The Fife Arms’ new secret room is inspired by an unlikely muse

Russell Sage Studio has designed a new secret room for the storied hotel, inspired by Coco Chanel and her love affair with the Scottish Highlands

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The Fife Arms secret room inspired by Coco Chanel
(Image credit: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)

Rooted in Celtic tradition, The Fife Arms has been a Braemar landmark since its inception in 1856. The village rose to prominence following Queen Victoria’s purchase of Balmoral Castle, a swift ten miles from the hotel. Its interiors, clad in tartan and layered with antiques and art, capture the richness of Scottish craftsmanship. Now, the property – owned by Artfarm, the hospitality company of Hauser & Wirth’s founders – has unveiled a ‘Secret Room’ inspired by an unexpected protagonist.

Discover The Fife Arms’ new room, inspired by Coco Chanel

The Fife Arms secret room inspired by Coco Chanel

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)

Coco Chanel had long been inspired by Scotland’s fabrics – a thread woven through her tweed collections (the maison continues its longstanding relationship with Linton Tweeds, first discovered by Chanel in 1928). She first visited the country in the 1920s during a whirlwind romance with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster. Over a decade of returns, Chanel fell for the rituals of the landscape – fly-fishing, long walks, the texture of the Highlands itself. One could argue the enduring love affair was less with the Duke and more with Scotland.

The Fife Arms secret room inspired by Coco Chanel

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)

The Fife Arms secret room inspired by Coco Chanel

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)

Using this vivid romance as inspiration, Russell Sage Studio brings the new secret guestroom to life. The practice sidesteps Chanel’s familiar black-and-white codes and interlocking ‘CC’ monogram, instead tracing the designer’s more intimate preferences. She was known to dislike doors, often masking them with screens in the hope guests might forget to leave. Here, that instinct is reimagined: the room is concealed behind a trompe-l’œil door, detailed with references to her Paris apartment, and revealed by following the path of a camellia motif.

Upon entering, guests are met with an interior layered in green and burgundy tweed. The room nods to 31 Rue Cambon, Coco Chanel’s Paris apartment, through details such as a wheat sheaf chandelier and an art deco vanity mirror set on the dressing table. The room, now occupying The Fife Arms’ former Family Room on the ground floor, boasts a walk-in wardrobe, bar area, and a freestanding copper bath nestled within an alcove.

The Fife Arms secret room inspired by Coco Chanel

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)

The Fife Arms secret room inspired by Coco Chanel

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)

Chanel also decorated Rosehall House, a Scottish manor near Lairg, during her relationship with the Duke. Russell Sage Studio has drawn directly from this history, using a reproduction of the house’s wallpaper within the secret room, while the headboard and furniture are finished in a Scottish interpretation of Chinoiserie.

The Fife Arms secret room inspired by Coco Chanel

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)

The Fife Arms secret room inspired by Coco Chanel

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Fife Arms)

The Fife Arms is located at Mar Rd, Braemar, Ballater AB35 5YN

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Tianna Williams
Staff Writer

Tianna Williams is Wallpaper’s staff writer. When she isn’t writing extensively across varying content pillars, ranging from design and architecture to travel and art, she also helps put together the daily newsletter. She enjoys speaking to emerging artists, designers and architects, writing about gorgeously designed houses and restaurants, and day-dreaming about her next travel destination.