A couple of weeks ago me and the hublet went camping for a week (I know Vegas then camping, I am spoiling myself!).
As a day trip out and while Timothy was on his course I took a trip to Polsden Lacey, a National Trust house and grounds in Dorking. I wasn’t expecting too much, I knew little of the place apart from that it was near where I needed to pick Tim up, but the sun was shining and I thought a wander about a big house and grounds would be quite nice.
How wrong I was not to expect too much.
Polsden Lacey is a Edwardian House and was once the home of the society hostess Margaret Greville. It turns out our Margaret was well known for holding the best soirees British society’s had ever seen, counting royalty amongst her guests. Architects Charles Mewès and Arthur Davis, responsible for the Ritz Hotel – London, remodelled the house for the Grevilles and it really is a beautiful place to wander about.
The piece de resistance is the Gold Room, set for entertaining Kings and Maharajas and so full of bling it would make Vegas blush.
The rest of the house it beautiful. The furnished rooms downstairs are like something straight out of an Agatha Christie novel (swoon) and upstairs, although sparsely decorated with furniture, has the original marble bathrooms which would have matched the Ritz.
I finished the day off with a wander around the rose garden and then the gardens, stopping to watch the jazz band on the steps to the garden then I went to the cafe for a scrumptious cream tea.
So strange thing to be blogging about in a sewing blog, yes?
Well, there’s a very good reason for this. It really was an inspiring place to be. Whether wandering around the rose garden and translating what I saw into the perfect rose printed fabric for a summer wedding dress, or imagining the gold room full of glittering 30s gowns and gests dripping in diamonds, it really has given me a lot to think about and maybe, just maybe, I could dig deep and make something very special based on my thoughts and experiences of this beautiful Country Manor.
What I am trying to say is, inspiration can come from anywhere and to not post about such a beautiful house could do myself a disservice when considering what I might make next time I have formal occasion.
What are you inspired by? Do you look at vintage clothes to get inspiration or do you look to works of art and architecture? I’d be really interested to know.
Stacey Stitch 