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The World of Interiors 2020-01

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
372 views129 pages

The World of Interiors 2020-01

Uploaded by

cornec123
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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D o lc e St il No v o

ww w. s me g. i t
CONTENTS JANUARY 2020

21 BOOKS 68 CABINET RESHUFFLE


Reading on art, architecture and design Be it joinery or a Japanese garden, Antoine
Vandewoude made his Antwerp family home

24 SERIOUS PURSUITS
a crucible of creativity. Here ‘I can really
live all my lives,’ he tells Marie-France Boyer
Auctions, antique fairs and diverting activities

26 WALL FLOWERS 78 A ROTTEN TEASE


These sconces will have you looking on Mario Buatta, the prankster ‘Prince of Chintz’,
the bright side, says Miranda Sinclair brought English style to the USA. He was also
a hoarder, as his upstate New York gothic

32 NETWORK
home – and his friend Carol Prisant – attest

Merchandise and events worldwide


88 BRIDLE SUITE

COVER The real macaw? – a destitute Russian


34 ADDRESS BOOK Restaurateur Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim
changed tack, renouncing his east London
emigrée climbed French society’s ranks, finally Suppliers in this issue
warehouse for a horse box – and a simpler life.
installing herself in a Champs-Elysées mansion.

102
See how she achieved parity with the Paris elite Augusta Pownall meets the galloping gourmet
on page 36. Photograph: Alexandre Bailhache INSPIRATION
How to recreate some of the design
effects in this issue, by Grace McCloud 96 HANDMADE TALE
Mannequin hands in leather and crochet wave
104 from the slightly surreal window of a time-
8
EXHIBITION DIARY
ANTENNAE Troy stories, after Raphaela, plus Charlotte warp glove shop in Madrid. Here’s looking
What’s new in style, decoration and design, Edwards’s listings at you kid, says Ana Dominguez Siemens
chosen by Nathalie Wilson

124 ART & ANTIQUES


11
JOURNAL OF A WALLPAPER
ANTENNAE ROUNDUP SCHOLAR How one company’s archives
Our selection of the best food/drink trolleys peeled open to reveal the taste of generations
46 POUR LORE
14 FIGURES OF FUN INTERIORS One-time helicopter pilot Cha Jun Ho now
crafts exquisite ceramic teapots and more at
What lies under damask? A patterned-silk
party fit for a prince, courtesy of Max Egger
36 HOUSE OF CONGRESS
his home outside Seoul. Buddhism and ‘brews’
make happy bedfellows, discovers Kathy Park
Esther Lachmann made her way from destitute
streetwalker to dazzling marchioness, and
her bravura Paris palace is the concrete (well,
onyx and marble) proof. Text: Bertrand Raison
FROM THE ARCHIVE
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES Receive 12

54 62
issues delivered direct to your home address. Call
01858 438815 or fax 01858 461739. Alternatively, SNAPPER OUT OF WATER WHOLLY TRINITIES
you can visit us at www.worldofinteriors.co.uk
Country bumpkin or city slicker? Photographer In a three-sided lodge in Northamptonshire,
Periodicals postage paid at Rahway, NJ. Postmaster: Send address Roland Beaufre rejects all labels in his Moorish, an Elizabethan landowner expressed his faith
corrections to ‘The World of Interiors’ c/o Mercury Airfreight Inter-
national Ltd Inc, 2323 Randolph Avenue, Avenel NJ 07001, ‘The World of
1970s-tinged cottage in a little French village. covertly. Timothy Brittain-Catlin cracks the
Interiors’ (ISSN 0264-083X) is published monthly. Vol 39, no 1, total 448 Marie-France Boyer tries a slice of the good life Catholic’s code. First published: August 2008
Vogue House Hanover Square L ondon W1s 1Ju Tel 020 7499 9 08 0

EDITOR Rupert Thomas

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jessica Hayns

ART DIRECTOR Mark Lazenby

DEPUTY EDITOR Nathalie Wilson

ASSOCIATE EDITOR, PARIS Marie-France Boyer

FINE ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR Charlotte Edwards

SENIOR EDITORIAL STYLIST Miranda Sinclair


EDITORIAL STYLIST Max Egger

EDITORIAL MANAGER/
INSPIRATION EDITOR Grace McCloud

CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Damian Thompson

ART EDITORS Simon Witham


Liam Stevens

NEW YORK EDITOR Carol Prisant


FOUNDING EDITOR Min Hogg
$

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Sarah Jenson


COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION MANAGER Xenia Dilnot
ACTING PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Skye Meelboom
ACTING PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Milly Aylott Harvey
COMMERCIAL, PAPER & DISPLAY
PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Martin MacMillan
$

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Richard Kingerlee


NEWSTRADE MARKETING MANAGER Olivia Streatfield

SUBSCRIPTION Patrick Foilleret (Director)


Anthea Denning (Creative Design Manager)
Lucy Rogers-Coltman, Brittany
Mills (Direct Marketing Managers)
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Marketing Manager)
Claudia Long (Assistant Promotions and
Marketing Manager)
US SUBSCRIPTION SALES The World of Interiors, Freepost PO Box 37861,
Boone, Iowa 50037-2861 (Tel: 888-737-9456.
E-mail: [email protected])

THE WORLD OF INTERIORS (ISSN 0264-083X) is published monthly by The Condé Nast
Publications Ltd, Vogue House, 1 Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU. Telephone 020 7499 9080.
Fax 020 7493 4013. ©2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written
permission is strictly prohibited. Printed in the UK by Walstead Roche. Colour origination
by williamslea. Dis tri buted by Frontline, Midgate House, Peterborough, Cambs PE1 1TN,
United Kingdom (tel: 01733 555 161). ‘The World of Interiors’ is a registered trade mark
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£80. Rest of World (airmail) £99. Subscription enquiries, change of address and orders payable to:
The World of Interiors, Subscription Department, Tower House, Lathkill St, Market Harborough,
Leics LE16 9EF (01858 438815). Orders on www.subscription.co.uk/woi. Subscriptions enquiries
on [email protected]. Subscriptions hotline: 0844 848 5202, open Mon-Fri
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environmental and health and safety standards. This magazine is fully recyclable – please log on to
020 7431 9364 www.recyclenow.com for your local recycling options for paper and board.
LUCIEN SOFA AGENT FOR UK
design Stefano Gaggero ALBERTO SCHIATTI
tel. +39 0362 328162
RIVIERA SIDE TABLES [email protected]
DRAGONFLY ARMCHAIRS
EATON OTTOMAN
MARMADUKE COFFEE TABLE
design Roberto Lazzeroni

www.flexform.it
Vogue House Hanover Square L ondon W1s 1Ju Tel 020 7499 9 08 0

SALE
ULTIMATE INTERIOR DESIGN PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Emma Redmayne
PA TO PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Freya Hill
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sophie Catto
Emma Hiley (acting)
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS (EUROPE) Alexandra Bernard
(Tel: +33 5 5652 5761
E-mail: [email protected])
Christopher Daunt (Tel: +44 20 7152 3755
MONDAY 6 – SATURDAY 11 JANUARY 2020 E-mail: [email protected])
ADVERTISING MANAGERS Georgina Penney, Marina Connolly
ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Lorna Clansey-Gramer, Nichole Mika
SENIOR DIGITAL ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Sayna Blackshaw
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Olivia McHugh
ACCOUNT MANAGERS Olivia Capaldi and Pandora Lewis
THE INTERIORS INDEX Sophia Salaman (Editor)
Aliénor Cros (Account Manager)
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sophia Salaman
SPECIAL PROJECTS Melinda Chandler (Head of Special Projects)
Amelia Morley (Special Projects Manager)
Joan Hecktermann (Art Director)
Richard Sanapo (Art Editor)
Rebecca Gordon-Watkins (Art Editor)
Arta Ghanbari (Special Projects Editor)
Christie Berry (Project Co-ordinator/Copywriter)
Freya Hill (Event Co-ordinator)
CLASSIFIED Shelagh Crofts (Director)
Lucy Hrynkiewicz-Sudnik (Senior Advertisement Manager)
Fiona McKeon, Charlotte Morris (Sales Executives)
MEDIA RESEARCH Jamie Rudick (Head of Research/Insight)
Lauren Hays-Wheeler (Research Executive)
US ADVERTISING Nichole Mika (Tel: 011 4420 7152 3838
E-mail: [email protected])
REGIONAL OFFICE Karen Allgood (Regional Sales Director)
Heather Mitchell (Account Director)
ITALIAN OFFICE Cesare Fiorucci – interiors
Carlo Fiorucci – interiors
(Tel: +39 0362 232210
E-mail: [email protected])
Valentina Donini – fashion
(Tel: +39 028 051422
E-mail: [email protected])
$

CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER Simon Gresham Jones


DIGITAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Malcolm Attwells
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Helen Placito
ACCESSORIES • BEDS • CARPETS • $

EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATION & RIGHTS Harriet Wilson (Director)


FURNITURE • HARDWARE • EDITORIAL BUSINESS
LIGHTING • RUGS • TRIMMINGS • MANAGER Jessica Borges
$

WALLCOVERINGS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Sabine Vandenbroucke


HEAD OF FINANCE Daisy Tam
HR DIRECTOR Hazel McIntyre
Discounts across an extensive range of classic COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Emily Hallie
and contemporary designs $

MANAGING DIRECTOR Albert Read

Check out the website for more details on


big brand participants and opening times THE WORLD OF INTERIORS is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
(which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors’ Code of
Practice [www.ipso.co.uk/editors-code-of-practice] and are committed to upholding the highest
standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a
complaint please see our Editorial Complaints Policy on the Contact Us page of our website, or
www.dcch.co.uk contact us at [email protected], or by post to Complaints, Editorial Business
Department, Condé Nast Publications Ltd, Vogue House, Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU.
If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO
or the Editors’ Code, ring IPSO on 0300 123 2220, or visit www.ipso.co.uk
antennae
What’s in the air this month, edited by Nathalie Wilson

1 Common Room has


taken a leaf out of the
sketchbook of William
Kil burn (WoI Oct 2014), a
leading 18th-century textile de-
signer. The result is two wallpapers
1 inspired by foliage, ‘Old Oak’ and
2 ‘Love Leaves’ (both £140 per 10m
roll; the latter shown close-up). They
are Sur-Flex printed (a technique that em-
ulates block printing) in two colourways. Ring
07900 006309, or visit commonroom.co.

2 As is normal for longtime co-conspirators


John Derian and Astier de Villatte, the Man-
hattan designer contributed the découpage-
inspired images on the ‘Hercules Juno Nep-
tune’ mug ($156) and ‘Squash’ platter ($374)
while the Paris-based atelier fashioned the
handcrafted white-glazed terracotta forms.
Ring 001 212 677 3917, or visit johnderian.com.

3 In 1997, the ‘Cassini-Huygens’ mission sent


a probe to investigate Saturn and its planetary
system. Closer to home but also worthy of ex-
ploration is Merve Kahraman’s ‘Cassini’ floor
lamp with Rosa Pink marble base and rattan
‘ring’ ($3,500), which takes its name from the
out-of-this-world enterprise. Ring 00 90 532
490 32 35, or visit mervekahraman.com.

4 Hästens’s ‘Satin Pure’ bedding is available


in seven new colours inspired by Charleston,
home of the Bloomsbury Group – quite apt re-
ally, given its members were as renowned for
3 4 their bed-hopping as their contributions to art

PHOTOGRAPHY: SIMON WITHAM (4, 9); MICHEL FIGUET (10)


and literature. From £55 for a pillowcase. Ring
020 7436 0654, or visit hastens.com.

5 Visitors to recently renovated Pitzhanger


Manor (WoI Dec 2018), the country home of
Sir John Soane now subsumed by west London’s
suburbs, can sit pretty on Jonathan Sainsbury’s
replica Soanian seating, including these dining
chairs (from £1,338 each) and this ‘Bamboo’ one
(£1,056). Yes, the powers-that-be took the un-
usual decision to allow people to use the furni-
ture, and to have it made from lighter-coloured
wood to create something distinct from the
originals and a tad more contemporary. Ring
01258 857573, or visit jonathan-sainsbury.com.

5
6

6 Antidote by name, antidote by na-


ture: with its 180-plus colours and fancy
finishes such as gold leaf, the eponymous
brand’s ‘Topaz’ led spotlights (£134 ap-
prox each) are a remedy for
boring common-or-garden 7
varieties. Ring 00 33 4 79
37 78 26, or visit antidote-
editions.fr.

7 André Arbus’s rugs


have been reissued: three
featuring geometric mo-
tifs (including, from top,
‘Matignon’ and ‘Planier’)
and two ‘cord’ patterns origi-
nally created for cruise ships. For any-
one wanting one for their own cabin,
La Manufacture Cogolin is your port 8
of call; they’re available in various 1940s col-
ourways from £1,620 per sq m. Ring 00 33 1 40
49 04 30, or visit manufacturecogolin.com.

8 When Yoichi Negishi took up metal-work-


ing in 1966, he dedicated himself to perfect-
ing the watering can. With different plants
in mind, including bonsai, he dreamed
up seven models handcrafted in brass,
steel or copper with interchangeable noz-
zles. Shown: ‘Brass British-style Watering
Can No. 6’ (6 litres) and ‘Copper Pitcher’
(500ml). Prices start from £43 approx. Ring
00 81 03 3611 2959, or visit negishi-joro.co.jp. 9

9 Claybrook Studio’s debut paint is vegan-


friendly, non-toxic, virtually odourless and low
in vocs. Plus, to reduce waste, tester pots have
10
been replaced by colour swatches. That’s just
the environmental credentials. It also comes in
24 highly pigmented hues and provides good
coverage. From £30 per litre of eggshell. Ring
020 7052 1555, or visit claybrookstudio.co.uk.

10 Big birthdays abound at Jules Wabbes: it


turned 50 and its eponymous founder would be
one hundred. To celebrate this and its Belgian
heritage, the company transformed the nation’s
‘Gris of the Ardennes’ marble into a limited-
edition lamp and 180 × 50cm table top for its
wenge trestles (shown; £5,110 approx). Ring
00 32 2 633 1173, or visit jules-wabbes.com $
antennae roundup
Time to rethink the tired old ‘hostess trolley’? Miranda Sinclair sets the wheels in motion

1 2 3

4
5

6 7
8

1 ‘Greenwich’, £329, Atkin and Thyme. 2 ‘Jacques’, £1,450, Jonathan Adler. 3 ‘Mid Century’, £349, West Elm. 4 ‘One Fifth’, £9,200, Ralph Lauren
Home. 5 ‘Scarlett’, £2,600, Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam. 6 ‘Gillian’, £325, Graham & Green. 7 ‘Rosa’, £2,326, Julian Chichester.
8 ‘Bahamas’, by Eichholtz, £955, India Jane. All prices include VAT. For suppliers’ details see Address Book r
antennae roundup

1 2 3

4 5

6 7 8

1 ‘Steel Pipe’, by Shiro Kuramata, £1,328, Cappellini. 2 ‘Omara’, £309, Made. 3 ‘Caro’, from £145, Haus Direct. 4 ‘Tea Trolley 900’, by Aino &
Alvar Aalto for Artek, £2,730, The Conran Shop. 5 ‘HB 128’, by Horst Brüning for Lange Production, £2,946, Skandium. 6 Bar trolley, by USM
with Ivy Mix, £2,020, Aram. 7 Trolley, by Mathieu Matégot for Gubi, £640, The Conran Shop. 8 ‘Trink’, by Studio Caramel, £2,490 approx, Kann
Design. All prices include VAT. For suppliers’ details see Address Book $
KESHISHIAN

C.T. A 102 Op-Art tapestry, by Victor Vasarely, c1966.

