Some things are sacred on Christmas Day: gathering with loved ones, the royal address, divisive board games… But there’s always room for irreverence, and with The Gilded Mischief — a festive installation at 40 Greek Street, open to members and guests of neighbouring Soho stays Kettner’s and Dean Street Townhouse until 31 December — Giles Deacon and Soho House offer urbane opulence and behind-doors playfulness.
The noted Brit designer has decorated with his signature love of volume, bold pattern and whimsical print. Oversized bows in the ‘Aperigon’ stripe from Deacon’s Sanderson collaboration hang beside 44 original prints, sketches, ink drawings and watercolours; windowsills become terrariums of traditional pine and — less so — fungi, pitcher plants and moss (certainly a new kind of greenery to kiss by), and the beetles that have previously popped up on Deacon’s runway.
It’s a dash of Dickensian eccentricity, underpinned by a serious love of British craft. Deacon’s favoured heritage brands have helped to decorate, with tables dressed in embroidered Peter Reed napkins and plates from 1882 Ltd (even the servers have new jackets embellished with trompe-l’œil brooches).
All the better for enjoying the decadent feast Deacon has cooked up with executive chef Nathanial Tofan — with throwback delicacies of mushroom broth, goose pie and, of course, Christmas pudding doused in brandy custard. Bartenders, meanwhile, shake up custom Johnnie Walker cocktails, such as a special Deacon’s Collins with whisky and ginger kombucha.
We got the lowdown from the designer and opened the dinky calendar doors on his Christmas rituals, love of nature and last-minute presents…
What inspired The Gilded Mischief, and what can Soho House guests and members expect
The Gilded Mischief grew out of my fascination with the moment when elegance tips delightfully into the surreal. Original artworks and fabrications from my archive and collections [have been] let loose in 40 Greek Street’s rooms, with the feel of a Victorian naturalist’s cabinet come undone in the dark — glimmers of scarab beetles, Regency-style [tableaux] with fungi, drifting into the ornamental — [so guests are] enveloped in a warm, witty, candlelit opulence.
The installation harks back to the Victorian era — do you have a traditional Christmas in the Deacon household? What makes your home feel festive?
Christmas in my household is part tradition and part joyful playfulness, with nods to Victorian/Edwardian ceremony — the abundance, the ritual and the theatricality — lots of candlelight, enthusiastic greenery and decorative items that look full of mischief.
With regards to The Gilded Mischief’s insect and fungi motifs, what in the natural world inspires you?
Since a child I have been fascinated by nature, in particular its quietly rebellious side — creatures and growths that thrive in overlooked corners. Insects and fungi are the mischief makers: industrious, strange and structurally exquisite. For this project they became motives of transformation, turning familiar rooms into something uncanny and alive.
The installation celebrates British craft, featuring brands you’ve collaborated with. How do you decide which brands to work with, and which do you want to work with in future?
I choose collaborators whose true heritage and craftsmanship have integrity and a unique perspective — houses with people who understand that making something beautiful is a form of storytelling. Sanderson, 1882 Ltd. and Peter Reed all share that commitment to detail and longevity. I love when a collaboration feels like a conversation across time. As for future dream partnerships — there are a few quietly brewing. British makers have an extraordinary ability to surprise.
The installation includes 44 original artworks — can you talk us through some of your favourites and how they contribute to the space and theme?
Image making is an essential part of my process and practice and to have a selection curated so specifically and beautifully was exciting — characterful illustrations of historical worlds, original print collection artworks and costume designs for the New York City Ballet sit alongside each other with the intention of offering guests something new to discover at every glance.
Soho Houses have a very distinctive style, so how did you approach this project to make sure it had the signature Giles Deacon look?
The dining rooms at the original Soho House at 40 Greek Street are wood-panelled and have a truly delightful Georgian feel to them, and I wanted to work with that, combining Soho House’s warmth and informality with own aesthetic vocabulary of craftsmanship, playfulness and quiet drama — a flirt with the fantastical through a slightly enchanted lens.
What can guests expect from the Victorian-style festive feast you’ve helped to curate as part of the takeover? And what will be on your own Christmas Day menu?
Victorian dinners were wonderfully apologetic — layers of abundance and decorative flourishes. Nathaniel (Tofan, 40 Greek Street’s Executive Chef) has brought that spirit to life; dishes with richness and real ceremony: goose pie, lobster-tail cocktail, venison and Exmoor caviar. At home my Christmas menu will be quieter — excellent-to-roast poultry, heroic vegetables and puddings that threaten structural collapse.
What are you hoping to find under the tree this year? And what are you excited to be gifting to your loved ones?
I am always delighted by anything handmade — something with thought and artistry woven into it. Books for research are a perennial pleasure, [and] I love gifting objects with stories and a touch of mystery: ceramics, drawings, little eccentricities that feel personal.
What’s your favourite Soho House to visit in the festive period?
Greek Street, of course — slightly biased though, considering. Its wood-panelled intimacy and historical detailing lend themselves beautifully to festive storytelling. Internationally, I love the houses in Malibu and West Hollywood in December also — [their] laidback conviviality is most enticing
What’s your favourite Christmas memory?
I grew up in the countryside and in the late 1970s a series of power-cuts took place, lending to a very special, dramatic, theatrical atmosphere — luckily, power was returned in time to cook.
Matching pyjamas or dress in best for Christmas day?
Most definitely dress in best, which can happily be a smart, velvet dressing-gown.
And Soho (ho ho) House is feeling festive all over — here’s where you can celebrate in exclusive style…
Seasonal screenings at White City House
This West London outpost digs out the classics (Home Alone, It’s a Wonderful Life, Die Hard… it is a Christmas movie) and cooks up a feast for heart-warming movie nights until 21 December.
Carols at Soho Farmhouse
On the 24th, at Soho House’s Arcadian Cotswolds outpost, warming drinks will be handed as guests gather in the Farmyard for Christmas carols.
The Gilded Mischief will be bringing cheer (in oh-so-chic style) until 31 December — book your stay at Kettner’s or Dean Street Townhouse now.
Find more hotels with a winking sense of festive fun in our best Christmas and New Year’s hotel offers