Charleston is a living time capsule; the only complete example of a Bloomsbury interior in the world. One hundred years ago, it became the country retreat of the Bloomsbury group, including the artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, who painted its walls, furniture and canvases with swirling motifs and innovative, modernist designs.
Thanks to the support of our donors, the project to help restore and conserve these painted surfaces to their former glory has been a success, and within 16 days of the closing date we reached our target. The funds raised will go towards the services of conservators specialising in furniture, wood, paintings and interiors to repair the very fabric of the house and its collection. We will now be able to restore the Kitchen, Library and Spare Room; all of which are in desperate need of conservation.
However, can you help us go a little further? If we can reach 120% by 1 September we will be able protect the newly restored surfaces for the future – with a state-of-the-art environmental control system which will monitor these magnificent paintings and preserve this magical bohemian home for years to come.
Help Charleston continue to inspire future generations. Without your help, the walls will crack, the paint will peel and the surfaces will crumble. Donate now and get a great reward, including tote bags, silk scarves, framed fragments of Charleston's wallpaper and the chance to see the completed restoration work at an exclusive unveiling event.
This project is now closed, having raised 130% of the target. Thanks for your support!
The Spare Room – an individual pattern
Vanessa Bell decorated the Spare Room that we can see today in the late 1930s, having initially whitewashed the walls when they first arrived at Charleston... Read moreKitchen – hand painted cupboard doors
Vanessa Bell hand-painted these beautiful cupboard doors in the 1950s... Read moreLife in Squares premieres tonight
The new three-part drama that features Charleston will be on tonight at 9pm on BBC 2... Read moreHave lunch with a true child of Charleston
Find out more about the fascinating Henrietta Garnett, Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell’s granddaughter – and donate for the chance to have lunch with her... Read moreFive things inspired by Charleston
As it continues to capture the public's imagination, we look at some of Charleston's most recent moments in the spotlight... Read moreHelp protect these precious surfaces further
With a little extra support we can make sure that Charleston is kept in the best of conditions for future generations... Read moreWe did it and a whole lot more!
Thanks to your help we've raised over £7,000 more than our target... Read moreFor funders only
The work begins
Work has begun to restore Charleston historic painted surfaces in time for the reopening of the house in March, in what will be our centenary year... Read moreFor funders only
Work continues apace
As the winter sun shines on Charleston, the newly restored surfaces are shining inside... Read moreFor funders only
Restored rooms now open to the public
We're delighted to share the results of the Charleston conservation – made possible thanks to your support... Read moreWith thanks to...
Susan Reid
Doug Wick
Helen Mulligan
Graham Olley
Patricia Millett
Nigel Newton
Ros Masters
Lindy Manser
Judith Porter
Tom Stuart-Smith
Nicole Aristidis
Frank Webster
Julie Roberts
Shelagh Diplock
Alan Hickman
Dawn Woodger
Jane Russell-Walling
Zoe England
Alison Osborne
Valerie Brandvik
Jeremy Waters
Margaret Howat
Jacqueline Mckimmie
Sally Paterson
Maureen Parker
Caroline Elmslie
Janice Morphet
Jane Oriordan
Nicole Bachmann
Amanda Butler
Sabrina Cerri
Linda Pennell
Eva Vermandel
David Hedges
Yvonne Wills
Yvonne Riordan
Laura Skinner
Laura Corcoran
Louisa Bell
Ian Stockdale
Ann Chadwick
Allie Nickell
Valerie Keefe
Rebecca Blair
Jonathan Prichard
Anonymous
Lucy Sainsbury
Julia Nicholson
Jane Mcmanus
Antonella Napolitano
Roberto Conte
Elisabeth England
Christopher Maynard
Susan Craig
Jack Flavell
Kate Head
Alex Green
Sue Warner
Laura Gresham
Rachael Simmons
Verity Foster
Emma Clifford-roberts
Juliet Baillie
Lynne Daniels
Aeron Rowland
Suzanne Williamson
Jayne Bamblett
J Ratzer
Lisette Martin
Anne Delnevo
Gordon Anderson
Elizabeth Ferguson
Pauline Scott-Garrett
