It really couldn’t be a better Christmas present with which to end the blog year! British heritage and humour are back on the ‘old school’ timetable. And this year, there is even more to enjoy, thanks to some brilliant home-grown talent and a host of exciting new ‘col-abs’. From Scottish baronial style to the influence of old school tailoring, the blog discovers there are some crackers that aren’t just for Christmas.
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As you arrive at the 600-year-old estate in Kent, herds of meandering deer create a majestic overture for visitors to Knole. Cleverly theatrical in its presentation, Knole offers not only the history of its unique sofa design but also sumptuous ‘showrooms’ of Jacobean interiors. Originally a Bishop’s palace and then a popular hunting ground for King Henry VIII, this Dutch gabled country house has been owned for the past 400 years by the influential Sackville-West family.
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Reading isn’t just the Berkshire town that has missed out (4 times) on being awarded city status. Renowned for its annual music festival and IT industry, Reading was where Oscar Wilde was famously incarcerated but is perhaps less well known for its new film studios and connection to King Henry I? It is as a desirable place to live though that is maybe what makes Reading one of the UK’s best-kept secrets.
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Last night, a dinner took place in Chelsea between US and UK/Europe luxury interiors, textile and fabric brands before a two-day, US-organised London Design Social pop-up, sponsored by Farrow & Ball at Chelsea Town Hall in London. By all accounts entente at the dinner (and really not at all surprising!) was extremely cordiale in the world of interiors. And as for interior journalists and the interior design community, the colour palettes, designs and styling ideas on display today have been more than a little inspiring. Here are just a few design and people close-ups of what caught my eye today …
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Welcome to 16th century Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire. If you are curious about the heritage of Scottish tower houses, passionate about topiary and painted ceilings inspired by the Renaissance, you won’t be disappointed. My anticipation for coming across something special at Crathes was piqued further when an American tourist commented that the gardens at Crathes Castle “were way better” than the gardens he had just visited at *Balmoral.
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18th-century Inverary Castle in Argyll makes a statement not only with its prominent position on Loch Fyne but with the powerful decorative message it portrays as the ancestral seat of Clan Campbell. Over the centuries, the castle’s interior decoration has been shaped by clan wars (1300 medieval weapons alone decorate the 21m high hall), by devastating fires and a marriage in the 1950s between the 11th Duke of Argyll and heiress Margaret Duchess of Argyll that infamously ended in scandal.
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What an uplifting way to start the New Year, with a visit to Hilary Fisher’s new antiques shop in Bloomsbury. From the pavement, you cannot fail to appreciate its elegant columned window or be energised by its tangerine orange backdrop. The effect is both stylishly confident and inviting. No need for expensive agency rebrands here. Fisher London, with its striking brand colours and ‘uncommonly good antiques’ tagline, has got this. And I can’t wait to share with you, what’s in store …
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A very Happy New Year to you. I hope you had a restful and peaceful Christmas. As is the blog’s tradition, this is the day that I share patterns of interior design directions that have caught my eye for 2025. This year, heritage design, along with bucolic evocations of the countryside, are top stories for interiors. From designer high street collaborations to independent designers and a burgeoning wealth of influential vintage and antique dealers, 2025 is shaping up nicely.
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If the idea of staying in a centuries old English manor house appeals, then look no further than the bucolic West Sussex parkland of West Dean College of Arts, Design, Crafts and Conservation. Edward James (1907-1984), a 20th century socialite and patron to Salvador Dali, set up a foundation to ensure his family home became a centre for teaching conservation and the creative arts. The Grade II Listed gardens are now open to the public and visitors can stay in the house.
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Not since the 1970s when Laura Ashley’s love affair with all things Victorian/Edwardian has there been quite so much interest in this decorative era. Ruth Eaton, Coco Conran, Anna Mason and Sarah Vanrenen are in the vanguard of fashion and interior designers creating a new age of elegance for the 21st Century. To find out what is so appealing about late 19th/early 20th Century design, the blog invites you to visit The National Trust’s Lanhydrock House in Cornwall.
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Charis White Interiors 