Shropshire Company have Huge Success!
May 9, 2010
Wilstone House and Gardens, who are based near Church Stretton have been exhibiting their wares this weekend at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show and have had huge success!
Wilstone’s stand featured their eclectic mix of reclaimed, antique and new pieces – including the exceedingly popular Kadai Fire Bowls.
Once used for cooking at festivals across India, Wilstone import original examples of the Kadai Fire Bowl and exact copies made from recycled iron with heavily riveted plates and drop handles.
Co-owner of Wilstone, Christo McKinnon said “we are the sole UK importer of the Kadai Fire Bowl, and we can honestly say that these really are the ‘next big thing’, as we have sold hundreds!” Christo continued “we have currently got an order book with over 200 customers waiting for their kadai fire bowls.”
The Wilstone stands also featured creative seasonal planting by Kate McKinnon, co-owner and wife of Christo.
Wilstone, who employ a handful of staff also have a retail outlet located on the A49 near Leebotwood.
Christo said “each show that we do is a mammoth task, which takes a lot of planning – not only for the actual stand but also the logistics of getting all the stock to the show and back again”.
“Sales at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show have been fantastic”, Christo said.
The show season isn’t over for Wilstone yet, as they will be unpacking from Malvern and then heading off to set up their stand for the prestigious Royal Horticultural Societies (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show which runs from May 25th – 29th. Wilstone will also be exhibiting at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show in July.
The Best Ever Present?
May 5, 2009
The Wilstone House and Gardens Kadai on a low stand
Here at Wilstone House and Gardens we have a huge variety of unique and ecclectic items that would enhance any home or garden. We have also just taken a HUGE delivery of the ever popular Fire Bowl or Kadai, as mentioned in a previous posting. These Kadai sold out when we exhibited at RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year. People wanted something a little heavier than the standard BBQ.
These Kadai are so practical and really unusual.
Wilstone House and Gardens Kadai on a high stand
Light up a BBQ in the Kadai (and as some of the Kadai measure up to over 1m in diameter it will allow for plenty of sausages!) and once all your food is eaten, simply remove the grill and throw in some logs or coal and get the party started! As the Kadai is circular you and your friends can sit round it and be wonderfully warm for the rest of the party!
Buy yours now, before they sell out! www.wilstone.com
Solid, Stunning Rectangular Wrought Iron Gazebo
January 30, 2009
A family run company based in the rolling hills of Shropshire are offering gardeners from all over the world a unique ‘outdoor space’.
Wilstone House and Gardens who exhibit at Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows each year have thought long and hard about a practical and attractive solution to the traditionally designed gazebo. They have come up with their own unique design; a rectangular Gazebo with a canvas cover.
The Gazebo measures a stunning 3.8 m x 2.4 m and comes complete with a canvas cover, for those chillier evenings. Ideal for outside entertaining or use for a special occasion, the Wilstone Rectangular Gazebo has already proven popular with customers from all over the world.
Designed by Wilstone, the Gazebo is made from strong 20mm wrought iron, and the whole structure can be easily assembled within a few hours.
The Gazebo would also look stunning with wisteria or a climbing rose intertwined within it’s graceful form.
The Wilstone House and Gardens Rectangular Gazebo
Hand Carved Sandstone from Wilstone House & Gardens
October 11, 2008
Wilstone House & Gardens have a huge range of new hand carved sandstone troughs, planters, urns etc.
Wilstone can also offer a bespoke service with their stone range, having completed many projects working in collaboration with architects and home designers. Wilstone sources it’s stone directly from Rajasthan, and aims to continually develop close ties with manufacturers to ensures companies operate under the Fairtrade ethos.
A recent project
Rajasthan has been a rich source of carved sandstone for centuries, used for building the forts, palaces and great cities of India. This tradition lives on through the continued work of companies like Wilstone, who, for the past seven years have been developing close ties with these highly skilled stone masons in creating an extensive range of designs, both traditional and contemporary.
The sandstone used is still quarried in the traditional manner mostly by hand using high performance water jets fired into carefully drilled holes to blast the natural layers of stone apart.
The resulting block can then be checked for faults, colour and texture which is particularly important as this sedimentary rock can vary across its stratas according to when it was laid down.
This natural variation is what gives the stone its own individual character and sets it apart from its concrete or reconstituted stone counterparts.
After rinsing, the sandstone is ready to be worked and the selected blocks are taken to the stone carver’s yard where they are reduced in size using hammers and chisels. Once the excess stone has been removed they are either fixed to large lathes for turning or given to the draftman who imprints the design to be carved into the block from a master set of full size drawings, then the time consuming task begins for the stone carver to transform a two dimensional sketch into a three dimensional carved work of art.
The master carver normally finishes off each piece to guarantee a uniform quality, before the item is carefully crated and packed into containers bound for the European market.
One of the beauties of this simple and ancient process is the ability to make any design as a one-off, or multiple copies in most sizes.
Classical and Contemporary
Stone Jali Panels from Wilstone House and Gardens
October 2, 2008
Detail of the Jali panel above, from Wilstone House and Gardens
These enchanting pierced stone windows have been used by Eastern countries for generations as decorative screens designed to let the natural light and cooling breeeze through – but not the harsh rays of the sunshine.
Red Sandstone Jali - one of many from the range at Wilstone House and Gardens
The more decorative Mogul pieces are now becoming very collectable. Place a mirror behind a jali panel, or fit into a wall with a light behind it. Their elegance and fine carving provide an interesting feature to any dull wall, inside or out.
Please have a look at the Wilstone House and Gardens website for further products www.wilstone.com
The Wilstone House and Gardens Kadai
October 2, 2008
Perfect for the cool late Summer evenings, the Kadai from Wilstone House and Gardens makes an ideal BBQ. After you have eaten, remove the grill and fill with firewood. The handles don’t get too hot, so move the Kadai nearer and all your friends will be toasty warm. Lovely!
These Kadai are available in many different sizes to suit all gardens and outside spaces.
For further information, please visit the Wilstone House and Gardens website www.wilstone.com
The Wilstone House and Gardens Kadai on a high stand
