Vibrant interiors at Belton House

Despite the grey clouds below we stopped off at Belton House when we were staying close by last August - not quite the day we hoped for, but visiting somewhere with space indoors was a popular choice. It’s not a house I was familiar with, and we hadn’t visited before but it was clear that it was a popular place.

It’s a pretty impressive house, and the family - generations of Brownlows - commissioned the finest designers and craftsmen to deliver what is now a National Trust property. The house and gardens showcase cutting edge design and innovation including 17th century sash windows and a glorious cast iron-framed orangery which I’ll share in a future post.

Our visit started in the large and grand hall, with a vibrant carpet up the stairs and the classic chequerboard patterned floor. The suitcases discarded on the stairs gave an indication of the character of the place, and under the stairs - and not quite like the under the stairs storage that we’re more familiar with - was one of the first stunning pieces of furniture, an ornate laquered chest.

I was also rather taken with this very ornate writing desk, and I know it’s the many compartments and sections that are part of the appeal. But also it’s the scale and how it fits with its surroundings. Clearly it’s larger than standard furniture, but oh so stunning.

But it wasn’t the only jewel in the room, this restored lapis lazuli cabinet which was brought back from a Grand Tour over 300 years ago. Isn’t it stunning?

It wasn’t the only cabinet, or fireplace, or collection of vases that caught my eye and intrigued me.

And it seems that greyhounds were a bit of a thing for the family too - the table above, the doorplate below and outside on the weather vane.

Like many National Trust properties the rooms are vibrantly decorated, these rooms though remain vibrant I’m sure through recent restoration - the reds, golds and greens are very rich and point to a lavish and indulgent lifestyle.

Definitely ornate, and quite over the top - but I guess if you had money, and this family did, it was the done thing to show that for your standing in society. In some ways that’s not so different from today, whether we agree with it or not. The house, and its gardens, are definitely worth a visit - there’s so much to do, and so much to see.

Where do you find peace?

That was the question that faced us as we started a walk around the lake at Stourhead when we visited at the end of last October, and it definitely made us stop and think. I mean look at that view, I think that alone was influencing our answer! But it’s true, isn’t it, in nature often brings peace - my usual answer would most likely have been Greenwich Park, had I not been standing in this exact spot.

WHERE DO YOU FIND PEACE?

I’m very much a take in your surroundings kind of walker, with occasional pauses to take it all in. This can frustrate MOH who likes to walk to get there, at a much quicker pace than I. But at times I can get him to stop and take stock of the views, and just as well as otherwise I might have missed the urn hidden amongst the greenery.

With paths leading invitingly off the main route, we left this one for another visit on another day.

Our visit was full of autumn colours, and spotting further excerpts along the way was a genius touch.

AND ROUND ABOUT SOFT MEADOWS OF
VIOLETS AND PARSLEY WERE BLOOMING.
THERE EVEN AN IMMORTAL, WHO CHANCED
TO COME, MIGHT GAZE AND MARVEL,
AND DELIGHT HIS SOUL…
ODYSSEY, HOMER

It introduced me to poems I’d not read before, though I’m sure many have and they are well known and much loved.

NOT DISTANT FAR FROM THENCE A MURMURING SOUND
OF WATERS ISSU’D FROM A CAVE AND SPREAD
INTO A LIQUID PLAN, THEN STOOD UNMOV’D
PURE AS TH’ EXPANSE OF HEAV’N, I THITHER WENT
WITH UNEXPERIENC’T THOUGHT, AND LAID ME DOWNE
ON THE GREEN BANK, TO LOOK INTO THE CLEER SMOOTH LAKE,
THAT TO ME SEEMD ANOTHER SKIE.
PARADISE LOST, JOHN MILTON

As you can see from the photos, we were really lucky with the weather and it was a real treat to capture the sunlight on the trees and enjoy the blue skies.

NOTHING IN ENGLAND COULD COMPARE
WITH STOURHEAD… WE WERE IN SUCH
ECSTASY WE HAD THE UTMOST
DIFFICULTY IN TEARING OURSELVES AWAY
FROM THIS CHARMING SPOT…
BARON VAN SPAEN VAN BILJOEN, 1791

We made it round the lake, with plenty of stops for photos and to take in the views and much more - at some point I’ll share more from our short stop off at Stourhead, which is always a welcome stop as we head to Devon to visit family - and yes, I know it’s not the most direct route, but with views like this that’s not such a bad thing, is it?

