History
Established by Peter Hare the co-founder and former MD of Hare & Humphreys Ltd
Peter has spent much his life creating, training and guiding the revered team to the pinnacle of the decoration, conservation and art industry in the UK. The opportunity for a new and fully independent approach with a broader platform for direct client assistance is provided by his consultancy practice.
His extraordinary portfolio aligns him with the industry’s most influential professionals of the modern era. Proud of his East London birthplace, his fascinating journey is in demand and currently in draft collection for publishing. For the purpose of foundation, the following examples represent some of the key milestones of his career. Whilst many of the following projects were completed during his tenure with Hare & Humphreys, they have been specifically selected as having the indelible print of Peter’s direction and team management.
Following education, Peter took on a late-entry apprenticeship with the London-based church decoration company, Campbell Smith & Co. It was an immensely talented team and external technical qualifications were required for his progress. Despite breaking both arms in a fall during mid-term, he went on to gain distinctions and merits from the examining board. In his third year of training the company directors asked Peter to consider leading 2 overseas projects. Still in training and the youngest member of the overseas team, he led palace projects in Saudi Arabia and Spain to successful conclusions.
At 23 he formed a freelance company to focus on his own individual skills and disciplines. Within months he began developing his own team. His commitment to quality and client care were soon recognised and he entered his first “rock star” phase working for Freddie Mercury at his Kensington home. “Freddie had a fabulous eye for colour and detail. Although Logan Place was architecturally formal, Freddie’s taste was full of colour in an exotic and contemporary style”. “On completion he entertained us with champagne and sparklers”
Logan Place: The yellow lacquered ceiling and walls within the dining room were prepared as a backdrop for some exotic art.
Logan Place: The panelled doors and architraves finely “picked out” out in pinks, purples greens and gold.
Peter’s profile was growing in a very small specialist sector and external invitations arrived as several major building companies attempted to secure his talents for the development of specialist divisions within their organisations. A 2-week experimental trip with the directors of one such team took him to Washington DC. It proved enough to keep his focus on his own business.
An important period to return to would be the mid 1980’s. By then Peter had a team of 8 and was occasionally joining forces with Paul Humphreys, a relationship that would blossom shortly after.
Led by the highly disciplined interior design team Mlinaric Henry & Zervudachi, Peter and Paul were commissioned for the reinstatement of the Spencer family’s ancestral home, Spencer House in St James’s. On completion it was acclaimed by critics as “the finest post-war restoration in the UK” (Colin Amery, architectural historian for the Telegraph, journalist and author). During royal visits to inspect progress, Peter regularly toured the house and presented the team to the patron the RT Hon Lord Rothschild and the late Diana- Princess of Wales. Spencer House became a landmark in their careers and in 1987 Peter and Paul co-founded the iconic “Hare & Humphreys Ltd”. An interesting legacy note is that Spencer House was cost budgeted by Peter during a 1-off afternoon inspection with Hugh Henry and David Mlinaric. Whilst there were design team changes along the way, for the most part the budget was intact on completion 2- years later.
A phased 10-year gilding project had been progressing through the 80’s at the Palace of Westminster. It ended with the completion of Charles Barry’s masterpieces, the Victoria Tower at the opposite end to Big Ben. The House of Commons information office records, “The restoration work relied on the skills and expertise of many individuals and was characterised throughout by a dedication to a great goal - that of preserving our heritage for future generations. As a result of the high standard of conservation and restoration work, the Palace of Westminster has received numerous awards and commendations”.
Following the devastating fire at Windsor castle in 1992 the team were commissioned to restore several of the most important rooms including St Georges Hall, The Crimson & Green Drawing rooms and the State Dining room . Although vast in scale and taking several years, the budget was again maintained. In the later 90’s the team returned to Windsor to complete several private areas and were rewarded by the granting of HM the Queens Royal Warrant.
Other projects of major significance followed including almost the complete interior of St Pauls Cathedral, the auditorium of the Covent Garden Royal Opera House, the British Museum’s Great Court project, the National Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts and the British Galleries at the V&A. Their private clients included many household names including Eric Clapton, Elton John, Sir Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall. Royal connections also continued with Clarence House and the Royal Lodge.
The renovation of Lord Beaverbrook’s near dilapidated stately home in Surrey Cherkley Court was acknowledged as an outstanding project. The challenging reinstatement of Cherkley’s rich historical rooms included the infamous Cinema where Rudyard Kipling and HG Wells were entertained and Winston Churchill discussed political strategies.
