Freddie Mercury’s $58 million London home on offer for the first time since 1980
![Freddie Mercury’s $58 million London home on offer for the first time since 1980](https://images.thenightly.com.au/publication/C-14047195/f513a932e178338dc2383785364b254d97fcebff-16x9-x0y41w1024h576.jpg?imwidth=810)
Freddie Mercury’s London mansion has hit the market for the first time.
The frontman of the iconic rock band Queen passed away almost 33 years ago but left his treasured Kensington home, Garden Lodge, to his former partner and long-time friend, Mary Austin.
Now, the property is on the hunt for a new owner 44 years after Mercury took ownership of the lavish Neo-Georgian mansion in 1980.
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Positioned in the upscale neighbourhood of Kensington, the house is listed with price expectations above £30 million (AUD $58 million) with Knight Frank, according to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.
“This house has been the most glorious memory box because it has such love and warmth in every room,” Austin said.
“Ever since Freddie and I stepped through the fabled green door, it has been a place of peace, a true artist’s house, and now is the time to entrust that sense of peace to the next person.”
![Freddie Mercury’s $58 million London home on offer for the first time since 1980](https://images.thenightly.com.au/publication/C-14047195/b06c7019695dd72e23853edd417a70e4d4ea22a4.jpg?imwidth=810)
Preserved for more than 30 years by Austin, Garden Lodge served as Mercury’s “country house in London” as a sanctuary from the intensity of life on tour.
However, it was also famously the site of extravagant parties throughout the ‘80s, including a silly hat-themed event to celebrate his 40th birthday in 1986.
According to reports, the singer made an offer on the spot upon his first visit to inspect the house which was designed in 1907 by architect Ernest Marshall for the artists Cecil Rea and Constance Halford.
Mercury enlisted interior designer Robin Moore Ede to help him transform the classically designed house into a luxurious and eclectic space.
Garden Lodge’s centrepiece is a two-story drawing room, which once housed the grand piano on which Mercury composed Queen’s hit, Bohemian Rhapsody.
![Freddie Mercury’s $58 million London home on offer for the first time since 1980](https://images.thenightly.com.au/publication/C-14047195/dfd2952bf61fea7ae9759fa95643d01929272fe6.jpg?imwidth=810)
![Freddie Mercury’s $58 million London home on offer for the first time since 1980](https://images.thenightly.com.au/publication/C-14047195/f6ac9927b224403bfdcb5aa76b15da4b701258dd.jpg?imwidth=810)
French doors lead from the Japanese sitting room to the manicured gardens.
Every room of the house is infused with Mercury’s vibrant personality, with design choices made personally by the artist, including citrus-toned yellow walls in the intimate dining room, and floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the lavish dressing room that once housed his extensive collection of stage costumes.
A feature in the dining room is geometric cornice designed by Mercury painted in a mixture of green, pink and gold.
The top floor comprises eight bedrooms, including the master suite.
According to reports, Mercury shared the home with boyfriend Jim Hutton and his personal assistant Peter Freestone, alongside his 10 pet cats.
He lived there until his death on November 24, 1991. Mercury’s mansion is not the only rock’n’roll residence on the market.
British music superstar Rod Stewart is offloading his 13-bedroom home in Los Angeles’ North Beverly Park with a reduced price tag.
The Maggie May singer initially placed the Beverly Park manor on the market for US$70 million in early 2023 before he upped the listing price to US$80 million in December.
However, the 79-year-old former Faces frontman has since dropped the asking price of the sprawling 2648-square metre house to US$74 million (AUD $112 million)
Set on three acres, Stewart purchased the vacant lot in 1991 for US$12 million and commissioned the design of a nine-bedroom, 14-bath mansion in the affluent North Beverly Park enclave above the Hollywood Hills.
![British music superstar Rod Stewart is offloading his 13-bedroom home in Los Angeles’ North Beverly Park with a reduced price tag.](https://images.thenightly.com.au/publication/C-14047195/e8ad173aee0b84cbe03e56566532dd5a4578db7b.jpg?imwidth=810)
Boasting a striking yellow exterior and a large fountain at the entry, the massive three-level house spans a whopping 28,500-square-foot of floor space.
The first floor has two sitting rooms with intricate mouldings, traditionally decorated and filled with Old World treasures.
There is a gourmet kitchen next to the tea room and the den with fireplaces and loggias, a wine room and a dining room that seats 20.
A temperature-controlled wine room is positioned near the formal dining room designed to comfortably entertain 20 guests.
The house also has a bar with a large mirror and oil-painted Renaissance nudes.
![British music superstar Rod Stewart is offloading his 13-bedroom home in Los Angeles’ North Beverly Park with a reduced price tag.](https://images.thenightly.com.au/publication/C-14047195/4b9a78eb7a8127ea816c49b96ab57b8a49edc01c.jpg?imwidth=810)
![British music superstar Rod Stewart is offloading his 13-bedroom home in Los Angeles’ North Beverly Park with a reduced price tag.](https://images.thenightly.com.au/publication/C-14047195/ba8f66b4d111e4907075215210386029a6f2943c.jpg?imwidth=810)
French doors lead to the covered loggia, manicured grounds, a wood-panelled library and wood-inlay floors.
There is a library and a theatre that opens up into a private outdoor seating and lawn area, which includes a cascading waterfall fountain.
A double staircase leads to the private quarters including the master bedroom with dual pink and green bathrooms.
There are extra-large closets to hold the singer’s huge shoe collection.
![British music superstar Rod Stewart is offloading his 13-bedroom home in Los Angeles’ North Beverly Park with a reduced price tag.](https://images.thenightly.com.au/publication/C-14047195/723067208754fb40eed7e02b04711a7775f63825.jpg?imwidth=810)
![British music superstar Rod Stewart is offloading his 13-bedroom home in Los Angeles’ North Beverly Park with a reduced price tag.](https://images.thenightly.com.au/publication/C-14047195/158cbce636122004e68118d49fea217a97655baf.jpg?imwidth=810)
Outside has a swimming pool with covered terraces and views of the city and canyon.
Stewart is known as a huge football fan, so the property also boasts the inclusion of a soccer field as well as two full-sized gyms. There is also a 4180-square-metre four-bedroom, five-bathroom guesthouse and five-car garage.
The home is listed with Tomer Fridman from Compass.