11 Downing Street

• brief history
• hallway
• sitting room and study
• state dining room
• state drawing room
• staircase
• budget box
• Sir John Soane

The room most regularly used for formal occasions is the State Room, which runs the entire width of Number 11, illuminated by a wall of high windows which look out over the shared gardens of the Downing Street houses and beyond into St James’s Park.

The State Room has been recently refurnished following an earlier restoration in the 1960s, restoring the hardwood floor, removing wall lights and replacing faded wall coverings to create a bright, airy and adaptable space. The room can now be used as readily for conference-style meetings as it can for official receptions and parties.

Each end of the room featured a grand 18th century marble fireplace flanked by two ornate mirrors. The westernmost wall also features two of Number 11’s finest treasures – two antique black and gold lacquered Chinese cabinets.

The walls are covered with a warm and creamy cotton damask, as are the curtains on the long wall overlooking the gardens.

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11 Downing Street Index