July 9th 2024.
Keir and Victoria, along with their two children, are preparing to move into 10 Downing Street. The residence has undergone many changes throughout the years, but one of the most significant ones is about to happen as the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, has won the 2024 General Election by a landslide. This marks the first time in 14 years that the party has come into power.
As the transition takes place, there will be a lot of activity at Number 10 as the current residents, Rishi Sunak and his family, make way for the new occupants. 10 Downing Street has been the official residence of the British Prime Minister since 1735, but not all Prime Ministers have chosen to live there. Some have opted to reside in the living quarters at Number 11, which is bigger than Number 10, with four bedrooms. This was the case in 1997 when Tony Blair took office and swapped apartments with his Chancellor, Gordon Brown. Even more recently, David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson have all chosen to live at Number 11 during their time as Prime Minister.
Both homes have undergone significant interior design changes over the years, with the most recent being made by Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty. As per the annual allowance of £30,000, the Prime Minister is given to spend on their living quarters, some have ended up spending much more than that. Let's take a closer look at some of the big refurbishments and their costs.
The Sunak family refurbished Number 10 when they first moved in while Rishi was serving as Chancellor. The exact amount spent has not been disclosed, but it is believed to be a substantial sum and was covered by the family. According to Tatler, the refurbishment included bringing in exquisite fabrics from Challis Interiors in Richmond. The same company had previously worked on the family's house in Yorkshire. Upholsterer John Challis shared that they had made long, interlined curtains for all five windows, hand-pleated and held back with coordinating tassels. The ornate cornicing was also hand-gilded, and a custom rug was commissioned for the room. Akshata was actively involved in the process and even helped out with the work.
Boris Johnson and his partner, Carrie, made headlines for their extensive refurbishment of Number 11 during his time in office. The work, estimated to be over £200,000, caused controversy as it exceeded the annual public grant of £30,000 given to the Prime Minister. The Cabinet Office initially covered the costs, with a large sum being donated by Lord Brownlow. This resulted in a fine for the Conservative Party, as they had failed to declare all of Lord Brownlow's donations accurately. However, Boris has since revealed that he paid for all the costs out of his own pocket. The refurbishment, done by designer Lulu Lytle, famously included £2,260 worth of gold-colored wallpaper. Other changes made to the furnishings included swapping dark wooden furniture for vintage pieces, polishing the floors, and adding decorative touches like candles.
Theresa May and her husband, Philip, spent a total of £25,534 on refurbishments during her time at Number 10. This was less than one year's allowance and interestingly, no money was spent during her second year as Prime Minister. They made minimal changes to the property, adding a few pieces of furniture and decorations. The Sunday Times even featured a photoshoot of their John Lewis pieces, including a chrome table lamp and a glass-topped coffee table from Habitat. Despite reports, it is clear that the Mays did make some changes to the property during their time there.
Keir and Victoria, along with their two children, are getting ready to move into their new home at Downing Street. This iconic residence has seen many changes over the years, including a revolving door of Prime Ministers. But all eyes are now on the historic victory of Keir Starmer's Labour Party in the 2024 General Election, marking their return to power after a long 14-year wait.
As the Starmer family prepares to settle into their new home, the current residents, Rishi Sunak and his family, are making plans to vacate the property. Number 10, which has been the official residence of the British Prime Minister since 1735, has not always been the preferred choice for some PMs. In fact, some have opted to live in the larger living quarters of Number 11, which is normally the home of the Chancellor.
One notable example of this was in 1997 when Tony Blair took office and swapped apartments with his Chancellor, Gordon Brown. Even recent PMs such as David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson have chosen to live at Number 11 instead. Both homes have undergone significant interior design changes over the years, with the most recent being by Rishi and his wife Akshata Murty.
The annual allowance for the Prime Minister's living quarters is £30,000, but some have ended up spending much more than that. Let's take a closer look at some of the big refurbishments that have taken place at Number 10 and 11 over the years.
In 2022, the Sunak family refurbished Number 10 when they first moved in while Rishi was serving as Chancellor. Although the exact cost has not been disclosed, it is believed to be a substantial amount, all covered by the family. According to reports, the refurbishment included luxurious fabrics and exquisite furnishings from Challis Interiors, the same company that worked on the Sunak family's house in Yorkshire.
John Challis, the upholsterer, revealed that they made long, hand-pleated curtains for the windows, gilded the ornate cornicing, and commissioned a custom rug for the room. Akshata was actively involved in the process and even helped out with some tasks. The entrance areas had opulent curtains, the rooms had window seats, and the sofas were in rich jewel tones with stunning cushions.
When Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie moved into Number 11 in 2019, they decided to make some changes to the property. The total cost of their refurbishment was estimated to be at least £112,000, but some sources claim it could be over £200,000. This caused controversy as it exceeded the annual allowance given for living quarters. The work was initially paid for by the Cabinet Office, with a large sum being donated by Lord Brownlow. However, the Conservative Party was later fined for not accurately declaring these donations.
Boris has since revealed that he has personally covered all the costs. The redesign was done by designer Lulu Lytle and included a controversial £2,260 gold-colored wallpaper. Carrie also made some changes to the furnishings, swapping dark wooden furniture for vintage pieces and adding decorative touches like candles. She was not a fan of the previous decor, which she referred to as a "John Lewis furniture nightmare."
During her time as Prime Minister from 2016 to 2019, Theresa May and her husband Philip spent a total of £25,534 on refurbishing Number 11. This was less than the annual allowance and interestingly, they did not spend any money on the property during her second year in office. The couple made minor changes to the flat, such as adding some furniture and decorative items. A photoshoot with The Sunday Times revealed their John Lewis pieces, including a £100 chrome table lamp and a £95 Habitat glass-topped coffee table.
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