I like to be surrounded by splendid things. I want to lead the Victorian life, surrounded by exquisite clutter,' rockstar Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen, is quoted as saying. From the moment he acquired his home, Garden Lodge, in London's Kensington, he transformed it into a dazzling temple of arts and antiques connoisseurship that lasted over a decade, from 1980 until his untimely death in 1991. For Mercury, a trained artist, it was a place to relax with friends and he filled it with the paintings, antiques, decorative objects and oriental textiles that he adored. Many of these items were purchased at auction houses such as Sotheby's and Christie's, and a number of specialists remember him coming in for pre-sale viewings.
At the heart of the collection was Mercury's private refuge, the Japanese room, furnished with wood-cut prints by the likes of Utagawa Hiroshige, oriental-style antique furniture and chinoiserie. The pieces were amassed on six Queen tours to Japan, as well as frequent personal trips to stock up on traditional and contemporary clothing and art.
Elsewhere in Garden Lodge, brightly coloured walls were hung with works on paper by Braque, Chagall, Matisse and Picasso, all jostling for attention with sets of porcelain in display cupboards, and Japanese silks and textiles, including kimonos. One month before he died, at the age of just 45, Mercury was still shopping, and his final purchase at Christie's was a James Tissot portrait of his muse and mistress, Kathleen Newton. The painting of Kathleen wrapped in a scarlet shawl hung in the drawing room of Garden Lodge, opposite the sofa, so that the singer could gaze at it even though his body was failing.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place
Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE
In its heyday the pre-eminent rival to Wedgwood's Queens ware, Leeds creamware is still much revered by collectors for its understated elegance
Bohemian Rhapsody
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton
The accessories designer on his love of silver spoons and Sévres porcelain
European HERITAGE B&Bs
Is there anything more inspiring than staying somewhere that's both beautifully stylish and imbued with history? Rhiannon Batten explores five gems across Europe, from Sweden to Spain...
STAR SALES
A Hitchens painting, a museum-quality teapot and a Parisian chocolate box are all top of the lots
Textile designs by artists
Influential 20th-century fine artists and sculptors, from Picasso to Barbara Hepworth, gained additional status as textile designers until decline set in during the 1970s
Period DRAMA
A painstaking renovation has brought this 1725 former Huguenot silk weaver's house in London's Spitalfields back to life
An artist's RESIDENCE
Rustic details and a restrained palette lend a sense of simplicity to this lovingly restored Friesian bakery
Carefully Curated LIVING
This lovingly restored Gustavian manor has become both home and showroom for its owners, Maria & Jan Åke, who deal in European antiques