ENGLISH HOME The
Celebrating the essence of English style
WELCOME TO SPRING Refresh, renew & revitalise life at home
CREATE A PERFECT • English sitting room • Chic conservatory
NEW COLLECTIONS Tempting fabrics, wallcoverings & colour palettes
BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS Elegant ideas for seasonal flowers
June 2021
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CONTENTS JUNE 2021
26
16 Beautiful Buys
68 CREATING AN ENGLISH SITTING ROOM All the
6
75 NATURAL CONNECTION Decorating ideas for
42
necessary elements to achieve a timeless look. DESIGN DISCOVERIES Beautiful new home buys
on our radar for spring. PHOTOGRAPHS (ABOVE LEFT) © ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL; (TOP RIGHT) © NICK SMITH; ABOVE RIGHT) © RACHAEL SMITH
12 START AFRESH Rejuvenate interiors by taking
orangeries and conservatories. 84 THE NEW NEUTRALS The evolution of a colour
a cue from nature. 14 BEAUTY IN UTILITY Make the spring cleaning ritual
a satisfying process with the right pieces.
English Homes 16 A FRESH PERSPECTIVE Harmony and flow meet for 26 34 42 50
an elegant feel in a handsome Hampshire manor. FAMILY AFFAIR How careful conservation of an Oxfordshire cottage created a treasured home. GLOWING WITH COLOUR A sixteenth-century Suffolk home filled with vibrant hues and patterns. HOUSE OF MEMORIES Elegantly curated finds are among the delights of this Victorian London home. PERFECT TIMING The sensitive restoration of a historic Grade II listed house in Hampshire.
Style Inspiration 59 IDEAL PARTNERSHIP The harmonious marriage
of blue and white. 60 SPRING AWAKENING Bright and beautiful new
fabrics and wallpapers from the latest collections.
palette and its roots in history.
Quintessentially 91 THE GREAT OUTDOORS Picnic perfection.
92 FROM PATCH TO PLATE: MATTHEW FORT Our food
columnist on the delights of asparagus. 94 THE SEASONAL HOME: SPRING Bring joyful colour
to interiors with seasonal blooms. 100 LIVING WELL Ideas and inspiration for positive and
uplifting lifestyle changes. 108 HOUSES WITH CHARACTER Georgian homes.
111 THE ART OF BOOKS Mrs M on a love of literature. 114 MY DESIGN HERO Designer Sophie Conran on
artist and designer Oliver Messel.
ENGLISH HOME The
Celebrating the essence of English style
Regulars 4
WELCOME TO SPRING Refresh, renew & revitalise life at home
CREATE A PERFECT • English sitting room • Chic conservatory
BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS Elegant ideas for seasonal flowers
A LETTER FROM HOME A warm welcome from
our Editor. 80 READER TRAVEL OFFER A tailor-made luxury
trip to visit Britain. 113 ADDRESS BOOK Useful contact details.
NEW COLLECTIONS
Tempting fabrics, wallcoverings & colour palettes
TEH US MAYJUNE 21 Cover Andreas final image.indd 1
June 2021
02/03/2021 17:01
COVER IMAGE: ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL
THE ENGLISH HOME 3
Timeless blue and white colour palettes are given new treatments in the spring collections (page 72) .These trims from Travers provide an easy update.
WRITE TO US AT
The English Home, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ, UK Tel +44 (0)333 014 3215 Email: theenglishhome@chelseamagazines.com
www.theenglishhome.co.uk EDITORIAL
Editor Samantha Scott-Jeffries Managing Editor Sarah Feeley Art Editors Claire Hicks, Rebecca Stead Sub Editor Lea Tacey Decorating Editor Katy Mclean Features Editor Eve Middleton Homes & Lifestyle Editor Clair Wayman Editor-at-Large Kate Freud Editorial Assistant Nell Whitaker
Explore our feature on creating a healthy, happy home with ideas for adding a link to the great outdoors, such as this fabric by Iliv (on page 64).
UK ADVERTISING CONTACTS
S
pring is always a time of change and renewal, but perhaps this year we are more ready than ever to usher in the new. In fact, revitalise and refresh were the words at the forefront of my mind when planning this issue with the team as we embrace an optimistic mood. The interiors industry has captured this positivity with its mood-enhancing new fabric and wallpaper collections, with themes that reference the beauty of the natural world, artistic inspiration and heritage, often in bright colour palettes (p60). These are designs that will work beautifully in English homes as well those on foreign shores. We also embrace the season with new interiors buys (p6 & p12) along with products that are both beautiful and useful for an annual spring clean (p14). Garden rooms, orangeries and conservatories come to life at this time of year as indoor-outdoor spaces to enjoy before the weather fully warms up. Alongside stylish ideas for decorating them, it feels topical to explore how they can provide a useful additional space as we have all been spending so much more time at home over the past year. And Mrs M waxes lyrical about creating ‘a room of one’s own’ for reading in her column this issue (p111). Finally, don’t miss our Living Well feature (p100) or our guide to arranging and preserving spring flowers in Seasonal Home (p94) to bring the beauty of spring flowers indoors. We hope this issue will put a spring in your step and inspire you to make the most of all the season has to offer.
