Aynhoe Park, a Grade I-listed 73-acre landmark property on the Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire border, stands amongst England’s most distinctive properties. Now reopened for the primary time since its sale to RH, beforehand Restoration {Hardware}, in 2020, this historic property has been restored and completely reimagined as a first-of-its-kind design and hospitality vacation spot. A daring transfer certainly from an American furnishings model.
RH England at Aynhoe Park: ‘marvel, enchantment, and historical past’
(Picture credit score: courtesy RH)
RH shouldn’t be your common furnishings model, and its CEO Gary Friedman has constructed his personal status as a retail visionary, having remodeled the corporate’s fortunes throughout his 20-year tenure. The not-so-secret technique? Showcasing design inside an surprising architectural framework, positioning RH as a place- and tastemaker for the trendy age.
Rather more than being a vendor of sofas and suchlike, investing in and restoring historic buildings – notably its huge RH New York gallery within the Meatpacking District – for immediately’s design cognoscenti, has develop into RH’s main MO. To make its grand debut in Europe, RH England selected Aynhoe Park for plenty of causes, explains Friedman. ‘We had been looking for a location that will allow us to introduce ourselves in an inspiring and unforgettable vogue, in a way that communicated our values and beliefs, and rendered our model extra precious,’ he says. ‘On the time, Aynhoe Park was not on the market, however we met with the proprietor, James Perkins, and the story unfolded from there.’
Initially inbuilt 1615 and refurbished by Sir John Soane within the early nineteenth century, the celebrated property remained within the possession of the Cartwright household till the mid-Twentieth century, and its structure and grounds are a testomony to their enduring legacy. It current proprietor Perkins who started the restoration of the Palladian mansion and its gardens over a 15-year interval, remodeling it into one of many twenty first century’s most hedonistic get together wonderlands. Well-known not least for its eclectic and extraordinary contents, those that knew Aynhoe Park would possibly effectively be stunned by its transformation. Gone are the giraffe suspended by balloons within the orangery, the large glitter balls, and the Dr Who’s Tardis. Gone are the taxidermied polar bear, the feather lamps, the sculptures and the key underground get together rooms. However it’s not with out hint. Alongside the intensive dwelling furnishings collections from RH Interiors, guests will discover a assortment of uncommon artwork, antiques, and artefacts from world wide. A unicorn nonetheless guards the doorway, quite a few architectural plasterworks adorn the partitions and a 10ft statue of Hercules stays on the grand stairway.
‘We do consider you don’t get a second likelihood to make the first impression on this lifetime,’ says Friedman. ‘And our objective was to discover a magical place that resembled something however a retail retailer. To date, I feel we’re off to an excellent begin. And that’s what we discovered right here: a spot of marvel, enchantment, and historical past.’
(Picture credit score: courtesy RH)
Spanning 55,000 sq ft and that includes greater than 60 rooms, Aynhoe Park consists of a predominant home and two wings creating a proper forecourt. Set on an elevated plateau with an awe-inspiring view, the grounds had been initially designed by the long-lasting English panorama architect Functionality Brown.
The outside of the mansion stays true to Soane’s alterations, and inside, friends can discover the Structure & Design Library, with a rigorously curated assortment of classic, up to date, and uncommon out-of-print books together with the primary version of De architectura libri dece (The Ten Books of Structure) by the Roman architect Vitruvius, apparently a basis for RH’s design ethos. Presiding over the room, an exacting reproduction of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man – primarily based on Vitruvius’ description of human anatomy – and busts of the good Renaissance architects Alberti, Scamozzi and Palladio. Spanning the library’s hovering ceiling is a crystal lighting set up by Los Angeles-based glass designer and artist Alison Berger, impressed by the open skies that wash over the bottom, and Soane’s penchant for infusing his grandly scaled areas with pure mild.
A devoted Sir John Soane Exhibition showcases the architect’s life and works at Aynhoe and different English nation homes, with reproductions of unique drawings, architectural fashions, and artefacts. Throughout the property, RH England brings 5 new eating places to the Cotswolds. The Orangery (beforehand dwelling to that floating giraffe) is the signature advantageous eating restaurant, that includes live-fire cooking ignored by a second lighting set up by Berger. The Loggia – in what was as soon as the servants’ quarters – is now an open-air restaurant and wine bar providing wood-fired pizzas and charcuterie boards. Then there may be the Tea Salon – beforehand the principle eating room, the Wine Lounge – within the outdated French drawing room and The Juicery, in what was as soon as the constructing’s predominant kitchen, full with unique limestone flooring.
(Picture credit score: courtesy RH)
Perkins, who assisted RH within the transformation of Aynhoe, believes the property is indicative of a brand new period for Britain’s outdated stately properties, and that Friedman’s imaginative and prescient could be very a lot aligned together with his personal. ‘They’ve labored tirelessly to honour their obligations to the restoration and arrange of this stately dwelling and its panorama – it has been a major funding and wonderful to observe,’ he says.
Referring to his personal new enterprise, the rebuild and restoration of Parnham Park in Devon (set to open in 2025), in addition to the approaching Oxfordshire opening of personal membership Estelle Manor, amongst others, he says: ‘That is what the countryside has wanted for a very long time, bringing modern-day conveniences and curiosity to those wonderful historic buildings; RH is pioneering new makes use of for our wealthy architectural legacy, giving them a brand new lease of life. These grand outdated nation homes was once the epicentre of fashion and style, they had been social hubs and excessive society locations – it was what they had been initially designed to be. Someplace alongside the road they grew to become drained and unloved, preserved however now not alive. It’s time we started utilising them as they had been initially meant.’
Additional RH galleries are below building in London (Mayfair), Paris, Milan, Madrid (two areas), Munich, Düsseldorf, Brussels and Sydney – all set to open over the following three years. As Friedman stated in his speech on opening night time: ‘Our technique is sort of easy, and that’s we do what we love, with those who we love, for those who love what we do. What we consider in deeply, is that by chasing our hopes and desires, we hopefully encourage others to chase theirs, and by preventing fearlessly for what we consider in, we hopefully encourage others to do the identical.’
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