It is that time of the year again, we have been working on three hotels one of them being the lovely Lakeside Hotel at Newby Bridge here in Cumbria.It is right on the lakeshore at the bottom edge of Windermere. I would like to thank Jonathan Robb for putting some fairly unflattering pictures of me at work on Facebook ! Each year they refurbish a number of bedrooms as well as a rolling programme for the public rooms. It is very beautiful. Have a look a their website www.lakesidehotel.co.uk
Those of you who are in the trade will instantly relate to the pictures below. Carrying in all those heavy curtains, bedspreads, pelmets, bed valances etc – then the nail biting begins in earnest. Even after 46 years of designing and fitting, I still have that little anxiety as I start to hang the curtains. Will this be the occasion I have measured everything wrong?
On another fitting this week it was suggested that as we are so busy would it not be a good idea to have someone else do the fitting for me. I hasten to add there is usually one of my workroom “girls” to help me. My response was although it is quite heavy work I couldn’t possibly miss out on the best part of all. Seeing the whole scheme come together, it still gives me a thrill every time.
In this scheme, the printed fabric is by Nina Campbell, the remainder of the fabrics are by Osborne and Little and the wallpaper is by Abbott and Boyd.
Below is the start of a beautiful suite – pictures to follow when completed.
My thanks to the staff at Lakeside particularly Geoff and Sheena and to the owners for asking me back to do their work for another winter.