A Handsome Hotel: The Royal Lancaster London
It might be tough recreating the hotel’s stunning Hyde Park panoramas, but the Royal Lancaster London’s renovation is a lesson in how to maximize space and emphasizing a room with a view
Heavy curtains, tired décor and a misleading sense of compactness. That was the Royal Lancaster London before London-based interior design agency, Studio Proof got their hands on it. Although the luxury five-star hotel’s £80 million renovation is impressive in its entirety (so much beautiful marble), it’s the ingenious renovation of the 411 guestrooms and suites (well, one of them) that got our interior design senses tingling.
With each room’s biggest asset being its stunning unbroken views of Hyde Park or the surrounding Royal Boroughs (depending on which side you are staying), enhancing the view was priority. Heavy traditional curtains covering a continuous parameter window – which previously made the rooms feel smaller – were swapped for slick electric blinds operated by bedside switches. The result was not just a space that felt bigger, but a stunning view expanded. The true focal point of the rooms was fully realized.
The added space allowed for smart bespoke joinery, namely an extendable desk which if needed can drop down to form a daybed. The desk, along with plush furniture make for two very different seating options, always surrounded by the stunning panorama each room offers.
It’s food for thought in an era of ever-shrinking residential property, much of which is stacked Ballard-esque one on top of the other. Life in a tower requires ingenious touches and Studio Proof’s decision to widen interior doors – to again make the view pop upon arrival – is an inspired one. Sightlines were also kept consistent, with door heights extended to corridor ceilings and internal guestroom entrances following the same brief.
And on the subject of briefs, Studio Proof’s Creative Director, David Morris highlights his: ‘We have had the opportunity to lead the whole design process over 5 years since 2013, encompassing brand identity design, signage design, architectural remodelling, façade design, furniture design and of course a full interior design package. It’s the ultimate expression of what we offer as a company and has had the added benefit for me of being grounded in mid-century design, personally my favourite design era.’ EJ
royallancaster.com
Words by Davey Brett
Image Credits by Courtesy of Royal Lancaster, London
