C O N T E X T 1 2 3 : M A R C H 2 0 1 2 17 documentation described the Regency riot of opulent colours in the room in terms of the textiles: pink, crimson, scarlet (actually what we would today call orange) and blue. Although it was itself bold, the almost monochromatic paint scheme acted as a foil to the other strong colours in the room: a ‘blue-ground crimson scroll and roset-pattern Brussels carpet’, ‘costly’ pink-striped silk tabouret curtains lined with scarlet tammy (glazed wool), pink silk lining the brass lattice-work to the cupboard doors and seat furniture upholstered in red morocco leather.This amazing combination of colours, an exercise in bold Regency taste, would have combined to create a room of huge visual impact. The decision to re-create the Regency scheme was neither easy nor quick. It took years of research, analysis, trials, discussions and statutory permissions before the go-ahead was finally given.4 This is just as it should be. Such a step in a Grade I listed interior is a huge responsibility. It is important to have marshalled as much evidence and justification as possible. Repainting historic interiors is not really reversible: covering a surface with paint effectively means the loss of the existing scheme and the re-creation of a scheme means adding another layer of history to a room, which is a major intervention. Listed building consent from the local conservation officer and English Heritage had to be sought, and the National Trust’s arts panel, made up of independent, external experts, needed to be convinced. Even they found it difficult to visualise the scheme’s concept and its impact on the room’s appearance. A trial on the wall from floor to ceiling was recommended.This resulted in a tentative ‘yes’ to its re-creation, but a further trial was requested to address issues of glossy varnish and clogged dado detail. There were, understandably, reservations about the irreversible step of wholesale redecoration. For general visitors it was even more challenging to understand the proposals. Would the extensive use of black make the room look dark, gloomy and funereal? The scheme was very challenging to present-day taste. The previous scheme, dating from 1972, had been loosely based on Steuart’s original late-18th century colours for the room: soft greens and creams which visitors found Left: A trial slice of the scheme from floor to ceiling Right: A watercolour vision of the Regency scheme by Peter Brears in 2007 Left: A paint ‘window’ showing original red graining on a black ground Right: Paint ‘windows’ opened up to investigate allocation of the scheme
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