6 DESIGN DISCOVERIES Bring a fresh energy to schemes with subtle updates and unexpected designs.
12 MAKING AN ENTRANCE Set the tone with a smart, welcoming hallway.
14 PUT PEN TO PAPER Stylish stationery for getting organised in the new year.
16 A NEW CHAPTER With its historic details preserved, Turvey House is sensitively redecorated for family life.
26 HOMECOMING Touches of maximalism and soothing colours create a soulful mood in this townhouse.
36 TRAVELLER’S RETREAT A fascinating collection of antiques brings charm to this Georgian village house.
44 LABOUR OF LOVE A couple’s inspiring attitude helps turn a tired vicarage into a hospitable home.
52 CONNECTING WITH NATURE Beautiful grounds inspire a secret-garden style of interior decor at a Wiltshire abode.
61 RADIANT BLOOM Create indoor arrangements with spring flowers.
62 PERFECT PARTNERSHIP Decorating with the timeless combination of blue and white.
70 DESIGN DIRECTIONS FOR 2023 Interiors experts offer their insights on home decor for the coming year.
Quintessentially
79 BEAUTY IN UTILITY Functional and beautiful touches for ancillary rooms.
80 FROM PATCH TO PLATE: MATTHEW FORT Our food columnist whips up an easy Sunday lunch and pudding.
82 SET THE SCENE FOR EASTER Joyous ideas for seasonal tablescapes.
88 GRAPE ESCAPES Savour the experience of visiting some of this country’s finest wine estates.
92 THE ART OF LIVING WITH HEIRLOOMS Mrs M’s thoughts on inherited furniture and cleverly mixing old with new.
94 HOUSES WITH CHARACTER Explore period homes that blend classic features with modern updates.
98 MY ENGLISH HOME Quintessentially British designer Lulu Guinness OBE reveals her renovation plans for her new country abode.
4 A LETTER FROM HOME A warm welcome from our Editor.
97 ADDRESS BOOK Useful contact details.
Are you a regular reader of The English Home? We would love to send you interesting news stories and letters from the Editor by email. To ensure you receive each e-newsletter, please visit theenglishhome.co. uk/US-newsletter and let us know your email address.
It is around this time of year that many of us start to think about updating interiors for spring. Over the holiday season, while spending more time at home, we often inadvertently contemplate how certain rooms look or spot a need that a design solution could fix. By February, it’s my ritual to bring out the paint charts at home – my husband always looks a little nervous, but there’s nothing quite like refreshing the colour of a room to welcome the new season. The question is... what feels right for this spring?
In our Design Directions 2023 feature, we’ve consulted interiors experts to discover the latest shifts in decorating and what the year ahead will bring to classic English homes (pg 70). Elsewhere, we look at how to use traditional blue-and-white colour schemes in new ways (pg 62). It makes insightful reading if planning an update.
While our walls might change, one thing that remains a constant in English homes is our love of traditional Sunday lunch – by which we mean roast meat (with vegetarian or vegan options), roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy. Lots of gravy. I recently spoke to friends in America at the end of a working week who were flabbergasted to hear that we planned not only to cook what they felt was a Thanksgiving dinner on a Sunday in January, but that this is a weekly occurrence. Matthew Fort reveals more on page 80, while we prepare for special Easter celebrations on page 82.
We hope you enjoy the issue and that it gets you in the mood for celebrating spring.
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A traditional Morris & Co pattern is refreshed in pretty blue and white. Discover more ideas for this enduring palette on 62
Swedish brand Eldvarm’s eco-friendly hearth accessories are designed to elevate fireplaces with a sleek aesthetic. For durability, the baskets are made from organic vegetable-tanned leather and the brushes are made using traditional techniques. Emma complete natural basket, £495; Emma companion set, £595, Eldvarm
Refresh curtains, cushions and other soft furnishings with a luxurious fabric border. The Arboretum trim collection from Travers pays homage to nature’s transformative qualities both in interiors and in the great outdoors. Travers tape, from £56–£114 a metre depending on design, Zimmer + Rohde
To make finishing touches easy, choose cushion covers in different tonal patterns that create an effortless variety. For further nuanced prints, The Pure Edit’s sustainable fabrics, furnishings and wallcoverings work together in harmony.
Pascal Flint, Hina Bay Rose, Cho Rose, Desta Eggshell cushion covers, from £23 for a cover, also available with pads, The Pure Edit
Antique armchairs invest interiors with an established sense of place. For a contemporary look that works well next to rustic-style furnishings, this deconstructed chair shows off the original upholstery and textured materials in earthy neutral tones.
Alternatively, to create an eye-catching modern classic, reupholster an antique chair in a current fabric with a lively colour or print.
Antique chairs, from £275; rustic stools, from £38, Home Barn
The pink trim on this silk screen-printed lampshade catches the eye and lends a bright pop of colour to contrasting room schemes. The neutral lampshade pattern and lamp base ensure the overall effect is quietly elegant.
Cream and blue flower pleated silk lampshade with pink trim, £159.72; Karni Mata bone inlay lamp, £447.70, both Penny Morrison
The Pioneer collection, inspired by Jennifer Manners’ recent travels, comprises six handknotted Himalayan wool rugs. Made with Bamboo silk, each rug reflects the light and changes in appearance during the day.
Sedona rug, £960 a square metre, Jennifer Manners
Echoing the shape of 1920s designs, the Linton cast-iron radiator comes in 40 paint, lacquer, polished, antique and galvanised coatings. The period style could be honoured with a classic patina; alternatively, use a vibrant finish to create a feature in a modern home.
Linton radiator in antique brass, £1,694 (excluding valves), The Radiator Company
For those considering laminate flooring with a wooden appearance, look for a realistic surface that mimics the knots, cracks, grains and joints of wooden floorboards. The laminate oak floor seen in this kitchen is designed to be watertight, as well as scratch and stain resistant.
Soft Patina Oak laminate, £37.99 a square metre, Quick-Step
Classic in form but with a point of difference, this ottoman has a removable linen cushion for practicality. Carved oak legs and metal castors in an antique patina give it a softly traditional style suitable for town or country living.
Duke natural linen ottoman, £745, Graham & Green
The new Kalla design, part of the Abingdon collection, from Blithfield is inspired by 18thcentury shawl fragments sourced from the brand’s archives. The textiles are created using intricate traditional embroidery techniques reimagined in bold prints. Due to the fabric’s striking colourways, Blithfield suggest using the designs for upholstery (as seen here) or curtains and building a room scheme around the designs.
Kalla, Blue/Green, £198 a metre, Blithfield ■
My painting pays homage to Tiziano Vecelli (or Vecellio) known as Titian (1488/1490-1576). The composition highlights his “Supper at Emmaus,” circa 1530, Louvre Museum, Paris. Titian’s painting illustrates an incident from Luke 24:31, in which traveling companions suddenly perceive Divinity in their midst already present, but previously unrecognized. This reminds me that the Supreme Consciousness manifests as every form, and yet we rarely perceive Its glory. – JENNESS CORTEZ
Bespoke balustrade, from £3,000 a metre; bespoke staircase from £30,000, Bisca
Nomad Sultan runner rug, £195, Weaver Green
Fenghuang umbrella stand, £495, Oka
Curtain hung on wall: Medora, Tomato/Slate, £159 a metre, Colefax and Fowler
Create a welcoming hallway that sets the tone for the rest of the house with smart, elegant touches, warm colour and practical elements
Paints (from top): Skipper, Secret Room, Inglenook, £54 for 2.5l Claypaint, Earthborn Paints
Portland bench with doors, from £410, The Dormy House
Peyton dining chair, Green, £495, India Jane
Small Globe wall light, £400, Besselink & Jones
Holt exterior hanging lantern, £240, Pooky
Copperplated weather clock, £425, Bramwell Brown
The Savoy Collection brushed-brass period threegang two-way toggle, £69.98, Soho Lighting
Capra Ecru square valet tray, £105, Ettinger
Small Panthè de Cartier pot, £340, Harrods
Sofia desk lamp, £282, Anbôise
Manuscript Victoriana writing and sealing wooden box set, £46, Fortnum & Mason
Cleveland chair, £4,200; Dryad Rattan Leighton desk, £6,600, both Soane Britain
Delight in letter writing, sending personalised notecards and getting organised with stylish stationery, desks and accessories
2023 Soho
Diary with slide closure in Mara, Nile Blue, £240, Smythson
Ianthe slim leather 2023 diary, £49.95, Liberty
Letter tray in
Greek Fret, £33, Pentreath & Hall
Green marble paperweight, £28, Graham & Green
Alma table light in Seaweed, £649, Original BTC x Beata Heuman
Personalised vegan leather embossed pencil case, £18.95, Martha Brook
Siam secretary desk, £2,900, Jonathan Adler
Palazzo personalised notecard set, from £25 for 10, Papier
Tibaldi ballpoint pen in Zest, £165, Harrods
A Bloomsbury wastepaper bin, £72, Cambridge Imprint
Decorative trinket box in patterned paper, £330, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler
The drawing room is thought to have been fashioned from two rooms in the 1840s. Flanked by peacock firescreens, the imposing marble fireplace was added in the Edwardian era. Charlie’s grandmother’s collection of continental porcelain sits on the mantel.
Since inheriting the majestic Turvey House in Bedfordshire, Charlie and Grace Hanbury have embraced the building’s history, while creating a welcoming family home
FEATURE & STYLING COSMO BROCKWAY PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES MCDONALD
ABOVE The dining room was redecorated in the 1970s with damask wallpaper from Watts of Westminster which has the same impact today as when first unveiled. The scene is looked upon by ancestor Thomas Higgins, who collected many treasures for Turvey House on Grand Tours of Europe.
RIGHT A handsome fireplace in the entrance hall is given colour with the addition of a striking, inherited, Indian fan. Chinese storks in bronze add to the exotic feel of much of the house. The charming portrait is of an ancestor of Charlie’s.
Bedfordshire in the South Midlands, encompassing the beautiful chalk downs of the Chiltern Hills and the River Great Ouse, is arguably one of England’s least discovered counties. Within it sits the golden-stone village of Turvey, which, with its pretty village shop and tawnyspired church, could easily be in the Cotswolds. Imposing gates lead to Turvey House – the magnificent family home of Charlie and Grace Hanbury. The young couple, along with their three children, Albie, 11, Tom, nine, and Rose, six, have created a house ringing with laughter and warmth despite its initially daunting exterior demeanour.
John Higgins, a prosperous merchant, inherited the land from a distant relation in the final decade of the 18th century and built a restrained Georgian manor house on it. Fast forward 40 years and, returning from a Grand Tour of Italy, John’s son, Thomas, inspired by the handsome buildings he had seen while abroad, set about transforming his family seat into the striking neoclassical house seen today.
The Higgins family remained squires of the estate until the marriage in 1939 of only daughter Prunella to Hanmer Hanbury, whose grandfather Sir Thomas Hanbury, a botanist among other things, is known for creating La Mortola, hailed as one of the most beautiful gardens in Italy. In the post-war years,
A sweeping cantilevered staircase in the domed hall is overseen by a portrait of Charlie’s ancestors, John and Martha Higgins. Corinthian columns on the landing frame a cloisonné urn (just seen) brought back from Shanghai by Charlie’s ancestor Sir Thomas Hanbury.
ABOVE Together with Inskip Gee architects and kitchen company Guild Anderson, the Hanburys have converted what was the billiards room into a kitchen and dining area. A trio of Lucia pendants from Hector Finch hang above the island, which is painted Copper Green from Mylands. Bum stools from deVOL are perfect breakfast bar seating. Framed Antoinette Poisson domino papers adorn the wall above the armchair.
RIGHT Charlie and Grace with their labrador, Maggie.
Prunella and Hanmer threw themselves into farming the estate, which their son Daniel inherited in due course. Now living in a house in the village, Daniel passed the reins over to his eldest son, Charlie, in 2019, and Turvey House is now seeing an exciting new chapter with the next generation.
