A leaf out of their book

When designer Cindy Leveson was asked to imagine the interiors of Goodwood’s new restaurant, Farmer, Butcher, Chef, she knew straight away that it was an opportunity to do something unique. “I said to Lord March, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if the whole thing was about Goodwood and Sussex and England and farming,’” she remembers. So the idea was born of using everyday artefacts from around the estate to decorate this bright, airy space. The result is a contemporary take on country chic: a world away from dark, cluttered rustic décor, yet layered with interest and colour and filled with humble yet beautiful objects that connect with Goodwood’s history.

Pages from Goodwood's antique books of pressed flowers were carefully photographed and framed, and now grace the estate's restaurant as unique wall art 

One especially striking feature is the use of pressed flower pictures. “Lord March mentioned that he’d recently found some albums of beautiful pressed flowers and wondered if they could be used,” recalls Leveson. These “herbaria” – books of dried plants and flowers – had been made in the 18th century for the 2nd Duke, who had a keen interest in gardening and natural history. Now kept in the Large Library of Goodwood House, they are too delicate and precious to be moved, so an ingenious solution was found.

Leveson selected two sets from the original 48 pages of flowers. The pages – which over time had become crinkled with the moisture from the plants – were then meticulously photographed in such fine detail that every petal vein and paper crease was revealed, then printed onto very fine, old paper. The printed images were then “floated” in white box frames to give a cool contemporary feel. Such is the level of detail and the patina of aged paper, many visitors don’t realise that the flower pictures are not the originals.

The pressed flowers are just one example of Leveson’s enthusiastic mining of historic detail in this lovely upcycled interior. She talks with infectious enthusiasm about trips down to “R & M” – Goodwood’s repair and maintenance yard – to uncover buried treasures (“found objects” in art-speak) that she could repurpose, from farm tools to broken pieces of plaster to be displayed in cabinets. Particular pride of place is given to an 18th century fire hose, which Leveson shipped off to the blacksmith in nearby Halnaker. He polished the copper and brass fittings, oiled the leather hose and it now hangs, like a conceptual piece of art, on one wall of the restaurant.

This article is taken from the Goodwood magazine, Autumn 2017 issue