting. Did you notice the cord hanging from the lamp in the 2nd pix? No decorator would allow that. He could also be an equestrian lover or owner judging by the pictures of horses shown in the hall around the staircase. He definitely likes antiques but has no concept of how to arrange a room! Love the two sided leather tufted chair at the foot of his bed...very cool...and the Loius XVI gold chair in the bathroom with the stunnign brass tub...wonder if that ever gets used?
    I would love to get my hands on that place and soften it up a bit.
    Blessings to ya Girl!

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  23. I don't think I'd want to live here, but I'd give my shoes to decorate it.

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  24. Joni, you are too funny for words. That was a seriously enjoyable post. Yes, that is a house lived in exclusively by a bachelor. I think he must be one of those damned investment bankers and I hope he is selling since he is off to prison for a few years.

    It does look like he conducts business here. And leads a rather lonely life of television and telescopes.

    Funny (and slightly sad) post. I would give my right arm for this house though.

    : }

    xo Terri

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  25. Wow, what a lovely home! The kitchen is to die for.

    I think Europeans are just more formal in general...in the way they dress, speak, and feather their nests. I wish that would rub off on us on this side of the pond. :)

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  26. Joni what a hoot this post has been! Loved, loved, loved it! Having spied the Harley Street address on the Floor Plan I began thinking he might be a Medico. So I started carefully going thru' each photo trying to find something that would confirm it. This defintitely confirms Mr. Serial Renovator's theory about his wife being very nosey!!

    20mins. later I had a flashback moment to when all 5 of my Bachelor Boys were little & they loved that series of Where's Wally! books. So thought I'd better stop right there before Mr. S.R. packed me off the Twilight Home for the Terminally Bewildered!
    Millie ^_^

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  27. I would move in a second and barely change a thing, as a hetro female. Not that it matters but.... as for the bachelor who lives there??? I'm assuming not your typical belching, breaking-wind watching football while scratching nads non listening to how you've delt with difficult working dynamic at your place of employment type of bachelor who only buys flowers for you if you strongly remind them "or else" kind of bachelor.

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  28. Hello Joni,
    I know this house in Harley Street - my husband and I park in front of it often if he has a medical appointment. We have often wondered what it was like and thought that it is quite an extraordinary house for London - not too tall, very spacious and narrow. One small problem, I suspect it is in the double digit millions! You have exquisite taste dear Joni and couldn't we quickly smarten up the inside...... xv

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  29. I agree - it's totally "anal", and lacking any panache. It needs good styling, (by a man or a woman). There's something not quite "right" here. I don't think the owner is English, or if he is, it's certainly not "old" money...

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  30. Wow, what a house. I would not say no if anyone asked me to move in :o) The kitchen, I just love it :o)
    Great post :o)

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  31. I will need to walk by this house on my next trip to London! This house is actually in Marylebone, not Mayfair (although it is close to Mayfair). Mayfair is set roughly between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane; Marylebone is the area north of that.

    Marylebone is a little more eclectic than Mayfair, but is still one of the best areas in London. Madonna used to live in Marylebone, and I believe that Tony Blair lives there too although he may live more towards Bayswater, which is to the west of Marylebone.

    I have another theory...an old divorcee. The style is just too old for a young bachelor, but then again, a bachelor doesn't always have to be young, does he? It could be an old bachelor.

    Fascinating post!

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  32. Wow Joni, a great post! I love English style. This is all so beautiful. I had just posted a funny liitle post about men and decorating as well. You'll have to go over and read it. I definitely seem to work with more of the ones in your first photo!

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  33. The house has great bones, but it's one of the least sexy houses I've seen in a long time! You could work miracles...

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  34. LOVE it all... except the tvs. He could have multiples of things like globes and telescopes because he inherited them and doesn't want to give them up. Perhaps he's upping sticks and moving to his country estate.

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  35. Sooo English...I love it!
    The skylights in the hall are gorgeous. And that top photo, and your comments about the telescope, and armor, made me laugh out loud.
    I'll be visiting my English bachelor friend in a couple of weeks. I blogged his Hamptons home several months ago. I'll see if he'll let me post photos of his NY apt, it's wonderful.

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  36. Obviously a top notch renovation -the house looks BRAND NEW inside -amazing. It needs a softer touch like you mention though of course - painting it all white and throwing in fabulous furniture isn't ALWAYS enough. Thanks for including the floor plan, my favorite part! See you next week!