“We felt once we’d moved in with our three young children, the house would spring back to life,” reflects Grace, standing in the newly designed family kitchen. “It had been unlived in for several years, but we knew it had the potential to be the family home in the country we longed for after years of working in London.” Having met while both studying at the University of Newcastle, the couple were married at Turvey to, in Grace’s words, “begin making our own memories at the house.”
Although they started wedded life in London, an awareness of the looming inheritance was at the forefront of their minds from the beginning. “We actually started the planning permission process long before moving in. The house being Grade I listed, we knew it was a smart move,” says Charlie. The approach has proved successful. The family worked with noted architects Inskip Gee, who, says Grace, “were key in
‘We are both from large families and love having people to stay and sharing the house with everyone, including the children’s friends’
Previously the library, the family sitting room has been painted in Vert De Terre by Farrow & Ball. The Archie ottoman is from Arlo & Jacob while the yellow Chiara dining chairs are from Ceraudo. The Rush Matters rug is made from rushes harvested from the River Great Ouse that runs past the house.
ABOVE The Blue Bedroom has been left virtually untouched, with curtains in a glorious chintz found by Charlie’s grandmother Prunella. Grace has added a scalloped raffia rug, a kantha bedspread from Jaipur, cushions in 1930s West African Kente cloth and a blue ikat from Antonia Graham. For a similar rug try Chloe Jonason Interiors.
RIGHT A bathroom singing with elegant simplicity and generous proportions has been fashioned from a former small bedroom.
getting permission for the changes we made. My father-in-law sagely advised us to first concentrate on the rooms we would use the most.” The first task was transforming a formal billiards room into a clean-lined, comfortable kitchen and dining space by bespoke kitchen maker Guild Anderson. “We enjoy the brightness of it. The old kitchen was gloomy and looked out onto a brick wall,” says Grace.
When asked which room he loves the most, Charlie does not hesitate. “I love the drawing room because it has a sense of calm despite being the most formal room in the house. The proportions, dual-aspect views and how light interacts with the room are beautiful.” The couple have also created a smaller family sitting room, which they often retreat to in the evenings. It is furnished with brightly coloured art and lampshades from Matilda Goad and Nushka. Grace explains the couple’s style of living: “We’re both from large families and love having people to stay and sharing the house with everyone, including the children’s friends. Little ones are full of laughter and keep everything informal.”
Previous generations have left their mark on the
LEFT Painted chinoiserie doors, done by Charlie’s great-grandmother at the turn of the century, greet guests as they walk through the front door.
Grace has painted the walls Ammonite by Farrow & Ball.
RIGHT Looking across the gravelswept parterre towards the village church is a timeless scene at Turvey.
Amanda Hanbury remembers when topiary peacocks strutted across the facade of the house in post-war years.
interiors, which the couple are keen to preserve to document English country house style over the last century. The drawing room sports glorious yellow silk curtains, pelmeted and swagged in the style of John Fowler, while many of the bedrooms retain their mid-century chintzes collected by Charlie’s discerning and modish grandmother Prunella, who also decorated the dining room in the vibrant flocked wallpaper that is the backdrop to many family parties today. “It’s timeless and still looks immaculate,” says Grace.
Exquisite inherited antiques jostle for space, including precious oriental pieces found by the aforementioned Sir Thomas, who was also a fluent Mandarin speaker and an influential figure in 19th-century Shanghai. Grace is slowly pouring elements of her own style into the historic rooms and loves Hector Finch for lighting and Ledbury-based Tinsmiths for fabrics. The couple also frequent local auction house Cheffins, Etalage and the Robin Myerscough Studio.
Charlie has a special affinity for Turvey House as he grew up in a property on the estate. “I remember the regular visits to our grandparents. It was a short walk from our back garden, across the parkland. My earliest memories were of the vastness of the domed hall and the tea served off a rather elegant trolley. My siblings and I, along with our cousins, were always careering around on bicycles on the driveway and in the walled garden. We didn’t realise how lucky we were to enjoy such a special place with no sense of responsibility.”
Running a historic house is an all-consuming commitment, but, as Charlie reflects, “Our children are now having a magical childhood, with so much space and family history. It’s a privilege to keep something going that’s been in the family for over 200 years. There are only two other houses of a similar scale and heritage in Bedfordshire still owned by the original families.”
Exciting plans for the estate include a music festival this summer, ongoing retreats, and a Christmas market and grotto at the end of the year. Turvey House will be at the heart of it all, and long may it go on. n
RIGHT A wrought-iron spiral staircase which came from the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851 is a whimsical touch on the landing. Charlie’s aunt, Amanda Hanbury, who grew up at Turvey, remembers, “As children we were forbidden from climbing on it, but of course we often did.”
‘Our own children are now having a magical childhood.
It’s a privilege to keep something going that’s been in the family for over 200 years’ABOVE The neoclassical garden front of Turvey House, encased in Roman cement, with its drawing room windows looking out onto the parkland. Today weddings and events are held in the gardens. To find out more visit turveyhouse.co.uk
In the drawing room, a Victorian captain’s chair from The Dorking Desk Shop has seat cushions in Squiggle by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. The Otterley rattan vase from Sharland England sits in front of a mirror from Love Antiques. The Georgian card table and architectural etchings above it were sourced at an antiques fair in Lincoln.
With a newfound appreciation of English period properties after time away, Louise Roe has brought an elegant, timeless feel to her Victorian London townhouse by mixing antique finds and pretty details
FEATURE CLAIR WAYMAN PHOTOGRAPHY ASTRID TEMPLIER STYLING SARA EMSLIE
ABOVE Sang de Boeuf from Edward Bulmer Natural Paint provides a rich backdrop on the drawing room walls. The ottoman is covered in Ticking Stripe from Penny Morrison while the wool herringbone curtain fabric is from Johnstons of Elgin.
Having lived in Los Angeles for 11 years, Sharland England founder and fashion journalist Louise Roe felt the time was right to move back home to the UK in 2019 with her husband Mackenzie and daughter Honor, now four. Falling for a Georgian rectory in the Oxfordshire countryside, the couple set to work on a large-scale renovation, but just six months after completing the project, they felt the pull of London, to be closer to friends. “It was a beautiful house, but we realised it was a little bit too far ahead for us in terms of life,” Louise explains.
Really missing period properties while living in LA, Louise relished the chance to live in a house full of history and original features again. “I think the bones of an old property give such soul to it,” she says. “To me, you can’t replicate that, so even though LA has some lovely mid-century homes, I was quite ready to embrace Victorian and Georgian buildings – I appreciate them so much more now.”
Becoming pregnant with second daughter Inès in 2020, Louise felt an urgency to settle as soon as possible. Luckily she and Mackenzie found their dream Victorian townhouse in South West London fairly
‘It was really important to me that the house feels cosy and warm, like a sanctuary, with a sense of flow throughout’
quickly. “It was my ideal renovation project because the house hadn’t been touched for 30 years and was ready for some cosmetic updates but there wasn’t anything dramatically wrong with it,” she says.
Remembering the first time she viewed the house, Louise says, “It was the depth of winter, January 2021, and full lockdown. I was waddling around, heavily pregnant, but knew that if I loved the house at that point it was a good sign.” The couple picked up the keys in April 2021 and rented somewhere nearby while builders set to work on a three-month renovation, completely transforming the once-dated property. Keen to enhance the house’s beautiful period feel, Louise had the modern, blonde wood flooring throughout the ground floor replaced with an aged, tumbled oak parquet and underfloor heating added. In the snug, off the main drawing room, she had a
fireplace, salvaged from a reclamation yard, reinstated, with bookshelves added either side for a cosy library feel, and she had the archway between the two reception rooms widened to create a lighter, airier feel. The bathrooms were transformed, too, and in the kitchen a new island was built, cupboards repainted and honed quartz countertops added.
Louise brought some of her favourite design ideas from the family’s previous home in Oxfordshire to their London abode. “As it hadn’t been long since we’d left our country house, I wasn’t ready to give up a lot of the fabrics and paints that I’d spent ages sourcing,” she explains. “My favourite wall colour from the previous house was Brick by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, which also does a similar but slightly deeper colour called Sang de Boeuf that I knew I wanted for the drawing room here, along with
ABOVE The Restoration Hardware leather ottoman in the snug echoes the chestnut-brown tones in the parquet flooring, sourced from The Natural Wood Floor Company. Above, a pair of watercolours depict Eton and Windsor, where Louise and Mackenzie married.
Some of Louise’s favourite pieces are displayed in the kitchen, including Spatterware and Royal Copenhagen ceramics, alongside Amandine rattan fruit bowls from Sharland England.
BELOW RIGHT The Welsh dresser from Love Antiques holds a mix of pieces from Richard Ginori, Carolina Irving and Sharland England.
BELOW LEFT A table lamp from Hum London sits on a faux-bamboo antique tray table from Lou & Pickle. The Porridge curtain fabric is from The Cloth Shop.
another gorgeous brown called Mummy, which we put in the snug.” An unexpected mix of rich terracotta, brown and aubergine runs through the house to create a cohesive, inviting feel. “It was really important to me that the house feels cosy and warm, like a sanctuary, with a sense of flow throughout,” she adds.
There are beautifully curated collections of treasures everywhere and the simple colour palette ensures that the house retains a sense of calm. “One of the biggest compliments I’ve had was from a friend who said ‘there is so much in here, but the rooms don’t feel cluttered’. I don’t want the house to feel cluttered, like a hoarder’s den, but I’m a maximalist and enjoy having my favourite things around me.”
Louise is especially pleased with her bathroom – a charming oasis evoking bygone days: “This bathroom was a huge transformation. We added inexpensive tongue-and-groove panelling, painted in an unusual aubergine called Pompadour by Edward Bulmer, with a playful leafy wallpaper above, and my first-ever sink skirt in a Lisa Fine fabric, which I’m obsessed with.”
Indulging in her love of all things vintage, Louise has incorporated a mix of her favourite antiques, pretty floral prints and natural textures to create a relaxed, elegant home. Having grown up listening to stories about her glamorous great-grandmother, Louise has
ABOVE The Alice Palmer lampshades create a cosy feel in the kitchen. Taino wicker bar stools from Oka contrast with the kitchen cabinetry, which is painted in Carbon Blue by Fired Earth and topped with Caesarstone in London Grey. A once bright blue circular pillar has had simple panelling and beading added, painted white for a more traditional feel.
RIGHT Louise wears a dress from Loretta Caponi. The Hadley wicker tray on the island is from Sharland England. To find out more about Louise’s brand, visit sharland-england.com
ABOVE The Hunter & Hyland curtain poles are hung higher to exaggerate the sense of height in the principal bedroom. The curtains are in Vine Flower by Penny Morrison. An Alice Palmer table lamp, topped with a shade by A Considered Space x Munro & Kerr, sits on a table skirted in Floralia fabric by Cabana x Schumacher.
taken inspiration from her laid-back approach to decorating, both for the house and her new homeware and furniture brand, Sharland England. “Her name was Marjorie Sharland and she lived in Buenos Aires,” she says. “I never met her, but my Mum and Granny always told amazing stories about how she was very elegant and rebellious, and a fabulous entertainer. I grew up around some of Marjorie’s furniture, a lot of which was wicker, and she is the inspiration for my brand. There is a nostalgia to wicker; it brings so much elegance to a room, but in a laid-back way. I also imagine Ernest Hemingway and F Scott Fitzgerald in the South of France – very much the rattan era and glamorous entertaining at its best.”
A self-confessed magpie, Louise loves nothing better than sourcing one-off pieces to decorate her house with. “I enjoy the process more than anything. It’s so much fun. It keeps me awake at night, but in a good
way. All of a sudden, I might think, ‘yes, that’s the piece’, or ‘that’s the colour that’s missing’. I love going to Sunday flea markets and finding something that’s going to work. I like antiques that are imperfect, so I don’t mind when there’s a chip here and there. I felt quite sad when we finished the house because I didn’t have an excuse to buy more furniture,” she laughs.
Louise also enjoys hunting for vintage art and old frames online: “I’m the opposite of a snob when it comes to art. I’ll often find a beautiful old oil painting on eBay and take the frame off to reveal a lovely canvas underneath, or I’ll find a vintage frame which I pair with a print.”
