Visual Diary: An Inspiring Visit to Charleston Farmhouse

The mantelpiece in Duncan Grant's studio. The best bit for me was the myriad of tiny holes along the ledge, from which cards and clippings were pinned over the years. Post-Impressionist influence is everywhere in this house.

On my visit to London last month, I was lucky enough to be invited to see Charleston Farmhouse, in East Sussex, the home of Vanessa Bell , Duncan Grant and the famous Bloomsbury Group of artists and writers. Experiencing this magical place has been on my wish list for as long as I can remember, and when my friend Bridie Hall invited me to see the house and sit in on a presentation by Ben Pentreath & Skye McAlpine, I was thrilled. To experience this place is one thing-- to spend the day there with such charming and brilliant artists/creatives was perfection.

A welcoming entrance...

Beginning in 1916, this was the home of painters Vanessa Bell & Duncan Grant, members of the illustrious Bloomsbury Group, who transformed the house and gardens over many decades. I won't go into too much of the fascinating history of this house-- much has been written, and I suggest a quick search on ABE Books if like me, you find yourself inspired to learn more. For now, let's just enjoy the fantastic decoration-- so daring for it's time.

Clive Bell's study, with a chair upholstered in fabric designed by Duncan Grant and a fire surround painted by Vanessa Bell.

In the dining room, a pendant light made from a ceramic bowl, I believe by Quentin Bell, a copy of Piero della Francesca's Duke of Urbino by Duncan Grant, and patterned walls by Duncan Grant & Quentin Bell.

A detail of the dining table, painted by Vanessa Bell, and a ceramic piece probably made by her son, Quentin Bell.

Perhaps some of the magic comes from the fact that the surroundings and furnishings here are unique and unfamiliar: the product of pieces cobbled together from the occupants' previous houses or crafted in situ. There are painted architectural elements, playful pendant lights made from hand-thrown ceramic bowls, needlepoint ottomans, stained glass, and paintings by the artists who lived there. So much of what we see and live with now is pumped out in huge quantities by giant corporations. When confronted with a completely unique environment, it overwhelms the senses in the very best way.

A stained glass panel in the door to Maynard Keynes' bedroom, made by Quentin Bell. He wrote that the design was inspired by the sunlight shining onto the hallway floor through the keyhole in that door, creating in that moment a camera obscura effect, with the images from the outside appearing in reverse on the floor. How wonderful!

Delightful rows of box files full of letters.

A needlepoint ottoman in Duncan Grant's bedroom, twice as nice reflected in a mirror.

The fireplace in the spare room.

The library, with its fabulous painted bookcase.

The green bathroom, with a bath panel painted by Richard Shone.

Clive Bell's bedroom, decorated by Vanessa Bell.

The garden room, with fireplace decoration by Duncan Grant.

Detail: a book in the garden room, with a decoupage cover.

Among the paintings in the garden room is Vue de Ville, by Jean Marchand, c.1912, shown here above a radiator cover with handmade tiles and woven fringe.

The bath in Vanessa Bell's room, with panel decoration by Duncan Grant.

The desk in Vanessa Bell's bedroom.

The studios, with Duncan Grant's Standing Male Nude, 1935.

In the studio is a glass-front cabinet that once belonged to W.M. Thackeray, a relative of Vanessa Bell. Among the contents are some of the Famous Women plates commissioned by Kenneth Clark in 1932 and painted by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.

The drinks table in the studio, overseen by a bust of Virginia Woolf.

Books and curiosities in the studio.

A closer look at the fireplace in the studio.

A charming corner of the garden.

When I visited last month, the May flowers were looking beautiful.

A gurgling fountain surrounded by handmade mosaics.

Above are just a few of the hundreds of photos I took that day. I've severely restrained myself here, but again, I encourage you to read more about this inspiring place, and the Charleston website is a great place to start.

Looking back on that wonderful day at Charleston, the most meaningful thing to me was the vigor with which the occupants of this house decorated, crafted, or otherwise addressed every surface and detail of this house. I can only imagine that over the many decades that this brilliant group of artists lived there, there must have always projects in progress. The brushstrokes and textures of the painted surfaces were so tantalizingly beautiful-- I remember at one point saying to my companions that I intended to go home and immediately paint every surface of my house... which would have been disastrous, of course! There is only one Charleston Farmhouse, and the colors and decoration belong to those artists, that time and that place. But the impulse to explore and express one's aesthetic point of view with a sense of exuberance is a valid one, and attending to the details of quotidian life with careful intention can be a deeply meaningful pursuit. It's an enjoyable act of rebellion, in a way, to go against the trends of mass-production and seek out --or make-- objects of daily use. The rooms we live in, and the objects we interact with every day shape our lives in profound ways, and Charleston embodies this perfectly.

Souvenir is the blog for Parvum Opus, an artist-run studio specializing in artistic decorative objects and home furnishings. We welcome your thoughts! Comment below to join the conversation, and if you enjoyed this, don't forget to subscribe to receive an email when we publish new posts.