Strawberry Hill is a 4 bath, 7 bedroom, 3 reception room cottage that dates to the 1400s, but was renovated in the 1700s and again in 2024 before Simber moved in. It is a historical house, so most of the renovations were done with this in mind and has an overall historical vibe to the decor. The pictures tend to swing more modern in style, because it was hard to find the right balance, but I think the dining room photo above and the kitchen give the best feeling of the overall vibe of the house.
It is located in Richmond Upon Thames, an affluent neighborhood just Southwest of London. It is a quick train ride into the city and out of the city as well.
See below for information on individual rooms.
For more notes specifically on the renovation of Strawberry Hill, see this post and this post!
Residents:
Berlioz Bonfamille-Lyons, Simba Bonfamille-Lyons, Ashlee Bonfamille-Lyons (occasionally), Prince David Bowie, Queen Nina Simone, and Turtle.
Strawberry the ghost: Strawberry is the house ghost. She lived in the house before Simber and was a sorceress. She enjoys playing music and whenever parties are thrown.
**note: pictures in the aesthetic are to give an overall #feel of the house, but don’t necessarily indicate the exact furniture/decorations/floorplan. the floorplan, on the other hand is not quite to scale but i did the best i could.
The Receiving Hall
The receiving hall has a big, open, fresh feeling when you first walk in with eye-catching diamond black and white tile. They kept the vintage globe that was in the room. In the winter, there is sometimes even a fire going in the fire place. The floor does get muddy with the dogs and Simba, lol, but it is usually kept pretty tidy.
The Living Room
The living room has a cozy and colorful vibe, with lots of modern art, but also touches of classic pieces. Including Simba's djembe drums and tapestries on the walls. It is painted a nice pale green that is very bright and cheery. The feature is the large, comfy emerald couch.
The Kitchen
Big windows let in lots of light and look out over the back garden, with a door that goes out onto the small stone patio. The cabinets have a classic feel to them and are painted a nice cream. It probably has a fun, funky wallpaper. The cabinets are more modern marble.
There is a large island in the middle of the room that is an actual island and not a table (like in the picture.) There are stools on one side and this is where Simber sits to eat most of their meals when it is just them.
The Dining Room
Painted maroon with cherry wood furnishings, the dining room is more warm and intimate as opposed to the bright and airy living room, receiving hall, and kitchen. The doors to it are usually closed unless they are entertaining.
Back Garden
The back garden is remarkably large, even for the area. It is also surrounded by trees and shrubbery, giving Simber plenty of privacy. They will probably eventually put up a privacy fence as well, mostly for the dogs.
Other Rooms/Notes on Ground Floor:
The house has a nice flow to it, especially between the living room and kitchen. There are also fire places in every room that work and are used to heat the house in the winter. (Even though they also have had central heating installed.)
Simber's Room and Bathroom:
The best room in the house, of course! Their bedroom is painted a soft purple, with dark purple bedsheets on their large bed. There is a little couch and table in one corner of the room, as well as bookshelves (mostly for Ber's use.) There is also a large dog bed in the corner for the dogs. Some of Berlioz’s favorite maps are also framed and hung on the wall.
The Ballroom:
The ballroom is a room in the house that doesn't get used often, except for entertaining, or when Berlioz feels like playing the piano. But, they leave the door open because it gets great light and the dogs like to go in there to nap in the sun. It is painted a lovely baby pink. Unlike in the picture above, it probably does not have portraits hanging up--though, maybe one that Simba brought from his ancestral home.
Instead, it has some fun modern art, probably of people dancing. (Maybe one even painted by Lou?)
The Office:
This is mostly for storage--of all their records: birth certificates, marriage license, etc. Simba uses it sometimes if he has to work from home, but it doesn't get used by him much.
Other Rooms/Notes on First Floor:
There is a spare bedroom on this floor. It doesn't get used very much, because it is right next to Simber's. (And no one wants to stay there, lbr. Though, they're good and keep their hands to themselves when guests are in the house...usually.) But if they are hosting multiple people, it is the overflow.
Ashlee's Room:
For Art. <3
Rooms and Notes on Second Floor:
The second floor, besides Ashlee's room, is all guest rooms. They are always made up and ready for someone to come stay. They each are themed by a place simber loves/has a connection to. One room is Vegas Wedding Chapel themed and features their wedding dashikis framed on the wall. Another is Paris themed. And the final one is Kenyan themed. <3
There is also a brand new bathroom, in a definite cottage core style with one of those old school sinks. It also has a claw foot tub and a standing shower.
Berlioz's Studio:
Berlioz’s study is a warm and cozy space with organized clutter. The walls are painted charcoal grey, so it’s quite dark in there, but it also has a plush, cozy couch you can fall into. There’s a separate recording booth, and then a desk with his computer on it and a mixing board. He’s got several guitars and a keyboard in there as a well. Various records are hung up kinda like art.
