A picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of London’s Annabel’s, this statement is spectacularly true. Situated in the middle of Mayfair, the private, members only club was designed by Swedish Interior architect and product designer Martin Brudnizki, and is a fantasy masterpiece of colour, whimsy and attention to detail. 2 doors down from its original location, Annabel’s has been a destination for royalty, high society, Hollywood elite, the rich and the famous since 1962 when it first opened.
The new Annabel’s is housed in a Grade 1 listed Georgian townhouse at Number 46 Berkley Square, just streets away from Nobu, The Palm Beach Casino and Claridges Hotel. At Annabel’s, the treat begins outside the front door. The exterior facade of the four-storey period building is completely flowered in a stunning blanket of pink and orange roses. The effect is colourful, delightful and a stark contrast to the dull grey and brown stone walls of the neighbouring buildings.
Inside, the interior design and decor are quite simply magical and fully deliver on the opulent promise of the outside. Every inch of the 26,000 sq ft private dinning and entertaining venue is a visual, tactile, sensory treat. Dozens of architectural and decorative details abound - from moulded sterling gilded ceilings to a perspex covered outdoor garden terrace. It is a dazzling example of how commercial design can inspire home interiors - via the attention to detail, to grandiose layers of texture and the play on curvilinear design. Enchanting fabric uses are also employed to illustrate and build up interior composition: masterful furniture upholstery, abundant tufting and lush draping. For the visitor...this is a place where words cannot fully describe the atmosphere and the exclusive ambiance. A Picasso painting hangs in the reception area, and above in the central foyer entrance...a giant white horse is suspended carnival-style and winged in gold. Each room in Annabels showcases lavish personal comfort and design intricacies swell throughout. The smoking lounge resembles a period English cigar store, complete with angled shelves, vintage lamps, side tables and gold riveting on the panelled green leather. Inside the Mexican Room/bar, golden ceilings illuminate red and yellow club chairs and Persian carpets, while framed prints and drawings pattern the walls and shelves.
To quote from the home website, “Annabel’s has earned a global reputation founded on superb service, first class cuisine and unparalleled entertainment.” These elements are masterfully expressed in the private dining rooms and garden terrace where crystal chandeliers hang over crisp white table linens, surrounded by low-backed dinning chairs with silver handles. The silver and white china impeccably matching the ivory and sterling drapes.
Annabel’s after-dark components are just as compelling and marvellously presented. The hallway to the nightclub is carpeted in plush blue and white with red serpents, elephants and fish figures outlined in the pattern. The walls are decorated in a thick navy chinoiserie print. At the end of the hallway, a life-sized gorilla sits perched on a low ottoman. Inside, mirrored inset banquets are intensified and highlighted with curved gold and red fabric ceilings and a continuous row of contrasting-matching pillows. “Fabulous party dressing” is encouraged for guests and patrons. Special attention is given to the top floor ladies bathrooms which have been described as an “explosion of pink.” Pink silk hand embroidered wall panels mesh sublimely with thousands of silk rose colour flowers in the ceiling and the coral-blush sinks. The final flourish? Each basin is dressed with swan shaped gold sculpted taps. Click through the Intimate + Fidel video gallery to view all the images of Annabel’s exquisite decor, flawless design and magical interior.
Copyright: Intimate + Fidel 2019.
File Under: Design Spotlight. Hospitality: Restaurant and Bars.
