Tea at Trianon: A Notting Hill Townhouse

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Thursday, May 2, 2024

A Notting Hill Townhouse

From House and Garden:

Bryan’s name is synonymous with hotel design; he’s worked on many of the most glamorous properties across the world – Claridge's, The Connaught and Kenmare to name a few – and imbued their private and public spaces with his deft blend of neutrals, pastels, artful furniture and craft. This style translates wonderfully to this house, where Bryan has in his own words “experimented with colour more as a studio than we have before.” Bryan is known more for his soft approach to colour, creating serene spaces with splashes of pale coral, light blue or washes of pretty pinks. “It’s really important to explore and experiment with colour,” he says, “because the outcome can be really powerful but still calm and enveloping. It can have a positive effect on you when you walk into these rooms.” (Read more.)