Rehearsal over

  What a week! Guests arriving for the run through of the course, meetings with potential suppliers, fires to light and meals to prepare! Just another hectic exciting week at Brympton.

 Everyone that came fell in love with the house it just wraps it's arms around you and wants you to stay.

 Well I'm completely up to speed now on all things historic thanks to our guest speaker Lindy Treacy, the research that she has undertaken has inspired us all to do our own homework and I really should have paid more attention at school to all those dates I was miles out with my kings and Queens!!

   Back home the memory of the magical dinner party with guests and the family in the candlelit 1680 dining room transports me back to another era.

 Next week I'm meeting Mulberry Home to set up the Wedding Gift List and a lovely gentleman from English looking glass a company that makes exquisite carved antique style mirrors and furniture, I can't wait.

 If anybody knows of any person that may have bought furniture from Brympton in the Fifties during a big sale to raise money let me know. We would like to document any piece if poss. We do know that a mirror was purchased by Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon who then came on a flying visit to see the house the Lovely mirror came from. This info came from one of the lovely ladies that came on our practise course. Let me know any more snippets.

  Bye for now Susanxx

Brympton D'Evercy Historical Courses

Everything has now been put in place for the start of the courses at Brympton.

I feel completely at peace for the first time this year! 

 Spent a fantastic week alternating between Somerset and Chelsea as all the trade shows have been on. Every supplier bar none has been lovely and as excited as me about the possibilities at Brympton.

 Invitations to visit me at Brympton are being accepted starting with the owners of Fromental a fantastic English based company creating works of art on silk wallpapers. Followed by Gainsborough silk coming to see the delicious drapes, swags and tails made by my fair hand (and a lot of other fair hands!!!) hanging proudly on display in the Oak Library  made from one of their beautiful archive influenced Silks.

 

The Historical House courses will start from January and include 2 nights at Brympton. For more info please e-mail me, there will be the opportunity for my lucky bloggers to get involved in a giveaway so keep posted!!

Love to you all.

 

The B.B.C. leave us

 The B.B.C packed away all it's props and carefully wrapped all it's breakables

 Cups of tea and encouragement to hurry was my job,very nice guys they had the job of returning all the props to the various suppliers of items in London. Caught sight of a box marked 'Midsomer Murders' little things please me!

 Well there is work to be done and ladders to be climbed so see you all later,Thanks for popping in.

Swags and tails.

Making drapes for a historical building is always a pleasure tinged with the weight of authenticity and responsibility.Knowing that the window treatments that I'm installing in Bympton D'Evercy will be seen every day for about the next 30years ,the last update was mid 1970's, keeps the pressure up . The Library which I have just completed using an exquisite Gainsborough silk woven in Suffolk on the same looms that create fabric for Buckingham Palace, looks perfectly balanced with the oak panelling that lines all 4 walls up to the 1680 deep cornice.

Today I have the fabric on my high design table chosen for the Red Dining Room The challenge today is cutting the Swags and Tails and making them look like they have always belonged in the wool fabric panelled room. The braid around the existing fabric on the walls also needs to be replaced due to fading, 75 metres  will be attatched next week. 

INTERIOR DESIGN COURSES

 Running Residential courses at Brympton was always in the background but it's now getting more realistic as phase III of the guest room conversion is complete.

This week sees the preparation of my proposal to Brympton ,Exciting stuff.

I've nearly got a full list of interested ladies to fill the initial trial run. Any more out there just shout. The itinery is being compiled but is subject to change as ideas develop. I feel this could be the next big exciting business venture for Renaissance and I can't wait to enjoy the ride.

"TURN OF THE SCREW"

  The name of the BBC christmas production is out. Arrived at Brympton D'Evercy yesterday to be greeted by two massive cranes at the front of the house with lighting rigged up . After negotiating our way round the crew,

we made our way to the Ball Room, this is a beautiful room overlooking the lake and it is where the Wedding Breakfasts are held.

 After setting up camp with sewing machines at the ready we then had to accomodate "Quiet please, ACTION "...........(you could of heard a pin drop -literally) And finally "CUT"

  All very interesting stuff but we soon realised the only big star we were going to catch sight of was Sue Johnson don't get me wrong ,very nice lady but hardly Johnny Depp.

   We fitted our curtains in the further 5 guests rooms and headed back to Essex . Bympton has another 4 weeks of filming then normality can be resumed.

Johnny who ?

Well what can I say. I've had yet another Alice in Wonderland adventure at Brympton D'Evercy in Somerset. Let me explain about the goings on down in Somerset. The BBC has cordened off a large part of the beautiful country house that I'm currently working on with my design team.

  The rumour went round that Johnny Depp was making an appearance anytime soon!!!! Obviously this prospect got the task in hand i.e. hanging 15ft curtains achieved with lovely distracting thoughts! He hadn't arrived by nightfall but surely the strong denials from the film crew meant they did protest too much and there was always tomorrow!

  Another wedding to prepare for this weekend with guest rooms being completed and looking warm inviting and cosy so back to Brympton for me I'll let you know if HE puts in an appearance.