Rishi Sunak paid for 'opulent' curtains and velvet sofas in apartment No 10 renovation

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Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty have paid for a refurbishment of the apartment above No. 10 full of "opulent" new decor, their personal designer has revealed.

The Prime Minister and his wife chose to remodel George Osborne's "very tired" furniture, according to John Challis, an upholsterer in Mr Sunak's Richmond constituency.

The designer told Tatler he installed "opulent curtains" in the entry areas and velvet sofas in "jewel colours" - describing the cushions as "a work of art ".

He said the curtains in the room overlooking the garden were "handmade - pleated and held back by heavy tassels coordinating in red, gold and ivory damask".

Mr. Challis added: "The ornate cornice was hand gilded and a rug was commissioned to almost fill the room."

The wealthy couple's decision to pay for their own decorating follows the infamous refurbishment of the flat above No 11 by Boris Johnson - a complex project which a Tory donor and the Tories initially paid for before the then Prime Minister settled the costs.

Mr. Johnson had hired interior designer Lulu Lytle to carry out work - including gold wallpaper at £840 a roll - costing at least £100,000 more than the £30,000 Prime Ministers grant for their home .

Mr. Sunak decided that his family would live in the flat above No 10, leaving Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to decide what to do with the Johnsons' furniture in the flat above No 11.

Mr. Challis said the Sunaks would live in "much less pomp" than the Johnsons, and said Ms Murty was "not afraid to get stuck in and help" with the revamp.

Profile Ms Murty in the February issue of Tatler, details of which appeared in The Times, also reveals new details of the decision to give up her non-tax status. dom.

The issue made headlines earlier this year when The Independent revealed that Mr Sunak's wife, daughter of a computer illionare, had had non-dom tax status.

An adviser told the magazine that "she and Rishi made the decision" that she would "own" the row, which made her made to agree to pay UK tax...