Leighton House

Interesting museum house of a victorian artist based in the Holland Park area. The museum managed to maintain and restore this "palace of art" including the wonderful Arab room - with Leighton's collection of Arab tiles - among others. Although the museum has two floors and can be explored in a bit more than an hour, you can find lots of old masters'prints, pre-raphaelite paintings, middle Eastern rugs and De Morgan tiles. Staff was very kind and helpful too. Compared to other museum houses in London, however, I did feel the ticket was a little overpriced.

Truly a breathtaking place. The Leighton House is a mix of both art, history and beauty. Upon entering, staff will give you a paper guide on the different rooms. Every room was decorated with detail and elegance. Photos do not do the Leighton House enough justice. I highly recommend stopping by.

Beautiful museum in the former home of the artist. There’s a wonderful exhibition right now called “The View From Here” featuring contemporary art from the Middle East and North Africa. The Arab Hall is also stunning and unique! And the museum is not too big so it’s perfect for an hour or two of exploring.

Leighton House Museum had been on my wish list for quite some time, and it more than lived up to expectations. Surprisingly, I knew very little about the Victorian artist Frederic Leighton beforehand, though I immediately recognised some of his work as we wandered through his extraordinary home. When we bought our tickets, I asked the staff where best to begin. The member of staff was wonderfully helpful, suggesting that newcomers either start in the basement with a short introductory film or explore the house first for a more immediate surprise. We chose the film, and although it revealed a few glimpses of what was to come, I’m glad we did, it gave us valuable context about Leighton’s life and artistry, enriching the experience that followed. Every room was a delight, filled with exquisite furnishings and decorated in a mix of artistic styles, including Leighton’s own meticulously crafted works. My personal highlight was the extension housing the breathtaking Arab Hall. We lingered there for quite a while, taking in the intricate details and chatting with a knowledgeable volunteer who shared even more insight. After thoroughly exploring the house, we enjoyed drinks and cake in the charming autumnal garden. (I highly recommend the apple shortbread - delicious!) It was fascinating to learn that Leighton House was part of a circle of artists’ homes, though unfortunately, most of the others aren’t open to the public. Sambourne House, however, is linked to the museum, and I plan to visit there in the future. We also had the chance to enjoy a small visiting exhibition tucked behind the video room, which sparked lively conversation among my friends as we each picked out favourites and compared styles. Overall, Leighton House is a captivating blend of art, architecture, and history, and it made for a thoroughly memorable day out. The only disappointment was the fact there were no fridge magnets with scenes from the house or Leighton's artwork. I like to buy one when I visit places as a memento.

A fantastic collection of art work from the 19th century painter Frederick Leighton. The Arab Hall is stunning! The house is magnificently designed for a smooth experience. The knowledgeable volunteers were very informative and friendly. Worth the visit. National Art pass holders have free entry.

I had been looking forward to a visit of the gallery for a long time, and it was indeed a beautiful studio-home of the most acclaimed Victorian Academician painter. However, there was some filming work going on that disturbed visitors, with a lot of filming equipment all over the rooms. The staff did not warn me, and later did not make any explanation of this. I felt if people paid to see the house they should have been notified at least for the ongoing work. (They even uninstalled some exhibits!) The introductory video downstairs was very explanatory and useful for understanding Leighton and his status in Victorian art world. It is perhaps a shame that Leighton's collection was sold after his death, but the museum does their best to recover his collection and restore the house.

The Arab hall, the stairs area and the Narcissus Hall are absolutely stunningly beautiful! I feel the others rooms are nice but not as amazing as the halls and a little underwhelming after seeing such beautiful ares just to find rooms that are a lot more plain compared.

Very interesting and beautifully decorated house. Frederic Leighton who lived here had a very interesting life and was a famous artist of the late 19 century.

Gorgeously eclectic home of a great painter. Artistically designed with stunning blue tile walls leading to the "Arab Hall" which is literally fantastic! The house is beautiful and so is the art, and it's interesting to imagine how Leighton lived. If you like architecture and design, this house is a rare treat.

