A Look Inside: de gournay x belvoir castle

CHIC DE LA CHIC…

de Gournay, the British wallcovering brand, has partnered with the historic Belvoir Castle to recreate and produce a new hand-painted Chinoiserie wallcovering, inspired by the home’s antique wallpapers dating back to the 1700s. For more than 500 years, Belvoir Castle has been regarded as one of England’s most stately homes. Owned by the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, the Rutlands joined together with the directors of de Gournay to forge a plan to take on the ambitious recreation of the vintage Chinoiserie designs.

One of the best examples of the antique wallcoverings is in the Wellington Room, pictured above. In 1850, the Duke of Wellington stayed at Belvoir Castle, and thus the room was named. The original wallpaper’s rich berry tones complement its pistachio background, depicting a garden scene of exotic birds and peonies in full bloom.

In researching the Wellington Room’s original wallcovering, the team unearthed a previously planned color scheme—apricots and blues—from the castle’s archives. This then became the jumping off point for a fresh new take for the ‘Belvoir’ wallpaper, which was installed in the then-Brown room, now Howard Room in the castle. The wallpaper is now available on de Gournay in Howard and Wellington.

Howard Room Photos by: Dylan Thomas

In renovating this part of the castle, the team brought in the best in the business of English design: Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. The team, led by Emma Burns and Philip Hooper, re-interpreted the historic scheme of suites, working with brands like Collier Webb, George Spencer, and Heritage Trimmings – creating a historic-yet-fresh take on a revered space, full of character and charm.