The Game Room:
The game room is right at the bottom of the stairs. There is a large TV for playing games, as well as several gaming consoles. (Rich boys life.) There are vintage arcade games and a fully stocked snack bar.
Other Rooms/Notes on the Cellar:
The bathroom for the ground floor is down here. Additionally, it is where the washer/dryer is. Also, it is mostly storage.
And I know
I'm somewhat scared of living
While others go
Blinded to the feeling
And I fell so fast
And I was gone in my head
Like a fool
But even so, ooh
And it's true
Now I'm riding high on a fever
It's you
Like a wave, it hits, I go deeper
You're the dancer in the dark
You're the beat in my heart
You're the evening sky
You're my mourning dove
And I drive around at night
Try to catch my breath
You're the tear in my eye
The pain in my chest
Ooh, it's all washing over me
Ooh, it's all washing
It's all washing over me
And the sun sets
And it's all quiet
And I know it's too late not to turn around
So come meet me at the corner
All the things we don't say
Go and say now
I'm lost in my head again
Time travelling, running, running away with darkness, my only friend
Don't wanna do this all again
You pull me back down to earth
Close off your hands around, hands around me
Grace landing onto your bed, there you are
In my head there's a beat, it's the beat that you make
When you're moving your body
You prove that I can't escape, I can't escape
Got my heart in your hands and your hands on my chest
And my chest is a breath, it's the breath that you take away
And you said, "Shut off the lights, we don't need them to dance"
Hey, oh-oh
Onyango Simba Bonfamille-Lyons Aesthetic: Dark and Light Simba and Berlioz Bonfamille-Lyons
@ber-bonfamille-lyons
Your love is bright as ever
Even in the shadows
Baby, kiss me
Before they turn the lights out
Your heart is glowing
And I'm crashing into you
Baby, kiss me
Before they turn the lights out
Before they turn the lights out
Baby, love me lights out
In the darkest night hour
I'll search through the crowd
Your face is all that I see
I've given you everything
Baby, love me lights out
Baby, love me lights out
Xo you can turn my lights out
We don't have forever
Ooh, baby the daylights wasting
You better kiss me
Before our time has run out
Mmmhh yeah...
Nobody sees what we see
They're just hopelessly gazing, oh
Oh, baby, take me, me
Before they turn the lights out
Before our time has run out
Baby, love me lights out
A doll-sized Lego house that can be opened (!!), constructed in the likeness of Simba’s cabin. The above picture is truly just a likeness ok, MK knows what it looks like.
A letter:
Simba,
I still remember the first night I spent in this house. Or well, I remember as much as I can of it. It was an accident, of course. You remember that. You were the one who found me looking at pictures in your room, which in retrospect, was very rude of me, and it was a miracle you let me stay. And then there were pancakes in the morning.
It was, for me, a perfect 24 hours. I didn’t ever want to leave. Not just because I was in love with you (because I was) but because the whole house felt like a corner of the universe that was mine… the opposite of the house I grew up in. This one was very warm and had all these knick-knacks and paintings and things stuffed into it. If felt like a family belonged in this house. Like the more I looked around, the more you I’d see. And I wanted to be part of all of it.
So, yeah, I decided to build this house out of Legos, which is a pretty cheesy idea but I hope you like it. I tried to get as many of the details right as I could, because it’s always the details I think of. Maybe we can keep adding onto it together. I really hope so. That’s what I think getting married is about, right?
So– thanks for letting me stay all these years. Thank you for letting me make this my home too. I love you.
"I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.” ― Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles
From 1876, to the Wizarding World, to ancient Greece, to the stars--Simba and Berlioz have found each other, again and again. That’s the thing that I love about them. That in every iteration, there is never any one else for them. Obviously, we design it this way, but the chemistry is always there. It never feels like the story is forced.
In Harry Potter, despite coming from opposing houses and backgrounds, they bonded over a mutual love for things that were different, they existed as a safe space for each other. In Star Wars, there is a rebelliousness and unrest that they both identify with that they find in each other. In Greece, Berlioz was something gentle in Simba’s harsh world (though, this one only kind of counts because they had their actual memories--but still, Berlioz crossed through the Underworld to get back to Simba’s side.)
Whatever world, whatever the circumstances--Simba and Berlioz love each other and find solace in one another. No place is that more true than in the real world, though, where, without each other--they would both be sad, alone, and self-destructive. Instead, they support each other and flourish beneath their mutual love and respect and admiration and adoration of each other.
Happy two-year anniversary, Simber. <3 Here’s to many more!!
One day you'll come into my world and say it all
You say we'll be together even when you're lost
One day you'll say these words
I've thought but never said
You say we're better off together in our bed
I want you here with me
Like how I pictured it
So I don't have to keep imagining
Come on, jump out at me
Come on, bring everything
Is it too much to ask for something great?
The script was written and I could not change a thing
I want to rip it all to shreds and start again
One day I'll come into your world and get it right
I'll say we're better off together here tonight
