Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s modest two-bedroomed Nottingham Cottage love nest
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The first royal house shared by Harry and Meghan after the couple announced their engagement in 2016 was Nottingham Cottage, a residence described by the Duchess as “so small”.
Despite being located within the grounds of Kensington Palace in central London, the modest two-bedroom house has a surprisingly rustic country feel.
Now the Duke, 38, and Duchess, 41, of Sussex have shown more of the house, which was the first marital home of the Prince and Princess of Wales, in their Netflix docuseries.
The last three episodes of the series, which has documented the couple’s life together, showed a glimpse inside their first UK residence, which was Harry’s home for several years before he met his wife, and which they shared. before moving to the more luxurious Frogmore. Country house after their nuptials.
Nottingham Cottage (pictured) in the grounds of Kensington Palace, is a modest two-bedroom cottage. Prince Harry and Meghan lived there together after their engagement. It was also the first marital home of Prince William and Kate.
Pictures from the show show the surprisingly modest nature of Nottingham Cottage, including its cozy rooms and low ceilings.
In the Netflix docuseries, Meghan notes that the living space was far from expansive, saying: “Kensington Palace sounds very majestic, of course it does, it says ‘palace’ in the name. But Nottingham Cottage was so small.
Describing the house, Meghan said: “People thought we lived in a palace and we did. Well, a country house in a palace.
Harry said: ‘Everything is on a slight incline, [with] very low ceilings. So I don’t know who was there before, but they must have been very short.
The cottage’s decor is casual, with footage from the show showing unexpectedly realistic touches, like the couple’s £38 Breville toaster in the kitchen. Meanwhile, a peek into the living room shows Harry relaxing on the sofa with one of the couple’s beloved pooches.
According to interior expert Benji Lewis, the room “would have to look like comfortable, cozy yet accessible decor,” noting that it “couldn’t be further from what we saw in her California spot.”
Here, the interior designer analyzes in detail each design element of the rooms.
Interior expert Benji Lewis described the living room in Nottingham Cottage as “comfortable, cozy yet accessible” (Pictured: Prince Harry in the cottage with one of the couple’s dogs)
magnolia walls
One of the subtle design choices in the cottage living room is soft cream on the walls, which give the space a neutral look.
Benji told FEMAIL: “There’s nothing flashy or fancy here, the wall color could even be something as simple as magnolia.”
Nice sofa setup
Looking at the layout of the room, he observed that the the sofa arrangement is good, noting that “the corner configuration allows for pleasant interaction between those seated, while the large coffee table means no one needs to reach down to put down their cup of tea.”
Regarding the decoration, said pattern it’s been kept to a minimum, with just a couple of scattered blue-and-white striped cushions on the neutral sofas adding a pop of color.
He added: “The styling of the sofa is traditional and not overly bulky, apart from a few scattered cushions, the fixed-back nature of the sofas means that while they provide comfort, they aren’t overloaded with multiple cushions to stuff.
Family photos and mid-century mirror.
Another design feature of the room is the wall decoration. One of the walls of the room appears to be covered in black and white photos.
Benji also pointed out another decorating option. He said: “I like the way they’ve included a mid-century mirror on what looks like an art gallery wall of what possibly looks like black and white family photos.”
basic lamp
As for the lighting in the room, he noted that lamplight is “always good in a reception room” but suggested that “this particular light, while giving a nice feel to the space, could hardly fail to be a statement”.
He said: ‘However, they’ve found they’d like a lamp in that corner, the power point is well positioned for the task.’
In regards to the lamp cord, he noted, “Perhaps the dangling cord that runs behind the sofa suggests that not all things were considered when planning the room, however.”
Recycled side table?
A piece of furniture in the room could hint that the couple went with a sustainable option: the side table, which Benji suggested could have been repurposed.
He said: “The side table is small for the corner it’s in, good for the scale of the lamp, but I wonder if it’s actually a recycled piece, brought into the room as something to get by with.”
Cozy sheepskin rug
Above the sofa, a sheepskin rug can be clearly seen. According to Benji, this could be a nod to the couple’s love for their dogs.
He told FEMAIL: “We know they love dogs, so it’s no wonder there’s a doggie table on the sofa – I think that’s the point of the sheepskin rug, a cozy spot for the puppies.” puppies snuggle up.”
“We can’t see what the finish of the floor is, wooden planks I would imagine – the rug provides a nice warm color and has clearly been sized to give a cozy feeling underfoot when you get up from the sofas.”
Union Jack Placemat
One of the more extravagant touches in the room can be seen on top of the coffee table: a Union Jack placemat.
According to Benji: “The patriotic touch with the Union Jack flags is not surprising, and the lit candle on the coffee table suggests an evening of hunkering down in front of the television.”
Meanwhile, the cottage’s kitchen, which features a simple color scheme of white, charcoal and royal blue, was described as “unpretentious.”
Meanwhile, interior expert Benji described the couple’s kitchen as “unpretentious,” suggesting it may have been inherited from a previous owner.
She noted that the room’s color scheme is simple, “kept as-is in off-white, charcoal, and royal blue.”
Benji added: “There’s no suggestion of a table and chairs in the kitchen, I wonder if this is more of a pantry, a place to feed the dogs rather than cook the Sunday roast.”
Traditional Shaker Style Doors
He noted the traditional elements of the room, particularly the Shaker-style door fronts.
‘[They] they are absolutely the traditional way of doing things, and finishes with chrome or nickel knobs are very safe choices that have been made,” he said.
Another classic feature is the flooring, about which he said: “Black and white checkered floors are good and I like the way the checkerboard pattern runs diagonally.”
striking black panels
However, the room is not entirely devoid of statement, according to Benji, who highlighted the striking black paneling in the room, which makes the area stand out.
He said: “The area of the black painted panels is a nice strong statement.”
Breville toaster and kettle
Among the utensils on the work surfaces are the couple’s surprisingly inconspicuous white teapot and toaster.
The items, which coordinate, appear to be from Breville, with similar models available costing around £71 for the set.
‘Simple and functional’ design
Benji described the room as “simple and functional and not much more than that.”
He explained: “This is a kitchen you could absolutely imagine walking into and finding what you want with ease when it comes to a cup of tea and toast, more than that, although it’s impossible to say.”
According to the interior expert: “Clearly, while they don’t mind having kitchen accessories on the sides, everything looks in its rightful place.”
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