Eltham Palace, the chicest venue in London?
Eltham Palace is one of those places you’ve probably never heard of but really should have. Once the childhood home of Henry VII the Palace fell into ruin following the English Civil War but was transformed into the most incredible Art Deco mansion in the 1930s by millionaire couple Stephen and Virginia Courtauld (of the famous family of art patrons). From the outside the Palace looks like it is half church and half a traditional mansion, it’s only when you step inside that you realise quite how special this place is. The chic circular entrance hall is one of the most arresting spaces I’ve seen; with it’s 1930s furniture, wood paneled walls featuring a Roman soldier and a Viking the room is topped off by an enormous glass domed ceiling through which dappled light streams even on the gloomiest days. Leading off the entrance hall are several similarly striking Art Deco rooms and a pair of curved staircases for making the most glamorous of entrances like a true Hollywood...