WHY I LOVE FITZROVIA
WHY I LOVE FITZROVIA
Rudolph Diesel is the head of London interior design company Rudolph Diesel Interiors. In this article, he describes areas of London that have earned a special place in his heart.
Love to look at
Fantastic, fabulous and just a little flamboyant, Fitzrovia is one London neighbourhood that never falls out of fashion. Past residents and frequenters of the local taverns read like a ‘who’s who’ of cultural icons – we’re talking William Blake, George Orwell, John Constable, George Bernard Shaw and Virginia Woolf.
The legacy is a wealth of English Heritage Blue Plaques and I love nothing more than meandering along Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, Eastcastle Street and Percy Street, imagining all those fascinating conversations and breakthroughs going on behind the closed doors. Of course, there are also some luxury interior designs installed in the array of handsome mews, stucco-fronted mansions and period townhouses, some of which I get to see first hand as part of my work.
Today, you’ll find award-winning advertising campaigns are being written in place of literary classics, with Fitzrovia now the modern-day home to marketing and digital agencies. The presence of Recipe, Brothers & Sisters and Network, among others, ensures the vibe remains creative, which I can’t help but love.
Love to shop
High-end fashion and high-end interior design go hand-in-hand and while I might not always be bold enough to wear some of its items, The Lab Store on Newman Street is a source of cutting-edge inspiration. At the other end of the garments scale is Taylors Buttons, who for more than 100 years has been supplying covered buttons to the Royal family and couture ateliers – the vintage examples are definitely for the magpies among us.
If, like me, you’re a sucker for stationery and keeping your desk organised, a visit to Muji on Tottenham Court Road is a must – its simplicity is always in style. Of course, no visit to this corner of the capital is complete without a browse around Heals for a dose of design luxury.
Love to eat
The food scene in Fitzrovia is something to behold, with a profusion of restaurants, bars and cafés that cater for every taste. I have my eye on a table at Where The Pancakes Are – coming soon to Charlotte Street, although Flower Burger a few doors down is a favourite for those meat-free Mondays – the Instagram-friendly rainbow burgers are a riot! If your weakness is tasting menus, they don’t get much better than Six by Nico, where the six courses change every six weeks. And I’d suggest rounding off a meal with drinks at Shochu Lounge below the Roku restaurant – a venue where cherry blossoms and Japanese anime meet ice sculptures and whisky.