Samantha Scott-Jeffries, Editor
Follow us on Twitter @englishhometeam Pinterest at pinterest.com/theenglishhome Facebook at facebook.com@theenglishhome Instagram at instagram.com@englishhomemag 4 THE ENGLISH HOME
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NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 8 JUNE 2021
THE ENGLISH HOME (INTERNATIONAL EDITION) ISSN 1468-0238 (PRINT) THE ENGLISH HOME (INTERNATIONAL EDITION) ISSN 2397-7086 (ONLINE) Did you know you can manage your subscription online? Oversee your print and digital subscriptions online today simply by signing up at www.subscription.co.uk/ chelsea/Solo/. Stay up to date with the latest issues, update your personal details, and even renew your subscription with just a click of a button. SUBSCRIPTION OFFICES USA The English Home, PO Box 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518, USA Tel 1-866-926-0260 ehmcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com CANADA The English Home, 1415 Janette Avenue, Windsor, ON N8X 1Z1, Canada Tel 1-866-926-0260 Canadian GST number: 87211 8922 RT0001 ehmcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com UK The English Home, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 9EF, UK Tel +44 (0)1858-438854 theenglishhome@subscription. co.uk EUROPE & ROW As above for the UK
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© The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2021. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission of the publishers. The information in The English Home has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. However, where appropriate, you are advised to check prices, opening times and dates, etc, before making final arrangements. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information within this publication is hereby excluded. The opinions expressed by the contributors of The English Home are not necessarily those of the publisher. www.chelseamagazines.com: Publisher of Artists & Illustrators, Baby, BRITAIN, Classic Boat, Cruise International, Discover Britain, The English Garden, Independent School Parent and associated Guides, Little London, Popshot, Racecar Engineering, Sailing Today, Scotland Magazine, Yachts & Yachting and Wedding Ideas.
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CATCHPOLE & RYE KENT ENGLAND
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INTERNATIONAL SHOWROOM LONDON
T. +44(0)20 7351 0940
www.catchpoleandrye.com
The Copper Bateau - Weathered Copper Exterior
DESIGN DISCOVERIES Beautiful new home buys that are on our radar this spring
SHADES OF SPRING Inspired by intertwined ribbon seen on village maypoles in spring, these new hand-painted glazed wall tiles are available in four shade options to add a lightness of touch. Festive Ribbon tiles, £8.94 each, Claybrook Studio
TAPPING INTO STYLE The sleek design of the Oscar wallmounted tap, with a single cross-head mixer that controls both hot and cold water, is perfect for bringing a touch of luxury to smaller spaces in either a gold or brushed-gold finish. Oscar tap in Brushed Gold, £540; Bryony Basin, £900, both London Basin Company
EXOTIC TEXTILES Drawing inspiration from Persia and Western Anatolia, designer Birdie Fortescue’s Spring-Summer 2021 textiles include botanical forms and block-printed borders inspired by Damascus tiles. Scallop placemat, £17.50; Cabbage dinner plate, £21; Saral side plate, £10; Floral Napkin, £14.50, all Birdie Fortescue
SHOPPING
PURE LUXURY Showcasing graceful proportions and gentle curves, this reinterpretation of the classic castiron slipper bath from interior designer Susie Atkinson offers both elegance and comfort. Whitewater bath, from £3,792, Susie Atkinson for Drummonds THE ENGLISH HOME 7
WESTLAND LONDON SPECIALISTS IN ANTIQUE FIREPLACES & FINE ANTIQUES SINCE 1969
295 WILLESDEN LANE, LONDON, NW2 5HY TUBE: WILLESDEN GREEN (JUBILEE LINE)
www.westlandlondon.com
TEL: +44 (0) 207 739 8094 e-mail: westland@westlandlondon.com
