Over the Christmas break I was lucky enough to head back to London, my home town, for my first wintery Christmas in 14 years. It was a first for the mini-BedNests and very special to be with all of our extended family over the holidays. To my huge relief the magic of a northern hemisphere Christmas was not lost on them - quite the opposite! Hardly any mention of being cold and lots of awe struck little faces and happy smiles at Christmas lights, carol concerts, ice-skating, candles and general Christmasyness.

As well as hanging out with family and friends, we took some time to visit some old favourite spots and try out some new ones in London. Lunch 2 days before Christmas with Mr BedNest (sans kids) at the fabulous new Ham Yard Hotel in Soho was a total stand-out on the happiness (and interiors-perving) scale.

The Hotel opened last year and is in a perfect spot in London - tucked in behind Regent St and Picadilly Circus. It is part of the Firmdale group and the interiors are designed by one of my all-time design heroes - Kit Kemp.  Famous for her brilliant juxtapositions of print, texture and form she alway uses amazing fabrics, which take their cues from an immense range of inspiration – in Ham Yard there are fabrics featuring botanical designs, snails, African abstracts, tea leaves, movie posters and squiggly ric-rac braid. It's all just stunning and comes together in a luxurious and sophisticated burst of colour that certainly lifted our souls on a very cold and grey December day.

There are 2 beautiful communal spaces downstairs as well as a restaurant - one a snuggly library and the other a gorgeous light conservatory (perfect for afternoon tea) -


ham-yard-1

But it's the bedrooms that make my fabric-obsessive's heart sing. Upholstery everywhere - bedheads, chairs, ottomans - with combinations of pattern and texture and finish that dazzle and delight without becoming a bit "Alice in Wonderland". On a very BedNest level, the scale of the bedheads is divine! -


Save this one for that folder of travel dreams my friends. It's a beauty - even just for a cup of tea!