Let's talk Edwardian house decoration

I've been thinking back to my old house a fair bit recently so when Skirtings R Us got in touch about exploring Edwardian house decoration it seemed timely and I wondered how much my house had influenced how I'd decorated it. But to do that I needed to know more about the decor of the time. In researching this post I've learnt the Edwardian era was relatively short - as was Edward VII's spell as monarch - lasting between 1901 and 1910, although "Edwardian" is often extended at both ends from as early as 1890 until just before the first world war. Which in anyone's terms, is quite an extension!

Edward VII was by all accounts someone who was a leader of the fashionable elite and often influenced by European arts and fashions. And the decor style must have been a welcome relief from the dark colours and heaviness of Victorian interiors.

The Edwardian style is lighter and brighter and must have been a breath of fresh air and includes many pastel blues, greens, pinks and creamy yellows. As I'm writing this my mind can't help but wander to The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, which I remember having a resurgence in the late 80s, just before I bought my house in 1992.

Examples of typical Edwardian decor

The National Trust property, Polesden Lacey is a typical Edwardian home and it's one I've visited, albeit a while back.  The pictures I've shared of it here before focussed on it being a party house, which it very much was, but looking at it again today it is typical of its time.

A PENDANT LIGHT AT POLESDEN LACEY IN SURREY

WING CHAIRS AT POLESDEN LACEY

Pendant lights in a smoked glass were often used as central lights in a time when electric lighting was just beginning to be introduced in grander homes. Ceiling roses were used to disguise the light fittings, and fabric lampshades with frills and tassels were popular too.

The furniture was reproduction and included a range of styles from baroque to rococo, with wing chairs being a typical shape, often upholstered in chintz and damasks. 

Fireplaces were smaller than Victorian ones often with decorative tiles, with even smaller versions installed in bedrooms.

Polesden Lacey is clearly a grander house than my old mid-terraced house, but the Edwardian room set at the Geffrye museum is more likely the style we'll still see in domestic houses even today, and much closer to mine too. 

The picture rail is typical, as is the style of front door - both of which were retained in my house as original features. I've said in a recent post how I was fortunate to discover original fireplaces which had been boarded up by previous owners. And that wasn't all. The original panelled doors had been covered in hardboard and many years and layers of paint, the picture rail remained in the front room and the high and moulded skirting boards were also mostly in place. Replicating the Edwardian look is relatively easy to achieve by installing a picture rail and skirting board similar to those in the pictures below:

THE EDWARDIAN LIVING HALLWAY AT THE GEFFRYE MUSEUM IN LONDON

THE EDWARDIAN LIVING ROOM AT THE GEFFRYE MUSEUM DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS (IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY, RIGHT?!)

 

Looking through my pictures I realised that Mottisfont in Hampshire, another National Trust property also fits into the Edwardian decor style even though it was reconfigured and redecorated by Maud Russell in the 1930s, so right at the end of the extended Edwardian era. As you can see the flowers, which are loosely arranged, as per the style of day, also have a natural and pastel feel to them.  

FLOWERS IN THE EDWARDIAN HOUSEHOLD WERE OFTEN LOOSELY ARRANGED AND ECHOED THE WALLPAPER

While the wallpaper is still quite formal, its colour is lighter than it would have been and the addition of fresh flowers in the fireplace add a further feminine touch. As does the reading material on the nearby desk.

Even in the maids room, the Edwardian style is apparent - stripes were another favourite for wallpaper, and the pretty hand painted coat hanger is one I'd happily have in my house today.

STRIPED WALLPAPER AND A PRETTY FLORAL HANGER IN THE MAIDS ROOM AT MOTTISFONT

So that's a glimpse into decorating in the Edwardian style, fascinating isn't it? And I'm sure that like me you'll see elements of the style maybe in your home, and definitely on the high street. It's a style that's calming and relaxing, but is it a style you'd choose to decorate in, leave a comment and let me know what you think.

* This is a collaborative post, but all views and opinions are my own.