Tobias Oliver Team Visit RH at Aynho Park Insights

TOI Design Team Away Day: RH England lands at Aynho Park!

The design team at Tobias Oliver Interiors recently had the pleasure of visiting the magnificent Aynho Park to explore American-based interior design house RH and celebrate its first UK residence. Aynho Park is situated in Northamptonshire, England and spans over 73-acres of private land which includes the home to the largest white deer herd in Europe. Being a Grade 1 listed landmark makes it a very unique venue and an important historic building. The mansion was originally built in 1615 by the Cartwright family and has since gone through several renovations and modifications: the biggest being after a significant fire during the Civil War. Renovated by Edward Marshall, then Thomas Archer in 1707 and lastly embellished by Sir John Soane in the 19th century, the estate was acquired by event promoter James Perkins in 2006 but is now home of RH as of 2020.

We had the pleasure of touring the property, with guidance from in-house expert Ben, to explore RH’s expansive collection as well as learning more about the estate’s rich history. With over 60 rooms, Aynho Park is the perfect place to display RH’s expansive collection including their Interiors, Contemporary, Modern and Outdoor range. Having previously browsed through their 3 sourcebooks which included over 1000 pages full of interiors, it was a real treat to get to experience the pieces come to life at Aynho. Every detail was thoroughly executed with an eclectic mix of stunning pieces and rare antiques in each room, styled to perfection and evoking their own identity. A beautiful detail that may go unnoticed if you aren’t careful is the papier-mâché ceiling feature, dating back to when the manor was first renovated.

“We believe the most pleasing environments are a reflection of human design. A study of balance, symmetry and perfect proportions.” – RH

There are many nooks and crannies that you could get lost in for days but what truly stands out is the nod to the building’s history. With a designated antechamber for the Sir John Soane Exhibition, RH have truly leaned into the rich history of Aynho Park. The antechamber, also known as the whispering room, was designed with curved ceilings to amplify acoustics so that if waiters needed to talk to one another, they could do so without being too loud and disturbing the guests. A truly must-do experience if you have the chance to visit.

Following on from the Sir John Soane exhibition is the stunning Architectural & Design Library that is sure to amuse any bibliophile, but especially the designers! You can find rare and out-of-print design books on the shelves, as well as more of RH’s beautiful furniture and even an incredible crystal light installation by LA-based glass maker Alison Berger. If that wasn’t enough the library boasts the first edition of De Architectura libri Dece (The Ten Books on Architecture) from 1521. Written by Vitruvius, who was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, this book has been a foundation for classical architecture and has become RH’s basis for their design ethos. To take this one step further the interior designer of this library chose to put an exact replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man on the wall, which was of course based off the human anatomy description from Vitruvius himself more than 1500 years earlier.

As we were guided through the remaining collections, Ben brought our attention to one of the two grand oak staircases. First erected in 1707, RH made the executive decision to restore the staircase and its intricate detailing to its former glory; over 800 painstaking hours were spent to make this happen!

As we are coming to the end of 2023, our exploration of 2024 interior design trends is a pre-requisite as interior designers! Therefore, it only seemed fitting to see how these trends were featured in RH’s recent collections; we all felt that one of the most loved materials for 2024 will be rattan fronted cabinetry as well as curvilinear furniture. (Which of course you would have all known if you had read our previous blog!)

Yet, as we all have different styles, let’s explore what stood out to us the most from each member of our design team!

Lucie’s Top Pick

I personally fell in love with the Cardin coffee table in Italian Classico Travertine. Curves are all the rage coming into 2024 and I am here for it. The Italian Travertine is a natural stone, and its veining adds uniqueness to each piece. A fun fact that Ben told us on our tour was that the travertine they source originates from the same location as the stone that formed the colosseum!

Phoebe’s Top Pick

Phoebe didn’t just pick a single piece, but a whole collection! She found the Burl collection absolutely fascinating. Inspired by the French Art Deco style of streamlined elegance and the use of luxurious and exotic materials, the Burl collection is wrapped in kappa burl wood veneers highlighting the grain’s swirling patterns. The swirl patterns derive from the natural knots found in tree trunks, a rarity making this finish extra special. A truly exquisite collection!

Toby’s Top Pick

Toby chose the Breton canopy bed in black oak with the holland & sherry wool bouclé headboard in the colour camel. A true statement piece for every bedroom designed by Charlie Zagaroli, highlighting and finding its own interpretation of the 1940s French Streamline Moderne era. With its curves interplaying with straight lines and an X-shaped intersection, it certainly isn’t your everyday four poster bed.

Nina’s Top Pick

Nina was charmed immediately upon entry with the lovely Unicorn in the foyer, a piece that stayed from the previous owners. This magical and mythical creature gives a nod to the previous era of quirkiness of Aynho Park and its owners. Nina was also amazed by the whispering room and thought it was a very intriguing feature.

The last stop of our amazing away day was The Orangery, one of the seven restaurants at Aynho Park! This fine-dining lunch left us speechless, with its amazing cauliflower steak and mouth-watering Branzino. Not to mention the delicious sweet potatoes, truffle fries, banana split, and the list goes on and on. A true feast for the palate. Of course, the room was designed to excellence, with no exception of another Alison Berger light installation which has a slight nod to the English weather due to its rain shaped glass components.