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  37. Obviously a top notch renovation -the house looks BRAND NEW inside -amazing. It needs a softer touch like you mention though of course - painting it all white and throwing in fabulous furniture isn't ALWAYS enough. Thanks for including the floor plan, my favorite part! See you next week!

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  38. Love his collections, and the kitchen, beautiful. Soodie, too funny! Thanks Joni, oh is this bachelor available?!

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  39. That "thing" in the corner is a symbol of what this guy thinks of himself....."a knight in shining armour"!! Great post Joni!

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  40. Great post Joni! Those TV's are hideous! Love the copper tub and the kitchen and the entry hall most... It's nice and all..but definitely needs a woman's touch..maybe he FOUND a woman and she's making him move to HER house! HA HA!

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  41. Hi Joni
    After closely inspecting the images of this bachelor's pad, using my new cordless Gay-dar scanner by Michael Kors, the data concludes that this could very well be a genuine heterosexual male specimen trained in the English manner. Or, not. Either way,it's a beautiful home.

    Regards,
    Inspector Gadget

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  42. wow . . . I can see where it's skewing a bit 'too boy' but, damn, you could just chuck in some window treatments, some textile, maybe kill a tv or two . . . and I'd be more than pleased to reside there. lol.

    beautiful, thanks for posting.

    tartanscot

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  43. Love this house! Don't know where my first comment disappeared to -- into the "single-sock universe"! LOL! Anyway -- if this house is called Nightingale House -- it must be located in Berkley Square (there's an old song called "When A Nightingale Sings in Berkley Square)

    Jan at Rosemary Cottage

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  44. Mr. Brit has it all over his American counterparts .. . but I would LOVE to know more about his story. He certainly doesn't fit my fav British genre - Elegant Eccentric. You're probably right on with your Antique Dealer diagnosis.
    Don't get me started on how difficult it is to get men to consider fabric over leather!!
    .. . judith

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  45. Great detective work, Joni.
    What a beautiful home. The architectural details are gorgeous.
    Yes, he is either a bachelor or married to a saint.
    There is no way any woman would put up with those enormous TVs. Also, way too much leather!

    xo
    Brooke

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  46. I'd be thrilled to live in this house. The TV's are a bit jarring, I'd definitely find a way to make them blend in a bit more, but what a magnificent building. Loved the kitchen, and that tub! I(looked copper to me, not brass) I'd kill for. A garage in London! In Mayfair!! I love the neighborhood. I took my kids to London two years ago over Christmas, and we stayed at a beautiful hotel in Mayfair, and just adored it.

    Jeannie

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  47. Wouldn't do too much to it though. Find a nice antique cupboard or linenpress panelling to hide the television, or create a room to focus on it alone. Tinker with the scale a bit, and add some flowers and collect some art. I would change the mirror which is an embarrassment rather than the cabinet I think. I always love Dorothy Sayers descriptions of Lord Peter Wimseys apartments and the bowls of bronze mums that Bunter adds. Or one could hire Abizaid, or if the house is going to be empty, what glories could be imagined. Its a beautiful structure, great bones.

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  48. Unfortunately, I haven't come across any bachelors that would have anywhere near the taste to live even close to something like this, even if they had the means. And if they were single and had this much taste, they probably aren't looking for a WO-man, unfortunately for single girls. LOL. That stairhall skylight is amazing and makes the house, as far as I am concerned...great, creative post, Joni. Fun to think about it.

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  49. I would love this house. Of course the redecorating would begin immediately. But the house is fabulous. I was just in London and would have died to tour it if it is for sale. Do they have open houses in London for lookielous like me? xo, MB

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  50. Another great post! Yes , I would love to live there and give the place a feminine touch. Thanks for visiting , you are welcome to come back anytime!

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  51. Joni, The home is James Corville and Mary Matalin's. It over looks the Potomac River in nearby Alexandria, VA. It was designed by the firm, "The Mill Company". The two designers that did the LV are R. Edward Bouchard and Marion E. Yeck. I had the same reaction to it as you did !! I loved that you found it interesting...

