The transformation saw ‘very tired’ décor purged from the flat (Picture: Simon Walker)
Velvet sofas, opulent curtains and cushions described as individual ‘works of art’ – these are just some of the new additions to No 10 Downing Street.
Millionaire Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, spared no expense when they were handed the keys to their new home.
They ordered a massive makeover of the flat and added flourishes that wouldn’t be out of place in a mansion, or even museum.
Mr and Mrs Sunak are the richest ever occupants of Number 10.
It is from the home’s vast offices that the Prime Minister decides how best to tackle the biggest problems facing the nation, such as the cost of living crisis.
Mr Sunak and his family had moved into the flat when Mr Sunak was Chancellor, with Boris Johnson and wife Carrie next door in No 11.
John Challis, the upholsterer hired to complete the refit of the home, said ‘very tired’ décor had been removed.
He told society magazine Tatler: ‘We made long, fully interlined curtains for all five windows overlooking the garden, hand-pleated and held back with heavy coordinating tassels in red, gold and the ivory of the damask.
The Sunak family were pictured making pancakes at home in their official Christmas card 2022 (Picture: No 10 Downing Street / BEEM)
Akshata Murty has been integral to the redesign of No 10 (Picture: Steve Back)
‘The ornate cornicing was hand-gilded, as it would have been originally, and a rug was commissioned to almost fill the room. Akshata was very involved and keen to see how things are made.
‘She is also not afraid of getting stuck in and helping, either.’
Window seats were added to the rooms and cushions became ‘a work of art’ amidst the transformation – he added.
The furniture previously in place is understood to have been installed for the family of former chancellor George Osborne.
Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty have overseen the costs of the refurbishment (Picture: EPA)
This was not the case for Boris Johnson (Picture: Andrew Parsons / No10 Downing St)
Mr Sunak paid for the redesign of the Downing Street home.
Doing so was in vast contrast to Boris Johnson, who befell an investigation due to his refurbishment of his Downing Street home while in office.
The refit, carried out by designer Lulu Lytle, was paid for by Lord Brownlow, a wealthy Tory donar.
A leaked copy of an estimate of renovations had even been leaked amidst the scandal.
Items on the list – in excess of £200,000 – include the infamous ‘hand-crafted’ gold wallpaper, said to have cost a total of £2,250.
Mr Challis’s comments on the refurb of No 10 Downing Street come ahead of a full profile of Mr Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, out in the February edition of Tatler.
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