Exhibiting at The Winter Show, Park Avenue Armoury, New York, Jan 24 - Feb 2

73 PIMLICO ROAD, LONDON SW1W 8NE. TEL.020 7730 8810 NEW YORK TEL. 212 956 1586
[email protected] www.keshishiancarpets.com
FIGURES
OF FUN Opulent to the touch, divinely heavy and intoxicatingly col-
ourful, the fancy figured fabrics called damasks are ideal
for indulgent celebrations too. Why hover on the fringes?
Join Max Egger and his seductive selections – proof you
can have your cake and eat it. Photography: Franck Allais

1 2

4
7 8

5
6

1 ‘Chambord B8125013’, by Braquenié, £298, Pierre Frey. 2 ‘Ravenna F0220-03’, £220; 3 ‘Marinella F0315-01’, £184; both Watts of
Westminster; trimmed with ‘Kensington Onion Tassel Fringe 985-56080-07’, £122, Samuel & Sons; tied back with ‘Vézère Double
Tassel Tieback PST4368’, £870, Watts of Westminster. 4 ‘Broccatelli Fiere 32973-029’, by Luigi Bevilacqua, £376, Alton Brooke;
trimmed with ‘Chevallerie Tassel Fringe 58294-02’, £100, Samuel & Sons. 5 ‘Euston S795-2’, £179, Gainsborough. 6 ‘Worn In 34917-
5’, by Kravet, £129, GP&J Baker. 7 ‘Athenaïs 4212-06’, £236, Lelièvre; trimmed with ‘Calisto Triple Bead Fringe 57251-11’, £125, Samuel
& Sons. 8 ‘Ann Marie ES3408-131’, by Christopher Hyland, £874.80, Simon Playle; trimmed with ‘Palais Silk Scalloped Braid 56777-
07’, £88, Samuel & Sons. 9 ‘Borgia I6526003’, by Fadini Borghi, £240, Pierre Frey; trimmed with ‘Euston S795-2’, £179, Gainsborough.
Platform-based occasional table, c1830, with original buttermilk-painted surface, £1,250, Robert Young Antiques. Victorian
cut-crystal candlestick, £1,250 for the pair, Guinevere. Dinner candle, from £4 per pair, Labour and Wait. ‘Oriente Italiano’ plate,
by Richard Ginori, from £75, Harrods. Fabric prices are per m; all prices include VAT. For suppliers’ details see Address Book r
SWATCH

3
1

2 3
4

8 9

16
SWATCH

6
7

OPPOSITE 1 ‘Windsor Richmond F0225-04’, £242, Watts of Westminster; trimmed with ‘La Terre Cut Fringe FR57441-40’, £79,
Samuel & Sons; tied back with ‘Single Tassel Tieback PST3966’, £1,056, Watts of Westminster. 2 ‘Agate J767F-06’, by Jane Churchill,
£92, Colefax & Fowler. 3 ‘Cassidy Damask 44114883’, by Travers, £141, Zimmer & Rohde. 4 ‘Pure Damask T14026-001’, £201, Dedar;
trimmed with ‘Tuileries Silk Braid’, £117, Samuel & Sons. 5 ‘Vittoria FDG2890-08’, £95, Designers Guild. 6 ‘L’Ermitage Z583-01’, £100,
Zinc Textile. 7 ‘Eurydice’, £181, Misia; trimmed with ‘Palais Silk Scalloped Braid’, £88, Samuel & Sons. 8 ‘Poivre Damask 8018106-16’,
8 by Brunschwig & Fils, £149, GP&J Baker. 9 ‘Colline 15444-991’, by Ardecora, £116, Zimmer & Rohde; trimmed with ‘Délicat Silk Fan
Edge 986-36985-12’, £40, Samuel & Sons. THIS PAGE 1 ‘The Bruce 516-11281’ £239, Gainsborough. 2 ‘Roi Soleil 30212-5’, £244,
Rubelli. 3 ‘Polignac 10798-32’, £157, Nobilis; trimmed with ‘Orsay Silk Tassel Fringe 985-34606-325’, £139, Samuel & Sons. 4 Oro
‘Labuan’, £196, Rubelli; trimmed with ‘Saisons Brush Fringe 57463-38’, £32, Samuel & Sons. 5 ‘Allegria 02’, by Madeaux by Richard
Smith, £114, Tissus d’Hélène; trimmed with ‘Délicat Silk Tassel Fringe 985-37196-18’, £78, Samuel & Sons. 6 ‘Blossom Frame SKU
243691’, by Beacon Hill, £193, Simon Playle. 7 ‘Villandry Weave 333112’, by Zoffany, £115, Style Library; trimmed with Oro ‘Labuan’,
£196, Rubelli. 8 ‘Asuka 4226-02’, £154, Lelièvre. All prices are per m and include VAT. For suppliers’ details see Address Book r
SWATCH
1 ‘Cymbeline F0137-01’, £204; tied back with ‘Kelly Bobble Fringe
PST4326’, £140; both Watts of Westminster. 2 ‘Tosca’, £181, Zimmer
& Rohde. 3 ‘Heligan F0319-01’, £284; trimmed with jasmine ‘Amelie
Fringe’, £184; both Watts of Westminster. Hand-carved Cabriole leg
stool, c1840, £2,500, Robert Young Antiques. Throughout: Nap-
oléon III painted iron bed, £1,575, Lorfords. Fabric prices are per m;
all prices include VAT. For suppliers’ details see Address Book $

18
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Soil supremos, one-cottage wonder books

THE LAND GARDENERS: CUT FLOWERS (by Bridget Elworthy and Hen­ mercial growers could not provide. The resulting arrangements
rietta Courtauld; Thames & Hudson, rrp £39.95) The authors had the blousy, wayward charm of a bunch from a country garden.
were both lawyers who later retrained as garden designers. After In this beautiful book, the Land Gardeners explain how they
meeting at their children’s nursery­school gate, they discovered a grow their flowers and how we can copy them. Every silken petal,
shared passion for plants and began a business, specialising in re­ every frothy plume, is shown to perfection. There are billowing ar­
storing walled spaces. These often have wonderfully rich topsoil rangements in old china jugs or a few spring blossoms in a little
from generations of gardening, but are now frequently the site of a silver mug, shown in Wardington’s lovely old rooms. The garden,
swimming pool, or a tennis court, or are simply neglected and left too, is a dream of the romantic English country patch, full of charm
to run to weeds. Following a chance encounter with a florist, who and not over­tidied. But it is the book’s practical aspects that are so
complained that she was unable to source lovely autumn species seductive. The pair have chosen pleasing varieties, tested for their
such as cosmos or dinner­plate­sized dahlias on the commercial longevity in the vase, and they then tell us how, when and where to
market, the pair agreed, on a whim, to start a cut­flower business, sow, grow, feed and gather these beauties throughout the seasons.
growing their blooms organically at Bridget’s home, Wardington There are double pages showing their chosen tulips, dahlias, roses
Manor in Oxfordshire (WoI March 2017). and peonies in close­up, with more for bulbs,
While small British flower farmers are perennials, and flowering shrubs.
on the rise, almost 90 per cent of the blooms For Henrietta and Bridget, however, the
sold at the Nine Elms wholesale market in most vital section of the book concerns plant
London are still imported from the Nether­ and soil health, from the making of com­
lands, delivered in giant pantechnicons. Few post and compost teas to the use of green
are organically grown. In the 1940s and sub­ manures to create crucial microbe­rich soil.
sequent decades, florists in Britain sourced One area of their business is research into
their stock from indigenous growers, who soil fertility. They explain how to interplant
sent them to the London market by train. tulips with field beans (Vicia faba) to create
In those days, chic f lorists such as Cons­ a green manure that absorbs nitrogen from
tance Spry, and later Pulbrook & Gould, the air and fixes it into the soil. This helps
created breathtaking arrangements. This suppress weed germination. Once the tulips
was partly thanks to a small army of secret have flowered, the beans are scythed down
suppliers, grand country ladies who filled and cosmos planted among their roots.
their cars with long, arching sprays of black­ These techniques will inspire amateur gar­
berries or rambler roses, branches of crab­ deners and flower farmers alike – and this
apple or magnolia, and swathes of hesperis book will make them dream $ ELFREDA
and cow parsley – delicate blooms that com­ POWNALL is a freelance writer r

To order The Land Gardeners for £33.95 (plus £4.50 UK p&p), ring the World of Interiors Bookshop on 0871 911 1747

21
books

ERNEST GIMSON: ARTS AND CRAFTS DESIGNER AND ARCHITECT (by Annette Carruthers,
Mary Greensted and Barley Roscoe; Yale, rrp £50) Three major scholars of the Arts
and Crafts movement have joined forces to produce a beautifully illustrated book on
the life and work of Ernest Gimson, one of those rare figures who produced just a
single building of major significance, and a very small one, but which has entranced
generations of enthusiasts ever since. This is Stoneywell, in Charnwood Forest out-
side Leicester; the tiny coarse-stone cottage, sadly no longer with its thatched roof,
seems to trickle down the hillside as if it were at one with the rocks and clumps that
cluster round about. But Gimson, born to a family of industrialists in Leicester itself,
was also a prolific designer across the range of the newly revived crafts, from decora-
tive plasterwork and furniture-making to metalwork, embroidery and bookbinding.
Gimson’s flowering as a designer came after meeting William Morris, who spoke
at the city’s Secular Hall in 1884; Morris recommended the young man to John Dando
Sedding, the church architect who was one of the late AWN Pugin’s greatest admirers.
Gimson spent a great deal of his time in his youth travelling and sketching across
England. As was the way with many artistic members of his generation, he acquired
a phenomenal knowledge of the country’s historic buildings and their ornament.
Like Morris, he was too impulsive to settle down to a career as an architect, so he
moved to the Cotswolds in 1893 to open a workshop and train craftsmen, and here
he remained for the rest of his short life until dying of cancer at the age of 54 in 1919.
After setting up at Pinbury, he moved to Sapperton (thanks to an encounter with the
landowning Bathurst family), and extended his workshops into Daneway House, a
mansion with fine 17th-century plasterwork of the type that connoisseurs – and,
significantly, the magazine Country Life – were now beginning to appreciate. At
Sapperton, Gimson built The Leasowes for himself and his wife, Emily; this cottage,
with its ‘simple life’ interiors, caught the attention of H. Avray Tipping, at the time
the nation’s most influential writer on architecture.
The range of intertwined crafts in which Gimson involved himself was so exten-
sive that his is a complex story to tell; it is complicated further not only because he
collaborated with other architects and craftsmen, but also because the four principal
protagonists of this book are called Ernest and Sydney Gimson, and Ernest and
Sidney Barnsley. That would be a challenge for any writer, but the three contributors
have grappled with it fluently. Their book starts with detailed chronological and bio-
graphical sections followed by chapters that address each of the crafts in turn: that
results, however, in a little repetition, and images can be some distance away from the
related text. But those images – drawings and old photographs as well as new ones by
James Brittain – are a pleasure throughout, and combine with perceptive anecdotes
and attractive graphic design to create a book that will delight Arts and Crafts aficio-
nados $ TIMOTHY BRITTAIN-CATLIN is an architect

To order Ernest Gimson for £45 (plus £4.50 UK p&p), ring the World of Interiors Bookshop on 0871 911 1747

22
with passion for handmade tiles
M AR E L D – c e m e n t t i le s by S c a n d i n av i a n d e s i g n e r Ma r i e - L o u i s e He l l g re n
w w w. m a r r a ke c h d e s i g n . c o . u k
SERIOUS pursuits
Auctions, antique fairs and diverting activities,
chosen by Gareth Wyn Davies

PHOTOGRAPH (TOP): RUTH GUILDING


1

1 The Interiors Boot Sale, 14 Dec. 2 Christian Friedrich Zincke,


Portrait of Charleton Tilson, Later Lady Deane, c1730, Sotheby’s, 5 Dec

The writer Ruth Guilding, a WoI regular, was talking with friends re-
THE AGED BRASS COLLECTION cently when they collectively had a Marie Kondo moment.‘Everyone
agreed that we were living with half a lifetime of accumulated stuff,’
www.forbesandlomax.com she says,‘from pocket-money jumble-sale purchases to the bricolage
of shabby student flats.’ It got them thinking: what if they emptied
their attics and outhouses, cupboards and bottom drawers and to-
gether staged what the French call a vide-grenier? The result is THE INTE-
RIORS BOOT SALE on 14 DECEMBER, when the trestle tables at Cecil Sharp
House in Camden will groan under the weight of tasteful assortments.
Marianna Kennedy, Veere Grenney, Nicky Haslam and plenty more
have all signed up as stallholders. See you there, 10.30am sharp – blue
Ikea bags highly recommended. Details: theinteriorsbootsale.com.
BRITAIN
UNTIL 31 JANUARY BOOKMARKET, 3/1 WAVERLEY BRIDGE, EDINBURGH NIGHT
WALK FOR EDINBURGH. Pick up an iPad and pair of headphones from
the pop-up bookshop and then perambulate! The Old Town has
probably never appeared so atmospheric/eerie. Details: eif.co.uk.
1-6 DECEMBER VARIOUS SITES LONDON ART WEEK. Mayfair and St James’s
most august auction houses and galleries host a whole series of ex-
hibitions, talks and events. Details: londonartweek.co.uk.
5 DECEMBER SOTHEBY’S, NEW BOND ST, LONDON W1 THE POHL-STROHER
COLLECTION OF PORTRAIT MINIATURES. Marvels of a miniature kind go
under the hammer. Details: 020 7293 5000; sothebys.com.
6 DECEMBER SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM, LINCOLN’S INN FIELDS, LONDON WC2
HOGARTH AFTER HOURS. A special Soane late opening, showing all of
the artist’s surviving painted series in spotlit glory. Gin will be served,
fittingly enough. Details: 020 7405 2107; soane.org.
7 DECEMBER BRITISH MUSEUM, GREAT RUSSELL ST, LONDON WC1 TILE-MAKING
WORKSHOP. Think Iznik! Details: 020 7323 8181; britishmuseum.org.
7 DECEMBER-5 JANUARY SOMERSET HOUSE, STRAND, LONDON WC2
GINGERBREAD CITY. This Museum of Architecture
installation looks – no, is – good enough to
eat. Details: thegingerbreadcity.com.
11-12 DECEMBER BONHAMS, NEW BOND ST, LON-
DON W1 PRINTS AND MULTIPLES SALE. Dishes
of the day: Bonhams sells a large collec-
tion of Jean Cocteau ceramics. Details:
020 7447 7447; bonhams.com.
OUTSIDE BRITAIN
FRANCE 17 DECEMBER ARTCURIAL, ROND-
POINT DES CHAMPS-ELYSEES, PARIS FURNI-
TURE AND ART OBJECTS SALE. Rare pieces
belonging to a Parisian couple, includ-
ing a Boulle marquetry chest of drawers.
Details: 00 33 1 42 99 20 20; artcurial.com $ 2
26.01.2020 — 02.02.2020

TOUR & TAXIS


BRUSSELS

ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING FAIRS IN THE WORLD


www.brafa.art
1

1 ‘Type 75’, £165, Anglepoise. 2 ‘AJ’, by Arne Jacob­


sen for Louis Poulsen, £540, Aram. 3 ‘London’, £299,
Original BTC. 4 ‘Headlight’, £437, Ligne Roset.
5 ‘Coral’, by Viola Lanari, £721, Balineum. 6 ‘Man­
tis’, by Bernard Schottlander, £305 approx, DCW
Editions. 7 ‘B3’, by René­Jean Caillette, £660 ap­
prox, Disderot. 8 ‘Forme’, by Michael Amato, £1,879,
The Urban Electric Company. 9 ‘Goose berry’, by
Tom Housden, £300, Hand and Eye. All prices in­
clude VAT. For suppliers’ details see Address Book r
SHORTLIST

WALL FLOWERS
A showy chandelier might steal the limelight, but a well-placed sconce merits more than a sidelong glance. Whether
simple spots or Neoclassical candelabras, Miranda Sinclair coaxes them out of the shadows. Photography: Sean Myers
1

4 5

1 ‘Teti’, by Vico Magistretti, £44.60, Artemide. 2 Spot light, £225, Rose Uniacke. 3 ‘Cobra’, by Greta M. Grossman
for Gubi, £338, The Conran Shop. 4 ‘Verona’, £130, Tinsmiths. 5 ‘Glacier’, £1,020, Bella Figura. 6 ‘Huck’, £660;
‘Empire’ shades, £128 each; both Porta Romana. 7 ‘Padma’, by Arteriors × Windsor Smith, £484, Arteriors.
8 ‘Folder’, by Davide Groppi, £440, The Conran Shop. All prices include VAT. For suppliers’ details see Address Book
SHORTLIST

1 Small oak wall light, £3,720, Cox London. 2 ‘WL174’, £750, Tindle Lighting.
3 Three-arm ‘Adam’, £790, Richard Taylor Designs. 4 ‘Granville’, £698,
Vaughan. 5 ‘Mercer’, $5,595, Remains Lighting. 6 ‘Original’ wall lantern,
£2,940, Jamb. All prices include VAT. For suppliers’ details see Address Book r
SHORTLIST

1 ‘Zac’ library light, £576, Hector Finch. 2 Small wall lamp, £4,735
approx, Jules Wabbes. 3 ‘Scallop Helios’, £2,100, Soane Britain.
4 ‘Shell’, by James Rigler, £4,000, The New Craftsmen. 5 ‘Gaia’,
£1,798, Ochre. Set painted in ‘Absolute’ matt emulsion (‘Urbane
Grey 225’; ‘Drummond 16’; ‘Loft White 222’), £45 per 2.5 litres, Little
Greene. All prices include VAT. For suppliers’ details see Address Book $
network
Sophia Salaman chooses the best
merchandise and events worldwide

For the ultimate interior-design sale head to Chelsea Harbour, 6 to 11


January, when visitors will find discounts across extensive ranges of
contemporary and classic furniture, fabrics and more. The first day is
a trade preview, but thereafter everyone is welcome. Design Centre
Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020 7225 9166; dcch.co.uk).

