 |
| Little Holland House, Carshalton Beeches |
This is a little-known house. Well, it was to me until fairly recently. I came across it when in the Honeywood Museum last year in Carshalton and saw information on it. The house is only open one Sunday in the month day and is run by volunteers.
Little Holland House was designed by Frank Dickinson, artist, craftsman and designer, between 1902 and 1904 and was the family home. Frank followed the teachings of William Moris and John Ruskin and made all the furniture in the Arts & Crafts style. He was forever adding things and was making some wooden motifs to the lower wall paneling of the lounge when he died. You can see where he stopped.
 |
| Front half of the house |
 |
| lounge |
Frank was a Humanist and Socialist, and I could see the influence of Moris and Ruskin around the house in his paintings and motifs. Everything about the house shouts Arts and Crafts and the fact that he did everything himself. Even the gate posts, gate and side gate has his workings. Around the house back then were lavender fields. It must have been quite rural.
 |
| lounge |
 |
| Pictures of the family |
 |
| Detail on the lamp shade of Florence playing the organ |
 |
| Ceiling - lounge |
 |
| Front of the house with stairs leading to the bedrooms |
The house is now a Grade II listed building, but we have the neighbours' intervention to thank for saving it. After Frank died and his beloved wife Florence needed care and moved out in the 1970's, the house went on the market. The neighbours pleaded with the council to buy it because it was unique. Thankfully, the council did. Thank goodness, otherwise all the inside might have been stripped out to modernise it. What a sad day that would have been.
Frank Dickinson so reminds me of William Morris. They both wrote poetry, and designed and made things with their own hands. There is silverware in a cabinet Dickinson designed for his wife. Everything had meaning. Downstairs there are wall plaques featuring members of the family and on the light shade on the lounge, Dickinson has painted his wife playing the organ, but in the medieval style, reminiscent of the Pre-Raphaelites. There are little touches everywhere you look.
Upstairs there are three bedrooms. The front one holds documents and display cabinets. The two back bedroom overlook the lovely garden with its pond. In the smaller back bedroom there is a painting that reminds me of a Stanley Spencer painting, and features the most influential people. I spotted William Morris and John Ruskin!
The bathroom was modernised in the 1970's, but the old water heater is still there. It couldn't be converted to natural gas when the changes came. I love the fact that it was kept. I also loved the lighting in here with the high windows.
Frank Dickinson designed his house just the way he wanted it, and from the photos they took, the family seem relaxed and happy living there. The house has a lovely feel to it. The name Little Holland House paid homage to the Victorian artist George Frederic Watts, who moved into his Little Holland |Park house near Holland Park, Kensington in 1850. You may remember I recently visited the Watts Gallery near Guildford a couple of months ago.
Frank and Florence spent their first few days after marrying sanding the floors in the house. As one of the guides at the house said, Florence must have sometimes wanted to say to Frank, 'just sit down', but he never stopped designing and making for the little house. What a treasure.
 |
| The old water heater |
 |
| Outside workshop |
 |
| Back of the house |
 |
| There were newts in the pond |
Comments
Post a Comment