Francis Sultana's glamorous reinvention of a Herefordshire country house
Like all great epics, the story of Poston House begins in the mists of time, taking us on a journey through magical landscapes and through generations of protagonists whose shared endeavours create lasting alliances. There is a sense of duty and of destiny. As with this introduction, there may also be a little hyperbole.
The setting is a 270-acre estate on a hill looking across Herefordshire’s Golden Valley to the Black Mountains. Unlike the vast scale of the land on which it sits, however, the house is relatively small. Poston has been described as ‘a stately home in miniature’, and rightly so. Some backstory is necessary but will be kept brief, because there is much to tell about Poston House today. (Those who are interested in its history should seek out Mary Miers’ article for Country Life in 2005.) It was built around 1765 by Sir Edward Boughton to a design by Sir William Chambers who was, at the time, along with Robert Adam, one of two architects appointed by the Crown in the Office of Works. Referred to variously as a casino (from the Italian for ‘small house’ rather than a reference to gambling) and pavilion (all the rage for 18th-century aristocrats), it was intended as a hunting lodge for Sir Edward.
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Two centuries later, it was a virtual ruin, but to its rescue came Esmond and Susie Bulmer, who employed architect Philip Jebb to restore the building. It is said to have had hens nesting in its central rotunda dining room – the core of the original shooting box – which, by the late 19th century, was flanked by ugly wings. Today, the house is a perfect expression of neoclassical architecture, with a Doric portico and Jebb’s Georgian-style wings replacing the Victorian carbuncles. Poston House is now owned by a British couple, who have led a fairly international life but, six years ago, were looking for a quiet place in the English countryside. They previously had a far larger country house, but came to realise that it did not reflect the way they wanted to live. ‘Most of the house was never used – there were rooms I wouldn’t go into for weeks at a time,’ Poston’s current chatelaine recalls. ‘But when we saw this, it ticked every single box for us.’ There are three bedrooms upstairs, though plenty of overspill capacity in the guesthouse, which along with a studio and pool house form a neat little cluster of buildings. Just as the Bulmers wisely instructed Jebb, today’s stewards turned to the interior designer Francis Sultana to help usher it into the next phase of its life. They have known Francis for years, having worked with him on some of their former homes. It was through Francis and his partner, the gallerist David Gill, that they met the designer Mattia Bonetti, who has created unique pieces for all of their homes. He, too, is a character of note in this tale.
As if by fate, Francis lives in a William Chambers building in London (the story of his Albany set appeared in House & Garden’s January 2021 issue) for which he had undertaken a huge amount of research on the neoclassical architect. He had also further experimented with a hybridised aesthetic that blends historically accurate decorating and unabashedly modern design.
The aforementioned rotunda dining room retains some of the relics of the Bulmer period and is rich in original, as well as contemporary, references to the building’s 18th-century origins. These include three grisaille panels showing the Sacrifice to Pomona, painted by Esmond’s son Edward and recently restored. Edward, himself an interior designer and historic paint specialist, also designed two console tables, their Vitruvian scroll detailing now repeated in the edge of the circular Mattia Bonetti rug. Surrounding the magnificent ‘Three Graces’ dining table, also by Mattia, is a set of antique black klismos chairs bought in Paris.
Initially, the new owners decided not to purchase the Irish crystal chandelier that was in the dining room when they bought Poston. Perhaps it was divine intervention that, when they realised their mistake, they discovered that the chandelier was being sold by a local antique dealer. Tying all of this together is Francis’s fresh recolouring of the room in cool grey-blues.
More daring and completely fabulous is the drawing room in the east wing. ‘Germolene with a bit of lilac’ is how the owners gamely describe the colour of the walls, which took its lead from the pinkish marble fireplace. Establishing the seating area is another rug by Mattia. ‘The room didn’t have a dressed ceiling,’ explains the husband. ‘We thought it would be wrong to put one in.’ The rug is intended to be a play on an Adam-style ceiling, a fun inversion of the expected. A nod to William Chambers is seen in the detailing on two shagreen-covered cabinets designed by Mattia, topped with stylised pagoda-shaped finials, a reference to the architect’s affinity with Chinese architecture – one of his best known buildings is the Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens.
