{"id":18796,"date":"2023-02-12T09:30:53","date_gmt":"2023-02-12T08:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=39504"},"modified":"2023-02-12T10:36:41","modified_gmt":"2023-02-12T09:36:41","slug":"a-vintage-filled-regency-villa-in-bath","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-vintage-filled-regency-villa-in-bath\/","title":{"rendered":"A vintage-filled Regency villa in Bath"},"content":{"rendered":"

Laura and Dan Taylor\u2019s home is a theatre of beauty, embracing the faded grandeur of old French ch\u00e2teaux with a hint of rock and roll chic. Photographs Tamsyn Morgans <\/p>

By Alice Roberton\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 12 February 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

At first glance, The Grange looks like any other Regency villa, of which there are many in and around Bath; this is until you notice pale antique lace<\/a> hung at every window and a rather cool-looking 1986 jet-black BMW parked out front. The prettiness of the delicate window treatment and the retro chic of the car signpost what lies within \u2013 together they encapsulate the style of owners Laura and Dan Taylor, who live here with their two young daughters and a pair of languid Burmese cats.<\/p>\n

After studying Art, Laura became a fashion buyer, which led to her working in theatrical clothing. Here she developed a passion for costume, most notably the soft pastel colour palette of ballet dresses and slippers; an influence that sits at the core of her interiors look. Dan, a professional musician and songwriter, is a founding member and lead guitarist of English rock band The Heavy.<\/p>\n

\u2018We are both very creative people; Dan\u2019s outlet being his music, and the house being mine. Entering our home, you are stepping into my creativity \u2013 it\u2019s a curated scrapbook of everything I love, from vintage fashion<\/a> and ballet dresses to the faded grandeur of Ch\u00e2teau de Gudanes and the costume and interiors of Sofia Coppola\u2019s Marie Antoinette,\u2019 explains Laura.<\/p>\n

Entering via the heavy front door, you are greeted by an elegant white hallway and staircase, with wedding dresses hung on the wall and one of Dan\u2019s guitars just visible on the halfway landing. Painted white throughout, bar a few bare plaster walls and a peachy-pink bathroom, the house has a palpable feeling of calm; a kind of dreamy continental beauty.<\/p>\n

\u2018The house has a real stillness to it \u2013 it\u2019s a very grounding and peaceful place, but it needed a lot doing to it to make it aesthetically pleasing,\u2019 says Laura. \u2018We moved in on 21st December 2015 and by Christmas Day we were peeling off wallpaper and ripping up carpets.\u2019 Laura recalls the living room\u2019s khaki wallpaper, which was removed to reveal layers of original plaster in a beautiful patchwork of muted and mottled colours; this they kept.<\/p>\n

The house, built in the 1820s by the Royal Navy, originally had no kitchen, but a service kitchen was located in the servants\u2019 quarters attached to the rear. To make their current kitchen, Laura and Dan took down a false ceiling to reveal cornicing<\/a> and what was originally an external wall and back door.<\/p>\n

\u2018We uncovered this for its beautifully carved stone door mantel. To the bewilderment of our builder I wanted to make a feature of this, along with keeping the newly plastered walls untreated!\u2019 Rotten floorboards were replaced with reclaimed ones from Devizes Reclamation, and a simple bespoke kitchen was built by a local carpenter. \u2018To our delight, we found original fireplaces boarded up in every room,\u2019 adds Laura.<\/p>\n

The soft tones and delicate fabrics synonymous with ballet are a key thread here; something that shows not only in the decorative use of costumes, but in the overall colour palette of the interior. \u2018I worked as a dresser at the Theatre Royal, Bath, which led to assisting the costume supervisor on a production for the Royal Shakespeare Company; this is where my love for theatre and costume really began,\u2019 says Laura.<\/p>\n

Collections of old ballet photos, books, dresses and pointe shoes are kept on display instead of hidden away. Adding to the femininity of the house is Laura\u2019s collection of vintage<\/a> wedding dresses, bridal crowns, veils and Globes de Mari\u00e9e.<\/p>\n

\u2018Wedding domes, as they are commonly known, were used by married couples in France from the 1800s for collecting items from their wedding day, along with objects symbolising various episodes to come in married life. They are such intimate time capsules and I find it hard to believe families part with them. I treasure them now that they are in my care.\u2019<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also impossible to ignore the musical reference running through the house, from the second-hand white grand piano and Dan\u2019s collection of guitars, to pictures of John Lennon and Yoko Ono tucked into an ornate mantel mirror<\/a> and an old record player gently playing Van Morrison.<\/p>\n

