Images (from top) 1/4/6/10 Brissi 2/3/5/7/8/9/11 Mike Ahern
I recently received an exciting invite to attend an important house warming party at no.38 Milsom Street in Bath, now otherwise known as the House of Brissi. This, the Italian brand's sixth UK store, has taken over an entire Georgian townhouse in the heart of the city, and the intuitive layout instantly creates a sense of taking a peek into a private home.
Back in early Autumn I was curious to see this building in the throws of renovation works. Due to my long and enduring fascination with Georgian architecture, I cheekily stepped inside the front door (Health & Safety boffins, please don't read) keen to see the interior in it's shell-like phase. I was not disappointed by what I saw - the interiors had been stripped back to their original features with ornate cornicing, wooden floorboards characterised by centuries of footfall, and elegantly high ceilings, not to mention an ornate wooden winding staircase. But would these features remain in-tact once the new residents had moved in...?
Fast forward a couple of months to press night and I suddenly found myself transported into a world of Italian glamour and luxe living, set against a Georgian back-drop. It turns out that the original features, all still beautifully in-tact, lend themselves beautifully to the pastel grey walls and a sophisticated homeware collection. Floor by floor, room by room, I was totally immersed.
In the words of the brand's founders, Arianna Brissi and Siobhan McKeating; "It has long been a dream of ours to trade from a townhouse as this really allows us to help customers visualise how our products will look in their home, so we're thrilled to have found this perfect space in Bath".
Have you visited this store? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
