4 minute read
The
from Deco magazine
by Abigail Trow
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Top: The Chamberlain hotel now has its own pub where passers by can pop in for a pint, regardless of being a hotel resident. The bar has a traditional London pub look with dark wood, high stools and industrial style vintage lighting Above: The foyer is a place to grab a coffee and sit for a while. Enjoy the funky yellow tub chairs and retro vibe Left: Sibley Grove commissioned vibrant art
The Chamberlain
Loads of us are counting the days until pubs and bars can open again. And Londoners have a treat in store at the refurbished Chamberlain Hotel, courtesy of interior designers Sibley Grove
Kate Sibley and Jeremy Grove, the husband and wife team behind Sibley Grove, had fortunately completed the re-design of the public areas at The Chamberlain Hotel, near the capital’s Tower Hill, before lockdown struck. Restaurants and bars remain closed but they will re-open hopefully in the not too distant future. So if you’re in London when that happy day arrives, have a celebratory pint or lunch, or indeed a cup of coffee, at The Chamberlain, because it’s a great place to hang out. It’s been transformed by Sibley Grove, a studio that always has the environment at the heart of what it does, with a particular commitment to choosing C2C certified products for its interiors - hat means cradle to cradle certified in case you don’t know the term. The new ground floor has been reconfigured to include a handsome pub and restaurant. The space has been stripped back to create height and volume, revealing structural columns and duct work, and the façade has been adapted so natural light can flood in. The Chamberlain is part of brewer Fuller’s portfolio so Sibley Grove believed it was vital the pub remained the cornerstone of any design proposal. ‘Although the ground floor is modern, it was very important to create the perfect pub, rather than a generic hotel bar. Pubs don’t discriminate, they’re accessible to all. Historically, Fuller’s has always created welcoming and relaxing destinations, and wanted this pub to carry on the tradition,’ says Jeremy. The ground floor also includes a vibrant hotel reception. With a new concrete reception counter with blackened steel trims, folk can pop in for a coffee whenever. Kate and Jeremy have used an eclectic range of furniture, creating spaces to relax, catch up on e-mails or hold informal meetings. The most significant change to the hotel is the creation of a brand new cocktail bar, set deep within its exposed underbelly. The space includes a private meeting room, cosy areas for small groups, and is large enough for private events of up to 130 people. ‘The Chambers is a luxurious interpretation of an industrial basement bar – a hideaway from the busy London streets where you are treated to great service and a bespoke cocktail menu,’ says Kate. The architecture is stripped back to reveal the inner working of the space; however, the furniture includes sumptuous velvet banquettes and contemporary detailing. The designers also commissioned artists
Left: dark walls add a touch of mood and mystery to the stairwell, topped with a stunning overhead pendant light Below: the restaurant is warm and casual with exposed ducting for that industrial / warehouse feel
and photographers to produce bespoke art for The Chamberlain, cataloguing details of the surrounding areas. Sibley Grove strongly believe design should be a vehicle for positive change, both environmentally and socially. ‘Cradle to Cradle™is a certification for materials and products. It helps designers be considerate of the materials they select, thinking about how they’re made and what will happen to them after their commercial use. It’s about moving away from the ubiquitous cradle to grave (landfill) system,’ says Jeremy. ‘The hotel industry is inherently throwaway, but people are looking for ways to correct this. Cradle to Cradle is a really effective way of tackling issues such as global resource depletion, exploited labour and excessive waste.’
You’ll find a lot of C2C products in The Chamberlain Hotel. Among them: Mosa wall and floor tiles Ege carpets, Troldtekt ceilings, Havwoods timber
Also in Sibley Grove’s little black book: Low VOC paints Fabrics from U.K. and European mills - made with recycled content and non-toxic dyes Bamboo
Major suppliers: Light Corporation, Style Matters, Kirkby Design, Camira Fabrics, Pollack Fabrics
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Top: The Chamberlain has lots of hospitality areas for non hotel guests, including an elegant basement cocktail bar with a private dining room (pictured facing page, top) Left: the cocktail bar allows for intimate chats. Facing page, bottom: The new concrete reception counter
