Soho House

Soho House is a Grade II* listed building located in Handsworth, Birmingham, on Soho Avenue. Originally an unfinished house from the mid-18th century, it was acquired by Matthew Boulton in 1766 and served as his home until 1809. The building underwent significant enlargement over the years, with Samuel Wyatt and later James Wyatt involved in its development. The principal front, now the garden facade, is likely attributed to James Wyatt and is faced with painted slate designed to imitate ashlar work.

The structure is two storeys high with attics and features seven bays, flanked by giant panelled Ionic pilasters on either side of the central bay. The ground floor includes a central semi-circular porch supported by Ionic columns and six windows. The first floor has a central tripartite window set on a sill band, along with six additional first-floor windows and six almost square attic windows, all of which are sash windows with glazing bars. The building is topped with an entablature, a moulded cornice, and a blocking course.

Inside, the entrance hall showcases scagliola columns, and the back wall features double doors flanked by niches. These doors lead into a room that contains three narrow transverse groin vaulted bays, supported by mock scagliola iron columns on either side of recesses that flank a fireplace on the left and thin pilasters on the right. The entrance wall is bowed to align with a shallow bow window at the far end of the room. The plastered groin vaults are likely supported by an iron frame or architrave. There are modern additions to the left and right of the building.