Hercule Poirot and a hint of Cruella de Vil...

I blame Hercule Poirot for my addictive passion for gawping at Art Deco architecture. I cannot resist the seductive appearance of a coastal white cubist villa and a line up of pilasters, a London tube station decorated in chevrons and distinctive flutes, or a block of apartments with a crisp cantilevered canopy a la style moderne like Hercule's fictitious home in London, Florin Court, a 10-storey curvaceous beau. I stalk several Art Deco writers and Instagrammers, one of which showcased a fabulous former car sales showroom - such a once elegant piece. The story mentioned that it was designed to sell a 'British Daimler Car'. Well, that tickled the old fancy, I had previously thought that Daimler was only produced in Germany. Not the case. This was a 1931 Daimler 6.5-litre version of the Double Six 50 known as the Double-Six 40/50, as pictured above. Upon seeing Pawel Litwinski's photo of the 'Dame', I was instantly captivated. This automobile, which I hesitate to simply call a car, exudes sheer seduction. It's an original, perhaps even the inspiration for Cruella de Vil's monstrous limousine; there’s a somehow weird link there to my having grey locks. 

I am actually not your average auto-fanatic kinda fella; I rarely fall for the TV ads of horses racing a car through the streets of some mundane cityscape, or the pretend cowboy driving across a desert, nor a seat full of all-loving 'amigos' for the day. Nope, the design aesthetic is all I need. In the mood for more auto candy, I recalled finding a photo from one of our hotels showcasing my other automobile muse, the classic Porsche, against a backdrop of clean blush-hued concrete and curved pillars. No tagline needed, no description, no gimmicks - naked, sleek and drop-dead gorgeous. Indeed, it is the hotel which neatly kickstarts your Tuesday Edit, a montage of design-led dens that streamline nature into their concepts and clean lines frame honeyed heritage. 

It seems only natural that my voyeuristic tendencies for distilled purity are reflected within our commune of hotels – there is a thread of beauty so pure that they are neither minimalist nor modern, but architectural classics that borrow from the easy-over Art Deco and a less is more ethos.

Next week, we're embarking on an Instagram hunt across our hotels. If you happen to be staying at one of our properties, snap a photo and post it with our unforgettable hashtag #TheAficionados. Who knows, your photo could be featured as the centrefold next Sunday.

Hugs

Iain & Co.

PS: Fancy going wild? Scroll down to the link of Salt & Turf Escapes.