Project Name: D’Arblay Street

Location: London, UK

Date Completed: December 2020

Interior Designer: Jemma Goodman, Burbeck Interiors

Stepping into D’Arblay Street is like stepping directly into a Charles Dickens novel, a topsy turvy home with centuries old rustic floorboards and secret rooms behind panelled walls. Burbeck Interiors created a scheme full of character, using colour, pattern, texture and a combination of Country-house style and mid-century design.

The design brief was to create a one-of-a-kind show-home that gave the rich history and character of the house justice. Burbeck Interiors received a full brief from the client and the sales agent outlining their intentions; they wished to bring to life the large house, soften the lofty spaces and cold wood floors, and add colour and flair to help the property stand out from others both virtually and in person. They also wanted to draw out the country feel of the home, as this provides a unique sales factor of the property considering its location.

The house has a modest street front which gives little away to the 5-storey property behind, with 7 living areas, 3 bedrooms, a sauna and cellar, so the first stage when creating the brief was to identify a purpose and individuality to each room, and then a focus on connecting these spaces. Once this had been created, Burbeck Interiors then began pulling together inspirations for the overall feel of the house and each room. The designers drew on a theme of the house as a dynamic entertaining space, somewhere to host friends and family for dinner parties and long weekends, which led them along the inspirational path of boutique hotels. When combined with the fun, vibrant neighbourhood of Soho, and the history of the house and local architecture, Burbeck had a lot of design cues to work off.

The interior design creates a true representation of the house’s unique style, incorporating bold and vibrant patterns to a house with such rich history yet modern details. Each room feels inviting and characterful, with an individual feel that ties into the overall home, so the scheme feels cohesive yet interesting. The overall mood of the house is one of fun and warmth, relaxed but luxurious, a quirky but cohesive country home, all in the centre of Soho.