Happy Saturday…spotted this stunning flower arrangement during a behind the scenes tour at West Dean House.
West Dean House and College, located near Chichester in West Sussex, were absolutely buzzing yesterday, with hundreds of people turning out for the popular Arts & Crafts Festival.
The event, which runs today (June 3, 2017 ) and tomorrow, is a wonderful celebration of arts, crafts and West Dean’s creative history, bringing together more than 200 artists, makers, writers and performers.
As well as tours of the impressive state rooms and demonstrations, there will be a chance to try your hand at a variety of taster workshops.
The historic house, which was formerly the home of the poet and Surrealist patron, Edward James, is fascinating. My tour included a glimpse of this eye-catching spiral staircase, with its amazing Footprint Carpet and Ring wallpaper.
The striking carpet was created by James, in the early 1930s, and made in homage to his ballet dancer wife, Tilly Losch. The vibrant green shade of the tortoise print wallpaper was designed to match the personalised carpet, depicting Losch’s footprints.
If you fancy finding out more about the secrets of West Dean and its intriguing arts heritage, discovering a new skill or buying a unique piece from some of the country’s top designers and makers, I’d definitely recommend a visit to West Dean. It’s in a glorious setting and will be looking dazzling in the sunshine this weekend.
Staircase image below, courtesy of Christoper Ison.