The Brideshead Suite...

I have spoken a lot about the Brideshead Suite (our bridal suite with a terrace balcony overlooking the park on the northern side of the house) but I have never written a post about it....

It is the largest of the suites, and was designed somewhat from this photo we found of a long room with several well demarcated areas:

Above: The photo which inspired our design.

Below: A plan of the suite.

The decor that will typify this suite: light and classical...

There is a canopied bed against the wall to the left as you walk in, with a sitting area to the right, similar to these suites...

Below: The initial progress photo showing the wall against which the bed sits, with the north balcony on the right.

Below: That same view as the walls and doors went in...

Below: Recent views of that same wall now, showing the crown cornicing with canopy cornicing...

This will allow us to create this effect above the bed...

We shall also have wainscoting panels around the room, especially noticeable on the wall against which the bedhead sits, as we have sconce lighting in the middle of the side panels, and the bed in the centre panel...

Below: My roughly sketched plan of the wainscoting for our builders...

Views of the seating area through to the balcony...

Above: View from the suite door.

Below: View from end of bed towards sitting area and through wall into ensuite.

Below: The same view now the walls have been plastered.

They had to specially laminate the skirting to get it to wrap around the curved wall...

They took lengths of the skirting and split them into five layers, wet them, bent them, then glued them back together in order to create the curve...

Below: The end effect...

They had an even more difficult time wrapping the cornicing around the top of the curve, which was simply not possible. As it is triangular in cross section, it means that the larger top edge would have to expand whilst the smaller bottom edge would have to compress. Something which can not be done with a hard brittle medium.

The solution: Konstantinos to the rescue. He hand carved a curved section to match our cornicing especially for this wall...

Painted you would never know...

The door you can see on the left of the photo is the closet, the door of which will be a framed full length mirror, so that the bride can check she is looking just perfect!

I look forward to sharing more photos once the interior has been furnished, which should be in June/July.

Lake Overhaul (3rd Time Lucky) & Fountain...

At present we are having a major over haul of the lake.  The lake was one of the first attractions we created at Willowbrook, but has over the years caused us a number of problems, due to issues with the liner, trauma sustained to it, gas build up underneath it, and indeed, the difficultly of several times trying to set up the perfect micro-climate in the lake.

To start with our Indian Runner Ducks polluted the lake and ate the new shoots off the waterlilies before we could establish a nitrogen balance. Once we re-homed our ducks to the pond on the farm, they were no longer an issue, but then the wild Mallards found a new home and continued to graze on the flora in our lake, and added their own nitrogen to the water...

So at great expense we drained the lake, cleaned it out, replaced the lilies and other oxygen creating plants, and refilled the lake, but alas further accidents ensued, and the lake required draining again.
This time we are determined to get it right (especially with our opening this Spring!).

The lake liner has been completely removed, the edge of the lake reveled, the bridge started, and soon it will all be put back and planted straight away with approximately 25% surface area of plants (which will grow quickly to the required 33% which is generally considered to be the minimum amount of surface water coverage to keep a lake clean and clear and to deal with the nitrogen balance).

Warning to those considering clearing a green lake or pond by dropping bales of pea straw into it - it doesn't work!

At the same time as our great remediation we will install a proper water oxygenating fountain. There are several on the market, but for our little lake this 1/2 HP model with 5 different fountain heads seems to fit the bill, especially with 1 head specifically designed to oxygenate lakes of volumes up to 25000 cubic metres of water.

Above: The ornamental Tri-star head.

Below: The oxygenating / aerating head.

Oxygenation heads can look pretty...

Although the other heads could be used for special occasions, as they are more dramatic...

I have also found a series called "The Great British Garden Revival" (Following in the increasingly common trend of the Great British Bake Off, and The Great British Sewing Bee, etc.) But it does showcase some wonderful gardens and ideas. I think there are about 10 episodes in the seris. The episode on water gardens is posted below for your perusal. Enjoy...

I am currently back in NZ and should be able to share more progress photos soon. The project is getting a bit like the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - "Things will be alright in the end, if they are not alright it is not the end".

Furniture Episode 2...

Last week the first of two containers of furniture arrived from overseas. We were, unfortunately, less than impressed with the state in which it arrived with several mirrors and chairs broken. We still have to unwrap everything to check the rest of the pieces. It's lucky we paid for insurance for transporting the goods. We assume that the state in which it arrived (see below) was the result of the NZ company who freighted it from the port to us (as I can't see a furniture company packing it like this in a container). The driver and his co-workers seem as dumbfounded as were were!

The rest of the furniture we commissioned was similarly based upon Chippendale designs...

Above: Oriental Chippendale bed designs.

Below: Baroque Chippendale bed designs.

Below: Our melange of oriental and baroque...

The flash photography makes the gilding look garish, but it is water gilded the traditional way in warm honeyed hues of gold leaf, and the true colour of the blue silk is the same as seen in the photograph below, of a balloon chair for the same suite, The  Blenheim Suite. We had sourced the silk locally in NZ and couriered it to the furniture company over seas, so that it would match the drapes and wallpaper perfectly.

The over all effect will be to create a room similar to this...

Below: Chippendale designs for Chinese mirrors:

Below: An oriental styled mirror for the Blenheim Suite...

The Brideshead Suite, unlike the Chinese styling of the Blenheim, is an open suite with elegant baroque pieces...

Above: The bed in which newly-weds may spend their first night. It will be paired with a ceiling corona and drapery.

Below: The matching mirror.


and console table...

Then there is the Master Suite, with it's king sized mahogany baroque four poster...

Once dressed the bed will take on a more luxurious look..

as will William's matching cot (that is a story for another time)...

and his high-stool....

A Georgian Tall-boy for the Master Suite...

The Chatsworth suite is the most barqoue styled suite. Its bed has more carving on the four poster...

and will be dressed in red and gold velvet damask...


An escritoire for the Chatsworth Suite...

and coffee table...

Below: Various Chippendale designs for cabinetry and desks...

Above: Various designs for commodes.

Below: Some of the designs for desks. The last design is similar to that of a desk at Nostell Priory.

My desk is based on a Victorian design, the reasons explained here. 

We have had four red chairs made for my study, to match the leather inlay on the desk, and four green chairs for Peter's study, to match the inlay on his desk...

The end result is very House of Lords vs House of Commons. I guess we will have to have Black Rod verge us from one study to the other!

Occasional Pieces.

Here are some designs for small pieces, chests and occasional furniture by Thomas Chippendale...

Above: Tea Chests. Below: Sconces.

Above: For over-mantels for doorways or beds.

Below:  Some Gerandoles.

Below: Final occasional furniture for around the manor...

A couple of wine tables like this one above, and side tables like the one below:

Below: A 3 piece suite for the upstairs landing. The design is a little more out there, but we think it will work well with the artwork there.

Above and Below: Two drum tables, the top one for the foyer and the bottom one for the China Room.

Above and Below: Chesterfield styled leather suite for the Salon (2 sofas and 2 chairs).

Finally, two sweet display cases...