Rubens Glustin is a fourth-generation antique dealer with a lighting


showroom in the prestigious Biron arcade in Paris’s Saint-Ouen flea
market. A destination for connoisseurs, the gallery specialises in pieces
from the modern era. Galerie Glustin Luminaires, 85 Rue des Rosiers,
93400 Saint-Ouen, France (00 33 6 64 88 02 40; glustin-luminaires.net).
Interior designer Julian Chichester works with opulent specialist mate-
rials, including verre églomisé, faux shagreen and parchment. Seen here
is the ‘Alfred’ cabinet, with a smoked-oak body and drawers of black
vellum edged with hand-beaten brass. Julian Chichester, Design Centre
Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020 7622 2928; julianchichester.com).

The fabled Italian brand Fornasetti has unveiled a new shop within A collaboration between Arte and Moooi, the ‘Extinct Animals’ wall-
Harrods. Found on the department store’s third floor, the space covers coverings celebrate nature’s diversity with designs rich in colour and
70sq m – and has even inspired a new piece, an addition to the ‘Themes pattern, such as feathers, fur and scales. Seen here is the latest addition
and Variations’ collection, to celebrate this latest venture. Harrods, 87- to the range, ‘Indigo Macaque’. Arte, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour,
135 Brompton Rd, London SW1 (020 7730 1234; harrods.com). London SW10 (0800 500 3355; arte-international.com) $

32
ADDRESS book

Alton Brooke, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020 7376 7008; lelievre.com). Ligne Roset, 23-25 Mortimer St, London W1 (020 7323 1248;
alton-brooke.co.uk). Anglepoise. Ring 02392 224450, or visit anglepoise.com. ligne-roset.com). Little Greene. Ring 020 7935 8844, or visit littlegreene.com.
Aram, 110 Drury Lane, London WC2 (020 7557 7557; aram.co.uk). Artemide, Lorfords, 30 Long St, Tetbury, Glos GL8 8AQ (01666 505111; lorfordsantiques.
106 Great Russell St, London WC1 (020 7291 3853; artemide.co.uk). Arteriors, com). Made, 100 Charing Cross Rd, London WC2 (made.com). Misia. Ring
Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020 7929 8015; arteriorshome. 020 7660 2000, or visit misia-paris.com. The New Craftsmen, 34 North Row,
com). Atkin and Thyme. Ring 01727 227500, or visit atkinandthyme.co.uk. London W1 (020 7148 3190; thenewcraftsmen.com). Nobilis. Ring 020 8767
Balineum. Ring 020 7431 9364, or visit balineum.co.uk. Bella Figura, Design 0774, or visit nobilis.fr. Ochre, 24 Pimlico Rd, London SW1 (020 7096 7372;
Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020 7376 4564; bella-figura.com). ochre.net). Original BTC. Ring 020 7351 2130, or visit originalbtc.com. Paolo
Cappellini, 150 St John St, London EC1 (020 3039 3034; cappellini.com). Moschino for Nicholas Haslam, 8-14 Holbein Place, London SW1 (020 7730
Colefax & Fowler, 110 Fulham Rd, London SW3 (020 8874 6484; colefax.com). 8623; nicholashaslam.com). Pierre Frey, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour,
The Conran Shop. Ring 0844 848 4000, or visit conranshop.com. Cox London, London SW10 (020 7376 5599; pierrefrey.com). Porta Romana, Design Centre
194 Ebury St, London SW1 (020 3328 9506; coxlondon.com). CTO Lighting, 9 Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (01420 23005; portaromana.com). Ralph
Cloudesley Rd, London N1 (020 7686 8700; ctolighting.co.uk). DCW Editions, Lauren Home, 1 New Bond St, London W1 (020 7535 4600; ralphlaurenhome.
33 Rue des Trois Bornes, 75011 Paris (00 33 1 43 57 59 03; dcw-editions.fr). com). Remains Lighting. Ring 020 3056 6547, or visit remains.com. Richard
Dedar, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020 7351 9939; Taylor Designs, Unit 25, Talina Centre, 23a Bagley’s Lane, London SW6 (020
dedar.com). Designers Guild, 265-277 King’s Rd, London SW3 (020 7351 7351 2567; richardtaylordesigns.co.uk). Robert Young Antiques, 68 Battersea
5775; designersguild.com). Disderot, Arch 8, 1 Crucifix Lane, London SE1 Bridge Rd, London SW11 (020 228 7847; robertyoungantiques.com). Rose
(07958 565558; disderot.com). Gainsborough. Ring 01787 372081, or visit Uniacke, 76-84 Pimlico Rd, London SW1 (020 7730 7050; roseuniacke.com).
gainsborough.co.uk. GP&J Baker, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London Rubelli, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020 7349 1590;
SW10 (020 7351 7760; gpjbaker.com). Graham & Green, 36 Porchester Rd, rubelli.com). Samuel & Sons, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10
London W2 (01225 418200; grahamandgreen.co.uk). Guinevere, 574-580 (020 7351 5153; samuelandsons.com). Simon Playle, 535 King’s Rd, London
King’s Rd, London SW6 (020 7736 2917; guinevere.co.uk). Hand and Eye. Ring SW10 (020 7371 0131; simonplayle.com). Skandium. Ring 020 3633 7626, or
01252 715646, or visit handandeyestudio.co.uk. Harrods, 87-135 Brompton visit skandium.com. Soane Britain, 50-52 Pimlico Rd, London SW1 (020 7730
Rd, London SW1 (020 7730 1234; harrods.com). Haus Direct, 185 Newgate St 6400; soane.com). Style Library. Ring 020 3457 5862, or visit stylelibrary.com.
Retail Store, High St, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 7EL (01388 Tindle Lighting, 162 Wandsworth Bridge Rd, London SW6 (020 7384 1485;
602640; hausdirect.com). Hector Finch, 92 Wandsworth Bridge Rd, London tindle-lighting.co.uk). Tinsmiths, 8a High St, Ledbury, Herefs HR8 1DS (01531
SW6 (020 7731 8886; hectorfinch.com). India Jane. 121 King’s Rd, London 632083: tinsmiths.co.uk). Tissus d’Hélène, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour,
SW3 (020 7351 9940; indiajane.co.uk). Jamb, 95-97 Pimlico Rd, London SW1 London SW10 (020 7352 9977; tissusdhelene.co.uk). The Urban Electric Co.
(020 7730 2122; jamb.co.uk). Jonathan Adler, 60 Sloane Ave, London SW3 (020 Ring 001 843 723 8140, or visit urbanelectric.com. Vaughan, Design Centre
7589 9563; uk.jonathanadler.com). Jules Wabbes. Ring 00 32 2 633 1173, or Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020 7349 4600; vaughandesigns.com).
visit jules-wabbes.com. Julian Chichester, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Watts of Westminster, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020
London SW10 (020 7622 2928; julianchichester.com). Kann Design, 51 Rue des 7376 4486; watts1874.co.uk). West Elm. Ring 0800 404 9780, or visit westelm.
Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris (00 33 9 62 54 42 03; kanndesign.com). Labour and co.uk. Zimmer & Rohde, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020
Wait, 85 Redchurch St, London E2 (020 7729 6253; labourandwait.co.uk). 7351 7115; zimmer-rohde.com). Zinc Textile, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour,
Lelièvre, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 (020 7352 4798; London SW10 (01623 756699; zinctextile.com) $

‘Array Twin Opal’ wall light, £732, CTO Lighting. Set painted in ‘Absolute’ matt emulsion
(‘Urbane Grey 225’; ‘Drummond 16’; ‘Loft White 222’), £45 per 2.5 litres, Little Greene. Prices include VAT
TABOURET LOU © TIPTOE
HOUSE OF
CONGRESS
As a ruthlessly pushy Paris courtesan, Esther Lachmann,
aka La Païva, required somewhere suitably opulent
to conduct liaisons. With its silvery bath and solid-
onyx staircase, her Champs-Elysées mansion was
certainly that – and then some. Over 150 years later, it has
been restored, even if her reputation hasn’t. Text:
Bertrand Raison. Photography: Alexandre Bailhache

Left: the first-floor dining room was originally La Païva’s bedroom,


with a four-poster bed taking pride of place in the centre.
The ribbed ceiling features hanging bosses and is gilded with
bronze paint. Top: famously camera-shy, the courtesan is
seen here in a set of photographs taken between 1865 and 1870
WAS THERE ever a more driven figure than
the dazzling marchioness of Païva, with her thirst for wealth and
Paris, where she arrived towards the end of the 1830s. No great
beauty, this multilingual and fiery redhead bewitched men with
status? The mansion that bears her name is a sparkling Second the sheer force of her personality.
Empire palace on the Champs-Elysées. The famous avenue once Although courtesans generally liked to have their portraits
boasted at least ten such buildings. Today, taken, La Païva permitted few photographs.
however, Hôtel de la Païva is the sole survi- She preferred to make her presence felt via
vor. Set back a discreet distance, it is a gem other means. Her overriding concern was
of the Italian Renaissance Revival, a style to ascend to the top rank of the nobility, a
much in vogue under the reign of the Prince status to which she felt entitled. That aspi-
Imperial. It now houses the Travellers Paris. ration seemed somewhat out of reach when,
The members of this highly select ‘gentle- destitute and working as a prostitute, she
men’s club’ bought the premises, ironically was said (accounts diverge) to have been
a building exalting the cult of the femi- found dying from cold one December night
nine, in 1903. But let us turn our attention on the Champs-Elysées. Even in that con-
back to La Païva herself and the story of her dition, she allegedly declared to her rescu-
remarkable – and ruthless – rise. She was ers that she would one day build the finest
born Esther Pauline Blanche Lachmann house in Paris on that very spot. What fol-
in a Moscow ghetto in 1819. Little is known lowed over the coming decades demon-
of her early years, but what does surface is strated the strength of this resolve.
that, when still a teenager, she abandoned a After the death in 1849 of her first hus-
husband and child to seek her fortune. Her band, a new suitor conveniently appeared
travels took her to Constantinople and then in the form of the Marquis de la Païva. Of

Top: the Travellers Club bought the Napoléon III furniture in the main reception room when it took up residence in 1903. The
portrait on the right is a copy of Lady Agnew of Lochnaw by John Singer Sargent. Above: the solid-onyx staircase is lit by candelabra
engraved with the heads of French monarchs. Opposite: marble statues by Louis-Ernest Barrias peer down over the vestibule
Portuguese ancestry, he gave Lachmann, now in her thirties, guin, oversaw the most complete gem of Second Empire archi-
what she so craved – a title. It was a marriage of convenience – the tecture. The construction was financed by the count and lasted
new marchioness soon rid herself of her debt-ridden spouse and a decade, finishing in the mid-1860s. Sculptor Albert-Ernest
made the most of her new social standing. Among the guests at her Carrier-Belleuse was one of the artists hired for their services.
receptions were Théophile Gautier, Charles All of the original furniture has been
Augustin Sainte-Beuve, Gustave Flaubert, dispersed in a succession of sales, but the
Alexandre Dumas, the Goncourt brothers building still exudes its original radiance.
and Eugène Delacroix. With the Marquis The Travellers Paris installed three games
de la Païva out of the way, the young Count rooms, accessed through the conservatory,
Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck, an ex- around a courtyard. The glasshouse, re-
tremely wealthy heir to a German mining stored to its full splendour, still has its onyx
concern, entered the picture in the early f loor, though its painted red-ochre wall
1850s. This perfect representative of the friezes echo the style of earthenware floor
aristocracy of the Holy Roman Empire fell tiles that are sadly no longer there. Today,
madly in love with the bewitching mar- it is used as a splendid space for members
chioness during an evening at the opera. wishing to play poker, bridge or billiards
She did not marry the count until 1871, before retiring to the nine bedrooms avail-
just after the end of the Franco-Prussian able for their use.
war, but Lachmann was anything but idle in What strikes the visitor immediately
the meantime. Out of her own funds she is the extraordinary luxuriance of female
bought a plot on the Champs-Elysées and, motifs that proliferate from wall to ceiling,
working with her architect, Pierre Man- especially in the ground-floor reception

Top: in the marchioness’s bathroom, Iznik-inspired tiles by the ceramicist Théodore Deck frame stucco panels. Above: large mirrors
amplify the space. Opposite: the bath originally had three taps set with turquoise, all since removed – one was rumoured to flow
with champagne, although this was an urban myth. Alternate bands of green marble from the Pyrenees and onyx cover the lower walls
Top: the conservatory’s regilded windows glisten once more
following recent restoration work. Above: the grille on the floor
conceals heating pipes, which kept the space balmy enough for
exotic plants. Right: trompe l’oeil has been used to recreate the
Théodore Deck tiles that once covered the lower part of the walls
rooms and the private apartments on the first floor. Venus and bathtub is lined with engraved silver-plated bronze made by
Diana, sculpted or painted semi-nude, bring to mind the mis- Christof le. It was fitted inside a trough carved from a single
tress of the house. In some places, the allusions are much more block of onyx. Earthenware tiles in Iznik blue delineate panels
overt. The muzzles of the lionesses that flank the fireplace in the of Moorish stucco, with small mirrors set on the cornices.
music room hang above a pair of gilded- The Goncourt brothers, never able to
bronze breasts inserted in the marble. By resist a witticism, no matter how cruel, said
this point in her life, La Païva had taken to that it all amounted to a ‘Louvre du cul’ or
calling herself Blanche. Her monogram of ‘Louvre of the arse’. Their description does
a B was interlaced with the G of Guido on little justice to this fine setting. But Esther
the pediments of the doors. Lachmann didn’t see out her days in the
Among the many bravura features, the creation that defines her. Rumours that
spiral staircase of 35 steps made entirely of she was a German spy followed her and
onyx is a technical feat of the highest order. her husband into a sort of exile in Silesia.
It predates the all-marble staircase of the She died in 1884. The Hôtel de la Païva now
Opéra de Paris. Absolutely nothing here al- offers its present-day members another,
lows one to forget La Païva. In particular, a more agreeable kind of trip – on this occa-
nude Artemis sitting astride a dolphin be- sion, back to a time of unforgettable opu-
neath statues of Dante, Virgil and Petrarch lence that its owner did so much to create $
nestles under the octagonal vaulted ceiling. The Travellers Paris, 25 Avenue des Champs-
Perhaps the most dazzling achievement Elysées, 75008 Paris. Group tours are available
of all, however, is to be found in her bath- intermittently. For details, ring 00 33 1 43 31 21
room. Surrounded by three mirrors, the 98, or visit paris-capitale-historique.fr

