A Peek Inside Some of the City’s Most Iconic Buildings
If you’re like me, the historic buildings of Durham are not just beautiful facades – they are rich with design and tales, and carry centuries of life and artistry within their walls: a glimpse inside some of the most iconic buildings in Durham is like stepping into a different era and place entirely; each interior a different tale.
Durham Cathedral: A Masterclass in Medieval Grandeur
Let’s start with the biggie: Durham Cathedral. Not only is it a great piece of architecture, it is a masterclass in design that has lasted 1,000 years. The moment the massive carved doors swing open and you find yourself amid that soaring stone is a humbling experience. The vast columns, the fine stained glass, the carving, the stonework; all made for a time when craft and beauty was the default position for any building, when every inch of a structure was there for a reason. The way natural light is used is something that modern architects still cannot get right, but which has been hit here for a millennium.
And you might say, ‘How does this relate to interior design today?’ But it’s really about awe and inspiration: the scale invites a stillness and reverence, something I aim to replicate on a much smaller scale in residential spaces. It is about creating a space where you leave the worries of the outside world at the door. What home couldn’t benefit from that?
Durham Castle: Blending the Ancient and the Modern
Moving into the secular, the second site is Durham Castle – now part of the University and often filled with students. The interiors of this medieval stronghold are unrecognisable from their military origins, yet are also not fully adapted to their new role as hall and classroom. The vaulted ceilings and mediaeval woodwork of the Great Hall co-exist with the modern necessities required to make the space an academic centre today. I find this combination of the old and new utterly intriguing. What happens to a space when it moves through time, its layers peeling away and being absorbed into a new use? What does it mean for any conservation architect or designer worth their salt to think about issues of historical relevancy from the perspective of contemporary utility?
The Assembly Rooms: Elegance and Entertainment
Assembly Rooms: what a space! This jewel of a Georgian social sphere, repurposed for modern events but still glittering with period elegance, with its chandeliers and plasterwork and restored furniture. The interior design here isn’t just about creating impact; it tells a story of balls and banquets. And, here, walking around, I’m reminded that our role as designers isn’t just to dress spaces with beautiful things, but to evoke feelings, to tell stories.
Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre: A Nod to Modernity in Historical Context
Finally, there’s the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre, a more recent building but one that illustrates how contemporary design can work in harmony with a historical environment. Through its use of glass, wood and openings that mirror the space of the surrounding nature, it demonstrates a different kind of respect for history – not one that involves pastiche, but one that frames it, amplifies the important aspects of it, and makes it available to everyone. It’s a lesson in restraint, in respect and, above all, in purposefulness. Here, less really is more.
Function and Aesthetics: A Marriage
What all these spaces tell us is how elegantly function and form can dance together. And as someone who has spent years treading that line in houses around the country, I can assure you that it is no easy step. Whether you’re dealing with the demands of a Grade I listed building or the green credentials of a new build, the rules are the same: honour the past, respect the present, design for the future.
As such, the next time you’re walking around Durham or any other city with a similarly layered past, take a moment to notice not just the exteriors of these historic buildings, but the interiors as well. They are not just spaces, but stories, and there is much to be learned from them about the ways we live, and design, today. And if you ever find yourself unsure about how to handle the mixing of old and new, it might help to look around. In many ways, it is literally built into the walls.
How Local Durham Designers Are Transforming Historic Properties
Now, something close to my own heart: how local interior designers in Durham are breathing new life into some of the city’s old gems. It’s all very well to look up at a distinguished old building and to feel the admiration of the ‘not in my lifetime’ variety, but it’s another thing altogether to get your hands dirty and stay true to the spirit of a place while gently bringing it into the modern world. That’s exactly what these chaps and chapesses are doing, and it’s honestly a big inspiration to me.
The Magic Touch of Local Talent
Durham is a city steeped in history and it is no exaggeration to say that many historic properties could do with a little TLC – perhaps a lot of TLC. Step forward our local interior designers and architects: the invisible heroes in the story of Durham’s architectural conservation, who combine respect for the past with a contemporary attitude. And the results speak for themselves.
The Old Brewery House
The Old Brewery House, for example – which was built in the 1800s as a brewery, but had been left to decay for decades – has been restored by a team of Durham designers, who have created a series of beautiful, light and airy apartments that retain the industrial heritage of the building, but with all the comforts of contemporary living.
The brickwork is left exposed, and the ceilings are high and beamed, with large, factory-style windows that let the light flood in. But it’s not just aesthetics; they’ve also installed eco-friendly heating systems and smart home technology, thus ensuring that these old walls are ready for all generations to come. How old and new can fit together in the most harmonious way possible.
The Boutique Hotel Boom
And then there’s the boom in boutique hotels that are taking over some of the neglected Victorian townhouses of the city centre, with local designers leading the way in turning the old beauties into stylish places for the growing numbers of visitors and locals looking to stay. Each room has its own twist on Durham’s heritage — from bespoke wallpaper that echoes the Cathedral’s dark ages’ interior design, to headboards that strongly resemble historic local ironwork.
The genius of these designs is the way they embrace the quirks of old buildings — an awkward nook becomes a sweet window seat, an uneven floor becomes a feature in its own right through custom carpentry, and an original fireplace is brought back to life as the focal point of a new room. It is all about celebrating the imperfections of the place.
Community Spaces Reimagined
And as well as domestic houses and hotels, community buildings are also being given the makeover treatment. Old libraries and school buildings are being developed as community centres and cafés, combining old history and heritage with the noise of modern Durham life.
Conservation architects and interior designers are working wonders here, retaining old wood panelling and stained-glass windows, while introducing environmentally friendly materials and inclusive design so that everyone can use and enjoy these buildings. The past becomes part of the present, not just locked up behind glass. This is how we talk to our history.
The Role of Sustainability
What connects all these projects – beyond their beautiful design – is a narrative of sustainability. Durham’s designers are demonstrating how older buildings can be repurposed and reused without demolition, saving materials and energy, and preserving the vitality of the city.
And there & then you have it
Restoration of historic places is not a matter of making them ‘like new’ but rather, a way of repurposing them for the present while retaining their historic qualities. Durham interior designers are at the forefront of creative historic preservation, and the city’s historic fabric is a true manifestation of the golden rule of historic places: they and best preserved when used in a way that respects their history.
The next time you stroll through Durham, look up and around. Be sure to take in not only all the history, but also the ingenuity that’s helping to keep it vibrant. We’ve shown that, with a bit of imagination and a whole lot of respect, even the most antiquated spaces can have a second life, and the world can be lit up a little more brightly because of it.
