Down Hall Hotel is one of England’s most established country house hotels. Located in Hatfield Heath on the Hertfordshire and Essex border, this impressive Italianate mansion dates back to 1322 and boasts luxury interiors with an abundance of ornate original features.Chelsom were commissioned to work closely with Beacon Design and Consultancy as part of the core team to undergo the refurbishment of 54 of the hotel’s executive guestrooms with the main objective of the programme being to provide guests with modern comfort and style whilst retaining the traditional ambience of Down Hall.
The brief to Chelsom required a lighting scheme to be created on a limited budget, balancing contemporary design with the more traditional elements of the guestrooms which were being retained. The high ceilings were also important considerations as the fittings needed to work with the scale of the guestrooms, projecting significant light output whilst also creating an inviting ambience.
Based on the design of the existing Flemish style pendants, Chelsom ‘Como’ chandeliers were selected as the main centrepieces for the guestrooms. The eight armed chandeliers offer a similar Flemish style but being made from blown glass provide a contemporary look on a larger scale and thus much more in keeping with the room size. In order to achieve maximum light output all shades were made in oyster and finished with a contrasting trim to compliment the general colour scheme of the rooms.
Handmade ceramic ‘Pearl’ table lamps with a high gloss pearlescent glaze were teamed with rectangular oyster shades trimmed in taupe providing a stylish bedside lighting solution. The rectangular design of the fittings enables the lamps to be pushed towards the wall in order to save space on the compact nightstands. The ‘Swing’ desk lamp was also specified as part of the lighting scheme, meeting the design requirements outlined in the brief stipulating that the product should be finished in brass to maintain consistency with the rest of the metalwork in the rooms. The desk lamp was completed with an oyster tapered shade with a taupe trim helping to create a more contemporary look in the same finish as the bedside fittings to tie in various elements of the wider lighting scheme whilst effectively contributing to the general light level in the room.
Finally a contemporary flush fitting was required for the guest bedroom lobby specified as being as efficient as possible where light output is concerned and economical in terms of budget. Fittings from the ‘Snap’ range were selected incorporating steel frames with PVC fabric diffusers for ease of installation and maintenance, finished in soft white textured stripe for a clean and stylish look.
