Colour us purple, or red or even yellow
In recent years, antique English mahogany furniture has been out of fashion. Young homemakers seem to want nothing but grey French furniture or 1950s Scandinavian pieces. But things are changing. Perhaps this is due in part to the charismatic architect and interior designer, Ben Pentreath. He has a blog following of 25,000 a month and a shop in London that presents traditional British style in a modern way.
And now Pentreath has written a book, English Decoration, with fabulous images showing how to add a touch of freshness and glamour to brown furniture and old Staffordshire pottery. Nicky Haslam, one of England’s most high-profile interior designers notes that ‘Ben Pentreath improves everything he touches, combining the best of the old and the finest of the new, although the next best thing is not his bag. Ben is too much of a romantic to chuck out what is old. He likes faded rugs, worn flagstones, a bit of mess and a lot of moss.’
Touches of apple green brighten AN Wilson's study
The illustrations in his book – many of which show the interiors of houses belonging to friends or clients – give a clue to his decorating style. Strong wall colours are used to set off the kind of antiques often found in a typical English home. For instance, the hall of a country house is stuffed with hunting prints, black and white Victorian lithographs and stags’ heads hung on a wall painted a vibrant lemon yellow. There is also a hall table littered with the detritus of country-house living that has been given extra life with a scarlet linen tablecloth. In the London house belonging to the writer AN Wilson and his wife Ruth, the architectural structure of the room has been highlighted by painting shelves, doors, architraves and window surrounds in apple green.
Ben Pentreath's sitting room: yellow stripes on the antique kelim echo the bold yellow sofa
Pentreath’s own flat in London and his Regency parsonage in Dorset, both photographed here, are full of things from all periods – all beautifully arranged. There are just enough books on the coffee table to entice, and you can appreciate a beautiful fabric or picture without feeling overpowered or confused. He respects the Edwardian focus on detail and quality, especially in a kitchen.
‘I have a fear of over-fitted kitchens,’ Pentreath admits. Downstairs at Downton Abbey would be his ideal culinary setting. ‘In my Dorset country kitchen,’ he says, ‘I have a glass-fronted cabinet that I bought from a local junk shop. I added a timber cornice and a useful lower shelf.’ He has a particular fondness for Victorian blue and white willow-pattern plates that are hung on the wall and stand on top of the dresser.
George Saumarez Smith's sitting room, with cushions from The Hambledon, in Winchester
Rooms that offer mood and give food to the imagination give Pentreath the most inspiration. ‘I want to be absorbed and drawn in so that you can taste, smell and hear the atmosphere as much as see it: the stockpot on the stove, the sound of a ticking clock or laughter.’
Pentreath’s memory for detail is exceptional – he can list the fabrics, prints, books and furnishings he remembers from his grandparents’ home. He confesses that ‘sometimes I meet people at parties who I haven’t seen in 30 years and I have absolutely no idea if I have ever met them in my life, but I can still remember vividly the buildings of my school.’
Pentreath's sitting room in London, with Hans Wegner CH25 Easy Chair, an early Georgian chest of drawers and a Moroccan Beni Ouarain rug. Right: Orange candles from Ben's shop and bold Josef Frank fabric brighten up a kitchen in Dorset
Nicky Haslam reckons this Proustian recall is a key to his success. ‘It is his historic appreciation, light-hearted romanticism and sense of beauty that makes every room he decorates a perfect setting for its occupants,’ he notes.
English Decoration by Ben Pentreath, with photography by Jan Baldwin, is published by Ryland Peters & Small, priced £30.
Ben Pentreath Ltd: 17 Rugby Street, London WC1
And now Pentreath has written a book, English Decoration, with fabulous images showing how to add a touch of freshness and glamour to brown furniture and old Staffordshire pottery. Nicky Haslam, one of England’s most high-profile interior designers notes that ‘Ben Pentreath improves everything he touches, combining the best of the old and the finest of the new, although the next best thing is not his bag. Ben is too much of a romantic to chuck out what is old. He likes faded rugs, worn flagstones, a bit of mess and a lot of moss.’
Touches of apple green brighten AN Wilson's studyThe illustrations in his book – many of which show the interiors of houses belonging to friends or clients – give a clue to his decorating style. Strong wall colours are used to set off the kind of antiques often found in a typical English home. For instance, the hall of a country house is stuffed with hunting prints, black and white Victorian lithographs and stags’ heads hung on a wall painted a vibrant lemon yellow. There is also a hall table littered with the detritus of country-house living that has been given extra life with a scarlet linen tablecloth. In the London house belonging to the writer AN Wilson and his wife Ruth, the architectural structure of the room has been highlighted by painting shelves, doors, architraves and window surrounds in apple green.
Ben Pentreath's sitting room: yellow stripes on the antique kelim echo the bold yellow sofaPentreath’s own flat in London and his Regency parsonage in Dorset, both photographed here, are full of things from all periods – all beautifully arranged. There are just enough books on the coffee table to entice, and you can appreciate a beautiful fabric or picture without feeling overpowered or confused. He respects the Edwardian focus on detail and quality, especially in a kitchen.
‘I have a fear of over-fitted kitchens,’ Pentreath admits. Downstairs at Downton Abbey would be his ideal culinary setting. ‘In my Dorset country kitchen,’ he says, ‘I have a glass-fronted cabinet that I bought from a local junk shop. I added a timber cornice and a useful lower shelf.’ He has a particular fondness for Victorian blue and white willow-pattern plates that are hung on the wall and stand on top of the dresser.
George Saumarez Smith's sitting room, with cushions from The Hambledon, in WinchesterRooms that offer mood and give food to the imagination give Pentreath the most inspiration. ‘I want to be absorbed and drawn in so that you can taste, smell and hear the atmosphere as much as see it: the stockpot on the stove, the sound of a ticking clock or laughter.’
Pentreath’s memory for detail is exceptional – he can list the fabrics, prints, books and furnishings he remembers from his grandparents’ home. He confesses that ‘sometimes I meet people at parties who I haven’t seen in 30 years and I have absolutely no idea if I have ever met them in my life, but I can still remember vividly the buildings of my school.’
Pentreath's sitting room in London, with Hans Wegner CH25 Easy Chair, an early Georgian chest of drawers and a Moroccan Beni Ouarain rug. Right: Orange candles from Ben's shop and bold Josef Frank fabric brighten up a kitchen in DorsetNicky Haslam reckons this Proustian recall is a key to his success. ‘It is his historic appreciation, light-hearted romanticism and sense of beauty that makes every room he decorates a perfect setting for its occupants,’ he notes.
English Decoration by Ben Pentreath, with photography by Jan Baldwin, is published by Ryland Peters & Small, priced £30.
Ben Pentreath Ltd: 17 Rugby Street, London WC1