On Sundays during the winter season for a hit of Art Deco and an escape from the bustle of the city, we highly recommend a visit to Eltham Palace in Greenwich, London.

By its name, classical exterior, medieval great hall and grounds, Eltham Palace seems like a particularly unlikely location for modern architecture. In actual fact, however, it contains one of the most extensive and opulent examples of Art Deco design in the city. The lease of the ruinous palace was acquired by Stephen Courthauld (of the English textile family and younger brother of the founder of the Courthauld Institute of Art) in 1933, and he and his wife went about rebuilding the palace on its original location, incorporating the medieval great hall. The inside was designed in the Art Deco style. Rolf Engströmer designed the entrance hall which has light flooding in from a glazed dome and blackbean veneer walls and with figurative marquetry.

English Heritage are now in charge of the property which remains in the possession of the Crown Estate. Over the winter until 17 February 2013, the house and gardens are open to visit on Sundays only between 10am and 4pm. For more information, visit:English Heritage Eltham Palace and Gardens.