A Mayfair Home with a Literary Past: Oscar Wilde and The Importance of Being Earnest

The former Mayfair bachelor lodgings of playwright Oscar Wilde at Half Moon Street which helped inspire Wilde’s iconic play The Importance of Being Earnest, is for sale.

The six-storey townhouse was originally built in the c1730s and now provides beautifully interior designed, dressed and immaculately presented luxury living space over lower ground, ground and five upper floors, with a large oriel bay windows and spacious outside terraces.

The History Behind Half Moon Street

The townhouse was originally built as a single-family home, however in the early 1880s the then owners, the Gannon family, subdivided the property into apartments. The Gannon Apartments at Half Moon Street provided ‘bachelor’s chambers’ – accommodation for single male tenants looking to advance their careers and fortunes. These bachelor chambers were popular with young men-about-town since they were directly adjacent to Flemings at 10 Half Moon Street. At the time Flemings was a racy tavern with lodgings above run by Robert Fleming, which you may now know as Flemings Mayfair – an iconic boutique hotel.

Whilst it is now seen as one of the most prestigious streets in Mayfair, during the 1880’s Victorian era Half Moon Street was a much more colourful and bohemian place where London’s ‘confirmed bachelors’, artistic types and theatre people lived and socialised. 

The bachelor’s chambers at Half Moon Street were home to the actor and costumier Raoul ‘Reggie’ de Veulle, novelist Hugh Walpole, poet Siegfried Sassoon and literary icon and journalist Robbie Ross, a close friend of Oscar Wilde.

Wilde was a frequent visitor to Half Moon Street, alongside the adjacent Flemings Tavern and Café Royal on Regent’s Street. Wilde also had membership of the smart Mayfair gentleman’s club, the Albemarle Club (1874-1941), then at 13 Albemarle Street, and nearby Burlington Arcade was another favourite haunt.

Oscar Wilde and The Importance of Being Earnest

It is therefore perhaps not surprising, that the townhouse at Half Moon Street provided the inspiration and setting for Algernon Moncrieff’s bachelor pad in Oscar Wilde’s famous play The Importance of being Earnest, with the first Act of Wilde’s play centred on Half Moon Street and Moncrieff’s ‘luxuriously furnished‘ chambers.

After the Second War, Half Moon Street was converted into offices, before being converted back into a single home in 2008. Fully refurbished and modernised, the townhouse now offers fantastic living space over seven floors, linked by a passenger lift and a staircase that rises through the house.

The layout and interiors

The townhouse lives up to the ‘luxurious furnishings’ of Algernon Moncrieff’s home as described in Wilde’s play. On the ground floor, the entrance hall has geometric patterned marble flooring, a Carrara Biano marble fireplace and elegant ceiling coving. Beyond the entrance hall is the family kitchen with central island and adjoining breakfast/informal dining room.

On the first floor, overlooking Half Moon Street, is a spacious reception room with large bay window, smoked European oak parquet flooring, a period marble fireplace and wet/cocktail bar with fridge. In this elegant living room Oscar Wilde’s play comes alive and you can imagine Algernon entertaining his friend Ernest Worthing and hosting his formidable Aunt Lady Bracknell.

On the lower ground floor there is a cinema room with built in bar, steam room, utility room and extensive vault storage. The principal bedroom suite occupies the entire second floor and has a spacious bedroom with parquet flooring and deep bay window, walk in dressing room with fully fitted bespoke wardrobes crafted in American walnut wood and a main bathroom with freestanding sculptural bathtub, twin basin and double walk-in shower with Armani marble.

Beauchamp Estates’ thoughts

“The bachelor chambers and colourful Victorian-era tenants of Half Moon Street helped inspire Oscar Wilde to write the setting and storylines for his acclaimed play 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. In the luxurious rooms of this magnificent historic yet fully modernised Mayfair townhouse Wilde’s play comes to life and you can imagine Algernon Moncrieff, Jack, Gwendolen and Lady Bracknell being quite at home. With its links to Oscar Wilde and 'The Importance of Being Earnest' this is one of the most famous townhouses in Mayfair and we anticipate interest in this property from buyers around the world.” Jeremy Gee, Managing Director.

“This immaculately presented turn-key residence combines contemporary design with period features. The townhouse offers the ideal combination of spacious entertaining areas, leisure facilities and outside living space. Located close to Green Park at the end of the street this townhouse is located in one of the most distinguished addresses in Mayfair. It is just a short walk to Bond Street and Mount Street, the local high street, and is perfectly located to offer the very best of Mayfair living and easy access to the shops and restaurants of Knightsbridge.” Vlad Viaryshkaka, Senior Sales Negotiator

If you think Half Moon Street could be your next home, get in touch with our team today.