Leighton House Museum
Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton built this studio-home as a total artwork: a working atelier fronted by a jewel-box of Islamic-inspired interiors. The Arab Hall glows with 16th–17th-century Iznik tiles; a soaring north-light studio reminds you this was a place of making, not just display. Recently restored, the house reads like a manifesto for beauty across cultures. Allow 60–75 minutes; it’s compact but intensely crafted.
Opening Hours
What's not to miss inside?
Arab Hall
A Victorian dream in Iznik blue and goldA domed, fountain-cooled room inspired by a palace in Palermo—tiles sourced from Damascus and beyond, set like stanzas.
📍 Ground floor, west side
Leighton’s Studio
Where canvases met daylightA vast, uncluttered room with balcony and pulleys—production line for Academy-scale pictures.
📍 First floor, north-light atelier
Staircase & Narcissus Hall
Processional drama between work and wonderMarble, mosaics and mirrors set up a slow reveal of colour and space.
📍 Ground to first floor
Basement Gallery & Context
Leighton among the Holland Park CircleSketches, loans and films place the house within a network of artist-homes.
📍 Lower level
Inspire your Friends
- Leighton was granted a peerage in 1896—and died the very next day, making his title the shortest-lived in British history.
- The Arab Hall’s design was inspired by the 12th-century palace La Zisa in Palermo; many of its tiles are genuine 16th–17th-century Iznik pieces.
- Leighton lived as a bachelor; the ‘house of art’ prioritised studio and reception over bedrooms—an artist’s public life made domestic.
