Holland Villas Road

A six-bedroom house for rent steeped in artistic heritage. Here, family life unfolds around one of Holland Park’s most captivating private gardens.

Holland Villas Road has long drawn those with an eye for beauty. Built in the late 1850s by James Hall, its elegant villas have been home to art collectors, poets and London’s culturally inspired. Among them, Victorian poet Jean Ingelow, who spent her later years writing in a glass-roofed studio at the rear of what is now Poet’s House.

Today, the home continues that creative legacy with a softer rhythm of its own. Set back from the street, its green-draped façade and cottage-like exterior bring a rural stillness to the heart of west London. Inside, the pace of the city softens and family life plays out across three generous floors.

The main reception room stretches out beneath high ceilings, with layers of light slipping through tall sash windows. Across the hall, a dining room opens onto the garden through three sets of French doors – an easy transition from formal to alfresco. Between them, a conservatory-style kitchen captures the spirit of the countryside. A vaulted ceiling stretches up to a central skylight; wooden cabinetry, subway tiles and an AGA oven root the space in warmth.

It’s the south-facing garden, though, that truly defines the home. Extending 20m wide and almost 42m long, it’s a rare private green space in central London – with a sequence of areas designed for dining, playing or quiet reflection. Alongside a generous patio, a long stretch of lawn is framed with mature trees. Stepping stones guide towards a guest house at the rear – where two bedrooms, a living area and bathroom offer independence within reach of the main home.

Upstairs, the principal suite channels calm with soft tones, fitted storage and an en suite bathroom. Two further bedrooms share the floor, with a guest suite below and a versatile basement ready for life’s practicalities – games, study or quiet retreat.