Top: the full-size snooker table dates back to the early days of the Travellers. Above: the restoration of the building – seen here from
the Champs-Elysées – took 12 years. A restaurant occupies what was the courtyard, which had a separate entrance and exit, allowing
cabs to slip in and out without the need to turn around. Opposite: photographs of the club’s past presidents hang on the far wall
Cha Jun Ho sits in his private tea room at home in
Ichon. Visitors who have made the pilgrimage to
his studio might be invited here to be served one of
his rare blends – in a handmade Sejiyo cup, naturally
POUR LORE
A devout tea drinker and Buddhist, helicopter pilot Cha Jun Ho always had a thirst for something more. And so, in his
forties, he handed back the keys to his chopper and started afresh – as live-in apprentice to a celebrated South Korean
ceramicist. Having learned how to make the perfect tiny teapot at the foot of the master, he now produces beautiful free-
form pieces infused with references to nature. Kathy Park joins him for a very special brew. Photography: Antony Crolla
Top: a table in the garden is laid for afternoon tea, with traditional rice cakes served in white-porcelain bowls and dishes in the shape of lotus leaves.
Above left: while much of Cha Jun Ho’s pottery is extremely simple and pure, some pieces are more whimsical – here a toad water dropper sits among
tiny frog ornaments. Above right: a ‘Red Pine Forest’ cup. Opposite: like all his work, this celadon pot was formed wholly by hand rather than on a wheel
Top: Sejiyo pottery is inspired by the world outdoors, but it’s inside in the neatly arranged studio that everything takes shape. Meanwhile, ash from
the bark of red pine ferments in containers on the floor – this will eventually form glaze in a range of shades, from soft beige to earthy red, according
to how long it is left. Above left: these swan-shaped vessels are a mottled pinkish-brown. Above right: bisque pots dry before being incised and painted
Top: tiny frog motifs have hopped on to these delicate celadon and grey bud vases. Above left: a flotilla of finished white-porcelain teaware
appears to sail across the top of a coffee table. Above right: Cha Jun Ho demonstrates one of the few actual tools of his trade. He moulds his pieces
almost entirely by hand – hence the pleasingly irregular form they take – but uses this specially customised carving blade to shape the bases
CHA JUN HO is as passionate about
gardening as he is about pottery, and spends hours
pot with a flower­shaped lid or a beak for an (always
non­dribbling) spout. Each one has its own story
every day almost meditatively tending the flower­ and each one fits perfectly into the palm of a hand.
ing bushes, fruit trees and vegetable patches that Another characteristic of these creations is their
surround Sejiyo, his home and studio in Ichon, an unexpected asymmetry. Where ceramics produced
hour’s drive from Seoul. It is immediately apparent, on a potter’s wheel are perfectly round, these have a
when you step into the garden, that this is where pleasingly organic, tactile form. Cha moulds them
he finds peace as well as inspiration for his lovingly using only his hands and a few specially custom­
crafted teapots. A rare Korean stewartia, whose wi­ ised tools, a skill he learned directly from his teacher.
spy white flowers last all of a day, is in bloom when It is a painstaking process that calls for careful carv­
we visit, while the bright­pink droplets of wild Asian ing out and plenty of patience.
bleeding­heart dance between mugwort and ferns Arduous as it is, however, he still approaches his
in the shade of a cherry blossom. In the backyard, day with a light and joyful heart. Early in the morn­
angelica trees grow, their tender shoots a favourite ing, he will begin playing with the clay while he
cooking ingredient of Cha’s wife and creative part­ looks out from the studio window into his garden
ner, Ahn Gwang In. A restless woman, by the time daydreaming. A butterfly or a pair of swallows may
we arrive in the morning she has already finished perch on the branch just outside. The sound of the
making several lunch dishes from herbs and moun­ birds, the colours of plants in the sun, the scent of
tain produce, including those steamed angelica honeysuckle draped over the front porch – any or
shoots, and has fastidiously arranged logs ready all of these might orchestrate a movement in his
for use in the kiln. The same level of organisation hands until, gradually, a palm­size teapot starts
extends to the sunlit studio, where a wood­burner to take shape. Then he will take a turn in the gar­
provides the only heat in winter. Vats of clay and den, picking a few plump blueberries, some lettuce
glaze sit in neat stacks on the floor, signalling that and dandelion leaves for Ahn to add to their lunch.
this is the domain of a most disciplined artist. Later on he will perhaps chop some firewood for
Before his current vocation, Cha was an army the kiln. Back in his studio, he then starts the pro­
helicopter pilot for 23 years. A devout Buddhist, he cess of shaping, before imbuing the surface of the
spent his days off in the barracks helping to build a teapots with the essence of the pine forest. Cha uses
temple and chaplaincy for the soldiers. One day he a glazing technique that he learned from his men­
was asked to visit a potter to see if he might donate tor and then developed. Ash from the bark of red
some tea sets for the temple. It turned out to be Kim pine is fermented to produce glazes of the subtlest
Kee­Chul, a celebrated self­taught potter whose beige to the deepest red, depending on how long
free­form white ceramics, made without a wheel, they are left to age. Surfaces are incised and carved
can be found in the British Museum’s Korean col­ out, then painted in layers, becoming pine trees.
lections. The pair hit it off immediately, talking well Nature is his encyclopedia, informing not only the
into the night about their shared love of tea, nature shapes, lines, colours and textures of his porcelain
and flowers. By the end of that auspicious evening, but also the names he gives it too.
Kim had convinced his guest that he had what it Unsurprisingly, as something of a tea aficio­
took to be a brilliant potter. nado, Cha specialises in pieces that reflect this pas­
And so it was that Cha, by now in his forties, sion. Ask him what his favourite pastime is and he
moved into Kim’s studio as his apprentice. In the will say, without hesitation, sitting quietly with a
mornings he would do manual labour outside, and monk friend after early morning meditation, watch­
in the afternoons he worked with clay. It was a phys­ ing the sun rise while they sip tea together.
ically gruelling life: chopping and carrying fire­ His tea sets are now much sought­after by monks
wood, wrestling with the clay, working in the fields, and by tea experts who make the pilgrimage to his
carving tools, cleaning the dusty studio inside out studio. A visit to Sejiyo invariably involves a tour of
every day. But there were moments of joy too. He the garden, a delectable meal prepared by Ahn and
would accompany his teacher into the pine forests an invitation to the private tea room upstairs. Some­
to forage for herbs and roots to be burned to make times he might bring out the very rare 50­year­old
ash for adding to slips and glazes. Carefree and pu-erh tea, or the heavenly umami­rich dew green
happy, the pair of them would lie under the trees tea from Jiri mountain. And should you be lucky
singing folk songs. Back in the studio shaping their enough to be there in winter, Ahn might serve a fra­
respective blocks of clay, they often found them­ grant and nourishing yuzu tisane. When it’s time
selves harmonising to whatever was playing on the reluctantly to leave, you will more than likely do so
radio at the time and would burst into laughter. with a teapot that fits perfectly in your hand, made
No piece of Sejiyo porcelain is designed in any especially for you $
way, whether it be a pure white cup of exquisite sim­ Sejiyo pottery is available at Pippa Small, 201 Westbourne
plicity or something more whimsical such as a tea­ Grove, London W11 (020 7792 1292; pippasmall.com)

Opposite: Cha Jun Ho holds one of his cups in the ‘Milky Way’ design – some of his teapots are so small that they too can fit in the palm of a hand. There
is a Zen quality to this particular potter’s craft. Indeed, he says his favourite activity is drinking tea with monk friends after their morning meditation
SNAPPER OUT
Opposite: the
building had been
home to farm
animals not long
before Roland
OF WATER
A confirmed townie and night owl, the photographer Roland Beaufre was the man least
bought it and was likely to be found ensconced in the countryside. But then a few years ago he surprised his
semi-derelict, with
neither kitchen nor
friends by moving to an old farm in northern France. Lest la campagne prove too big
bathroom. Top: a shock to the system, however, he has given it a reassuringly metropolitan and Moorish
the living room is a
play on orange
flavour – as these pictures by him show. Here, among all his vintage pieces and Berber
and black patterns bits, he still manages to ‘dance till four in the morning’. Marie-France Boyer boogies on by
This page,
clockwise from
top left: Vallauris
pottery, a football
trophy, a bust of
the owner’s mother
and a portrait of
the actress Marina
Vlady form a
motley display on
a faux-mahogany
sideboard from the
1960s; a ‘Pylon’
table by Tom Dixon
faces a vintage
sofabed; exposed
beams separate
the office and living
room; a ‘Chaise
Orque’ by Jean-
Philippe Gleizes
sits in front of
the workbench/
lightbox; Roland
took this portrait
of the designers
Paul Mathieu
and Michael Ray.
Opposite: the
S-shaped modular
sofa is by Steiner
and dates to 1970
THE PERSON coming out of this to him. At the same time, with his friend Frédéric
Hansel and Gretel cottage is (regular WoI) pho- de Luca (WoI Sept 2011) he set up the gallery En
tographer Roland Beaufre, who has lived here, Attendant les Barbares to present objects and fur-
near Le Mans, for more than ten years when not in niture by art designers such as Garouste & Bonetti.
Tangier or away on assignment. Although his own involvement in the venture was
Roland did not always want to be a photogra- short-lived, Roland would remain strongly inter-
pher; he started out studying fine art in Paris. A ested in design. He was one of the first to buy from
chance encounter with the creator of Décoration Tom Dixon, André Dubreuil and Mark Brazier-
Internationale, Marie-Paule Pelle, changed every- Jones, and he would even attempt to set up another
thing. She was scouting for new places and he small production company, UMI, in the 2000s.
dragged her off to Tangier, where he had been going A tireless explorer and traveller, Roland is a
with his parents since 1962. His father, General photographer who is always delivering dispatch-
Beaufre, had been stationed in Morocco for a long es from the fringes of culture. He keeps abreast of
time along with Geneviève, Roland’s mother, a particular designers, exhibition openings and all
former model of great beauty who decorated their kinds of cultural events, especially those related to
home there, the Villa Victoria, in a ‘Napoléon III Morocco. He is also the author of books as varied
meets Neo-Moorish’ style remarkable for the time. as Voyages dans le Maroc juif (‘Travels in Jewish Mor-
Roland knew ‘everyone’: from the writer David occo’; with Ralph Toledano), Bibliothèques (pub-
Above: the wall
Herbert to the architect Stuart Church. He had a lished in English as Living with Books), Dans La Nuit behind Roland’s
trusty Kiev camera (a Russian copy of the Leica), Tangéroise (‘Tangier Nights’) and Dictionnaire des bed is covered with
developing his photos at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts Styles Décoratifs (with D. Dupuich). a Moroccan carpet
de Paris, and threw himself into creating a portrait When Roland Beaufre moved to the country- hung with family
of his favourite city. Thanks to this first collabora- side, he did so as an inveterate city-dweller, know- photos, personal
tion on Morocco he hit the ground running. ing nothing about plants or the seasons or the ways mementos and
The 1980s were a golden age for interiors maga- of French villagers. He had spent all his holidays religious artefacts.
Opposite: the
zines, and midway through the decade Roland col- in Morocco for nearly 40 years. Approaching 50,
Moroccan-Jewish
laborated with Interiors on a project by Madeleine he decided to make a radical change that pro- chest belonged
Castaing (WoI May 1986), with whom he spent voked a sceptical reaction among his friends. He to his parents,
much time, as well as with Andrée Putman, Pierre bought a long, narrow modest farm that had until who appear in the
Paulin and Jacques Grange: this world opened up recently been home to cows, pigs and chickens. two portraits above
Away from the village, it was almost derelict, with uses them as curtains. It may be nice and snug
no sign of a kitchen or bathroom, a very low ceil- inside, but he still likes to make the most of the
ing, tiny windows and cob partition walls, which south-facing terrace for breakfast or tea.
Roland took down to create an open space with an This is a man who likes to savour life. Whatever
intimate feel. He eschewed the usual rustic-chic the circumstances, he never loses his Olympian
route, deciding to keep the familiar décor he had calm and serenity: ‘My friends call me Mr Valium.’
in Paris, mingling 1970s and 1980s design with He speaks slowly and in a serious tone – even if he
Moroccan flavours and his own memories. is about to miss a train. ‘Inshallah,’ he says good-
The first room he installed was his study, to the humouredly, as reserved as he is sociable.
right of the entrance, complete with his precious Almost every week, when this country-dweller
archives. To the left is the living room, where he makes his way to Paris two hours away, he dresses
immediately incorporated a faux fire in the hearth. accordingly. He’ll happily wear a shirt with a pearl
‘I need my creature comforts,’ he says ruefully. From pinned to his tie or several brooches to go with his
there you enter the kitchen, which is carved out of many rings. But Roland sometimes takes things
a small lean-to, or the bedroom at the end of a long further; he likes to wear fancy dress, to dance the
corridor that also leads to the bathroom, which night away. ‘Night time creates a kind of complic-
alludes to Vasarely and Op Art. ity between people,’ he says. ‘Besides, a party can
Roland’s bedroom is a sanctuary. In contrast happen in the country just as well. After all, you
Above: a Victor
with the living room, which is decorated with a de- only need two or three people, even in the coun- Vasarely lithograph
gree of distance, here he has amassed the souve- try, to dance till four in the morning!’ hangs above the
nirs of his private life and friendships as though This photographer, sometimes described as a loo, while a pair
in a shrine. But the colour orange forms a link be- dandy, has nevertheless managed to establish roots of shower curtains
tween all the rooms. Here portraits of his father, gradually in the earth. These days he knows every- pick up the Op Art
mother and nanny rub shoulders with photos of one at the Tuesday market, spends time with his theme. Opposite:
himself at all ages, some taken by famous artists, farmer neighbours, knows the difference between in the kitchen, a set
of metal chairs by
while talismans and symbols from the three major an old rose and a hybrid tea rose, takes care of his
Pierre Guariche
religions meet souvenirs from his travels. Morocco chickens, and weeds and prunes steadfastly be- surround a hairpin-
is ever present. Roland has not merely contented tween assignments. He does, however, still spend a legged table that
himself with laying Berber carpets on the floor as good part of the year in Tangier $ Roland found
in a mosque and hanging them on walls, but also To contact Roland Beaufre, visit roland-beaufre.book.fr in a charity shop
WHOLLY
TRINITIES
Built during the reign of Elizabeth I, a rabbit keeper’s three-sided house in
Northamptonshire hides numerous references to the illegal Catholic faith
of the politician who made it. From triple gables to triangular ‘eyes of God’
windows, Timothy Brittain-Catlin unravels the riddles of its secret
symbolism. Photography: Antony Crolla. First published: August 2008
The sparse hexagonal entrance hall of the lodge is
lit by clusters of windows arranged in precise
geometrical patterns. The right-hand door leads to
the external staircase at the front, and the left-hand
one opens on to a spiral staircase to the upper floors
Opposite, clockwise from top left: on the top floor
of the lodge, built on Thomas Tresham’s release
from prison and house arrest, a tripartite triangular
window surrounded by a triad of triangles represents
the eyes of God; the triangular plan gives the lodge
a delicate and unreal quality, making it more like a
huge jewel casket than a tiny building; in this
interior view of the strangely sculptural window
beside the front door, the central cross and
groupings of three circles have religious significance
that would have been understood by pious
Catholics; the clusters of round and triangular
windows are perhaps the lodge’s most unusual
details. This page, top: the only fireplace in the former
rabbit keeper’s house was added to this upper
room in about 1840, when it may have been used for
serving refreshments. Left: the Latin word tres above
the door means ‘three’, but it was also Thomas
Tresham’s nickname. According to the inscription,
either he or the number ‘bears witness’, but to what?
THE THREE SETS of seven triangular would have been too obvious: there were spies everywhere. Sir
windows cut into the limestone upper floor at the front of the Thomas, whose own surname ‘Tresham’ incorporates the Latin
Triangular Lodge at Rushton in Northamptonshire are, it turns word for ‘three’, inscribed the words ‘tres testimonium dant’
out, nothing less than the seven eyes of God. Above them are a (‘there are three that bear witness’) above the front door; and
seven-branched candelabrum and a roundel with seven leaves. threes everywhere recall the Trinity. The length of each side is
Over the door is inscribed the strange number 5555. But just 33ft 4in: that is, a third of 100ft. A long Latin inscription run-
about everything else on this curious structure comes in threes: ning round the building above the upper windows is composed
trefoils, triangles, triads and trinities; triangular obelisks, tri- of 33 letters on each façade; each of the three sides of the chimney
partite mottoes and triptychs; three walls, three gables on each has three smoke holes. Parris carved nine gargoyles – three times
side, a three-sided chimney, and three sets of three finials. three – below the triple gables. One can also find here the more
The lodge was built by Sir Thomas Tresham between 1594 obscure symbols of Catholicism such as a pelican ‘in her piety’
and 1596, towards the closing years of the reign of Elizabeth I; – that is, shedding her own blood for her young – which refers
according to Sir Gyles Isham’s detailed 1970 historical account to the Blessed Sacrament and the mass; and a hen and chickens,
of it, it was always described as the ‘Warryners Lodge’, that is, a metaphor once used by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of
a house for the rabbit keeper of Sir Thomas’s estate. St Matthew to describe himself and his followers. That curious
Papers later found at the family home, Rushton Hall, 5555 over the door is the date of Sir Thomas’s first plans
show the great attention lavished on the details of for the lodge, 1593, recalculated from the year of
this rabbit keeper’s house; rather more than the Creation of the world, which a contem-
the average rabbit keeper might have been porary scholar had recently estimated at
entitled to expect. We have the detailed 3962bc. On the inside, the three corners
accounts of the building process, and of the building are walled off, leav-
we know the names of the people who ing the central space as a hexagon;
worked on it: the local Tyrell family, the sparse interiors illuminated by
and a skilled mason called Parris, the crisp geometrical patterns of
who may have come from Wales. the windows have an unsettling
We know, for example, when cer- appearance more reminiscent of
tain carvings were finished, and 20th-century Brutalism than of
how much money Parris was paid our typical image of Elizabethan
for them. But what Sir Thomas care- England, with its warm panelling
fully avoided writing down is what and sturdy rectangular mullions.
the building really meant, and what The lower-floor windows are com-
it was for; he left it to speak to posterity posed of crosses, surrounded by cir-
for itself, in its multitude of symbols. cles grouped into threes; and even the
Sir Thomas may have built the lodge basement is lit by small triangular open-
as a celebration of his release from prison and ings, divided into nine panes.
house arrest, to which he had been alternately Those seven eyes of God symbolise the de-
subjected for some 12 years, having fallen foul of the liverance of the land from iniquity, according to the
religious controversies and power struggles of Elizabeth’s reign. Old Testament prophecy of Zechariah; and Sir Thomas hoped
In the memorable words of 19th-century writer Thomas Bell: that the accession of James I on the death of Elizabeth might
‘a strange fatality seems to have attended this powerful family return the country to its traditional faith. He was disappointed
in every thing they attempted, both in public and private life’. in that, of course, and died disillusioned in 1605; three months
High politics and a nasty end characterised just about every gen- later his son Francis expired in the Tower of London, having
eration. Two forebears had both been speakers of the House of been implicated in the Gunpowder Plot. History never seemed
Commons, and had both been murdered: one was slain at prayer; to be going the Treshams’ way.
the other was executed after the Battle of Tewkesbury, when the While the Triangular Lodge was going up, Sir Thomas start-
House of Lancaster was finally defeated by that of York. The chaos ed upon his last architectural fantasy, a summer house called
of the Wars of the Roses had been followed by the religious strug- Lyveden New Bield nearby: it was this time built in the form of
gles of the Reformation, and Sir Thomas himself was not only a cross and speckled with more Catholic symbolism and, al-
a convert to Roman Catholicism but had also been accused of though it was never completed, enough survives to make an
harbouring a missionary of the same faith just as Elizabeth had unforgettable impression. The historian Bell wrote that ‘a heavy
THIS PAGE: © THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM

