WHEN Jacqueline Duncan first opened the doors of the Inchbald in 1960, interior design was hardly regarded as an occupation, let alone a profession. With a few notable exceptions, such as Syrie Maugham, Nancy Lancaster and Mrs Duncan’s first husband, Michael Inchbald, interior decoration was the preserve of a breed referred to euphemistically (and, one suspects, pejoratively) as ‘nice young men who sold antiques’.
Mrs Duncan first encountered Mr Inchbald’s work in 1949, when he curated an exhibition at Peter Jones that juxtaposed exquisite English furniture with startling patterns and colours that caught the attention (and imagination) of locals accustomed to a more sotto voce style of decoration. In those days, the Sloane Square store’s interior-design department was akin to an upmarket decorating firm (it was where John Fowler cut his teeth). Even by its standards, the exhibition was something of a trailblazer.
‘A bedroom was furnished entirely with pearl-inlaid black lacquer furniture married with a brilliant pink fabric,’ she recalls. ‘A set of sabre-legged dining chairs, quietly elegant, was covered in a yellow MacLeod tartan and magnificent armchairs by Thomas Hope in leopardskin. They combined the shock of fashion with the familiarity of classicism. I was enthralled.’
Denne historien er fra April 01, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra April 01, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
