Creating the perfect hobby room

When the owner of a grand house in the US state of Wisconsin briefed designers Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler on her interiors wish list, right at the top was a flower-arranging room – a place where she could indulge her love of summer blooms. So the company created a space with a large butler’s sink and open shelves for her numerous vases, their curvaceous shapes silhouetted against the fresh green paint on the walls. 

“The homeowner entertains all summer long and flowers are a passion for her, not only to decorate the guest bedrooms and bathrooms, sitting rooms and porches, but also to create wonderful tablescapes for dining,” says Emma Burns, joint managing director of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler.

“Her collection of vases, jugs, baskets and cache pots, curated over many years, needed to be corralled into a well-organised space where the best container could be identified at a glance. The jalapeño green of the boarded walls is intensely fresh and the white pinstripe is a playful nod to the flower barrows of old.”

This is not the only hobby room Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler has designed. In its portfolio are a space dedicated to grown-up Lego, an old-fashioned sewing room and an angler’s attic where fishing lines are draped over roof beams to allow them to straighten, which enables casting over longer distances.

Until recently, luxury in the home was defined by the inclusion of a gym, spa or cinema room, allowing the private enjoyment of what was, for most, an experience shared with strangers. Today, however, such spaces have become the norm for discerning homeowners, so designers have turned their attention to specialist rooms that allow clients to indulge their hobbies, whether that means flower arranging, wine tasting or golf.

“We host far more at home these days and homeowners want to make the most of the spaces they have created,” says Charlotte Hodges-Peck, associate director and senior consultant at Savills Interior Services. “These dedicated rooms allow them to celebrate what they love doing for their own enjoyment, but also to share that with those they invite in.”

Interiors company Elicyon recently designed a wine room in the UK that was far more than a temperature-controlled cellar. “On the lower ground floor of the property, it included the homeowner’s store of fine wines, but also a four-seater table where he could invite close friends to enjoy the wines he had collected,” says Charu Gandhi, the studio’s founder. 

For another client, she created a specialist space to house a rare collection of alcohol and cigars. Behind rattan fronts, the shelving is painted cohiba yellow – the shade found on the wrapping of these premium Cuban cigars – which gives a sense of occasion when entertaining.

No hobby is too insignificant to merit a dedicated space – Elicyon recently designed a room for a passionate gift wrapper. “There are sections that show off the rolls of her favourite paper, and umbrella stands for holding others,” says Gandhi. “We also planned in lots of drawers in different heights and depths to hold ribbons and trimmings.”

Games rooms are also becoming more popular. For one family in the Lake District, Elicyon designed an entire floor that included a blackjack table, a two-lane bowling alley and a dancefloor – with an area for the DJ – as well as a kitchen with a sushi counter. “It was created as a place where young and old could gather together,” Gandhi explains. 

Quite different was the snooker room designed by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, inspired by Apsley House, the London home of the Duke of Wellington. With no natural light, it “needed to feel welcoming and club-like, appealing to all ages”, says Burns. “We used striped fabric on the walls to give it the feel of a campaign tent, which is both chic and relaxed.” For another games room, this time for playing cards, the ceiling is decorated with antique paisley shawls in merlot, a favourite shade of the homeowners.

Savills Interior Services, meanwhile, has seen an increase in houses with golf rooms. “Usually in the basement, they have special flooring, with a projection screen and sensors that simulate the experience of a round of golf,” says Hodges-Peck.

Given the specialist nature of hobby rooms, meticulous planning is needed to ensure that they function well. “Technical expertise is important,” says Gandhi. “For the wine-tasting room we designed, we brought in experts to advise on the correct angles at which the red and white wines should be stored, and the temperatures needed for the fridges.”

It is always worth the effort. “If something gives you great pleasure, then create a space for it,” says Gandhi. “Even if it cannot be an entire room, making space for something you are passionate about is all about living life beautifully.”

CHARLOTTE HODGES -PECK
SAVILLS INTERIOR SERVICES
CHPeck@savills.com