March 2023
‘The Garden Room’ was born out of Boodles relationship with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and takes its inspiration from Boodles ‘Secret Garden’ display at the show in 2021, which was inspired by the Francis Hodgson Burnett timeless novel of the same name, and a collection of exquisite jewellery dedicated to the cinematic adaptation.
“We are delighted with the look of our new entertaining room as well as the story behind it - certainly a first for Boodles and a novel way to be able to entertain some of our best clients.”
One of the key features in the space is an extensive oak screen, which acts as a sub-division between dining room and bar room. Made from an oak tree planted over 300 years ago, which had been felled as part of a major UK infrastructure project. This means that the wood for this project was totally sustainably sourced. It was initially given new meaning by Tom Hoblyn and sculpted by Jan Hendzel for Boodles Secret Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2021 and now enters its ‘third life’ at Boodles Sloane Street, only a few miles from where it was first planted.
The rawness and beauty of the natural oak is juxtaposed with bespoke hand-painted floral wallpaper and sourced furniture, which supports UK artisan craft workshops. The designed bar includes a glass-topped jewellery showcase, in case guests are ever tempted to browse whilst enjoying the new entertaining space.
This new space builds on Boodles reputation for craftmanship, design, passion for jewellery, and creating lasting memories and legacies, all sustainably considered.
To celebrate the launch, Boodles invited Zara Martin, a friend of the company to host a press day. Guests including Amy Jackson, Laura Whitmore and Ella Eyre came and enjoyed non-alcoholic cocktails and canapes inspired by the décor of the room. Magical pieces of Boodles jewellery were displayed amongst flowers positioned in and around moss bouquets, all inspired by the colours of the room. Among the pieces on display were the Peony suite, a showstopping 7 carat Ashoka ring, and various pieces from the Around The World collection.
Tom Hoblyn
Tom is a British landscape designer, horticulturist and gardener who set up his practice shortly after graduating from The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. His work is underpinned by his innate understanding and knowledge as a plantsman and horticultural master, and an appreciation and awareness of place in the landscape.
An established figure at both RHS Chelsea and RHS Hampton Court, he has won three gold, five silver gilt and two silver medals, as well as the coveted People’s Choice Award for his Arthritis UK sponsored garden and a nomination for The People’s Choice of The Decade Award in 2020. In 2021
he designed The Boodles Secret Garden, inspired by the well-loved children’s story by Frances Hodgson- Burnett: a contemporary interpretation of the journey into an enchanted, life changing sanctuary of a secret garden. He is a member of the Society of Garden Designers, (MSGD), writing and regularly giving presentations and talks to the public and experts within the industry. He has maintained his links at Kew and works closely with local groups and students.
His current projects include the relandscaping of a large Cotswold estate, rewilding a stretch of riverbank in Suffolk and designing a partially submerged garden in Norfolk on The Broads. He works closely with a number of charities to achieve thoughtful, healing gardens.
In 1962, Boodles Chairman Anthony Wainwright, made a remarkable journey. Thanks to his album of photographs, it is known that he circumnavigated the globe. And he did so in just 16 days. Anthony Wainwright was the father of our current Chairman, Nicholas Wainwright and his brother Michael, our Managing Director. Fellow Directors James Amos and Jody Wainwright are his grandsons. They all have tales to tell of his story, woven as it is into the DNA of Boodles.
What was really remarkable about the journey is that in just 16 days he visited a total of 10 cities at various points around the globe in order to buy gemstones, at a time when air travel was limited, infrequent and expensive. Even nowadays it would be quite a challenge. Anthony’s journey formed the backdrop to the thinking behind this breath-taking high jewellery collection, which was released in 2021.
