The Gold Drawing Room...

Welcome back to the tour. Day 10 continues with The Gold Drawing room. This is one of the 3 rooms which has silk upholstered walls. We are very pleased with this room, and can't wait to start to use it for publicity shots. We have a friend who has put us in touch with an advertising agency who are always on the look out for new and unique venues for photoshoots. I'm sure Willowbrook fits the bill.

Below: Vases of Stock and Delphinium flank the marble fireplace. In front of the fireplace sits a vintage fireguard. I plan to have it reupholstered in the same silk as the walls soon.

On one wall is a large Chippendale styled cabinet.

On the other wall a bay window overlooking the front courtyard, with a console and large bust of Apollo.

Two smaller cabinets to match the larger one will arrive soon and will go on the walls on either side of this alcove.

Between the French doors on the western wall hangs an oil painting after Claude Lorraine. Below it is a small mantel clock, a gift from Peter when I was 22. It has a lovely sonorous Westminster chime.

Please tune in again tomorrow when we retreat into that most masculine of rooms, the Billiard Room.

The 'Big Reveal'...

Above: The courtyard with the pond, awaiting placement of the fountain in the centre and some goldfish.

Well, the first Wedding was a huge success with a very happy bride and groom and family. Everyone seemed to have a great night, and it was Peter's and my pleasure to host such a wonderful event. So, with our first event behind us we can now start to share all the progress over the past few months. Because I'm a bit of a tease I'm going to reveal a little bit more everyday until you have seen everything, so for the next fortnight please stop by for your daily dose of dazzling beauty as we unveil Willowbrook Park.

 Day One: The Foyer

Welcome inside the front doors to the foyer. Trevor is busy arranging flowers ahead of the wedding...

What a wonderful job. The flowers were from the gardens at Willowbrook, as well as from my Grandmother's garden. In the background you can see the 2 framed etchings I bought in Dubbo of classical urns. They are paired with a display case flanking either side of the front door, and a bronze and ormolu winged urn continuing the classical motifs. I am going to use the cases to display our intaglio collection, which is too large to frame, and will look quite dramatic on the backdrop of the red felt which is lining the bottom of the display cases.

Above: View towards The China Room and the hallway towards The Dining Room. You can just catch a glimpse of the chandelier above.

Below: Another arrangement on a little gilt wood table in the spiral nook of the staircase. In time this is where our replica of the rape of the Sabines will stand.

 Below: A view of the foyer from the entrance to the Salon.

Below: A view down into the foyer from the staircase.

Time for lights out. Sleep well. Come back tomorrow to see more of the chandelier and how they raised the 6 foot crystal colossus up into the dome.

Upholstered Walls...

Not having been able to find a suitable damask wallpaper that we liked for either the dining room or the gold drawing room, (and following some encouragement from Kirk), we looked into finding some silk with which to upholster the walls of these rooms.

And we have found some. There are some lovely silk damasks made by Italian fashion house and furniture textilier Etro.

Etro is more known for its fashion...

 It has some pretty out there looks, and is particularly known for its take on paisley.

 But they also make a range of upholstery textiles.

Here are the damasks we have chosen for three rooms. First the yellow damask for the gold drawing room...

Secondly a green damask for the Billiard Room.

Finally the red damask for the formal dining room.

The colours for the red and green damask are slightly darker than shown in these photos, but are just as vibrant. The photo of the yellow damask is pretty close to actual colour.

Now we just have research which is the best way to upholster a solid masonry wall!

Ray, a Drop of Golden Sun....

Welcome to The Yellow Post. Previously there has been a Blue Post and a Green Post. The yellow post is based around ideas and swatches for The Gold Drawing Room. Originally The Gold Drawing Room was going to be a beige-gold colour. But now that we have chosen the fabric and wall colour for the Brideshead Suite - which is a beige gold, and also for the master suite, which is a creamy beige gold, I am thinking we need something less beige, something a little bolder... I am thinking yellow.

It is quite funny really. I have never been a fan of yellow. I own only one piece of yellow clothing, I am not a fan of yellow roses, and the very first thing I did when we moved into Eden was to paint the custard yellow hallway beige. But, I have been researching Georgian colour schemes, and the I have to admit that yellow has grown on me. It is a cheerful sunny colour. I think the reason I loathed it before was that I found it unsophisticated and juvenile. I don't know why I thought that of a colour, but it did seem to be a childish colour but perhaps not anymore. So, out with the beige for this room, and in with a drop of golden sun! Here are a few ideas for the yellow drawing room...

Above: Custard gold striped curtain fabric. More yellow than beige, but not a bright as Nancy Lancaster's yellow drawing room below...

Below: Jasper Conran's yellow drawing room:

Below: Back to some muted custard yellows:

The white and yellow above reminds me of a lemon meringue pie!

Moving away from plain yellow paint on the walls,. bright gold silk upholstered walls are a very traditional and luxurious look...

Above Photo from The Devoted Classicist

Above photo of Goodwood House by Tim Imrie

Plain yellow curtains at Osbourne House...

Yellow accents in the White Drawing Room at Buck House...

Yellow wallpapers...

I would love to have a wallpaper like this swatch below, but alas I just can't find a nice bright yellow damask. This example below is actually a fabric swatch. Can anyone out there help me with this?

The closest I can find is this yellow gold Brocatello wallpaper by Zophany. It also has a matching fabric...

 Other choices include:

but they are all fairly beige. Even the metallic ones below are still too beige...

The only yellow paper I can find has white damask on it, and I would really love tone on tone yellow...

Worst case scenario I could always try papering with anaglypta and the painting it a bright yellow colour...

and the room will need some flowers...