The perfect place for a top hat

The Ned is one London’s great luxury hotels, comprising 10 restaurants, 100 spa treatments and 252 glamorous 1920s-themed bedrooms. The building was originally the headquarters of Midland Bank, and was designed by the celebrated English architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.

We were delighted to be asked to create a huge clock to be placed in the Ned’s reception, scaled up from the template of an original design by Sir Edwin.

And one of our most unusual commissions was to repair a set of original hatboxes that Sir Edwin had designed for the bank – customers would store their top hats in the boxes before meeting the bank manager.

The keys to the boxes had long since been lost so we removed all the locks, serviced them, refitted them and provided keys.

Also, working with Blue Leaf Hospitality and Kuehne+Nagel, we ensured that all furniture arriving at the hotel was in good condition and properly fitted – just as we had done at Trump Turnberry.

The Ned: “To have the hat boxes restored with such love and care brings one of the building’s original features back to life and, together with the beautiful reception clock, contributes to the charm of The Ned that draws visitors from all over the world.”