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Home House
Formation1998
TypePrivate members' club
Location
Websitewww.homehouse.co.uk

Home House is a private members' club in a Georgian town house at 20 Portman Square, Marylebone, London.[1][2]

1776 to 1989: History of Home House

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George III's architect, James Wyatt was appointed to design Home House at 20 Portman Square by Elizabeth, Countess of Home in 1776, but by 1777 he had been dismissed and replaced by Robert Adam. Elizabeth left the completed house on her death in 1784 to her nephew William Gale, who in turn left it to one of his aunts, Mrs Walsh, in 1785.Home House has been a private members' club

Its later occupants included the Marquis de la Luzerne during his time as French ambassador to the Court of St James's (1788 to 1791), the 4th Duke of Atholl (1798 to 1808), the 4th Duke of Newcastle (1820 to 1861), Sir Francis Henry Goldsmid (1862 to 1919), and Lord and Lady Islington (1919 to 1926).

Home House, design by Robert Adam for the main staircase

In 1926, it was leased by Samuel Courtauld to house his growing art collection. On his wife's death in 1931, he gave the house and the collection to the fledgling Courtauld Institute of Art (which he had played a major part in founding) as temporary accommodation. A permanent accommodation was not forthcoming, and the Institute remained in the building until 1989, when it moved to its present home of Somerset House. Home House then remained vacant for seven years, until it was acquired by Berkeley Adam Ltd.

Home House was appointed a Grade I listed building in 1954.[1]

1998 to present: A private members' club

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The building at 20 Portman Square has been a private members' club since 1998.[3][4]

Home House in 2011

The club features twenty three bedrooms, two restaurants, five bars, a courtyard, and a gymnasium and health spa.[5]

Home House now spans three interconnected Georgian townhouses. It was extended to include No. 21, as well as the original Nos. 19 and 20, in 2010.[6]

House 21 takes inspiration from the notorious Countess of Home's outrageously lavish and wildly hedonistic parties, where she gained the moniker "Queen of Hell'.[7][8] The club is famously known as a "Shrine to Hedonism and a "Shrines of Vice.[9][10]

Entrance of Home House in March 2023

It was home to artwork by Zaha Hadid in the form of a Cocktail Bar prior to its refurbishment in 2020.

Notable guests at Home House include; Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Sir Paul McCartney, Madonna, George Clooney, David Hasselhoff, Bono, and Annie Lennox[8][11][12]

Further reading

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  • Thévoz, Seth Alexander (2022). Behind Closed Doors: The Secret Life of London Private Members' Clubs. London: Robinson/Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1-47214-646-5.

References

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  1. 1 2 Historic England. "Home House (Courtauld Institute) (1227105)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "Home House: Inside London's Most Glamorous Members Club". 16 November 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  3. ↑ Home House Archived 22 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine, The Portland Estate. Accessed 21 January 2019
  4. ↑ "About us", homehouse.co.uk. Accessed 21 January 2019
  5. ↑ "18 Best Private Members' Clubs In London: A Definitive Guide". 5 March 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  6. ↑ Admin, Global (7 July 2025). "Home House: London's Most Exclusive Private Members' Club". Luxuria Lifestyle International. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  7. ↑ Cox, Rebecca (18 May 2023). "Join The Club, Stay For The Party: Home House Review". Country and Town House. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  8. 1 2 Chappet, Marie-Claire (27 October 2023). "'Irascible behaviour and lavish parties': why Home House – named after the Countess of Home – is the stuff of London legend on its 25th anniversary". Tatler. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  9. ↑ Magazine, Luxuriate Life (22 November 2023). "Home House Celebrates 25 Years of fabulousness". Luxuriate Life Magazine. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Home House Spring 2023". Issuu. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  11. ↑ Millington, Alison (18 June 2018). "The director of an iconic private members' club reveals what goes on behind closed doors — and the red flag that stops him from accepting someone new". Business Insider. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  12. ↑ Spear's (27 August 2024). "Home House: How to join this iconic London private members' club - Spear's". Spear's. Archived from the original on 13 April 2026. Retrieved 23 June 2026.

Bibliography

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  • Stourton, James (2012). Great Houses of London. London: Frances Lincoln. ISBN 978-0-7112-3366-9.
  • Thévoz, Seth Alexander (2025). London Clubland: A Companion for the Curious. London: Robinson/Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1472149985.
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51°30′58″N 0°09′24″W / 51.5162°N 0.1567°W / 51.5162; -0.1567

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