575 Wandsworth Road - Tessa Wild

From the outside, 575 Wandsworth Road looks like any other terraced house in London. Step inside, and you enter another world. In 1986, Kenyan-born poet, novelist and civil servant Khadambi Asalache was living with persistent damp in his basement dining room. His solution: disguise it by attaching floorboards to the wall. This turned out to be the start of a 19-year project that saw him transform 575 Wandsworth Road into an extraordinary work of art. Discover the intricate fretwork that embellishes almost every wall, ceiling and door in this house, the hand-painted murals of favourite people and places, and Khadambis collection from books and inkwells to Senegalese wall hangings and Kilim cushions which remains at Wandsworth Road. The guidebook also reveals the inspiration behind the carvings, and how the National Trust cares for Khadambi Asalaches creation today. A beautiful insight into this striking, surprising and very special house.