For lovers of interiors porn, the Cotswolds home of artist and designer Luke Edward Hall, is the definition of English country style. That being, a mix of antique furnishings, comfortable seating rather than streamlined sectional sofas, flowers, both cut and captured in art, an unassuming kitchen with farmhouse table and plenty of reading material for rainy days. Dogs and a mud room are non-negotiable additions.

It was decorating doyenne Nancy Lancaster in the 1940s who likened the creation of English style as “a bit like mixing a salad” and advocated having something a little bit ugly in every room. Since Lancaster, there have been many proponents of the style – from the classical splendour of Robert Kime’s work, the irreverent glitz of Nicky Haslam, to the contemporary restraint of Ben Pentreath, for whom Hall worked. Each has shown the style is not at all shabby and can flex with fashion and fit around lifestyles. Hall’s is no different. He moved to the Cotswolds, with his partner Duncan Campbell, just prior to lockdown. “I’d never lived in the country before, so when we came here. I said, I want china dogs, I want chintz! Naivete and super-sophistication together. We all love china dogs – all our friends bought us china dogs!” he told The Bible of British Taste blog.

This pastoral idyll has no doubt helped with his many and varied creative activities. Hall, who studied at Central Saint Martins and interned at JW Anderson, before striking out on his own as an illustrator is best known for his languid, dream-like portraits and patterns inspired by the 1920s and 1930s.

He has collaborated with fashion and lifestyle brands such as Burberry, Lanvin, Richard Ginori, Gant, Habitat, The Rug Company among others, while his interior design work has also been in demand at hip hotels from Palm Beach to Paris. The Hôtel Les Deux Gares, Paris feels like an art collector’s home with an irreverent aesthetic akin to a Wes Anderson film.

Hall’s latest venture is the launch of his new fashion and lifestyle brand Chateau Orlando. The brand’s first collection is called “Postcards from the Castle” – a saturated knitwear collection of sweaters, cardigans, knitted vests and polo shirts that weaves together a mix of influences. Apparently these range from ancient and contemporary art to gardens, 1980s pop music, folklore and mythology, books and travel. 

“When creating our trellis, leaf and flower patterns, I imagined stumbling into a lost garden within the walls of a medieval castle on a brilliant spring afternoon, falling under its spell and setting up home there among the ancient trees and crenelations,” explains Hall.

The unisex collection, which launches today, February 12, features retro-style “squiggle” sweaters with other vests and cardigans decorated with oak and trellis motifs. The collection also includes trays and posters with prices starting at €55 for a poster to €325 for a cardigan. If you’re travelling to Paris, look out for the Chateau Orland pop-up in Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche. We can’t wait to see how this brand develops; www.chateauorlando.com.