Maturing punk fans with deep safety-pinned pockets take note — a major chunk of Johnny Rotten's 1970s Chelsea home is up for sale.
The three-storey corner apartment, which includes a “unique” 40 sq m roof terrace and a high-spec modern interior, has been listed at £1.55 million.
It formed a substantial part of the punk rock idol’s home for three years in the immediate aftermath of his time with the iconic and disruptive Sex Pistols.
Rotten — real name John Lydon — quit the short-lived but long-remembered band in New York in January 1978 before moving into the Gunter Grove property and forming Public Image Ltd with Clash guitarist Keith Levene.
Fellow music megastar David Bowie also lived in Chelsea in the 1970s while influential Sex Pistols manager Malcolm Maclaren ran the infamous Sex boutique with Vivienne Westwood on the King’s Road during the district’s swinging heyday.
Lydon left the property in 1981 but left his imprint on its history and an unofficial blue plaque bearing his name can be seen propped up on a chest of drawers in marketing images for the latest sale.
The entire five-storey Victorian town house belonged to the former Sex Pistol before it was converted into three flats, two on the ground and lower ground, and the triplex that is currently for sale.
Now the listed apartment is accessed via two sets of steps, firstly externally from the street then internally to reach the first floor of the end-of-terrace property. Two further flights of stairs lead up to the bedrooms and roof terrace.
Although compact by rock star standards, the home has undergone an extensive recent refurbishment and features glass-top tables, full-width mirrors and large doors and windows to maximise the feeling of space and light.
A plush living space includes modern chandelier-style lighting, a grand fireplace and a pair of double doors onto a shallow balcony.
The galley kitchen has marble worktops, a striking breakfast bar and what looks like a wall-mounted television above the oven, while the bathroom features a freestanding bath, walk-in shower and double basins.
Three bedrooms are spread across the upper two levels of the property, decorated with modern art and offering lots more mirrors and windows.
David Mendel, branch manager at selling agents John D Wood & Co, said the sizeable roof terrace was “unique” within its neighbourhood.
“It is also believed to be the space where Johnny Rotten entertained celebrity guests and gazed out over Chelsea while plotting the next revolution in music,” he added.
“This is a chance to own a piece of punk rock history. This property is not just a home; it’s a testament to the rebellious spirit of an era that forever changed music and culture.”
Mendel said the agent had already had keen interest in the newly-listed apartment, mainly from young professional couples rather than mature music fans with mohican hairdos.
After a 15-year stint with Public Image Ltd, Lydon released an autobiography and a solo album in the 1990s before achieving a fresh wave of fame and notoriety in the Noughties with appearances on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here and TV adverts for Country Life butter.
In 2017 the one-time radical punk further raised eyebrows by backing Nigel Farage and Brexit, claiming “the working class have spoke... and I’m with them”.
Lydon’s wife Nora Forster died earlier this year at the age of 80, after a battle with Alzheimers disease that saw him become her full-time carer.
The former Sex Pistol, who is believed to live in Malibu, California, attempted to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023 with a song he dedicated to Forster.
