alls in Edward Bulmer’s ‘Cinnamon’ and a combination of the client’s own fabrics and antique pieces make for a warm and inviting sitting room.
Chris Horwood
Though he says each project starts with the bones of building – the layout, function and flow of space – antiques always play a starring role. “I’m blessed in having this huge arsenal of ‘stuff’ to draw from,” he says modestly, of the cache of treasures in Yavington Barn, his showroom and studio in the Hampshire countryside, which houses furniture and objects from a mix of periods, selected by Max for their craftsmanship and character. “It’s given me the confidence to be bold and adventurous in the way I put pieces together.”
The sitting room features the client’s own wing chair and sofa, re-covered by Max Rollitt. The chair is in The Toile Man’s Edenwood in Document and the sofa in Tissus d’Hélène’s Harri Stripe in Cocoa. W
Christopher Horwood
In the cottage, antique furniture and textiles sit happily alongside more contemporary pieces and prints. He could also dip into the owner’s collection – much of which has been sourced from Max over the years. Indeed, their tastes are so in sync that he can’t always remember which pieces belonged to who originally, though there’s no forgetting the antique ladderback chair in the downstairs bathroom, which once sat in his mother’s kitchen. Small details add warmth and texture, such as the large piece of antique mahogany used as a window shelf in the same room.
Warm, earthy tones pervade the house, adding to the sense of relaxed comfort. Edward Bulmer’s ‘Brick’ – which Max describes as “a very clever colour that goes from brown to red, depending on the light” – creates richness to the hallway, giving way to sunnier tones in the main bedroom and kitchen, as if the summer breeze has swept in from the garden.