“I have a little room with grey-green paper with two water-green curtains with designs of very pale roses enlivened with thin lines of blood-red. These curtains, probably the leftovers of a ruined, deceased rich man, are very pretty in design.

Probably from the same source comes a very worn armchair covered with a tapestry flecked in the manner of a Diaz or a Monticelli, red-brown, pink, creamy white, black, forget-me-not blue and bottle green”

Vincent Van Gogh to Theo Van Gogh, St Remy de Provence, 23rd May 1889.
Of all the letters that Van Gogh wrote to his brother, this one holds a special place in my regard because it reveals to us that Vincent observed and appreciated the use of colour and design in all its forms, including in simple room furnishings.

To the prejudiced eye, skillfully executed interior decoration may not be valued or recognised as an art form in its own right, but to those of who who are passionate about the subject, it is a fascinating and endlessly varied outlet for self-expression through the mediums of colour, texture, lighting, display and arrangement.

For this post and accompanying selection of photographs, I am going to pick up on the theme of roses to keep things harmonious with Van Gogh’s curtains, and it seems an obvious platform to have a look at Cabbages & Roses (more lifestyle than brand) founded by Christina Strutt in 2000.

https://www.cabbagesandroses.com/about-us

Christina’s Book ‘Living Life Beautifully’ is one of several always to hand on my bedside table, ready to infuse the close of a busy day with a plethora of inspiring and restful images.

The 100% linens produced by Cabbages and Roses have a lived in, vintage look that works so well with Brocante finds, and immediately lend a room a sense of permanence. I feel that they are to interiors what herbaceous borders are to gardens. I am vaguely recalling words of ‘society gardener’ Norah Lindsay  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norah_Lindsay who often said that borders should “resemble old ladies petticoats, flopping over the path”.

One recently decorated bedroom at home features ‘Constance Multi’, and is unashamedly old fashioned, with sprays of flowers in purples, pinks and greens.

I first saw the fabric as a simple cushion displayed on a French Rococo armchair several years ago, and have harboured a desire to include it in a scheme ever since.

Photo courtesy of Cabbages & Roses ~
All other photos by Deborah Knight
The room is a world away from the rather spartan one that was allocated to Van Gogh at The Asylum of St. Paul de Mausole, but I like to think that he would have approved. I can’t help wondering what his oils and brushes would have made of the view…