5 style secrets to recreate from MiMi Mei Fair restaurant in London

Mayfair's best-kept secret is a secret no more. MiMi Mei Fair is dominating London's interiors and culinary industries  – and all for good reason. The Chinese restaurant is the latest project from Fabled Studio who brought the ornate elegance of Asia to the streets of London Town. 

If, like us, MiMi Mei Fair is at the peak of your decoration lust, then fear not. We can't teach you how to recreate its dishes, but designer Tom Strother can explain exactly how to mirror its beauty in your home. 

Sharing his modern decorating ideas below, the Fabled designer shares all you need to know. 

1. Dare to color drench  

We used darker colors in the smaller rooms to create an enveloping, saturated space that is a feast for the eyes. For example, in the Parlour, we used Farrow and Ball’s Parma Gray as a base to the hand-painted mural. We complemented this with bold punches of coral to give a tropical feel. 

I often introduce flashes of contrasting colors and patterned fabric – like the woven jacquard here – to bring the space to life. To recreate this, use one color on your walls skirting, doors, cornice, and ceiling. Then layer the space with variations of the shade and fabrics – so it doesn’t feel flat. 

2. Give timeless tassels a modern twist 

To furnish the burgundy vaulted dining room, we created bespoke velvet fringed drum stools and bespoke banquette seating. We kept the velvet upholstery on the banquette neatly tailored to create a refined contemporary look with a timeless feel.

In the Moon Bar, we similarly used handmade green fringed drum stools to create a modern contrast against the glossy black palette of the room. You could achieve a similar effect in your home with block-colored tassel cushions toned with an armchair or sofa in your living room.

3. Create a statement mantelpiece with a floral display 

When it comes to flowers, I’ve learned to always call upon the expertise of a florist. We worked with McQueens on the flowers at the restaurant to help us realize our vision. 

For the mantelpiece arrangement in the wedgewood blue Parlour Room, they used seasonal beech, olive, and eucalyptus. It has magnolia branches and flowers, white Hydrangea, white Campanula, and white Eustoma. However, in your home, it is important to create something with an appropriate scale for the room and choose flowers you love. 

4. Add an ornate touch to your wall covering  

We used different wall treatments in every room at MiMi Mei Fair, which was part of creating a unique identity for each room within the restaurant. In the Peacock Room and the Drawing Room, we commissioned bespoke Chinese hand-painted silk wallpapers, which have a rich depth to them. 

The wallpaper is then trimmed with beautiful gold gimp braids to delineate the designs. You could achieve something similar to this by choosing chinoiserie wallpapers and trimming the edges with gold gimp braids at the joints. 

5. Wallpaper your bathroom cabinetry 

In the men’s bathroom, we used a bespoke designed black chinoiserie wallpaper, handmade black lacquer cabinets, and Verde St Denis marble vanities. Then, in the women’s, we used a lighter green based on traditional Chinese jade pieces, with a green chinoiserie wallpaper and a pink Murano mirror above the marble vanity. 

For small bathroom ideas [like these] it is best to make a memorable statement. You could achieve this by choosing a patterned wallpaper and reflecting the colours of the paper in your skirting and cabinets. 

You could also paint the ceilings to match your woodwork to create an enveloping space. 

MiMi Mei Fair will set interior design trends in London's most prestigious postcode and beyond. You heard it here first.

MiMi Mei Fair, 55 Curzon Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8PG.