Freddie Mercury's Last Home
In 1980, at the height of his fame, Freddie Mercury bought a mansion in the prestigious London neighborhood of Kensington. He made the decision on the spot. First viewing. His eyes lit up. Deal done. Freddie paid £500r for the mansion and the lot. In today’s money, that’s about £2.5 million. Almost a steal.
The house was built in 1907 according to a design by architect Ernest William Marshall for the artist Cecil Ray and his wife, the sculptor Constance Halford.
The two-story Neo-Georgian mansion is tucked away in the middle of its own garden behind a 2.5-meter-high brick wall.
This is a rarity for Kensington. Not a classic London townhouse with neighbors right next door, but a true mansion with a private garden in the heart of London.
Over the course of ten years, Mercury renovated “Garden Lodge” together with designer Robin Moore Eade.
The singer described the resulting interior as “Victorian living” and “refined chaos.” Every room here became its own unique setting.
The artist’s former studio was transformed into a huge living room with double-height ceilings, a striking fireplace, and lemon-yellow walls. Above the room, they preserved a gallery, where they set up a library and a bar.
The centerpiece of the living room was a black Yamaha grand piano. Freddie bought it in 1975 and composed “Bohemian Rhapsody” and other Queen songs on it. In 2023, the piano was sold at auction for £1.7 million.
The dining room looked even more vibrant. Saffron-yellow walls. Green, pink, and gold patterns. Paintings by Matisse and Chagall. Mercury designed the geometric ornamentation under the ceiling himself and painted some of the elements by hand.
There was also a Japanese-style living room in the house. It was the quietest and most secluded room. Freddie was passionate about Japanese art; he collected prints, porcelain, lacquer boxes, and antique furniture. The room opened onto a garden with magnolias, bamboo, and a small pond with koi.
The house has a floor area of 800 m². The house has eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, a library, a bar, two living rooms, a large kitchen, and a sunroom.
Freddie lived at “Garden Lodge” for the last eleven years of his life. He also died there on November 24, 1991.
Mercury bequeathed the house, along with its furnishings, art collection, and personal belongings, to his closest friend, Mary Austin. She kept the interiors virtually intact and lived in the mansion for the next thirty years.
In 2023, Mary decided to part with Freddie’s collection. A total of 1,400 items were sold at auction for a total of £40 million. Even the green front door, on which fans had left messages for years, went under the hammer for £410k.
After the collection was sold off, the now-empty mansion came on the market for the first time. In February 2024, the asking price was £30 million.
The house was not put up for public sale. Photos of the interiors, the exact floor plan, and the address were provided only to verified buyers who had confirmed they had the necessary funds. As of the fall of 2026, the mansion remains unsold and is owned by Mary Austin.
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