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  52. I would move in in a heartbeat. When I met my husband he was a 33 year old bachelor who had lived in Panama, Japan and England. He had gorgeous furniture~which you couldn't see. The top surfaces were all covered in bar towels that he threw into the wash 1-2 times a year. That was his form or dusting. Yes, that man really needed to be married. :)

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  53. LOVE this home! I would move there in a heartbeat! I am realizing how much I am drawn to great arcihtecture thanks to you!
    http://www.lazymoms.com

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  54. Well, I wouldn't want to live in ENGLAND but TO DECORATE THIS HOUSE???? oH, BE STILL MY HEART. IF I HAD THE MILLIONS TO buy IT, I COULD DEFINITELY PUT THE WOMANS TOUCH ON IT THAT IT SO DESAPERATELY NEEDS...AND DESERVES! tHANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS BEAUTY WITH US!!!! PINKY

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  55. He has wonderful taste in antiques and furnishings, Joni. I would like it to be a little less stark. I think it could be even more masculine, but more comfortable with textures and fabulous rugs and more English messiness. LOL! When I think of English design, I think country house comfort and an undecorated look, even in a city townhouse. Genteel shabiness. His place is a little too perfect.

    I love all things masculine from boat oars to horse blankets. And I also love animal oils. There are so many great ones in London shops. And with his apparent purse, he could amass a nice collection.

    I am coveting that set of leather chairs. Love the color and love the chairs.

    I don't think he did too badly for a bachelor. With a tweak here and there, it's pretty close to perfection. He needs to give lessons to his American cousins across the pond! :-)

    Sheila

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  56. On second thought, Joni, those chairs look a little shiny for me! He can keep them. ;-)

    Sheila

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  57. what a house!!! Nice blogg you have! Johanna

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  58. Oh My! I LOVE THAT BATHROOM, kitchen, entry, and basement breakfast room. I could definitely live here (with a few less telescopes and globes, and defnitely with the armoured knight!). He's definitely got good taste though. laurie

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  59. Wow. Gorgeous pad. It is actually my husband's style! Although we can't afford such lovely living arrangements.

    Everything was exquisite, but what really caught my eye as something unique was the copper bath tub... I haven't never seen anything like it before. But I'm really lovin' it.

    Keep up the great work!

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  60. Stunning and that brass tub - wow!!

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  61. you are a stupid american who doesn't understand quality. Stay in Texas and impale the bush with your stupid remarks and puerile taste.

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  62. the apartment is fine as it is. It is so beyond you and your stupid readers.

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  63. Fpr a bachelor, it's great. Beautiful home with numerous nice pieces.

    Could be cleaned out, though and warmed up a bit. I'm a bachelor, too and I'd take ot anyday, just as long as I could clear out a lot of that stuff.

    Who am I kidding? I'd take it anyway!

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  64. Joni, I visited my younger brother the other day and was reminded of this post of yours! As a single dad raising two now-teenage boys since they were 3- and 4-yrs old, he has created the ultimate bachelor pad for the three of them! Surround-sound, massive collection of man-movies and gaming paraphernalia, recliner sofas, car and movie posters, you name it! Funny thing is though, I could totally see him living like your cultured bachelor as well. He has great taste in antique smalls, buys wonderful gifts for his friends and family, and does in fact have a knack for decorating. He's just completely immersed himself in raising his boys and has indulged in all the "boy toys" right along with them! Can't say I blame him really, but it is amusing to be in his home and feel like you've accidentally detoured into "manland"!

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  65. Hello again...Yes it is my home in the pictures...How do you get hold of the french stuff on the other side of the atlantic? Is it as "in" over there with the french "shabby chic" trend as it is over here? Thanks for your comment! Take care/ Johanna in Sweden

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  66. Hi Joni! Loved seeing the photos! The house is beautiful, especially the domed skylight! I was really puzzled at first by the scale of the cabinet in the Master Bedroom until I realized it must be a miniature, probably no more than 5 ft. high. Perhaps a model used by a salesman to represent the "real" piece...or made for a child's room.

    Enjoyed the post!
    Katie

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  67. Great, creative post! I don't think the owner is a young man - either is a widow or divorced. Or gay. I love that bathtub!

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  68. that huge TV on the trunk is hysterical. and the pillows sitting on their corners in the basement -- ONLY a man would do that.

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  69. The domed skylight above the staircase literally took my breath away. Can you imagine coming home at the end of the day to that staircase..... gives me goose bumps just thinking about it!

    What a great post!

