Treasure House reveals rooms designed by Solent students

One of just ten Treasure Houses of England - alongside iconic estates such as Blenheim Palace and Chatsworth - Palace House at Beaulieu is inviting the public to take a look inside bedrooms and bathrooms previously unseen by visitors, which have been meticulously redesigned by creative students at Solent.

In 2022, Lord Montagu invited Solent's Interior Design Decoration course to pitch design concepts for the renovation of two bathrooms and bedrooms at Palace House. As part of their course, which combines practice-led teaching with on-campus learning, 25 students had the opportunity to pitch their ideas. What followed was a design journey which has seen designs on paper become reality in the historic Palace House.

With the support of expert teaching staff, students led on surface designs and the use of space, designing bespoke wallpaper, furnishings and embroidery. Students who worked on this project have now graduated from Solent and are thriving in their creative careers.

Lola-Mia Gurr, who recently returned to Palace House to celebrate the result of this project, is now a textile designer in London. On this project and its legacy for her as an early-career creative, Lola says:

"It was really great to work on a live client brief, as that's something I do a lot in my job now, so it was good practice to begin with. It was a great experience getting to pitch to Lord Montagu during the process, and it's so exciting seeing the finished project now. We both had a vision, so we worked together to find that, and it's amazing seeing it now that it's finished.

"When I first saw the rooms, it was so exciting to see the finished designs up on the wall. It's quite amazing that the first designs I've done are inside a palace."

When designing rooms for Palace House, students looked to the gardens surrounding the historic home as well as the history of the Montagu family. On this collaboration, Lord Montagu, who undertook his art foundation at Solent, says:

"The designs of these bedrooms and bathrooms comes from a very fruitful collaboration with students who came up with some wonderful ideas to ensure each room has a distinctly different theme. They took their inspiration from the gardens of Palace House, Montagu family history and the Solent which borders the estate."

This project has not only put the skills of students front and centre, but given graduates a competitive edge, with unique work experience boosting their CVs and portfolios. On Solent's work-ready approach, Course Leader Interior Design Decoration, Lydia Southwell, says:

"This has been a unique experience for the students involved. We are very fortunate that we have worked on numerous live projects in recent years but never one with such a prestigious history. From initial ideas to the final outcomes, the students have created some wonderful bespoke surface designs which help bring the narrative of Palace House to life.

"It has been a memorable journey for all and we're grateful to Lord Montagu that we have been able to showcase the skills of our students in this way."

The new themed rooms, which were once part of the private apartment of Edward, Lord Montagu, can now be seen as part of a visit to Beaulieu. Find out more here.