Earlier in the year when Edward was asked my Philip Mould Gallery to contribute to his stand for The Treasure House Art Fair, his immediate questions was about the art that was to be exhibited. A plethora of paintings from the 20th Century, from Duncan Grant to Harrington Mann, meant that the aesthetic of the stand needed to be in keeping with the mood and themes of the works on show.

Philip and Edward have been friends since university and their expertise in their fields resulted in a truly collaborative meeting of minds, from the world of arts and interior design. Eager and with anticipation, sketches started to emerge and ideas were shared over a few months.

Edward Bulmer’s principle is to start with what you already know, be it a favourite piece of art work, or the finish of the wood. The interior decoration must keep in line with the aspects you cannot change and create a ‘mice en scene’ to complement those features for the room to work.

As a rule, this is something that Edward relies on when decorating or imagining interiors, to make the most of the ‘ingredients’ you already have and adding to the ‘grammer’ of the room with colour and total tonality.

The dedication to environmental consciousness from both sides, the collaboration set out to harness the importance of responsible practices within the art world, pioneering plant-based paints and with a commitment to reusing materials, plinths, and furniture wherever possible, with help from some other special guests…keep reading to find out who.

To find our more about our difference and commitment to helping the climate crisis, please read our Lifting The Lid campaign HERE.

The Treasure House Fair is hosted at Royal Hospital Chelsea every June and showcases some of the most wonderful and prestigious art in the world.

Truly a feast for the eyes as you walk around the vast floor, taking in portraiture from over 70 of the worlds top art dealers. Spacious isles and high ceilings make it the perfect place to view and appreciate the hundreds of paintings, sculptures and portraiture on offer. Set up by the founders of Masterpiece, Thomas Woodham-Smith and Harry Van der Hoorn, their combined  passion and enthusiasm for all things art to create a unique experience for the voyeur.

To bring the project to live, Edward enlisted the help of master antiques dealer and interiors expert Max Rollitt, his unique pieces and inimitable bespoke range fitted in with the Charleston theme and offered a eclectic ‘mish mash’ of old and re-imagined. From large sofas re-upholstered in loose covers, to corner chairs with ticking detail and painted legs. It was of course the style of the time when Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant inhabited the Sussex farmhouse to beg and borrow, some furniture inherited and some merely made do with- made to look so beautiful and curated in a way that only an artists house could.

During the live talk held by Philip and Edward, Philip read a quote about the Bloomsbury gang stating:

‘They lived in squares, painted in circles and loved in triangles’

And we couldn’t have put it better ourselves. The rich, bohemian lifestyle carrying them through their years, their partners and their work.

Get the look

Charleston is all about colour, but it was often used sparingly and it quite a muted way, all be the colours bright. Edward chose ‘Aerial Tint’ for the main drawing room, a perfect back drop to art with its grey/blue finish and subtle warmth. ‘Royal Grass Green’ for the sitting room, the perfect green for lamp light and one of our newest editions, launched with our ‘Palette Blenders’ last year.

Finishing touchers with our dark and sultry  plum ‘Tyrian‘ were added with accent of ‘Wash Stop‘ on the woodwork.

Colours created by interior designer and ‘colour man’, our fossil fuel free wall paint has exceptional coverage and can be used tonally to create beautiful schemes and palettes. An unrivalled finish loved by artists, interior designers and anyone who just loves colour!

The stand would not have been complete without the hard work and intricate detailing but painter and Charleston enthusiast Jane McCall of Bloomsbury revisited.

Jane’s undeniable and seemingly effortless talent with soft brushstrokes and attention to detail meant that the artwork was framed in amongst decorative ‘bellasters’, 8ft tall standing in all their glory and adorned with some classic Charles motifs, ducks, lurchers and freehand patterns.

Jane McCall and Jane Howard and a dynamic duo based in Sussex who are not only business owners, but best friends.

‘What started out as a fun project, born out of a love for Charleston Farmhouse and complementary skills, has grown beyond their wildest dreams into a fully-fledged business. But taking inspiration from the flamboyant Bloomsbury Set residents, it will always remain a quirky, idiosyncratic enterprise which they both enjoy without any desire or ambition for big brand status.’

With Royal Hospital Chelsea just a stones throw away from our London Showroom, it seemed fitting to bring a slice to Bloomsbury to The Pimlico Road and we organised a collaborative pop-up showcasing lampshades and painted bases from Bloomsbury Revisited and various furniture by Max Rollitt including a Saffron camelback sofa which took pride of place, set to the backdrop of our plant-based natural paint.

Max’ unrivalled knowledge of interiors and antiques meant the stand and our London showroom were dressed to an exquisite standard. Max was born into a fmaily of antiques, his mother owning a shop in the city of Winchester, not far from where he is based at Yavington Barn nowadays. Antiques soon turned into bespoke and now the barn is home to three businesses under one roof, antiques, interiors and bespoke.

“What unites the three Max Rollitt businesses is a refinement of quality, character and finish.”

-Max Rollitt

Edward Bulmer Natural Paint uses a plant-based binder and natural earth and mineral pigments in it’s recipes, meaning the colour is unrivalled. Kind to nature, we declare all of our ingredients for you to see and love to hear about how your paint works in your space.

If you missed this pop-up, not to worry. Jane and Bloomsbury revisited will be returning as the days draw shorter at the end of October with more lamps, sign up to The Colour Supplement HERE to make sure you’re informed of all our colour announcements, collaborations, holiday reading and interiors inspiration.