WHY I LOVE ST GEORGE’S HILL
WHY I LOVE ST GEORGE’S HILL
Rudolph Diesel is the head of London interior design company Rudolph Diesel Interiors. In this article, he leaves the London environs and revisits a leafy part of Surrey that’s earned a special place in his heart.
Love to look at
St George’s Hill in Surrey is one of the world’s most prestigious addresses, nestling next to leafy Weybridge and within an easy commute of the capital. In fact, St George’s Hill was built by W.G. Tarrant in 1910 as a ‘gentleman’s refuge’, to provide London’s wealthiest businessmen with the original ‘escape to the country’. If you can pass the scrupulous security - loved by residents who have included Elton John and Kate Winslet – you can marvel at a myriad of mansions dotted throughout the lush 964 acres, no doubt each with a luxury interior design.
Love to shop
Any good interior designer in Surrey would have Nasim Hakiemie on speed dial. A specialist in antique oriental carpets and rugs, Nasim’s Weybridge gallery is a must visit. Surrey interior designers also beat a path to The Home Library – be dazzled by the lighting displays and roam the room sets for design ideas. Another favourite is No. 44 in nearby Cobham, which stocks a vast range of French painted and Lloyd Loom furniture. If I’m in the mood to celebrate a new Surrey interior, I’ll stop by The Vineking Independent Wine Merchants - even better if I’m taking the train and coincide my visit with an event at its Tasting Rooms.
Love to eat
If you are lucky enough to enjoy membership to St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club or St George’s Hill Golf Club, you’ll have exclusive use of their highly-rated dining facilities. For those languishing on the club waiting lists or whose ‘plus-one’ invites are lost in the post, there is the über smart town of Weybridge close by. Whether a client wants to meet for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, I always book a table at Mimis for fresh Mediterranean flavours and light tapas. If it’s fully booked, the delightful Italian Osso Buco is the perfect plan B.