\u2018Dan has quite a collection of music posters, but the colours are much stronger than the colour palette of our interior scheme \u2013 I\u2019m really sensitive to colour and prefer soft tones, but I\u2019m building myself up to integrate these stronger colours into the house,\u2019 laughs Laura.<\/p>\n

To create a truly authentic home that embraces all things elegantly worn, you have to think outside of the high-street box and turn to antiques shops<\/a> and flea markets; something Laura does well. \u2018The quality of craftsmanship in old things is so much better than most new, and even if fabric is tattered and torn, the structure is usually sound. I\u2019m happy to buy an old French sofa with its original velvet fabric hanging from its bones, or a dishevelled old wedding dress.\u2019<\/p>\n

To get the look they love so much, Laura and Dan search high and low for beautiful things: \u2018Wherever we travel, the first thing we do is search online for local dealers, shops and markets. We also find a lot of things on Etsy, especially vintage fashion. We\u2019re in our element sourcing for our home.\u2019<\/p>\n

\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
Laura collects and uses piano shawls \u2013 originally they protected the top of the piano from nicks and scratches, but they were also popular in the 1960s as boho fashion items \u2013 to add colour and pattern. \u2018They do a wonderful job of bringing music and fashion together and look divine draped over beds, backs of chairs and sofas,\u2019 says Laura.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
Costume and wedding dresses hang on an ornate French wardrobe.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
One of Laura\u2019s collections is her Globes de Mari\u00e9e, which she adores for their romanticism.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
Fashion plays a large decorative role in the house, as seen in Laura\u2019s on-display collection of ballet costumes and dresses. \u2018I love the way I can change the feel of a space quite quickly by hanging different coloured pieces up.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
In the piano room, black lace curtains add a rock and roll element, providing a perfect backdrop for the mirror balls and kimono hanging at the window. The white piano was bought second-hand.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
Laura and Dan Taylor on a French sofa in the piano room. It\u2019s clear from the moment you enter their elegant Regency house that the faded grandeur of old French ch\u00e2teaux has been a key inspiration.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
A view from the living room into the kitchen, showing the plaster walls of both rooms \u2013 one original and one new. <\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
A local carpenter built the simple bespoke kitchen units, while the builder took down a false ceiling to reveal cornicing and other architectural features.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
Laura loves to create displays such as this one with a witch\u2019s ball on an upturned glass, Globe de Mari\u00e9e and vintage books. Laura is the main collector here, with her eye often drawn to personal, ecclesiastical, magical and rare objects. The way she\u2019s collected and displayed her finds is something of a ritual, and her Instagram handle @this.ritual reflects this.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
In the kitchen, assorted chairs sit around a painted farmhouse table, elegantly dressed with candles and fresh flowers. A dramatic chandelier takes centre stage.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
The vintage kitchen dresser sits elegantly against an untreated plaster wall, adding a subtly faded, timeworn quality.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
Laura\u2019s eye for story-worthy pieces has seen her buying items such as this Romany fortune telling table, on which she has placed a collection of crystal balls: \u2018It\u2019s rare to find something like this. Traditionally, when a Romany woman dies, her wagon and all its contents are burned. I love the sense of mystery associated with such objects.\u2019 <\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
For Laura, the process of creating a home begins with whitewashing, followed by layering and then adding detail. The main bedroom is furnished with a French bed, a pair of matching bedside tables and boudoir lamps. Among the treasured decorative items are the piano shawl on the bed, and a feather and satin costume hanging on the wall. <\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
In Laura and Dan\u2019s daughter\u2019s bedroom, as in other rooms, muted shades of pinks and peach show themselves against white walls and elegant vintage furniture. A ballet picture on the wall and a cream piano shawl on the bed are typical of Laura\u2019s decorating style.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
Satin slippers and a black ballet costume make a feature of the original fireplace in this bedroom, while an old drum serves as a bedside table. <\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
The hallway console table is accessorised with a Madonna statue, bridal pieces, sparkling votives and one of Dan\u2019s guitars.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
With its salvaged bath and walls painted in Farrow & Ball\u2019s Pink Ground, the bathroom has a real boudoir feel. The Madonna statues in the background are just a small portion of Laura\u2019s collection and \u2018bring a sense of calm into the home\u2019.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Romantic\"<\/picture><\/div>
In the bathroom is a pretty display of Laura\u2019s perfume bottles and ostrich feathers on mirrored trays.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tamsyn Morgans<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n
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