Built by Robert Taylor between 1762 and 1767, Danson House is a Grade I listed Palladian villa. Left empty in the 1970s, it was suffering from structural failure, leaking roofs, timber decay and infestation, and was on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register.
English Heritage commissioned the practice to carry out a £4m refurbishment, comprising structural repair, stonework conservation, the removal of decay and infestation, the installation of a permanent roof covering in Westmorland slate and the reinstatement of the principal interiors.
The most opulent room is the octagonal saloon. When the practice started work, the plaster was bare and the fixtures were missing. Now it is covered in bold blue paper embellished with Chinoiserie motifs - the nearest match to the original pattern. The paper is matched with a beautifully refined plaster ceiling comprising eight radial panels around a central rosette.