determined to enforce Protestant rule. It was a treasonable of- gloom’ seemed to hang over it; it spoke of the tragic curse of
fence. Now that he was again, brief ly, a free man, Sir Thomas the Treshams. And yet Sir Thomas had demonstrated what the
resolved to build a manifesto out of stone that only the wise and truly wise have always known: if you want to live for ever you
the pious would understand. should build a tower of stone that generations will wonder at $
So every part of his building is a demonstration of the profun- The Triangular Lodge, Rushton, Northants NN14 1RP. For opening times,
dity of his faith. Conventional images of the saints, or a crucifix, ring 01536 710761, or visit english-heritage.org.uk

This page: in this enigmatic portrait roundel, a middle-aged Sir Thomas is shown transcribing psalms while holding a skull. To the left are
depictions of the snares of the world, from dice to a longbow, while to the right are symbols of his Catholic faith. Opposite: no-one
knows for certain why the number 93 appears on the north front, but the simplest explanation is that Tresham devised the building in 1593
This page: screened from the neighbours by a wisteria plant overhanging the Japanese garden, the terrace is an extension of the kitchen. Opposite: in
that room, seen from the dining area, Antoine has placed the philodendron in a pot from Anduze centrally to demarcate the space. The reclaimed units
housing the kitchen sink were designed by Raymond Loewy in the 1950s, and the Liberty Revival-style ceramics high up on the shelf are by the owner
CABINET RESHUFFLE
Whether repurposing a clothier’s storage chest or a 1950s Loewy sink unit, Antoine Vandewoude has deployed his
eye for salvage and joinery skills in the seven-year restoration of his family home – a former factory – in Antwerp.
And when not fashioning doors, shelves or panelling, the polymathic Belgian is throwing pots, planting his terrace
or baking bread. ‘A man can do anything with his hands,’ he tells Marie-France Boyer. Photography: Roland Beaufre
In the dining room with its Thonet bentwood
chairs, Antoine fashioned a walnut top for some
salvaged table legs. It supports a home-baked
loaf sitting on a manual slicer. The lower of the
two units came from a factory that made uniforms
Top: the living room is dominated by a baby grand piano on which the (adult) children play. The ceramic pendant light is by the owner. Above left: the
end of the living area, with its faux-wood panelling, is marked by a vermilion band on which hangs a vintage telephone. Above right: a marble counter
top. Opposite: the family cats are fond of sitting in the ceiling structure that hovers above a copper display cabinet filled with Antoine’s latest ceramics
Top: his-and-hers shoe shelves, along with an extended foot rest, dominate the couple’s small bedroom. Above left: the landing of the steep, narrow stair-
case leads to this broom cupboard/utility room, painted raspberry pink. Above right: Antoine rescued the washbasin and tub (opposite) from an elegant
Antwerp residence. Opposite: the bathroom’s upper glazing gives on to the kitchen, and the little porthole below is a convex mirror rather than a peephole
ANTOINE Vandewoude spent seven years converting
his house in Antwerp. He lives here with his wife, An Goyvaerts,
ing his attention to the house, and immediately began planting
what is now a sophisticated and dense little garden, Japanese
who makes patterns for top designers such as Dries van Noten, in style, complete with bonsais and red maples. When you ap-
and their sons Kamiel and Wannes, one of whom is a student, proach from the street, this is what you see at the end of a ‘tun-
while the other works in the diamond trade. nel’, with the workshop door at the back reached by passing
At the end of the 1990s, he bought a dilapidated factory hid- under the three-storey house.
den away on a charming old street in the Berchem district; a small On the ground floor, opposite the studio, are several storage
courtyard separates it from a single-storey building that he im- and archive rooms and an office. The two floors above have been
mediately converted into a workshop, filling it with his machinery entirely reconfigured as living space. The dark, steep, well-worn
and materials. staircase is practically the only feature of the factory that Antoine
Now in his fifties, Antoine is a graphic designer by training, has kept. At first-floor level, he has built a raised terrace, sup-
though he has many strings to his bow and dislikes being pigeon- ported by four pillars, that extends out from the kitchen, like a
holed. For in reality he is able to turn his hand to almost anything. hanging garden that is in flower practically all year round.
Technically, he is a furniture-maker and decorator who can con- For that is yet another skill Antoine has seemingly mastered
struct bookshelves, cupboards and wood panelling, and designs with ease: horticulture. ‘I’m not really a gardener or a botanist,’
doors, loggias and suspended ceiling panels. But he has also de- he demurs, ‘it’s all just the result of an intuitive process consist-
veloped a passion for ceramics, as can be seen in the second work- ing of trial and error.’ Irises, geraniums, pelargoniums, roses,
shop that he set up on top of the first. This opens on to a hanging laburnum, peonies and foxgloves all bloom on the terrace, while
garden with irises and grasses, as well as a vine that produces a most vigorous wisteria (W. floribunda ‘Pink Ice’) forms a back-
grapes. ‘I don’t like referring to myself as a ceramicist – I’m just drop, curtaining off the neighbouring houses. Inside, an enor-
an artist,’ he says. ‘I draw and paint too. It’s a medium that’s use- mous philodendron and rare orchids have pride of place in the
ful for making certain things that I couldn’t make any other way, middle of the kitchen.
such as crockery, but I don’t know whether I would confine my- This vast space, which doubles as a dining room and leads
self to that: a man can do anything with his hands.’ on to the terrace, is composed of reclaimed elements, such as
Having bought the plot and buildings, Antoine soon realised a 1950s sink unit designed by Raymond Loewy that An spotted
that the unattractive small yard lying between the former factory in the flea market, a weekly haunt, as well as glass-and-metal
and the workshop was doomed to become a dumping ground pieces of Antoine’s design. A Lacanche range was chosen for the
filled with all the old materials he reclaims from demolition capacity of its oven, which can accommodate the four loaves
sites, flea markets and elsewhere, the chaos constantly on view. of bread he bakes for the family every week. ‘I don’t cook that
He had already made a start on the workshop, before even turn- much,’ he says. ‘All I do is occasionally prepare complicated

The stalagmite forms of cypress trees rise from the Japanese courtyard garden. They partially screen a first-floor terrace added by Antoine and sup-
ported on four columns. The family eat there throughout the warm months, surrounded by peonies and pelargoniums, roses, foxgloves and irises
dishes that take time and imagination. I’m just not interested in shower was salvaged and mixed with new. ‘With reclamation
the everyday; it doesn’t excite me.’ you never get enough materials and you can quickly end up with
The dining-room wall opposite the kitchen is taken up by a cheap, makeshift look; here I decided to buy some new materi-
two large mismatched units. ‘The lower one comes from a fac- als.’ As for the striking colour – pea green – it was inspired by a
tory where they made uniforms,’ explains Antoine. ‘We’ve had photograph of an Art Nouveau sitting room in Vienna.
the other piece for 30 years.’ In the window, he has placed the On the second floor, where the small low-ceilinged rooms
most fragile orchids as though they were in a greenhouse. are tucked under the roof, Antoine has created a self-contained
Next to the kitchen is a sitting area, a large, high-ceilinged apartment for his grown-up sons and a dark-green bedroom for
space with wall-to-wall faux-wood panelling that conceals var- An and himself. It consists solely of a double bed facing row
ious cupboards and with two windows overlooking the street upon row of shelves filled with their collections of shoes. They
that are framed outside by roses. A piano in the centre of the don’t spend much time in there. ‘It’s just like a hole for sleeping
room is draped with a curious pinkish-beige cover devised by in – a dark hole that is conducive to sleep.’
An to guard against feline paws. Overhead, Antoine has built a A thin, quiet but energetic man, Antoine reminds you of a
series of shelves suspended from the ceiling, which give struc- tightrope walker and looks 20 years younger than he actually
ture to the room and provide a place for the family’s cats to perch. is. He is an unexpected character, and it would be no surprise to
This sitting area is the first part of the house proper that you learn that he also plays the cello or studies astronomy. He’s a mod-
reach from the stairway, although you do not go straight into est soul. Yet, as soon as they are made, his ceramics appear on sale
it. A long sideboard bearing a copper-and-glass display cabinet in Graanmarkt 13, a trendy shop in Antwerp, and a new book on
containing ceramics acts as a partition, forming an entrance the city’s gardens devotes its best pages to him. But nothing ex-
passage of sorts. But it is the cupboards set high in the panelling presses his distinctiveness more vividly than this lively house,
that are most intriguing. Antoine opens one to reveal a splash which is quite unlike anything else.
of vermilion inside, which matches the peacock blue of the ceil- ‘What I care about most is finding a balance between the har-
ing in intensity and brightens the muted tones of the woodwork. monious and the useful,’ he says. ‘Here I could really take my time
‘I was afraid this room would be too classical,’ he says. ‘I’ve just and not have to make any of the compromises that projects some-
finished it. I’ll think about it to see whether I really like it.’ times demand. I desired a house where I could really live all of my
From the first-f loor landing you also reach the bathroom lives. If you can’t see the modifications this has required, or the
through a vast dressing room, which An sometimes uses as a additions, or the “collages” and other alterations I’ve carried out
workroom. This is the family’s only bathroom. Like the washba- here, then perhaps I have pulled it off’ $
sins and tub, which came from a demolition site in the Belgiëlei, Antoine Vandewoude accepts private commissions. To contact him, ring
a fashionable avenue of Antwerp, the marble lining the vast 00 32 486 55 39 75, or visit antoinevandewoude.com

In his two-storey studio/workshop, separated from the house by a Japanese garden, Antoine has hung up unusual objets trouvŽs along the back wall.
Otherwise it’s a riot of salvaged plaster casts, paint pots and planks as well as machines used to make bookshelves, wood panelling and cupboards
a rotten tease
This crumbling Connecticut house offers a tantalising glimpse of what might have been if only the owner – the
‘Prince of Chintz’ Mario Buatta – had followed through with his plans. Instead the late designer neglected it, using
the place as a depository for so much furniture that the floors collapsed along with his rural fantasy. As the contents
go under the hammer, his friend Carol Prisant recalls an incorrigible hoarder and hoaxer. Photography: Simon Upton
Previous pages, left: the façade of the 1845 house in Thompson Hill fizzes with finials, crockets and pinnacles. Mario added the sober English
chimney pots. Right: in the hall, a convex mirror hangs between wall brackets bearing tole potted palms. This page, clockwise from top
left: the new floor had to be installed after the original collapsed under the weight of stored furniture; the chintz on the chair and ottoman in
the study is one of the owner’s designs for Waverly; the sporty wallpaper probably dates to the mid-20th century; an oval mirror above
an urn-topped table was a favourite look of Buatta’s. Opposite: on the mantelpiece, two green-glass storm lanterns flank various tulip vases
Left: the latticed section of the rear porch is a Mario addition, along
with the fireplace and, in the far corner, a flight of stairs leading
to the kitchen. Top: a pair of reproduction Chippendale garden
benches and two unglazed octagonal window frames decorate the
barn. Above: monumental ceiling trusses loom over a new kitchen
island, which is strewn with collections of ceramics and oddments
Left: in the main bedroom, two English chairs bought at Colefax
& Fowler sit either side of a George III table. Spaniel portraits
were something of a Mario motif – the one over the fireplace is a
reproduction. Top: a curious delft fireplace with integral vases graces
one end of the bathroom. Above: the basin and (unplumbed) tub
arrived some time between 1992 and 1997 – before being abandoned
Early on, he had great plans for the property: a redesigned kitchen
in which one of its back-to-back fireplaces faced an exterior porch;
gothic brackets on the staircase; a glass conservatory; a formal gar-
den. To set off his innumerable depictions of dogs and flora, he sam-
pled various mantels and sketched out ideas for new mouldings on
the peeling wallpaper. But as the years passed and nothing much got
built or hung, Mario visited his increasingly distant retreat less and
less, so that things began to break and sag, and pipes began to burst,
and by 1999 the town was worried about Mario’s not-at-all-benign
neglect. Have I mentioned he was a hoarder? Somewhere in there,
unfortunately, he began using the house to store furniture. He’d been
stashing antiques in warehouses from the Bronx to Staten Island
for years, and never allowed anyone into his once elegant, now jam-
packed Manhattan flat: the one that used to be in all the glossy maga-
zines. Now his country place, too, was full of stuff, unlived-in and
unloved. Which is why, one cheerless wintry day, he received a call
from Connecticut telling him that the load on the living-room floor
had caused it to plummet, furniture and all, to the basement. Dark
mutterings about legal proceedings forced Mario to grudgingly un-
dertake restorations. Ultimately, his dream house became his alba-
tross. It will be back on the market this year, as will his 1,000 antiques.
Mario was prickly. Over the years, he fired numberless assis-
tants, even when that meant he had to do his own sourcing and bill-
ing, though he was peculiarly proud of being two or three years
in arrears. He never did housework either, declaring that dust made
a fine protective coating. On the rare occasions when a someone