One of Louise’s favourite finds is her 300-year-old secretaire desk, which has pride of place in the drawing room and is where she works every day. “I absolutely adore my dear old desk. I found it in Petworth, a year before we left LA, and the dealer kept it for me. It’s
‘I love collecting old, out-of-print decorating books. It’s interesting to see where decorating styles originated from because everything is so cyclical’
The principal bedroom walls are painted in a restful green called Lichen from Farrow & Ball. The Alternative Flooring carpet provides comfort underfoot, while the Ditsy duvet cover from Sarah K adds to the feminine feel.
ABOVE The dressing room cabinetry is painted in Lady Bug by Earthborn Paints and the blind is in Amapola Jal by Aleta.
ABOVE RIGHT The sink skirt fabric is Nicobar by Lisa Fine Textiles and the Scallop wall lights are from Jim Lawrence. Purple hues in the Creeping Toadflax wallpaper from Living Quarters echo the panelling in Pompadour by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint.
so beautiful and the centrepiece to the whole house. I always wonder who sat at it by candlelight, writing with a quill. I was hoping to find some hidden treasure in the back of one of the drawers, but no luck.”
Decorating inspiration comes from a variety of places for Louise. “I’m influenced by a mix of things, such as books, magazines, watching 1990s films, a trip to a museum or National Trust property,” she says. “I also love collecting old, out-of-print decorating books on the internet. I just found a book about the design legend Elsie de Wolfe. It’s interesting to see where decorating styles originated because everything is so cyclical. I have a love of the traditional English home, but I also adore the way Italians decorate –Martina Mondadori has exquisite taste, in that very layered, imperfect way. Even though her style is bold, with a lot of pattern and colour, it’s also timeless. I don’t ever want to do anything that’s too trend-led and adore anything old.” Louise also cites Brandon
Schubert, Rita Konig and the late Robert Kime as her favourite designers.
Baby Inès was born halfway through the renovation, and Louise often mulled over decorating ideas during nights awake with her newborn. “I can remember the moment I asked decorative painter Amy Balfour to hand-paint the shell motifs on my dressing-room cabinetry. I had just had Inès and she had just had triplets. I sent her a message in the middle of the night and she came a few weeks later with all her newborns and literally painted the wardrobes while breastfeeding; it was amazing,” she laughs.
Now that the house is finished, it feels warm and layered, with lots of texture. “It’s all about lamps and low-level lighting. In the wintertime, we light the fire, which creates a lovely ambience, while in the summer, the windows are open and we’re out in the garden,” Louise says. “It’s a happy home and I couldn’t be more grateful for how it has all come together.” n
A Georgian village house decorated in a charming, traditional style is filled with a fascinating collection of antiques gathered by the owner on his travels
FEATURE AMANDA HARLING
PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL
Making a lovely home comes naturally to some fortunate individuals, and Tom Duncan, together with his partner Stephen Brook, have used their combined talents to transform an 18th-century Northamptonshire ironstone village house into a delightful and decorative country retreat. Tom and Stephen bought the village property some 20 years ago, attracted by the space it offered. An adjoining barn to one side has now been converted to become offices for their business and a secluded, walled garden at the rear is an oasis of plants and greenery. While Tom has a passion for art and antiques, Stephen concerns himself with the more practical aspects of life. “Stephen used to be in the Army, so he’s highly organised and knows how everything works, whereas I can’t even wire a plug,” says Tom laughing. Their combined talents also ensure the smooth running of Ciceroni Travel, the company they run jointly that offers a wide range of cultural tours around galleries, gardens and palaces in Europe and beyond. “Stephen is in charge of the financial and organisational side of Ciceroni while I lead many of our European tours.”
Tom, who grew up in Ireland’s Co Kilkenny, was initially destined to read Music at Trinity College in
The design of the drawing room’s bespoke limestone fireplace, carved by a local stonemason, was based on a drawing by London-based Charles Brice Architects. The beautiful kilim rug is from Robert Stephenson while the sofa, made by Taylor & Baines, is covered in Fez by Guy Goodfellow.
A striking Jean Monro design, Hollyhock in Aubergine/Mint, chosen for the curtains in the drawing room, was the starting point for the decorative scheme. The table lamps are from Vaughan, whilst the side tables were adapted from a late Georgian ‘whatnot’ stand.
Dublin, but he found the Art History lectures given by Professor Anne Crookshank (1927–2016) much more interesting than his musical studies. “The Professor noticed that I was enthralled and she encouraged me to transfer to her department, which is how I ended up with a degree in Art History and Archeology instead of Music.”
Subsequently, while studying for a PhD at Cambridge, Tom lived in Rome for nearly a year and continues to feel completely at home in the city. “Rome is an endlessly fascinating city and especially so for an art historian,” he says. “I was taught how to really look at classical buildings, and my understanding of the aesthetic importance of classical architecture was shaped during that year. Whenever I return, I factor in an extra day or so for leisurely strolls around my favourite antique shops, and occasionally some little oddment comes home with me, not that there is room for a single more thing in the house.”
When it came to decorating his and Stephen’s new home, Tom explains that they were guided through the process of choosing the fabrics by their friend the late Ruth Fane. “Ruth had retired from running
ABOVE The vibrant rug, bought by Tom in Istanbul, is contrasted by blue-and-white fabrics in the dining room, including chairs covered in Olicar Blue by Nicholas Herbert.
The Georgian dining table came from Thakeham Furniture in West Sussex.
RIGHT Above the table is a group of decorative engravings from WH Pyne’s History of the Royal Residences, 1819.
Beneath is the framed embroidery of a basket of flowers worked by the Dowager Empress of Russia while en route from the Crimea to Malta in 1919.
‘Part of the fun of travel is you never know what’s going to come home with you’
ABOVE Displayed above the Aga and adding a decorative touch to the kitchen is a row of modern Meissen plates in the traditional Onion pattern and paintings of fruit by Henrietta Lawson Johnston.
LEFT Pottery on the kitchen windowsill is from Este, near Padua, bought on one of Tom’s many trips to Italy.
RIGHT Tom makes the most of the daylight coming through one of the dining room windows. Taylor & Baines made the curtains in Marianne Indigo by Nicholas Herbert.
LEFT One of a pair of gilded Regency mirrors given to Tom hangs in the entrance hall, which is papered in Nicholas Herbert’s Furnvill. On the flagstone floor is a decorative rug bought in Aleppo
her interior design business but as a favour to us, she involved herself in the project at every level and introduced us to Taylor & Baines, a soft furnishings firm she had used for decades.”
The starting point for the sitting room, was the boldly coloured floral curtain fabric, while the toning green wall colour was a bespoke paint mixed by Papers and Paints by Patrick Baty. The sofa, made by Taylor & Baines and based on a larger Howard original, is upholstered in a raspberry pink weave, picking out one of the colours in the kilim rug. Some pieces, such as the giltwood mirror above the fireplace and the inlaid Georgian side table, come from Tom’s family home in Ireland; other pieces he has inherited or bought on forays around the Cotswolds. The unusual glass coffee table was a bespoke piece sourced from Vicenza via a
firm in Birmingham. “Being glass, it seems to float in space yet is strong enough to support the books and magazines that seem to accumulate there,” Tom says.
The rustic look of the dining room, with its stone inglenook fireplace and original flagstone floor, is contrasted by the timelessly elegant colour combination of blue-and-white fabrics against a neutral backdrop of painted walls. Adding warmth to the effect are intense jewel-like colours in the rug bought by Tom on a trip to Istanbul some 25 years ago. “It was the first serious rug I’d acquired, and I love it today as much as I did then.” Displayed on the wall, sideboard and dining table are plates and tureens from a creamware Wedgwood dinner service featuring transfer prints of exotic birds. “They formed part of a set originally made for a Swedish Count. My friend Diana Curzon, who had
TOP RIGHT The secluded garden was designed by Tom and his friend, Irish gardener Helen Dillon, of The Dillon Garden. The David Salisbury garden room is the most recent addition to the house.
ABOVE RIGHT Botanical prints by New Zealand artist Bryan Poole hang in the passage leading to the garden room.
‘Whenever I return to Rome, I factor in an extra day or so for leisurely strolls around my favourite antique shops’
With a nod to his Irish ancestry, Tom had the walls of the main bedroom painted in a bespoke approximation of St Patrick’s Blue mixed by Papers and Paints. A rug sourced in Aleppo and an Indian kantha throw on the bed add to the cosmopolitan mix. The blue glass rapiers and a hunting horn were sourced from antique glass specialist Delomosne. To find out more about Ciceroni Travel’s current tours visit ciceroni.co.uk
a superb eye for decorative pieces, encouraged me to buy them from John Howard’s shop in Woodstock.”
Diana bequeathed several interesting pieces to Tim including the framed embroidery under the demi-lune table in the drawing room, worked by the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. “Diana told me that the Empress made it in 1919 when fleeing Russia aboard a British warship,” he explains. “When she arrived at the British base in Malta, she gifted it to her hostess, the wife of Lord Methuen, the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta.”
Tom takes full advantage of his peripatetic lifestyle, buying pieces that delight the eye wherever he finds them. The Indian appliqué bedcover in the green guest bedroom was one of three that he found in the Countess of Sandwich’s shop at Mapperton. “I was taking a group around Dorset country houses and gardens. I couldn’t decide which piece was more lovely, so I bought all three.” From Eliza Brown-Swinburne of Capheaton Hall in Northumberland came the Indian kantha throw bed in the Blue bedroom. “That’s part of the fun of travel – you never know what’s going to come home with you,” Tom laughs. n
Tom takes full advantage of his peripatetic lifestyle, buying pieces that delight the eye wherever he finds them
The walls in the green guest bedroom are papered in Ashdown Natural from Nicholas Herbert while on the bed is a pair of tapestry cushions embroidered by a friend, Janet Valentine, based on a design of the Frog service made by Wedgwood for Catherine the Great.
THIS IMAGE The plates above the Aga belonged to Sarah’s parents and are part of the Persephone/ Harvest Festival dinner service designed for Wedgwood by Eric Ravilious. The limestone owls, also on the shelf, are by sculptor Paul Cooper.
TOP RIGHT The Grade II listed house is situated at the heart of the village, next door to the church.
RIGHT Flossie, the English cocker spaniel, relaxes on the lawn in the tranquil garden.
A Grade II listed vicarage in Rutland is restored to former glory by its practical owners, who have undertaken much of the work themselves over three decades
FEATURE & STYLING AMANDER MEADE PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
ABOVE LEFT When furniture in the sitting room had to be replaced after a fall of soot, Sarah took the opportunity to make bolder colour choices to create a warm, inviting space. The sofa and both footstools were made to order by Taylor & Baines.
ABOVE RIGHT Sarah, standing in the light-filled garden room she and Peter designed and built.
During the search for her ideal country home back in 1989, philosopher and ethicist Dr Sarah Furness had viewed over 40 properties with her husband, Peter, before falling in love with a beautifully proportioned but rundown Victorian former vicarage in a pretty Rutland village. As the house’s condition was so poor, for the first couple of months of ownership, the couple and their toddler daughter Felicity remained in their former home. “The previous owners had made a start on renovations, but there was still no central heating or damp course, and decoratively, there was a mountain to climb,” Sarah explains.
The family moved in once the initial essential remedial work was complete, and brought Felicity’s room up to standard, followed by the kitchen. “Back in 1990, the kitchen we installed was pine, which has now been replaced, but I was thrilled to finally have an Aga. It was such a treat and I still love it to this day,”
says Sarah. “It always makes the room feel so friendly and really suits such a traditional space.”
Maintaining the look and atmosphere of a traditional country house has been at the forefront of all Sarah’s design projects for her home over the years, with as many original features retained as possible. Peter’s eye for detail and practical abilities and her creativity have enabled the couple to do much of the sympathetic updating of each room themselves. “We affectionately call ourselves ‘The Design and Build Team’,” says Sarah, who has learned to strip and hang wallpaper as well as acquiring painting and decorating skills over the years. “We had so much to do that we needed to keep costs down,” she adds. “I believe that investing time in renovating a home yourself makes you appreciate the finished result so much more.”
