BOX 9 unveils the restoration and reimagining of The Hall, a Grade I listed Georgian stately home at the heart of the 2,500-acre Denton Reserve in Ilkley, Yorkshire. Tasked with rethinking country house hospitality for a new generation, the studio has combined conservation, craft and material innovation to create a vision of luxury rooted in nature and care.
A departure from the traditional country house aesthetic, The Hall’s transformation is described by BOX 9 co-founder Lou Davies as “restrained and radical elegance.” She explains: “We approached Denton with reverence and discipline. Our mission was to quieten the building, to let it breathe and to create space for pause and reconnection. Every design decision was weighed against its impact – environmental, emotional and aesthetic.”
Originally designed by John Carr and completed in 1778, the Palladian-style Hall has most recently served as an ornate wedding venue. BOX 9’s work began with careful conservation, restoring and stripping back layers to reveal the original architecture. Listed building restrictions meant ingenuity was key: bathrooms and freestanding furniture have been inserted as sculptural pieces, avoiding fixed partitions that might disrupt sightlines.
Inspired by the Yorkshire Dales, BOX 9 curated a palette of soil, stone, heather and moss tones, alongside sustainable, locally rooted materials. Each furnishing was chosen for its potential to restore – whether supporting a maker, reviving a craft or reconnecting guests to place.
Highlights include a four-metre heather chandelier woven by Studio Amos, a monumental oak reception table supported by sculptural cork spheres (a collaboration with Ted Jefferis for the BOX 9 Collection, launching in 2026), and a marble centrepiece table crafted entirely from industry waste offcuts by Leleni Studio.
Guestrooms feature solid wood furniture, including a desk by Jason Posnot of Or This Studio positioned to frame moorland views, while the Middleton Lounge showcases Jan Hendzel Studio’s playful transformation of an original boardroom table into a marquetry games table.
In the gothic panelled kitchen, BOX 9 introduced a monolithic steel island and oak dining table by Ted Jefferis, hewn from a singular fallen tree on the estate. Elsewhere, hand-aged oak floors by The Main Company, bespoke marble and travertine tables by Atelier278, and recycled plastic cabinetry by Smile Plastics bring innovation and sustainability to the fore.
The interiors also champion art, from Rico White and Pejac to a wider collaboration with Anarchy Art Club. Paints textured with crushed olive stones and basins cast from 75% recycled concrete underline the project’s material innovation. Cork emerges as a hero material, used extensively for cladding and furniture.
Davies reflects: “We set ourselves an incredibly high bar. Every single piece and material had to leave a legacy of positive change. If it didn’t have the potential to restore landscapes, lives or our relationship with craft, it didn’t come through the doors.”
Now available for exclusive hire, The Hall offers ten suites in the main building, five bedrooms in the West Wing, and a further fifteen set to open in the East Wing in 2025. Guests can expect immersive art, spaces for gathering such as the Still Room and Middleton Lounge, and a design narrative that encourages connection to nature and community.
Part of a phased estate transformation, The Hall is the flagship for a broader regenerative vision at Denton Reserve. This includes wild swimming, wellness cabins, bothies, coach houses and The Penny Bun dining destination, all guided by the same ethos of restoration.
As Davies concludes: “We dared to empty The Hall so it could breathe again. In doing so, we found something deeper – a new kind of luxury rooted in care, craft, and connection.”
