Travel By Design: a deeper look at The NoMad London and the design moments you don’t see on Instagram

“As soon as we walked into the courtroom we imagined a dreamy skyscape across its walls. Murals, especially softly painted, somewhat unfinished ones, have been one of our favourite tools in projects such as Le Coucou, RW Guild and Maison Estelle, so it made sense for us to work with an artist in this way.

“The concept behind this particular mural came from the idea that when standing on trial in a courtroom, freedom becomes fantasy. We imagined being sentenced and closing our eyes, opening them to see the walls disappear and the sky open up and somehow be set free. Claire started with a large sample on the wall so that we could discuss brushstrokes and colour, and from there, she went on to freely paint her beautiful sky, not on canvas but directly on the walls. We see this as an act of commitment to the project by the owners and testament to their bravery and devotion to the artistic spirit of the building’s new use.”

The bedrooms have a different feel to the large common areas throughout the building, what were some of your key inspirations when designing them?

“The standard bedrooms are quite compact, so we looked to luxury train cars such as the Orient Express as a reference while working with layers of trim and fabric for a cocoon-like feel. The suites have a cleaner look and feel, and are inspired by the traditional great New York apartments inside buildings like the Dakota or Apthorp. Artwork was an important part of bringing that aesthetic, so we carefully curated pieces with references to the building, the surrounding areas and history, and hung them wildly or set them out on the floor.

“Our attitude to furniture was to source pieces that span generations, such as from the 1870s to the 1970s and allowed them to live together in an eclectic harmony. We imagined these pieces like an amazing family that has survived and remained connected over the last 150 years.”

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