Khadambi Asalache House (575 Wandsworth Road)  

 

 

ADDRESS

575 Wandsworth Road, SW8 3JD

 

 

OPENING TIMES

Tours are limited to 54 visitors a week, in tours of six people at a time, due to the delicate nature of the property. Call 0844 249 1895 or book a tour online. Tours of 575 Wandsworth Road have been very popular and the National Trust regret that they ar

 

PRICES

£6, £6 (Adult), £3 (Child), £15 (Family)

 

Nearby

Hotels, Entertainment, Shopping, Restaurants, Leisure, Pubs, Nightlife, Venue hire  

 

 

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The hand-carved fretwork interior of this modest, early 19th-century, terraced house make it one of the most unusual and inspiring in London. 575 Wandsworth Road was acquired by the National Trust in 2010 because of the rich and striking interiors created by Khadambi Asalache (1935-2006), a Kenyan-born poet, novelist, philosopher of mathematics and British civil servant. He bought the house in 1981 while working at the Treasury, and over a period of 20 years (from 1986) turned his home into a work of art. Prompted by the need to disguise persistent damp in the basement dining room, he initially fixed pine floorboards to the damp wall. He went on to embellish almost every wall, ceiling and door in the house with exquisite fretwork patterns and motifs, which he hand-carved from reclaimed pine doors and floorboards found in skips.The house stands as he left it, with his painted decoration on walls, doors and floors and with rooms furnished with his handmade fretwork furniture and carefully arranged collections of beautiful and functional objects, including pressed-glass inkwells, pink and copper lustreware, postcards and his typewriter. It is open for tours in small groups through the National Trust but spaces are very limited so book well in advance.

Khadambi Asalache House (575 Wandsworth Road)  Khadambi Asalache House (575 Wandsworth Road)