city life
The west country’s burgeoning design hotspot is a Georgian city with a truly contemporary outlook
‘Oh! Who can ever be tired of Bath?’ asked Catherine Morland, the heroine of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. It’s a question that design enthusiasts are asking themselves again today. This new crowd descending on the ancient Roman city is attracted not by the restorative waters of the spa or the Georgian architecture (although that is magnificent), but by the abundance of new design stores, galleries and stylish restaurants that have appeared in recent years.
And it looks as if 2023 is going to cement Bath’s status even further. The restoration of Cleveland Pools (9) – the UK’s oldest outdoor lido that opened in 1817, and was once run by a man called Captain Evans and his pet baboon before being converted into a trout farm in 1984 – will finally be completed, ready to welcome elegant bathers. Plus, this year also saw the historical Royal Crescent hotel unveil a more modern look for its 11 suites, with the interiors masterminded by Clayton & Company, while London-based gallery 8 Holland Street opened the doors to its immaculately designed Townhouse on nearby Brock Street. Every one of the latter’s four floors (the whole home is available to book, with a three-night weekend stay starting at £3,200) is an ever-evolving shoppable curation of the most covetable design pieces and artworks – expect to find a David Shrigley print or Duncan Grant painting hanging beside furniture icons by the likes of Jean Prouvé, Ettore Sottsass, Charles & Ray Eames… Half of the joy of a visit is seeing how many classics you can spot and name.
From brand-new openings to some of the destinations that kickstarted the city’s recent renaissance, this is an edit of the very best of the new Bath design scene – because, beyond the Bridgerton hype (a new series is expected to drop this year, with Bath again serving as the backdrop), this is a thoroughly modern city…
Shopping
Berdoulat (1) 8 Margaret’s Buildings, BA1 2LP Shop, interior design studio, private home… This heart of Bath’s revival is located in a Georgian building lovingly restored by Patrick and Neri Williams. The space they have created is a delight, stocked with homeware, kitchenware and furniture – most of it made by artisans located within an hour’s drive of Bath (berdoulat.co.uk).
Atelier Ellis 98 Walcot Street, BA1 5BG More than a store selling handmade, VOC-free paint, this is a calming spot to ponder the effect colour can have in the home. The store hosts regular artistic exhibitions which serve, says founder Cassandra Ellis, ‘as a conduit to help people understand what home is’ (atelierellis.co.uk).
Divine Savages 5 Margaret’s Buildings, BA1 2LP The newest addition to the city’s design community is this fantastical wallpaper store and studio run by husb
