An incredible Art Deco apartment in Chelsea, London, boasting original features from the 1930s is on the market for £975,000 – complete with eccentric Parisian wallpaper and silk leopard print carpet.
The one-bedroom flat was once owned by ‘cheeky cockney’ character actor Harry Fowler, who graced British screens for more than 60 years before his death in January 2012, aged 85.
Harry, best known for his part in the 1960s sitcom The Army Game, which followed peacetime soldiers as they found ways to dodge duty and pursue easy money, was a genuine rags-to-riches star.
He was a teenage newspaper seller living in London in 1942 when he was discovered by a film producer. who heard him talking on the local radio about his life in the British capital during the Blitz.
The producer was looking for a local boy to star in a propaganda film, and once Harry was tracked down, he was given the part – sparking a seven decade-long acting career which included appearances in The Bill and the 1962 historical drama, Lawrence of Arabia.
An incredible Art Deco apartment (pictured, the living room) in Chelsea, London, boasting original features from the 1930s is on the market for £975,000 – complete with eccentric Parisian wallpaper and silk leopard print carpet
The one-bedroom flat (pictured, the bedroom) was once owned by ‘cheeky cockney’ character actor Harry Fowler, who graced British screens for more than 60 years before his death in January 2012, aged 85
Harry, best known for his part in the 1960s sitcom The Army Game, which followed peacetime soldiers as they found ways to dodge duty and pursue easy money, was a genuine rags-to-riches star. Pictured: The apartment’s colourful hall
The actor was a teenage newspaper seller living in London in 1942 when he was discovered by a film producer that heard him talking on the local radio about his life in the British capital during the Blitz. Pictured: The flat’s impressive balcony which boasts sunny, south-facing views
The producer was looking for a local boy to star in a propaganda film, and once Harry (pictured in 1957) was tracked down, he was given the part – sparking a seven decade-long acting career which included appearances in The Bill and the 1962 historical drama Lawrence of Arabia
Following his success, the English actor soon found himself purchasing the Chelsea apartment, found in Chesil Court and built in 1938.
The one-bedroom property still has many of its original features, such as the iron bath and marble surround. The flat also offers Parisian rainforest wallpaper in the bedroom based on a 1930s print by Madeleine Castaing.
Inspiring most of the home’s daring decoration, similar features include peacock blue blackout curtains and a leopard-print carpet made from silk which runs throughout the home.
The apartment also boasts a stunning balcony with sunny, south-facing views, complete with a more contemporary grey bench and impressive hedging.
Following his success, the English actor soon found himself purchasing the Chelsea apartment (pictured, the bedroom with rainforest wallpaper), found in Chesil Court and built in 1938
The one-bedroom property (pictured, the kitchen) has many of its original features, such as the iron bath and marble surround. The flat also offers Parisian rainforest wallpaper in the bedroom based on a 1930s print by Madeleine Castaing
Inspiring most of the home’s daring decoration, similar features include peacock blue blackout curtains (pictured left) and a leopard-print carpet made from silk which runs throughout the home
The apartment (pictured is the reception area) also boasts a stunning balcony with sunny, south-facing views, complete with a more contemporary grey bench and impressive hedging
Potential buyers should be aware that on top of the £975,000 asking price for this 568 sq ft, one-bedroom flat, they will have to pay a £5,000 annual service charge.
Rupert Greig, Senior Associate Director at Strutt & Parker Chelsea, said: ‘Chesil Court, built in 1938, is one of the famous Art Deco blocks in this part of Chelsea of which there are a few.
‘If you’re looking for a safe lock up and leave, these blocks are perfect and seeing a resurgence in popularity. Swan Court just up towards the Kings Road is a bigger version of Chesil Court and has recently undergone a major overhaul to restore it to its former art deco glory; Chesil Court is undergoing a similar transformation at the moment.
Potential buyers of the flat (above) should be aware that on top of the £975,000 asking price for this 568 sq ft, one-bedroom flat, they will have to pay a £5,000 annual service charge
Rupert Greig, Senior Associate Director at Strutt & Parker Chelsea, said: ‘The property provides a fabulous mix of modernist architecture with an eclectic interior design. There are original features including the iron bath (above) with marble surround, radiator and fireplace, and additions such as the Crittall windows, fully upgraded galley kitchen and underfloor heating.’
Mr Greig added: ‘The building sits within Old Chelsea at the bottom of Flood Street by Cheyne Walk. A typical buyer of this sort of property (pictured, the entrance into the kitchen) will be looking for a secure pied-a-terre, somewhere for their children or just downsizing locally’
‘The building sits within Old Chelsea at the bottom of Flood Street by Cheyne Walk. A typical buyer of this sort of property will be looking for a secure pied-a-terre, somewhere for their children or just downsizing locally.
‘The vendors are creatives – he is a musician while she is a designer – and they’re now looking to upsize in the same area. The artistic building has attracted an eclectic mix of residents over the years and retains a real sense of community, year round.
‘The current owners love the building, while the flat they occupy is the former home of actor Harry Fowler, the newspaper boy scouted by a Hollywood film studio in the 40s who later became a national treasure.
‘The property provides a fabulous mix of modernist architecture with an eclectic interior design. There are original features including the iron bath with marble surround, radiator and fireplace, and additions such as the Crittall windows, fully upgraded galley kitchen and underfloor heating.’