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...
Antique and vintage pieces allow us to break free of the kitchen’s utilitarian confines. This hub of the home should reflect how we want to feel: relaxed and happy. Throw out the rulebook and use antique kitchen furniture and accents to create a bright, joyful space.
The kitchen is undoubtedly the hardest-working room in the home. Many of us learned this the hard way last year when we were p...
The English country house is one of the most enduring and celebrated styles in the interior design lexicon. This scheme is hard to pin down because it doesn’t follow a fixed set of rules. Nonetheless, its powerful influence is blatant at every turn - whether you are conscious of it or not.
The country house interior is full of paradoxes. It feels quintessentially English, yet an American dev...
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...
The Regency was the pinnacle of British sophistication and a pivotal period in design. It was a time of fascinating architecture and elegant furniture, but the influences in this period were far from straightforward.
The Prince Regent
At the heart of the Regency was the Prince Regent himself. In 1810, George III became seriously ill and was deemed mentally unfit to rule. The Regency Act was p...
