Who owns easton neston house

The first use of the giant pilaster order in English residential architecture can be seen in the south front of Chatsworth, designed by William Talman in and which also introduced the rectangular silhouette, the echoes of both of which can be seen in Easton Neston. Hawksmoor also had the advantage of the use of Helmdon stone which, due to its durability and exceptional crispness when carved, ensures the house looks as good today as when it was first built.

Hawksmoor never undertook the usual Grand Tour to Italy so his architectural style was essentially drawn from a close study from various books of earlier classical architects. This gives his work an intellectual quality which others lacked but also gave him the vocabulary to be inventive. In July it was announced that Easton Neston had been sold to the American clothing retail tycoon Leon Max, the Russian-born owner of the California-based Maxstudio.

Easton Neston probably now looks better now than it has done since it was built, with the investment from the new owner likely to have secured the future of one of our greatest and most interesting country houses. This was a sumptuous post, not unlike the house itself. It is a real jewel box and an in depth documentary could be amazing. Thanks so much for this effort! Thank you for your kind compliment.

It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to write about it and the wonderful Hawksmoor. He was a master in the use of space and light and although we are unlikely to get a chance to have a look round Easton Neston though I would love to, Mr Max, if you happen to be reading!

Their variety and style certainly underline his reputation for brilliance. I was also pleased at what the new owners had done to South Wraxall Manor. As I live close to Easton Neston and know the area well was so looking forward to the programme.

Exception in everyway, but enjoyment spoilt by highly intrusive irritating music. I wanted to hear what Dan Criuckshank was telling us, not choirs and orchestras almost drowning him out. He was shot at a crossroads by a motorcyclist in His American fortune is safe from the feuds of Russian business; safe from Putin. You just have to hope he is benevolent. Leon runs his global clothing empire from the design studio he created in a burnt-out servant's wing, built by Sir Christopher Wren.

The country pursuits. I have met a number of interesting people on shoots. I knew it was the one. But it works just as well as a house to entertain in,' said Leon pictured above: the dining room.

Max bought the house, he explains, the week after the Heskeths had auctioned the contents. That, he laughs, is a mistake. Something happened to it. We have underfloor heating here. Also it fits perfectly. In July , Max, freshly divorced from his second wife, the American model and stylist Ame Austin, gave a lavish party.

In his study, upstairs, he shows me a newly finished documentary, In Pursuit Of Beauty, which follows Max for six months as he tries to launch his single life in England and his new clothing line: polo at Cowdray Park; his summer party; sailing a sleek navy blue yacht in St Tropez; in the company of Katia.

But there is, he points out, a difference between him and Gatsby. But it works just as well as a house to entertain in. Perhaps there is a Daisy, but not a human one. Max grew up with his face pressed against the Iron Curtain, longing for the beauty, the freedom of Old Europe. He made his fortune in the New World. And now he wants his Old World friends to love his clothes too.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Argos AO. Privacy Policy Feedback. Katia and Leon in his office. Katia in the gallery. Servants' quarters in the basement. Bells outside the servants' hall in the basement.

And an opium pipe was bought by an American cartoonist working for The New Yorker, whose family had connections with the pipe's original owner, William Sheraton. The close of the sale marks the end of a traumatic time for the family. The auction followed the announcement a year ago by Lord Hesketh that he could no longer afford the huge costs of the upkeep of his estate.

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Marble busts representing the seasons populate a gallery where a vast arched window frames an ornamental canal glittering in the verdant distance. This is Easton Neston, the masterpiece by Nicholas Hawksmoor, an ingeniously inventive architect who also had a hand in Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard.

From its stone lions marching along the roofline to its wildly attenuated windows, the ashlar building represents the domestic high point of the English Baroque, a flamboyant style that flowered briefly before Palladian stateliness became all the rage. Easton Neston, however, works its magic on a much smaller scale. Though the room dwelling, about an hour northwest of London, appears to be only two stories high, it is laced with mezzanines that provide four levels of living space, totaling about 32, square feet.