Rooted in Celtic custom, The Fife Arms has been a Braemar landmark since its inception in 1856. The village rose to prominence following Queen Victoria’s buy of Balmoral Fort, a swift ten miles from the resort. Its interiors, clad in tartan and layered with antiques and artwork, seize the richness of Scottish craftsmanship. Now, the property – owned by Artfarm, the hospitality firm of Hauser & Wirth’s founders – has unveiled a ‘Secret Room’ impressed by an sudden protagonist.
Uncover The Fife Arms’ new room, impressed by Coco Chanel
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)
Coco Chanel had lengthy been impressed by Scotland’s materials – a thread woven by means of her tweed collections (the maison continues its longstanding relationship with Linton Tweeds, first found by Chanel in 1928). She first visited the nation within the Nineteen Twenties throughout a whirlwind romance with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster. Over a decade of returns, Chanel fell for the rituals of the panorama – fly-fishing, lengthy walks, the feel of the Highlands itself. One might argue the enduring love affair was much less with the Duke and extra with Scotland.
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)
Utilizing this vivid romance as inspiration, Russell Sage Studio brings the brand new secret guestroom to life. The follow sidesteps Chanel’s acquainted black-and-white codes and interlocking ‘CC’ monogram, as an alternative tracing the designer’s extra intimate preferences. She was recognized to dislike doorways, usually masking them with screens within the hope company would possibly neglect to go away. Right here, that intuition is reimagined: the room is hid behind a trompe-l’œil door, detailed with references to her Paris residence, and revealed by following the trail of a camellia motif.
Upon getting into, company are met with an inside layered in inexperienced and burgundy tweed. The room nods to 31 Rue Cambon, Coco Chanel’s Paris residence, by means of particulars similar to a wheat sheaf chandelier and an artwork deco self-importance mirror set on the dressing desk. The room, now occupying The Fife Arms’ former Household Room on the bottom flooring, boasts a walk-in wardrobe, bar space, and a freestanding copper bathtub nestled inside an alcove.
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)
Chanel additionally adorned Rosehall Home, a Scottish manor close to Lairg, throughout her relationship with the Duke. Russell Sage Studio has drawn instantly from this historical past, utilizing a copy of the home’s wallpaper throughout the secret room, whereas the headboard and furnishings are completed in a Scottish interpretation of Chinoiserie.
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)
The Fife Arms is situated at Mar Rd, Braemar, Ballater AB35 5YN
Supply: Wallpaper
