Design polymath Patrick Williams' triumphantly restored house and shop in Bath

Appreciation of original period details and traditional skills is evident in every corner of Patrick and Neri Williams’ Bath home and their adjoining shop, Berdoulat, for which they collaborate with artisans to create pieces that will last for generations
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Andrew Montgomery

Other pieces offer a fresh take on classic designs. Confit pots and dairy bowls are made by Matt Pasmore at nearby Willow Pottery. Chopping boards and egg racks, made by Jonathan Tibbs, are based on pieces that Patrick grew up with. ‘We have met the most incredible creatives while pulling this whole thing together,’ enthuses Neri, gesturing to a stack of blue and white stoneware plates created in collaboration with the ceramicist Lydia Hardwick.

The three-storey shop, which opened its doors in June this year, is a triumph, stocking not just Berdoulat designs, but also spices, wine and cookbooks. ‘It used to be a wine and provisions store, so it felt right to continue the tradi-tion,’ says Patrick. The ground-floor café is run by Frome’s Rye Bakery and serves up delicious pastries and coffees, and local florist Sula Jones of Nice Bunch sells dried and fresh flowers. The basement – which had not been used since the Victorian period – now serves as a showroom for Berdoulat’s furniture. The customer loo doubles as a mini museum, featuring a cabinet of treasures that Neri and Patrick unearthed during the renovations.

‘So much of this has been about collaboration,’ says Neri. ‘In the future, we want to host candlelit supper clubs, life-drawing classes and live music events, and make it a hub for like-minded people.’ Wren and Bonnie have rallied to help their parents over the past few years. When I visit, Wren is at the kitchen table creating her own elaborate kitchen out of Lego. It must be in the family.

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