The Colourful Past: Edward Bulmer and the English Country House

Interior designer Edward Bulmer breathes new life into centuries-old houses with a sympathy that is rooted in a deep understanding of the past, transforming them into comfortable homes designed for modern living.

Edward Bulmer is part of a new generation of designers working on historical houses with an eye on designs that appeal to contemporary families and active lifestyles while at the same time respecting the classical traditions that have made the British country house style so popular today. With a modern eye, Bulmer combines his love for the well-worn and timeless with natural textures as well as rich new color palettes and finishes, as embodied by his line of all-natural, toxic-free paints that embrace both traditional and eclectic tastes.

In his first book, Bulmer takes readers on in-depth tours of his work in some of Britain’s grandest homes, including Althorp, Goodwood, Pitshill House, and Broughton Hall, along with his work for private clients, highlighting his own stunning home, a Queen Anne manor house built in 1700. Bulmer and his family have spent the last twenty years turning this country farmhouse into a comfortable, practical home--with a working organic farm--that perfectly accommodates the demands of contemporary living. It has become a laboratory for his design practice and is also the base for his paint company, which he operates out of an old granary converted into a studio.

Edward Bulmer is an interior designer, architectural historian, and founder of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, a popular line of all-natural environmentally friendly paints. He has been named to House & Garden’s Top 100 Interior Designers, and in 2019 the magazine named his Pitshill House restoration as Project of the Year. The Duchess of Richmond resides at Goodwood, which has been in the family since the late seventeenth century. Photographer Paul Whitbread is based in the Cotswolds and has worked with noted interior designers, boutique hotels, and luxury brands. His images have appeared in Architectural Digest India, House & Garden, The English Home, and Homes & Antiques.