Meet the host: Addy at Bryanston Mews
This is Addy. Host of Bryanston Mews
Why did you join onefinestay?
Because I love my house and I hate seeing it empty - I live in Hammersmith now with my boyfriend and our kids - and so I thought other people might like to live there. But I didn’t want to rent it out permanently so that I can’t go back there, as my parents use it as a bolthole when they come to London. Also, it means I can keep stuff there as my boyfriend is a miserable old minimalist and likes chucking stuff out.
What do you love most about your home?
My bed, which is the size of a small African country, my bath, which is the size of a small North American lake, and my 70s Vegas casino chandelier, which is the size of a small South American cataract. I like the kitchen, the fact that it’s five minutes from Hyde Park, and that all my neighbours are kind and helpful dudes. I also love the fact that it's been a constant thing throughout my life - when I was a kid my parents would bring me and my younger brother up to London and we'd stay in the little bedroom, which had hideous blue and white floral-pattered wallpaper and very uncomfortable twin beds.
Tell us a little bit about the history of your home.
Weeeeeell, it was built in the 50s or 60s on a bomb-damaged site. My parents bought it in 1967 from Austin Reed, the tailor, at the end of the 60s. They then handed it over to me four years ago and I knocked a couple of walls down, rejigged the bedrooms and bathrooms, redecorated and smartened up the kitchen.
Bryanston Mews, Marylebone
Where do you go when you have onefinestay guests?
I live with my boyfriend in Hammersmith and our three kids.
Who would be your guest of honour?
At my place? All my friends. We’d have a crazy party and trash the place - and then the OFS cleaners could do an amazing job tidying it up!
What is your favourite insider tip for travellers to London?
Use a bike to get around. Be careful of black cabs and buses, and make sure you’re in the middle of your lane, so that motorists can see you. Also, the potholes tend to be on the edge of the road. It’s the best way to travel in the capital - fast and free.
What's your favourite gadget/utensil in your home?
My kettle. I can’t survive on less than about ten cups of English Breakfast tea a day. White, no sugar, please. And my iMac. I work, rest and play on it.
Which property on OFS, other than your own, would you like to stay in and why?
I think I’d like to go to the Georgian house on Fournier Street. I’ve never lived in East London (although I very nearly bought a house on Columbia Road 15 years ago) and I think it’s a magical part of town. That area has changed so much in the past decade - I remember when I used to head up to Brick Lane in the mid-90s and it was a real shit pit.
Which is your favourite room in your house and why?
My sitting room. I used to do everything in it, from work - I used to be a journalist - to watch telly, read, eat and hang out with my mates.
If you could have someone famous stay in your house, who would it be and why?
I’d love to say someone like Toni Morrison or a great humanitarian figure, but it just wouldn’t be me. Can I have David and Victoria Beckham, please? We could talk football and frocks. Yes, I am a very shallow individual.
