Whisky Room, West Sussex

This room was the most wonderful creative challenge. I was asked to transform a neglected playroom, no longer used by the teenagers of the family, into a grown-up whisky room for the owners to enjoy before and after dinner with friends.

The brief was to create a room that felt comfortable, atmospheric and properly useful, with a nod to the owners’ homeland through the use of tartan. We also wanted to retain the existing joinery, but give it a much-needed lift through better detailing, storage and lighting, so it sat beautifully within the Georgian proportions.

With the help of Adam Rose Alison, the joinery was given a real facelift, incorporating wine storage, foxed mirrors, a glass cabinet and new knobs. Boura and White supplied the elegant armchairs and sofas, creating plenty of comfortable seating around the original marble fireplace. The stunning hand-rubbed solid brass fire fender from Acres Farm provides an extra place to perch with a drink, while a number of antique side tables and a large marble-topped console helped bring weight, age and balance to the room.

Colourwise, we chose Farrow & Ball’s rich Inchyra Blue for the joinery and Little Greene’s Nether Red for the walls - a combination that felt comforting, earthy and nostalgic. These tones worked beautifully with the fabrics in the room, from the tartan to the marbled cushions and the paisley print on the sofa.

The result is a room that feels both intimate and generous; a space with a proper sense of occasion, but one that is still deeply comfortable and welcoming.

“Charlotte helped us articulate, and bring to life, the vision we had for a special room that is already getting plenty of use, and wows, from family and friends.”