I had this photo on my inspiration board for a while and I kept looking at it with longing...
And, finally, through some research and some luck, today I found out that this is the interior of the Charleston House - the house that was a home to the Bloomsbury Group, the heart of their artistic and literary activities.
A home to the chic bohemians, who resided in it in from circa 1905 - 1955: Vanessa Bell (sister of Virginia Woolf), Clive Bell (Vanessa's husband), and Duncan Grant (Vanessa's lover).
These artists escaped the uptight, stern Victorian London and filled their lives with making art, sharing wit and enjoying beauty in rural south of England.
The house is an artwork in itself.
A shrine to the handmade and creativity.
It's filled with beautiful textiles with amazing patterns,
Hand-painted patterned walls instead of wallpaper, lovely patterned curtains...
Hand-painted ceramic lamps...
Hand-painted screens, doors and fireplaces, hand-embroidered cushions... an absolute delight.
My dream house.
I would love to get my hands on the "Charleston - a Bloomsbury House and Garden", a book on Charleston House, I'm sure it's gorgeous. Written by Quentin Bell (Vanessa Bell's son) and Virginia Nicholson (Quentin Bell's daughter).
From the Charleston House website: " The most popular book about Charleston, written by authors who knew it intimately. Full of photographs and an ideal gift for someone with an interest in the Bloomsbury Group."
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I also adore the artwork by Duncan Grant (Vanessa's lover)...
Vanessa Bell
Vanessa Bell painting, 1915
If you are a bohemian soul, you might also find interesting this book: "Among the Bohemians - Experiments in Living, 1900-1939" by Virginia Nicholson
"An account of how “subversive, eccentric and flamboyant…artistic community in England refashioned not just their art but daily lives.” by Vanessa Bell´s grand-daughter.
UPDATE: lovely m.heart has sent me a link to The Magpie's Fancy, her fellow blogging friend - she and her husband (a Bloomsbury scholar) visited the Charleston House last summer. She wrote a wonderful post about their visit, and posted lots of photos of the gorgeous gardens. Btw, you should also visit Secret Notebooks...Wild Pages - beautiful, beautiful blog writen by m.heart!
xoxoxo
{photos bloom, charlston house, national galleries, radford}
Tina, a fellow blogging friend and her husband visited the Charleston House last summer. Her husband is a Bloomsbury scholar. You might like her post about their visit, and photos of the gardens: http://themagpiesfancy.blogspot.com/2009/08/pond-garden-at-charleston-farmhouse.html
Posted by: m. heart | February 10, 2010 at 07:13 AM
Hi, Tina! Thanks for mentioning my post about Charleston. Like you, I find it to be an incredibly inspiring place. My husband, Todd Avery, has been a Bloomsbury scholar for many years, and we try to visit Bloomsbury haunts whenever we're in England, but this past summer was our first visit to Charleston. I had been dreaming about that visit for a a long time; it was everything I had hoped it would be and then some. I hope you'll get to visit it, too. I love every room, but probably my favorites are Vanessa's bedroom and Duncan's studio. Oh, and the Charleston book you mention is a treasure. Ours has been a source of inspiration on many occasions.
If you visit Charleston, the little village of Firle just down the road is amazingly pretty. We also love the nearby town of Lewes. There's a gorgeous castle to visit, glorious public gardens, and loads of shops and restaurants. Lewes is a bit of a hidden gem--not nearly as touristy as many places, but really fun to explore.
I feel like I've discovered a kindred spirit! What a treat to be introduced to your blog through the beautiful m.heart.
xo Gigi
PS I noticed in the fall Toast catalog that they'd shot some of their products on location at Charleston!
Posted by: Gigi | February 10, 2010 at 01:24 PM
Wow!!! Your site is beautiful!! I love the artwork.
Deirdre G
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