SHOPPING ECLECTIC CUSHIONS Choosing contrasting patterns in similar hues, such as these cushion covers from Oka’s new collection, creates a relaxed bohemian feel and enlivens interiors. Cushion covers (from top): Areca in Putting Green, £60; Nostell Diamonds in Red Madder, £50; Locksley in Putting Green, £60, all Oka
HISTORY REPEATING Fine artist Sophie Coryndon’s love of texture and detail is clear to see in this fabric and wallpaper collaboration – here her medieval motif print lends itself beautifully to a chic bedroom backdrop. Cushions and drapes, Albarello in Ink, £180 a metre, Sophie Coryndon for Soane Britain
NATURAL INSPIRATION Four new fabric prints drawing on last year’s rural lockdown make up the latest additions to Zoe Glencross’s Elements collection. Lampshades in Fallen Leaf, Aqua (left) and Confetti Leaf, Aqua (right); cushions in Seafoam, Aqua (middle) and Swirl, Blues (second from right), all from £65 a metre, Zoe Glencross THE ENGLISH HOME 9
SHOPPING
Designed with a lightness of touch, the new collection from Sebastian Cox is made using skilfully coppiced wood from the designer’s own ancient woodland in Kent. Sweet Chestnut and Cherry Sideboard, £3,150, Sebastian Cox
PRINT PERFECT Rug designer Amy Kent’s work with Rapture & Wright sees this design from the fabric and wallpaper studio ethically handmade in India and Nepal as one of five in their creative collaboration. Soldanelle, £750 a square metre, Amy Kent x Rapture & Wright 10 THE ENGLISH HOME
SAVAGE BEAUTY The wild beauty of the moors forms the basis of Lancashire brand Woodchip & Magnolia’s new collection encompassing 15 paint hues and five wallpaper designs. Onism Mallard Blue Floral wallpaper, £85 a roll, Woodchip & Magnolia n
FEATURE EVE MIDDLETON PHOTOGRAPHS P6 (CLAYBROOK) © BEN CARPENTER; P7 © DARREN CHUNG; P9 (SOANE BRITAIN) © MIKE COLEMAN; (OKA) © MEL YATES
WOODLAND MAGIC
SHOPPING
Curtain, Melford, £35 a metre; wallpaper, Fencott, £59 a metre, both National Trust collection, Sanderson
Synergy table lamp in Pea Green resin and a brass finish (shade to order separately), £1,750, Margit Wittig
Flora Oolong print (61cm x 80cm), £80, Neisha Crosland
Kentwell three-seat three-hump sofa in Varese Grass, from £3,126, Sofas & Stuff
Gently rejuvenate interiors by taking inspiration from nature with pure whites, tender greens, creamy yellows and duck egg blues for an effortlessly fresh mood. Bring in tactile beauty with furnishings and accessories crafted from natural materials, including carved woods and pure linen. Continue the theme with subtle seasonal patterns such as leafy trellis prints and spring bird motifs.
Marsh end table, £1,259, Beth Webb for Arteriors
Parisian antique grey pot, from £13 (small), The Future Kept Beacon Hill Damask HC-2 paint, from £24 for 0.94l, Benjamin Moore
Lazy Linen bedlinen bundle in Dusky Pink, £235, Loaf Camellia White tea-for-one teapot, £140, Fortnum & Mason
English Revival Modern Classic glazed larder, £POA, Mereway Kitchens
Felce hand-painted tile, from £8.04 each (10cm x 10cm), Series ‘S’ collection, Balineum Wallpapers: (back) Jangal, Shell; (left) Kasavu, Shell; (right) Pahari, Vanilla, all £68 a roll, Designers Guild Blue Palamino serveware, from £14 for an 18cm plate, Daylesford 12 THE ENGLISH HOME
FEATURE SUZANNA LE GROVE PHOTOGRAPH (SOFAS & STUFF) © WILL HOUGHTON; (MARGIT WITTIG) © SIMON BROWN; (DAYLESFORD) © NEIL WATSON; (DESIGNERS GUILD) © JAMES MERRELL
START AFRESH
DISTINCTLY BRITISH
We welcome you to
welligogs.com +44 (0)1785 662277 Please visit us on
SHOPPING Extendable feather duster, from £29 (small), Ostrich2Love
Silent Butler oak storage mirror, £165, Heal’s
Arbour Lattice wall tiles, £79.95 a square metre, Original Style Sorghum hand broom (large), £55, Foundland
Reviving surfaces, forgotten corners and furnishings with a good dust and clean is a satisfying annual ritual. Make the prospect more desirable with well-made tools for the job, such as natural feather dusters and soft cleaning cloths. To retain the feeling of calm well after spring cleaning has finished, take note of where extra storage would improve the sense of order within a room. To avoid compromising a particular scheme, invest in cleverly designed beautiful storage that is charming to behold day after day.
