THE JOURNAL
F
rom a historic war office in London to a maritime warehouse
this year’s hottest hotel openings are repurposed, heritage buildings with soul. Take
in Wales, some of in
Gleneagles Townhouse, which recently opened in the former Bank of Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh. “When this incredible listed building became available, we immediately began to think about how we could make Gleneagles work in it,” says Charlie North, vice president of interior design at lifestyle hospitality company Ennismore, of the prestigious hotel brand’s first city outpost. The building was the starting point for the interiors.
For instance, in brasserie-style restaurant The Spence, the shape of the oak central bar nods to desks from the bank’s telling room and the frieze around the wall, which features portraits of well-known Scotsmen, dates from the 1840s. “When you’re eating breakfast in a space of that volume, with original architectural
features,
it’s such an interesting place to be,” continues North, revealing that ‘Turgot’ fabric by Nobilis and ‘Valmont Frange Torse’ bullion fringe by Houlès were used for the
banquette seating. Meanwhile, in the bedrooms, canopy beds, decorative screens and antique chandeliers have been paired with plenty of plush fabrics, including ‘Andes Pool’ by Holland & Sherry for curtains, and ‘Dolby’ by Watts and ‘Pienza Carciofino’ by C & C Milano for cushions. Elsewhere, Anneke Gilkes and Harriette Cayzer,
founders of design practice Taylor & Turner, have completed their first hotel project: The Retreat at Elcot Park in Berkshire. “It’s a beautiful Georgian manor house with incredible proportions and character,” explains Gilkes, of what was once the childhood home of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. “Our overarching brief was to create a sense of fun. We want guests to walk in and say, this probably isn’t what they’d have at home, it’s a bit too out there, but it’s amazing. We were given great freedom with colour, pattern and texture, which was music to our ears.” Rooms, she says, have been “layered as much as possible; we haven’t held back on armchairs and cushions that make a space feel comfortable and homely.” Wallcoverings such as ‘Golden Lily’ by Morris & Co. and ‘Toiles des Indes’ by Pierre Frey have been
OPPOSITE: The Bank of Scotland’s former headquarters in Edinburgh is now Ennismore’s Gleneagles Townhouse. Nobilis’ ‘Turgot’ fabric and ‘Valmont’ bullion fringe by Houlès are shown on the banquette in The Spence bar. ABOVE: A bedroom at Elcot Park, a Georgian manor in Berkshire designed by Taylor & Turner, showing Pierre Frey’s ‘Toiles des Indes’ wallcovering RIGHT: Taylor Howes’ Chateau Denmark on London’s Denmark Street, where music meets modernity and rock’n’roll rules
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© Astrid Templar
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