HOTELS & COMMERCIAL
Belmond Cadogan Hotel
Chelsea
The Cadogan was redesigned by the GA Group, bringing back to life this 54-room townhouse hotel in Chelsea. Ben Whistler’s furniture supported the designers’ vision for a discreet hideaway that draws strongly on the history and stories associated with the area.
The concept was for the interiors to appear to have evolved over time
For example, the bedside tables are of two different designs. As well as these tables, Ben Whistler made several other pieces for the rooms and suites, including beds, headboards and marble-topped coffee tables.
The suites’ bay windows are now used as snug dining areas
With banquette seating that perfectly fits these difficult spaces.
Other notable furniture by Ben Whistler includes an organic-looking low table whose base is made from bronze that was cast from tree branches.
THE CRAFT: SAND-CASTING
Sand-casting is a centuries-old technique and is one of the simplest ways to replicate the shape of something in metal: it works very well for one-off or small batches of objects, because there is no need to make a permanent mould.
These tree-branch table bases started life as real branches: an aluminium version or ‘pattern’ was made first (the real branch would have deteriorated too much with repeated casting), and that version was then used to create the subsequent bases in brass.
Sand-casting involves coating the pattern in a white powder, to stop it sticking, before it’s laid in a bed of ‘green’ sand, which has clay added to bind it and keep it firm. The pattern is removed, leaving its imprint in the sand, and molten metal is poured in. Once cooled and removed from the sand mould, the tree-branch sections were welded together before being cleaned and sanded to give the desired finish.
