Elton’s home comforts put on show for auction

PAINTINGS and furniture from one of Elton John’s lavish homes, which are expected to fetch in excess of stg£800,000 when they go under the hammer, were yesterday put on show.

The sale, featuring more than 400 lots including a 16th century portrait expected to sell for £40,000, an art deco bed and a set of Versace cushions, will take place on September 30 at Sotheby's in London.

This collection holds emotional memories for the larger-than-life singer/songwriter, since he built up it up as he was battling problems with drugs and alcohol during the early 1990s.

But his reason for selling the pieces is purely rational he is about to remodel the house, in London's Holland Park, so he can exhibit his vast collection of contemporary art and photography there, and needs the space.

The sale rooms at Sotheby's, which open to the public for pre-sale viewings today, have been remodelled to reflect the layout of rooms in the house, which the singer shares with his long-term partner David Furnish.

Visitors can browse recreations of his and David's bedrooms, dining room, and even an extravagant leopardskin-themed sitting room.

The show also features remarkable individual pieces including Portrait of Elizabeth Honeywood, from the Circle of William Larkin, thought to have been created between 1580 and 1619 and is expected to fetch up to £40,000.

Buyers can also snap up an art deco walnut and chrome bed, with an estimate of £2,500, which comes complete with a set of pastel Versace cushions.

The sale is expected to attract a large number of big-spending private buyers, but also features pieces which might appeal to fans with smaller pockets.

The cheapest lot going under the hammer is an earthenware jardinière made in Staffordshire, which is expected to fetch up to £60.

Gold discs marking sales of records, including his Oscar-winning soundtrack to The Lion King, are also up for sale.

Sotheby's expert Alexandra Reece said that interest in the sale had been huge and linked this to enduring public interest in the singer.

"He just keeps on making the most fantastic music and he is such a star but yet he's accessible," she said.

"Everyone feels that they know him and I think that's the appeal.

"You walk around what we have recreated as his home and you can really imagine him living here, and he did."