This festive season we are delighted to welcome Sharland England to our showroom on the Pimlico Road. Do pop in to browse Sharland England’s gorgeous rattan furniture and tabletop collection; from best-selling vases and trays to exquisite and unique ceramics and linens, whether you are gifting or creating your own beautiful Christmas table there is something for everyone. See details below.
Sharland England, was a pipe dream-turned reality for Louise Roe. Having worked in fashion and broadcasting for her whole career, it was a milestone triumph to realise her greatest joy; interior design. Some of you may already be following Louise on Instagram for style inspiration; from fashion to interiors, Louise incapsulates a classic and timeless style with a modern twist and she has put the chic back into chintz and classic homewares.
Sharland is the maiden name of my great grandmother. Three generations of family lived in Buenos Aires; all strong British women with a wicked sense of humour and a refined sense of style. Growing up in the English countryside, our home was peppered with antique chintz, rattan, cane and patina’d wooden furniture. I was surrounded by the warmth, tradition and nostalgia these pieces evoked. They honestly made my eyes twinkle, even as a child, when I walked into a room. It was as if glamorous stories and scenes from the past, just floated up from them.
Louise Roe has worked in the fashion and lifestyle industry for over 15 years. The former fashion editor-at-large for Glamour magazine, she has also written for Vogue, Elle, The Telegraph and House & Garden magazine. After a decade living in Los Angeles working in broadcasting, Louise and her family moved back to London. She founded Sharland England after a long-term love affair with all things rattan.
Sharland England is a celebration of all things nostalgic. Elegant wicker, tablescaping, linens, ceramics, antique chairs & romantic, pleated cushions – every item is thoughtfully handmade. Louise believes in slow, meaningful design to create beautiful items that last. It is every homeware lovers dream and the perfect place to source beautifully made pieces for yourself and for Christmas presents.
Louise has transformed two of her homes with our natural paints. In her new London family home the downstairs is an elegant mix of our earthy ‘Sang de Boeuf’ with the beautiful khaki brown ‘Mummy’. Rooms full of beautifully sourced antiques; an effortless layering of colours and pattern and of course some gorgeous Sharland pieces.
Upstairs Louise has used our timeless pink ‘Jonquil‘ in the spare bedroom and added some bolder colour to Honor’s room with a window in our deep golden yellow ‘Trumpington’.
We caught up with Louise in the pandemic before she moved to London so do read our interview below and here with her.
Fashion or Interiors? If you had to choose!
Ooh that’s tough – at the moment I’d say interiors! They are giving me more joy!
You are a style icon to many, who is your muse?
Oh gosh that’s very kind. I just love French women, how undone and effortless and imperfect they are. All the women in Sezane and Rouje campaigns.
Many find interiors to be an organic evolution from loving Fashion in their 20s to designing homes 30s and over…did you? Or do you pontificate over colours and decisions more with your home than your clothes?
Yes absolutely, and I completely agree with the above. I’m working on a new project now and my desk is drowning in swatches, sample pots and coffee table books filled with post-its and notes. I absolutely love putting a room together.
Favourite piece or find for your home that you know you will keep forever?
My bureau desk (see below image, against our ‘Sang de Boeuf‘). I actually hugged it when I found it.
These childhood memories inspired the identity and aesthetic at the core of Sharland England. Blending history, hand and tool, we support local artisans and craftspeople, using techniques passed down over centuries. I enjoy sourcing every antique item and overseeing its reimagining through restoration and upholstery using Sharland England’s bespoke linen blend
You have opened up the doors of your beautiful home to us all in this digital world as well as gracing the pages of the very best glossies. With this in mind do you have a favourite and private nook which is just for you?
I do love my little Mary Poppins room up in the eaves, it’s quite and cosy. Equally my desk, when the fire is on and recently – when it was snowing – felt like something out of a film!
How would you describe your personal style?
For fashion – quite classic, I like warm neutrals and well-tailored pieces mixed with something relaxed like an old white t-shirt. For the home, I am very traditional and English in my style, I love layered patterns and bright but warm tones.
Whose design style do you most admire?
For the home, Robert Kime, Beata Heuman, Veere Grenney, and Edward of course!
I think it's important to keep some more modern items around - the art, coffee table books, bottles on a cocktail trolley - and living items too - such as plants. I adore antiques, but if a room is only filled with them, it can feel too much like a period drama and not real life.
Throughout this last year we have found customers totally rethinking their homes; some wanting vibrant colours, others wanting to create calming and softer interiors. How have you created balance and harmony in your home?
Yes it’s been fascinating to see the attention people are now paying their homes. I think everything comes down to lighting, and for me – that meant removing all the spotlights in the ceiling and only having lamps, sconces and the odd pendant. It makes an enormous difference and calms the environment.
You have used several of our colours in your home from the beautiful ‘Brick’ in your drawing room, to ‘Trumpington‘ and ‘Fine White‘ in Honor’s playroom and of course the dusty pick ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue‘ in your spare bedroom. Do you have a favourite?
It’s hard to choose, but Brick! It is a true chameleon – that colour takes on a new feel depending on time of day and the light. I like it most at dusk. Preferably with a cocktail!
Are you a ‘decorate once’ sort of person or someone who likes to change and experiment? Which of our colours would be on your dream list next?
I like to decorate once when it comes to major works such as flooring, wall colour and furniture, but I enjoy switching up the accessories all the time, or moving bits around. I am currently talking to Edward about some browns and reds...watch this space!
What has helped you cope over the last year throughout these lockdowns? Your go to or favourite?
The Slightly Foxed literary podcast is brilliant – so educational and entertaining, and soothing. Delight by JB Priestley is a gorgeous red leather-bound book commissioned after the war to cheer up the nation, it’s brilliant. And I cannot stop watching Call my Agent on Netflix; set in Paris and so well written.
Finally what is the best piece of advice you have been given that you will pass on to Honor and your children?
Try to laugh as much as you can – even in situations that seem very serious or stressful, there’s usually a way to see the funny side. My husband teaches me that pretty much everyday.
Thank you Louise.
Join us for some festive fun and shopping from Monday 21st November to Saturday 10th December.
Come and see Louise and Edward on the 23rd November and 10th December.
If you haven’t yet visited our new ‘home’ in Pimlico this is the perfect excuse to see our colours in situ and find out more about our natural paints.
Come and see us at 194, Ebury St, London Sw1W 8UP and follow us @edwardbulmerpaint
Do also follow @LouiseRoe, her home renovations on @LouiseRoeHome and Sharland England @Sharland_England
