The house with painted slate blocks

Soho House is an 18th-century house in Handsworth that served as the home of entrepreneur Matthew Boulton from 1766 until his death in 1809. Boulton developed the nearby Soho Manufactory and expanded the cottage next to it into Soho House, changing it several times. To create a specific aesthetic, the house was faced with sheets of painted slate to give it the appearance of large stone blocks.

In 1789, Boulton commissioned Samuel Wyatt to extend the buildings and revamp the gardens. By 1796, work on the main entrance front was completed following designs by James Wyatt. Wyatt was also responsible for the large dining room, which served as a regular venue for the Lunar Society. The house was a regular meeting-place for this group of thinkers and scientists during the Industrial Revolution.

After Boulton's death, the house passed to his son and later his grandson, who sold it in 1850. It was later used as a residential hostel for police officers before being acquired by Birmingham City Council in 1990. It was opened as a museum in 1995 and is now run by Birmingham Museums Trust. The house retains its 18th-century appearance and houses collections of ormolu, silver, furniture, and paintings.

Today, visitors can see displays of silver and ormolu made in the manufactory, including the Sidereal clock made by Boulton and Fothergill in 1771–72. The gardens, which were once over 100 acres in size but are now less than half an acre, contain a walk with sphinxes dated to around 1795. Part of the garden has been recreated using Boulton's original planting notes.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons