London has had a warm and sunny summer and at our Design Studio we have certainly enjoyed the long days and clear skies. However, the seasons are starting to shift and we are welcoming crisp morning commutes as trees turn auburn with slow grace. The mnemonic ‘fall back, spring forward’ was invented to help remind us of daylight saving hours and the changing of our clocks. Daylight saving goes back as early as the 1700’s when it was implemented as an economical advantage to help make the most of the summer’s natural light. It also helped farmers with the lighter evenings and enabled them to work on their land for longer. Now that autumn is upon us, this Sunday we get a well-received extra hour of sleep as the clocks are due to ‘fall back’. So, as the long nights draw nearer, we thought we would suggest our top 5 places in our hotels to hunker down and feel cosy this autumn.

1. The Library at The Soho Hotel

The Soho Hotel library is located in a quiet corner of the hotel and has a gentle colour palette with soft yellows that create a calming atmosphere. It is the perfect place to grab a book and settle for an hour or two. We recommend ordering some tea to make it even more comforting. It has recently been given a refresh and we had the wonderful Tess Newall paint our cabinet in natural earthy hues. We have also added an ‘Eternal Spring‘ rug from our collection with Annie Selke which brings a new pop of colour.

Before and after…

2. Ham Yard Bar

Our bar at Ham Yard Hotel is the perfect place to spend a dark evening and warm yourself up with a spiced Negroni. It is a long area and this can often make a space dark, so when designing we made sure to use many varied lighting options from table lamps to backlit pots and hanging woven ceiling lights. Together they create an intimate space with a glamorous glow.  So often, lighting is seen as an afterthought, or simply a functional addition, but there’s no reason that it can’t be the talking point of the room. See our blog post Lighting Up the Room for some tips and ideas.

3. Firmdale Film Clubs

On cold days, one of the best places to take refuge is in one of our comfy screening rooms. We have a Film Club at The Soho Hotel, Covent Garden Hotel and Charlotte Street Hotel. The screening rooms have all been designed with comfort at their core with supple leather seats. They have state of the art projection screens and high quality surround sound speakers, allowing you to become fully immersed in the movie. You can enjoy a three-course meal or Afternoon Tea at our restaurants as well as unlimited popcorn! Explore set designs from some of our favourite movies and compare them to our own schemes in our blog post Lights, Camera, Action.

4. The Drawing Room at Covent Garden Hotel

It is impossible not to mention the Drawing Room at Covent Garden Hotel with its stone fireplace, roaring fire and traditional wooden panelled walls. The panels were rescued from the old League of Nations headquarters near Trafalgar Square. These fine Canadian maple wood panels now add a luxurious quality to the room and the deeper tones create a restful environment.

We recently celebrated the launch of SJ Axelby’s beautiful new book ‘Interior Portraits’ here. Visit our blog post where we share some snapshots from this special event.

5. The Townhouse at Haymarket Hotel

The Townhouse at Haymarket Hotel has a homely feel as it is arranged over four floors and has its own unique entrance just to the side of the hotel. It has a fully equipped kitchen with a 6 person dining table and its own relaxed living room with floor to ceiling windows. There is the benefit of having your own private space whilst also having the luxury of room service and all the amenities of a five-star hotel. It is the perfect place to stay in London and is a cosy home away from home. Explore the space further here.

If our blog post has made you feel warm and cosy, take a look at some symbols of the season which we have incorporated into our designs. We hope these examples will inspire you to refresh your home for autumn: Symbols of Autumn in Design.