A self-confessed ‘magpie’, Sarah has a passion for collecting paintings and 18th-century china to add to
‘We both love the garden room and spend all our time in there in summer, before migrating to the cosiness of the sitting room in the cooler months’
The tangerine sofa gives the sitting room a focal point and draws the eye to the set of prints by George Darcy on the wall above. Sarah’s carefully curated collections of art and china are displayed throughout the house.
ABOVE LEFT A passionate gardener, Sarah takes part in the National Gardens Scheme each year.
ABOVE RIGHT The tortoiseshell cabinet on the first floor landing was sourced at Gildings Auction House. The china display includes Kangxi porcelain.
OPPOSITE The elegant dining room has an antique table from Swans of Oakham, while the rug is from Pakistan.
the host of other antiques and objets d’art she has procured for the house. “My mother taught art, so instilled in me an appreciation for shape and form from an early age. I went on to study art and art history before settling on philosophy, so I indulge that creative side of me in my collections now,” she says.
“My favourite place to go shopping is Newark Antiques Fair, but we are lucky to have several superb antiques shops locally too where I always find pieces I love,” Sarah continues. “I always buy with my heart and find that it’s never the occasional extravagant purchases I regret, but rather the pieces I hesitated over and wish I had bought. I don’t have so much time to attend house sales and auctions these days, and we are running out of space, but my daughter is furnishing a house now, so I have an outlet if I do find something special.”
In recent years, Sarah has been busy with her role as the Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland. This includes a
number of important duties such as escorting members of the Royal family visiting Rutland, presenting medals and awards and participating in civic, voluntary and social ceremonies. She also supports charitable organisations that seek to do good for the local community.
With the rooms painted in restful colours and filled with comfortable furnishings, Sarah, who loves entertaining, has undoubtedly achieved her ultimate goal – to create a home where guests always feel welcome and relaxed. This air of effortless calm has been achieved by cleverly layering colour, pattern and textured soft furnishings. “I am delighted that maximalism is back on trend,” she laughs. “I love my sitting room, especially the tangerine-coloured sofa, although the room scheme was quite literally born from the ashes of disaster.” On returning from a weekend away, she and Peter discovered that a large bird had fallen down the chimney, and although it was
‘It gives us pleasure to use the house and garden for community hospitality, just as it might have been used by rural clergymen 300 years ago’
ABOVE Determined to preserve as many original features as possible, Sarah and Peter carefully repaired and restored the beautifully detailed cornicing and fireplace in the principal bedroom.
OPPOSITE TOP LEFT Sarah designed the wardrobes in the principal bedroom and Peter built and installed them, carefully dovetailing the tops against the original cornice work.
regularly swept, residual soot had fallen with enough force to completely ruin most of the furnishings and rugs. “It was an appalling mess,” Sarah recalls. “The fireside rug did recover after specialist cleaning, but everything else had to be replaced, much to my dismay. The insurance company was brilliant, and I did eventually come to appreciate the room makeover, albeit one I hadn’t planned.”
Sarah and Peter have gone to great lengths over the past three decades to add authentic touches to their Grade II listed home, which dates back to the 1700s with a wing added in 1862. “When we added the garden room six years ago, Peter did most of the design and construction himself after first practising by erecting a large brick and timber greenhouse,” Sarah explains. “The staircase newel posts were the model for the columns in the garden room, and Peter made a
mould to cast a series of bronze handles for the cabinetry based on carvings found in the church next door. We both love the room and spend all our time there in summer before migrating to the cosiness of the sitting room in the colder months.”
Throughout the rest of the house, the plaster cornices have been painstakingly repaired and details such as Victorian fingerplates for the doors give a respectful nod to the history of the house. “We have both enjoyed the whole process of renovating and reviving the house immensely, and as it sits in the heart of the village, every so often we host events on behalf of the church. It gives us both pleasure to use the house and garden for community hospitality, just as it might have been used by a rural clergyman 300 years ago. It’s always the memories attached to events here that make the house feel so special.” n
‘I believe that investing time in renovating a home yourself makes you appreciate the finished result so much more’
ABOVE RIGHT This wisteria-covered arches lead to the greenhouse Peter designed and built, and Sarah’s hen house and beehives.
LEFT A pretty floral curtain fabric and skirted table combine with a chair in a classic check for a fresh, feminine feel. Both fabrics are vintage designs by Warner House.
RIGHT Handmade by craftsman Tom Cobley for the couple’s daughter, Felicity, when she was a little girl, the enchanting rocking horse is now enjoyed by their four-year-old granddaughter Lottie
Inspired by the established gardens at her Wiltshire farmhouse, Minnie Tatham has ensured the interiors are as resplendent as the flourishing flora and fauna outside
The antique railway clock to the left of the door was found in a vintage shop in Norfolk and the painting of Florence below is by Charlie Robinson. The door curtain was made from a kantha quilt found in India, while the cushions on the window seat are from Graham and Green, and some that Minnie has made herself.
FEATURE HANNAH NEWTON PHOTOGRAPHY CLAIRE WORTHY
ABOVE Minnie often has lunch under the old apple tree, where she can enjoy the beauty of nature with her terrier Ruby.
LEFT The dining table was bought from a cafe’s closing-down sale, as was the enamel light fitting above, while the dining chairs and painting were inherited. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Old White.
Blooming pink roses are gently supported by the honey-hued Bath stone walls of Minnie Tatham’s 16th-century farmhouse, while in the borders below, irises and alliums stand to attention. Heavy boughs of wisteria hang ripe with vibrant purple petals, and nearby, neatly trimmed bushes of lemon verbena, mint, Mediterranean rosemary and fat pink chive flowers sway gently in the warm summer sunshine.
Minnie Tatham was instantly entranced by the exquisite gardens at her Grade II listed farmhouse, deep in the Wiltshire countryside. She had visited the gardens many years before when they were open to the public in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society. “I remember meandering along the Spanish chestnut tree-lined walk, arm in arm with my sister, and asking her, ‘Can you imagine living here?’”
Almost 20 years later, that is exactly what happened, when the former owner, plantswoman Barbara Stockitt, put the house on the market, having owned it since the 1960s. Barbara, who passed away in 2019, was gardening royalty and shared her passion with her brother, David Austin, one of the world’s leading rose breeders, and her daughter, highly regarded landscape
architect Bunny Guinness. Consequently, the gardens were filled with an extraordinary amount of beautiful, scented roses, and the cultivated borders, walled garden, lined walks, and lawns were impeccable.
Back in 2015, Minnie and her husband, Simon, decided to move to the countryside, leaving behind their Georgian townhouse in Bath, which they had converted from flats to a singular residence. Situated just eight miles north of Bath, they leapt at the opportunity to purchase Barbara’s idyllic country house, brimming with horticultural and architectural history. “As soon as we turned into the drive, I said: ‘Yes, yes!’” smiles Minnie. “There was an instant emotional connection and we made it happen at all costs.” It was the height of summer, the gardens were in full bloom, and Minnie was, she says, “completely bowled over”.
There was no need to make significant changes to the building when they first arrived, and no structural work was undertaken. Still, Minnie likes to be busy, so
she began gently removing any modern touches that had been added. “With an old house, I like to reveal the age in it – that is what attracts me. I like to pull out the atmosphere of an old property, the innate charm you can find if you dig deep enough.”
She began by stripping the beams to reveal the original wood, replacing skirting boards, adding traditional joinery and softening the house using rich paint colours and fabrics. “When I decorate a house, I primarily want it to feel restful, a comfortable place to be. My palette is quite soft, but I have to have colour, texture and warmth.”
The dining room had a tiled floor, and the fireplace was entirely blocked up. Minnie loves an open fire, so she unblocked the fireplace and discovered a beautiful large inglenook, which she reopened, and then replaced the floor with wide oak boards. “I wanted to bring the outside in and create the feeling of being within a secret garden,” she explains. Working with the artist Steve Morris, a mural was painted across the
ABOVE The handpainted mural reflects the garden and adds a cosy atmosphere to the dining room. A pair of table lamps from Pooky sit on the elegant sideboard, which Minnie inherited from her in-laws. The antique chandelier is topped with shades from Antique Textiles & Lighting in Bath.
‘I wanted to bring the outside in and create the feeling of being within a secret garden, surrounded by birds, bees and beautiful trees’
ABOVE A vibrant green – Salvia by Paint & Paper Library – covers the sitting room walls, while the tapestry cushions are from Chelsea Textiles. A family portrait hangs on the wall along with a painting by Diana Bourdon Smith.
LEFT Minnie collecting flowers under the wisteriacovered walkway.
walls. “Steve painted the design freehand, and the result is just what I hoped for. I love sitting in the dining room – it’s so warm and cosy, with the fire lit, surrounded by birds, bees and beautiful trees.”
Inspiration from the gardens is found throughout the decoration, and Minnie’s love of the natural world shines through. An abundance of vibrant green tones is used in exuberance in the sitting room, on the walls and woodwork, and on the upstairs landing. Vases throughout the house are filled with armfuls of frothy Ammi majus, purple verbena and showy euphorbia cut from the garden and displayed with abandon in bedrooms, bathrooms and anywhere a spare corner is found.
Working in the television industry in the 1980s, Minnie spent time on period drama sets, honing her knowledge of antique furniture and buildings. Once her three children had grown up, Minnie, then in her early 50s, decided to study again and began a degree
‘When I decorate a house, I primarily want it to feel restful, a comfortable place to be’
In the hall, vintage floral curtains from Antique Textiles and Lighting in Bath frame the view outside. The antique croquet set was left for Minnie and Simon by Barbara Stockitt, while the large glass lamp base was bought from Swedish House at Home and the shade is a Fermoie fabric trimmed by Minnie.
RIGHT An elegant Sanderson damask has been used for the canopy, headboard, valance and bedcover to create a striking effect on the handsome George IV antique four-poster bed Minnie bought at auction. The lampshade to the left of the bed is from Bloomsbury Revisited and the Kemble Linen Glacier curtain fabric is from Lewis & Wood.
in the history of art in London’s Bloomsbury. Drawing on this knowledge and experience, Minnie’s approach to furnishing her home is to incorporate mostly antique pieces of furniture and a plethora of paintings, both contemporary and venerable.
“I think it’s important to have a few things that are either old or made by hand,” she says. “There is something very special about inhabiting a space that has been lived in for centuries and touching handmade furniture that has been touched for a long time – it’s grounding and makes me feel at home. I always like to use old objects that have been loved for generations, which is a rather beautiful thing.”
Minnie’s handmade cushions, found on the window seat in the kitchen, on the beds and displayed on the chairs in the garden, are central to this principle, as is the profusion of paintings she has reframed using antique and second-hand frames. Inspired by the textiles and colours she discovered while studying for her degree and during an extended trip to India, Minnie “pumped colour into the house” making lampshades and curtains.
“I am at my most creative in the middle of the night,” she says. “It is so quiet. I like to redesign rooms and shift pieces of furniture in my mind. I think of it from above, like a bird. I imagine myself in the room and how I would sit, with the light falling from a certain direction. Everything should connect to make me feel comfortable, relaxed and happy.” n
RIGHT Wooden sofas on the front terrace are set amongst a plethora of vibrant greens and pinks from the garden, colours that Minnie has matched in her handmade cushions, using Indian fabrics. BELOW RIGHT The walled garden is filled with the floral scent of sweet roses from David Austin and was designed by previous owner Barbara Stockitt many years ago. Today it is carefully maintained by Minnie and a small team of gardeners.
As spring flowers awaken, so does the opportunity to bring them into the home. If a flower room is a luxury too far, designate an area elsewhere for creating arrangements, perhaps echoing blooms in a wallpaper choice. A sturdy pair of florist’s scissors plus an array of vessels in different shapes and sizes will ensure flowers are displayed to perfection. A well-placed light will also help the task. The new Hyde collection from David Hunt has a nostalgic nod to mid-century design, in hand-sprayed matt colours for a refreshingly modern look. Hyde single large pendant in Marmalade, £342, David Hunt Lighting
Partnering colours for a balanced yet dynamic decorating scheme provides contrast, pattern and interest while remaining cohesive and considered. Fashions come and go with popular pairings – grey and yellow; chocolate and cream; the fast-becoming-classic pink and green – but few have stood the test of time like the perfect marriage of blue and white.