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  70. this post along with the comments from anon 7:52- 7:53 had me laughing outloud. (for different reasons!) You're such a detective!!! I never would have noticed some of those details!!! Beautiful place for a man. Would definitely do it differently for me but I do appreciate his style.
    great post!!
    xoxo,
    lauren

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  71. Just love it! For marketing purposes, it does not need a make over it just needs to be "French Kissed". The last testosterone infused property I staged and styled sold for $35 million to a bachelor who brought his bride to be along for the showing. In the bathroom a gorgeous stand of pearls on the black chair; a silver tray in front of the bathtub with a glass of wine, a candelabrum, and fresh flowers; a lovely (and tasteful)piece of lingerie draped over the tub and a pair of lavish designer heels, one standing up to show its sensuous line and the other tipped over as if just kicked off. For the rest of the house,lots of fresh flowers, plants and orchids; abundant displays of fruit, some more organic elements and textures and some props suggesting how one might relax here and get cozy and top that off with a few props suggesting more romance and intrigue. After the "French Kissed" treatment any woman with half a brain would move right in...and then hire some one like you for the extreme decorating makeover.

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  72. Great post, Joni. It's a guilty pleasure to see what you are up to next!
    Mimsy
    p.s. I'd delete those two incredibly rude remarks by an anonymous reader. Who needs him?

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  73. Great post! Too many globes!!! Too many telescopes. and I never thought I'd say this but too many mirrors!! i think the architecture is beautiful but it need a woman's tough. There are some beautiful pieces but it need softness.

    Kim

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  74. Hey darlin!

    Didn't make it out this weekend to Urban Market (family in town). But, hopefully we will meet up again soon!

    Well, this "pad" has good things I like about it...LOVE the kitchen area and the wood dining table. When I saw that enormous mirror just above the stairs...all I could imagine is coming home a bit late from maybe one too many sips and watching myself stumble up the stairs...or just a plain day when having a 'bad hair day' and having to watch myself come up the stairs! :) For me...that and the armor would be the first things to go....

    Thanks for the post....great as always! xo...deb

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  75. some things are indeed universal with the male- TV's. I guess this dispells the myth about TV's and intellectuals. I for one always thought they hid their TV's in the closet- Out at last! Great post.

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  76. It's doubtful that this Bachelor is an antiques dealer. but he obviously knows a few dealers who have catered to his rather peculiar aesthetic. There isn't a single room that rings true. The interiors are unpleasantly new looking,(bathroom and kitchen utterly pedestrian) in contrast to the exterior which has heaps of character.

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  77. Your blog is like a little slice of heaven. We love to just hang out here and drool....
    :)
    Joy and Janet

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  78. The taste would be my husband's if he had the money! :) I love it. DH is a scientist and astronomer and I DO have a house full of telescopes. Also, DH LOVES globes, but doesn't have the $$ for the really nice antique ones (spends it all on telescopes).

    Since it's on Harley Street I would say older single doctor with family money. He brought a collection of the family heirlooms (from the castle) into London when he bought his 'pad'.

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  79. I was sort of loving this guy - and then saw the 'smoker' part... EW. fastest way to ruin a house and my love for you. LOL.
    This was a great post, Joni :)
    xo Isa

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  80. Beautiful home! I would love to give it a re-do.

    I'm thinking the owner is what we used to refer to as a "confirmed bachelor". Not that there's anything wrong with that...

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  81. Oh what a place...I loved it. each nook and cranny. Now yes. I would change a few things and move some other things around but it is such a glorious space!
    Hmm...let's see. Heis a memner of the aristocracy and being a titled man doesn;t pull as much weight as it once did. He just can not quite swing it anymore...a confirmed bachelor, man about town, a playboy of sorts. Inherited the money (and that title) and has never done a lick of real work in his life.
    Or not...

    : )

    Love,
    Sue

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  82. A very fun post Joni! And equally fun comments!! Too funny!

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  83. LOL!!! Yes, the very first pic looks like many many many "bachelor" pads over here. It looks like Chris' old apartment! Oh, it's scary!!

    I love the second place and your comments. I was just giggling though at ALL OF THE TELESCOPES!! I mean, I'm sure he has plenty of good spying he could do in London, but does he really need one in the bathroom??
    And, I just wonder how they were able to get a TV THAT HUGE down to the basement? I mean, really.
    But I will disagree with you that I think he DID indeed have a designer. Even though it's very very masculine, it's too pulled together for a "normal" bachelor. I think he's one of those clients who is very set in his ways (globes/telescopes/medievil accessories) and demanding. I bet the poor designer couldn't even convince him that the suit of armor is kind of scary!

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  84. The picture of the remnants of the Messel family home is truly lovely and haunting. We would love to have a chance to visit it. Do you think you could tour it at night...probably not...

    S+S

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  85. OMG! Could you hear me laughing back in Texas? This is a fun post. I would move in here in a heartbeat, telescopes, TV, globes and all :-)

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  86. Absolutelly NO NEED of a woman's touch in that place. Only if you wanted to ruin it...

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