Nostell Priory, Nostell near Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
Nostell Priory is a National Trust managed property, that is home to the current Lord and Lady St Oswald.
The design and build of Nostell Priory was commissioned in 1733 by Sir Rowland Winn. From James Paine’s initial conception of the building, Nostell has since been altered and extended by Robert Adam.Thomas Chippendale was appointed to decorate the interiors of the house and much of his original furniture made for specifically for the house remains in place today.
Humphries Weaving became involved in the house after a serious fire that occurred in 1980.The fire started in The Breakfast Room and spread to the adjoining rooms.
The Tapestry Room
The original design of the room was by Robert Adam and was incomplete upon the death of the 5th Baronet. It took more than 30 years to consider the decoration again. The 1818 inventory describes the room as the ‘Unfinished drawing room’. Subsequently, a set of tapestries were purchased to cover the walls in the room and thus The Tapestry Room was born.
Humphries weaving was involved in the restoriation of a suite of Gillows furniture and commissioned to make a silk and linen satin stripe. The fabric is in apple and tan tones and was narrow woven with a moiré finish applied. The stripe layout was copied from remaining fragments of the original early 19th Century fabric that was discovered on the day bed.
Project reference: 2045
All photogrphs of the Tapestry Room are by kind permission of Andrew Knowles. Please see below in external links to view Regency History blog post on Nostell Priory.
The Crimson Room
The Crimson room was known by the family as the ‘Amber Room’ throughout the 19th century, reflecting one of its original decorative schemes. The room houses a mid 18th century four poster bed in the Rococo style and is thought to have been designed by Paine.
The fire of 1980 spread to The Crimson Room from the breakfast room and Humphries Weaving was asked to re-weave brown/red pure silk damask for the bed drapes, furniture upholstery and festoon curtains. The colour for project was research by interior design consultant David Mlinaric.
Project reference: 543, 639, 640, 723
The Breakfast Room
As with other rooms at Nostell, The Breakfast Room changed names upon redecoration. The 1818 inventory describes the room as the ‘Ante or Yellow Breakfast room’, designed by Paine in the 1740’s and 1750’s. In the 19th Century the space was used for informal family dining and called ‘ The Dining Room’. The 1950’s saw the room function change to become a sitting room.
The fire of 1980 saw the room and it’s contents destroyed. Humphries Weaving was commissioned to recreate the brilliant gold festoon window drapes in pure silk. The design used is the same as that in the adjoining Crimson Room, giving a flow through the rooms.
Project reference: 544