When the late designer Mario Buatta


was allowed to visit his Manhattan flat, Mario was certain, the next
day, they’d stolen some treasure he absolutely knew had been on
was at a dinner party, the first thing he’d want you to know was that that little shelf or, maybe, in that drawer. He had a grand passion for
he grew up in outer-borough Staten Island. The second thing he’d Dame Edna (one that was reciprocated), but was unwelcome at One
want you to know was that there was a cockroach on your plate. Guests Man, Two Guvnors, having tried to insert himself into the play some
understood, of course, that as well as being America’s ‘Prince of Chintz’ six or seven times – its star, James Corden, harangued him about it.
Mario was a prankster. Also, that the ‘prince’ thing was because, in And Mario loved to wear fright wigs. On opening night at the win-
his twenties, he had had an epiphany at John Fowler’s country house ter antiques show he would hold court, always nattily dressed and
in Hampshire, where he’d been gobsmacked by the pelmets, the wall often wackily bewigged. He would email terrible jokes to his friends
colours, the beribboned pictures, the sheer Gothickness of it all. That’s and sign them ‘Marioops’, or pretend to be someone else – complete
how the kid from Staten Island came home to be the champion of with accent – on the phone. His humour was passive-aggressive, and
muchness: of chintz and more chintz. it thrived on discomfiture. Years ago, when I was newly widowed
Mario liked to say that, just as Nancy Lancaster ‘brought [her] and friends were inviting me out to dinner but refusing to accept
American vitality to stuffy British houses, which often looked like my credit card, I developed the perfect gambit: ‘If you insist on pay-
museums’, he ‘brought the English country-house look to America. ing for my dinner every time,’ I’d tell my hosts, ‘then we can’t do this
After Nancy blew into town,’ he claimed, ‘England loosened up and again,’ and it worked every time. Except with Mario. After I’d deliv-
started looking more personal and lived-in.’ Which wasn’t exactly ered my neat little speech, he handed me back my card, put his own
the case, since British houses were usually full of personal family on the table, looked me in the eye and, straight-faced, said, ‘Fine.’
portraits and had been blithely lived in by generations of muddy Perhaps you’re wondering about that cockroach? He carried
children and dogs. Paradoxically, by the time Mario finished a house, pocketfuls of ghastly plastic ones, their legs and antennae en trem-
its glazed, betasselled, pillowy rooms didn’t appear in the slightest blant. He would attach one to a fishing line and slyly drop it at the
‘personal’ or ‘lived-in’. Instead, they corresponded to his fanciful, feet of the grande-est dame, and while they were often on your salad
flowery dream of England, and clients would be afraid to move an plate, sometimes they were lurking in the leaves.
ashtray, let alone something consequential, like a snuff box. Luckily, his talent continued to mature, for even at 82 Mario’s
He surely had John Fowler’s digs in mind when, in 1992, he pur- impish brain was still 15. His friends – and there were many – loved
chased this 1845 Gothic house in the Connecticut hinterlands. The him despite everything. At the conclusion of his standing-room-
village fathers had long hoped to find a sensitive buyer for their only memorial, favours were handed out to the departing mourn-
benignly neglected historic-district property, and one can only im- ers. One nasty cockroach per person. I left mine on a table in my
agine their joy when none other than the celebrated Mario Buatta living-room for a while, but when I couldn’t stand it anymore I hid
arrived. As he once explained to me, he had been counting on friends it away in the bottom of my jewellery box. For my heirs to find some
to drive him up there at weekends and had convinced himself it day. Mario, grinning, lives on $
wasn’t actually that far, given that everyone he knew was driving three ‘Mario Buatta: Prince of Interiors’ will be held at Sotheby’s, 1334 York Ave,
hours-plus to the Hamptons. New York, NY 10021 (001 212 606 7000; sothebys.com), 23-24 Jan

Top: two needlepoint spaniels face each other across a tortoiseshell looking-glass. Opposite: the painted bed lived in Mario’s Manhattan
apartment until the 1970s, when it was supplanted by a grander model. The settee was a feature of a 1969 project that launched his career
BRIDLE
S U I T E
Harnessing the promise of a much simpler life, Jeremie Cometto-
Lingenheim left his modish warehouse flat in London and moved
into a horse box. Out went the ‘Bedouin rugs and mid-century fur-
niture’ of old and in came… precious little. He may have to keep a
tight rein on possessions, but the restaurateur insists he’s perfectly
comfortable in his home on wheels. ‘You just change your definition
of comfort,’ he tells Augusta Pownall. Photography: Jan Baldwin
Previous pages: the beauty of the Box, says its owner, is the ability to take
a spontaneous holiday during a sunny spell. This page, top: the upholstered
bench serves as a sofa. Jeremie doesn’t miss having a proper one – or a
television ‘to come back to and waste away five hours’. Above: in the coun-
tryside, the ramp can be lowered to form a terrace. Right: when he sold his
flat, Jeremie got rid of all the books except educational titles. These pro-
vide bedtime reading for his son, who sleeps in the bunk above the desk
Left: jars are fixed to the ceiling by their lids, while the kettle and cups are hung
on hooks to stop them crashing about when the truck is in transit. Utensils are
stored in a hanging basket. Top: the pictures above the space-saving table are
among the few items Jeremie kept from his old flat. Above: he sleeps above the
cab, with little headroom, under bed linen by Once Milano. He toyed with install-
ing a wood burner but decided against doing so because it didn’t fit his sus-
tainable ideals. Instead, he and his son use sheepskins to keep warm in winter
CHEFS ARE used to working in confined and noise insulation, as well as giving the feeling of being in a
spaces with everything at arm’s reach. Taking a leaf out of their wood cabin, or worse. ‘Just like a coffin!’ says Jeremie cheerily.
book, Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim, the restaurateur behind a Having failed to find a boat-builder willing to take on the
number of successful London spots including Jolene in Stoke project, he approached east London-based shopfitters Soma,
Newington, has swapped his apartment in the east of the city for who had worked on a number of ‘quite small, very sweet and
the most compact space one can imagine: a converted horse box. practical’ shops for the cosmetics brand Aesop. Crucially, they
Since moving in to the 7.5-tonne army-green truck the sum- were excited about the truck and great fun to work with, ‘be-
mer before last, he and his now six-year-old son have been on a cause it has to be fun’. Jeremie sketches all his restaurant interi-
crash course – sometimes literally – in mobile living. They over- ors by hand so he had a fair idea of what he wanted, but his son
came a fly infestation in the early days and come winter the tem- proved a trusted collaborator. The bunk bed, the little desk
perature inside can drop to minus two, but getting to grips with nook and the flip table are all attributed to Cometto-Lingenheim
driving the Box, as he calls it, has been the bigger hurdle. At the Junior. ‘I love comfort and I love my home to look good and to
first roundabout they encountered on their inaugural outing, feel like home,’ says Jeremie. ‘It’s amazingly comfortable. You
everything flew out of the cupboards and on to the floor, includ- just have to change your definition of comfort a little bit.’
ing some much-loved ceramics. These and a few other precious More important even than comfort are the memories and
pieces from his previous life were all smashed within the first vital lessons truck life might give his son. ‘I just thought this is
two weeks. ‘You have to learn not to care such an education, it’s so interesting
about things because they will break,’ and important for the next generation,’
says Jeremie. Jars of provisions are now he says, citing the recent youth climate
screwed to the ceiling by their lids, a trick strikes as evidence that change is afoot.
he learned from a friend’s father with an Following a weekend spent off-grid
enviable tool shed. Another time, the in Norfolk, during which they collect-
truck hit the side of the road and a ter- ed water from the stream to wash with
rific noise alerted the pair to the fact that and built fires to cook, father and son
all was not well. Sure enough, when they decided that this way of living would be
climbed into the back they found tomato an adventure. Further inspiration came
sauce up the walls and lentils scattered from a chance meeting with Andy Cato
across the floor. No laughing matter at of the electronic-music duo Groove Ar-
the best of times, but especially annoy- mada, who now lives with his family in
ing when you have no vacuum cleaner southwest France and is a proponent
and just ten litres of water to last the same of regenerative farming. Cato gave him
number of days. books about sustainable farming to read
‘You read lots of stuff, but until you and in those books were references to
actually do it… I don’t want to say it’s other books. He was soon hooked.
hard because it’s not rocket science, but It’s all a far cry from the east London
it is a bit daunting,’ says Jeremie, in his loft that Jeremie used to call home. ‘I
relentlessly positive manner. He recalls had the warehouse in Dalston, I had the
parking the truck on a north London Bedouin rugs and the artwork on the
street with a high kerb, scraping the bottom and bending out of walls and the mid-century furniture, and actually it was amaz-
shape something that took six months to make. ‘It’s heartbreak- ing when I sold everything because it was such a weight off to
ing, but you learn your lessons very quickly.’ have just what you need as opposed to an accumulation of things,
One plus side – and there are many – is that when three or which you realise very quickly you don’t need,’ he says.
four days of sunshine are forecast ‘you can escape to some re- Like his restaurants, the Box is a gamble that has paid off.
mote part of Suffolk with your entire home’. But mobility wasn’t Jeremie came to London from Germany 22 years ago to study
the draw so much as autonomy: owing nothing to anyone and business and psychology and worked in bars in Shoreditch to
depending on his wits (and diesel to get him from A to B). pay his way. Moving up the ranks into senior management for
Even the tiniest scrap of sunshine will fill the battery with big food-and-drink groups, he soon found that he had different
1.5kW of solar power, enough energy for a day. There’s no fridge, ideas about what a restaurant should be. So with his business
so he and his son eat fresh produce; there are plugs but they don’t partner, he put all of his ‘and other people’s’ savings on the line
often use them; the compost toilet requires bran from the farm- to open his first much-lauded venture, Primeur, in an old ga-
er who grows the restaurants’ vegetables; there’s no shower, and rage. This was followed three years later by Westerns Laundry.
no electric light. Eating by candlelight and without the constant Last summer, the truck and its owner were in Cornwall to
distractions of a modern home, he finds he sleeps better. open a new restaurant, Fitzroy, in the harbour town of Fowey.
Initially he considered a van (too small) and a boat (he doesn’t Like the three London sites, simple food and impeccable sourc-
care for their layout or the waterway regulations) before buying ing are at its heart. The Box has been parked nearby and he has
the horse box from a farmer in Kent for a couple of thousand encouraged friends to come and take advantage of it. ‘It really
pounds. To make it habitable, the rotten interior was stripped feels like home. When I open that door and I shut it again, then
back and lined with an insulating layer of aluminium by a I’m at home. It doesn’t compromise on very much at all’ $
coachbuilder. The bespoke birch-ply interior offers further heat Fitzroy, 20 Fore St, Fowey, PL23 1AQ (01726 932934; fitzroycornwall.com)

Above: Jeremie stands outside the Box – or Mother, as he and his son have also taken to calling their truck. ‘Because it’s fun to put
Mother in a sentence,’ he says. ‘Mother needs a wash etc.’ Opposite: a fabric curtain separates the living quarters from the cab
At Guantes Luque, a time-capsule of a glove shop in Madrid, they believe in doing things the old-fashioned way – holding
use for 130 years. Untouched since the 1950s, the interior is as evocative of a lost age as the products. Could there be
Gloves for every occasion – and every size
of hand – are stored by the hundred in the
glass display cabinets ranged around the
walls of the Guantes Luque shop in Madrid

H A N D
M A D E
T A L E
firm against mass production as well as the, er, digital revolution. That means no website, no email, and a till that’s been in
anywhere more charming? Ana Dominguez Siemens throws down the crocheted gauntlet… Photography: Ricardo Labougle
Above: all the furniture and panelling dates back to the 1950s,
when the interior was redesigned. However, the monolithic cash
register is a throwback to the shop’s early days at the end of the
19th century. Drawings by illustrator Enrique Herreros punctuate
the spaces between the display niches and the warehouse door

Above: a sturdy old sewing machine and some of the tools of the
glover’s trade sit behind the counter at the back of the shop – a
reminder that things are handmade and not merely sold here.
Left: precision stitching is seen in a pair of gentlemen’s natural-
coloured gloves in the softest leather on display in the window
Above: mannequin hands in the window appear ready to wave
at passers-by in Calle Espoz y Mina, enticing them through the
entrance. The emblem above the doorway – two dogs fighting
over a glove – is the work of Enrique Herreros, who was a close
friend of a forebear of the current proprietor in the shop’s heyday

Above: the sign in the window advertises the shop’s trade to the
world at large, while an old-fashioned yellow-film blind protects
the goods displayed on tables inside from fading. Right: a lick of
jaunty red nail polish on this mannequin hand complements a
pair of traditional leather-and-crochet driving gloves for women
The shop’s interior adheres to the fashion prevailing in
Madrid in the 1950s, a city that was still recovering from
war but gradually beginning to witness new life. While
adopting the modern lines of the time, the style still clings
to the traditional. It is gloves they are selling here, so they
chose materials and fittings that would convey a sense of
warmth, with the odd detail here and there – a stag’s head
over the door to the back room, a pair of decorative antlers
– hinting at the great outdoors and the cold that custom-
ers should be so mindful to ward against. The entire space
is lined with wood, with marble surrounding the entrance
and windows inside and out. This and the flashes of gild-
ed brass give the whole place an air of elegance. Two col-
umns in the middle of the shop f loor are covered with
plywood dyed a reddish brown, while their skirting-boards
have been stained a shade of green to complement the dark-
grey tiles underfoot. The furniture consists of banks of
wooden drawers against the wall, with mirrored panels in
the upper part making the room appear larger and lighter,
as well as a series of glass display cases in which the mer-
chandise is visible in drawers within.
On one counter we find a curious sculptural piece of
solid tree root known as a juana along with some long poles
and a small round velvet-covered cushion. ‘That is for
the customer to rest their elbow on when trying on items,
while I use the poles and the juana to stretch the gloves,’
AN ATTRACTIVE woman trying on explains Alvaro. It is an operation that he executes with
gloves for a wedding is unsure what she wants. Behind the consummate skill and delicacy until the chosen design fits
counter in Guantes Luque, Alvaro Ruiz offers her consid- the customer’s hand like a second skin. In the shop win-
ered advice about styles. Next, a gentleman visiting from dow, merchandise is exhibited on old wooden arms, many
Britain requests something suitable for driving. Show with their nails painted, which themselves stand on glass
me your hand, the proprietor says. He can tell by eye ex- shelves supported by splayed iron rods in a style redolent
actly what size a customer needs and never gets it wrong, of the 1950s. The logo over the doorway depicting a pair of
just as he knows immediately in which of the shop’s many dogs fighting over a glove was designed by the illustrator
drawers he will find the right pair of gloves. Enrique Herreros, a friend of Carlos Luque and director of
Guantes Luque is located near Puerta del Sol, in the cen- the humorous magazine La Codorniz, which was a sensa-
tre of Madrid, and a document hanging on the wall certifies tion in Spain during the period the shop was designed. He
it to be one of the city’s traditional family-run businesses. is also responsible for the drawings on the wall.
The name on the window is that of Alvaro’s great-uncle, Alvaro says that putting any old glove on your hand is
Carlos Luque. ‘But he was not the one who started the busi- not the same as wearing one made from the finest kid,
ness in 1886,’ says Alvaro. ‘He was the one who took over the which requires personal attention. This is precisely why
shop in the Fifties after inheriting it from his father.’ It was he refuses to sell online. ‘I am aware that people leave here
then that the interior was redesigned, and it has been kept with the sense of having had a very special experience,’ he
exactly the same ever since. The shop measures some 50sq m says. ‘It is something that can only be done in person and
(although there is a little more space in the back room and it gives me a satisfaction that nothing else can’ $
on the two upper floors, which are used for storage) and Guantes Luque, 3 Calle de Espoz y Mina, 28012 Madrid, Spain
nothing has been altered or restored. This is the way Alvaro (00 34 91 522 3287)
likes it. ‘It tells the story of a family, of a 100-year-old busi-
ness that is still running and operates in almost exactly the
same way as it did in the last century.’
It has no website or email address and so, if you want
to order gloves made by hand in the traditional manner,
you have to visit in person or, at the very least, call on the
Top: a show of (dummy) hands here for a trio of ladies’
telephone. And yet this small outfit manages to supply
crocheted-cotton gauntlet gloves, which are designed to
many places in the world, including Hollywood. ‘We have be worn in the evening or on special occasions. Opposite:
sent gloves for lots of films, especially for Disney, for whom Carlos Luque, the present proprietor’s great-uncle, left his
we made, for example, the gloves for the latest film about stamp on the shop when he took over in the 1950s and
Mary Poppins, and Cinderella,’ says Alvaro. oversaw its redesign in a st yle fashionable at the time
inspiration
Some of the design effects in this issue, recreated by Grace McCloud

1 Such is Roland Beaufre’s orange obsession,


he’s even got a kitchen floor in the colour (page
61). If this hot hue is ideal for you too, consider
‘Tangerine Dream’ vinyl, £39.95 per sq m, by
Harvey Maria. Also shown: ‘Clay’ rubber, £55
per sq m, and ‘Frosty Blue’ vinyl, £39.95 per sq m.
Ring 0330 330 1231, or visit harveymaria.com.

