-
Possibly the most cultured woman in Europe
Trail blazers do not always come from the most likely beginnings. The daughter of middle-class, Swiss parents, Angelica Kauffman came from an unremarkable background but she was a child prodigy. In her early years, her talent for painting was matched…
-
John Singer Sargent at the Tate
At the turn of the last century, to have one’s portrait painted by John Singer Sargent was to say that you had arrived. And now a new exhibition at the Tate has arrived, from Boston, celebrating his work alongside fabulous…
-
Delft Vases and Tulips
It is almost a month until the official start of Spring but things are already waking up in the garden and we look forward to some warmer days. We have snowdrops, daffodils, camellias in bloom and the cherry blossom is…
-
Raynham Hall
Raynham Hall is a wonderful 17th and 18th century house which is still in private ownership. The Marquess and Marchioness Townsend live there and this little character came out to greet us when we visited for a tour a couple…
-
Strawberry Hill
This wonderful Georgian Gothic Revival villa has been on our list for a while, so we are delighted to be able to share it with you today. It was built for Horace Walpole (Earl of Orford) from 1749 and has…
-
Finding Inspiration in Robert Kime
Having fun in London today looking at wallpaper and fabrics for our renovation project. So difficult to choose as there are lots of considerations, not just colour, texture and pattern. English Interior Style should appear as if it has come…
-
Cupids and Cherubs
‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind’ – William Shakespeare Wishing all our wonderful followers a Happy Valentine’s Day with this collection of Cupids and Cherubs collated from our archives
-
The Fifth Wife
There are no known records of exactly when Catherine Howard was born but it was on this day in 1542 that she died, with a single blow from the executioners axe, on Tower Green. The young queen had made the…
-
Bedside Manners
One of the joys of visiting different historic houses and stately piles around the country is seeing how different owners or custodians style their interiors, exteriors and gardens. Our post today allows us to compare notes on just one small…
-
Flowers from the garden
Sunday is our planning day and the diaries are getting busy with visits, exhibitions and events that we can’t wait to share with you all. We’re also catching up with some other chores today so are keeping things simple with…
