Knole House Gatehouse

Campbell Smith & Co Ltd were employed to undertake the preparatory investigation and subsequent decoration of The Gatehouse, one of only two remaining 1930’s ‘Bloomsbury’ interiors, both of which in the care of the National Trust.

Based on architectural paint research and working with a specialist paint manufacturer, we meticulously replicated the new paints to match the traces of the original colours and finishes that were extant in these rooms and used traditional application techniques to make the new indistinguishable from the original.

We conserved the remaining hessian wallcoverings and produced new to match where the original had deteriorated, hand colouring with artist’s pigments to achieve a seamless finish.

This work has allowed the Trust to open these rooms to the public for the first time, creating from a derelict tower spaces that have now become a vibrant part of the Knole story, and its role in the history of the ‘Bloomsbury Set’.