Sponsor Content Created With
Reimagining the past: A panel discussion with Vaughan
At Focus/25 later this month, Vaughan will host an inspiring talk at which leading names in antiques and interiors will explain why understanding the past is vital to designing for the future.
What's the secret of a timeless, long-lived interior?
Vaughan reader event: The details
- When: Tuesday, September 16 from 10:30am-11:15am
- Where: Vaughan, G6 Ground Floor, Design Centre East, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XE (map here)
- Admission: Free entry, with seats on a first-come, first-served basis
In this thought-provoking discussion, Max Rollitt, Tess Newall and her husband, Alfred Newall, as well as Beth Blakeman-Shead of Vaughan, will share the secret of timelessness and resilience in design today.
Many of Britain’s most beautiful interiors date back centuries. What do we have to learn from the past about creating longevity?
With a growing focus on creating sustainable interiors that will stand the test of time, it’s becoming clear that craft, carefully considered design and high-quality materials are more important than ever before.
How do both professionals and non-professionals address the challenge? And how does one combine the best of old and new? With backgrounds in antiques, craft, restoration and interiors, the panel will offer unique perspectives on the subject.
Visit www.vaughandesigns.com
The expert panel
Beth Blakeman-Shead (left), Alfred and Tess Newall (centre) and Max Rollitt (right).
Beth Blakeman-Shead is an artist who is also the chief executive officer of Vaughan, the eminent British lighting brand that is hosting this event.
Alfred Newall trained at the Building Crafts College in London before working for Plain English Design, later setting up his own practice in London and East Sussex where he uses sustainably sourced wood and traditional processes.
Tess Newall is a decorative artist who undertakes projects in the UK and the US and also has her own collection of furniture and wallpaper.
Max Rollitt is one of Britain’s leading interior designers and antique dealers with a background in both cabinet making, furniture design and restoration.
-
How to introduce colour and comfort to a traditional farmhouseBryony Richardson talks to Arabella Youens about her recent project in the Channel Islands.
-
Country Life August 12, 2026Country Life August 12, 2026, meets the churchwardens, our unsung heroes of village life. Plus, Tom Howells goes worm charming, we examine the radical Pre-Raphaelites and how the heatwaves are revealing long-lost gardens.
-
The art of the country garden at DaylesfordOn July 2 this year, five experts shared their thoughts on the secret of creating the perfect rural sanctuary.
-
Rooms with a view: The new Oakwrights garden pavilion collectionA new collection of garden pavilions from Oakwrights offers hand-crafted structures designed for those who want to spend more time in their own great outdoors.
-
Homegrown heroes: The British stone from Artorius Faber which transformed Country Life's RHS Chelsea Flower Show standGeorge Saumarez Smith’s design for the floor of Country Life's stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been brought to life by Artorius Faber.
-
Star of the show: How George Saumarez Smith's design for Country Life wowed visitors at the Chelsea Flower ShowThe Garden Lover’s Library, created by George Saumarez Smith for Country Life, dazzled visitors at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
-
Inspired by the past: How Munder Skiles blended old and new for Country Life's stand at the Chelsea Flower ShowOn Country Life's stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, two striking designs by Munder Skiles demonstrated the exciting possibilities of combining inspiration from the past, artisanal skills, high-quality materials and cutting-edge engineering to create furniture suited to inside and out.
-
Reader event: The art of the country house garden at DaylesfordWhat are the ingredients of the perfect country garden in the 21st century? At this Country Life event, five leading experts will share their wisdom on achieving pleasing good looks, creating comfortable spaces for relaxation, manageable maintenance and how to make a garden your own.
-
Art underfoot: How Artorius Faber brought to life the stone floor of Country Life's stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower ShowGeorge Saumarez Smith’s design for the floor of Country Life's stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been brought to life by Artorius Faber.
-
The best of British: How home-grown stone will be one of the stars on the Country Life stand at the Chelsea Flower ShowCountry Life's stand at RHS Chelsea will celebrate the beauty of Artorius Faber’s home-grown stone.
