The Longmace Design Details That Tell A Story
From carved oak and heraldic details to centuries-old beams and stained glass, Longmace House is filled with quiet references to the building’s long history in the heart of Arundel.
Originally a jeweller’s dating back to 1770, Longmace House has been carefully restored in a way that respects the character already embedded within its walls. Rather than stripping the building back to something polished and contemporary, many of the interiors were designed to celebrate its age, craftsmanship and slightly theatrical sense of English history.
Throughout the house, subtle details nod towards Arundel’s medieval past, the surrounding Sussex countryside and the building’s own heritage.
Our characterful oak dining room is inspired by old English halls, where carved chairs, exposed beams and heraldic details create an atmospheric setting for long lunches and slow evenings.
The Dining Room
Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in the dining room, where carved oak chairs with almost chapel-like silhouettes sit beneath exposed beams weathered by centuries of use.
The table itself was chosen less for perfection and more for presence – solid, decorative and deeply rooted in traditional craftsmanship. Together, the room feels somewhere between a historic townhouse and an old country hall; atmospheric without ever becoming overly formal.
Gathering here for long dinners after days spent exploring Arundel feels very much part of the experience of staying at Longmace.
Heraldic Details & Coats Of Arms
Across the house, heraldic motifs appear quietly throughout the interiors — embroidered into cushions, mounted on walls and layered subtly into decorative pieces.
Rather than feeling themed or decorative for decoration’s sake, these details help reinforce the sense that Longmace belongs to Arundel itself: a town shaped by castles, family crests, antique shops and centuries of layered English history.
The effect is intentionally understated — less boutique hotel, more historic private residence.
Settle down in our warm and inviting sitting room layered with Chesterfield sofas, original beams and softly lit interiors designed for slow evenings and relaxed entertaining.
The Beams
The original timber beams remain one of the house’s most striking features.
Uneven, aged and rich in texture, they run throughout the property carrying the kind of character that simply cannot be recreated artificially. In certain lights they appear almost blackened with age, bringing warmth and depth to the otherwise calm interiors.
Rather than competing with these original features, the design of the house intentionally allows them space to speak for themselves.
The Chesterfields
In the sitting room, deep green Chesterfield sofas bring a slightly club-like feel to the interiors — rich, comfortable and quietly traditional without feeling overly formal.
Positioned beneath the original beams and alongside antique-style lighting and portraiture, the room takes on the atmosphere of an old English townhouse: somewhere designed for slow evenings, conversation and escaping the pace of everyday life.
It’s easy to imagine returning here after a day at Goodwood or walking the South Downs — lighting the fire, opening a bottle of wine and settling in as the town quietens outside.
The house is adorned with several beautiful stained glass windows complete with lead piping.
The Stained Glass
One of Longmace House’s most unexpected details is the collection of stained-glass windows found within the interiors themselves.
Subtle rather than ornate, they cast changing colours and softened light throughout the house during the day, adding warmth and a slightly romantic atmosphere to the spaces around them.
There’s something quietly evocative about them – a detail that feels entirely in keeping with Arundel’s layered history of craftsmanship, churches and historic buildings. Alongside the heraldic motifs and aged oak throughout the property, they help give Longmace its distinct sense of character and place.
A House With A Sense Of Place
What makes Longmace House feel special is not any single piece of furniture or design decision, but the way the interiors connect so naturally to the history of Arundel itself.
There’s a quiet richness to the house… Somewhere designed not simply to impress for a weekend, but to feel layered, comfortable and deeply rooted in its surroundings.
After all, the most memorable places are rarely the most perfect. They’re the ones that feel as though they’ve lived a little.