Back in the ’80s, it was synths, stardom, and studio sessions for the Pet Shop Boys at this Clerkenwell warehouse that once echoed with the beats of West End Girls. Today, the building is hitting a different kind of high note as a three-story, design-forward live-work space listed for £6 million (about $8.2 million) with Savills.
It was home to the artist and filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson, who rented the ground-floor studio space to the six-time Grammy-nominated duo while she lived upstairs. The keys were eventually shared with her husband, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the Avengers: Age of Ultron and Kick-Ass star who—drumroll, martinis please—is reportedly the frontrunner to star as Agent 007 in the next James Bond movie.
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The 60-foot-long great room is framed by exposed wood beams and Crittall steel windows and doors.
Daisy Powles/Savills
Following their tenure, the couple sold the home to film director Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement) and Grammy-nominated sitar player Anoushka Shankar. They called in architect Charles Tashima for a top-to-bottom renovation that respected the rustic bones of the Victorian warehouse while adding flourishes that feel very contemporary. Think Moroccan tiles, reclaimed wood, and limestone salvaged from Heathrow Terminal 2, The London Standard reported.
The overall result is a seriously stylish 4,414-square-foot bohemian sanctuary hidden in plain sight, just minutes from the Barbican and, of course, the West End. Behind the original wagon doors (a nod to its 19th-century life as part of the Whitbread Brewery complex), you’ll find a private courtyard and a nearly 60-foot-long living/dining room framed by exposed beams and floor-to-ceiling Crittall windows. Capping it off is a rooftop terrace.
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Frosted window panes add privacy to the airy primary bedroom.
Daisy Powles/Savills
On the ground floor, the Pet Shop Boys’ former studio is still fully soundproofed but is currently used as a commercial space, though you could easily turn it back into a creative suite if the musical mood strikes. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and plenty of tucked-away surprises, including a laundry space hidden behind oak paneling and a reading nook that could be converted to a fourth bedroom.
The current owners, a tech entrepreneur and a publisher, have added their own twists, including deep orange rubber flooring in the entry hall and a bespoke kitchen built for entertaining. The property is freehold (meaning the land beneath the structure is owned) and zoned for mixed use, giving you flexibility whether you’re composing synth-pop bangers, plotting the next indie film, prepping for a screen test as Britain’s favorite spy, or just relaxing with friends and family. And while it may no longer double as a recording studio, rest assured—it’s still Bond-level discreet.
Click here to see more photos of the boho London loft.
Daisy Powles/Savills
Authors
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Abby Montanez
