English Exuberance

The English are masters of the eccentric look (I'm referring specifically to interiors, but many Brits have proven to be eccentric dressers too). And despite the notion of the British "stiff upper lip", they can also be an exuberant people. British history is filled with grand homes and estates that displayed a vibrancy and an enthusiasm that was uniquely their own.

Whereas our American ancestors might have been tempered by their Puritan roots, many members of the British upper class did not seem constrained by such humility. To me, one of the most exuberant British houses was Brighton Pavilion, that wild and lavish fantasy commissioned by George IV while he was Prince Regent. While many of the Prince Regent's contemporaries ridiculed the Pavilion (and let's face it- many of the rooms are a bit, well, should we say tacky?), perhaps old George had the last laugh. The Pavilion is still standing, still beckoning visitors, and continues to influence interiors, albeit on a smaller scale, around the world.

And while the British were ardent fans of Chinoiserie, they also displayed an eagerness to embrace other styles as well. Here are a few colorful examples:


The Peacock Bedroom at Sezincote, the early 19th century home designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell in the Mughal style.


The Gallery at Syon House, home of the Duke of Northumberland. Robert Adam was responsible for the glorious interiors of the house.


A bed designed by Robert Adam as a Temple of Venus, c. 1775-76. Located in the State Bedchamber at Osterley


The State Bedchamber at Kedleston Hall. The bed was built in the late 1760s.


Recognize this room? It's the Gothic bedroom at Haseley Court, Nancy Lancaster's country home. The bedroom was a collaborative effort between Lancaster and John Fowler.

Image at top: The Banqueting Room at Brighton Pavilion

The Hunting Lodge- Then and Now

One of the most charming houses featured in the recently published John Fowler: Prince of Decorators (written by Martin Wood) is Fowler's beloved country house, the "Hunting Lodge" . The Gothick style house is actually quite small, but this limitation did not deter Fowler. According to Wood's book, Fowler wanted to create a home that was "utterly unpretentious, very comfortable, with a veneer of elegance and informality and the feeling that one can sit down anywhere without having to move a chair." When I look at the photos of Fowler's home, I'm struck by the soft, faded colors, the chintz, the Mauny wallpaper, and the charming antique furniture. It is, in the words of Fowler, elegant and supremely comfortable.

After Fowler's death, the Hunting Lodge was deeded to the National Trust. Its current tenant is British designer Nicky Haslam, who has kept much of Fowler's scheme intact (do you think that would happen here in the States?). While Haslam's incarnation is a bit more formal and not quite as faded, it's still cozy and inviting nonetheless. British House & Garden recently published an article on Haslam's country home, so I thought I would show a comparison between the Hunting Lodge of each of these design legends.


The sitting room designed by Fowler. The color of the walls was "Sienna Pink", according to Wood.


Haslam's version of the sitting room; note that Haslam kept the Sienna Pink color for the walls.


The dining room from the Fowler era: originally this room had been a front hall. Fowler added trompe l'oeil paneling, a chest of drawers, and an upholstered chair to keep the room from looking like a "dead dining room".


Haslam's dining room, which was the only major change from Fowler's scheme. Haslam eliminated the wall between Fowler's smaller dining room and a service kitchen to create a larger room.


One of my favorite rooms from the Hunting Lodge- here, Fowler converted this little hallway and stairwell into a small library and study. The wallpaper is Mauny.


I'm so glad Haslam chose to keep this beautiful wallpaper, seen in the background.


Fowler painted his bedroom in blue distemper and applied a Mauny border vertically (a trick that Fowler also used in other homes). The bed hanging is "Victoria" chintz.


Once again, Haslam chose not to alter Fowler's scheme.


Fowler's summer house is still there too!

(Haslam images from UK House & Garden, photographer Simon Brown. Fowler quotations from "John Fowler: Prince of Decorators" by Martin Wood)

The Master Speaks

Many of you know that one of my design icons is the late Van Day Truex- designer, Parsons instructor, and Tiffany & Co. design director. An authority on all matters of design, Truex wrote an article in a 1946 issue of House & Garden about framing and hanging pictures (apparently something which confounded people back then as it does today).

Truex, whose living room is seen above, wrote that one should frame and hang a picture so that will "enhance, embellish, complement, and emphasize the picture". I agree. Truex preferred gold leaf and gilt frames for both modern and traditional pictures, although plain black or wooden frames were also acceptable. I think he would have approved of Kenneth Jay Lane's choice of frames for his Orientalist art:



Of course, not every picture is a fine work of art. For artwork that is more decorative, Truex said that framing could be as "entertaining and spirited as one wishes". I would say that these prints in a room by Roger Banks-Pye are definitely spirited- the geometric-patterned frames are quite striking.



Another treatment that I find quite charming is hanging pictures with decorative cord (although Truex, who was more of a purist, might not have agreed with me). You could use a simple cord, like that used by John Fowler:



Or you could go a bit more elaborate like Elsie de Wolfe did at Villa Trianon (although, to be quite honest, I can't tell if the cord is real or faux-painted):



Regarding placement of pictures, Truex advises one to hang or display the art in close proximity to one's furniture rather than up towards the ceiling. I think this vignette by Miles Redd sums up this idea perfectly:



And for a quirky spin on picture hanging, you could hang your artwork like Horst P. Horst did here, "like steps up the wall" according to H&G.

(Image of Kenneth Jay Lane from "Elle Decor So Chic")

The Mysterious Jib Door

In last week's post "Fun with Books", I showed a few examples of book-themed treatments of jib doors. A reader suggested that I devote a post to the subject of these doors, which seem to be more prevalent in Europe than they are here in the States (although there are jib doors in the Oval Office).