An interiors stalwart, decorating with blue and white is seen in many guises, from pretty sky blues in florals on a crisp white background, to chic, deep, inky navy as a vivid contrast to creamier whites. This pairing can take on different styles including grand chinoiserie, country charm, sleek geometrics and bold block colour, setting the scene as a clear, confident choice while still being easy on the eye and not overwhelming.
A blue-and-white palette is fresh, uplifting and works in any room in the house. Whether offering a coastal nod in a bathroom; echoing blue-and-white china on a kitchen dresser; looking smart in a sitting room, or providing a gentle prettiness in a bedroom. Different shades of blue can happily combine – though sticking to either lighter or darker shades will provide more impact. Whites can range from the cleanest, crispest and most brilliant to softer creams or touches of stone or natural linen.
While the two colours work best as an evenly balanced pair, other hues can be added for extra contrast. A touch of bold red perhaps (though only a touch – red should be a playful accent), a sweep of blush pink or a highlight of apple green can all enliven a classic blue-and-white scheme. Here we discover some of the best ways to indulge in a love affair with blue and white, from classic wallpapers to daring pattern combinations and harmonised accents in a range of styles to suit all rooms of the house.
Blue-and-white china is frequently a starting point for this palette. A display of plates on a dresser or a large ginger jar or table lamp in a decorative blue and white pattern can provide instant impact. Take the look further with blue-and-white chinoiserie or toile de Jouy patterns on walls. While chinoiserie can be very powerful in multicoloured options, sticking to blue and white keeps it streamlined and chic. It can be an unexpected and glamorous choice for a bathroom.
ABOVE Crane Fonda wallpaper in Ecru Blue, £150 a roll, Divine Savages
LEFT Mignon table lamp, £145, French Bedroom Co
BELOW Floral ginger jar, £75, Cox & Cox
OPPOSITE Curtains, Acanthus, Woad, £89 a metre; walls, Simply Severn, Woad, £99 a roll; chair cushions, Willow Boughs, Woad, £89 a metre, all Morris & Co
The timeless marriage of blue and white is a combination that has endured, working together in classic aesthetics and contemporary updates
As well as tempering ornate chinoiserie, a blue-and-white palette can soften other intricate patterns, too. William Morris’s iconic Arts and Crafts designs have been given a fresh, modern mood in crisp blue and white. Combined with hints of grey, the look is a contemporary twist on a classic. Used in this sitting room, it is smart yet still full of character; busy with pattern yet light and calming to relax in.
Inky blue and rich navy look decadent used in block colour on sumptuous plain linens, silks, velvets and matt-painted walls. Team with crisp white or rich cream and geometrics for a dynamic contemporary feel or soften with a small-scale print. Keep angles and lines defined for a sharp, dramatic contrast between dark and light.
ABOVE LEFT Navy
300-thread-count organic cotton double duvet cover, £90, Jasper Conran
LEFT Curtain and pelmet exterior fabric, Kensington, Blue Grey, £220 a metre, Holland & Sherry; wallpaper, £84 a metre, and interior fabric, £156 a metre, both Folly, Peacock Blue by Veere Grenney Collection at Tissus
d’Hélène. Interior design by Veere Grenney
ABOVE Footstool sides, Kiftsgate, Ink, £100 a metre, and all fabrics and trims from the Campden Collection, James Hare
PAINT SWATCHES From left: Deep Space Blue, £52 for 2.5l Absolute Matt Emulsion, Little Greene; Ink, £51 for 2.5l True Matt Emulsion, Atelier Ellis
LEFT Ric Rac Glacier Mint Two tile, £8.82 each or £220.50 a square metre, Bert & May x Samantha Todhunter
RIGHT Urban wallcovering in Cobalt from the Costura collection, £105 a metre, Arte
BELOW RIGHT Lady Alford, Porcelain/ China Blue, wallpaper £89 a roll, fabric, £89 a metre, and all other fabrics, Diane HIll x Harlequin
BELOW Ripple Square Cushion, Blue, £49, Jonathan Adler
BELOW RIGHT Eichholtz Paladium dining chair, White, £540, Sweetpea & Willow
Working with limited colour palette allows for a bold approach. A wallcovering in an abstract design, which in other colours might intimidate, can be striking yet not overpowering in blue and white. For an arresting bathroom take a bold blue-andwhite geometric tile over walls and floors for an assured use of colour and pattern that is easy on the eye. In other rooms, use the same pattern on walls and fabrics for a co-ordinated and cocooning effect. Be sure to pay attention to detail with the pattern – matching the repeat where a fabric meets a wall creates a tailored finish such as this wallpaper and headboard (right).
LEFT Aquarium wallpaper, Indigo, £195 for three rolls (52cm x 300cm); Rhodes lampshade, from £160, both Mind The Gap ABOVE Maugham chest of drawers, Rattan Bali Blue, £880, Charles Orchard
PAINT SWATCHES From
left: George, £51 for 2.5l Emulsion, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint; Blue Nile, £51, for 2.5l Matt Emulsion, Andrew Martin; St Giles Blue, £52 for 2.5l Estate Emulsion, Farrow & Ball
Multiple shades of blue can harmonise without any fear of clashing and allow for layering several patterns in an eclectic blend. Offset bold, blowsy floral patterns with classic stripes in shades of dark and light blue. Seek inspiration from global influences, mixing large and small block-prints for a softly evolved feel. Look to find synergy in accessories, as above, where the fish-theme wallpaper is partnered by framed prints of other forms of sealife, while the influence of Chinese ceramics is referenced in a ginger jar and the lampshade.
RIGHT Wellness
Calm Blue vase, £37, Dartington Crystal FAR RIGHT Valance and headboard, Mander Dark Blue, £162.80 a metre, Penny Morrison OPPOSITE Roman blind, Garden Stripe, Delft, £70 a metre; curtain, Heidi, Delft, £82 a metre, both The Design Archives
ABOVE Wallpaper, Florence, Powder/ China Blue, £349 a roll (supplied as four sections to be cut), Diane Hill x Harlequin ABOVE RIGHT Fabrics top to bottom: Audubon, Blue, £45 a metre, Emma J Shipley at Clarke & Clarke; Etchings & Roses, China/Blue, £69 a metre, Sanderson; Peonies, Sky, £92.50 a metre, Marvic Textiles LEFT Curtain, Chikankari, Indigo, £185 a metre; cushions (from top): Moki Stripe, £95 a metre; Almacan, Indigo, £95 a metre, all Designers Guild
Though a reduced palette of purely blue and white is the classic choice for many, adding a touch of another colour can allow the two stars to shine even brighter. A classic trio, red, white and blue obviously works but can feel a little ‘patriotic’ or overtly nautical, so judicious use of a few flashes of red is all that is needed. Look to fabrics that already have a tiny pop of red to get the right balance, or add a glossy red lamp base to draw the eye. Soft blush pinks can bring a sophisticated modern twist on tradition. Or really enliven things with a zesty burst of green on a few accessories – a perfect match to lively cobalt blue. ■
This delightful range is Old English mirror finish stainless steel with Dishwasher Safe Cream Handle Knives. Set for six people at £430.00 (GBP) including delivery to US, this includes six 7 piece place settings (as shown) & 2 Table Spoons
For further information: visit www.glazebrook.com or call +44 (0)20 7731 7135
www.juliettravers.com
‘Rich natural hues are set to take over the interiors world – perhaps it’s a need for comfort, with their rich cocooning effect’
LAURA NORTH, interior stylist, Earthborn Paints Wall in Lady Bug, £54 for 2.5l Claypaint, Earthborn Paints
Anew year brings with it announcements of ‘colours of the year’ and forecasts for growing trends in decorating. While these fashions pervade our design choices, at The English Home we have always championed timeless style alongside additions that feel current and relevant for classic homes. Now, more than ever, given the economic climate and changes in how we live, it is important to highlight design aesthetics that will be
more than a passing fad and are worthy of investment to create a beautiful, considered home, for not just the current year, but many years beyond. From new colour schemes to simple updates to considering how and where we might spend the most time in our homes, over the next few pages interior designers, brand consultants and design directors divulge their insights into the design directions, products and considerations that will be important to us all.
One of the most significant factors in decorating is changing colour schemes. The colour choices we make have a huge impact on the final feel of the scheme. Though many ‘colours of the year’ are hailed, we find that changes to popular colours evolve over a long period with a general move towards certain palettes that remain in the zeitgeist for a few years. Grey in cool forms was a mainstay of the last decade, but the latest launches are seeing a move towards warm tones, including a revival of cream.
Some lighter colours will always be sought, however. As Pandora Taylor reveals, “Clients are becoming bolder with colour choice, in particular darker colours, embracing this idea of moody, cosy spaces. A colour I have been asked for a lot recently is Bancha [a deep olive green] by Farrow & Ball, which has great depth with enough vibrancy to keep it fresh. I think we will see a lot of this shade being paired with soft pinks like Setting Plaster [also Farrow & Ball].” Indeed, the ever-popular combination of green and pink has grown over the past few years and looks set to stay.
Green, in general, never truly goes out of fashion but has certainly seen a resurgence – Little Greene’s ‘Forest’ curation was devoted to shades of this versatile colour, and Ann Grafton, managing and creative director of GP & J Baker, reveals she and her team see green as a key colour for 2023. “We are seeing the prominence of green increasing in our decorative and small print fabrics as well as plain velvets, washed linens and statement wallpapers,” she says. “Joyful and uplifting green brings a sense of calm and serenity to any room. Its popularity continues unabated, possibly as our desire for the natural world and simpler times continues to grow in importance as a reaction to the turbulent times we are all experiencing at the moment.”
‘Colours that connect us with nature and the outside world will also be dominant in 2023. Bringing a sense of the outdoors in helps to ground us and has a positive impact on our mental well-being’
FRANCESCA WEZEL, founder and director, Francesca’s Paints
Warm base colours will be seen in many guises, from calming creams to a rich palette of reds, pinks, oranges and browns, allowing for experimentation with bold hues as well as confidence in combining colours. “Gone are the days of painting an entire room one colour,” says Betsy Smith, colour consultant for paint company Graphenstone. “The power of colour to change perceptions and alter our moods will take a central role in the home. Combining colours will marry experimental influences with more familiar grounded colours –think pops of coral, orange and vivid red against a soothing natural, earthy palette.”
Fired Earth’s creative director, Colin Roby-Welford, comments, “Warm and uplifting shades of saffron and terracotta are really having their moment in the sun. These versatile palettes are perfect for everything from exotic spa-style bathrooms to relaxed yet welcoming hallways.”
While one of the ‘colours of the year’ is magenta, we are seeing this toned down to earthier reds for a lasting resonance in homes. The new colour of the year for Earthborn Paints is Lady Bug (see page 70), which the company’s interior stylist, Laura North, cites as being “surprisingly adaptable” and suggests pairing with a soft pink for a romantic feel or saturated hues for a bold, playful look.
ABOVE Warm tones of saffron are set to be popular in 2023. Woodwork, Bengal £28.50 for 1l GrafClean Eggshell Graphenstone
LEFT Walls in a calming colour inspired by the Scottish landscape. Traigh, £35 for 1l Eco Emulsion, Francesca’s Paints
FAR LEFT Designed in 1913, Magnolia wallpaper has been updated in a fresh emerald colourway. Wallpaper, Little Magnolia, Emerald, £155 a roll; sofa, Trumpet Flowers, Blush, £99 a metre, both GP & J Baker
Creativity with tiling is being suggested as growing in popularity, whether using plains in exciting ways or patterned styles in interesting formats. Interior designer Pandora Taylor believes, “2023 will be all about adventures with plain tiles. People are experimenting with the humble plain tile by combining colourways, size and layout to create tiling that is unique, striking and, more often than not, affordable.” Charu Gandhi also recognises a return to tiling as a decorative medium: “We are seeing a lot of tiling at the moment, and this is likely to continue into 2023. Tiles are being used in an array of colours and contrasting glossy and matt finishes. These two finishes side by side create an iridescent play with the light that reflects on them, adding further dimension and playfulness to a space.”
