Charleston is the English farmhouse deep in the Sussex countryside that became the creative home of the Bloomsbury set in the early part of the 20th century. The tumbledown farmhouse was discovered in 1916 by the writer Virginia Woolf who wrote to her artist sister, Vanessa Bell, “it has a charming garden, with a pond, and fruit trees, and vegetables, all now rather run wild, but you could make it lovely”.
Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant moved into the house and turned it into a place where fellow artists, writers and thinkers could meet to discuss ideas and be creatively free. Over the next 50 years they made the house their home and studio, decorating it by hand with sponge-painted wood panelling, colourful tiles, statues, paintings, rugs and fireplaces. The unconventional Sussex farmhouse has captured imaginations ever since and the naive style, vibrant colours and freehand painting are totally on trend today.
To get the Charleston look, look out for scalloped edges, swirling designs, bright colours, fun ceramics, decorative furniture and simple shapes.
Portrait of Vanessa Bell
Print of Duncan Grant’s ‘Portrait of Vanessa Bell’, c.1916.
Teal Candlestick Holder
Ceramic stoneware candlestick holder with teal glaze, coloured slips and wax resist design. Handmade at Common Clay studio.
Wallpapers from Ottoline de Vries
Ottoline De Vries is a fabric and wallpaper designer based in London whose geometric shapes and surrealistic art, vibrant patterns and contemporary design nod to the Charleston look.
Bouquet Garni Dinner Plate
The watercolour design of the Bouquet Garni Dinner Plate is inspired by the plants, flowers and herbs growing in Donna’s Wilson’s garden. Every plate is painted by hand, meaning that each one is unique.
Pooky’s colourful lampshades are inspired by the colours and patterns of the Bloomsbury Set.
Wallpaper Borders
Amy Balfour takes inspiration from Charleston and paints interior spaces, such as doors, door and window frames as well as colourful handpainted wallpaper borders.
White Oil Cloth
‘White’ is an oil cloth designed in 1913 by Vanessa Bell. This design is available exclusively at Charleston.
Luke Edward Hall Plate
Part of an exclusive collection designed by Luke Edward Hall, this elegant vide poche is made of fine porcelain and paintd by hand with precious metals. Its striking use of color and modern aesthetic interprets ancient Greek and Roman mythology.
Annie Sloan Charleston Paints
Annie Soan collaborated with Charleston Farmhouse to produce a range of three colours inspired by the Farmhouse. Firle, shown here, Rodmell, a deep purple and Tilton, a bright yellow.
West Wind Cushion Cover
Cushion covers in ‘West Wind’, a fabric designed by Duncan Grant in 1932. This design is available exclusively at Charleston.
Fish Rug
This design was taken from a drawing by the artist Duncan Grant for the Omega Workshops, a design enterprise established by the art critic Roger Fry. This limited-edition rug is a collaboration between The Courtauld Institute of Art and Christopher Farr Rugs.
Fabrics by Molly Mahon
Fabric designer Molly Mahon has been so inspired by Charleston, her study is handpainted in a similar way.
