Friday, 30 August 2013

The Banker: Naguib Kheraj


The vice chairman of Barclays, and adviser to the Aga Khan. Kheraj lives in the Square.

Thursday, 29 August 2013

Popular: Ruya Mocan and Princess Esra Jah

After a disaster in Chester Row, when a skip fell through the road, Westminster Council banned mega basements. Kensington and Chelsea still allows the practise, but charges millionaires for them.

Inside the £4m mega cellar that will cost City boss an £825k council fee | Mail Online

Charles Saatchi moved out after complaining of neighbours' builders. First he tried to take down some scaffolding. Then he heard that the Grosvenor Estate was building a mega basement next door.

He wasn't the only Eaton Square resident to be furious that their tranquility is to be destroyed.

Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi join basement wars - News - London Evening Standard:

<<Ruya Mocan, 64, who has one of the flats in the building, said: "It is a huge concern for everybody, but we don't yet know the plans or what exactly it will involve.>>
<<"A few years ago I had to go and live somewhere else for nine months during one of these massive conversion projects. I don't see why we should be put through it all over again. I hope someone can stop it.">>

Turkish Ruya is one of the popular residents around the Square. She has two miniature Dachshunds and a dashing husband.

Ruya (left) lives in the same building as her cousin Princess Esra Jah (middle). They are descended from the Ottoman sultans that ruled Turkey. We think that this is a property in Turkey Ruya decorated. No idea who the blonde on the right is.
Ruya at home.
Esra married this little boy. He grew up to be the fabulously wealthy Nizam of Hyderabad. And then pissed most of it away. As the mother of his heir, she's now in charge of the purse strings and trying to salvage the family fortune.
Princess Esra and Prince Mukkaram Jah at his coronation as the Nizam of Hyderabad
They were an international Golden Couple.
Esra was a great beauty. With brains. And class. No wonder Nehru agreed to allow the marriage.

Princess Esra in the family home, the Falaknuma Palace. She's turned it into a luxe hotel in Hyderabad.



Eaton Square resident Sean Connery often pops over for dinner. He used to own a jewellery business with Esra's brother
Esra at a Bin Laden family wedding. Esra's brother Mehmet Birgin (also spelled Birgen) used to live in the Square. A close friend of Osama Bin Laden's brother Salem, was the family 'fixer' even moving to Saudi Arabia.

Ruya Mocan and Esra Jah: we salute you.

Designed by Mlinaric, Henry and Zervudach

A first floor flat decorated in stylish whites

Tuesday, 27 August 2013

Ex: Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi

Controlling Charles Saatchi was an "interesting" addition to the Square. When he moved in, neighbors complained he was hammering nails into the wall in the middle of the night. He had been hanging his art.

Nigella Lawson came later. And an extensive refurbishment.

Catering companies often parked outside their home. Saatchi was regularly seen wandering around Waitrose buying himself packets of pre-cut fruit.

One day Saatchi decided his neighbours were taking too long to refurbish and tried to dismantle their scaffolding himself.

The Saatchis put the flat on the market for £ 36m. It sold to Candy and Candy for £ 21m.

Then started to create chaos for their new neighbours with their own extensive building project.

So what did their love nest look like?

The window is on the ground floor. We are unsure whether the art was created by her children or by the artists Charles Saatchi collects and displays in the near-by Saatchi Gallery.

Nigella's ground floor library with a mezzanine level behind her desk.

Two photographs from a magazine and a snapshot from Nigella's Twitter:

Designed by Michael S Smith














Monday, 26 August 2013

Designed by Richard Adams

A ground floor and basement garden flat. Too much chintz. The client must be in the racing world.




Friday, 23 August 2013