Private houses, museums, restaurants, pubs, a former cinema, and numerous little-known treasures jostle for attention in this beautifully photographed collection of weird and wonderful interiors in England. Often featuring deliberate references to the tastes and styles of bygone eras, all the interiors are united by a wonderful blend of vivacity and individuality, and display a great deal of passion and dedication in the creation of a unique space. At the same time, these interiors feature a diverse assemblage of traditions and tastes from every corner of the world, reflecting not only the historical make-up of British society but also the far-reaching knowledge-base upon which the creators of these glorious interiors have been able to draw.From a bizarre magician's house in London to a wildly entertaining hotel in rural North Yorkshire, there is ample evidence of the creative output resulting from this heady mix of enthusiasm and expertise. Historical fantasies sit alongside glorious 21st-century expressions of maximalism, from Walpole's stunning 'little play-thing house' at Strawberry Hill in Twickenham to the newly opened Great John Street Hotel in Manchester where the style is joyfully described as 'New York meets vintage chic.' Quirky, intellectual, stylish or humorous, all the interiors in this book serve as a glorious testimony to the richly creative tradition of English eccentricity, past and present.


Miranda Harrison is a freelance writer and editor, specialising in the arts. Formerly Managing Editor at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Editorial Director at Scala Publishers Ltd, she has a degree in Art History from Manchester University. She was a reviewer and feature writer for many years for The Good Book Guide, on history, travel and the arts, and has contributed many articles to magazines within the design and publishing press. She is the author of a short guide to Picasso’s Guernica and a book on Ancient Egypt. Steve Gorton is an established photographer, with over 20 years’ experience of working with publishers. He has photographed a vast range of subjects, though his quality of observation is particularly borne out in his observation of place and environment, whether natural or manmade.