An antique wallpaper so extraordinary that an entire room was built around it — including raising the ceiling
The Court of Noke in Herefordshire is the home of designer Edward Bulmer, and the antique wallpaper in this bedroom shows some of his thought processes in action.


Edward Bulmer breathes new life into houses with a sympathy that is rooted in a deep understanding of their past. ‘What I’m able to offer is a skill, not only a decorative style,’ Edward explains.
‘I can see where details are missing, I can unravel a mishmash of periods — it’s more akin to an architect’s approach.’
It’s a slow game that can last for years and, sometimes, decades — he’s been overseeing the redecoration of White’s in St James’s for the past 10 years, is called into work at Chevening in Kent every five years and has been involved with Goodwood since the early 2000s.
Old houses are in his DNA; in the 1960s, his father, Esmond Bulmer, bought a Georgian rectory in Herefordshire and restored it with the help of the decorator David Mlinaric.
It was in observing the process that Edward acquired a respect for using good-quality traditional materials, such as wood, paper, silk, leather, wool and cotton in interiors.
He brought all those sensibilities to bear after he and his wife bought the Court of Noke, and not least in the bedroom featured on this page.
The Bulmers decided to raise the ceilings of the room by taking the floor out above, and then, to make the most of the new height, they hung a 19th-century Chinese wallpaper.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The wallpaper was restored by specialist Allyson McDermott, whose work has appeared in places such as the Brighton Pavilion and The Palace of Westminster — and to make the most of it, the entire room was built around the wallpaper. There’s a lesson for anybody who has ever fallen in love with something but has shied away making everything else fit around it.
Another lesson here is of a more practical nature: the wallpaper starts not from the skirting boards but from the chair rail. ‘I think you see it better that way,’ explains Edward.
It’s not the only bedroom in the house with such a flourish: one room on the other side of the house faces east, so the walls are hung with a tree-of-life fabric by Pierre Frey for warmth.
The Court of Noke is a house that Edward had known since his childhood in Herefordshire, and which — other than central heating and electricity — had remained completely untouched by the 20th century when he and his wife Emma bought it a quarter of a century. Since moving in, however, they have made their mark several times over, with some rooms having seen several different changes in paint colour over the years.
‘The house works as a proving ground,’ says Edward. ‘We put up new colours and see how they look with stone and wooden floorboards — they’re the mainstays of classic English interiors.’
www.edwardbulmerinteriordesign.co.uk
Credit: Cathpole & Rye
The joys of a shower which offers a touch of luxury and theatre on a daily basis
A beautiful bathtub is a splendid feature for any bathroom, but given how often you use the shower it makes
Credit: Richard Munckton
How Downton Abbey spawned Britain’s emerging kitchen trend
It may be gone from our screens, but Giles Kime believes that the hugely-successful Downton Abbey has left a lasting
-
Chanel takes a cruise around Lake Como
The last Chanel collection designed entirely by the atelier has been unveiled on the shores of Lake Como, in Italy.
-
'Tate Modern has exploded the canon of art history, and transformed the public’s relationship with contemporary art'
Artwork by Louise Bourgeois and Salvador Dali, among others, will be on display for the Tate Modern gallery's 25th Birthday Weekender event.
-
The new chandeliers which offer decorative flourishes and a breath of fresh air in a world of pendant lights
Chandeliers aren't right for every room, but where they work they can work in spectacular fashion.
-
How to put your money where your mouth is: 20 Eco-friendly products for home, garden and driveway
From veg boxes and green toilet paper to vehicles which will help save the planet, here's our pick of some of the best eco-friendly products on the market.
-
Bringing a touch of French chic to an English country house
Taking a cue from our cousins across the channel is never a bad thing. Amelia Thorpe picks out some French-style accessories for your home which will lend some Gallic flair to your home.
-
Why it's easy being green – start small and take it from there
It's a big decision to go green with an entire room, but the right furniture, fittings and accessories can let you try before you go headlong.
-
How a collection of first editions can make your personal library just that little bit more special
Few things are more alluring than a spectacularly beautiful library within a fine country house. But should you be fortunate enough to own such a room, the problem of what to keep within can be tricky — though rare first editions are always a good bet.
-
Perfect pendants: Shedding light on why they've taken over from our precious table lamps
Pendant lights are plumbing new depths - Giles Kime finds out why.
-
The luxury of an armchair which one wishes to sink into and never escape
The activity of sitting has been much-maligned, but now receives an elegant makeover in the form of a moss green armchair from The Queen of Serene.
-
The joys of a shower which offers a touch of luxury and theatre on a daily basis
A beautiful bathtub is a splendid feature for any bathroom, but given how often you use the shower it makes sense to get something which feels special every day.