ON THE
WATERFRONT
A FORGOTTEN FERRY TERMINAL COMES ALIVE WITH RICH, EXPRESSIVE FABRICS WOVEN BY DANISH ARTISANS
Every design brief presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. For our client SoHo House, it was important to honor the traditional English backbone of its global aesthetic while creating a site-specific atmosphere that would land its international members squarely in Scandinavia. Think: Cotswolds meets Copenhagen.
Everything we did to bring alive the two-story space was the definition of bespoke: from the design, the weight, and weaving of the drapes to the everything-old-is-new-again vintage feel of the cushions. We wanted to tell a unique story through the textiles. Color, pattern and texture fed the dramatic arcs of our tale, while a more muted and minimalist Danish palette informed the narrative. In total, we wound up using 24 different textiles totalling nearly 1,500 meters of fabric - a new record for Durup.
Because SoHo house is a mixed use space - including a members lounge, a workspace and a restaurant - the drapery and cushions had to work extra hard to create unity while defining the varying atmospherics throughout the expansive, two-story structure. For example, in the restaurant, we wanted to nurture a lighter, more open energy, whereas the members lounge had to feel more cozy and private.
Working with a historic Danish fabric mill, we designed a custom fabric for the members lounge to honor both SoHo House’s famous love of stripes and the waterfront setting. The weight and texture of the drapes anchors the space in understated luxury, while the look and feel engenders a sense of homecoming for the private club’s globetrotting members.
Fun reveal: one of our favorite moments in the space is the curtain rod. At first glance, it looks like a traditional iron rod - perhaps something you would find in a cozy centuries-old English country manse. But hidden underneath is a modern and versatile rail - specific to the Danish way of mounting drapes - which also creates a more structured fullness in the fabric. Our design challenge was to marry the English with the Danish, and we were particularly proud of this neat custom solution.
“I am at heart a problem solver and I loved every minute of tackling this unique challenge,” said designer Nicoline Durup. “Inside the confines of the specific brand guidelines there was a lot of freedom for creativity and playfulness. Now when I return to SoHo House for a visit, I am often surprised by a new expression of the textiles, which might have happened as a happy accident of someone moving a cushion or adjusting the drapes. These textiles are telling a story and each time they seem to say something new.”
