Royally Appointed
Oficina Inglesa Furniture has made furniture for 11 newly refurbished rooms at Claridge’s, including the Prince Alexander Suite (pictured), which has been designed to reflect both the hotel’s Victorian heritage and the elegance of 1940s Europe. Complementing the antique furniture are pieces such as the ‘Durant’ chest of drawers, in cherrywood with gold-leaf accents (pictured either side of the bed, above).
The project shows off Oficina Inglesa Furniture’s careful craftsmanship and attention to detail – everything is hand-made and hand-painted – combining artisan techniques with a vast array of materials and finishes to open up a world of possibilities when it comes to bespoke design. A cherrywood demi-lune ‘Landenberg’ sideboard features gold leaf legs and Empire-style black columns, while ‘Franchimont’ and ‘Eliane’ bedside tables were specified in custom sizes and finishes, to reflect the style of their chosen suites, one with a low-iron glass top and another with a marble top.
The Prince Alexander Suite is named after Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, who was born there in 1945 while the country’s royal family were in exile. As a gesture of cordiality, Winston Churchill had some home soil placed under the bed so that he could declare the room Yugoslavian territory for the occasion.
Claridge’s is just one example of Oficina Inglesa Furniture’s commercial design service, which works on bespoke projects around the world, including Ralph’s (the bar and dining room of Ralph Lauren’s flagship store in Paris), Club Monaco in New York and Turnbull & Asser’s Mayfair head office.
The showroom is currently open by appointment.
Oficina Inglesa, Third Floor, Design Centre East