For those of you who may not be familiar with them, jib doors are basically disguised or concealed doors. The doors tend to be flush with the walls around them and lack any surrounding architecture, thereby creating a continuous plane. Many times the doors even have concealed hinges to further add to the disguise. Jib doors are usually given the same treatment as the rest of the walls in a room- paper, fabric, mirror, etc.

John Fowler was a designer who incorporated jib doors into many of his projects. In one of the images below, you will see that Fowler papered both the walls and the jib door with a Chinoiserie paper. But Fowler could also be quite inventive with his treatment of concealed doors. In David and Evangeline Bruce's Albany set, Fowler gave the jib door the same molding as the rest of the wall but added a trompe l'oeil painting to both the door and the wall. When one opened the jib door, the painting was revealed to be faux.

Even if you have never heard of the term "jib door", I'm sure you've seen them before. In fact, I think one of the most famous photos of a jib door has to be that above of Pauline de Rothschild opening the door in her Paris bedroom. And with beautiful wallpaper like that, who would want to mess it up with a clunky door!


This jib door at Colefax & Fowler in Mayair was cut into a large painted panel- the door became part of the artwork, so to speak.


The Bruce's dining room with the trompe l'oeil painting on the jib door.


A classic treatment of jib doors- papering both the walls and the door (located to the right of the bed). Design by John Fowler (Sudeley Castle.)


David Hicks was also a fan of jib doors. Here, he papered both the walls and the door with a marblelized paper. However, he also added a little lit vitrine that, according to Hicks' son, moved with the door. Now that's clever!


I once saw an interview with Albert Hadley in which, if I remember correctly, he discussed the concealed door in his gorgeous red hallway that led to his powder room (I believe he said that his guests usually had trouble finding the powder room!). I couldn't find any images of this, but did find a jib closet door in Hadley's guest room. Look closely- it's on the left-hand side of the room.


Jib doors in the Oval Office- a rather blah treatment of the concealed doors during Eisenhower's administration.

John Fowler: Prince of Decorators

I just got through reading the upcoming release, John Fowler: Prince of Decorators. If you're a student of interior design or design history, a lover of the English country look, or someone who is inspired by photos of beautiful interiors, then you truly must read this book. Written by author Martin Wood, this work is also the perfect companion piece to his previous book, Nancy Lancaster: English Country House Style.

Of course, Fowler is best known for creating the English country house look around the time of World War II (with some help from Lancaster, of course). This look, which has often been imitated to varying degrees of success, is one that is adored by some, admired by many, and dismissed by a few. What's important to remember, though, is that when Fowler developed this style, it was actually rather revolutionary. It was certainly in stark contrast to the modern look that was prevalent prior to WWII. It was also a novel way in which to decorate a stately British home, which tended to be the type of home on which Fowler worked.

The foundation of the English country look was beauty and comfort- two very noble design goals. Fowler achieved both by using comfortable and sometimes humble fabrics, charming prints, and painted furniture. This was truly a far cry from the stiff fabrics and mahogany furniture that had been the standard for these great homes. It was "good" design, not historical accuracy, that Fowler strove for.

I think that what makes this book a success is that Wood provides the reader with a thorough yet interesting account of Fowler's career. There is certainly enough information to satisfy those of us who love design history. For those who are more entertained by the photos- well, there are plenty of those too.


The drawing room of the Bruces at the Albany, London, designed by Fowler. Christopher Spitzmiller cites this home as the inspiration for his New York apartment.


Another celebrated Fowler room- the saloon at Daylesford, designed in the 1950s.


The drawing room at Hambleden. According to the author, this room has remained the same color for 40 years, proving how timeless Fowler's designs were.

John Fowler at the V&A

I recently had the opportunity to travel to London, and at the top of my to-do list was to see the exhibit "John Fowler: Detail in Decoration" at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Although comprising only two rooms, the exhibit was an excellent overview of John Fowler's fifty year career.

For those who may not be familiar with him, John Fowler is best known as the master of the English country look. He began his career as a decorative painter, later branching out into the field of interior design. In 1938, he joined forces with decorator Sybil Colefax to form Colefax and Fowler. Upon Colefax's death, Nancy Lancaster acquired the firm. Fowler learned a great deal from Lancaster, and although their taste was very similar, they tended to have a rather contentious relationship. As has been oft quoted, they were the "unhappiest unmarried couple in England". Fowler left the firm in 1968, and spent his later years advising on the restoration of National Trust houses.

Fowler had a deep interest in document fabrics and wallpapers and began to collect them (later leaving them to the V&A). He reproduced many of the historical patterns that he found, and these figure prominently in his work. One of his favorite document prints was "Berkeley Sprig"- a charming print of a flower against a trellis background. This print has been used in numerous Colefax & Fowler interiors. One of my favorite Fowler fabrics that was featured in the exhibit is a trompe l'oeil pattern of venetian style blinds- he used the fabric for roman shades, an idea that I just may borrow sometime.

One of the most delightful aspects of the exhibit was the display of painted furniture that Fowler either owned or used in his various projects. The painted furniture was rather simple and sometimes rustic but was thoroughly enchanting and contributed greatly to this English country look.

No exhibit on Fowler would be complete without including photos of some of his best-known rooms. Fowler's work for Mrs. David Bruce is legendary, especially his work on her London drawing room. Note the elaborate curtains, which are another hallmark of Fowler's design.

And of course, I couldn't leave out the famous yellow drawing room at Colefax and Fowler's shop/offices on Brook St. A collaboration between Fowler and Lancaster, this room ranks as one of the most iconic rooms in the history of interior design.