Styling the Hartley Botanic Glasshouses at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026
WINNER OF AN RHS FIVE STAR TRADE STAND AWARD
May has been a busy month for Richardson & Veale as we are thrilled to be a part of the Hartley Botanic team at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 with the brief to provide interior dressings for the Grand Lodge and Magnum Opus greenhouses.
Hartley Botanic Grand Lodge Glasshouse
The Harley Botanic Stand (149)
This year's Hartley Botanic stand was designed by Sophie Hermes and built by Stewart Landscape Construction. Sophie's planting concept centres on how glasshouses can be used to their full potential in a changing climate: extending the growing season, cultivating a wider range of plants, and working with the heat rather than against it. Richardson & Veale's role was to style the interiors of these two structures, taking Sophie's design concepts as our starting point and marrying her planting vision with the lifestyle of the Hartley client.
The Victorian Grand Lodge
The lifestyle section of the Grand Lodge includes beautiful lemon trees, figs and Citrus japonica planted in mellow terracotta pots. Smaller pelargoniums are dotted throughout, adding delicate highlights of colour. At 27ft in length the glasshouse has a true feeling of grandeur and recalls the Victorian love of conservatories, which were not only places for the ‘upper-classes’ to showcase their wealth through the cultivation of exotic species but also a space for relaxing and entertaining away from the formality of the drawing room.
To reflect this traditional English heritage, we have chosen armchairs and side tables from Birdie Fortescue's beautiful Curato range. The soft green colourway we have used throughout complements the Black Olive Gloss of the glasshouse frame. Whilst Birdie's pieces are crafted from aluminium, the ogee lattice pattern of the Curato chair is reminiscent of the Victorian cane and rattan furniture which became increasingly fashionable from the mid 1800s due to the relative ease of importing the material from South East Asia. When the Sultan of Brunei gifted Queen Victoria a rattan sofa, the furniture became the must-have item of the time and it’s strength and durability made it perfect for glasshouses.
Sitting on two of the three chairs are rectangular, self-piped cushions covered in a striking Elsie de Wolfe design printed onto outdoor fabric. This stunning pattern is our nod to the Victorian fern craze (Pteridomania) which saw the popularity of the plant explode during this period. The fern motif, in turn, began appearing on every conceivable material including glass, chinaware and printed textiles. The RHS itself has great insights into Pteridomania (including its possible connection to the beloved Custard Cream!). More information can be found here: https://collections.rhs.org.uk/view/353182. The third chair features a square cushion in a lovely lemon-yellow outdoor stripe to reflect the citrus planting.
Running along the roof are three tightly woven, oversized rattan pendants. The Grand Lodge has sufficient height to carry dramatic lighting with ease, and these stunning shades add to the overall feeling of grandeur within the space.
The Magnum Opus
Whilst the dressing of the Grand Lodge is deeply rooted in the English horticultural tradition, the Magnum Opus takes you somewhere else entirely whilst still embracing the idea of heat and responding to climate change. Presented this year in the Manganese Matt colour, its tall glass ceiling and clean contemporary lines create a light-filled, heat-drenched interior with cacti, agave and euphorbias taking centre stage. Our styling takes its cue from the rich craft traditions of North Africa. Morocco has long captivated artists and designers — from Delacroix, who returned from Tangier with sketchbooks full of colour and light, to Yves Saint Laurent, whose love of Marrakech informed some of his most celebrated work. It is that same quality of warmth, colour, and cultural richness that we have tried to reflect in the interior furnishings for the Magnum Opus.
A simple wicker chair sits towards the far left-hand corner of the greenhouse with cushions made from an earthy red outdoor fabric. The chair sits alongside a tan leather footstool, hand-stitched in the tradition of the tanneries of Fez, where leathercraft has been practised in the same way for over a thousand years. A red-ochre metal side table from Fermob stands next to the chair and footstool, making it the perfect place to enjoy a mint tea in between potting up duties. Moroccan filigree lanterns and a rechargeable wicker lamp with marble base all add touches of warm light for the darker British evenings. An outdoor kilim rug in soft greens, pinks and terracotta adds a final layer of warmth and texture.
Visit Stand 149
To see the glasshouses at this year’s show please visit Stand 149.
Whether you are looking for designs for a garden room or glasshouse, or need interiors advice for any room, please do contact us through the website or email us: info@richardsonandveale.com. We would love to come and see you.