Making Larkfield: An interview with Heather Shields
Heather Shields is a textile designer and weaver based on the west coast of Scotland.
You may have come across pictures of her stunning interiors on Instagram, and with five staircases in Wilton House we were delighted when she chose our classic Trent Beaver, and its coordinating design Ashby Beaver, for her home. With an impressive resume and in depth knowledge of the Interior Design industry, we talk to Victoria about her inspiration behind Wilton House and find out more about her love for interior design.
Born and raised in Perth, Scotland, I grew up with parents who worked in the fashion and retail industry – so art, design and interiors have been my passion from an early age. After school, I was awarded an unconditional offer to Central St Martins where I believed fashion was going to be my calling. However, I soon realised this was not the case and architectural design was my ultimate passion. After my stint at St Martins, I moved to Chelsea College of Art and Design, for a further 3 years and studied Interior and Spatial design, concluding this with a first class BA hons degree. During my studies I was lucky enough to have had work experience as assistant to Hugh Henry at Mlinaric, Henry and Zervudachi. After University I worked at Colefax & Fowler for a brief period, before getting married at the age of 23.
First and foremost working alongside Hugh Henry was the ultimate privilege. I remember every Monday morning he would appear with these beautiful drawings of room elevations and concepts for his various clients. Coming fresh from University where the trend was focused more on CAD and 3D, it was such a breath of fresh air to see a pencil and pen still being used in the professional world. I am a scribbler myself and far prefer to design with a pen and paper than on a computer. Hugh’s illustrations were so beautiful they all deserved to be mounted and framed.
My most memorable task was scaling up the corner of an A4 drawing of a rug Hugh had designed for a client’s drawing room. We needed to scale this up to life size, so the client could visualise the design and colour palette, before accepting its manufacture. This is where I really appreciated the meticulous level of detail one needed to go to in the design world, justifying the gruelling all nighters I spent designing, tweaking and perfecting every project at university… (not much has really changed, the late nights still very much exist!)
The most important piece of advice was from David Mlinaric, which was simply the importance of allowing your home to flow. He once told me, “you don’t want to be shocked or surprised when you walk around a house.” He also referred to rooms that looked unfinished or undressed as “being in its underpants”. This used to always make me chuckle, and however funny, it is a brilliant and true observation!
It was a bit of a shock! I had only been dating my husband Will for a few weeks, and he had failed to mention where he lived. I was of course naturally blown away by its beauty and extraordinary architecture, if not slightly intimidated at the same time!
I have always loved your designs, and nothing worked better than Trent Beaver for this historical setting – it helped me tie together the various areas of the house, with a contemporary twist.
I would say my style brings a touch of contemporary freshness into period interiors without compromising its historical value. I carefully consider the surroundings – existing colours, architecture, materials and design features both past and present, which allow me to form the base of my design. A house’s historical imprint is very important, and how each room connects with another. I would say my biggest achievement at Wilton is uniting the house together and transforming it into a usable family home. When I arrived there was really only one family space in one of the grandest rooms of the house, no family kitchen or children’s playrooms – and the kids bedrooms were completely disconnected from the main bedrooms. By opening up derelict areas I have created more modern, homely spaces that connect the house making it feel whole again. It is of course ever evolving as the kids grow up and their needs change, but my biggest aim is to try to make design work for you and your family. Form and Function must always be balanced
Trent Beaver in my opinion was the perfect design to bring a modern touch to a classical and traditional interior. With gilt portraits, bronze stair rods, mahogany and dark oak furniture – it complimented Wilton perfectly. Its modern yet warm tones and herringbone stripes are sympathetic to any historical setting, bringing it into the 21st Century.
I have to say it was a little challenging, as mentioned earlier there was only one family room in the house. It was very much the upstairs-downstairs vibe, with no connection between the areas. Everything was very disconnected, so to get to the bedrooms you needed to walk through an area that was open to the public, or go through the working kitchen. My project was to create a family kitchen and space where it could be just ‘us’. This then grew into derelict corridors being renovated and bedrooms so the house became properly connected together, feeling like an actual home.
This works perfectly when the house is open to the public, so we can contain ourselves inside without disturbing the movement of the guided tours. Filming on the other hand does rather take over inside and out, but the excitement is worth it and even though we may have a vast crew and stadium grade lights illuminating our home, it’s something we have grown used to. The only tricky part is keeping the kids quiet when they return from school!
I genuinely love it all. The evolving architecture, history, interiors and fabrics over the decades have been so well documented and are always an incredible source of inspiration
Wilton House has been described as being the best example of Palladian architecture in the UK, its Single and Double Cube Rooms have been described as being the finest staterooms in England, and its collection of van Dyck paintings has been described as the best in the world.
The house dates back as far as 1542, when The 1st Earl of Pembroke was gifted the 9th Century Wilton Abbey along with its land by Henry VIII following the dissolution of the monasteries. After the Herberts took ownership the house went through a number of different guises and iterations, including Gothic, Tudor, and most famously Palladian, led by the leading architects of the era. All these architectural phases of the house are still visible today on the different facades of the building, which have gone on to influence the design of some of the grandest stately homes in the country.
It is incredibly important to me to support British companies as much as possible, especially in this current climate. So much today is mass produced with traditional, skilled artisans far and few between. It is so important to help, support and ensure that the traditional heritage and longevity of these unique skills are maintained for future generations. The quality of your flatweave, from the weaving process to the actual fitting, is second to none.
The harmony between the architectural and interior history is integral to the uniqueness of Wilton House. The property has benefited from a plethora of designers and artists, the interiors evolving with the fashions of the time and the needs of the family. These encompass a huge span of great names, including Inigo Jones to Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler, to name a few. Whilst respecting how all these masters have influenced the interiors, there are areas we have modernised to work best for the family, whilst others like the State Room, we have respected every inch of, restoring it to its original glory.
I like to really understand my clients. The style of their homes and even how they dress can really help me understand their tastes in design and the traditions that are important to them. As I’ve mentioned before I like to make sure all rooms somehow compliment each other, that there is a flow throughout the house. It always starts from one key room and grows from there. Using a combination of different mediums through materials, wallpapers, rugs, lampshades and artwork make an interior space and home interesting, exciting and luxurious. The use of colour is incredibly important to me, I believe one must feel uplifted yet calm when they walk through their home.
We have had quite a few films over the years. We are usually the perfect setting for period dramas, some of which include The Madness of King George, Pride and Prejudice, The Crown, and Bridgerton. However, we have also seen a few action films like Johnny English and Tomb Raider take place here. Although there is considerable disruption that goes with it, the crew are always extremely conscientious.
With so much choice of quality craftsmanship and furniture, one of the key things is to choose items that are well made yet sympathetic to their surroundings. The materials must compliment one another, from both past and present. However, this doesn’t mean everything has to always be top quality or brand new – you can get away with many an Ebay purchase!
I am working on a Manor House in Sussex and have chosen two of your gorgeous runners. Sudbury Brick will run up the main oak staircase, with the vibrant Chatham Multi fitted on the back stairs off the playroom. They are due to be fitted in May, and compliment the house perfectly.
To find out more about Victoria and her Interior Design service and portfolio, you can visit her website and Instagram to discover more about her stunning projects. If you would like to visit Wilton House, find out more about opening times and exhibitions here.
We want to say a big thank you to Victoria for giving us a fascinating insight into her home, work and life
Wherever you are in the world, find your local Roger Oates Stockist or Distributor.
Please enter your details below to receive a copy of one of our full-colour brochures (UK only)
We offer custom colours, shapes and sizes, as well as bespoke design options in both Venetian flatweave and Hand Tufted rugs.