Gavin Plumley
Julian Cazalet
Alison Menzies
Pennie Thomson
J Benson Trust
Ruth Maxwell
Tamara Stein
Susan Stern
Susan Bigg
Lucy Schoonhoven
Penny Baylis
Cally Goldsmith
Naomi Beevers
Diane Umemoto
Janet Whitaker
Christine Newbery
Jean Sanders
Ariane Bankes
Robina Pelham Burn
Lucie Spiers
Sarah Cobden-Ramsay
Katie Maynard
Cath Morfett
Miranda Stearn
Anant Singh
Susie Tempest
Nops Shotton
Rachel Thomas
Zosha Nash
Christine Langley
M Faldon
Susan Rose
Julie Bowdler
Heather Walker
Elinor Trigg
Kmo Ireland
David Ruby
Kate Lott
Marina Lewycka
Anita Perkins
Brian Young
Sally Hearn
Christine Gunter
Celia Knight
Stella Reynolds
Lucinda Smith
Roger Worthington
Jane Salvage
Charles Mckeown
Mary Randell
Ann Watson-Thomas
Janet Kyriacou
Clare Dunstall
Nicolette Jones
Derek Andrews
Tracy Avis
Clare Alexander
H Pratt
Melissa Rogerson
Linda Reid-lobatto
Catherine-Jane Cochran
Julia Corkey
Vivienne Lester
Leela Meinertas
Rebecca Zeman
Karen Wyatt
Fiona Mann
Louise Matthews
Annie Hawkins
Helen Hacking
Arabella Smith
Lindsay Rawlings
Melissa Hentges
Anonymous
Anonymous
Hilary Perkins
Sarah Linfield
Marion Clark
Lorna Gradden
Katie Tate
Kate Harrington
Richard Mccarthy
Lawrence Jones
Vanessa Steadman
Carmen Callil
Margo Miller
Laura Dabby
Elizabeth Correia
Verity Tolhurst
Vanessa Winchester
Jane Williamson
Mark Harris
Susanne Ogden
Gwyneth Morgan
Patricia Dunkin Wedd
Julie Dickson
Sally Young
Maggy Tyhurst
Thomas Wigley
Peggy Hooton
Bryony Harris
Neil Wanstall
Kate Whittingham-jones
Annegret Bakker
Pamela Romano
Ann Woolgar
Rachael Chung
Elaine Wallace
Catherine O'Connor
Nicholas Hytner
Gary Thornton
Michele Williams
Joanna Colyer
Lyn Cave
Michael Devenish
Valerie Pye
Douglas Talintyre
Mary Swanson
Lisa Welton
Anthony Seldon
Benedetta Origo
Christopher Locke
Caroline Tower
Diane Dimmer
Carolee Strong
Alison Mates
Michael Holter
Blanche Chenery
Jennfer Fitzgerald
David Gilmour
Elizabeth Holt
Patricia Edwards
Joan Heagin
Joanne May
Emma Smith
Timothy Godfray
Alan Hutton
Claire Sauer
Jenny Bisset
Stephen Carleysmith
Adam Rice
Jacquie Heathcote
Joanna Nolan
Ann Norton
Sallyanne Kent
Victoria Connelly
David Youle
Fred Weil
Pierre Coumans
Lori Inglis Hall
Katharine Ross
Sue Ann Gladhaug
Sarah Higson
Rachel Chang
Jane Lawrence
John Sheridan
Frances Lindsay-Hills
Sarah Cope
Maggie Humm
Sue Stewart
James Ellis
Richard Buxton
Brian Mcbride
Celia Clarke
Tingyu Huang
Virginia Nicholson
Michael Frayn
Anne Morrison
Elizabeth Lamb
Amy Foulds
Stephen Jones
Claire Masset
Helen Costello
Sally Jenner
Susan Gasson
Fay Bamblett
Caroline Cheeseman
Wendy Jones
Jela Webb
Christine Hutchinson
John Edwards
Ariana Musiol
Martin Smith
Carole Bisset
Alistair Burtenshaw
Claire Nicholson
Birgitta Woolfenden
Anne Peoples
Ailsa Damoussi
Quenelda Avery
Anne Naysmith
K Stapylton Smith
Katrin Woolfenden
Irene Wainwright
Richard Morphet
H Allen-Jones
Peter Grabowski
Caroline Martindale
Anne Crawford
Deborah Jackson
M Elliott
Doreen Keen
Paul Levy
Caroline De Klee
David Tyler
Jennifer Dooge
Alexandra Owen
David Gurr
Deborah Dunstall
Edwina Livesey
Alison Petch
Joanna Caldwell
Marilyn Sheinman
Les Robinson
Joanna Busvine
Katharine Majer
Christof Obrist
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Tara Madhok
Poppy Ansell
Bloomsbury Workshop
Katherine Precht
Hilly Custance
Brian Barber
Robert Archer
Chrissie Elcock
David Heyman
Kerry Olson
Carolyn Young
Mark Harwood
Jennifer Lush
Chris Maddock
Roy Balcomb
Thomas Everest-Dine
Sybil Del Strother
Nicola Braban
Katherine Smalley
Carol Lord
Zoe Mars
Louise Taylor
Roger Eastman
Giampaolo D'Alessandro
Anonymous
John Gamblin
Gary Cooper
Sonia Wiffen
Louise Tasker
Anonymous
Darren, Lewes
13 July 2015 - 13:27
Our first update to thank our first 60 donors! Thanks for all your lovely messages and your donations to date, please remember to share this wonderful act of support with your friends and family. Thank you!
Celia, WOKING
5 February 2016 - 17:01
I sent you a photo of myself to put into the Funders spot but it does not appear. Maybe I just wasn't pretty enough???!!!
Celia Clarke
9 February 2016 - 14:26
Hi Celia, we're very sorry that your photo is not showing up on the funders list. You can upload a photo to your artfund.org account by going to 'Edit profile' in your dashboard and uploading an image. If this does not work, please drop us a line: website@artfund.org.