2 2 It’s fitting that Beaufre, who spends half his


time in Tangier, has filled his French house with
tangerine treasures, including a vintage mod-
ular sofa (page 57). If its sinuous shape appeals,
we’d suggest De Sede’s ‘DS-600’ (from £1,780),
covered in ‘Cumulus 700’ velour. Ring Chaplins
on 020 8421 1779, or visit chaplins.co.uk.

3 The clashing colours of the 1970s are mal-


igned by many, if not by the French photogra-
pher – note his decidedly period brown-and-
3 orange settee (page 55). Similarly in the groove
is the London Transport Museum, which sells
products in its distinctive seat mo-
quettes; this mini ‘District’ cush-
ion, from a c1975 design, costs £30.
Visit ltmuseumshop.co.uk.

4 Mario Buatta set about filling his


American Gothic house with Eng-
lish Gothick things, including the
hall’s bookcase (page 80). Follow
in the arch-maximalist’s footsteps
4 with a ‘Strawberry Gothick’ side-
board, £2,250, by Nicky Haslam for
Oka. Ring 03330 042042, or visit oka.com.

5 The Prince of Chintz got his thrills buying


PHOTOGRAPHY: LIAM STEVENS (1, 8 RIGHT AND BOTTOM, 12)
beautiful things, but where did he get his frills?
Admiring the ruffled lampshade on page 81,
we found that A Shade Above can make some-
thing similar from £256.80. Pop it on Besselink
& Jones’s hand-painted tea-caddy base, £906,
and you’ve got yourself a combo à la Mario.
Visit ashadeabove.co.uk. Visit besselink.com.

6 Real or reproduced, Mario Buatta wasn’t


fussed when it came to paintings, as long as they
caught his eye for English style – spot the copy
of a Stubbs spaniel on page 84. The original is in
the Yale Center for British Art and also stars on
6 one of its ‘Dog’ magnets, $13.80 for four. Ring
001 203 432 2828, or visit britishart.yale.edu.

5
7 La Païva populated her palatial town house
7

with majestic sculptures, statements of her fem-


ininity and power (page 39). If you fancy such
allusions to grandeur, Coade’s magnificent ter-
racotta ‘Four Seasons’ cost £35,000 each. Ring 8
01722 744499, or visit coade.co.uk.

8 Hôtel de la Païva’s conservatory is surely the


prime spot to sit – especially if you’re lounging
in the mustard tub chair (page 43). Recreate
the scene with Beaumont & Fletcher’s version,
from £2,600, upholstered in C&C Milano’s
straw ‘Siena 126183’ (£186 per m) and fringed
with Houlès’s ‘Palladio 33139-9100’ (£53 per
m), which can be made in bespoke lengths. Visit
beaumontandfletcher.com. Visit cec-milano.
com. Visit houles.com.
9

9 WoI disciples will know the


terracotta plant pots in Antoine
Vandewoude’s Antwerp kit-
chen are from southern France
(page 71), made there for cen-
turies. Terre d’Anduzes con-
tinues that tradition. Shown are
‘Anduze Big’, £1,585 approx,
and green ‘Pompadour’, £180
approx. Ring 00 33 6 82 17 83
55, or visit vase.fr.

10 The Belgian polymath’s


1950s kitchen is in mint condi-
10
tion (page 69), literally. Thanks
to Source, you can buy fully refurbished units
by Paul Metalcraft (left) and CSA (right). Prices
start at £540 for a wall section. Ring 0117 300
3690, or visit source-antiques.co.uk. 11

11 A tree-trunk-turned-table is the perfect


spot for a cup of cha with Mr Cha (page 51).
Andrianna Shamaris’s teak log bench/coffee
table, $6,900, is a fine stand-in. Ring 001 212
388 9898, or visit andriannashamarisinc.com.

12 What’s black and white and draped all


over? Cha Jun Ho’s makeshift dust-sheets (page
50). Made from pure cotton, Schumacher’s black
‘Geyer Stripe 175246’, £132 per m, warrants a
seam or two to turn it into some proper under-
counter curtains. Ring 020 7259 7280, or visit
turnellandgigon.com $ 12
Troy unconfined, Simon says, plus Charlotte Edwards’s listings

EXHIBITION diary
OPPOSITE: © TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. THIS PAGE, TOP LEFT: MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO NAZIONALE DI NAPOLI 9010. TOP RIGHT: KUNSTHAUS ZURICH 1987/0008

Troy: Myth and Reality BRITISH MUSEUM Great Russell St, London WC1
To say that the Trojan War has cast a long shadow is the feeblest also had a huge impact on Western culture: ancient Greek and
of understatements. For 3,000 years this story of the beautiful Roman sculptures unearthed during the Renaissance brought
Helen, the powerful Achilles and the clever Odysseus has been an people face to face with numerous figures from Trojan myth­
essential thread in the cultural DNA of successive civilisations. ology such as the priest Laocoön and his sons fighting with sea
Actual Trojan ancestry has been claimed by many European serpents – works of art that had a profound effect on artists such
dynasties, including the French and the Turks, with even the as Raphael and Michelangelo.
Britons considering themselves to be descended from Brutus, Early 19th­century Britain flattered its soldiers and states­
a grandson of the Trojan hero Aeneas. Curators at the British men by comparing them sculpturally to Homeric heroes, while
Museum in London (or, if you prefer, Troy Novant – the name later artists such as Edward Poynter homed in with psycholog­
Brutus chose when, according to legend, he founded the city) ical intensity on Helen’s fabled beauty (‘the face that launched
have been examining our seemingly endless fascination with a thousand ships’ as Christopher Marlowe had put it in Doctor
the place through the art and artefacts it has inspired. Faustus). In illustrations to the Iliad and the Odyssey created in the
Some aspects of the cycle of myths have gripped the imagina­ early 1970s Elisabeth Frink took a sideways look at the story,
tion with such tenacity that we still instinctively reach for them introducing an ambiguity to heroes and monsters, while Eleanor
to express ideas: an Achilles heel; a Trojan horse. Among the ear­ Antin’s 2007 photographic series Helen’s Odyssey reimagines the
liest works of art on display at the British Museum is a pottery story from the heroine’s point of view. The focus might shift to
storage jar made in Mykonos around 675bc decorated in relief suit the times, but the basic themes – love, deception, war, grief,
with a great wooden horse on wheels, windows in its side and hope – are universal.
neck revealing Greek soldiers within. There is something almost Will we ever cease to dip into the Troy story to discover truths
uncanny about an object of such antiquity that illustrates a story about ourselves? The scope and riches of this exhibition suggest
so instantly recognisable today. Every bit as numinous are spear­ not. ‘Humanity has learned much from engagement with the
heads and drinking cups from the historical site of Troy, exca­ characters in the story of Troy,’ conclude the curators in their
vated in Turkey in the 1870s by Heinrich Schliemann. authoritative and elegantly written catalogue, ‘but it has not yet
The exhibition deftly reveals how each successive era has learned to heed Cassandra’s warning. War remains as much a
mined the legends to reflect its own preoccupations: as charm­ part of the human condition as it did when the armies met and
ing illuminated manuscripts show, Medieval France adapted clashed outside the walls of Troy.’ TROY: MYTH AND REALITY runs until
‘the matter of Troy’ to suit its culture of courtly love, with brave 8 March, Mon­Thurs, Sat, Sun 10­5.30, Fri 10­8.30 $ SUSAN OWENS
knights and fair maidens in contemporary dress. But antiquities is the author of ‘The Ghost: A Cultural History’ (Tate)

Opposite: wine-mixing bowl depicting the sacrifice of Iphigenia, c370-355bc, Apulia, Italy. This page, top left: Roman fresco showing the Trojans pulling the wooden
horse into Troy, ad45-79, House of Cipius, Pamphilus Felix, Pompeii. Top right: Cy Twombly, Vengeance of Achilles, 1962, oil, chalk and graphite on canvas, 3 × 1.75m
THE INTERIORS

INDEX
The Interiors Index, The World of Interiors’
new online directory of shops, galleries
and services is now live.

Visit worldofinteriors.co.uk/interiors-index
to search those specialists whose ethos
of quality and style mirrors that of the
magazine itself.
EXHIBITION diary

Raphaela Simon: Erdbeeren MICHAEL WERNER GALLERY Upper Brook St, London W1
In 2016, the young German painter Raphaela Simon (b.1986) kitsch diversion from the paintings, they added to the dark narra-
decided she needed to break free of the artistic trap she had created tive with which the artist had been experimenting when she alluded
for herself. Since graduating from the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, to German folk tales in her earlier exhibition. Like Oldenburg’s soft
where she had been taught by Peter Doig, she had been steadily sculptures, it was difficult not to anthropomorphise these objects.
gaining a reputation for tightly ordered abstract paintings in ‘Yes, people often say they look sad and lonely,’ concedes Simon;
stripes, checks and circles that were beautiful in scale, simplic- ‘perhaps the stitching makes them look a little run-down.’
ity and directness. They echoed a tradition of cool Minimalist art Having escaped the confines of her practice, she now turned
that dated back to the mid-20th century, with elements of Bridget back to painting, swapping the rigour and order of abstraction for
Riley, Sol Le Witt and Philip Guston, but in an icy palette that Pop art’s chaos of consumption. For the London exhibition, she
recalled Disney’s Frozen. Speaking from her Berlin studio on the has expanded her palette and created figurative works of everyday
eve of her first solo exhibition in London, Simon says: ‘I suddenly objects against black backgrounds. Like her sculptures, the pictures
wanted to be an amateur again, and make mistakes.’ have a beguiling, naïve quality, evocative of children’s illustrators
The artist began to sew, something she such as Dick Bruna or David McKee – par-
admits she is not very good at – creating life- ticularly in the pink marshmallowy folds of
sized forms in fabric and wire reminiscent Daunenjacke (‘Puffer Jacket’).
of Claes Oldenburg’s floppy sculptures of the Titled Erdbeeren (‘Strawberries’) – Simon
1960s. The first stitched artworks she consid- often chooses one-word names – the show
ered exhibiting were two tables for a show in features images of things she would like to
Los Angeles, Tischlein deck dich (‘The Wishing own, including Mr Magoo-like spectacles
ALL IMAGES: COURTESY MICHAEL WERNER GALLERY, NEW YORK & LONDON

Table’), referencing a Grimm fairytale in with electric-blue lenses, a zoot suit with a
which objects come to life. ‘In the end, I ex- crimson lining and some platform heels. But
changed them for abstract paintings that I laid there are also two paintings of overflowing
on the ground,’ she says, but the idea remained wheelie bins. Is this the 21st-century answer
and, in 2017, Simon succeeded in combin- to Pop art’s celebration of mass production?
ing the contradictions in her practice into one ‘Yes, these paintings are certainly more com-
immaculate exhibition of soft sculptures and plicated,’ she admits – suggesting that she is
pictures at Michael Werner’s New York space. just as conflicted over consumer culture as
The show was witty, and colourful. Simon the rest of us. RAPHAELA SIMON: ERDBEEREN runs
staged her fabric forms, with their wobbly until 18 Jan, Tues-Sat 10-6 $ JESSICA LACK is
postures and saggy faces, to look like guests an arts writer whose book ‘Global Art’ will be pub-
attending a private view. Yet far from being a lished by Thames & Hudson in April

Top left: Jackett mit Futter (‘Jacket with Lining’), 2019, oil on linen, 1.75 × 2.m. Top right: 11 Uhr (‘11 o’clock’),
2019, oil on linen, 2 × 1.6m. Above: Polizist (‘Policeman’), 2019, fabric, cotton, wood, wire, 200 × 60 × 40cm
EXHIBITION diary
1

