Regency dining room design ideas

A look into how an interior designer achieves a certain look or atmosphere. This week: the Regency dining room.

design

The project: The dining room of this house near Saltash in Cornwall has been given a look that is in keeping with the architectural style.

The designer: Edward Bulmer (01544 388535; www.edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk) studied Fine Art at the University of East Anglia before joining the practice of interior decorator David Mlinaric, where he worked on Spencer House and Nostell Priory. He left to work in partnership with the designer, artist and picture restorer Alec Cobbe and then set up his own business in Herefordshire, where he now produces Edward Bulmer Natural Paint.

Edward has worked on a wide range of historic houses, including Althorp, Goodwood, Home House, Chevening and Chequers.

design

Giles Kime says: Many of the furnishings in the dining room at Trematon Castle near Saltash, which overlooks Plymouth Sound, were from the client’s former home on the Scottish Islands. Among these were the beautiful Agra rug, the mahogany table and a striking set of Daniell prints that Edward felt would look best against a rich, warm backdrop. With this in mind, he chose Brick, from his own range of natural paints that complement the room’s Regency features. The striped blue curtains are hung on brass poles and marry both the colours in the rug and the walls. At the fireplace are marble busts of Charles James Fox and Napoleon. The set of Gillows chairs was acquired specially for the project. The result is a room that, despite its grandeur, has an intimate feel for entertaining.

How to get the look

Paint The wall colour is Brick, from the designer’s own range of natural paint (www.edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk; 01544 388535)

Prints The Map House at 54, Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, London SW3 (020–7589 4325; www.themaphouse.com) has a number of works by Thomas and William Daniell

Chimneypiece Chesney’s antiques showroom at 521–525, Battersea Park, London SW11 (020–7978 7224; www.chesneys.co.uk) and Jamb, 95–97, Pimlico Road, London SW1 (020–7730 2122; www.jamb.co.uk)

Statuary As well as chimneypieces, Nicholas Gifford-Mead (020–7736 0808; www.nicholasgiffordmead.co.uk) sells a wide range of statuary, including marble busts

** See more interiors ideas from Country Life

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Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.

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