Take a glimpse back at Victorian life in a house tour which reveals the opulence, taste and lifestyle of a nouveau riche gentleman. Palmeira Mansions are two south facing terraces built between 1883-4, these large Victorian properties have four storeys with an attic and basement.

Number 33 Palmeira Mansions was purchased in 1889 by Arthur William Mason at the age of twenty-nine, a widower after the tragic death of his first wife, he moved into the house with a young daughter Christine. In his early years living in the house Mr Mason used the family fortune to refurbish the interior in a lavish eclectic mix of fixtures, including elaborate fireplaces some with stunning overmantels, carved mahogany doors, a variety of lincrusta wall papers and exquisite stained-glass windows were added to various rooms.

The entrance hall was enlarged then transformed by a marble staircase, where once his art collection was displayed against the tiled alabaster walls, including Dante in Exile by Lord Leighton. Mr Mason out lived another wife marrying again in his seventies, he continued to live at 33 for fifty-one years until his death in 1940. Miraculously many of these original fixtures have survived the ravages of time and development, the house was listed as Grade II* in 1978 for its magnificent interior.

33 Palmeira Mansions is now a language school functioning as part of the English Language Centre. 33 Palmeira Mansions is on the corner of Salisbury Road & Church Road, Hove BN3 2GB.