LONDON MAZZOLENI ALBEMARLE ST, W1 Until 18 Jan. Mon-Fri


THE ARTS CLUB DOVER ST, W1 Until 18 Jan. Wed, Sat 10-6, Sat 11-5. ‘To act? That is to scratch, to tear,
1 Point break – Fiona 10-12. Ring 020 7499 8581 for appointment. Pared- to stain, to invade the canvas with colour, in
Banner, Full Stop down, blocky, nearly abstract landscapes by brief everything which is not “to paint”,’ said
Seascape; Optima Etel Adnan and Ilse D’Hollander. Hans Hartung, a linchpin of Art Informel. Ty-
and Nuptial, 2019, BASTIAN DAVIES ST, W1 Until 15 Feb. Tues-Sat 10-6. ing in with a Paris retrospective, this survey
at Frith Street. Dear Prudence: the warmth of friendship – also includes works by peers such as Pierre
2 Heaven sent – in this case, between the artist and his epony- Soulages, Wols and Zao Wou-Ki.
Carlo Dolci, Saint mous studio manager – glows in Dan Flavin’s OSTERLEY PARK JERSEY RD, TW7 Until 23 Feb. Mon-
Agatha, c1665-70, fluorescent-tube sculptures, which he often Sun 11-4. Bankers’ vault: pictures and treasures
at Osterley Park. dedicated to his family and inspirations. owned by the Child family, financiers to Isaac
3 Sunset boulevard BRITISH LIBRARY EUSTON RD, NW1 Until 23 Feb. Mon, Newton, William & Mary and Nell Gwyn, and
– Josef Herman, Wed-Fri 9.30-6, Tues 9.30-8, Sat 9.30-5, Sun 11-5. the owners of this estate from 1713 to 1804.
Untitled, 1985- Enter colour nirvana in an exhibition of rain- THE PERIMETER BROWNLOW MEWS, WC1 Until 10
86, at Flowers. bow-bright scrolls and other Buddhist manu- Jan. Tues-Fri 11-5. Visit theperimeter.co.uk to book.
2 scripts, including sacred texts written on tree Ron Nagle’s punky pocket-sized ceramics.
bark, palm leaves and gold plates. PHILIP MOULD & COMPANY PALL MALL, SW1 Until 24
CHARLES DICKENS MUSEUM DOUGHTY ST, WC1 Until Jan. Mon-Fri 9.30-6. Bright young things: Am-
19 April. Mon-Sun 10-5 (until 31 Dec), Tues-Sun 10-5 brose McEvoy often used coloured light bulbs
(from 2 Jan). ‘I am sick of the thing,’ Dickens to light the socialites and celebrities who sat
said of Christmas in 1868; yet he did more for his febrile, effervescent portraits.
than any author to shape our concept of the THE PHOTOGRAPHERS’ GALLERY RAMILLIES ST, W1
festival. So come let us adore a Yuletide array Until 9 Feb. Mon-Wed, Fri, Sat 10-6, Thurs 10-8, Sun
of manuscripts, books and illustrations in his 11-6. Consumer culture: food in photographs
holly-bedecked former home. by Man Ray, Cindy Sherman, Martin Parr,
DESIGN MUSEUM KENSINGTON HIGH ST, W8 Until 23 Nobuyoshi Araki. Plus, a Soho portfolio.
Feb. Mon-Sun 10-6. Red plan-it: a blueprint for PIPPY HOULDSWORTH GALLERY HEDDON ST, W1 Until
our future life on Mars. What role could de- 18 Jan. Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 11-5. Wild, bestial fig-
signers have in modelling the seven-month ures stump up and down stairs or writhe ag-
voyage out, clothing, food and shelter? ainst jungle landscapes in Jacqueline de Jong’s
FLOWERS KINGSLAND RD, E2 Until 25 Jan. Tues-Sat primary-coloured paintings.
10-6. Following Josef Herman’s escape from SARAH MYERSCOUGH GALLERY WHITE HART LANE,
3
Nazi-occupied Europe, his haunted, frac- SW13 Until 31 Jan. Tues-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5. A crop of
tured images of his Polish childhood give way artists and makers who sculpt and weave with
to quietly hopeful depictions of coppery sun- natural, raw, sustainable materials: jute, sisal,
sets, working families and miners (whom he willow, grasses, wild silk.
called ‘walking monument[s] to labour’). STEPHEN FRIEDMAN GALLERY OLD BURLINGTON ST,
FRITH STREET GALLERY GOLDEN SQUARE, W1 Until W1 Until 18 Jan. Tues-Fri 10-6, Sat 11-5. Ged Quinn’s
24 Jan. Tues-Fri 10-6, Sat 11-5. End point: Fiona lush lyrical landscapes, painted from the per-
Banner’s apocalyptic new paintings, tradi- spective of a lonely wanderer. Plus, restrained,
tional figurative seascapes in which the ships flattened still lifes of pots and plants by 1960s
are replaced by giant black full stops. graphic designer Ed Baynard.
HERALD ST MUSEUM ST, WC1 Until 25 Jan. Tues-Sat TATE BRITAIN MILLBANK, SW1 Until 5 Jan. Mon-Sun
11-6. Are you sitting uncomfortably? New 10-6. Mark Leckey’s life-size replica of a bridge
York sculptor Jessi Reaves transforms found on the M53 is the setting for an excavation of
furniture into spiky surrealist objects using youth culture, memory and nostalgia. Until 2
foam, glue, plywood and padding. Feb, Blakebuster (WoI Oct 2019). Until 3 May,
HOUSE OF ILLUSTRATION GRANARY SQUARE, N1 Until class act: Steve McQueen’s group photographs
4 5
19 Jan. Tues-Sat 10-5.30, Sun 11-5.30. Graphic de- of 75,000 schoolchildren.
sign in Cuba, 1966-2019. Until 1 March, put- THADDAEUS ROPAC DOVER ST, W1 Until 25 Jan. Tues-
4 Whirl apart – WEB ting you in the picture: stylish, radical, still- Sat 10-6. Capital gains: Austrian feminist artist
Du Bois, City and Rural relevant turn-of-the-century infographics by valie export – whose rendering of her name
Population, 1890, at African-American activist WEB Du Bois. is a kind of logo – recreates a provocative mon-
House of Illustration. LISSON GALLERY BELL ST, NW1 Until umental sculpture first exhibited at the 1980
5 Inner workings – Tony 29 Feb. Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 11-5. Pile Venice Biennale, exploring the
Cragg, Lost in Thought, driver: Tony Cragg’s stacked female body as medium and
2018, at Lisson. or layered sculptures. site of meaning.
6 Pasta the vista – a MARIAN GOODMAN GALLERY LOW- WHITE CUBE BERMONDSEY ST, SE1
1940 work by Weegee, ER JOHN ST, W1 Until 11 Jan. Tues- Until 26 Jan. Tues-Sat 10-6, Sun
at the Photographers’ Sat 10-6. Reworked series and 12-6. Anselm Kiefer’s heavy-
Gallery. 7 Lump sum – new soundtracked slideshows weight paintings and installa-
Ron Nagle, Frankly by unflinching photographic tions grappling with history,
Speaking, 1997, artist Nan Goldin. conflict and string theory.
at The Perimeter
6 7

108
EXHIBITION diary
1

OUTSIDE LONDON OXFORD MODERN ART OXFORD Until 19 Jan. Tues-Sat 1 Homage to Catalonia
BATH HOLBURNE MUSEUM Until 5 Jan. Mon-Sat 10-5, 10-5, Sun 12-5. Kiki Smith’s tapestries strewn – Wilhelmina Barns-
Sun 11-5. Rembrandt prints. See Oct issue. Plus, with animals, birds and goddesses, hybrid Graham, Barcelona
Matisse etchings from the Kasmin collection figurines in porcelain or bronze, and prints Series, c1992, in
(WoI June 2018). Plus, a million little pieces: delving into fantasy, myth and magic. Berwick. 2 Cooking
Candace Bahouth’s tabletop mosaic installa- READING MUSEUM OF ENGLISH RURAL LIFE Until 31 up a storm – William
tion, in the Ballroom gallery. Jan. Tues-Fri 9-5, Sat, Sun 10-5. You’ll get a real Orpen, Le Chef
BERWICK-UPON-TWEED GRANARY GALLERY Until 23 buzz from books, prints and other ephemera de l’Hôtel Chatham,
Feb. Wed-Sun 11-4. How travels in Europe – from relating to bees, drawn from TW Cowan’s ex- Paris, c1921, in
Switzerland in 1949 to Lanzarote in 1993 – tensive collection. Until 29 March, vintage Lady- Compton. 3 Dog days
changed the perspective and practice of St bird books about space and astronomy. – Henr y Bernard
Ives painter Wilhelmina Barns-Graham. SOUTHAMPTON CITY ART GALLERY Until 1 Feb. Mon- Chalon, Unkennelling
BIRMINGHAM IKON 4 Dec-23 Feb. Tues-Sun 11-5. Fri 10-3, Sat 10-5. Brothers beyond: the influ- the Royal Hounds
Brum-born John Walker, whose blackboard ence of the Pre-Raphaelites on past move- on Ascot Heath,
drawings launched this gallery’s 1970s incar- ments and contemporary artists. 1817, in Newmarket.
2
nation in New Street station shopping cen- JOHN HANSARD GALLERY Until 11 Jan. Tues-Sat 11-5.
tre, shows ‘anti-scenic’ landscapes inspired Making waves: Haroon Mirza’s ‘composi-
by the coast of Maine. Plus, Meryl McMaster tions’ of sound, light, electricity and water.
dons wearable sculptures for her performa- TISBURY MESSUMS WILTSHIRE 7 Dec-26 Jan. Wed-Sat
tive photographic self-portraits. 10-5, Sun 10-4. Visit messumswiltshire.com to book
COLCHESTER FIRSTSITE Until 12 Jan. Mon-Sun 10-5. ‘after dark’ tickets, Wed & Sat 5-8. A glowing field of
Works by black British artists from the Arts illuminated stems, projections onto wrapped
Council Collection, chosen by local bame com- hay bales and, in the 13th-century barn, a
munities. Until 26 Jan, early and contempo- shimmering son-et-lumière installation of
rary computer-generated art, on tour from cds and dvds by Bruce Munro.
the V&A. Until 8 March, little Britain: Antony TRURO ROYAL CORNWALL MUSEUM Until 12 Jan.
Gormley’s carpet of tiny terracotta figures, Tues-Sat 10-4. The 14th-century Courtauld Bag
made by 100 volunteers in 1993. is among the pieces of intricate Islamic metal-
COMPTON WATTS GALLERY Until 23 Feb. Mon-Sun work on loan from that London gallery.
10.30-5. Orpen season: Sir William’s expres- AUSTRIA VIENNA KUNSTHISTORISCHES MUSEUM
sive portraits and closely observed drawings. Until 19 Jan. Mon-Wed, Fri 9-6, Thurs, Sat, Sun 9-9.
DERRY/LONDONDERRY VOID Until 18 Jan. Tues-Sat Emotions run high in the first ever exhibi- 3
11-5. Politics and activism in Derek Jarman’s tion juxtaposing Caravaggio and Bernini.
film The Last of England and his ‘gbh’ painting FRANCE PARIS MUSEE MAILLOL Until 19 Jan. Mon-
series, a show coinciding with a major retro- Thurs, Sat, Sun 10.30-6.30, Fri 10.30-8.30. A history
spective at Imma, Dublin. of French ‘naive’ painters – road-menders,
EAST WINTERSLOW NEW ART CENTRE Until 19 Jan. wrestlers and post-office workers as well as
Mon-Sun 11-4. North Devon nature studies by the famous ‘Douanier’ – and their collectors.
photographer Tessa Traeger. Plus, Malgorzata One early supporter was Dina Vierny: model
Bany’s Jesmonite sculpture and furniture. to Maillol and Matisse, French Resistance
EDINBURGH NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Until agent, and the founder of this museum.
26 Jan. Mon-Sun 10-5. Clock-watching: exqui- ITALY ROME GALLERIA BORGHESE Until 2 Feb. Tues,
site early British astronomical watches and Wed, Sun 9-7, Thurs 9-9, Fri 9-10, Sat 9-11 (until 31
other timepieces. Until 29 March, inscribed Dec); Tues, Wed, Fri-Sun 9-7, Thurs 9-9 (from 2 Jan).
Chinese oracle bones, used for divination in Luigi Valadier’s ornate furnishings, fireplaces
the late Shang dynasty (c1200-1050bc). and tableware for Borghese’s villa and other
TALBOT RICE GALLERY Until 1 Feb. Tues-Fri 10-5, 18th-century Roman interiors.
4
Sat 12-5. A brainy group show drawing on re- USA DENVER DENVER ART MUSEUM Until 2 Feb. Mon- 5
search into distributed cognition: how the Thurs, Sat, Sun 10-5, Fri 10-8. Some 120 paintings
mind engages with external factors such as illustrate Monet’s increasingly intimate and 4 Snakes alive –
tools, technologies and other individuals. isolated relationship with nature. Gian Lorenzo Bernini,
Myriam Lefkowitz suggests you take a silent, NEW YORK THE MET Until 25 March. Mon-Thurs, Sun Medusa, 1638-40,
blindfolded walk, steered by a guide, who 10-5.30, Fri, Sat 10-9. Automata, scientific in- in Vienna. 5 Hive of
invites you to open your eyes at intervals to struments and other marvels from the courts industry – cover
create snapshots of time and place. of 16th- to 18th-century Europe. design for Buz, by
NEWMARKET PALACE HOUSE Until 19 MUSEUM OF ARTS & DESIGN Until Maurice Noel, c1885,
April. Mon-Sun 10-5. George IV was 26 Jan. Tues, Wed, Fri-Sun 10-6, in Reading. 6 Colour
so sports-mad that he invited all Thurs 10-9. Kerchief executive: field – Claude Monet,
his favourite boxers to be ushers Vera Neumann’s charm- Landscape in the Ile
at his coronation. This show of ing (and phenomenally Saint-Martin, 1881,
sporting art focuses in- successful) painted designs in Denver. 7 Bitten
stead on the king’s pas- for scarves, blouses and by the bug – May
sion for horses and racing. other textiles $ beetle automaton,
7 c1600, in New York
6

109
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JOURNAL OF A WALLPAPER SCHOLAR

REPEAT PURCHASES
PRINCESS LOUISE LIKED LEAFY PATTERNS, WHILE GERTRUDE JEKYLL BOUGHT 137 ROLLS AT ONCE. COWTAN & SONS’ OLD WALLPAPER ORDER
BOOKS TEEM WITH SUCH SNIPPETS, WRITES WENDY ANDREWS – AND THEY TELL US MUCH ABOUT HIGH SPENDING AND CHANGING TASTE

‘A kind of vertical archaeology’ is how the late Treve Rosoman of Spanning 1824 to 1938, the order books offer a fascinating in-
Historic England once described wallpaper to me. It seemed a neat sight into evolving tastes and show how designs went in and out of
way of describing its importance historically, for layers of paper fashion. Patterns popular in the 1830s such as fleur-de-lys or natu-
tell us so much about past taste and the history of houses. ralistic floral or bird motifs were in demand again a century later.
My passion began at Oxburgh Hall, a moated Medieval manor In the 1860s Cowtan proudly advertised Chinese papers ‘import-
house in Norfolk managed by the National Trust. Built in the 1480s ed direct from Canton’ – and was still supplying them in the early
by the Bedingfeld family, who still live there, it has interesting 20th century. While traditional flocks and architectural designs
Gothic Revival wallpapers that I investigated while studying fluctuated in popularity, the books reflect the appetite for later in-
building history at Cambridge University. At the Victoria and novations such as Anaglypta and Tynecastle that imitated em-
Albert Museum, I found wallpaper orders for Oxburgh dating bossed leathers and plasterwork.
from 1831 to 1905 in the extensive Cowtan archive, which was The Cowtan archive reveals many gems. In 1866, a vivid fo-
given to the V&A by the family. Most of these papers have long liage pattern was ordered for the Chancery at Lincoln with the
since disappeared from the hall but the earliest, a gothic quatre- instruction ‘the green to be without arsenic’ amid fears of the
foil pattern block-printed in deep red, still hangs in a corridor pigment’s poisonous properties. Queen Victoria’s daughter Prin-
between a bedroom and boudoir. Confirming the wallpaper’s cess Louise bought papers with leaf designs and gold embossing
provenance was exciting, but the greater revelation was the sheer for Kensington Palace in 1875, the same year that her sister Prin-
breadth of the 24 Cowtan order books, filled as they are with thou- cess Alice ordered something similar for her marital home in
sands of swatches for historic houses in Britain and around the Darmstadt. In 1880, garden designer Gertrude Jekyll ordered 137
world. Thus began my doctorate. rolls for Munstead House, before moving to Munstead Wood,
Although far less well known today than Morris, Sanderson, which Lutyens built for her. But Cowtan’s biggest spenders were
Jeffrey and Cole (all of whose goods it supplied), Cowtan & Sons the bankers John Pierpont Morgan and his son JP Jnr, who deco-
was one of the most successful wallpaper and decorating firms rated their houses in New York and London with dozens of its
of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The historian Eric Entwisle wallpapers. Just two years before the outbreak of World War I,
once said that its client list read ‘like an extract from Debrett’s’. the German embassy in Carlton House Terrace placed a sub-
Having created a database of its customers, I can only agree. Royal stantial order. It is striking that even during the war wealthy cus-
ILLUSTRATION: MARK STEVENS

residences and country estates appear in its books – Buckingham tomers in Britain and America continued to shop for wallpaper.
Palace, Chatsworth and Holkham among them – as well as many Decorating as distraction therapy perhaps.
National Trust properties, town houses and vicarages. Wallpapers Although many houses lost their papers a long time ago, the
for billiard rooms and boudoirs, butler’s pantries and garden- Cowtan archive offers a unique record of their decorative histo-
er’s cottages all feature. The company even exported wallpapers ries, and I feel sure it will continue to reveal more stories for cur-
around the world in tin-lined trunks. rent owners, visitors and scholars alike $
LOS ANGELES CHICAGO BOSTON NEW YORK MIAMI SAN FRANCISCO LONDON

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