A three-bedroom apartment at 1 St James’s
(Picture: Mark Anthony Fox)We all have our go-to corner shop for an impromptu bottle, but would-be tenants of a new scheme may find they get a better service than most.
Berry Bros. & Rudd, the UK’s oldest wine merchants, has launched six apartments to rent adjacent to the prime St James’s address it has occupied since 1698.
The Royal Family’s official wine supplier once counted Lord Byron and William Pitt the Younger among its customers, and residents of the flats will have access to a personal wine concierge.
Designed by Victorian architect Norman Shaw, the Grade II* listed building faces St James’s Palace, which was constructed some 150 years before Berry Bros. & Rudd set up shop.
“We’ve owned No.1 St James’s since 1996 when we had the opportunity to purchase the property, allowing us to safeguard our historic wine cellars which run beneath the building,” says director Edward Rudd.
“The apartments were then let out as long-term rentals, but two years ago we decided to approach property investment company Obbard to lead on completely redesigning and refurbishing the site in our first residential re-development project.”
The discreet entrance, a few steps past the historic Berry Bros. & Rudd shopfront at No.3, opens up to a wide lobby, with the six flats arranged around a central staircase.
In a conscious departure from the all-marble-everything brand of luxury that they say reigns supreme in the local market, Obbard’s design arm Obespoke has dressed the one, two and three bed apartments with antiques and reclaimed furniture.
Sites like Vinterior proved key for snapping up second-hand design, with some surprises along the way – including a chair that was double the expected size and proved a challenge on the final set of stairs.
“We wanted this development to appeal to those that are attracted and inspired by the heritage of this neighbourhood, so we’ve purposefully avoided creating an ultra-modern interior scheme,” says Obbard head of design and development Patti Patrick, who worked in tandem with Anthro Architecture and interiors consultant Kate Watson-Smyth.
Period features such as cornicing have been restored and historic items plucked from Berry Bros. & Rudd’s archive, which spans the five centuries it’s been in business.
On the wall of one flat hangs a letter from shipping company White Star Line, reporting that 69 cases of the firm’s wines and spirits were lost on board the Titanic the previous day.
It’s an approach that the firm’s founder Hugh Obbard describes as “quintessentially English”.
Upstairs, the penthouse has a private roof terrace overlooking St James’s Park and a ‘hidden’ games room.
As well as a personal porter and the wine concierge service, residents will be able to hire out Berry Bros. & Rudd’s historic private dining rooms next door.
“The apartments reflect the heritage of St James’s, but also provide modern amenities and services for residents,” says Rudd. “We think it’s a truly unique central London rental proposition.”
