Townhouse in Mayfair

Words: Martin Hulbert

The Athenaeum’s townhouse residences are found in a street lined with wonderful Victorian red-brick Mayfair townhouses. It’s a traditional London scene that really captures the imagination and it was important to harness this feeling inside the new townhouse residences too.

Colours + design pieces to set the scene

When creating the colour schemes, my team and I were inspired by the warm, rich colour of the red-brick townhouses themselves, as well as the wonderful old mosaic floors in the entrance lobbies of the townhouses. Using both of these as a basis for the colourways was the perfect way to reflect the historical Athenaeum in the modern day. In some townhouse residences, we also took inspiration from some of the paintings we’d chosen, which helps to create the inviting feeling of home. We’ve balanced some neutral wall colours with bolder colours in alcoves in the living spaces, which adds some intrigue.

Light + luxuries

Lighting was something I was especially focused on getting just right in the townhouse residences. Lights normally come down from the ceiling, casting shadows on the ceiling itself. In the townhouse residences, we added lighting details around the cornicing instead. This raises the sense of height in the rooms, creates a feeling of space and gives a gentler light. I incorporated downlights too for practical reasons, such as reading, unpacking and using the kitchen. Visitors want more or less light at different times of year too, so there are light settings for varying seasons and occasions. However, it was important to me not to create a complicated system. Most hotels overdo it and guests become annoyed with complex ways of turning lights on and off. So there are different light settings, but it’s not over-the-top.

A space to look in + look at London differently

There are a couple of ground floor spaces in one of the townhouses that don’t offer a satisfactory view of the Victorian Mayfair townhouses they’re surrounded by. As a result, we designed two rooms that look inward instead of out. In one of the rooms, I created a sofa built into the window alcove that creates this ‘looking in’ feeling. With a veil that can be pulled across, it creates a feeling of something slightly theatrical too. Practically speaking, this sofa can also be a child’s bed. With mirrors, silk panelling, a new bronze rail for the TV and storage space, plus a copper and aubergine mosaic tile in the walk-in shower, the room feels inviting with a quintessentially Athenaeum feeling. This room can be optionally let out with the room opposite to create a family space, where we’ve created a similar cosy, homely feeling.

The new townhouse residences at The Athenaeum offer encounters with the city that’s not quite like anywhere else in London. Combining the contemporary with the classical while taking into account life’s luxuries, this is all about the experience of soaking up a London lifestyle.