Former chapel Connaught House in St John's Wood becomes five London homes

Few London buildings have had a life like Connaught House. Built in 1841 as a neoclassical chapel by architect John Tarring, with Corinthian columns and white stucco, it later became a squash club and then the studio where Queen filmed Radio Ga Ga. The Grade II-listed building sits on St John's Wood Terrace, close to Abbey Road Studios, Lord's and Regent's Park. Owner Marcus Cooper Group and developer Valouran have now turned it into five homes, with architecture by Darling Associates and interiors by Gunter and Co.

The detail you'd notice first is the crowning cupola, missing for almost a century after earlier alterations and now restored. New handcrafted windows and reworked rooflines bring the rest up to date. Inside, Irene Gunter let each part of the building set the tone: the arched-window flats at the front lean classical, while those at the rear, where the structure is newer, are more modern.

Green and neutral tones, timber, stone and matching ironmongery tie the five together. Gunter says around 80 per cent of what's inside is UK-made, including bespoke pieces from makers the studio found at craft fairs.

These are private homes, so there's nothing to visit, but the restored façade and cupola are worth a look on a walk through St John's Wood.

Our summary of a story from Wallpaper*, published 4 November 2026. Read the original

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