THE BRIEF

Following the successful completion of the Deluxe guestrooms at The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, JSJ Design was reappointed to continue the hotel’s phased refurbishment, redesigning 22 Superior and Executive Rooms, eight Suites and the adjoining guestroom corridors.

The brief was to build on the design narrative established during the first phase, continuing to reflect the history and character of Knightsbridge while retaining the five-star hotel’s much-loved traditional British charm.

Our original research into the local area had led us to the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the Pre-Raphaelite movement, with the work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti becoming central to the guestroom designs. For Phase Two, we returned to this story, introducing a new collection of Rossetti paintings to inspire each of the room schemes.

DEVELOPING THE STORY

Rather than recreating Victorian interiors, we looked to the paintings for their colour, atmosphere and detail, translating these elements into contemporary hotel rooms through bespoke furniture, carpets, wallcoverings, upholstery, lighting and artwork.

This approach allowed us to create individual identities for each room type while maintaining a recognisable design language throughout the hotel and a natural connection to the Deluxe guestrooms completed during Phase One.

Across the 22 Superior and Executive Rooms, three distinct schemes take their inspiration from Rossetti’s Venus Verticordia, Monna Vanna and Fiammetta.

Six rooms are based on Venus Verticordia, drawing on its saturated palette, floral detail and natural drama. A further six rooms reference Monna Vanna, translating the painting’s rich teal, gold and layered textures through fabrics, woven wallcoverings and decorative detailing.

The remaining ten rooms are connecting rooms inspired by Fiammetta. Their smaller windows and footprints called for a lighter approach, with warm red and yellow accents and a nature-inspired wallcovering creating an uplifting scheme that remains closely connected to the wider design story.

Carpet was another important element in bringing the different schemes together. Working collaboratively with the Balsan design team, JSJ developed two bespoke carpet designs – one for the guestrooms and another for the corridors. Layered tree imagery was used to create the artwork, with the guestroom carpet produced in two complementary colourways to respond to the individual schemes while maintaining continuity throughout the project.

THE SUITES

The eight Suites continue the Pre-Raphaelite narrative through Rossetti’s The Blue Bower. Its distinctive palette of deep blue, green and warm amber informed the colour direction, but was interpreted against a calm, neutral backdrop. Pops of stronger colour are concentrated within individual furniture pieces and details, creating a more restrained interpretation of the painting while retaining its richness and character across the bedroom and living spaces.

Bespoke furniture was designed around the individual proportions and requirements of the Suites, balancing the decorative character of the scheme with the practical considerations of a five-star hotel environment.

Artwork above the beds introduces another layer to the local narrative. Developed with Elegant Clutter, the tapestry-style landscape imagines Knightsbridge before its urban development, when the area was characterised by open countryside, fields and fruit orchards. The imagery connects the interiors not simply to the Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic, but to the landscape and history of the area itself.

CONNECTING THE SPACES

The guestroom corridors were redesigned alongside the rooms and Suites, allowing the experience to continue beyond the bedrooms.

Taking the bespoke tapestry artwork created for the Suites as a starting point, we worked with Elegant Clutter to expand the landscape and widen its field of view, creating a separate tapestry-style wallcovering for the circulation spaces.

Although the corridor and Suite artworks are distinct, their shared visual language creates a subtle connection between the spaces and helps the refurbishment feel considered as a whole.

Throughout Phase Two, our aim was to develop rather than repeat the design established in the first phase. Returning to individual works by Rossetti for colour, atmosphere and detail has allowed each scheme to have its own personality while remaining unmistakably part of the same story.

The result is a collection of guestrooms, Suites and corridors that gives The Capital a stronger sense of place, rooting the hotel in the cultural and artistic history of Knightsbridge while creating a memorable guest experience that feels idiosyncratic to the hotel. Layered details, bespoke artwork and moments of theatre give the interiors a distinctive identity, creating a sense of arrival and ensuring that a stay at The Capital feels unmistakably its own.