Dennis Severs' House

Dennis Severs' House Review

An extraordinary time-machine of a house, this mansion was the creation of Dennis Severs (1948-99), a performer-designer-scholar from Escondido, California, who dedicated his life to restoring this Georgian terraced house. More than that, he created "still-life dramas" using sight, sound, and smell to evoke the world of a fictitious family of Hugenot silk weavers, the Jervises, who might have inhabited the house between 1728 and 1914. Each of the 10 rooms has a distinctive, compelling atmosphere that encourages visitors to become lost in another time. The rooms are shadowy set-pieces of rose-laden Victorian wallpaper, Jacobean paneling, Georgian wing chairs, Baroque carved ornaments, "Protestant" colors (upstairs), and "Catholic" shades (downstairs). Don't miss it! The "Silent Night" candlelight tours, each Monday and Wednesday evening, are the most theatrical and memorable way to "feel" the house; this is a magical experience relished by both Londoners and out-of-towners. Private individual Silent Night tours are available one night per month, and private group visits can also be arranged.