The former London home of legendary music icon, Jimi Hendrix, is about to be opened up to the public and turned into a permanent exhibition looking at his life.

Hendrix moved into 23 Brook Street in 1968, using the location to eat, sleep, write music and entertain guests. In its new role as a visitor attraction, his bedroom/living room has been meticulously recreated with the help of Hendrix’s then girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham, to offer an authentic experience for fans of the guitar legend.

The street in London isn't just famous for Hendrix’s musical talents, as just one door down at number 25 lived composer George Handel several centuries earlier.

Collectively known as Handel & Hendrix in London, both Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) projects are managed by the Handel House Trust (HHT) which has spent three years converting Hendrix’s former home into a museum and will now improve facilities at the Handel House Museum, as part of a £1.2m (US$1.7m, €1.5m) grant, provided by the HLF in January 2014.

The Hendrix project has created new exhibition space and provided lift access to visitors. A learning studio is now on the first floor of the Grade II listed building and replacement office space for museum staff sits on the 4th floor. The HLF grant also covers the cost of an expanded volunteer and education programme, covering such topics as London in the 1960s, the contemporary music scene and Hendrix’s legacy as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

Uniquely, the project also emphasises synergies between Hendrix and Handel on the street where both artists composed many of their famous works.

The flat will open to the public tomorrow (10 February). This is the first phase of HHT’s masterplan, which will now see the restoration of Handel’s ground floor and basement in the coming years.