New Tapestry Drawing Room at Castle Howard wins multiple awards.
2025 has been an amazing year for Francis Terry and Associates, with the Tapestry Drawing Room winning three awards. These are:-
Georgian Group ‘Award for Restoration of a Georgian Interior’
“The new Tapestry Drawing Room at Castle Howard is a completely new architectural treatment to a room which was destroyed by fire in 1940. The room had been left as an empty shell of charred stonework ever since. The brief was to restore the room to what the architect of the house Sir John Vanbrugh (d. 1726) would have created and to incorporate the four Vanderbank tapestries which were designed and woven for the room in 1706. The architect Francis Terry worked in collaboration with interior designers Alec Cobbe and Remy Renzullo to realise this vision. The focus of the design is a baroque chimneypiece made from scagliola with an elaborate overmantel, framing a painting of the ‘Judgement of Paris’. A large entablature crowns the room with a decorative rinceau design in the frieze. The two doors have overdoor paintings depicting the life of Joseph.
Care has been taken to use traditional materials and techniques where possible. All architectural elements of the project were hand drawn by Francis Terry at full size. Unusually, the room uses onsite run plasterwork made in the traditional way, rather than fibrous plaster made off site which is conventionally used. The frieze of the fireplace has a head of Pluto framed by a cartouche which was carved by hand from limewood. The room is painted a dark blue to bring out the colours of the much-faded tapestries. In keeping with the baroque spirit, the decoration is extensively gilded. Everything in the room, apart from the antiques, paintings, and tapestries, was made in the UK within the past eighteen months. The crafts used for this room include hand-carved timber classical ornament, traditional run plasterwork, scagliola manufacture and gilding.”
TAG Award ‘Members Project Award’
“The Tapestry Drawing Room at Castle Howard has been magnificently restored after lying in ruins since a fire in 1940.
Architect Francis Terry, with designers Alec Cobbe and Remy Renzullo, reimagined the space as Vanbrugh might have, centering it around original 1706 Vanderbank tapestries. A dramatic baroque chimneypiece in scagliola features a hand-carved limewood frieze of Pluto and an overmantel painting of the Judgement of Paris. Traditional materials and methods were used throughout, including onsite run plasterwork and full-size hand-drawn architectural plans. The room’s rich dark blue paint enhances the faded tapestries, and extensive gilding reflects the opulence of the Baroque era. Overdoor paintings depict scenes from the life of Joseph, and all new elements were crafted in the UK within the past 18 months. The project showcases exceptional British craftmanship, from scagliola to gilding, and revives the grandeur of this historic space.”
Historic House’s ‘The Restoration Award’
“The restoration work in Castle Howard represents one of the most significant projects of its kind in years. The quality of the craftsmanship and the abilities of the superb team made it a standout this year. We are delighted to give Castle Howard this recognition.”
