SUMMER INTERIORS

Susan and Max Deliss have slowly and carefully decorated and furnished their house in France with vibrant colours, exquisite textiles and characterful antiques

A French holiday house, a glam family pad, a London rental and a writer’s retreat

When a house appears to be ‘just right’ in a relaxed and comfortable way, you can be sure that plenty of thought and care has gone into its creation. Max and Susan Deliss’s house in Burgundy is no exception. Although rundown and neglected when they rst viewed it 16 years ago, the property was exactly what the London-based couple were looking for: a year-round holiday home that they could restore and decorate in an authentic and sensitive way.

The pair have formidable talent when it comes to decoration and renovation: Susan deals in antique textiles and is also a designer. Before embarking on an earlier career in law and nance, she won a scholarship to study art, architecture and restoration in Venice. Max is an independent

ne art restorer and at least thirdgeneration artist. Between

them they have a wealth of knowledge and skill, which they drew upon to create their richly layered home.

Hidden behind high walls, the front door opens from the delightful country-style garden into a narrow entrance hall and traditional staircase. The house is mostly 18th- century with a large square sitting room that was added onto one side in the mid 1800s. Lit on three sides through glazed doors and large windows, the room has something of a delightful Russian

dacha about it. Retaining the original grey and coppery-toned "oor tiles, which extend to the adjacent dining room, it’s a generous space, well suited to entertaining, but furnished to create warmth and intimacy when the family are alone. ‘I must admit, I was inspired by a visit to La Mirande, the small, #ve-star hotel in Avignon, even though it’s much grander than our house,’ says Susan, adding that living in Italy also in "uenced her style and love of colour.

However, the interior she has created is essentially very English – relaxed and inviting. Fine furniture is

mixed with simpler pieces and colours that might once have been thought to clash are used with con !dence. The house was decorated slowly and, before Max and Susan had children, they made do with very li"le furniture. Max made the rustic Austrian-style kitchen table himself. Once the wiring and plumbing had been upgraded, the plastering ! nished and paint colours chosen, the couple could turn to the more serious items of furniture.

‘ We like quite big things with a story and love buying at auction,’ notes Susan. Many favourite pieces, such as the Georgian dining table and the copper kitchen pans, were found at Christie’s. ‘Susan chooses things mostly,’ says Max. ‘But she does ask me and we are usually compatible.’ Susan reckons her taste is a bit more eclectic than her husband’s but notes, ‘ Max has de! nitely raised my game’.

The dining room and si"ing room take up most of the ground #oor. ‘ We wanted to keep the kitchen separate and, although small, this was the most obvious place for it and it works,’ says Susan. The !"ings were made in England; simple shelves lend a country air and the walls are painted a zingy orange by Dulux. The #oor is

traditional Tome!e tile. Between the kitchen and hall is the cloakroom and plenty of useful storage cupboards. ‘I am always buying old china and porcelain,’ says Susan, ‘ because we like some formality for table se!ings and I also enjoy handwashing precious things as it keeps one in touch with their beauty.’

It is the rich mix of textiles and colour that enlivens the spacious rooms, while gilt-framed paintings, antique china and all manner of hangings and illustrations create an atmosphere that in no way says ‘ holiday home’ or ‘decorated’. Fabrics range from old Suzani pieces to various ikats and simple vintage gingham, which can take years of collecting – Susan is fortunate as she can nab things from her stock at will.

Upstairs, more colourful textiles decorate the landing where Max has painted Suzani "oral motifs around the door frame to the guest room and on the walls outside the couple’s bedroom. Alongside antique textiles, Susan chose rich pink English silk ta #eta for their bedroom curtains, a daring choice beside the green O !oman silk bedcover. The rooms on this "oor appear to glow; especially the yellow guest room and the sky-blue bathroom with its old Turkoman rug.

Susan describes the pleasure of $ nding beautiful things as a journey, and talks of how an a!achment is formed to well- cra %ed objects that have developed patina and character. ‘ I am fanatical about detail and as antique textiles become harder and harder to $ nd, I am studying them closely for my own range of fabrics.’

The Owners Susan Deliss, textile dealer, fabric designer and occasional interior decorator (susandeliss.com) and Max Deliss, picture restorer, their children Al (14) and Gus (12), and lurcher, Bess. The Property An 18th-century country house in France. On the ground floor there is a sitting room, dining room, kitchen and utility room. Upstairs there are four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

THIS PAGE Layering is the key to the air of relaxed informality in the sitting room, where complementary tones of blue paint, and fabrics in pink and red, are used to great effect; cushions on the bench in the entrance hall feature antique embroidery from the Balkans. Antique guns and cutlasses are grouped together on the wall.LEFT The striking bookcases came from a chateau and were bought with the house. More books are piled onto an ottoman covered with an old Turkish kilim.

THIS PAGE Max’s father and grandfather were artists and their works are displayed on the walls. Max is primarily a restorer and he painted the hound after working on the Alfred Munnings original for a client; the dining room (below) is a long shape, with space for two seating areas. The smaller table is useful for serving. RIGHT The Venetian walnut cupboard was bought at Christie’s. The shelves are lined with gold Fortuny fabric and are home to Susan’s collection of Baccarat crystal. The antique china on the table is Limoges.

THIS PAGE The simple, unfitted kitchen with its vibrant orange walls overlooks the river. The table was made by Max. LEFT The Georgian table is set with Limoges china and old English candlesticks. The group of images on the wall is from An Almanac of Twelve Sports as Months of the Year by Sir William Nicholson.

THIS PAGE The guest bedroom is painted a warm yellow and the paintings on the walls are by three generations of the Deliss family; the blue on the bathroom walls is the perfect backdrop for one of Susan’s antique hangings. RIGHT The floral motif around the door was painted by Max, inspired by the textiles in the hall and using whatever colours he had to hand; the lilac-grey walls of the master bedroom are enlivened by a mix of antique textile panels, framed prints and paintings; additional shots of colour come from the hot-pink taffeta curtains and the vibrant green silk throw on the bed. The DA1 armchair was designed by Max’s uncle, Ernest Race.