Arabian Tents in the South Downs

elvet_Arabian_Tent_in_Moulin_Rouge_design

Sumptuous, decadent … delicious. Believe it or not, I’m talking about a tent.

Last week I went to the wonderful Charleston Farmhouse – Sussex home to the Bloomsbury Group – for an Open Evening to hear architects Jamie Flobert and Julian Harrap talk about their designs for new spaces at Charleston for visitor facilities and events. (A fascinating project which we’re proud to have played a small part in, with our Bloomsbury in Sussex work.)

Before the presentation, guests mingled and lounged in a gorgeous affair from The Arabian Tent Company – whose warehouse and showroom is in the nearby village of Firle, in the South Downs National Park.

This beautiful, luxurious and warm shelter was so welcome on one of the first really autumnal evenings of the year, that it made me think again about the potential for using tents as temporary spaces for events – even in our British climate.