A stunning Mayfair apartment which was once home to the founder of Selfridges department store on Oxford Street has hit the market for £19.95 million.
The sprawling five-bedroom residence on the fourth floor of Brook House, Park Lane was the London home of Harry Selfridge during the 1930s and 1940s and offers 3,777 sqft and five balconies with 124.8 sqft of outside space.
Formerly owned by Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of the Queen’s uncle Lord Mountbatten, the original Brook House apartment building was built in 1933-1935 by developer George Fee.
The magnificent apartment, where the Selfridges founder entertained his official mistress, the glamorous Syrie Maugham, and his on-off secret lover dancer Rosie Dolly, will provide the new owner with panoramic views over Hyde Park, which can be enjoyed from any of the five balconies.
A Mayfair apartment which was once home to the founder of Selfridges department store on Oxford Street has hit the market for £19.95 million. The main reception room (pictured) has white-slab marble flooring and space for several seating areas provide the perfect venue for relaxation or entertaining.
The sprawling five-bedroom residence on the fourth floor of Brook House, Park Lane, features a spacious main living area with white-slab marble flooring and chic vintage rugs and furniture
The spacious family kitchen has a central island, breakfast/dining area and a separate utility room while boasting panoramic views over central London
The centrepiece of the apartment is a 44ft dual aspect reception room with coffered ceiling and marble flooring, incorporating full height glazing overlooking Hyde Park including two bays with floor-to-ceiling windows and ornamental balconies
The original site at 113 Park Lane had been occupied by Brook House, a mansion owned by Sir Ernest Cassell the financier and grandfather of Edwina Mountbatten.
After inheriting her grandfather’s fortune, Edwina Mountbatten partnered with property developer George Fee to spruce up the outdated property.
In return she was given a share of the sale from each of the apartments, along with ownership of the vast duplex penthouse, which features bespoke interiors designed for Edwina in 1935.
American retail magnate Harry, who founded London-based department store Selfridges in 1909, had initially settled in Arlington Street in Westminster before moving to 9 Fitzmaurice Place, a Georgian town house just off Berkeley Square.
Harry Gordon Selfridge, pictured working in his Park Lane apartment, was an American retail magnate who founded and built the world-renowned Selfridges department store on Oxford Street in 1908. He moved into the fourth floor apartment at Brook House in 1936 and stayed there until 1945
The site at 113 Park Lane had originally been occupied by a grand mansion, also known as Brook House, which had been owned by Sir Ernest Cassell the financier and grandfather of Edwina Mountbatten. In 1993 the original Brook House apartment building was demolished and replaced in 1997-1998 by the current building, designed by architectural practice Michael Squire & Partners.
The magnificent apartment is where the Selfridges founder entertained his official mistress, the glamorous Syrie Maugham, and his on-off secret lover dancer Rosie Dolly. Pictured, The Dolly Sisters, Rosie and Jenny, in Paris in 1923
But the property tycoon decided to move to the Oxford Street apartment, also giving up the lease on his rented country estate, Highcliffe Castle, after his personal fortune declined rapidly during the Great Depression.
Harry was one of the first residents to move into the apartment building and remained at Brook House until late 1945 when he relocated to Ross Court in Putney Heath to live with his daughter Rosalie where he died at the age of 89 on 8th May 1947.
In 1993 the original Brook House apartment building was demolished and replaced in 1997-1998 by the current building, designed by architectural practice Michael Squire & Partners.
The modern building provides basement parking, ground floor residential foyers with concierge, passenger lift and a total of 15 apartments within the building comprised of 12 apartments on the 2nd to 5th floors and one penthouse per floor on the 6th to 8th floors.
The main reception room has white-slab marble flooring and space for several seating areas provide the perfect venue for relaxation or entertaining.
The spacious family kitchen has a central island, breakfast/dining area and a separate utility room and there are double bedrooms, all with bespoke built-in wardrobes and ensuite bathrooms.
The master and main guest suites have balconies and the master suite has a walk-in dressing room, while the apartment comes with 24-hour concierge, an additional storage room and two secure underground parking spaces.
The apartment is located on Park Lane, directly adjacent to Hyde Park, and the boutique shops and restaurants of Mayfair Village, centered on Mount Street, as well as access to Marble Arch and Bond Street undergound stations.
Peter Wetherell, Founder & Chairman of Wetherell says: ‘During the 1930s and 1940s this fourth floor address on Park Lane was the glamorous Mayfair home of Harry Selfridge, founder of the world-renowned Selfridges store which is nearby on Oxford Street.
‘Despite being a new apartment building, different from the 1930s original that Harry Selfridge and Edwina Mountbatten knew, the current Brook House remains one of the most sought after apartment buildings in Mayfair, combining the famous site heritage with unrivalled views over Hyde Park.
‘Whilst much has changed since the old Mayfair of the 30s and 40s, what hasn’t changed is the amazing view from Park Lane over the 350 acres of Hyde Park – only now – the trees are more mature.’
The fourth floor apartment in Brook House is available for sale with sole agent Wetherell for £19,950,000.
There are five double bedrooms, all with bespoke built-in wardrobes and ensuite bathrooms. The apartment’s stunning main bathroom features chic marble, a walk-in shower, oak-clad his and hers sinks and recessed lighting
The elegant 3,777 sqft five bedroom apartment offers five balconies with 124.8 sqft of outside space and the master bedroom boasts access to the balcony as well as stylish vintage furniture and chandeliers
The apartment provides an abundance of lateral living space and panoramic views over Hyde Park with floor-to-ceiling windows and ornamental balconies as well as vintage furniture and decor
The modern building provides basement parking, ground floor residential foyers with concierge, passenger lift and a total of 15 apartments within the building comprised of 12 apartments on the 2nd to 5th floors and one penthouse per floor on the 6th to 8th floors
There are five double bedrooms, all with bespoke built-in wardrobes and ensuite bathrooms. The master bedroom features a balcony and has a walk-in dressing room, perfect for a fashion lover like Harry Selfridge
The main living area of the elegant five-bedroom property features stylish vintage decor, floor-to-ceiling windows with access to one of the five balconies
The main living area of the Mayfair apartment features stunning chandeliers hanging from both the walls and ceiling, marble flooring, vintage rugs and stylish furniture
The main living area of the grand Mayfair apartment boasts views of Hyde Park from one of the five the sprawling balconies providing 124.8 sqft of outside space
Brook House is located on Park Lane, arguably London’s most famous address, directly adjacent to Hyde Park, and the boutique shops and restaurants of Mayfair Village, centered on Mount Street, as well as access to Marble Arch and Bond Street undergound stations