For almost as long as The Apartments have existed, David Thomas has been designing them for The Bicester Collection. His career began in retail, where he spent many years before Desirée Bollier, Chair of The Bicester Collection, brought him in while the concept was still new. Her aim was to draw more high-net-worth clients to the villages and depend less on tourism. His first large Apartment opened at Ingolstadt Village in 2019.
His rooms are elegant without trying too hard, and they impress without intimidating anyone. In every village that has one, The Apartment is where shopping becomes personal.
Over an espresso with IRMA, he explained how he puts a room together.
1. START WITH THE PLACE
“Before I choose a single object, I research the building’s architecture, the surrounding area and its art. Then I turn that research into an idea that works for an international clientele. I source as much as I can locally, especially art, and I work with local artists and artisans whenever possible. In Barcelona, every floor came from a 25-year-old who saved tiles from demolished buildings and stacked them on a farm in the middle of nowhere.”
2. GIVE THE ROOM A STORY
“I always build a room around a story. Ingolstadt Village was conceived around the idea of an industrial factory, so I imagined the apartment as two halves. The executive offices got a hand-painted 1930s wallpaper from de Gournay and an Art Deco inspired fireplace. The workers’ side stayed industrial.”
3. USE FLATTERING COLOURS AND GOOD LIGHT
“I choose soft colours and avoid anything harsh. Lighting does a great deal of the work, so I usually bring in very good lighting designers. I love natural light, but I plan for it carefully, because it is hard to control.”
4. BUILD IN LAYERS
“I layer textures and materials, because many guests will see a room only once and I want them to remember it. I stop before it becomes jarring or vulgar. People who come back often discover a shelf they missed the first time.”
5. IGNORE TRENDS
“I don’t follow trends, because they pass and you have to redo everything when they do. I look for pieces that will last and suit the decor. A room should feel like a home, and I like the idea of things staying.”
6. BUY VINTAGE, AND BUY IT WHEN YOU FIND IT
“Instead of contemporary art, I hang illustrations from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. I find most of them in Paris, where every couture house had its own illustrators and prices are still reasonable. When I came across a treasure trove of sketches a few weeks ago, I bought all of them and took them to my small warehouse space in Paris. About half of what I buy comes from dealers I already know. With furniture, I am always careful.”
7. LET ONE TEXTILE SET THE PALETTE
“I usually start with fabric. In Madrid I recently came across some vintage Suzani textiles that I wasn’t looking for at all. Their colours and patterns will now guide the rugs, the paint and the fabrics for a new project in Italy.”
8. MIX THE INDUSTRIAL WITH THE PRECIOUS
“I like to put something very industrial next to something very precious. In Ingolstadt I combined a cork wallcovering with gold inside, a raffia wallcovering by the Belgian company Arte, and a shelf in burnished gold opposite the de Gournay wallpaper.”
9. REFRESH RATHER THAN REDO
“When I came back to Ingolstadt after about four years, I only replaced the rugs and cushions, touched up the paintwork and adjusted a couple of details. Interiors that are well done and well looked after last. Fresh textiles make a room feel new, even if visitors can’t say what has changed.”
THE APARTMENTS OF THE BICESTER COLLECTION
Ingolstadt Village. Near Munich. Opened in 2019, his first large Apartment, set in a former textile factory.
Wertheim Village. Near Frankfurt.
La Roca Village. Near Barcelona. Built from the ground up, with floors laid in reclaimed tiles.
Fidenza Village. Near Milan. Two rooms: the Grand Salon and the Tower Salon.
Kildare Village. Near Dublin. Opened in 2022.
Maasmechelen Village. Belgium, about an hour from Brussels. Opened in 2022.
La Vallée Village. Near Paris. Opened in 2022.
“A room should feel like a home, and I like the idea of things staying.”
David Thomas