‘They had a dream of a chinoiserie bedroom,’ Francis says. ‘And we did it with no fear.’ Which is surely the only approach when designing a strongly thematic space. ‘Oriental Landscape’ by de Gournay in a custom green slub silk dictates the palette of this wonderful folly of a room. Its gold-tinted pagodas blend perfectly with the gilded cast bronze of the dressing table and floor lamp, and even the stud decoration of the shades on the bedside lamps, also designed by Mattia. Every detail has been very carefully thought out, including the transition into the adjoining bathroom, which is more European than Oriental in style, but is clad in a complementary honed green marble.
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One of the most outstanding details at Poston House is probably the least noticeable. And that is the work of Francis’s decorator and paint effects artisan. The owners point out the woodwork on the door to the dining room; its finish has that mellowed, lived-in feel usually erased by a lick of fresh paint. ‘When everything feels too new, it might not feel totally sophisticated,’ Francis explains. ‘Sometimes, you need to create that patina. There is so much potential with the art of decorative painting.’ Such techniques have been used on virtually every surface. ‘With the quality of the brushstrokes, it looks as though it has been here forever,’ say the owners.
No project like this can be a success without a client who is completely committed. And in a building that is historically significant, it requires someone who sees their role to be more as custodian than owner. The couple clearly respect the building and its history, including the work that the Bulmers did, even seeking out Edward’s opinion on colours and inviting him and his father to visit. They take seriously their role as patrons – of contemporary designers such as Mattia, but also the local craftspeople who worked on restoring the estate and the fabric of the building. And they have a huge amount of trust in those with whom they work. Not least in Francis, their long-time collaborator and friend. This chapter in Poston House’s story is not over, but it has already set a glorious scene for the next one.
Paul Massey1/14The west wing of the pavilion has windows on three sides, here with Australian blinds in silk damask by Luigi Bevilacqua. Above the resin and scagliola sideboards hangs a painting by George Condo. ‘Poston’ sofas by Francis Sultana sit on a rug by Mattia Bonetti, who also designed the bronze and shagreen cabinet, one of a pair.
Paul Massey2/14The chairs are a Twenties design by Bernard Boutet de Monvel. The chandelier, originally bought by the Bulmers, was subsequently secured through a local antique dealer.
Paul Massey3/14Part of the original structure, this has undergone restoration by the previous owners, the parents of Edward Bulmer, and again by Francis and his clients. The fresco above the fireplace is by Edward, who also designed the console table. Above it in the recess is one of a pair of wood and wrought iron torchères, commissioned from Mattia Bonetti.
Paul Massey4/14Throughout Poston, Francis has wittily juxtaposed classical and contemporary ideas. Here, an antique mirror hangs above a Mattia Bonetti bench covered in ‘Tigre’ cut velvet by Luigi Bevilacqua, in front of which is a silk rug designed by Francis. The walls and ceilings have undergone extensive work by his decorator and paint effects specialist, requiring layers of custom colours.
Paul Massey5/14The cabinetry is by Martin Moore, while Francis designed the ‘Venise’ table and the ‘Munira’ chairs.
Paul Massey6/14A skylit vestibule leads from the landing to the bedroom, dressing room and bathroom.
Paul Massey7/14The bathroom is clad in Italian Aphrodite marble from Stone World.
Paul Massey8/14The wall lights are by Maison Baguès.
Paul Massey9/14Francis designed the bed, bedside tables and sofa, which is covered in silk velvet and satin by Veraseta.
Paul Massey10/14In the bedroom, a strong chinoiserie theme has been developed, established by de Gournay’s ‘Oriental Landscape’ silk wallcovering, a custom archive design. The cast bronze dressing table and stool were designed by Mattia Bonetti.
Paul Massey11/14As part of the extensive work undertaken by the current owners, the exterior of the house has been re-rendered and painted in a more mellow shade, which is closer to the colour of the original shooting lodge.
Paul Massey12/14The Doric pedimented portico serves as a fitting entrance to this restored neoclassical building.
Paul Massey13/14The owners have also restored Poston’s orchard, parkland, outbuildings and guest houses, one of which is now an elegant orangery that houses a pool along with a summerhouse pavilion.
Paul Massey14/14
