Getting aligned with an interior design project
As I sit and reflect on this special project, I think about how important it is to listen during the design process.
If you listen carefully to the subtle clues and unspoken language of a building, you notice the uniqueness of it. Its sounds, the light, the inherent textures and soul of the place. You begin to understand its spirit.
The more I listened, the more I understood that this project was going to weave people, past and place together carefully, to create moments that would provide immediate comfort for guests.
Navigating the inspiration at Chatsworth House
It’s possible to become lost in getting to know a building, especially an old one with a long and fascinating past. At times, absorbing Chatsworth and its attics was a gargantuan task. But I was lucky to spend time in the house with Lady Burlington as my guide, enabling me to navigate the labyrinth of inspiration that exists there.
Involving people as part of the process
As an inn originally acquired by the Chatsworth Estate in the 1830s, The Cavendish Hotel has long brought visitors and the existing community together. Its closeness to Chatsworth House itself also means it is inherently connected to the Devonshire family.
Drawing on family photos from the Devonshire family’s personal collection, I included them in the bar to create ties between the two. I think it’s important to include precious mementos, to help ground a place, especially a hotel where people come and go.
In a similar theme, a lamp shade that caught my eye in the attic at Chatsworth was re-created and used in the restaurant. Its timeless hexagonal shape bears a resemblance to our own Townhouse lamp shade.
For the bedrooms, I was delighted that we could work with a Chatsworth-based potter for the glazed ceramic bedside lamps. I’m a big fan of glazed ceramics - both for tiles on the floor as well as for lamps - they provide a beautiful way to play with depth, colour and light.
Design details with provenance
Being able to source locally woven organic cotton and linen fabrics was a real pleasure. This strongly aligns with both the NH & Co and NiX ethos of responsible sourcing. It also roots pieces of furniture to the hotel in a unique and soulful way.
Mandale fossil limestone is found in the Derbyshire hills and it is used on window sills in the main house, so when thinking about durable and relevant materials, we decided to use it for table tops in the hotel. I love the timeless feel it has brought to the restaurant.
Combining colour, texture, and pattern in interior design
Mixing linens and cottons with heavier fabrics such as velvet lends a little mischief. In all the rooms, it had to be heritage inspired, as well as visually generous and cosy. I like to do this by combining delicately patterned wallpapers with striped or checked fabrics and complementary colour combinations. We used our own checks, stripes and intelligent velvet in the rooms from the NiX fabric and cushion collections.
Refurbishing The Cavendish Hotel has been an extraordinary project. I hope if you stay there you will enjoy relaxing in the rooms, absorbing history in the bar or feasting in the restaurant: immerse yourself in the elegant surroundings, share in the wonder of the past, while sitting comfortably in the present.
