London premium pub company, Young & Co’s Brewery and international hospitality design specialist, Harrison, have joined forces to shake up the traditional ‘pub with rooms’ concept with the refurbishment and design and build of 42 stylishly eclectic bedrooms at The Windmill on Clapham Common, London.
The guest rooms, which aim to surpass the quality offer set by the capital’s rival boutique venues, represent a significant investment by Young’s and are a benchmark for the future of hotel design by Harrison.
“The Windmill is not just about having somewhere to put your head down in London, it’s about creating an adult ‘home comforts’ experience, flowing from the food served in the bar and restaurant areas right through to the individual designs in each bedroom,” says Harrison creative director Kevin Grima, who headed up the project.
“The schemes for each of the 42 rooms have been carefully developed to reflect the historic character and contemporary personality of a landmark pub like The Windmill, and each one has its own individual design, but with a common home-from-home theme.”
Originally a pub with 29 hotel rooms, Harrison spearheaded the refurbishment of the existing rooms, as well as the design and build of 13 extra rooms, including the conversion of staff quarters and a sizeable extension. The floor plan is multi-level with varying roof heights and some complex room layouts located along a series of corridors and landings.
Harrison ensured that the basic requirements for each bedroom were incorporated into the design and then overlaid them with individuality. A mix of timber and carpet flooring, antiques, quirky bathroom tiles, quality bric a brac and a respectful nod to Shaker styling pervade.
Woven natural fabrics are in all rooms, soft wood is painted in earthy tones and timber flooring, where used, gives a calm, stripped back feel. This is complemented by distinctly non-corporate accessories such as mannequins for hanging clothes and skyline graphic art wallpaper – all objects guests might expect from a domestic environment but not necessarily from a hotel.