Colin Roby-Welford adds, “We’re seeing decorative tiles just as at home in living rooms as in kitchens and bathrooms, creating a real sense of warmth.” Creative director of Bert & May, Ruth Webber, says the beauty of tiling is to create “focal areas with pattern, beautiful vignettes with pieces you love, and to pair patterned tiles with textural plains for a layered finish.” She also advises, “When choosing tiles for kitchens and bathrooms, primary consideration should be paid to the quality of the materials, ensuring they are made to last, particularly in well-used spaces, eliminating the need for complicated maintenance or replacement. Consider reclaimed tiles, as these are a sustainable and long-lasting choice, or antique remakes, sustainably made with traditional techniques that will last just as long.”
LEFT Subtle contrasts in colour and finish create a feature tiled wall in muted hues.
Glazed rectangle tiles in French Grey, Aquamarine, Rolling Fog, and Chemise, all £106 a square metre, Bert & May
BELOW Patterned splashbacks help create a focal area for a stylish vignette within a large room.
Sweet Yellow Alalpardo tiles, £156 a square metre, Bert & May
Pattern, whether on wallpaper or tiles, will be fully embraced in the coming months. “The past few years have dramatically changed people’s approach to their interiors, and we are seeing consumers really finding their own sense of colour and pattern confidence,” says Ruth Mottershead, creative director of Little Greene. Despite being a more significant investment and commitment than paint, wallpaper will be considered a worthwhile way to decorate. “Wallpaper, be it on all four walls, a feature wall, or simply on a chimney breast, is one of the most impactful changes that you can make in a space, and a change that consumers can make quickly to completely transform a room,” adds Mottershead. “It’s highly impactful and adds colour, pattern and personality into an interior instantly.”
Interior designer Philip Vergelyn of Paolo Moschino concurs with this viewpoint. “I think as people spend more time at home, they will make sure to maximise the use of every room and decorate for themselves, not just to impress
turbulent times
others. Also, I believe the use of wallpaper has and will significantly increase.” He adds, “Decorating for yourself means being willing to take risks because you are not afraid of criticism. The wallpaper trend is part of a clear return to maximalism and embracing patterns versus plains and neutral colours.”
Managing director of 1838 Wallcoverings, James Watson, says, “I feel patterns and colours in 2023 will be bolder, larger scale and more joyful. The easy addition of an exuberant statement wallpaper design to an interior instantly lifts the mood, bringing lasting cheerfulness into the home.”
Lee Clarke, director of Warner House, agrees: “There is a move away from pared-back styling, popular for a long time now, and consumers are demanding luxury and the multi-layered style of the maximalist movement. More than ever, consumers want to invest in timeless design and quality products that are made to last.”
ABOVE LEFT An archival design from the V&A is revived in vibrant hues by 1838 Wallcoverings.
V&A Floral Fanfare, Yellow, £94 a roll, 1838 Wallcoverings
ABOVE RIGHT Bold use of pattern will be enticing for 2023.
Les Pecheurs, China Blue, wallpaper £80 a roll, fabric £55 a metre, Warner House
all turn to the familiar and comforting. Archive designs
for the contemporary home, be that wallpaper patterns or furniture shapes and styles that are part of our shared history, bring that sense of familiarity that we all crave into our homes’ JAMES WATSON, managing director, 1838 Wallcoverings
‘In
we
reimagined
There will be important areas of the home that will see investment and special attention paid. Obviously, with a move towards hybrid working for many, home offices continue to be prominent. Simon Temprell reveals, “People are looking for clever ways to carve out a niche somewhere, whether under the stairs or in the guest bedroom. A desk can be incorporated into just about any room of the house and easily disguised when not in use. These areas should not feel like an afterthought or you will not be happy working there.”
Richard Moore, design director of Martin Moore, recognises that the kitchen has become a multi-functional space, incorporating a work area. As such, he has noticed a desire for “custom-built specific ancillary rooms – utility rooms, boot rooms, laundry rooms and back kitchens – not as afterthoughts but as ‘spill over’ areas, keeping noise, clutter and mess out of the kitchen.”
Creating a calming space is key, as Gandhi explains: “We are noticing a real shift towards an emphasis on instilling tranquillity at home. Our clients are seeking out calm, soothing spaces, extending beyond the living room into other spaces, such as the kitchen. Accenting kitchen spaces with warm timbers is an easy way to create a more natural, serene aesthetic and having clever storage solutions – particularly in the kitchen – is key to designing a relaxing living space and quickly makes a room feel clean, fresh and calming.”
This need for calm and well-being extends to other areas, such as bathrooms. Creative director of Drummonds, James Lentaigne expands, “Achieving a sense of wellness and well-being within interiors has become a top priority for many of our clients, and this is likely to continue into 2023. Alongside wanting our luxurious, comfortable tubs, they want to incorporate areas in the bathroom where they can relax and take time out.” He adds that investing in bathrooms can also combine with the return to maximalist looks: “Bathrooms are one of the few places in the house where you can get away with strong, vivid tones which might be over-the-top in other rooms. Maximalism is very much on-trend with more and more people experimenting with bold patterns and bright colours.”
TOP LEFT Bathrooms are set to take a maximalist approach with decorative features and statement tubs. Hammered Copper Usk bath, from £11,940, Drummonds
Knowing how things are made, whether to buy new or use existing pieces will be a key consideration as we all try to do our bit to help the environment. As the founder of The Pure Edit, Steve Forder, notes, “Sustainability is at the forefront of all our minds, from the way we travel to the clothes we wear, and, increasingly, how we decorate and furnish our homes. People will be increasingly conscious about the products they buy – where they are sourced, what they are made from, what impact they have on the environment and how they affect the quality of life of people living in these spaces.” For some, this will mean checking the credentials of the companies they buy from to ensure products are sustainably produced. “With a renewed focus on eco-conscious choices and an increased awareness of sustainability, people are seeking products that tick all the boxes in terms of design and quality, but are also as ecologically friendly as possible,” says Ruth Mottershead.
Though The Pure Edit takes pride in using the most sustainable components available, Forder does extol other virtues: “Green credentials in themselves are not enough: it is important that interiors products are beautiful, well made and high quality, so they last.” n
Sustainability goes hand in hand with economic factors. Richard Smith, founder of Madeaux, acknowledges, “Consumers are continuing to move away from the idea of short-lived trends to a more considered approach in decorating their homes, embracing design choices that will endure. This movement has the benefit of not only being more economical and sustainable, but also of ensuring that items that are invested in are pieces which will bring lasting joy and build a more layered feel within a room.” He astutely notes, “Choosing to reupholster an armchair or chaise is a brilliant way to refresh a favourite piece and create a show-stopping moment, as well as add timeless appeal.”
Simple but effective updates also include the return of the border. Once the height of fashion in the 1980s and into the 1990s, borders are seeing a return as a creative, affordable and easy way to add character and design detail. A proponent of the ‘border movement’, Susie Atkinson, director of Studio Atkinson, highlights, “For those who are mindful of budgets right now, borders are a cost-effective way of creating impactful change without having to go to the lengths of rehanging a whole room with wallpaper.” She offers further design advice, saying, “Traditionally, they have been used below cornices. However, we have also been using them to make panel frames or even under the tread of a staircase or on furniture for something more contemporary and dimensional. That’s the fun of borders; there are no rules.”
OPPOSITE AND ABOVE The Pure Edit offers a range of sustainably sourced and produced fabrics to reduce environmental impact in decorating. All fabrics from The Pure Edit
ABOVE LEFT Wallpaper borders are making a comeback as a quick and simple way to add creative flair to room schemes.
Border, £68 a roll, Studio Atkinson
‘One of the main ways of reducing waste in interiors is to invest in things that you really love and which will stand the test of time’
STEVE FORDER, founder, The Pure Edit
Create a utility room that is desirable to spend time in and can make a spot of spring cleaning more appealing. In addition, decorative touches encourage keeping the room in order. Functionality is paramount. A cabinet curtain keeps appliances and items on shelves out of sight yet easily accessible. Busy prints make inevitable marks less noticeable in advance of curtains and walls being washed and wiped clean.
Ivy Trellis wallpaper in Blue and Green, £138 a roll, Daydress II for Dado
In praise of Sunday lunch - and our columnist’s advice on creating an easy-going, life-affirming feast including vegetables from the patch and an all-important pudding
“Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week.” So said Joseph Addison. Hear, hear, say I. Many of the happiest times of my life have been spent over Sunday lunch. I sit looking down at the sea of glasses in various states of fullness and plates in various states of disarray and animated faces shining with good humour and listening to the wall of sound that comes from friends being properly fed and watered, and thinking that this is it, this is exactly where I want to be. It is such a generous, expandable meal, companionable and easy-going, cheery and cheering. Sunday lunch in repletion, happiness and contentment; the last stop of the weekend and preparation for the week to come.
Sunday lunch gives me a chance to share the bounty of my vegetable patch and even quietly boast about it. Not that there’s a huge bounty at this time of year. It’s a between kind of time. The broad beans (Stereo and Crimson Flowered) are beginning to show, but it’ll be a little time before they’ll be ready. My potatoes (Sharp’s Express and Ratte) are chitting away. The odd, slightly tired leaf of Swiss chard has survived thanks to deft cloching, and there is a purple winter salad leaf or two. For the most part, I rely on the admirable Stroud Farmers’ Market for purple and white sprouting broccoli, leeks, kales (various), and January King cabbage, any one of which can hold its place on the plate unaided by a mass of others.
However, let’s not kid ourselves: preparing lunch for, say, eight people, is no mean undertaking. Scale, timing and management all take a bit of doing. So the first bit of advice I give is don’t hurry. Take things easy. Sunday lunch isn’t for showing off. It’s for reaffirming fundamentals. It’s for comfort and familiarity. No one wants to be gastronomically challenged at Sunday lunch. So keep to what you know and can do without too much pressure.
My second piece of advice is don’t overcomplicate matters. For example, in my view, it is better to cook two, maybe three, vegetables perfectly than half a dozen indifferently.
Thirdly, always have plenty of hot gravy/jus/sauce, a) because everyone loves gravy/jus/sauce, and b) because it will help warm up the meat (if meat you’re having) that will inevitably have cooled down during carving and getting the plate in front of the appreciative guest.
Lastly, make sure pudding is a proper full stop to the end of lunch. Puddings are the great glories of the British kitchen. I’d go as far as to say that no country can match us for range, variety or sugary deliciousness. At this time of year, rhubarb from the Yorkshire Triangle is a common starting point. Still, as I have suggested a rhubarb recipe before, perhaps we might look to the mightiest of all British puds, that Everest among desserts, the Sussex Pond Pudding. It will bring smiles and delight to the most jaded of gastronauts.
About Matthew An award-winning food writer and critic, Matthew was Food & Drink Editor of The Guardian for 15 years and a judge on BBC TV’s Great British Menu. He is also the author of four books on food and travel.
Considered the most majestic of all British puddings, it is joy in every mouthful, food to warm the heart, turn gloom to delight and generally reassure you that life is worth living.
Serves 6-8
250g self-raising flour 100g shredded suet 1 pinch salt 50ml milk 50ml water 125g chilled butter, cubed 100g Demerara sugar 2 unwaxed lemons
Greaseproof paper
• Generously butter a 750ml pudding basin. Put the flour, shredded suet and salt in a large bowl and combine thoroughly. Add the milk and water. Work until it forms a firm suet pastry. (Add a little more liquid or flour if it feels too dry or too soft).
• Cut off a quarter of the pastry for the lid of the pudding. Roll out the rest on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to line the pudding basin. Place it carefully in the basin. It should slightly overlap the top of the basin. Slash the sides of the lemons and place them in the basin. Pack the butter cubes
around and over the lemons. Sprinkle the sugar over the lemons and butter.
• Roll out the piece of pastry that was put to one side to make a lid. Moisten the pastry around the rim of the basin with water, put the lid on and press the two together firmly.
