Fulham Road

Accessed via private communal courtyard gardens, Chelsea Studios is a hidden treasure which has drawn artists and creatives into its discreet village-like community for over a hundred years.

The studios were designed in 1925 by Italian sculptor, architect, and bronze founder Mario Manenti.

Why We Love Chelsea Studios - Accessed via private communal courtyard gardens, Chelsea Studios is a hidden treasure which has drawn artists and creatives into its discreet village-like community for over a hundred years.

The studios were designed in 1925 by Italian sculptor, architect, and bronze founder Mario Manenti.

Originally known as the 'Italian Village' Chelsea Studios is a quiet and discreet retreat off the Fulham Road. The complex was inspired by the Manenti’s family estate near Florence and the spaces were intended to be used primarily as studios and workshops by his circle of creative friends. The buildings have a distinctly serene and Mediterranean feel with terracotta pantile roofs, and whitewashed walls. Lovely details including smart ironwork gates and ornate ironwork lanterns with mature trees and greenery provided by the extensive communal gardens.

Stone pathways lead through gardens to the different apartments, each distinct from the rest and with their own front door.

Studio 9

A characterful and sophisticated ground floor apartment which has retained its fantastic original features and a Florentine feel.

Studio 9 is conveniently unlisted, whilst also being of particular architectural interest as it was built by Manenti as his own personal residence. The front door opens into an elegant hall with tiled floor and Vitruvian scroll skirting. This leads into the open-plan airy living room – a lovely generous space with oak floor and expansive crittal windows. This houses a sitting area with chimneypiece and open fire, flanked by architectural niches, with a large inbuilt bookcase. The other side of the room is set up as a sociable dining area with space for a long dining table.

A set of double doors with ornate original ironmongery opens into a vestibule. The space is flooded with natural light with glazed roof, recessed display bookshelves, and intricate stone floor designed by Manenti with central panel displaying specimen coloured marbles and mosaic patterned borders. A stone step descends to the adjoining kitchen, where simple cabinetry painted in a soft fern green is paired with granite worktops arranged in an efficient horseshoe configuration, creating a practical cooking space.

The bedroom is accessed via a set of double-glazed doors off the living room with inbuilt cupboard and ensuite bathroom with bath and separate shower. The studio also includes two spacious internal storage rooms which are discreetly hidden behind original timber doors off the living room and vestibule. Additionally, a substantial sunken storage space lies concealed beneath the living room floor. Currently arranged as a generous one-bedroom residence spanning 1,044 sq ft, the layout creates an impressive sense of space. However, it offers potential for reconfiguration to include a second bedroom and bathroom.

Extensive Communal Gardens

The studios are set in a series of serene communal courtyards and gardens, which combine with the architecture to create pretty view points and sunny spots to sit outside and enjoy the greenery. Stone paths lead between the areas with lawns, specimen trees including magnolia, a pretty lilypond with water fountain, and flowerbeds abundantly planted to provide colour and interest throughout the year.

Living In Chelsea - Conveniently located on the Chelsea and Fulham border, there is a wide choice of excellent local amenities on the doorstep along the Fulham Road, which is host to a pleasantly lively stretch of cafes, restaurants, bars, and independent shops known locally as ‘The Beach’. The Kings Road is a short walk away, famous for its array of shops including boutiques, restaurants, delicatessens, fishmongers, butchers, bars, and coffee shops.

Nearby supermarkets include Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys and Marks & Spencer, providing daily essentials and North End Road Market runs through the week offering fresh produce.
A chic twist on a traditional neighbourhood pub, local favourite local The Fox and Pheasant, is a 4-minute walk away. The Harwood Arms, London's only Michelin-starred pub, is also nearby, as are a range of well-regarded antiques and Interiors shops on Lillie Road and Chelsea Harbour.

Fulham Broadway is your nearest underground station 5 minute’s walk away and overground services from Imperial Wharf are close- at-hand, as are regular local bus services along both The Fulham Road and Kings Road.

Chapters Past - The studio house was a prominent architectural phenomenon in London during the late 19th and early 20th century which captivated a society increasingly drawn to artistic creativity.

A magical survivor of this phenomenon, Chelsea Studios were designed in 1925 by Italian sculptor, architect, and bronze founder Mario Manenti (1885-1954). Manenti was one of a number of a number of highly skilled Italian craftsmen and founders who established themselves in Edwardian London, attracted by the sustained boom in the commissioning of public monuments, memorials, and decorative sculpture in this period. He took over an existing foundry at 416 Fulham Road in 1921 from Frederick Mancini and created today’s studios, reputedly taking inspiration for the project from his family's estate near Florence. The picturesque low pantiled buildings started life as an artistic enclave and a sense of quiet creative fealty has endured here, continuing to attract creatives up to the present day.