Labour wants to know if there were further messages from Johnson, particularly related to the great exhibition 2. Searing Chinese yellow walls make a study area dramatic, while hand-painted lapis lazuli rocks bring luxury to the master bedroom's Carrara marble ensuite bathroom. A friend of hers told the Daily Mail: "The makeover is appropriate for a building of such huge importance. Lord Brownlow met Oliver Dowden, who was then culture secretary, to discuss the event six weeks after the text exchange with the prime minister, according to the meeting log. But he said: "The prime minister - unwisely, in my view - allowed the refurbishment of the apartment at No 11 Downing Street to proceed without more rigorous regard for how this would be funded.". Soane's clients include five-star hotels and restaurants, private members' clubs, boardrooms, yachts and private houses all over the world, Mrs Lytle, 49, says her furniture, upholstery, lighting, fabrics and wallpapers all aim to 'contribute to the joyful atmosphere of any interior', Born and raised in Worcestershire, the youngest of four sisters, Lucy Elizabeth Kottler, known as 'Lulu', developed a romantic passion for Egypt and took a degree in Egyptology, She built up her Soane Britain interior design studio by scouring the country for the best artisan blacksmiths, cabinet makers, upholsterers and stone carvers. "It is classic, stunning, stylish and chic. But insiders say the proposal stemmed from the soaring cost of a makeover of the No 11 flat, which is preferred by prime ministers with families because it is bigger than the No 10 flat. 10 Downing Street Flat Refurbishment How much money has been spent on refurbishing the flat in 10 Downing St currently occupied by the Chancellor of the Exchequer? Boris Johnson's total spend this year has not yet been declared. Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds moved into No 11 Downing Street in July 2019, The prime minister lives in a flat above 11 Downing Street, Michelle Obama and Samantha Cameron pictured in the flat at 11 Downing St, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. The main . In came 70-a-roll wallpapers, new artwork and a set of custom-made glass-fronted bookcases for Mrs Blair's office. Work on refurbishing the No 11 flat is believed to have been completed in recent months, having gone on for more than a year. After Margaret Thatcher stopped a proposed refurbishment of the No 11 flat in 1979, saying the public would not be impressed with the expenditure, it remained a product of the 1960s until Tony and Cherie Blair arrived in 1997. We are happy to make this clear. Guardian Headline src url https assets.guim.co.uk static frontend fonts guardian headline noalts not hinted GHGuardianHeadline Light.woff2 http3 true format woff2 url https assets.guim.co.uk static frontend fonts guardian headline latin1 not hinted GHGuardianHeadline Light.woff http3 true format woff. She recently announced she was joining the staff of the Aspinall Foundation, whose financial governance is now being probed by the Charity Commission. It has been reported that Theresa and Philip May spent nothing on refurbishing No 11, but the register of interests shows they did, however the total for three years was less than one year's allowance. Think oiled-oak shelving, rattan furniture, shimmering gold wallpaper and intricate textiles. Search over 31 flats and houses for sale from owners, estate agents and developers in N156SB. Race to be next Prime Minister: Matt Hancock rules himself Plotting to replace Boris gets underway: Rishi 'sets up a An earlier version of this article suggested that the refurbishment works for Number 11 Downing Street cost 200,000. He and his wife, Cherie, installed new artwork, 70-a-roll wallpapers, custom bookcases, new carpets, a mirrored exercise room, a new kitchen, and a new bed reportedly costing 3,500 - or 5,520 in today's money. Mrs Lytle, who is married to Goldman Sachs banker Charles Patrick St John Lytle, also likes using eco-friendly materials - something close to Ms Symonds' heart. The cheapest item on the estimate frominterior designer Lulu Lytle's company Soane Britain was a 500 kitchen table cloth, while 3,000 had been proposed for a 'paint effect' for the flat's hallway and two Aten hurricane lights cost 1,775 each. Read about our approach to external linking. The presidential charity is bankrolled by private donors and the proposed Downing Street version is expected to be funded largely by wealthy Tory benefactors. Her designs combine a riot of bold colours and showstopping old-fashioned glamour. He is said to have told one minister he was particularly alarmed by the cost of wallpaper chosen by Miss Symonds, saying she appeared to have ordered 'gold wall coverings'. Gordon Brown and his wife, Sarah, kept the Blair's kitchen - described by a friend as "fine for Gordon and Sarah and her homely cooking", although "a bit old-fashioned". When David and Samantha Cameron occupied the No 11 flat, they paid the bulk of a 64,000 redesign by Mrs Cameron, including a new kitchen. 'A new charity with privately raised money to preserve it in great shape for all time is great value for the taxpayer and a great idea.'. The Johnsons also considered ordering a drawing room lamp for 6,000 along with a 2,500 lampshade, a leaked estimate suggests. