Master PIECE: Mary Montagu in a beautifuly refurbished room.

INTERIOR designer Mary Montagu has been working literally at the double since her memorable marriage on the shores of the Beaulieu River last June.

In addition to working out designs for the Royal home of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, she is just completing a stunning refit of her family's luxurious Master Builder's House Hotel at Buckler's Hard.

Almost next door to the tiny chapel where she was married, the 250-year-old hotel catered for her husband Rupert Scott's family while they were in Hampshire for the wedding.

But since then, Lord Montagu's daughter has chosen new colour schemes, new furniture, new curtains and new fittings through-out the hotel - and has leaned heavily towards the nautical themes which were a feature of her wedding.

The lounges, corridors, staircases and some of the rooms have been fitted with carpets especially made to her own design of ropes and compasses by the Wilton Carpet Company.

A large scale model of a sailing yacht graces one of the walls of the residents' lounge while drapes and cushions in some of the rooms, including the luxurious Collingwood which has material adorned with studies of ancient galleons.

Names of famous ships built at Buckler's Hard have been given to many of the rooms, while others are named after the great captains who commanded them. One of those captains is Admiral Lord Nelson, who named the Buckler's Hard-built Agamemnon as his favourite.

Pictures on the walls, all chosen by her brother the Hon Ralph Montagu, also highlight the great old ships built at Buckler's Hard and the long traditions of sailing in the Solent

A new reception area and new conference room, which has a variety of pictures bringing back memories of the Solent's Schneider Trophy races have also been completed.

The hotel is being run by a new company headed by Jeremy Willcock and Dire Straits bass guitarist John Illsley, who own the George at Yarmouth, with Mary and Beaulieu's former Montagu Ventures managing director Ken Robinson also on the board.

Lord Montagu of Beaulieu has also been consulted throughout the refurbishment, although daughter was quick to point out: "My father is more interested in the food and the wine."

And the food produced by chef Denis Rhoden is, she says, "absolutely fantastic".

Starters include such delicacies as a timbale of salmon and crab with a cucumber and mint salad, while millefeule of lemon sole with sweet peppers and lamb with spinach, sweet potato fondant and rosemary sauce are among the main courses.

Rooms range from £130 for a standard double to £185 for the superior.

A further addition is the idyllic Duke's Bath House, on the shores of the Beaulieu River, which was built in the 18th century for John, Duke of Montagu, as a bathing house.

"He used to come here to bathe in the mud, which he thought was a cureall," she explained, adding that the idyllic cottage will be used as a suite with service direct from the hotel in addition to some self-catering facilities.

The first to admit that the project has been a labour of love, she said: "The Buckler's Hard area is one of my favourite parts of the Beaulieu Estate and I have very good memories of coming to lunch here during my child-hood years and of lots of messing about in boats.

"I love my work and it has been an absolute pleasure to work at home. The Master Builder's House is quite a nice country hotel and at the same time, we have maintained the strong nautical them in the restaurant and in some of the rooms."

And although it was hard to imagine, amid all the luxury, she also pointed out that there was a limited budget.

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