Combining Art Deco and ocean liner style, Eltham Palace is a stunning masterpiece of twentieth-century design. Textile magnates Stephen and Virginia Courtauld built their glamorous London showpiece in 1936, next to the remains of a medieval royal palace which was originally Henry VIII’s boyhood home. The dining room features pink leather upholstered chairs and black-and-silver doors, portraying animals and birds from London Zoo. The Courtaulds’ home movie is another delight, showing them relaxing with their pet lemur. Discover many enticing features in the nineteen acres of surrounding gardens, including a sunken rose garden and medieval bridge ... it sez on the english heritage web site. The entrance to the house is a wonderful conception, with a three sided hall linking wings of the house that were offest by more than ninety degrees, doors and staircases carefully aligned to give long views through grand spaces, etc, etc. beneath a dome studded with what appear to be hundreds of lenses to bring down lots of daylight.
