The living room of an apartment in Westbourne House, which is owned by Westbourne House Ltd, with Qatar First Bank as the primary investor.

By Denise Marray
Gulf Times Correspondent
London

Qatar First Bank (QFB) is seeing the tangible results of its investment in an elegant development in the Bayswater area of West London. Westbourne House, in Westbourne Grove, comprises 20 luxury apartments, including a stunning split-level penthouse with 360 degree views from its 1,386 square foot terrace.
Westbourne House is owned by Westbourne House Ltd, with Qatar First Bank as the primary investor; JR Capital raised the equity for the transaction. The development manager for Westbourne House is Alchemi Group, whose partnership with QFB and JR Capital also includes the nearby development of the Grade II listed 7-12 Leinster Square, W2.
All but four of the Westbourne House apartments have been sold to date with marketing through JLL and Bective Leslie Marsh. There has been strong interest shown from both local UK and international buyers.
Gulf Times was given a tour of the show house to get an idea of the kind of finish and attention to detail that has gone into each apartment.
Laura Marino, co-founder and creative director of Alchemi Group, was behind the design vision. She chose architects, Stiff + Trevillion who have a good understanding of the Bayswater area and its history to work with her in creating homes that offer comfortable luxury in a design rich context with a cool modern twist.
The building has been re-clad with facing brickwork, faience panels and decorative metalwork to the balconies.
Beautiful art deco touches are seen throughout, and the blue-green faience panelling on the balconies and cream Petersen Koluma brickwork add a hand-crafted, distinctive look. The rooms are unusual in having high ceilings which is quite rare for Central London.
Art deco features can be seen in the elegant lobby in the curvature of the chrome, warm walnut panelling and stunning chandelier.
Alchemi Marketing Manager, Katie Black, explained: “Laura Marino drew on the history of the building and of the area. The building was originally a textile draper’s in the late 1800s and she wanted to use design references inspired by that history.”
Cadence Woodland, Sales and Marketing Coordinator at Alchemi Group, added: “This area was famous for its textiles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It became so glamorous that by 1879 local historians referred to it as ‘the Bond Street of the West’. The renewal of the design element in the area is evident in many of the nearby stores – such as Heal’s and BoConcept. This is a beautiful area for people who are focused on a design based lifestyle – in all aspects – for example, there are Michelin rated restaurants just up the street.”
The apartments are havens of peace even though there is a bustling street outside. This is due to excellent soundproofing; added comfort is provided by thermostatic underfloor heating and state of the art cooling systems. There are touches of handcrafted luxury throughout as seen, for example, in the top-quality marble in the bathrooms; this was chosen by the design team who flew out to Italy and Spain to make their selection.
There is ample wardrobe space and bedrooms are spacious and designed for maximum ease of living that combines style with comfort.
The fully-fitted, open-plan kitchens are bright and practical with Italian units from Mesons and appliances from Miele.
The development consists entirely of private ownership residences plus two retail units. There is a 24 hour concierge and underground parking for 12 cars.
Westbourne House has some of the capital’s most attractive neighbourhoods. These include nearby Notting Hill Gate, Holland Park and to the south, Hyde Park and Kensington.
The world renowned Portobello Road is just a ten minute walk away.
Despite prices rising in recent years, homes in Westbourne Grove and Bayswater are still significantly better value than similar properties in neighbouring Kensington, Mayfair and Belgravia, with many local agents foreseeing more growth to come.  
Prices for the apartments start from £2,335,000.