A FABULOUS GIVEAWAY TODAY!!!!!

In honor of the Royal Wedding of Meghan and Harry’s wedding, I am hosting a fabulous giveaway with LONDON PERFECT!!!

If you are a long time reader, you are probably familiar with Paris Perfect, where you lease beautiful apartments in Paris as opposed to staying in a hotel room.

 London Perfect is its sister company whose highly vetted apartments are available for rent in London.

London Antiques on Portobello

While researching this story, I had so much fun visiting the London Perfect web site, looking at all their beautiful apartments. 

The London Perfect units are different than Perfect Paris – they are definitely veddy English in design while Perfect Paris are furnished with items procured in France.

The rentals in London Perfect have wonderful locations, close to museums and well-known shopping areas.   They are near parks and key tourist spots.

Before we discuss the GIVEAWAY – let’s look at a few of my favorite London Perfect rentals:

The first on my list is the VICTORIA:

This rental is located in Kensington, near the Kensington Palace.  If you stay here, be on the lookout for the Cambridges and the Sussexes who live nearby in the Palace!

The Victoria once belonged to an English painter, Albert Chevallier Taylor who is famous for a cricket painting that broke a world record when it sold for over $1 million!!  Many of Taylor’s portraits hang in the National Portrait Gallery.  He actually played cricket with well known authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle and J.M. Barrie who wrote Peter Pan!

If you chose this rental you can walk to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.  Another walk covers Museum Row where most of London’s best museums are.  High Street is nearby, as is Notting Hill in Knightsbridge.

The Victoria is located on a charming street where houses have front gardens behind wrought iron railings.   The neighborhood was built to house Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting. 

The house has 4 bedrooms and sleeps 8.

The foyer opens to marble floors and a beautiful staircase.  To the left is the double Drawing Room (this IS England, of course!)  At the end of the foyer is a large kitchen/family room.

At the front of the house is a double drawing room.  This room overlooks the front street.

The double drawing room is decorated with French chairs!!!   This wall under the beam was removed to turn two rooms into one larger one.

 

Traditionally, this would be two rooms – both entered from the foyer.  Today, it is one large room.  Here, the sofa overlooks the rear of the property.

                   

The view from the foyer towards the back of the townhouse.

This French door on the left opens up to the courtyard where a dining table is set up.

To me, this is the highlight of the apartment.  It is simply wonderful!!!  A combination of English townhouse styling mixed with French antiques.  Swoon!!!

Oh, I would be SOOOOOOOOOOOO happy here!!!

Notice the planked ceiling with a mass of skylights to let in even more light.   The kitchen is located on both the left and right sides – divided by the center hall.

This view shows the patio outside the French door.

    

The kitchen is hidden behind a large stone counter, the contemporary mixer mixes with antique leather books.

A vignette in front of one of kitchen areas.

Looking down at the garden that wraps around from the Drawing Room to the Family Room.   I assume the kitchen/dining room was added on to the house at a much later date.

Looking down from the top floor to the first floor via the staircase.

Upstairs is the master bedroom with its small fireplace, French antiques, crystal chandy, and a set of herbiers.

At the other side are the closets, hidden behind mirrored French doors.  Notice the beautiful night table.

The marble tiled bathroom beats any 5 star hotel.  I love the original window and shutters.  AND notice the very different English toi-let.

Second of four bedrooms.

Can I just say, give me a bathroom filled with white subway tile and I’ll be happy for eternity.  Why mess with perfection?  

And another funny English toil-et.

This is my favorite bedroom, of course.  A loft styled room with blue and white toile and check and a stripe mixed with a red lampshade accent.

OK.  Give me blue and white prints and checks any day and I”ll be happy for eternity.  Why mess with perfection?  Wait….didn’t I just say that????

The dining area outside the foyer.

The next rental is the WELLINGTON:

Want to stay in a townhouse that was featured in British House & Garden?  Well, this is your chance!!   The townhouse was restored by an architect – and you can read all about his fabulous renovation in the magazine.

This townhouse is in the historic center of Old Chelsea.

St. James Park and Buckingham Palace are nearby.

