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The Most Beautiful Baroque Plasterwork In Dublin

The University College Dublin Newman House is an impressive Georgian town house lavishly decorated with some of the finest late baroque plasterwork of it's kind in Ireland. The venue shows itself to be one of the most distinctive elegant historical atmospheres available to the public at large in Ireland.

Newman House is an important landmark on St Stephen's Green.  The house gets it name from the theologian and scholar Dr. John Henry Newman who was the rector for the Catholic University of Ireland. Today The Newman House comprises of two superb Georgian townhouses, which are particularly known for their elegant interior and spectacular plasterwork.  The first, No.85 was built in 1738 and has fine stucco work by the Lafranchini (Read More.....)

Decorate With Pilasters -Georgian Interior Decorating Ideas

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, is a distinctive business and conference venue with breathtaking interiors. Restored and completely modernized, this glorious venue is now open for weddings, events and meetings.

Built in 1864, this building has been restored to seamlessly blend a wealth of historical detail with state-of-the-art facilities and services. There are 9 rooms in total – each perfect for formal events such as weddings, conferences, gala dinners and celebrations alike.

The Graves room is (Read More.....)

A Spectacular Georgian House

The construction of Number 10 has a unique history.   Originally the building was designed to back up to a large body of water, only until plans were changed by James Butler, the 1st Duke of Ormonde (1610-1688), in 1674.  The building was named after the Duke, who intervened and persuaded the developer to build facing the river.

The house was later built until 1745 when Robert Rochfort, later 1st Earl of Belvedere, commissioned the design from the German architect Richard Cassels, also known as Richard Castle. Cassels was responsible for some of the largest houses in Ireland including Russborough (1742-1755), County Wicklow, and Carton (1739-1745), County Kildare.

This magnificently furnished Georgian House is privately owned but available (Read More.....)

The Wilton House Dining Room Restoration

Wilton House іs аn English country house situated аt Wilton near Salisbury іn Wiltshire. The house stands on a site of a 9th century nunnery founded by King Alfred. A 12th century Benedictine abbey, with its surrounding lands, was surrendered at the time of the Dissolution of the monasteries to King Henry VIII, who gave them to William Herbert around 1542. The Wilton House has remained in the Herbert family since this time and is the home of the Earl of Pembroke. This amazing house with art treasures, history and 21 acres of gardens and parkland attracts visitors from all over the world.

The dining room was voted the winner of the Historic Houses Restoration Award 2010 by The Historic Houses Association and Sotheby’s.

William Herbert, (Read More.....)

English Decorating Books: The Great Houses Of London

The Great Houses Of London represent one of the marvels of English architecture and yet they are almost entirely unknown. From the romantic 17th century Ashburnham House, nestling in the shadow of Westminster Abbey, through the splendid 18th century aristocratic palaces of the West End, to the curious and quirky arts and crafts houses of Holland Park and Kensington, to the cool modernist houses of Hampstead and the exuberant post-modern interiors of the last thirty years, every house has its own story to tell.

This book opens the door to more than forty houses, including various Embassies such as the (Read More.....)

An English Philadelphia Apartment

Bennett and Judie Weinstock's apartment in Philadelphia is a classic example of English decorating. The home is featured in Architectural Digest.  The rooms elegantly display their collections of English paintings, decorative accessories and furniture. In their living room a Chippendale sofa is paired with George II armchairs, while a low Chinese table functions as a coffee table. Off in the corner a George I secretary displays a spectacular collection which looks to be ironstone china.   The bright canary painted walls add a punch of color to this traditional home. (Read More.....)

Breathtaking Japanned Furniture

George II Green Japanned Bureau Bookcase -England, circa 1730 Mallett Antiques

An early 18th century green lacquer bureau bookcase attributed to Giles Grendey (1693-1780), decorated throughout with gilt chinoiseries on a green ground, the cresting in the form of a broken swan's neck pediment. The upper section has two doors fitted with shaped mirror plates of traditional Grendey form which open to reveal,on the reverse, large scale Chinese (Read More.....)

Chaise Longue: The Must Have Piece Of Furniture

A Regency Painted and Parcel Gilt Chaise Longue

A chaise longue is French for a long chair. This type of chair was originally patterned by Egyptians, as a combination of a chair and a daybed. There are also many illustrations of gods and goddesses longing on this type of chair in Greek art. Romans used this type of chair during eating. They reclined on this type of chair to eat their meals. As you can see, this type of furnishing has been around for a very long time. Some modern examples include:

1.    Wicker – Many modern (Read More.....)