Christina Strutt 26th December 1954 – 28th December 2022
Beloved Mama Cabbage – our founder, mother, sister, grandmother, and friend—died at home with her family surrounding her. She rests in peace and will be cherished forever.
Never say in grief you are sorry she has gone.
Rather say in thankfulness that you are grateful she was here.
Ted Kennedy
Cabbages and Roses
From Newton and Worthy
In memory of designer, writer, matriarch, and co-founder of @cabbages_and_roses Christina Strutt, who died last month at home. This Somerset legend invited us to shoot her home and interview her several times for two British interiors titles over the years we knew her. In her interview, she admitted her work was “inseparable from my life. It is all encompassing.” And nowhere can the ultimate expression of the Cabbages and Roses style, ultimately Christina’s personal style and her adoration of soft faded florals, be found than inside her Somerset home.
When shooting at her beautiful home, which has been in her husband’s family for several generations, where her children grew up, and now her grandchildren, we were witness to her constant industry, striving in the vegetable patch and carefully tending her flower garden, not to mention her thriving design business @cabbages_and_roses and the recent opening of her Bruton store, which she was extremely excited about.
@christina_strutt was a matriarch, a leader and an inspiration. We are so sorry for her husband, children, grandchildren, friends, and hardworking team to lose her light in the world of interiors, design, and inspirational female leaders.
My dear sweet, funny, talented, kind, whimsical, and simply brilliant friend Christina Strutt left us on Dec 28th, 2022. She had been unwell for a few short months and knew her time was limited. But she spent those days as she lived. Present, grateful, and in acceptance of life. She was a more recent friend to me, but of massive significance. Once our worlds collided, it was curious to us why it took us so long to meet, given our parallel life experiences, from where we were raised to our businesses (hers @cabbages_and_roses ) and our quirky comfort in values of days gone by. I treasure every moment of our friendship. And I will miss her in so many ways. Her final chapter was quided with grace by her extra ordinary daughter, @katehowellshk, who did so with unwavering strength & empathy towards us, knowing inevitable loss was coming, even though her loss would be immeasurable. She is her mothers daughter through and through.
Rachel Ashwell
