a newsworthy reveal!!!!

So it is done! The mystery project that is Hardwick hall is finished and opened at 12pm on the 23/2/2011.

tarot cards set in resin and attached to table runner

herb jars that can be picked up and smelled to add an interactive element to the room

After writing the blog i found out that the room appeared on the local news, needless to say i was very excited. 

Some of you may or may not know that Hardwick hall in Derbyshire was used as a location for filming for the Film Harry potter and the deathly hallow. To celebrate this Hardwick hall asked me to design a room in the hall inspired (but not endorsed) by the film and to create a wizards study.

I had such a great time designing and making this room and cannot thank Miss S enough for getting me the gig. It was challenging in so many ways. I am use to working to budgets and time constraints so I was not too worried about that side of, however (as I have mentioned in my previous posts) the  Hardwick hall is an historical building and the staff are in charge of conserving the hall and its contents for future generations. So for example it was not as easy and just putting a glass vase onto a table in the room, the vase could not be in direct contact with the could scratch  and scuff the surface, also I had to assess up the risk of the vase falling and breaking. The shard would not only pose a risk to the public using the room but could also damage the table or floors. Also care had to be take of what is take into the room If for example I had chosen to bring in real quill feather instead of synthetic one there may have been small bugs or parasite that may have damages the tapestries in the room. I mean the likelihood of that happening is tiny and it would seem all a little over the top from my part  but I do not have the knowledge miss S and the rest of the conservation team had so “better safe than sorry” was  the project motto. At first it was a little odd but you soon adjusted to the mind set of including risk assessments in your idea developments!

So with all the props packed into the care it was an early start to get to the hall for 9am. After a cup of tea (to get woken up!) it was off to the room to get started. The room looked a mess for pretty much most of the day and I am sure that the people that keep popping their heads around the door to see the progress may have thought that nothing was happening except more mess was being made but that did excite me a little because I knew about the big reveal and I could see that it was coming together.

I am very happy with the room there was a lot of time moving the furniture and items it was not a case of just picking up a side table and moving it as you would on stage you needed 2 people to move it (even though it was light and you would have ordinarily moved it yourself)  also items that could be taken from the rooms – such as tarot cards and  papers – were tacked to the runner that were made to protect the original furniture.

With a smidgen of arrogance I don’t think that the photos do the room justice. The room is smaller than it looks in them and a lot more gloomy and atmospheric.

What made it for me was that the staff at the hall kept saying they wanted to spend all their time in the room and that they loved it! I hope that the public are as enthusiastic about it too.

The Wizards study will be open for 1 year and You can find details about visiting Hardwick Hall here:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-hardwickhall.htm