• Cut out two circles of greaseproof paper larger than the top of the basin and fold a pleat in the centre to allow the pudding room to breathe. Place the pleated paper on the basin and tie it in place with string.
• Put the basin in a steamer or on a trivet in a pan large
enough to hold it fully. Fill the pan (if using) with boiled water to a third of the way up the sides of the basin. Bring to the boil, cover, turn down the heat and simmer gently for 3½ hours, topping up the water when necessary.
• Lift the basin out of the pan. Cut the string and remove
the paper. With some trepidation turn the pudding out onto a plate. It should have a lip around the edge so that none of the divine, buttery, lemon-infused juices are lost in the process. Serve with double cream (not custard). n
Decorate the table for a springtime celebration with pretty pastels, sweet-scented flowers and a scattering of seasonal motifs
Prepare to welcome friends and family for an Easter celebration by dressing the home with seasonal decorations and pretty spring hues. Whether dining inside or al fresco – should the weather be warm enough – Easter is a wonderful excuse to style the dining table with joyous colour. Make the most of scented spring flowers in shades of sugary pink, sunshine yellow, bold indigo blue and vibrant, zesty green.
Branches of pussy willow, catkin or even long stems of blossom can make an eye-catching centrepiece full of height, and spring bulbs such as crocus, hyacinth, paperwhite narcissus and daffodils displayed in eye-catching planters, ceramic tureens, or terracotta pots will release a delightful scent.
Be inspired by nature’s hues and traditional or favourite motifs such as rabbits, eggs and chicks when decorating the table. Choose decorations, linens and serveware to add colour and interest to an all white scheme and create a tablescape that will appeal to all.
White porcelain tableware, £149 for 12-piece set; White porcelain cake stand, £57; Scalloped napkins, £49 for four; Linen napkin rings, £58 for four; Sparkle high ball glasses, £69 for six; Sparkle wine glasses, £79 for six; Apothecary clear glass vase, from £40; Pink-and-white striped planter, £100 for two, all Sophie Conran
Ensure guests feel welcome with charming Easter place settings finished with decorative details such as eggs adorned with hand-painted seasonal motifs or each person’s name. For an extra-special touch, and to point guests to their seats, tie a velvet ribbon embroidered with guests’ initials or names around a napkin to create rabbit ears. Simply fold a napkin diagonally in half, then roll up and wrap around a decorated egg and secure in place with a bow.
LEFT
Use branches of seasonal foliage to make a tree-style centrepiece from which to hang Easter decorations. Catkins, pussywillow or blossom can be displayed in a zinc flower bucket, a large glass vase or a vintage pickling jar. Alternatively, suspend a long branch from the ceiling to run the length of the table and attach stems of real or faux flowers or foliage to it. Decorate with fairy lights, handpainted eggs or other Easter decorations attached by lengths of pastel-coloured ribbon.
Co-ordinating tableware and linen decorated with seasonal motifs will add cheer in an instant and provide an element of fun to an otherwise simply styled table. Tablecloths, napkins, runners and ceramics depicting rabbits, chicks or hens provide whimsical charm and are also hugely versatile.
RIGHT Hare table runner, £27.50; Hare napkins, £16.50 for four; Hare jugs, from £17.50; Bunny & Seed Stone mug, £12.50, all Sophie Allport
Pastel shades from blush pink to soft apricot create an appealing scene when layered together, providing a gentle, welcome splash of colour for the new season. Setting the table with ombré-dyed napkins and a co-ordinating tablecloth provides subtle variations in intensity of colour and a striking visual effect. Add a floral arrangement with textural flowers such as frilled ranunculus, ruffled parrot tulips, delicate anemones and the lacy heads of dill flowers placed in a small glass jar or a flower frog hidden inside a bowl.
Lavender linen tablecloth, £96; Hand-dyed blush ombré linen napkin, £14; Porcelain tableware, from £44; Florentine handmade glass carafe, £32; Florentine handmade glass, £10; Terrazzo trivets, £11.50; Terrazzo candle holders, £14; Recycled Oyster Shell candle, £14, all Sorbet Living
Serve seasonal treats using springtime-inspired tableware and accessories
Chintz Bunny china, Pink, from £8 for a cereal bowl, Royal Stafford
Provence 24-piece cutlery set in Ivory, £305, Sophie Conran
Brushed gold drinks tray, £20.99, Von Haus
Venezia 66-piece dinner set, £1,950, Micucci Interiors
White china is a fail-safe option for all sorts of occasions. Its simple, pared-back aesthetic provides the perfect surface for serving up elegant starters, luxurious roasts and tempting desserts and allows scope for creative tablescaping alongside colourful linens, decorative serveware and pretty placesetting ideas. For Easter, introduce fragile elements of nature to echo the delicate effect of a white glaze and textural detail. Make tiny nests out of raffia or straw and place a personalised white duck egg or a seasonal pastel blue Cotswold Legbar in each, accompanied by a feather or sweet-scented flower.
Certain stems of delicate spring flowers need a smaller vessel in which to sit and bud vases are ideal. Use an assortment of designs in vibrant jewel colours scattered along the length of the table or grouped on a cake stand and fill with crocuses, freesias, primroses, fritillaries and miniature narcissus.
ABOVE Croxton dinner plate, £96 for six; Croxton side plate, £60 for six; Handsworth 24-piece cutlery set, £90, all Neptune BELOW Ink Bottle vases, from £9.95 each, Sarah Raven
platter, £65, Daylesford
Naturally dyed assorted linen placemats, £56 for four, Ved Cooks
Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Tureen, £108, Micucci Interiors
Seasonal green vegetables can be a surprising inspiration for decorating the dining table, and a great way of adding more robust shades of spring colour as a welcome alternative to soft blossom pink and daffodil yellow. Allotment favourites such as asparagus, globe artichokes and stalks of rhubarb are charming displayed in jugs dotted along the table, and are a table styling accompaniment to earthy spring bulbs such as deep indigo blue hyacinth and paperwhite narcissus. Source tablecloths, ceramics and accessories in bold, graphic flowerhead designs and in vibrant shades of blue and green for a striking and uplifting scene. n
Simla tablecloth in Blue and Green, £224.40; Green Summer Flower ceramic plates: small, £24.19, large, £66; Natural Wicker table mat, £15.84; Simla border napkins, £66 for a set of four, all Penny Morrison
Rabbit & Cabbage set of four napkins, £45, Thornback & Peel
White Basket-Weave baking dish, £20, Daylesford
Early Bird breakfast plates in Pink and Blue, £12.95 each, Pip Studio
Make the most of visiting some of the country’s finest wine estates by staying overnight and enjoying the fruits of their labours
England’s reputation as a wine-producing country has come a long way since the first commercial vineyard, Hambledon in Hampshire, was established 70 years ago. Today, there is a large array of producers who are proud to share their knowledge and passion for making excellent still and sparkling wines. For those wishing to explore more, the enjoyment in taking part in tours and tastings is further heightened by the many dining and accommodation options on offer, both on and off site. Here we highlight a number of our favourites to visit.
Set between the beautiful Malvern Hills and the Wye Valley, Three Choirs in Gloucestershire is a relaxed, low-key 75-acre vineyard where guests are encouraged to explore at their own pace, be it with an overnight stay (in vineyard view rooms or secluded glass-walled lodges set amidst the vines, from £165 a night), or with self-guided tastings encompassing a five-wine flight and walk along the vineyard trail (£12.50 a person, weekends only for non-residents). The Brasserie’s tapas-style grazing menu includes dishes such as local griddled asparagus with Romesco sauce and toasted almonds, alongside sharing platters of charcuterie and a (very generous) cheeseboard. Booking is essential, especially for the weekend-only lunch service open to non-residents.
Baldwins Farm, Newent, Gloucestershire, GL18 1LS Tel 01531 890223; three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk
Known as the Garden of England, Kent is home to the North Downs where chalky soils produce Chapel Down’s best-selling sparkling wine. A range of tours is available, all of which include tastings (from £25 a person). The shop includes cellar door exclusives for sampling at the tasting bar while elegant restaurant The Swan offers dishes made with locally sourced ingredients with suggested wine pairings. Connoisseurs will also appreciate Chapel Down’s vine lease scheme (from £325 for a year), which includes an invitation to take part in the harvest and custom-labelled wine. Accommodation can be found elsewhere – try The Gallivant hotel and restaurant in nearby Rye for an impressive all-English wine list (doubles from £257 a night, thegallivant.co.uk).
Small Hythe Rd, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 7NG Tel 01580 766111; chapeldown.com
Sitting within a 6,000-acre estate of farmland, woodland and pasture, Wiston Estate vines were planted in 2006, with a winery and restaurant opening in 2021. A range of tours and tastings is available (from £25 a person), alongside special events such as volunteer picking days for those keen to experience a hands-on approach to the winemaking process. Chalk Restaurant in the restored flint barn offers dishes with produce sourced directly from the estate, whilst the weekend Airstream Cafe has snacks and drinks. Stay at nearby Amberley Black Horse pub with rooms for wonderful historic charm and a glorious walled garden with views over the South Downs (doubles from £110 a night, amberleyblackhorse.co.uk).
North Farm, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 4BB Tel 01903 877845; wistonestate.com
In 2018, head winemaker at Nyetimber Cherie Spriggs became the first woman and first person outside France to be named ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’. Her expertise in blending fruit from Nyetimber’s 11 vineyards has led to it being one of the most recognisable English sparkling wine brands. Open days throughout the year see guests enjoy a two-hour tour and a tasting of three of the estate’s key vintages (£35 a person). Extend the West Sussex welcome with a stay at The Pig in the South Downs (doubles from £155 a night, thepighotel.com), encompassing two acres of vines planted in May 2020. The first harvest takes place this year, with wines planned in keeping with the Pig’s kitchen garden ethos.
Gay St, West Chiltington, West Sussex, RH20 2HH Tel 01798 813989; nyetimber.com
Stay at The Pig In The South Downs and enjoy the wines on offer; The exterior of The Pig In The South Downs; One of the rooms at The Pig In The South Downs; The vines at Nyetimber Manor Vineyard; Tasting the wines at Nyetimber Manor Vineyard.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
For more on how England’s experts bring together knowledge and skill at one of the country’s most reputed wine producers, a visit to Lyme Bay Winery offers the chance to learn about methods and history. Expertise here has seen the winery grow from an insider favourite to a wider audience. Visit for the shop, cellar-door sampling and winery tours, and enjoy West Country wines as well as historic fruit wines, ciders, meads and liqueurs with fruits sourced from across the south of England. Sample its work further with a stay at nearby Lympstone Manor, where vines planted in 2018 under Michelin-starred chef-patron Michael Caines have produced two wines in partnership with Lyme Bay Winery, available exclusively to hotel guests (doubles from £395 a night, lympstonemanor.co.uk).
Shute Rd, Axminster, Devon, EX13 7PW Tel 01297 551355; lymebaywinery.co.uk
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT
One of the rooms at Lympstone Manor; Chef-patron Michael Caines tends to the vines at Lympstone Manor; Lyme Bay Winery in Devon; James Lambert, head winemaker at Lyme Bay Winery; The vines at Lympstone Manor.
This family-run vineyard and orchard in Cornwall offers vegan wines, ciders and juices – including its River Cottage Sparkling Elderflower wine and cider, served at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s venues in the Axe Valley. Guided and self-guided tours include wine tasting (from £10 a person), while the Vine House restaurant offers homemade pizzas and other delicacies on a vine-covered terrace. Try a flight of three wines with tasting notes at the shop, alongside produce including honey from the Polgoon bees. Stay at Harbour Cottage in Mousehole (from £215 a night, kiphideaways.com/hideaways/harbour-cottage-mousehole), or try Middle Colenso Farm holiday cottages where welcome packs include a Polgoon bottle (from £145 a night for a mininimum four-night stay, middlecolensofarm.co.uk).
Rosehill Meadow, Tredarvah, Cornwall, TR20 8TE Tel 01736 333946; polgoon.com n
ABOVE
LEFT Enjoy enjoy beautiful maritime views at Harbour Cottage in Mousehole.