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. The work was initially paid for by the Cabinet Office, but 52,000 was given to the Conservative Party by Lord Brownlow to cover the bills. The hallway, sometimes used for family get-togethers, was hung with framed family pictures. Lord Geidt's report in May had concluded that Mr Johnson did not break the ministerial code over the funding of the renovations. The prime minister receives an annual public grant of 30,000 to spend on. What's he waiting for? The Blairs completely re-decorated after it was left almost untouched since the 1960s by successive chancellors, who always used to have No 11 as their residence. The spokesman declined to answer further questions from the Mail, including whether Mr Johnson had voiced worries about the cost of the refurbishment and whether he discussed asking Tory donors to help pay for it or asked Lord Brownlow to take charge of the proposed charity. As Labour demands an investigation into the prime minister by the Metropolitan police, here is what we know so far. The financing of the 2020 refurbishment of the flat above 11 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, became the subject of a controversy in 2021 when allegations were made in the press as to whether an undisclosed loan was used initially to help finance it. Last February, Prince Charles visited the workshop in Leicestershire and a year later Mrs Lytle revealed they have been working every day during the pandemic and two new apprentices were starting. A photoshoot with the Sunday Times later showed the sofa covered with brown patterned throw cushions and the coffee table in front of a marble fireplace. She is the founder and director of Soane Britain which 'designs and makes British-made furniture, upholstery, lighting, fabrics and wallpaper' based on 'traditional crafts including blacksmiths'. Among them: a red three-seater sofa; a 100 John Lewis chrome table lamp (presumably the target of Symondss comment); a 42 rose-scented Diptyque candle and a 195 Habitat glass-topped coffee table with a 25 Elemis Revitalise Me scent diffuser on top. It concluded the donation was not declared properly and fined the party 17,000. On Wednesday, Britain's political spending watchdog announced an investigation into whether funds used to pay for the refurbishment of 11 Downing Street were properly disclosed. In 2010, David and Samantha Cameron made a series of major refurbishments to the flat, which clearly fell well short of their standards they were used to at their home in Notting Hill. While Cummings certainly had an axe to grind, it prompted Johnsons ethics adviser, Christopher Geidt, to launch an investigation. Work on refurbishing the No 11 flat is believed to have been completed in recent months. Geidt ultimately concluded in January 2022 that he still believed Johnson had not broken the ministerial code, but cast doubt on whether he would still have found in May the previous year that the prime minister took all steps to make the correct donation and seek advice when he first became aware of the payments. Carrie has exquisite taste. And Hillary Clinton, wife of Bill, increased the trust's wealth to more than $35million (25million). She should be congratulated not criticised.'. An icon . Prime Minister Boris Johnson with hisfiance Carrie Symonds in Whitehall in November last year. This, however, does not add to 100,000. Soane's clients include five-star hotels and restaurants, private members' clubs, boardrooms, yachts and private houses all over the world. Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Baby's body found as police continue to question couple, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. Now, it has been claimed Boris Johnson is secretly trying to set up a charity to help pay for a costly makeover of the Cameron's flat by his fiance Carrie Symonds after claiming the cost was 'totally out of control'. harry cole carrie symonds married. Despite his salary of 150,000 a year as Prime Minister, Mr Johnson has taken a big pay cut because he earned 500,000 as a newspaper columnist and author before entering No 10. It's a bit old-fashioned a bit like a Sixties-style kitchen. But a profile of Carrie Symonds in Tatler magazine said the planned overhaul of the flat by Boris Johnson's fiance aimed to clear out the 'John Lewis furniture nightmare' reportedly left by Mrs May. Like several of his recent predecessors, Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds are living at No 11 because the four-bedroom flat there is much larger than the one above No 10. Incoming presidents and their families are allowed to spend $100,000 (72,000) on redecorating the White House. Mr Blair was in office the longest, but also spent the most amount of money every year out of the past four prime ministers. Boris Johnson's flat refurbishment: Downing Street refuses to reveal why PM's old phone was accessed after claiming it could not be Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers' interests, told Boris Johnson of his "grave concern" after a second investigation into the Downing Street flat refurb. Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Beer and wine sales in Canada fall to all-time low. The photoshoot also saw her weara 495 cashmere jumper by Amanda Wakeley. Fresh from his landslide election win in December 2019, Johnson and his then partner, Carrie Symonds, now his wife, pressed ahead with renovating the residence they inherited from Theresa and Philip May. UK prime minister Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds have given their 11 Downing Street flat a makeover, replacing the John Lewis furniture chosen by predecessor Theresa May. In November 2020, the prime minister approached Lord Brownlow by WhatsApp message to approve payments to the interior designer carrying out the work. The Electoral Commission report led to further controversy because it referred to an exchange of WhatsApp messages between the prime minister and Lord Brownlow, which had not been seen by the adviser on standards, Lord Geidt, when he had reported on the case earlier in the year. In the end, the exhibition did not happen, but Labour says Lord Brownlow's November 2020 text exchanges with the PM are still important. 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