What a neat little museum in Kensington! This is the elegantly preserved home of the late Lord Leighton, artist extraordinaire. Every room in the home is a treasure and in turn are stuffed with the treasured works of Lord Leighton and his friends. Paintings, sculptures, sketches, you name it. All nicely displayed in what is apparently their original state. Borrow one of the tour guide iPods, which isn't actually an audio guide but a guide of each room narrated by actors portraying Lord Leighton himself as well as his housekeeper. Sadly pictures are not permitted and there are folks patrolling the house looking out for flashes and the like. I was particularly impressed with the mantle-less fireplace, which instead has a window above it. The flue goes off to one side and connects with a traditional chimney so that the room still has the central window. Well worth the £5 entrance charge, it will take about an hour or two to slowly tour the home and enjoy the artworks. Don't miss the amazing Arab Hall, which displays his Lordship's collection several hundred Islamic tiles that he brought back himself from many trips to Syria. The fountain is quite peaceful. There is also a back garden (though I didn't see any benches). It is worth noting that Lord Leighton held the shortest hereditary peerage in history, dying unmarried one day after its award.

Situated just off the western end of Kensington High Street, close to Holland Park, the Leighton House Museum is the former studio-house of the Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896). Although Leighton did not regard himself as a Pre-Raphaelite, his style nevertheless reflects close links with that movement. His paintings are sumptuous and detailed, depicting, in the main, classical themes. Completed in 1866, the interiors reflect Leighton's high Victorian tastes for the exotic, fusing European and Middle-Eastern architecture. The highlight is the Arab Hall, with its astonishingly intricate decorative pattern of Islamic tiling, brough back from Leighton's travels in the Middle East. Other rooms, in more traditional styles, are hung with important paintings by Leighton and his contemporaries, including John Everett Millais, Edward Burne-Jones and George Frederick Watts, as well as a Tintoretto. The collection forms a very manageable and high quality collection of pre-Raphaelite art. There is also a delightful, small garden at the rear, restored to its original design, open April-September. Nearest Underground stations are Olympia and Kensington High Street - both about 10 minutes' walk away. Buses 9, 10, 27, 33 and 49 run close by (Stop: Commonwealth Institute). Overall, this is a delightfully peaceful museum in a little-known corner of London. Why not combine a visit with a stroll in nearby Holland Park?

The Leighton House Museum is stunning. Unfortunately, you are not able to take pictures on the inside!! The house was the former home and art studio of Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton. It is located in an area of other house art studios. But, they are not always open to the public to view. When you enter the home, my jaw immediately dropped, and I was transported to another place. I had to resist the urge to pull out my phone to take photos. When you enter you immediately sneak a peak of the Arab Hall which is adorned with a golden dome, elaborate mosaics, and stunning tiles. Queen Victoria herself visited this room when she visited in 1859. The other rooms in the house are less stunning than the Arab Hall but are filled with Leighton's paintings and sculptures. On the 2nd floor, you can view Leighton's studio where he brought his work to life. You can also see his sparse forgettable bedroom. And the beautiful Silk room that he added shortly before his death to highlight his paintings. Unfortunately, I visited during the offseason and was not able to view the garden behind the house. I hear it is beautiful.

Love this little museum, though sure do wish they'd let you take photos inside. What's up with that, little boutique London Museums?! Don't you know how much social media free promo you'd get? Anyway, it's a gem of a little museum with vibrant colored tiles, Moorish flair, and dripping with romance. You can't help but daydream about what living here must've been like. Very close to the Design Museum if you want a counterpoint to the mod stuff. I was lucky enough on this visit to get to see Flaming June- on exhibit through April 2, 2017, before it head's back home to Puerto Rico.

I've lived in the area for ages and have known about Leighton House for even longer. Not sure why it's taken me this long to finally visit the musuem. Anyhow, the current exhibition on "Victorian Obsession" finally drew me in (extended until 6 April 2015). The museum is relatively small and the £10 entrance fee relatively steep but definitely worth a visit (discounts apply for Art Fund and National Trust members). The house is beautifully restored and opulently decorated - a rather privileged artist's studio! It's the perfect destination combined with a stroll through nearby Holland Park. I did so on a Sunday afternoon and both the park and museum were overrun with families - a quieter mid-week visit may be advisable if you prefer taking in the surroundings in peace and quiet.

