THE JOURNAL
Jean-Ghislain and Eléonore Lepic, sought to bring it in to the 21st century. The result is a sumptuous journey through both time and rare technical skill, but Rouart says that there was less requirement for slavish recreation of the past in this project, this being a private home: the collection “was not imagined as a reconstitution, but like an embodiment of a place where generations succeeded one another, like the pages of an unfinished novel.” On commercial projects
such as hotels, there are
very 21st-century demands that need to be considered alongside any heritage setting, including guests’ modern expectations of luxury. Rachel Johnson, managing principal of Wimberly Interiors, recently designed a new type of suite for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond Train. The brief included being able to seamlessly transform the spaces from day to night, and each of the four suites has a scheme inspired by the train’s natural
scenery, from ‘Les Lacs’ to ‘La Campagne’.
Johnson called on the skills of some incredible traditional craftspeople to realise the scheme, from marquetry to glassmaking, and says that “the level of craftsmanship across the entire project is outstanding. To work with people who are so exceptional in their field ensures every detail of the design is celebrated and meets the incredibly high standards expected at this level of luxury travel.” The fabrics were made bespoke by Rubelli, which “met the level of luxury required for each of the suites,” says Johnson – but her reasons for working with the esteemed Italian design house also included its ability to work to a tight schedule while ensuring that the resulting fabrics met fire standards. That may seem prosaic, but these are hugely important factors in commercial interiors, just as vital as the skills that go into their making or the beauty of the finished work. At Yorkshire’s Castle Howard, seat of the Howard
family for 300 years, Remy Renzullo has recently refreshed some of the rooms, both public and private. The interior designer worked with Watts 1874 to create a suite of fabrics and wallpapers for the project inspired by pieces in the castle’s archives, specifically those from the age of Rosalind, the 9th Countess, who undertook a substantial redecorating project from the 1870s onwards. For designs such as ‘Goose’, now adorning the walls of the Archbishop's Bedroom, Renzullo said that he wanted to capture the wallpaper as it might have looked 150 years after its installation – fading, patina and all. Watts also played a part in one of London’s most
ambitious heritage projects of recent years, the transformation of Whitehall’s Old War Office into an outpost for Raffles hotel, plus a series of residences. Steeped in 20th-century political history, some of its state rooms are now luxurious suites: the wood- panelled Churchill Suite – the heart of high-level decision-making in the Second World War – includes a sofa upholstered in Watts’ ‘Zarzozi Bargello’ flame- stitched chenille, with sumptuous ‘Versailles’ cut velvet on the walls. The hotel was designed by the late Thierry
Despont, while the five-bedroom penthouse apartment – the jewel of the residences – is the work of Winch Design, and includes Porta Romana lighting, curtain fabric by Holland & Sherry, furniture by Robert Langford; and an incredible roof terrace adorned with Summit’s outdoor furniture. While there will always be a place for meticulous,
historically accurate restoration, mixing old and new can bring a thrilling, experimental edge to interiors. Martin Brudnizki Design Studio’s Le Grand Mazarin hotel
in Paris mixes ice-cream pastels in almost
cartoonish outlines and colour-blocks with Aubusson- style tapestries that have been turned into bed-hangings; while Firmdale’s third site in New York, Warren
Street Hotel, slated to open in February 2024, will no doubt bring the hospitality group’s signature mix of contemporary art, hand-crafted objects, and antiques that are viewed as if through new eyes when combined with new pieces. These projects might be considered the legacy of a decorator like David Mlinaric, who was not just a historic house specialist but also a product of that Swinging Sixties generation, where daringly mixing the historical and the contemporary broke the mould. “I like to see all our heritage [come] back to life,
whether transformed or identical,” says Pierre Frey’s Sophie Rouart. “Each time, it gives us the opportunity to tell a story inspired by the past and share our passion for history.”
ABOVE: ‘Goose’ wallcovering in the Archbishop’s Bedroom at Castle Howard: interior designer Remy Renzullo worked with Watts 1874 to develop a collection inspired by the house’s archives. OPPOSITE, TOP: New suites aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, A Belmond Train, are a showcase of exquisite craftsmanship. Wimberly Interiors specified bespoke fabrics from Rubelli for all the suites. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM Curators from Versailles worked with Pierre Frey to develop a fabric for the petits appartement de la Reine; the resulting hand-screen-printed fabric is available from the showroom
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