Outrageous and witty, the Rococo movement’s flame burned brightly in the middle decades of the 18th Century. Chris Yeo looks at one of history’s most exuberant styles and poses the question: are you a Roundhead or a Cavalier?
The British, as we are always told, are a reserved people. Along with fish and chips, our stiff upper lip is what we’re most famous for. I must admit that whenever I hear...
Convex mirrors, with their bulbous glass plates, have earned their place in interiors for centuries. In all their many guises, these mirrors are a tool for maximising light in our homes and providing a unique decorative touch.
Art forms, in more ways than one
The convex mirror dawned with the development of glassblowing in the 14th Century. Venetian glassblowers would hand-blow a large glass ...
Aristocratic in conception as well as appearance, the Chesterfield sofa has become one of the most instantly recognisable furniture designs in history. There's a great story surrounding its origins, although as with all legends the evidence is anecdotal at best.
Lord Philip Stanhope, the fourth Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773), supposedly commissioned the first Chesterfield sofa. Lord Stanho...