Really unique house with amazing interior design. Each room has a different flair to it and the cards provided do a good job describing the items and design in each room. Only wish we could have taken pictures so I could copy a few of the designs he implemented!

Gorgeous, if a bit dark. I went there to see the Alma Tadema exhibit and was underwhelmed, but interested in the back story--and the mosaics are gorgeous. If you've OD'd on the peacocks in Holland Park, this is not the place to visit--same peacock palette. I had no complaints about that.

Went to this place a couple of years ago and have a great memory of my visit. London has amazing museums such as the V&A, the British Museum, the Tate or the National Gallery but also many unknown place that are really worth a visit. Sir Lord Leighton is a preraphaelit artist member of the Royal Academy both painter and sculptor, influenced a lot by Michelangelo and the Renaissance and left amazing pieces of art around the world. One of the most famous painting is in Philadelphia now but London still have some good one spread in few places. Here you can visit his house, where he lived and used to work, the house he built for himself choosing colors, materials, design of everything. The result is quite amazing, really delicate and full of good taste. There is plenty of item and art that make you back in the past at the Victorian time where Ikea was not yet everywhere ! The mosaic room and the oriental style is beautiful, the sculptures and drawings too, when you finish the visit, you want usually to know more about Leighton. Located in South Kensington it's not far from other touristy places and shopping area.

A highlight of my trip to London as it really gave me a better insight into Frederick Leighton that no book could give me. Beautifully restored with lots of notes in each room - there's also an app you can download with an audio tour - which highlight certain aspects or features within each room. Most of his collections were sold on his death but the museum have done a fantastic job borrowing other complimentary collections. Please see other reviews which give more info on him which is why I'm not going into detail about it here. The lighting is low but this helps to understand the lighting conditions he lived and worked in. So best to go on a bright day. Would have been 5* but the garden was closed and I'd have liked to have seen the rear exterior of the building. Also the staff weren't very helpful or customer focused, ignoring us to carry on a loud but private conversation. However don't let that put you off as it's worth at least an hour to view everything.

Visited again yesterday to see Flaming June before she goes back to Puerto Rico. As others have said this is a beautiful house and garden with gorgeous art and an Arab Hall to delight the senses. It's a real pity no photos are allowed! Check their website for late evening events which include live music and a glass of wine. Really atmospheric way to appreciate the house.

Budget about an hour to fully appreciate this one--the Leighton House Museum is a gem. Come for the extensive collection of Islamic art, the paintings, a glimpse into the life of the eccentric Lord Leighton, or with an eye to the project of extensive and painstaking reconstruction and curation that went into converting the house into a museum. Every surface is busy with detail. There's a fascinating film showing in Leighton's dressing room that describes the process of recreating trims and wallpapers for the house. A lovely way to spend a weekend afternoon after a morning in Holland Park.

Home to Lord Leighton, pre-Raphaelite artist, and now a little museum near Holland Park. The house is ornately decorated and you need time to sit and gaze to take in the detail and breathe the cool air. Especially beautiful are the Eastern-inspired tiled walls in deep blues. There are little fountains and peacock designs. There is a collection of Leighton's drawings, some of his paintings hanging on the walls, and a garden restored to its original design.

A beautiful Pre Raphelite Brotherhood shrine, well worth a trip and the guided tour if you have time.

Leighton House is currently closed for refurbishment but will reopen in 2009 better than ever. This is a fantastic venue to see how artists such as Lord Leighton and his comrades lived, worked, and loved in the 1800's. The main gallery has been redone to look as close as possible to the way it looked when Leighton was lord and master of the house. Many of his original paintings and even more of his drawing and letters have been collected by the museum and are on display at the house. The main thing to see is Leighton's personal collection of Syrian tiles. There is a lovely garden to walk around, and you can understand how Leighton felt so inspired while living here. Not only are Leighton's masterpieces here but the house itself can be called a work of Leighton art because he along with Architect George Aitchison personally designed this house to his specifications. This is also a beautiful space for outside exhibitions to be held, weddings, and banquets.