BELOW Having been delighted at inheriting Aunt Kitty’s original Ercol furniture, I have been inspired to add some of the company’s new pieces to the collection to keep the mid-century look fresh, including this chair.
Marlia accent chair, from £1,030, Ercol
Passionate about quintessential English customs, our incognito columnist reminds us to do the best things in life in the most elegant fashion, always with a twinkle in her eye
When I was younger, a rather grand friend leaned over at a dinner party and whispered something about how shocking it was that our host had “bought his own furniture”. I like to think this kind of snobbery is, if not dead, then certainly on its last legs.
Inheriting furniture can be both a blessing and a curse. When I first moved into Minerva Towers, everything was already in place – from the four-poster bed that had been passed down for generations through to the potato peeler with the broken handle that Mr M refused to part with. “Cook would turn in her grave at the very idea of it being put out with the rubbish,” he insisted, wistful and misty-eyed.
This is why moving to the Dowager House was such a joy. I was able to pick everything from new and am still doing so. We are planning a basement conversion and a new kitchen later this year.
However, the very best-laid plans can sometimes go awry and, having never inherited anything more than a little mad money and a couple of rather lovely hats, I now find myself the recipient of not one, but two legacies. Sadly, I am not being passed a huge bag of diamonds or a house in the South of France
remaining cat. To say that Mitzi is high maintenance would be an understatement and, since she arrived three weeks ago, she has been locked in an ongoing battle with Mr M, who is very much a ‘dog man’. Every time he settles down in a chair, she shrieks at him. Every time he gets up, she yowls. He tries feeding her, putting her out or popping her in her bed. Nothing works. I find it rather like having a new baby in the house but I heard Mr M confide to the gardener that it was akin to having two wives. When the gardener raised his eyebrows questioningly, Mr M explained. “You know, another female who is never happy.”
The bigger problem now is not whether Mr M can ever achieve an entente cordiale with his feline foe; it is more what to do with two homes’ worth of furniture.
Aunt Kitty bought her own furniture in 1956. Everything is beautifully made and of the period. It is also immaculately preserved. Her home was like a mid-century modern museum. A gorgeous Danish teak dining table, complete with the most exquisitely made chairs. A very collectable credenza. An assortment of Ercol chairs, G-Plan coffee tables and – the jewel in the crown – a lounge chair and ottoman by Charles and Ray Eames.
jetting off to interesting parties. In her later years she kept a few rather lovely Bengal cats and so left all her money and her flat to a cat rescue home – I was left the contents of said
My other legacy came from a long-lost and rather rackety cousin. He was on the other side of the family to my aunt and, as far as I am aware, they never met. While she had a glittering career, he travelled the world as a busker, only settling back in London when he became too old to carry his instruments around Europe. He inherited his mother’s house, which was full to bursting with heavy, dark wood furniture that is the opposite of Aunt Kitty’s minimalist style.
There are some lovely pieces, including a beautiful walnut cabinet with the prettiest inlays, and two rather large wardrobes that look as if they belong in a fairy tale. He had also built up a collection of at least a thousand books.
All this is causing something of a headache. I will feel awful if I sell it all, but simply have nowhere to put it and may have no other option. I have tried cajoling the children into taking various pieces, but while they may be in a position to take coffee tables and paintings, they are finding it harder to accommodate the larger items.
All of this has led me to think of the issues the new King must have. What will he keep and what will he retire? I imagine the new Prince of Wales has similar issues too. The Queen was famously frugal and kept her cereal in Tupperware. If she was anything like my aunt, I imagine she must have had quite a collection. Poor King Charles can hardly list inherited items on Facebook Marketplace, but what does one do with those sorts of things? As a keen painter, he must be itching to pop a couple of his works up in Buckingham Palace, but which Old Master would he have to oust to do so? The whole thing is giving me anxiety dreams.
It is always thrilling to get a glimpse into a Royal home and they are always rather as one would imagine: very traditional, lots of pastels, and very tasteful furniture. I rather love the kitchen in the Countess of Wessex’s house, with its dark-painted cabinetry. And the new Princess of Wales has an enviable kitchen island in her home in the country. I cannot help but think, however, that they must have a number of inherited pieces that it would be considered far too impolite to pass on.
Mr M is proving no help with my problems. His view is simply that we will, somehow, find room for it. I am forced to remind him that when I first came to live at Minerva Towers there were rooms one could not navigate due to the piles of chairs, ancient cabinets and heaps of linen no one could bear to rehome. It was a world away from the minimalist, curated and organised home I crave now.
Here at the Dowager House things will be different and my one-in, one-out policy may well have to be expanded to include husbands… n
In her pursuit of artfully mixing old and new, Mrs M recommends the following…
One is always rather envious of how people manage to create an eclectic, layered look in their homes. Mr M thinks interiors evolve naturally, but all that leads to in our house is a pile of wellingtons in front of the Aga. It is why I was thrilled to have been given a copy of The Life Eclectic by Alexander Breeze. It features the houses of highly regarded designers, artists, film directors and musicians and shows how they curate their favourite belongings in a way that is utterly glorious. It is published by Hardie Grant and costs £30.
When I was decorating the Dowager House, 1stDibs (top) was a lifesaver. It is a brilliant online marketplace that offers more than a million extraordinary pieces, from fashion and jewellery to furniture and art. Each of the sellers has been thoroughly vetted and the site could not be easier to use. Beware, though, do not think one can pop on to the site for five minutes, as one is bound to go down a rabbit hole and lose at least an hour. See for yourself at 1stdibs.com
When buying new things, I try to factor in longevity. I also try to buy from brands that reflect my own values. That is why I love The British Blanket Company. Its blankets, picnic rugs and scarves are woven at traditional mills in the British Isles. The last of its kind, it has been weaving the finest quality wool cloth for generations, so when I buy something from there I feel as if I am supporting artisan craftspeople. My absolutely favourite piece is the rainbow stripe herringbone wool throw, which costs £68.99 and is available from thebritishblanketcompany.com
Blending old and new, these period homes celebrate classic features and modern updates
Enjoy the grandeur of a historic house with the convenience of 21st-century technology and energy-saving devices. Formed from the west wing of a 19thcentury Grade II listed mansion, Bayham Hall has been renovated by the current owners. Originally commissioned by the Marquess of Camden, the eight-bedroom abode is set in over five acres and is
nearby to the protected ruins of Bayham Abbey by Tunbridge Wells. The home’s recent updates include a geo-thermal ground-source pump, solar panels and high-speed internet. Work has taken place to carefully preserve important aspects of the period architecture including ornate mouldings, original shutters and distinctive stained-glass windows. Bayham Hall, £3,950,000, Kent, Hamptons
Hulse Ground farm, situated at the edge of the Cotswolds, has been sympathetically extended and remodelled ready for family requirements. This early 18th-century home has four bedrooms as well as a large kitchen and family room combining original beams and mullion windows with bespoke units. Leading off from the kitchen, there is a dining room, a playroom, and a boot room to keep muddy wellies in. Outside, the 12acre grounds include stone barns with permission for conversion into two dwellings. To complete the modern conveniences, there is a bore hole for water and a ground-source heat pump.
Hulse Ground farm, £2,750,000, Gloucestershire, Butler Sherborn
This beautifully restored Warwick townhouse is a 16th-century gem sure to make a positive impression on visitors. Take guests on a tour of the inherent features of this mid-terrace, such as the impressive large Tudor fireplaces seen throughout the three floors. Entertain friends and family into the evening in the newly extended kitchen. For post-dinner enjoyment, the landscaped garden includes two terrace areas and a plumbed-in cast-iron roll-top bath. Come bedtime, the four bedrooms have been carefully renovated to ensure all new additions are sympathetic, including a fitted bespoke bed that is crafted using wood salvaged from a church renovation. Little Brome, £1,250,000, Warwick, Knight Frank
Luxuriously updated for living stylishly in the countryside, Tranwell House dates back to the mid-1800s. The double-fronted home has an L-shaped configuration and is not lacking in archetypal characteristics, notably grand sash windows and fireplaces. The sizeable estate has been extensively renovated. There are seven bedrooms and four bathrooms, while downstairs there is a bespoke kitchen. A newly installed gym allows private training on site. Among the delights in the five-acre garden are a walled plot, woodland, stables and a manège.
Beyond Tranwell village, where the house resides, there are beaches and Morpeth town nearby.
Tranwell House, £1,250,000, Northumberland, Fine & Country
The interior of this quaint cottage has been lovingly enhanced to match the irresistible charm of its thatched period exterior. Inside the Grade II listed home, the spacious accommodation features three bedrooms, including a master bedroom suite with a dressing room and bathroom. Throughout the house, the rooms are decorated in a modern country style. In the vaulted-ceiling kitchen and breakfast room, the original exposed beams blend harmoniously with modern handmade cupboards and timber worktops. On dark evenings, retire to the sitting room to nestle beside the inglenook-style fireplace for a cosy retreat.
Ox Stalls, £475,000, Northamptonshire, Jackson-Stops
Boasting a wealth of character throughout its light-filled rooms, Middle Warberry Court is a four-bedroom home with impressive architectural details dating back to its Victorian roots. Once the elevated garden views out to sea have been taken in, a majestic reception hall with a chandelier and sweeping oak staircase welcomes one and all and sets the tone for the level of restoration seen throughout the property. For retreating inside on stormy coastal days, the large main sitting room recaptures a classic sense of period glamour with Corinthian columns and two original marble fireplaces at either end of the room.
Middle Warberry Court, £1,250,000, Devon, Strutt & Parker n
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LEFT TO RIGHT Lulu Guinness at the folly she rents and loves for its view and unique shape (which inspired a recent handbag design); A popular collectable designed by Lulu is the embroidered Birdcage handbag, which sings when you press a button hidden in its base; The sitting room in the folly which shows Lulu’s ever-evolving display shelves and style.
Quintessentially British designer Lulu Guinness OBE, lives in the Golden Valley in Gloucestershire. She currently rents a beautiful folly while renovating her new country home
I have always been in love with the five valleys surrounding Stroud. Cath Kidston first brought me here and I’ve been coming for 25 years since. I love the creative community here, the open studios, and the history of the cloth and wool trade.
My boyfriend of 18 years lives in the nearby town and visits me at the weekends. My grown-up children visit too. It’s perfect!
Tell us about your home.
I’ve just bought the west wing of a pretty house, a long property divided into three parts. It’s Grade II listed and has an 18th-century front with an enormous L-shaped wing on the back which was a school in Victorian times and will eventually be the drawing room. In the garde, there is a ruin of an orangery and next to it, the pumping station that served the orangery. It hasn’t been altered for about 20 years.
My friends call it ‘Lulu-fying’ things! In fact, it’s going to be a big building job. There is only one bathroom and – amongst other structural things – I’m opening up the top floor to add bedrooms. It’s just a quarter of a mile from the folly I’ve been renting and living in for three years, so I go there every day while designing it.
I love working with local designers and craftspeople. The Textile Wall Company is adding a Christopher Moore fabric (a toile de Jouy or chinoiserie) in the bedroom where I’ll have my four-poster bed. I’m also working with Mel Campion on a shell fireplace, and have plans for a freestanding kitchen.
How is your approach to creating your living spaces linked to your work as a designer?
It’s all one thing for me. I have no rules. I’m a creative and I don’t stop, whether it’s
interiors or fashion. Whatever is in my mind goes on the shelves in the sitting room. As I’m renting and unable to hang things on the walls, I painted the shelves (originally from Oka) and use them to display objects, books and paintings. I try to keep it elegant but warm and busy.
Do you have specific collections?
I’ve bought antiques and vintage forever. It’s always been my taste. I have a powder compact collection of around 200 pieces and I have collected old painted furniture for a long time. I also adore antique fabrics. I shop on Instagram and it’s all antique.
What are your most treasured possessions?
My mother’s dressing table. She was very glamorous and I remember her sitting at it, doing her make-up. Also, a pair of whiteon-white decorative Oriel Harwood candlesticks that I wanted for ages and finally bought for myself five years ago.
Finally, what should no English home be without?
Warmth. My greatest luxury is a log fire, but warmth isn’t just about heat; it’s the visual feeling a home can give you too. luluguinness.com ■
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