The Asprey store New Bond St London (before)
The Asprey store New Bond St London (after)
Surprisingly it was a shop that Peter believes was one of his most challenging projects. The “Asprey” store in New Bond street was of course no ordinary shop.
“Our first call came from David Mlinaric. The client had become furious at the exiting teams quality and commitment and called for David. The builders and decorators were told to leave site and we were asked to consider stepping in to assist”. David insisted that our team should be employed. But with such a dysfunctional site and an opening date that couldn't be delayed, the project had immense logistical and technical issues.
Conservation was a priority as it is a listed building, but the finishes needed to be impeccable. Peter
scrutinised the plans and design specifications before agreeing to commit and lead the team through the project. It took several teams working day and night for a few months to make the headway.
“High quality finishes can’t be rushed. They require many layers and even more hours of drying time. Under immense pressure and to the astonishment of many, the completion date was achieved.
The star studied “topping out” was more akin to a first night on Broadway than a store opening. “To say the client was delighted might be my greatest ever under statement”. Architect Lord (Norman) Foster, design team MHZ and the finishes team were selected for the most glowing review
Worth specific mention is Hanover Lodge in Regents Park. Substantially remodelled by the classical architects of Quinlan Francis Terry, the building and fit-out works were completed to an exceptional standard by the outstanding team of Walter Lilley. The spacious property was bespoke throughout with new marble floors, bathrooms and fire surrounds, inlaid polished mahogany doors, spectacular chandeliers and landscaped gardens The internal decorations were brought to a “white box” stage in preparation for further treatments.
Peter was given a free hand by the client to submit a decorative proposal for the entire property. Based on a theme of progression “from entrance to opulence”, the design incorporated influences from the grand properties of Europe, merging historical reference with his contemporary vision. “I remember the Hanover presentation vividly. We had travelled by taxi with multiple design boards and fabric samples which we kept in the wings. Once I started the video presentation I felt the change in the boardroom. It was one of those “big wave” moments that lifted and never really came down. On completion you could hear a pin drop. The clients were completely absorbed and our 1-hour presentation became a 4-hour meeting. Within a few days we were engaged”.
Peter directed two enhanced phases of London’s then most prestigious private house, supporting the owners whilst working closely with the magnificent trade and decorative arts teams.
A mid-morning call from Lord Sterling of Plaistow in early December 2011 led to one of the finest moments of his career to date. Within 24 hours Peter visited the huge Brentford warehouse where he was introduced to boat builders and marine architects creating “Gloriana” The Queens royal row barge.
Joining the team, Peter played a lead part in the planning and overseeing of the gilding and artwork of the globally recognised royal barge.
“One of the key aspects of Gloriana’s aesthetic appeal is almost the exact opposite to how we see a grand house. Its regal splendour and colourful noise is made on the outside, whist the cabin interior creates a calm and sedate atmosphere”.
Worth specific mention is Peters “birds of the Thames” concept created for the cabins panelled ceiling. A study was made of the birds that habitat the river banks from its source to the estuary.
The pastel “pen and ink style ” paintings are the central features to each panel, supported by a series of fine grisaille trompe l’oeil mouldings.
Adding to the royal barge’s ethos and legacy, the ceiling artwork promotes the theme to “connect and inspire” by linking Gloriana to its many Thameside boroughs.
Peter was selected to greet HM Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the key side before escorting them aboard QRB Gloriana and to the gifting and naming ceremony
His career has also taken him and his teams around the world, to royal palaces, museums, cathedrals, temples and mosques and beautiful private homes. Projects of note being Saudi Arabia, Oman, Dubai, Indonesia, Mexico, USA, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Belgium…..
During the acquisition and merger of Hare and Humphreys, Peter decided it was time to step aside and develop a fresh approach. During a period of restrictive activity he set about the restoration of his own listed building, delivered lectures and assisted charitable projects, before turning his attention to assist several trade practices and artisans develop their own potential.
Following a number of requests for professional and craft assistance, Peter Hare – Independent Consultants (PHIC’s) was formed to provide a multi-functional service from client consultancy to professional team assistance and contractor partnering. PHIC’s fosters a unique approach to create the “whole team” integrity by providing the platform where multi-disciplined professionals, labourers, craft teams and individual artisans are encouraged to “share in the vision” and create together for the better of the project. .