A NEW book, Charm School: The Schumacher Guide To Traditional Decorating For Today, offers a fascinating insight into an aesthetic vein that runs deep within American decoration. Written by former journalist Emma Bazilian and art director Stephanie Diaz, both of whom are too young to remember the wilder excesses of the 1980s and so are well placed to bring a fresh perspective on the minutiae of the subject, from chintz, florals, checks and stripes to toile, skirts, slipcovers and bed hangings, with plenty more in between. In its celebration of designers such as Tom Scheerer, Suzanne Kasler, Celerie Kemble and Caroline Gidiere, the book demonstrates that US decorators remain more committed to decoration with a capital D than ever before.
Although Britain is often seen as the spiritual home of classic decoration, it’s ironic that Nancy Lancaster, the high priestess of classic English decoration in the 1950s, was born in Virginia. It can take an objective eye from over the Atlantic to sort the wheat from the chaff (Ralph Lauren also offered his own take on the look a few decades later and the decorator Remy Renzullo continues the tradition today).
Denne historien er fra August 09, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 09, 2023-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.
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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
