Interior designers spend their days working out how to make spaces beautiful, efficient and comfortable, so it’s perhaps inevitable that they should create their own fittings. It’s nothing new, of course; Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler has been making bespoke pieces of furniture ever since the company was founded in the 1930s.
In an interior-design manifestation of Plato’s proverb that necessity is the mother of invention, decorator Rosanna Bossom was inspired to start her own collection when trying to resolve a particular design conundrum. ‘Five years ago, I was helping clients re-decorate a large drawing room,’ says Rosanna, whose projects have ranged from Nicholas Coleridge’s new Quinlan Terry-designed folly to the private members’ club 5, Hertford Street, W1. ‘It was dominated by a heavy, chintz ottoman that sat as a distancing obstacle between the two sofas, making any conversation across it almost impossible.’ To address this problem, she came up with her Nicholas Ottoman, which has its central core cut out and replaced with a hard, flat surface on which to place drinks or books. ‘It has transformed the space; people can now comfortably sit on the edge of the ottoman and chat.’
Since designing that piece, Rosanna’s collection has expanded to include a daybed with high upholstered head and sideboards —perfect for fitting into studies that double as spare bedrooms in space-starved London apartments—and skirted tables with smart kick-pleats or deep fringes (020–3691 4552; www.rosannabossom.co.uk). ‘Skirted tables are definitely on their way back. I love them as a way of introducing fabric and softness to a room. And they provide useful extra storage, with a place to hide things underneath.’
'You want to know that the piece will not only look great, but will be built to last'
Denne historien er fra April 01, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 01, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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
