48 DIGS.NET
| 9.9.22
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P R O F I L E | M A R T I N K E M P
Neo-Georgian constructions have been
inhabited by all manner of aristocrats,
including three prime ministers and at
least one American president, Dwight. D.
Eisenhower, who prior to taking up resi-
dency on Pennsylvania Avenue, used No.
31 as his WWII headquarters.
As is his custom for historical projects,
Kemp steeped himself in the history of the
Grade II-listed building. "The house gave
us most of the references," he confesses.
Kemp also researched Edwin Lutyens and
looked to the Edwardian Era and its cross-
over with the Arts and Crafts movement.
"Preservation of such historically valuable
interiors is integral to the scheme," adds
Kemp. To that end, he points to the resto-
ration of the grand staircase that leads
to a huge vaulted library as an obvious
highlight of the effort, but also imbued
other areas of the space with a hint of
Edwardian style. The result of these efforts
is "a prime example where modernity
and classicism is being brought together
successfully," Kemp explains. "Heritage
protected rooms, details and paneling sit
amidst contemporary furnishings, and the
entire house stands atop two massive sub
basements embracing a vast modern spa
and garaging for ten vehicles."
has a splendid historical provenance.
Housed inside a structure originally built
in the 17th century that was later re-con-
structed by legendary English architect
Edwin Lutyens, this extraordinary set
piece is named after its blue-chip locale,
St. James's Square—the ne plus ultra
of the upper crust whose Georgian and