  The house has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and it was just completely redone by a prominent architect/designer.   While it is located on one of Chelsea’s quietest streets, King’s Road is just a short walk away and the Thames is also near by.    Inside, the house is filled with antiques which mix with a collection of contemporary art.

The architect said that he was inspired by Oliver Messel when he designed the fireplace – but readers to Cote de Texas will recognize that the design is quite similar to one found in Princess Diana’s Kensington Palace apartment, designed originally by William Kent.

  Beautiful crown molding – mirrors used instead of bookcases flanking the fireplace enlarges the space.

I love the gilt capitals used for a coffee table.

The townhouse was built in 1826 and is located in an area of Chelsea where the servants of the nearby larger houses lived.  Today, due to its pricey locale,  these houses are no longer affordable to laborers.

The front door opens to the double drawing room.   You can see the antique floorboards here.  Large contemporary art is seen here, along with an antique long clock and sconces.

BUT, the BEST view is yet to be seen!!

The view on the other side of the drawing room is so beautiful!!  Two large columns separate the double drawing room, while at the sides of the room, two half columns mimic the round ones.  Past the columns is the library and further back is the upper portion of the conservatory, located on the lower floor.  A glass balcony fools the eye.

Notice the ceiling is painted a gold hue, the same color as the columns.

Past the library is the top half of the conservatory, whose bottom half is on the lower floor.  A half wall of glass acts as balcony which helps to fool the eye.

The powder room with marble floors has unusual dark turquoise walls. 

One the lower floor is the guest room – most of all the fabrics used are Galbraith and Paul.

Through the double doors is the guest bedroom.  Here is the dining room with the long table and chairs clad in Galbraith & Paul.  Across – notice the flat baluster on the stairs, built by the noted architect.  Stone floors.  Notice even the sconces shades are Galbraith & Paul.

The view towards the back of the lower floor.  The conservatory was added on to the house.

Love the English feel in the townhouse!

The red wall was pulled out to give the impression a fireplace was there.  The flanking walls were mirrored.

The two story conservatory is across from the kitchen.  Above – you can see the where the glass wall on the first floor overlooks the back garden on the floor below.

The two story conservatory opens to the back garden.

The kitchen.

I love the back door.

Looking at the garden below – which steps down to the kitchen door.

Across, several stone steps lead up to what is either the garage or an adjoining townhouse.

Dying to know what this leads to?!!

Up the stairs – on the 1/2 floor is a large landing.

On the landing is the third bedroom with this darling bed overlooking the garden.

The master bedroom with wood floors and rugs and more darling fabrics.

I love that chest and notice the antique mirror and candles.  Beautiful!!

Did you see the bathroom?

Just beautiful!!!!

The master bathroom is beyond gorgeous!!  Marble and mosaics.  

That hardware!!!!

A view to the bath.   The window probably looks over the stair hall.

One of the prettiest small bathrooms I’ve seen.  LOVE!!!!

The Wellington was really beautiful with all its antiques – I just LOVE it.

This next one is also very nice:   The Salisbury

Looking for a one bedroom??  This sophisticated apartment is in South Kensington, near Museum Row – where the Victoria & Albert Museum is.   Filled with antiques mixed with a contemporary design – it is located on the second floor, and it is very European – there is no elevator. 

The Drawing Room is a large open space with a row of tall French windows the overlook the front.  There’s a beautiful antique screen and portrait.

Across the room, flanked by tall, antique candlesticks is a fabulous tufted leather chesterfield!!

The front view – with boxwoods and a balcony.

So eclectic!  LOVE!

The marble fireplace is probably original to the space – it is gorgeous.

The front French door opens to a balcony that overlooks the street.

The bedroom has an antique chaise and fur coverlet.

The dining room overlooks the back garden and has original Victorian tiles.

Visit the Canada Gate at Green Park near Buckingham Palace

Another darling apartment is the MACDONALD:

This is a three bedroom, two bathroom for those parties of couples or children.  It is located near Kensington High Street and the newly opened Design Museum. 

 

Classic London:  houses in the area are typically painted white with black doors and brass mail slots.

                                                         

Inside the MacDonald, there are pine wood floors and red painted furniture.

