In two decades, Soho House has grown from a single London Members' club into an empire that spans the globe. Alice B-B traces the history of a brand that puts comfort at the heart of its design
When members' club Soho House opened its Farmhouse in Oxfordshire last summer, it was the biggest thing to happen to the English country-house hotel since, well, since it opened Babington House in Somerset 18 years ago.
Though nearly two decades apart, both hotels revolutionised the concept of a country escape. In 1998, Nick Jones, the founder of Soho House - a creatives-only club on Greek Street - wanted to add to his portfolio a country outpost for his members. So Babington House was born, overseen by designer Ilse Crawford, who filled the Georgian manor with Italian furniture, Cole & Son woodland wall-paper and roll-top baths in the bedrooms. It was an instant sensation.
Now, once again, the group has hit the sweet spot. Farmhouse, plopped into 100 acres of prime Cotswold countryside, combines the traditional American country club with the new trend for 'cabin porn': corrugated cabins, reclaimed-board cladding, outdoor copper bathtubs, Crittall windows in Cotswold stone barns, and a swimming pool sunk into a lake.
Since the first club opened in 1995, the Soho House global empire has grown to 15 Houses (nine with bedrooms), 36 restaurants (including Cecconi's, Dirty Burger and Pen Yen), and the non-member hotel Dean Street Townhouse. Design is at the heart of each space's success. Over the years, various designers have been called upon to add their touch to projects. As well as at Babington, Ilse Crawford combined industrial chic with her emotionally driven, flea-market-find aesthetic to create Soho House New York, while Martin Brudnizki referenced vintage Havana at Soho Beach House in Miami. For Shoreditch House in east London, Tom Dixon designed lighting and a range of chairs made by George Smith, and in LA, architect Waldo Fernandez created the appropriately sweeping entrance staircase for Soho House West Hollywood.
