In 1925, a Paris exhibition introduced the bold new aesthetic that became Art Deco, where geometry, luxury and modernity merged. A century on, Burgh Island Hotel remains one of the movement’s most evocative survivors, preserving its spirit of innovation and elegance.
Built in 1927 by film producer Archibald Nettlefold, Burgh Island was conceived as a private retreat at the height of the Roaring Twenties, a period synonymous with glamour, jazz and optimism rather than the austerity of the following decade. Nettlefold’s ‘Great White Palace’ quickly became a gathering place for the bright young things of the era, where the island’s isolation offered the perfect stage for week-long parties and seaside escapism.
Situated on a tidal island off the South Devon coast, Burgh Island has long been a sanctuary for those drawn to the spirit of adventure and romance that defined the 1930s. It was built not as a monument to luxury alone, but as an embodiment of a design philosophy that valued craftsmanship, optimism and pleasure in equal measure. The building’s smooth white walls, its sweep of curved windows and mirrored interiors all speak to the glamour of an era that believed in a bright future. To step inside today is to feel that optimism rekindled. The Palm Court cocktail bar remains one of the hotel’s most striking features. Its famous domed glass ceiling is said to contain as many as 2,500 individually cut pieces and is a masterpiece of 1920s craftsmanship that glows like a jewel above the room. Nearby, the Nettlefold Restaurant carries a story of seafaring history, constructed from the captain’s cabin of HMS Ganges – a 19th-century warship whose timbers still lend warmth and character to the space.
Every space carries the signature of the era’s artisans, from the original period furnishings to the chrome fixtures that gleam softly beneath the ballroom lights. Each detail contributes to a decorative-arts narrative that is entirely authentic, a living record of the decade’s taste and technology. In an age when the term ‘Art Deco style’ is often applied to reproductions or reinterpretations, the hotel’s collection of original furnishings and architectural elements stands apart as a testament to the real thing. It is not imitation but inheritance.
Maintaining that authenticity has been both a privilege and a responsibility. In 2019, Burgh Island undertook a comprehensive conservation programme guided by Simon Kirby, one of the world’s leading Art Deco specialists, working alongside interior designer Sam Kopsch and Mark Raby of Jonathan Rhind Architects, who continue to advise on historic design and restoration. Their consultation provided a meticulous roadmap for restoration, ensuring that every decision respected the building’s historic integrity. The Crittall windows, for instance, were not replaced but carefully conserved, their steel frames repaired and resealed to endure another century. The hotel’s distinctive curved coving, a hallmark of its architectural character, was restored with the same precision and material sensitivity as it would have been in 1929. This process was never about reimagining the past but allowing it to endure. Restoration is not nostalgia; it is stewardship. It requires an understanding that beauty lies as much in preservation as in innovation. To conserve the craftsmanship of the 1920s is to celebrate an age that prized longevity and detail, which are values that feel increasingly radical in a world of fast design and disposable fashion.
Art Deco has always been forward-looking. When it first appeared, it represented the confidence of a world emerging from the devastation of war. It was an international language of progress, expressed through material splendour and precise form. Even today, a century on, the style continues to captivate architects, designers and travellers who are drawn to its balance of order and exuberance. There is something profoundly human in its geometry: a belief that beauty and logic can coexist, that craftsmanship can convey hope. It is design as optimism, and optimism expressed through design – a dialogue that still feels relevant to our modern sensibilities.
At Burgh Island, that belief remains at the heart of everything the hotel embodies. Guests often say that the experience feels like stepping back in time, yet it is more accurate to say that the past feels fully alive here. The bar still glows with the same soft light that once illuminated its famous visitors, while the Grand Ballroom retains the theatrical glamour of its black-tie dinners and live jazz evenings. Archie Nettlefold’s lavish house parties once drew luminaries such as Noël Coward, who came for three days and stayed for three weeks, and Agatha Christie, who was so enchanted by the island that she set two of her novels here, And Then There Were None and Evil Under the Sun. Even today, guests can stay in Agatha’s Beach House, the author’s former writing retreat, and order a Christie Cocktail in the Palm Court Bar in her honour.
Preserving this atmosphere is not only an artistic choice but an environmental one. True sustainability often lies in restoration rather than replacement. To care for what already exists is to respect both heritage and ecology. Every window repaired instead of remade, every piece of joinery refinished rather than discarded, is an act of preservation in the fullest sense. At Burgh Island, sustainability and authenticity are inseparable; both require patience, skill and reverence for the materials at hand. In an era where sustainability is often measured by technology, it is worth remembering that care and craftsmanship are equally forms of innovation.
That philosophy reflects a wider truth about the Art Deco movement itself. Its creators were not simply designing buildings or furniture; they were shaping an attitude to modern life. Theirs was a belief built on craftsmanship, a conviction that progress need not come at the expense of artistry. In conserving its Art Deco interiors, Burgh Island preserves a faith in human ingenuity that feels as vital today as it did a hundred years ago.
Nearly a century after its creation, Burgh Island continues to invite visitors into that world. Its domed ceilings, polished floors and panoramic views across the sea form more than a backdrop; they are part of an ongoing conversation between past and present. To sit in the Palm Court, watching the tides turn outside, is to be reminded that time moves in cycles, and that some designs, some ideas, never truly fade.
As part of the centenary celebrations, Burgh Island will mark the year with a programme of events exploring the legacy of Art Deco. Discussions with author and 1920s historian Emma Bastin, Coco Deco’s Cara Wagstaff and members of the Art Deco Society UK will offer insight into the movement’s enduring influence, while the festive season will see the island return to its literary roots with a Christie-inspired Christmas of music, conversation and timeless style.
While the anniversary of Art Deco prompts reflection around the world, our task is not merely to look back with admiration, but forward with intention. The lessons of the movement remain clear: craftsmanship matters, materials have meaning, and beauty can be both timeless and modern. Burgh Island stands as proof that when design is made with care, it endures. It continues to inspire, not as a relic of a lost age, but as a living embodiment of how art, architecture and human imagination can stand gracefully against the tide.
