Owner Janine and her family open their doors a couple of times a year for an event they call Country House Interiors (you can find them on instagram). They invite local antique and interior makers and sellers to display their goods around the vast manor house for a very atmospheric experience. I was hoping to have lots more photos to show you but as I wasn't feeling very well I took my eye of my camera for a minute and it fell over and smashed.
Currently residing with the makers, I'm hoping my lens is fixable but it's just confirmed to me that I really need to get a lighter compact camera for this sort of occasion as my left arm still has a way to go before it works again. I actually burst into tears when I phoned the camera repair centre such is my current state of health. After over 20 treatments of radiotherapy I feel absolutely bloomin terrible and I'm looking forward to doing nothing much between now and the New Year except making my house look festive and cozy.
We found many many many things we wanted to buy but tried to keep to my shopping list of things that will work on a bedroom I'm tackling at present. Top of the list was some mounted antlers which I laid eyes on straight away from Mike of Ruby Rose Antiques who also has a large amount of Kokeshi Dolls for sale and I'm terrified that if I buy one it will start an obsession for owning every single one I see. However, Mike has plenty of other stock that I can be justified in buying, because of course antlers are an absolute essential for a country house interior design. Mike is involved with Blackdog Events around Suffolk and Norfolk too and his fathers shop in Halesworth is always worth a visit.
Norfolk Pickers owner Clare provided a lot of temptation and we were won over with a huge brass cooking pot thingy which will hold logs and coal in our enormous inglenook fireplace. Heaven forbid we ever move to somewhere small. Clare had so many gorgeous things, lots of lovely French items like those lovely frilly edged glass lampshades, kitchenalia and home accessories.
It was a real pleasure to also meet the lovely couple behind Massingham Antiques of Briston and are the sellers of that gigantic birdcage above, which if I had a space big enough I would absolutely love to own it but what a statement decorators piece that is; interior designers please note !! It would look incredible with a huge houseplant inside. I hope to meet up with them again next year and have a play with their stock and do some photos, meanwhile I am trying to work out how to incorporate that bird cage in my life.
There will be more photos over on my stories in Instagram as my phone had to take over after my camera broke. Those lovely little natural wreaths at the top and the decoration of the big fireplaces around the house was by Jo Flowers Official who is based in Norfolk and I'm hoping to track down her husband's reclamation yard Morways just the other side of the Thetford Forest Park.
Another of the many sellers around the house are my lovely friends James and Joanna who make so many high quality pieces for the home, from bath boards to lavender bags. I treated myself to one of their Christmas stockings which I hope to feature in some photos soon and should point out something they sell which is great for crafters. Currently they are expanding their stock of block printed items, usually in a red print onto vintage French linens, they not only sell items made with the hand printed designs, but also squares for you to incorporate in your own craft project. This is perfect for some cushions I want to make out of left over French Metis sheet scraps (after making loose covers for my chairs). I'm adding some embroidery around the block printed letter J, also in red and it's been the inspiration for many items I hope to make over Christmas.
James and Joanna take over the 'Children's room' in the house and decorate it full of their white linen items. I also had to have their little hand made angels made from wire, lace and crystal which you can see on their instagram feed.
Other sellers worth a note are Alicia from Mrs Clarkes in Harleston who brought her Plum & Ashby range. Sugden and Daughters had that adorable collection of white vase planters pictured above - don't they look great grouped together? Bungay shop Mouse Design also popped up with a great range of items and they can normally be found in Earsham Street (my favourite shopping street in this area), well worth a trip.
I know I've missed out a lot of people, apologies, if you are one of the sellers who would like a mention then pop me a message on Instagram.
In the meantime, check out my stories for more shots around the Old Hall Norfolk and a big thanks to Janine for hosting it.
My next event coverage will be with good friend Liz who is hosting her barn sale in Wangford on 23rd and 24th November, please be sure to put that in your diary and maybe I can see you there for a mince pie and a cuppa.
