27 June 2009

my darling Winston, about the carpets

What all husbands should know.



April 27 1909 Blenheim Palace

My darling one

" I had a long afternoon with Baxter and the carpets-The green carpet is lovely and will do beautifully for the library. In your room Nathan Laski's carpet, in mine, blue bedroom carpet from Bolton Street (just enough). I tried hard to make the red carpet do for the dining room, but it is really too shabby- The edges of stairs have made ridges along it- & there are awful stains (not my dog this time!)... Green sickly looking carpet out of Jack's bedroom in Bolton Street does Puppy Kitten* rooms- Another bit does the Cook's room- A big rug from dining room in Bolton Street? does my little sitting room, the edges done with blue polished linoleum continued out of hall. The whole house is now carpeted except one big servant's room (which can be done with cheap linoleum for about 2 pounds) and the Dining Room for which will have to be got- I have written to the people making the blue stair carpet to ask what it will cost to cover dining room with the blue..."

Clemmie Kat

(quote from
Winston and Clementine) This letter was written 1 year after their marriage.

* the baby to be



Clementine Churchill 1915 (7 years after her marriage)


The house- 33 Eccleston Square, London

Baxter- Mr. Baxter from Maples of London, an upscale retailer. Lady Randolph dispatched Mr. Baxter to select the front door color, Winston's wallpaper , along with other details. Clementine's own bedroom decoration -of her own selection- was done up in oranges and green, and the walls were appliqued with a design of an orange tree.

Winston added a new Dining Room and the old one became his Library. A passion for books, Churchill was building his library of English literature and History at this time- books and bills were constantly flowing into the residence.

The Entrance Hall was relaid in black and white marble.


Winston Churchill 1904 (4 years before his marriage)


post materials from
Winston and Clementine: The Personal Letters of the Churchills ,edited by their daughter Mary Soames Churchill and Chartwell by Stefan Buczacki

Clementine Churchill (see more on wikipedia) All images from Wikipedia.

4 comments:

  1. "Books and bills were constantly flowing into the residence"... oh, how familiar that is!!

    Didn't Clemmie have wonderful eyes!

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  2. I love this. A great team they must have made.

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  3. Thet signed their letters to each other with great affectionate nicknames - she "Kat", he "Pig", quite often accompanied by a little drawing of a cat or a pig. Clearly money was an issue, and Churchill fretted about it all his life, and although he was "comfortable", he was never rich, (compared to many in his class).

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