A Grand Makeover

Revival of the castle’s 18th century Chinese wallpaper

An exciting collaboration with the hand painted wallpaper specialists de Gournay has seen the faithful revival of the castle’s exquisite 18th century Chinese wallpaper from the Wellington Room.

The Castle is renowned for its collection of antique Chinese wallpapers dating back to the late 1700s. The Wellington Room wallpaper is one of the most breathtaking examples with rich berry tones set against a pistachio green and an opulent design featuring a garden scene of exotic birds and peonies in full bloom.

To showcase the new wallpaper, de Gournay enlisted the help of expert makers to carry out a striking revival of the Brown Room, now christened as the Howard Room. Long running British design firm Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler led this transformation with the project eventually involving a host of British brands keeping traditional craft alive.

After a delve into the archive, the designers uncovered a colour scheme for the room that had never been realised, which inspired a fresh new Apricot and Blue palette for the wallpaper, now hanging in situ.

Royalties from the de Gournay ‘Belvoir’ wallpaper will be used towards the restoration of the Chinese wallpaper found in several rooms in the castle, including the Chinese bedrooms and King’s Suite that are on public view. We look forward to sharing updates on the wallpaper restoration as we mark an exciting chapter in the castle’s continued history.