Canna House
Patterns at Canna House
There are many vibrant patterns at Canna House, which express, in particular the taste and personality of Margaret Shaw Campbell, through the wallpaper and furnishings she chose.
There are fish swimming around on the bathroom wallpaper; many ways to say ‘goodbye’ on the walls of the second bathroom; and butterflies flitting amongst flowers in their bedroom.
Canna House also has a wealth of colour and designs on the curtain fabric, including a butterfly design for Margaret’s study curtains; and birds for the bedroom curtains (the latter room is now Canna House Archive Room).
The patterns can also be found on the rugs and carpets at Canna House, including flower designs, a Celtic knot rug the couple brought from Barra and a Stoddard rug in the Pink Room.
Stoddard Templeton were manufacturers based in Glasgow, who designed carpets for the Titanic, Parliament and the Queen's Coronation. The rug at Canna House is called ‘Alpine Rock Plants’. Designed by Walter Bartram who worked at Stoddards for 32 years, and was their chief designer in the 1950s, this rug was a best seller in the late 50s and early 60s’.
Margaret had an interest in textiles, bringing back a sample of tweed from South Uist that was typically used for skirt material there.
She also painted, with the help of two Swedish girls who were staying at the time, a Swedish pattern on the cupboard doors of the dresser in the kitchen.
