An eight bedroom St John’s Wood mansion famed for being Rihanna’s London home has been sold to a Chinese buyer for £27.5 million.
The white stucco double fronted villa was home to the Barbadian pop icon for two and a half years while she was based in London between 2018 and 2020.
The 35 year old singer superstar paid £18,000 a week rent for the house during her “London years” when she was dating Saudi billionaire Hassan Jameel and from where she famously posted a picture on Instagram with an orange Sainsbury’s “Bag for Life” in the background.
Rihanna owning a Sainsbury's Bag For Life. She truly is one of the people ❤️😭 pic.twitter.com/sk2JQ4Bnle
— Joe🥤 (@JoePassmore) May 13, 2019
The 6,332 sq.ft house on St John’s Wood Park had been on the market since 2021 when it was originally priced at £32 million. The house opens onto a 21 ft terrace overlooking an expansive 126 ft long by 130 ft wide rear garden.
It has planning consent for enlargement to create a 16,000 sq.ft residence including a health spa with swimming pool, sauna, steam room and beauty treatment rooms.
Mark Pollack, co-founding director of agents Aston Chase, which handled the sale alongside Savills, said: “This sale is indicative of the surge in demand from Chinese buyers for super-prime homes in London.
"As a result of an inability to travel during the pandemic many wealthy Chinese and Hong Kong residents are prioritising a ‘Plan B’ in the eventuality of another unforeseen event leading to the Chinese Government restricting movement.”
The house was built in 1844 by local builder William Holme Twentyman for De Beers diamond tycoon Daniel Francis. It was designed by architect John Shaw Junior.
Stephen Lindsay, Savills, head of North London and St John’s Wood Office, said: “This is an extremely special house, the only one of Royal architect John Shaw’s original villas on St John’s Wood Park to have survived into the twenty first century.
“The substantial price achieved firmly underlines the value and quality of this unique trophy home and the enduring appeal of St John’s Wood with buyers from both the UK and from around the world.”
