David Bowie’s childhood home to open to the public following restoration
David Bowie‘s childhood bedroom in Bromley, London, will be made open to the public for the very first time at the end of 2027.
The announcement was made by the Heritage of London Trust ahead of the 10th anniversary of Bowie’s death.
The house, situated at 4 Plaistow Grove, Bromley, was Bowie’s childhood home from 1955 to 1968.
Viewers will experience an immersive look into Bowie’s life, no more so than in his tiny teenage bedroom. In 1990, Bowie recalled of the 9ft by 10ft space: “I spent so much time in my bedroom. It really was my entire world. I had books up there, my music up there, my record player.”
The house will also include never-before-seen archival items. These will include Bowie’s copies of the Observer’s books on music and architecture.
Geoffrey Marsh, who co-curated the V&A Bowie exhibition in 2013, will also curate this restoration. Speaking on Bowie’s books, Marsh revealed, “In one of them, he’s written his exam results in the back.”
He went on, “He’s also written his name in as David Jones Jr because he went through this phase of loving Americana, so he gave himself the Jr title to show his allegiance. That’s very magical.”
Marsh will take on the challenge of restoring the house to exactly how it looked when Bowie was 16, in 1963. He noted of the challenge, “One’s got to be really careful because there may be evidence of things like the wallpaper and paint colours buried under the modern decorations.”
A public consultation will have to take place on the proposed changes to the house, which is situated near another famous building: “They’ve already got one famous house there: [that of] Charles Darwin. I think David will be a good contrast.”
As per The Guardian, Marsh also encouraged members of the public to study photos of Bowie in his childhood bedroom and, should they have any matching rolls of wallpaper, come forward.
He also added, “The other thing is that Mrs Jones gave away and sold items in 1970 when she left the house. So if anyone in Bromley, or indeed anywhere else, has got anything they know from the house, we’d be very interested.”
No exact date for when it will open to the public in 2027 has been confirmed.
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