Is there time to get in one last non-Harry post before the spare heir sweeps into America later today?
I think there is.
What will Kate's baby's nursery look like? Here's the best guess of two esteemed interior designers, commissioned by design experts the RedBook Agency, one traditional and one a more modern magical interpretation, using the interiors of Kensington Palace and the archive images of previous Royal nurseries as references.
The computer-generated designs of the rooms have been closely modeled on the actual dimensions and windows of rooms at Kensington Palace, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be raising their baby.The two interior designers who created the nursery designs, Guy Goodfellow and Christopher Prain, joined forces with Britain’s leading computer-generated image specialists, the Manchester-based firm The Neighbourhood, who work with the UK’s top interior designers and developers.
Christopher Prain, of Chelsea-based firm Christopher Chanond, spent six weeks working on the contemporary design from the initial brief to finalised design, taking the same traditional features of earlier royal nurseries such as the rocking horse and cot, yet redesigned, adding a magical element.
Christopher Prain said; “The design is inspired by Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days. The silk rug on the floor is an 18th Century map of the globe. The specially commissioned wallpaper represents The Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.The ceiling represents the skies and has a cluster of tiny pin- prick LED lights to create a starfield. The pendant light is a flotilla of hot air balloons hand blown in glass. The steamer trunks under the windows are for storing toys and for dressing up clothes. The slide wraps around the castle like an old helter skelter and the castle is a play den with turret. The rocking horse is actually a unicorn. The table is made out of an oak trunk, a symbol of England, finished in gold. The rocking chairs and cot are also made in oak by craftsmen, with the feet of the cot adorned with acorns, the greatest oaks have been little acorns.”
Guy Goodfellow Ltd is best known for the restoration of period houses with beautifully detailed classical interiors, whose clients include the Duchess of Marlborough, the Earl and Countess of Hopetoun and Lord and Lady Dashwood, has created a traditional setting. Guy Goodfellow, of the Chelsea-based practice, said: “We aimed to create a setting fit for a Prince or Princess while being nurturing and stimulating. The panoramic wallpaper, supplied by Alexander Beauchamp, shows scenes of Hyde Park in the 18th century, surrounding Kensington Palace.”
Sandy Mitchell of The RedBook Agency said: "The RedBook Agency has commissioned the designs to mark the launch of its new service offering clients introductions to the best interior designers in Britain. You can tell already that Kate and Wills’ royal nursery is likely to be more lively and full of fun than any before. We want these two designs to make them smile, and fire their imagination when it comes to creating their baby’s nursery. And who knows, but perhaps if they choose one of our designs it will help shape the taste of the child who will grow up to be our monarch. Traditional and elegant, or contemporary and funky—which do we want our future king or queen to be?"
