Abstract

Kenwood House was currently undergoing a major phase of repairs, redecoration and re-appraisal. This provided the ideal opportunity to look at the interior decorative finishes of the house in selected main areas of the ground floor and to perhaps link through series of rooms to provide some rationale in the presentation of the spaces. The Entrance Hall, Great Stairs, Anteroom to Library and Library are generally presented as it is currently believed that they appeared when Adam completed the house in the 1770’s, although this is due for future re-appraisal.

This research exercise focuses on the suite of room located on the ground floor in the south front of the house, (see figures 2 - 4). These are currently used as gallery spaces and the intention is that this use should continue. The architectural history of these spaces was understood to be quite complex, with changes of the use of rooms during the period of the first three Earls. There has been some remodelling and knocking through of the central spaces by Atkinson in 1815 and further extensive interruptions into central spaces during the major refurbishment and rebuild of the south façade during the 1950s -60s. (see figure 1)

The current presentation of the spaces was not based on an understanding of the decorative history of the interiors. It was hoped that this research exercise would fully record the evidence for earlier schemes surviving in the spaces, clarify their archaeological development and the historic significance of the architectural elements. It was also considered that an awareness of the previous decorative history might provide guidance on a more informed and suitable redecoration and perhaps unification of the spaces into a cohesive suite of interiors.

This report records the evidence for each interior, tying in dates from archive sources where identified and other less specific dating based on paint types and systems.