I’m often amazed when I think of the extraordinary breadth of antique fireplaces that we sell at Jamb. Each fire surround reflects a valid representation of design from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century from Britain’s finest architects that include Inigo Jones, Isaac Ware and John Nash. They stand as an example of durability and historical permanence while time continues to pass with the evolution of design.

The passage of time and the changing faces of architecture through the centuries was put into context recently when we took a trip down the Thames by boat from Waterloo to Greenwich. I consider it one of the best ways to see London’s historic buildings especially with the helpful ticket collector’s entertaining stories and factual explanation of the buildings.

From the London Eye to the Royal Naval college at Greenwich. Eighteen miles, over nine hundred years and every period of architecture and cutting edge design in between.

Along the journey I recalled how much of London’s significant buildings and landmarks are made from Portland Stone, one of Jamb’s most popular stones for our reproduction fireplaces.

There have also been some wonderful Antique chimneypieces sold from our collection from this wonderfully textured English stone

Portland stone became increasingly popular in the 17th century used by Wren for St Pauls Cathedral and throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries. Waterloo Bridge was built entirely in Portland stone by women in the Second World War.

The Tower of London is built from this beautifully dense and stone, as well as Buckingham Palace and the Cenotaph, and the Banquetting Hall was clad in Portland in the nineteenth century.

At Blackfriars bridge we passed one of my favourite neo classical buildings: the Unilever building.

This period of 1920’s modern Classicism fuses contemporary beliefs and ancient design concepts and has inspired my new range of hanging lanterns: the Mercury, the Morton and the Markham. I love this era as it encompasses the classical aesthetic whilst embracing the modern era. It proves that as time passes with any great design, from whatever period of time, there can be an effortless blend and this is what Jamb strives to do with our antiques and reproduction designs.