The Victorian B&B: What the butler saw - Telegraph

When the house had been split into flats, fireplaces had been removed, rooms had been sub-divided and metal windows installed. Over seven years Brown undid all of this: antique fireplaces were bought and installed, windows replaced and rooms restored to their original proportions. An off-white decor was dramatically re-imagined as Brown devised a new scheme based on his remarkable collection of royalty-themed photographs and paintings.

The collection started 35 years ago with a signed photograph of Queen Alexandra that Brown bought at Sotheby’s. It was the beginning of a passion for photographs of Queen Victoria and her progeny; there are now more than 100 around the house, and these form the unifying theme of its decor.

About five years ago Brown opened his house as a B&B and has arranged the rooms to suit this purpose. In the substantial hallway he sacrificed a small loo behind the staircase to make room for a butler’s pantry. 'Running the B&B is very similar to my previous role as a butler, where I would serve in the dining-room and more or less keep out of the way in the butler’s pantry,’ he says. 'At least this one has a view – it overlooks the garden. It’s funny that even now I have my own house, the old routine has re-asserted itself.’

To the left of the hall is a dining-room where an imposing gilt-framed portrait of Kaiser Frederich III, a crystal chandelier, a black marble gothic fireplace and Watts of Westminster wallpaper establish the sumptuous tone that continues throughout the house. To the right is the drawing-room, where a busy floral wallpaper (Ralph Lauren 'Camilla’) sets the scene for a grand piano and upholstered furniture. Lamps with tassel-trimmed shades include a lace lampshade that Brown bought at an attic sale at Syon Park, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland.

In the basement, Brown’s previous flat has given way to two bedrooms, which are less sumptuously decorated than the ground floor, but Brown promises that they will eventually receive the same treatment. In one of these rooms a striking stained-glass window by Walter Pearce depicts a knight and lifts the room out of the ordinary. A functional kitchen adjoins the sitting-room, and beyond that is a large, simple conservatory.

Brown’s own quarters are upstairs, a large space where a sleeping area is kept separate from a small sitting-room, kitchenette, bathroom and desk. An oak screen creates the division; its panels contain photographs by Francis Frith (the Victorian photographer who took pictures of all the counties of Britain) of many and varied scenes. The wall behind the Edwardian bed (made by Brown’s great-uncle) is layered with wallpaper, a Victorian throw bought in Berlin used as a wallhanging and framed pictures of Brown’s great-grandmother and the Grand Duchess of Baden. As everywhere else in the house, there is an air of authenticity, right down to the light switches.

• For more information or to book a stay visit thevictorianbandb.com

via telegraph.co.uk