A famous Camden mews house, once home to one of the 1980s biggest pop stars - Madness frontman Suggs - is up for sale. The singer of beloved hits including ‘Our House’ and ‘It Must Be Love’ bought the property in 1981 after the north London ska band achieved widespread success.
For music lovers, it really couldn’t be in a better location, situated on a cobbled street just off Camden Square, close to Camden Town Underground Station and several famous music venues including Electric Ballroom, The Roundhouse and KOKO.
In his autobiography Suggs wrote, ‘Finally we arrived at my newly purchased house in Camden. It had been part of the stables for the bigger houses at the back…The furniture at this point consisted of one jukebox with one record, ‘Cry Me a River’ by Julie London. Which did make our housewarming somewhat limited, as did the fact that my mate who’d been in charge of the bar got fed up halfway through the proceedings and locked all the booze in the bathroom, taking the key with him.’
‘The years flew by and we had two lovely daughters, Scarlett and Viva. The Karmann Ghia became too small and sadly had to go, as did the mews house.’
Since then, the singer’s former home has been combined with two other houses to create one of the largest mews properties on the market at 2,721 sq. ft. Floor to ceiling windows remain in several of the rooms, alongside a bespoke kitchen, two spacious reception rooms and three double bedrooms.
Currently on the market with Dexters for £1,950,000, the property has recently been renovated to an exceptionally high standard with cool interiors and eclectic design features. Entry to the property is through a reception room, with art-deco details, parquet flooring and a wood-panelled wine vault accessible through an impressive set of ornate double doors. This leads onto a large dining room with a paned glass chandelier and an extensive kitchen featuring art-deco style tiling and counter level windows that give the space an open and inviting feel.
The second reception room on the ground floor reveals one of the home’s best-kept secrets, a staircase that leads to an underground bar, gilded with gold and resembling a 1920s speakeasy. Inspired by the movie ‘The Shining’, the bar has an intricately designed ceiling, wood-panelled walls and sheets of marbled lights that make it perfect for parties.
Upstairs, there are three double bedrooms and three bathrooms, two of which are ensuite. The principal bedroom has been creatively designed with industrial style glass panels that slide open to reveal a bathroom lined with emerald tiles and a clawfoot tub. The two other bedrooms open onto a decked terrace with screened glass for private lounging.
Oliver Sharpstone, Director of Dexters Camden says: ‘Camden is such a vibrant and artistic area. You can find everything here from organic food stores to bars, restaurants and performance venues all concentrated in NW1. This mews house is a testament to the unique Camden art scene and is incredibly rare – thanks to its size, design and history. We expect it would make the ultimate bachelor pad or a characterful family home. There will certainly be lots of interest in it.’
