Interior designer and sustainable paint pioneer, Edward Bulmer, shares the stories of his listed 18th-century home, Court of Noke, and what makes this historic Herefordshire country house a home. By Rosalind Sack
EDWARD AT THE LONDON SHOWROOM OF EDWARD BULMER NATURAL PAINT. IMAGE: ANNA BACHELOR
Interior designer, architectural historian and natural paint company co-founder, Edward Bulmer’s work has long been defined by a deep respect for history, craftsmanship, sustainability and the power of colour. At Court of Noke, his 18th-century Herefordshire home that also serves as the beating heart of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint these principles come together with particular clarity.
Known for his expertise in the restoration of historic buildings, Edward has worked on many renowned English country houses, including Althorp, Goodwood, Pitshill and Castle Howard. Naturally, his own listed red-brick Queen Anne house, which he and wife Emma have spent the last 20 years renovating to be a comfortable family home, is both beautiful and practical.
Here, Edward discusses the stories of Court of Noke and the people and objects within it that make this such a treasured family home.
(LEFT) THE FRONT HALL LOOKING TO AN OAK-PANELLED SITTING ROOM BEYOND; (RIGHT) BRIGHT BLUE WALLS ADD VIBRANCY TO THE SPACE. IMAGES: PAUL WHITBREAD FROM THE COLOURFUL PAST BY EDWARD BULMER, PUBLISHED BY RIZZOLI
How would you describe your home in Herefordshire and, aside from your wife Emma, who do you share it with?
Our house was built at the end of the reign of William and Mary and has quite a Dutch feel about it. Lenny the Dachshund lives here and our three daughters visit from London. We share the outbuildings with our twenty strong natural paint team.
How have you approached honouring the historical traditions of the house, while ensuring that it provides the comfort and emotional sanctuary of a home?
I always start with curiosity. What, why, when? To understand the house and its real significance. Ours is listed, so that means being clever, so that you preserve its character while allowing for modern practicalities.
Can you talk us through a handful of the paint colours you’ve used in your home, why you chose them and what they bring to the space?
The centre of the house encompasses the main hall and staircase, so I called for Lilac Pink, which is one of those colours that takes on different hues according to the light, uniting the space but modulating it too. We have Invisible Green and Azurite in the west-facing rooms for drama, and our lovely south-facing sitting room is Pomona – a soft minty green that works well with the pink upholstery.
Your home is also a laboratory for Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, which produces beautiful, heritage colours made of groundbreaking plant-based ingredients and gentle chemistry. How do you keep a distinction between work and home life, or do the edges become blurred?
Work and home are all one and the same. You can’t take time off from trying to save the world from the massive pollution caused by modern paint making!
What are some of the most memorable things that have happened in your home?
Three little girls arriving one by one and filling it with joy and fun.
COURT OF NOKE’S RESTORED 18TH CENTURY GARDEN FEATURES ORNAMENTAL FISH POOLS AND CANALS. IMAGE: PAUL WHITBREAD FROM THE COLOURFUL PAST BY EDWARD BULMER
Where are you at your happiest in your home?
In the garden, really.
What’s on your bedside table?
Photographs of Emma and the girls, and a pile of half-read books.
What’s the most surprising thing in your home, that people might not expect of you?
A pink leather sofa.
If the objects in your home could speak, which would have the most fascinating story to tell?
I guess the Tang Dynasty pottery horse. It is over a thousand years old and belonged to my grandmother, and before that the novelist Somerset Maugham – but how many countless people before that?!
What can be found at the bottom of your garden?
The River Arrow (and at the top of it, and over most of it in the flooding season).
What was your childhood home in Herefordshire like and do you think it influenced your current home in any way?
A solid Georgian box but f-ing cold! So I was definitely influenced by look, but not feel!
(LEFT) SOFTLY NEUTRAL WALLS IN THE STUDY ROOM; (RIGHT) ZINGY GREEN WORKS BEAUTIFULLY IN THIS LIGHT-FILLED BATHROOM. IMAGES: PAUL WHITBREAD FROM THE COLOURFUL PAST BY EDWARD BULMER
THE CONSERVATORY, PART OF A NEWLY BUILT WING BY EDWARD AND EMMA, WITH YELLOW ‘BRIMSTONE‘ CEILING. IMAGE: PAUL WHITBREAD FROM THE COLOURFUL PAST BY EDWARD BULMER
(LEFT) A FLAGSTONED HALL COMPLETE WITH A MIRROR-PANELLED PAINT CUPBOARD; (RIGHT) ORNATE PERIOD DETAILING IN THE STUDY. IMAGES: PAUL WHITBREAD FROM THE COLOURFUL PAST BY EDWARD BULMER
THE MAIN BEDROOM FEATURES AN 18TH CENTURY PAINTED CHINESE WALLPAPER AND BED DESIGNED BY EDWARD. IMAGE: PAUL WHITBREAD FROM THE COLOURFUL PAST BY EDWARD BULMER
RICH YELLOW ENVELOPES THIS ROOM IN THE EAVES. IMAGE: PAUL WHITBREAD FROM THE COLOURFUL PAST BY EDWARD BULMER
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