Edward Bulmer and Patrick Williams of Berdoulat Interior Design, shot by Paul Whitbread The meeting of two creative masterminds: Patrick Williams of Berdoulat Interior Design and our own founder Edward Bulmer. Both share an appreciation of nature, heritage, architecture, craftsmanship and colour. So much so that Edward invited Patrick to his home to redesign and reimagine the beautiful dining room in his Queen Anne house. The spectacular result is, as you would expect, a space filled with clever colour, proportion, beautiful furniture and artisanal homewares. 'Indigo' on the walls, with furniture by Berdoulat and a selection of colours in our eggshell finish. Shot by Paul Whitbread Edward and I share a great number of values: a love of the hand crafted, natural, locally made, sustainable products, inspired by deep-rooted English design tradition. I planned to decorate the space in a way that really celebrated their colours, and somehow expressed the above values of quality craftsmanship and love of nature. The style would tip its hat to decorative traditions, whilst simultaneously presenting a fresh, bold and unfamiliar interior. Patrick of Berdoulat Interior Design Indigo backdrop with London Brown on the skirting Blue Indigo with Berdoulat pieces Indigo Order a Sample London Brown Order a Sample Tingry Order a Sample Milk White Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Jonquil Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 The walls of the room were painted in ‘Indigo’, and the skirting board and woodwork in ‘London Brown’, while pieces from Berdoulat including the brand’s Tuscan candlesticks were painted in a selection of pastel hues and laid out in the room. A crescent refectory table and silhouette dining chairs and side plates from Berdoulat were also included in the collaborative shoot. ‘Milk White’ was used on the dining area woodwork. Patrick is a lover of our pigment rich colours having painted his own home in a palette of London Brown, Tingry and Indigo with some pops of colour like Red Ochre. This special story was captured by the talented friend and photographer Paul Whitbread the trio now often work together. Berdoulat interiors are a masterclass in tonality, patina and texture and it was precious to see one conducted into being in our much loved house, with our own natural paints. It was fascinating watching Patrick at work, he is like a conductor, relying on an orchestra to reveal the depths and nuance of a piece of music. The photography became a work of ‘still life’ as every object was composed to achieve the best aspect, light and compositional relationship. Edward Bulmer Indigo on the walls, London Brown on the woodwork and Milk White on the ceiling. Shot by Paul Whitbread Candlesticks all in our coloured eggshell finishes Backdrop of Indigo with Milk white on the skirting Trumpington Order a Sample Indigo Order a Sample French Blue Order a Sample Rose Order a Sample Malahide Order a Sample I love playing with light and composition when shooting a space. It felt liberating to design with these photographs in mind as the final “piece”. It made for a much more interesting interior, with 4m tall bunches of willow stacked into corners and a brightly coloured forest of candlesticks littering the dining table. Patrick of Berdoulat Design Indigo, styled by Berdoulat x Bulmer, shot by Paul Whitbread Indigo Order a Sample London Brown Order a Sample Milk White Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Luckily the partnership now extends beyond Herefordshire – our creamy, plant-based sample pots are now available from Berdoulat’s bricks-and-mortar location in Bath, so it’s easier than ever for people based in the west of England or visiting to drop in and take a look at samples in situ and shop the exquisite emporium that is Berdoulat Interior Design. “We have been called a nation of shopkeepers,” adds Edward. “Well, Patrick and Neri have made shopkeeping into an art form! Beauty, utility, craft, individuality with not a discordant note.” Head over to Bath to visit the extraordinary shop on 8 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP – it is a must visit experience. Milk White on the ceiling with Indigo on the walls, paired with Berdoulat's pieces. Shot by Paul Whitbread Subtly the room became an inviting room to live in and occupy but at the same time presented a work of creative cohesion in which carefully crafted pieces were given an individuality while they wove together to form a wonderful tonal tapestry. Edward Bulmer Each candlestick was hand-painted by Patrick's wife Neri Williams, in all their glory against Indigo walls What’s more and ‘in store’, not only our lovely and creamy plant-based samples but Berdoulat will be hosting a special event for Edward Bulmer the launch of his very first interior design book ‘The Colourful Past: Edward Bulmer and the English Country House’ with a Q&A session followed by a book signing! Click below to purchase your tickets, we are predicting a quick sell-out for what will be an evening not to be missed so hurry! Edward is not only one of the greatest contemporary interior designers in the UK, but a learned architectural historian, who founded the eponymous natural paint we're lucky enough to sell in the Berdoulat Shop. We are huge fans of his work, his informed, careful and considered approach, but also of the man himself, who is humble and talks so enthusiastically and with such passion. The book is a fascinating read, and such an impressive compilation of his work over the years, all beautifully captured by Berdoulat's favourite photographer @paul_whitbread_photo . Join us in the Berdoulat shop for a Q&A session with Edward, followed by book signing. Patrick of Berdoulat Interior Design book tickets here
Petra Palumbo: Homeware in the Highlands Petra Palumbo creates gorgeous homeware products designed with the environment in mind, Petra’s signature carafe and tumbler set was created as a stylish plastic bottle alternative and her eponymous homeware company followed. Petra opened her first flagship store late last year, it truly is a haven for homeware.
The Power of Natural Pigments: Issue 4 Discover again this month more about the natural earth and mineral pigments we use to create our colours which are far more sophisticated and subtle than synthetic AZO dyes used by most paint companies.
What are microplastics and how can we reduce them in mainstream paints? Microplastics, microbeads and nano particles are so tiny (measuring 0.006 to 1 millimetre, but they can be up to 5mm) that they are now everywhere! We are probably all inadvertently responsible for this as it is not mandatory to be told when they are used in a product and only a small number of their uses has been outlawed. Furthermore, plastics that are dumped in soils or water are being broken down to become microplastics.
Haines Collection: Reducing Waste in the Interiors Industry Edward Bulmer and Jules Haines, founder of Haines Collection, talk about reducing waste in the interiors industry on the new Haines Collection YouTube series ‘Sustainable Interiors’.
