Syon House and the Downton Jewels

Founded in 2016, by Caroline Percy and Oliver Gerrish, Historic Decoration runs study days and talks exploring all aspects of the history of British interior design. The speakers are established experts in their respective fields and they explore the evolution of interiors through the centuries with a view to decorating a period home in the context of the 21st century. For the amateur as well as the professional, Historic Decoration events provide a forum to offer practical advice amidst magnificent surroundings.

Caroline Percy

Caroline Percy is an interior designer and consultant as well as co-founder of Historic Decoration. Caroline grew up surrounded by historic and important works of art at Robert Adam’s Syon Park, her family home. This fostered an interest in the decorative arts and encouraged her to acquire a wide knowledge of historic interior styles. Caroline has worked on a number of high-profile design projects for both historic and modern interiors and has appeared on various television programmes.

Oliver Gerrish

Oliver Gerrish is a Cambridge University educated architectural historian, bespoke tour organiser and historic journalist as well as a renowned countertenor. He has appeared in a number of television series on architecture on both the BBC and ITV. Oliver is a trustee of the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust and founder of their Architecture Awards. For over a decade he was actively involved with historical architectural charity, The Georgian Group, for whom he re-founded and successfully led the Young Georgians from 2002-2016. 

Specialising in watches, fine jewellery and designer accessories, Fellows is one of the UK’s leading auction houses. Fellows was founded in Birmingham in 1876. A sixth-generation family-run firm of auctioneers, Fellows have been providing specialist valuations for over 140 years. With locations in Birmingham's historic Jewellery Quarter and London’s Mayfair, Fellows also hosts events for its customers and friends, including private viewings, tours and lectures series.

Andrew Prince creates some of the finest crystal jewellery in the world - from spectacular wedding tiaras, combs and bands, to elegant crystal earrings and bracelets. The time and expertise that go into creating his collection are evident in the superb quality stones, superior metals, elegant design and fine craftsmanship of every piece. Over the years, Andrew has built up a loyal clientele ranging from stars of stage and screen, royalty, couture houses and venerable institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Andrew Prince pieces are now often mistaken for 'the real thing', due to the outstanding craftsmanship and elegant design aesthetic he has honed over more than twenty years in the jewellery industry.

As well as The Young Victoria and Mrs Henderson presents, Andrew's jewellery has also been used extensively throughout Downton Abbey, You can find out more about Andrew in this profile for the New York Times. 

The last surviving ducal residence complete with its country estate in Greater London, Syon Park is a hidden treasure just 10 miles away from Fellows Mayfair office. Set amid a sprawling landscape of parkland, Syon House seems a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of modern-day London. Syon is the spectacular London home of the Duke of Northumberland. Built in the sixteenth century on the site of the Medieval Syon Abbey, Syon Park came to the Percy family in 1594. Syon has many layers of history and has seen some profound changes over the centuries, notably the 18th century redesign. The famous landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown swept away formal landscaping replacing it with the open views for which he is known. In the house the renowned Scottish architect Robert Adam was commissioned to create a series of striking classical interiors.

Syon Park’s gardens and grounds are open to the public from March to October, Syon House is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays.