Opulent & eccentric interiors at The Crazy Bear Beaconsfield

The interiors at The Crazy Bear Beaconsfield are so totally nuts, you need to see the photos I took below to really get an idea of how eccentric it is. If I had to describe the interior style, it’d be a cross between the Moulin Rouge, Fifty Shades’ red room and Escape to the Chateau. The trip was a treat for my husband’s 40th and although The Crazy Bear group is as far from our own personal tastes in interior as you can get – we were after that 24hrs of escapism that this hotel group offer. I’ve been to the Stadhampton Crazy Bear several times previously as I grew up in South Oxfordshire – but the Beaconsfield trip was a first for us.

From the exterior, this 16th century former-coaching house is totally unassuming in its status as Beaconsfield’s oldest recorded building. Modest signage, dark windows and huge oak doors disguise the extravagance inside. We actually drove straight past it – and we know Beaconsfield really well! As soon as you walk through those doors, you step into another world…

Gold leaf covered staircases, leather-clad walls, mirrored-ceilings, velvet chaise longues and diamond-dipped chandeliers. Not to mention the ethically-sourced taxidermy which adds so much flamboyancy that even Lord Walter Rothschild would feel at home here.

After being handed a glass of champagne on arrival, you immediately relax as you take in the hotel decor. You just want to look at everything as you are led through to your room. We were in a junior suite which are slightly larger than a regular room and with a chaise and coffee table – although there are no tea or coffee making facilities available in any of the rooms. Not so bad during cocktail hour – but a headache (literally) when you need the caffeine first thing in the morning!

Through the sumptuously clad velvet door of junior suite 8, you’ll find crushed velvet lined walls in gold and black. Black crocodile-effect leather flooring throughout (seriously it took me ages to find my black socks!). A roll-top copper bath fills from the mirrored ceiling… and no it doesn’t splash everywhere! All this with a ginormous baroque-style silver bed as the room’s centrepiece. The opulence doesn’t stop there, through a heavy velvet curtain is the en suite bathroom.

The crocodile-effect leather flooring continues through to this atmospherically-lit space. The croc-theme continues to the mirrored tiles which are clad on all four floors. A miniature version of the copper bathtub for a sink. Everything about this bathroom is totally and utterly impractical. There’s no task lighting to do your makeup or shave, no where to put your shampoo (apart from the floor) and very little space around the sink for your bits and pieces. There is a shelf that pulls out from the mirror which holds the complementary toiletries – but drop your eyeliner on the floor and you’ll be crawling around with your iPhone torch trying to find it! But interiors at The Crazy Bear Beaconsfield are very much form over function and that’s exactly what you want from the most unique of boutique hotels. (Check my post on How to bring the boutique hotel style to your home)

It was a beautiful day when we visited and so we took our bottle of champers out by the pool and spent a lovely couple of hours chilling in the sun – bliss! We weren’t really sure what type of guests would be attracted to this place, but there was a real mix. There was a young family enjoying the pool, a couple of friends celebrating a birthday and several couples of a mixture of ages. Our first night away from the kids for over a year so we hit the cocktail menu afterwards too. The cocktails are on the pricier side, but they’re proper cocktails and absolutely delicious! Somehow I managed to scrub-up in the dark afterwards and we hit the English restaurant for dinner. The food was delicious as was the Rioja and my husband was even treated to a birthday trio of deserts!

This place is not for the faint-hearted – the interiors at The Crazy Bear Beaconsfield has serious balls. There are a lot of styles that have been thrown together and personally I’d prefer more of the eclectic influences rather than the gaudy bling. Although that style does draw in the insta-famous and so The Crazy Bear certainly does know its market. The award-winning dining and delicious cocktails will ensure that locals keep returning for the odd celebration and date-night. I’ve heard that the Thai restaurant is amazing and so we’ll be back to sample the menu soon!

One last must-see element of the original interiors at The Crazy Bear Beaconsfield are the loos. Located at the foot of the gold leaf staircase and impossible to find after a couple of cocktails, are the mirrored loos. There’s no signage for the loos and you have to guess which one is male/female (female on the right). Once you step inside, every inch is covered in bevelled, coloured and textured mirror. The very low lighting gives a fabulous atmosphere which is then punctuated as you realise the sinks straddle the men’s loos and there’s a chap washing his hands… bizarre but fun!

If you’re looking to recreate a touch of Crazy Bear in your own home – I’ve popped a few ideas below… There are no rules, so go bold!

Natalia xo