Fresh out of university I ended up living
in a derelict building with no heating or hot
water, but it became our second hotel
“”
What’s your biggest business regret?
It can be easy to over-design things. We haven’t
always managed a balance between keeping
things natural and homely, and that affects
ambience. But we learn from our mistakes.
And extravagance? Art! Over the years,
we’ve made friends with lots of artists and
always have a sizeable budget for artwork.
We l o v e A n d y Do i g ’s n e o n p i e c e s a n d a l w a y s
try to squeeze one in somewhere.
Name three stores you couldn’t
live without... Anthropologie, Original
House, which is full of interesting and
amazing antique finds, and Ines Cole.Describe your interiors style. Eclectic,
r u s t ic , b o h e mi a n a n d f u n. Wit h lot s of a r t.
The last thing you bought on your
debit card? A Deliveroo, last night. I had
a Leon Hot Box. I’d been working late and it
just had to be done!
What life advice would you give your
20-year-old self? Be more of a n act ive
listener. When you’re younger, you think you
k n ow mor e t h a n you d o.
Your top business tip... Don’t be scared
of making mistakes.life.style.etc
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artistresidence.co.ukC ha rlot te Sa l i sbu r y, co -fou nder of A r t i s t R e sidence , on brav i ng
Grade 1-listed buildings and how appearing on fly-on-the-wall TV paid offc
harlotte Salisbury was at
university when her boyfriend
(now husband) was unexpectedly handed
the reins of a run-down hotel in Brighton.
With little budget, he encouraged local
artists to decorate rooms for board, and
Artist Residence was born. Without a shred
of hospitality experience between them,
their chaotic efforts ended up on the TV
series The Hotel Inspector. But 10 years on,
the couple own four acclaimed boutique
hotels, which cleverly mix vintage design
and contemporary art. Charlotte lives in
west London with Justin and their son Blake,
three, plus dog Bob and cat Oscar.S u m u p y o u r b u s i n e s s i n f i v e w o r d s ...
Arty, friendly, eclectic and homely.
What was your light-bulb moment?
When we did The Hotel Inspector. Alex
[Polizzi, the host and hotelier] was so good
at giving us advice that for the first time we
t h ou g ht , ‘ May b e we c a n a c t u a l l y d o t h i s ’.
What’s the greatest sacrifice you’ve
made for your business? Moving to
Cornwall with Justin in 2010. I was fresh
out of Leeds university and left my friends
and social life. I ended up living in a derelict
building with no heating or hot water, but it
eventually became our second hotel.
And the biggest risk you’ve taken?
That would be our Grade I-listed building in
B r i s t o l. T h e r e h a v e b e e n ma n y h o o p s t o j u mp
t h r o u g h , b u t w e s h o u l d b e o p e n t h i s a u t u mn.
What’s your proudest achievement?
Having the Artist Residence in London
featured in Livingetc when it opened!
Who do you turn to for professional
advice? My dad and Justin’s mum. My
dad is a car designer and very good with
architecture, and Justin’s mum used to be in
p r o p e r t y d e v e l o p me n t. S o t h e y b o t h h a v e a n
eye for design and we trust them implicitly.livingetc.com 31