Located on the second floor – there is an elevator in this townhouse.

Antique mirrors and two chandeliers.  Such a pretty fireplace!

Fully equipped kitchen with a farm sink.

I love the vintage bread box and toaster!   Notice the tile floors.

And, walls of wonderful white subway tile.

Antique mirror and rugs leads to the bedrooms and kitchen.

One bedroom with wood floors and pine furniture.

The second bedroom has a bay window.

The third bedroom has an antique daybed.

THE DANEBURY:

The Danbury is located in Notting Hill, right near Portobello Road antiques market.

It’s a short walk to Kensington Palace….

and to Hyde Park, with its beautiful lake.

I saved the Danebury for last because it is simply amazing!   It is contemporary and classic London living at its truest meaning.

A two bedroom, the Danebury is located on a quiet mews in the heart of Notting Hill.

I don’t know about you – but I can’t hear the words “Notting Hill” and not think of the Travel Book Co.!!!!  Or Hugh Grant!!! 

A typical mews in Notting Hill with its cobbled streets and old stable doors.

The Danebury has two bedrooms, but a large sofa turned into a bed – makes room for six to sleep.

Here, the front door leads into the dining area and kitchen.

The black front door leads directly into the dining room and kitchen.

The window overlooks the front of the house.  The kitchen is through the opening on the left.

Adjoining the dining area is the large kitchen with its gray subway tiled walls.  At the far left are the stairs that reach up through the four levels of the house.

Notice the gilt mirror:

Hidden inside the mirror is a flatscreen tv!

White lacquered cabinets are mixed with wood shelves.

The left wall of the kitchen is mirrored to made the space seem more expansive.

At the far left are the stairs and past the left of the stairs is the garage, where a full bathroom and laundry room are located.

Past the garage is a large bathroom with shower and to the right, a laundry room.   The garage is visible in the mirror.

The stairs lead up the second level with the two main bedrooms.

The master bedroom overlooks the street.

Plenty of closet space.

I love these green glass subway tiles mixed with the dark brown wood.

And there’s a shower – nice for England!

The guest room.  Both rooms look out to the front street.

Darling!

The guest bath has a large soaking tub.

From the bedrooms’ second level, the stairs reach up to the third level where the Drawing Room is located.

At the right are the stairs, and to the left are the wood stairs that lead up to the fourth level.

The fourth floor acts as a huge skylight for the Drawing Room.

The third floor is taken up completely by the Drawing Room.  A mix of blue velvet and gold & white fabrics – the room is contemporary eye candy!!!

A view from the opposite side of the room.  Just fabulous!!!!

Large flatscreen.

These sofas open up into beds for an extra two guests.

Here, you can see the half wall of glass that surrounds the stairs.  Another set of stairs leads up to the fourth level – the rooftop garden.

Up to the conservatory.

Looking down from the top of the fourth floor.

The conservatory at the top of the fourth floor.

It leads to the rooftop which overlooks the neighborhood.  Isn’t this so adorable?!?!   Love!!!

It even has its own gutter.

Surrounded by a fence and a row of boxwoods, is an outdoors room.

What a great place to come up and drink wine and watch the sun set….

Over at Westminster and Big Ben.

These are just a few of the rentals available at London Perfect.  These that I showed are my favorites.   Be sure to look them all over and pick your favorite rental.

Which leads me to the LONDON PERFECT GIVEAWAY.

FOR ONE LUCKY READER:  London Perfect is offering a 3 day vacation at ANY London Perfect Rental!!!  (Blackout dates apply

and the specific apartment will be subject to availability.)

So, think about which rental you would like to stay at for a long weekend or during the week.

HOW TO ENTER:  

1.  Go to the London Perfect website

HERE.

2.  Come back to Cote de Texas and leave a COMMENT, telling us your favorite rental and why.  Be SURE to include your name and email address IF you want to win!!!

3.  Go to London Perfect Facebook HERE and “like” it and finally, go to the London Perfect Instagram HERE and “follow” – as long as you belong to Facebook and Instagram!

You have until this Saturday at 11:59 pm to enter this contest.

A huge thank you to London Perfect for this giveaway!!!!