Traveling Together: Medieval Castle with Art Deco Elements

There are not many palaces built in the 1930s that would require crossing a moat to reach their entrance. ButEltham Palace is an unusual pre-war property. It is unusual in that it was originally built in the 13th century and later became the official royal residence of King Henry VIII in the 14th century.

In 1933, fortune turned once again toward the castle, and the famous couple Stefan and Virginia Courtauld hired a group of builders and designers to carry out radical renovations.

How they managed to do it is what we will see today!

WhenStefan and Virginia Courtauld took ownership of the castle, it had long been in ruin and decline. Moreover, the British aristocracy was very skeptical about the decision to restore the castle to life, especially since the chosen architects were young and inexperienced, and the leading designer was an eccentric Italian aristocrat whose work faced serious criticism in society.

In general opinion, the result was a somewhat overloaded medieval interior, glamorous and more suited for entertaining guests than for quiet living.

A lot of glass, a painted stone roof, and lacquered wood — the work of designer Rolf Engströmer.