Khadambi Asalaches Terrace

The splendidly decorated terraced house of Kenyan poet.
Location: 575 Wandsworth Road, Lambeth, SW8 3JD
Description: The incredible carved interiors of this tidy terraced house was acquired by the National Trust in 2010 because of the fine details left by it's former owner. Kenyan poet Khadambi Asalache (1935-2006), was also a novelist, mathematician and British civil servant.
He bought this house in 1981 while working at the Treasury, and over the next 25 years turned it into a work of art. He started with the all-too-familiar need to disguise persistent damp; so he fixed pine floorboards to the damp wall.
With this revelation he went on to embellish almost every wall, ceiling and door in the house with exquisitely carved fretwork patterns and motifs, all hand-carved from reclaimed pine doors and floorboards found in skips.
The house has been preserved as it as left and can be visited via appointment only - the National Trust allow on 2000 visitors a year and you must bring socks or slippers as shoes aren't allowed!


The splendidly decorated terraced house of Kenyan poet. |
Ranking This Month: 2795/3073
Pages Hit This Month: 23
Credits: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/575-wandsworth-road
Your Comments:
Other places nearby:
Art with a Global Perspective», 8.3km
The Estorick Collection», 5.4km
JMW Turner lived here», 3.3km
Cecil Beaton lived here», 2.0km
Picasso Paints Bernals Mural», 3.6km
What Are You Looking At?», 3.1km
Underground Art and Crime Free», 2.4km
Nuclear Dawn Mural», 1.3km
Francis Bacon's Drug Bust», 5.3km
An Artist in Wax lived here», 4.5km
Location Pinpointed:
Open Street Maps», Google Maps»