Apple TV+ entered the realm of real estate porn last year with the release of its deliciously dark comedy “Bad Sisters.” Based upon the Belgian limited series “Clan,” the show is a veritable merry-go-round of stunning location after location!
Set in Dublin, Ireland, the scintillating tale (which was recently renewed for a second season) centers around the five tight-knit Garvey sisters, one of whom is married to a misogynistic oaf, John Paul Williams (Claes Bang), better known as “the Prick,” with a perverse penchant for wreaking havoc on their daily lives. As his antics prove increasingly malignant, what are the loving sisters to do but kill the louse? Or at least attempt to. And when their first murderous endeavor fails miserably, they steadfastly regroup and try, try again throughout the course of 10 thoroughly addictive episodes. A highly irreverent comedy of errors, Glamour magazine calls the show the “funniest dark comedy” of 2022.
Even without the hilarious storyline, fabulous cast and gripping premise, “Bad Sisters” would be worth a watch for the real estate alone, with each of the titular sister’s homes and workplaces seemingly prettier than the last! To create the aspirational onscreen world, which reads like the well-curated, perfectly-lit pages of “Architectural Digest” and “Dwell” magazines come to life, the production team scoured Dublin’s picturesque coastline, shooting in such spots as Howth, Malahide and Skerries. To augment the filming, several locations in and around London, England, were also utilized, with the cast and crew descending upon the University of Hertfordshire’s College Lane campus, the charmingly cobbled Sun St. in Waltham Abbey and a stunning modernist dwelling in the suburb of Stanmore, which was pegged to play the sylvan abode belonging to John Paul’s mother, Minna Williams (Nina Norén).
Tucked against the sleepy shore of a serene private lake on a green-leafed plot at 1 Aylmer Close in the exclusive Aylmer Drive estate neighborhood, the sleek wood and brick structure is nothing short of a cinematic dream! (Please remember this is a private home. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way.)
-
Image Credit: Courtesy of Steven Schiller, Hamptons The singular estate was originally erected in 1963 for wealthy Vienna-born businessman Ernest Shenton, who relocated to Britain as a child following the German annexation of Austria and went on to help grow the Dixons portrait studio company into a “retail chain and mail-order empire,” becoming “a trailblazer in the one-hour retail photo-processing market,” per Wikipedia. To design the property, Shenton enlisted Edward Samuel, a frequent collaborator who was also part of the team behind the Thorn House office tower on Upper St. Martin’s Lane, as well as a slew of private residences in Highgate. Trained at the Architectural Association (AA), along with his wife Stella Helps, Samuel looked to Denmark and Sweden for design inspiration and was known to be “committed to ideas about the need for human scale, natural materials, the use of plants and finding environmentally sensitive solutions.”
The timber-clad residence became the architect’s most famous commission, with his 2013 obituary referencing the Grade II-listed pad (a classification denoting a “U.K. building or structure” as being of “national importance” and “legally protected from being demolished, extended or significantly altered”) as “a stylish and well-preserved example of a modern house of architectural quality which retains many interior features.”
-
Image Credit: Courtesy of Steven Schiller, Hamptons Enveloped in gorgeous woods and large-paned windows overlooking the bucolic surroundings, the two-story dwelling indeed appears frozen in time from its midcentury inception. Boasting magazine-worthy interiors with a bright, open floor plan, the abode comprises an impressive six bedrooms and three baths in 3,184 square feet.
Exquisitely crafted common areas include a combined dining room and lounge, a study and a kitchen outfitted with granite counters, custom cabinetry and updated appliances.
-
Image Credit: Courtesy of Steven Schiller, Hamptons The principal suite, situated at the opposite end of the property from the five secondary bedrooms, is a plush retreat complete with wood embellishments, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake, a dressing area and a renovated bath fashioned with marble walls, custom built-ins and a soaking tub.
-
Image Credit: Courtesy of Steven Schiller, Hamptons The sanctuary-like surroundings are the pad’s true crown jewel, though. Expertly manicured, the verdant grounds are dotted with multiple gardens, grassy expanses and an abundance of foliage, all encircling the lake, which boasts its own mini island and walking bridge. Completing the look, a glistening waterfall cascades from the residence’s roof into the reservoir below.
The architectural masterpiece was last offered for sale in mid-2022 for €2.75 million (about $3 million), represented by Steven Schiller, the Associate Director and Head of Prime Sales for Hamptons, a London-based luxury estate and letting agency, who was kind enough to share some imagery with Dirt.
-
Image Credit: Courtesy of Steven Schiller, Hamptons According to the Modernism in Metroland website, famed director Stanley Kubrick was interested in utilizing the abode for interior scenes involving the residence belonging to writer F. Alexander (Patrick Magee) and his wife, Mrs Alexander (Adrienne Corri), in the 1971 dystopian drama “A Clockwork Orange.” However, Shenton, who still called the place home at the time, vetoed the idea. So Kubrick instead shot at the Skybreak House, a different modernist property located in nearby Radlett, Hertfordshire.
Thankfully, the current owners are much more amenable to film shoots, allowing the residence to be gloriously immortalized onscreen in multiple productions.
-
Image Credit: Apple Studios -
Image Credit: Courtesy of Steven Schiller, Hamptons Both the interior and exterior of the dwelling are featured throughout “Bad Sisters,” with the youngest Garvey sibling, Becka (Eve Hewson, real-life daughter of singer Bono), regularly dropping by to visit and offer assistance to the widowed Minna, who suffers from dementia.
-
Image Credit: Apple Studios -
Image Credit: Courtesy of Steven Schiller, Hamptons Minna is easily one of the series’ sunniest characters, offering a sharp dichotomy to her ever-mercurial son. As she tells Becka, “I think they dipped him in vinegar before they handed him over.” With its rich woodwork and inviting atmosphere, the property’s aesthetic perfectly reflects the elderly woman’s vibrant and warm personality.
Interestingly, much of the homeowners’ actual furnishings were left in place for the shoot – the dining chairs, leather club seats, zebra-striped ottoman and corner plant featured onscreen all clearly visible in the listing photos! The residence does lack Minna’s most favored decorating component in real life, though. The taxidermy that permeates the interior on the show was just set dressing brought in by production designer Mark Geraghty to illustrate the longtime hobby of her deceased husband, George Williams (Paul Bentall).
And while the 2022 listing notes that the pad does indeed have a “utilitarian basement” with “various storage areas, a boiler room and a double garage,” it does not specify if there’s a taxidermy room with a walk-in thermostat-controlled freezer down there, as well.
-
Image Credit: IMG The property also plays the home of psychiatrist Dr. Martin Watson (Adeel Akhtar), where Villanelle (Jodie Comer) seeks help and winds up getting arrested in the season four episode of “Killing Eve” titled “A Rainbow in Beige Boots.”
According to the 2022 listing, the place has appeared in episodes of the British series “Fortitude” and “We Hunt Together,” as well.