The Connaught hotel in London has unveiled a one-of-a-kind suite, The King’s Lodge. It is a collaboration between Guy Oliver, the hotel’s interior designer, and Turquoise Mountain, a charity that supports artisans.
The King’s Lodge is the second collaboration between Oliver, Turquoise Mountain and The Connaught, joining The Prince’s Lodge, which opened in 2010. The Prince’s Lodge was created in a style inspired by the 19th-century Peacock Palace in the old city of Kabul. Founded in 2006 by the then Prince of Wales—now King Charles III, Turquoise Mountain supports artisans with everything they need to revitalize their heritage. The charity works in Afghanistan, Myanmar and the Middle East, combining crafts practice, training and heritage buildings.
The King’s Lodge is located on the fifth floor of The Connaught. It showcases craftsmanship from the Levant, Afghanistan, Myanmar and India. Artisans from these destinations were commissioned to create every element of the suite, from the intricate architectural woodwork made in Jordan by Syrian artisans, to handwoven carpets and miniature paintings from Afghanistan, fabrics from Myanmar, as well as carved marble panels and mirrored glass insets from India.
The one-bedroom suite, conceived in the historic Mughal style, and set in the eaves on the fifth floor of The Connaught, has deep window seats overlooking the intersection of Carlos Place and Mount Street, at the very center of Mayfair. The four-poster bed sports motifs hand-drawn and crafted for this particular suite. The fabrics with a zigzag motif were inspired by chevrons that come from Mughal columns, while carpets from Lahore and the Mughal textiles from the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha inspired the use of color. Turquoise Mountain worked with fine woodworkers to create walnut jali fretwork, a craft found across Afghanistan that intricately joins pieces of wood, which can be seen in the arches of the bedframe as well as the screens throughout the suite. The marble carvers from Makrana—people descended from the Mughal court who have created panels with floral motifs—are considered some of the finest stone carvers in the world.
Good to know: A portion of the proceeds of every booking from both The Prince’s Lodge and The King’s Lodge goes directly to Turquoise Mountain and its programming to support artisans.
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