Auctions: Tour the Lavish London Home of the Late Michael Inchbald

Photo via Habitually Chic

Last year, the interior design world lost one of its early masters with the death of British tastemaker Michael Inchbald, who established the first interior design school in Europe, the Inchbald School of Design, in a single room in the basement of his west Knightsbridge home. Upon receiving a tour, decorator Henrietta Spencer-Churchill remarked that she was "instantly struck by his innate sense of proportion and ability to mix styles to create an eclectic yet harmonious space," but apparently his stately, well-curated abode didn't always work work in his favor professionally; Inchbald himself was known to confess that the place's theatricality often intimidated clients. Next week, Christie's in London is auctioning off many of the antique pieces of furniture and works of art decorating the Stanley House, as it's known, and to commemorate the final days of the home in its current state, Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic recently showcased a batch of interior shots highlighting its seamless mix of neoclassical and modern sensibilities. Get the rundown below before these pieces go to the highest bidder.

Photo via Habitually Chic Though Inchbald's commissioned works often displayed a more modern vibelike the Queen's Room he designed for the QE2, once hailed as "the most successful marine interior ever conceived," if you're one for superlative quotesaside from a few light touches and the lively coloring on the walls, his home kept firm foot in the past. On the left, a sitting room's fancifully arched entryway is framed by works of art from Inchbald's collection, whose oldest piece for sale dates back to around 332 B.C. Pictured to the right, a George II silver epergne from 1736 looking delightfully anachronistic on a transparent table set off by floral print wallpaper.

Photo via Habitually Chic Two views on the drawing room, easily the most successful interior of the lot, with one of two neo-Egyptian bronze and ormolu candelabras pictured on the right, which hope to bring in anywhere from $114,730 to $163,900 at auction. On the left, a handsome amaranth bureau plat with surface inset with black leather, and in the background, a wooden model of the Torre Dell'Orologio.

Chic at Christie's: Michael Inchbald [Habitually Chic] Stanley House [Christie's]

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Auctions: Tour the Lavish London Home of the Late Michael Inchbald