Twelve years after a total restoration of the Dorchester Hotel on London’s Park Lane, Francesca Basu and Lesley Knight have completed a refurbishment programme, encompassing all the guestrooms and suites as well as the Oriental Restaurant and The Krug Room.

Over the past 18 months, Basu and Knight – now partners in Francesca Basu Designs, have re-designed the interiors of 245 guestrooms and suites.

While each room remains “unique”, with individually selected items of furniture, artwork and artefacts the designers have rationalised the number of room schemes. There are now 13 colourways instead of 36 and six room types – three in a classical French style and three more within the English tradition.

The design practice collaborated with an embroiderer to create miniature talismans on the leather desk chairs – an acorn in the English rooms and a bee, the symbol chosen by Napoleon at his coronation, in the French rooms. The motifs have also been replicated on the hand-painted waste paper bins.

Advanced digital interactive business/entertainment systems have been introduced into the guestrooms, camouflaged by cherry wood armoires or mahogany desks, as well as internet, e-mail and laptop connections, a printer with fax, scanner and copier and a DVD/CD player. In addition, 90 of the guestrooms have 42” plasma television screens.

“We have been determined to emphasise and define the Dorchester’s extraordinary interior character – luxurious English country house threaded through with wit and a degree of eclectic decadence,” said Lesley Knight.

The Chef’s Dining Room in the Dorchester’s kitchen, The Krug Room, has also been refurbished. Seating up to 12 guests, the room has glazed panels and mirrors to ensure that every guest has an equal view of work in the kitchens. Details: www.dorchesterhotel.com