Hello you lovely lot,
You have helped me bring so many wonderful things at Mapperton to life. From the muniment room (our first project together!) the American Heiress exhibition, digitising Montagu 16mm films where we really got to see Alberta - Louisa, 6th Countess of Sandwich's hand-painted miniatures, the 18th century lead eagles, the 18th century Peacock tapestry and the 18th century Tale of Genji screens (still in the shop so to speak). This time I am asking for something bigger, and I want to show you exactly why.
In 1962, Country Life photographed the West Room here. The curtains in that image are the same ones hanging in the room today. At least sixty four years on, faded, thinning, water logged and honestly rather sad.
The plan: de Gournay wallpaper (I have a meeting with them in September), fabric from Gainsborough Silks (they are coming to Mapperton to go through it all with me), bold, beautiful paint, and the duchesse brisée reupholstered at last. The old silk curtains get a second life as cushions, and I will tell you all about that another day.
To fund it, I have created a limited run silk scarf and pocket square with the brilliant textile designer Rory Hutton. Twelve motifs from Mapperton, from the Earl's coronet to the Montagu lozenges to elements on Alberta's House of Worth dress, to a frilly swim cap (my signature style), to the Montagu family tiara I wore on my wedding day. Twelve motifs, twelfth Countess. Once they have sold there will be no more, and all profit goes into that room.
Thank you, always. This one really matters to me.
Julie x
P.S. One scarf will be framed and placed in the restored West Room, so that in years, decades, centuries to come, your story will be told there.
