Sherlock's Apartment Lookbook

Author Profile
Alexandra works in the marketing department, and in 2014, bought her first house, which turned out to be somewhat of a ‘project’.
Since then, the whole house has needed renovating, which has helped her gain a knowledge of basic DIY, decorating and making the best of a small space.

By Alexandra Giles

How to Recreate Sherlock at Home

Sherlock Holmes has captured our imaginations since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published his first short story starring the detective in 1887. Since then there have been countless adaptations of the classic story including the hugely popular Sherlock series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman which first aired on the BBC in 2010. Season three finished this January so for those of you looking for a Sherlock fix we’ve put together a guide to recreating Sherlock’s iconic apartment in your own home.

Welcome to 221B Baker Street

At first glance, Sherlock’s apartment is a dusty, messy, and somewhat gloomy looking, bachelor pad. Look past the cardboard side table and piles of case notes and the apartment is actually a glorious mix of vintage and modern style, and perfectly captures the feel of a modern day British gentleman’s home. Below are some key pieces from the set which you can buy for your own home.

Ali Miller London Tea Sets

Ali Miller’s lovely tea sets make an appearance in series two and three of Sherlock, the Home Sweet Home Tea Set is featured in series two and depicts a nostalgic map of the British Isles, complete with ships in full sail. In series three, Ali Miller’s designs are the choice of landlady Mrs Hudson too, who opts for the pretty Alice Tea Cup and Saucer.

Harrow Tartan Chair

Sherlock’s seating area is an eclectic mix, with mismatched chairs and cushions creating an unusual yet comfortable space to think. We found this classic Sherlock-esque Harrow Chair from TailorMade Sofas in High Wycombe, which we think would be the perfect thinking chair for some late night problem solving.

Aluminium Globe Bookends

The black globe which sits on the bookcase behind the iconic Le Corbusier chair, is sold by Nest.co.uk but is currently unavailable. However, if you need a global style fix then try these bookends by Lombok, they’re cool, useful and fit the Sherlock theme perfectly.

Finches Wallpaper

The Sherlock set is famed for its bold wallpaper prints and even the hallway of 221 Baker Street is decorated in fabulous style, thanks to Mrs Hudson no doubt. The beautiful Finches patterned wallpaper is from iconic British wallpaper designers Sanderson and the paper in the show is duck egg blue (Finches DOPWFI103).

Framed Insects

The key focus on the mantelpiece in Sherlock’s apartment is the bat and bug collection. In the original Sherlock Holmes stories, Sherlock retires to keep bees so the references to entomology are a nod to Sherlock’s future. Although a mounted bat might be a little too gruesome for some, if you’re looking to add an exotic touch to your apartment then a framed butterfly collection might be just the thing. Insect Frame UK create handmade, ethically sourced mounted butterfly collections which will certainly create a unique finish to a Sherlock inspired home.

Union Jack Cushion

This Union Jack cushion adds the distinct bohemian flavour of the show and is available to buy online from Dunelm. The cushion reminds us that Sherlock is a thoroughly British and now a thoroughly modern creation and the cushion balances the battered look of the armchair perfectly.

We think the Sherlock look ties in perfectly with our Gentleman’s Club colour palette range as the rich colours are modern, masculine and ever so stylish.