How Art Deco Influenced the Mid-Century Modern Movement

Art Deco's Second Life: How the Style Influenced the Mid-Century Modern Movement The past is a powerful muse for the future, and few design movements illustrate this better than the unexpected relationship between the opulent world of Art Deco and the sleek, minimalist aesthetic of Mid-Century Modern. While they may seem worlds apart—one all glamourContinue reading "How Art Deco Influenced the Mid-Century Modern Movement"

How to Furnish a 1930s Lateral Layout

The Long Flat: How to Furnish a 1930s Lateral Layout Without Fighting the Architecture There is a particular kind of frustration that afflicts newly arrived residents of Du Cane Court. They have moved into one of the most architecturally distinguished apartment buildings in South London. They have the corniced ceilings, the steel-framed windows with theirContinue reading "How to Furnish a 1930s Lateral Layout"

De La Warr Pavilion: A Lighthouse of Modernism

De La Warr Pavilion: A Lighthouse of Modernism On a tranquil stretch of the Sussex coast, an architectural masterpiece stands as a testament to a revolutionary idea. The De La Warr Pavilion, with its clean, horizontal lines, curved forms, and expansive glass, is more than just a building; it is a monument to optimism, democraticContinue reading "De La Warr Pavilion: A Lighthouse of Modernism"

Sir Edmund Frederick Du Cane (1830 to 1903): Architect of Wormwood Scrubs and Reformer of the Victorian Prison

There is a particular irony embedded in the Du Cane family's London legacy. On Balham High Road stands Du Cane Court, the building their land made possible, once marketed as the "Aristocrat of Apartment Houses." In west London, running alongside the grey battlements of Britain's most notorious prison, Du Cane Road carries the same name.Continue reading "Sir Edmund Frederick Du Cane (1830 to 1903): Architect of Wormwood Scrubs and Reformer of the Victorian Prison"

Ella Du Cane (1874 to 1943): Watercolourist and the Woman Who Brought Japan to Britain

In the summer of 1874, the Du Cane family were as far from their Essex estate as it was possible to travel without leaving the British Empire. Sir Charles Du Cane, the family's current head, was serving as Governor of Tasmania, administering the southernmost Australian colony from the Government House in Hobart. It was there,Continue reading "Ella Du Cane (1874 to 1943): Watercolourist and the Woman Who Brought Japan to Britain"

Peter Du Cane CBE (1901 to 31 October 1984): Builder of the Bluebird and Architect of D-Day’s Fleet

On 19 August 1939, on Coniston Water in the Lake District, a boat called Bluebird K4 driven by Sir Malcolm Campbell crossed a measured kilometre at 141.74 miles per hour, setting a new world water speed record that would stand until the war had run its course. The boat had been designed and built atContinue reading "Peter Du Cane CBE (1901 to 31 October 1984): Builder of the Bluebird and Architect of D-Day’s Fleet"

George Bertram Carter (1896 to 1986): The Lutyens Pupil Who Embraced Modernism

George Bertram Carter lived almost twice as long as his fellow Du Cane Court claimant George Kay Green, and the arc of his career reflects that longevity: a formally trained architect who moved with the currents of his time, from Arts and Crafts to Art Deco to full-blooded Modernism, and who remained professionally active acrossContinue reading "George Bertram Carter (1896 to 1986): The Lutyens Pupil Who Embraced Modernism"