View of the Pond at Charleston, c.1919. Vanessa Bell (1879–1961), Sheffield Museums.
Delving into the minutiae of a favourite artist's domestic world, discovering what nurtured them and informed their creative life, is the source of endless fascination. As a curator and an interior designer, we can perhaps claim some professional curiosity, but ultimately it is our love of an artist's work, which makes these glimpses into their private lives and personal spaces so thrilling.
So often, this journey of exploration leads us back to the garden and the perennial draw of our ever-changing natural environment. Hence, the notion of the artist's garden became a focus for our own practice. How a garden has been designed and tended, and how that garden works in synergy with the artist's home both as a place of work and relaxation, of creativity and sanctuary, offers boundless inspiration.
There are many wonderful houses and gardens across the country that we love to explore, and high up on our list of favourites, is the glorious Charleston Farmhouse. Home of celebrated Bloomsbury Group artist Vanessa Bell, and an ever-changing cast of friends, family, children and lovers, the farmhouse has provided inspiration to generations of designers since.
Nestled in the chalk downland of East Sussex, Charleston offered the perfect place of safety during the First World War and continued to be a sanctuary for Vanessa for the rest of her life. In return, she and her friends applied their copious artistic talent to its decoration. The result is a modest farmhouse that bursts with colour and pattern, much directly inspired by the exuberant gardens that hug its walls. With flowers and foliage, trees and trellis, no surface is left unadorned.
In our first collection for Chausey, we bring together practical and beautiful homewares, which echo the Charleston aesthetic. Cecile M's joyful tableware celebrates the handmade informality of Charleston life. Designed and thrown in sunny Lisbon, her vibrant colours could have been lifted straight out of Vanessa's paintings. Legato's Matilda Sturley brings us a sensitive exploration of natural forms in her exquisite lighting. Again, the hand of the artist explores botanical themes inspired by her own English country garden. Finally, our Chausey collection of linens is designed to compliment the work of our guest artists whilst also reflecting our Charleston theme. In three relaxed prints we offer an abundance of foliage, charming tulips and irises drawn on the grassy bank of Charleston's pond, as well as a useful small geometric inspired by Quentin Bell's graphic block-printed decoration.
View into a Garden, Vanessa Bell (1879–1961), Bolton Library &
Museum Services.
We hope you enjoy the collection and, just maybe, are tempted to visit Charleston yourself. You certainly won't be disappointed!
Just in case, you can find everything you need to know at their website:
https://www.charleston.org.uk/