Blue White Spot storage jar, £54, Susie Watson
Full Circle Plant Based Dye Cleaning Cloths, £12 (set of three), National Trust
Lined rattan storage basket, from £21 (small), Marquis & Dawe
Kitchen scissors, £17, Garden Trading
Door handles, shelf brackets and homeware, all Willow & Stone
Wooden ironing board, £345, Summerill & Bishop
Andrée Jardin organic olive dishwashing liquid, Sage & Basil, £12.50, Divertimenti Linen Bray bread bags, from £14 (small), Rowen & Wren
14 THE ENGLISH HOME
FEATURE SUZANNA LE GROVE PHOTOGRAPH (SCISSORS) © THE LITTLE PHOTO COMPANY LTD
PERFECTLY PRACTICAL
NEW DECORATING GUIDE 1 UIDE 2 20IGN G
S DE
SITTING ROOMS
INTERIOR DESIGN CREATING THE PERFECT ENGLISH HOME
Case Study One
Serene
SITTING ROOMS Four top interior designers reveal what to consider when designing a stylish sitting room with enduring appeal
P
ersonal style and architectural considerations are priorities when considering the design and layout of a sitting room. However, function is undeniably an important factor too – where some may require a sleek, elegant space for evening drinks and entertaining, others may need a family-friendly room where different generations can come together and relax in each other’s company. How best then to blend these varying elements? We talk to leading designers to glean insights on key projects of theirs and highlight stylish and effective solutions.
PROFESSIONAL DESIGN ADVICE Kitchens Bathrooms Sitting rooms Dining rooms Home offices Dressing rooms
Louise Bradley on combining a contemporary aesthetic with a period property Interior designer Louise Bradley provides insights on fulfilling a brief to create a luxurious, contemporary setting that was sympathetic to the history of a Grade II listed property.
PLUS
Chic shortcuts & wise buys Essential resources & brilliant tips
The brief
“The main house at the estate – a 130-acre shooting and fishing estate in Surrey – is Grade II listed and was designed by Scottish architect JM Brydon in 1885 as his own home. The sitting room boasts large windows and ample natural light, and is the main space within which the family gathers and hosts their friends. The client’s brief was for a classic-contemporary aesthetic that also fitted with the history of the house.”
Past and present
“Working with a Grade II listed property sometimes has its challenges, with many existing features needing to be retained throughout the interior architecture of the building. The clients wanted an elegant yet comfortable drawing room in which they could relax and entertain family and friends, with a classic contemporary-feel decor that was also sympathetic to the history of the estate. “We retained the original floor, the original columns and fireplace. The beautiful large bay window had amazing views over the gardens so it was important to look at a floor plan and colour scheme that made the most of the spectacular gardens; to achieve this, we opted for soft muted colours that would complement
ABOVE The bespoke ornate breakfront bookcase along the far wall is designed to complement the style and history of the property and echoes architectural elements in the room.
the different seasons. Under the bay window, we made a large comfortable window seat that offered an area to relax, dressed with a variety of bespoke cushions using different textures and patterns, perfect to recline amidst for morning coffee and papers. The comfortable contemporary sofas were upholstered in a soft chenille and again dressed with cushions in assorted traditional prints. Cushions always add an element of luxury allowing to add colour without overpowering the room.”
Creating a blend
“The choice of a coffee table with clean lines and an aged mirror top had a more contemporary feel, dressed with interesting books and accessories adding interest
to the space. A central chandelier was a must and completed the overall aesthetic. The occasional table lamps, in both metal and rock crystal, created another level of light to the room in the evenings. The large bespoke breakfront bookcase was made by one of our trusted artisan craftsmen and is designed in a traditional style with a specialist paint finish in aged black, with an antique mirror detail in the pilasters to add interest. It also allows the clients to display their books, objets d’art collected over the years on their travels and family photographs.” RIGHT The simple design and clean lines of the coffee table create a perfect setting for a carefully curated selection of books and mementoes.
14 THE ENGLISH HOME
THE ENGLISH HOME 15
TEH UK Bookazine 2021 Sitting room case study.indd 14-15
27/10/2020 15:39
BATHROOMS
Case Study One
Blissful
Gemma Gordon-Duff on creating a decadent en suite Interior designer Gemma Gordon-Duff, of architectural interior design practice Gordon-Duff & Linton, reveals how she created a luxurious central London master suite with decadent materials and unfussy design details to create a scheme with a difference.
BATHROOMS
Design experts reveal important considerations in balancing style and practicality to create the ideal bathroom
ORDER B OVER 30 INTERIOR DESIGNER CASE STUDIES TODAY BY FOR Nina Campbell, Joanna Wood, Jane Churchill, Paolo Moschino,
athrooms, as intimate, personal spaces, have to be functional and hard-wearing yet also provide a cocoonlike and indulgent zone where we can close the door and feel at peace. It is vitally important, therefore, to get the feel right, particularly as warmth, comfort and a sense of luxury are bound to be high on the list of priorities. So the question is how to marry the brisk efficiency necessary for the early
morning rush with the pleasure of a relaxing evening bath or a long, hot shower? Here, our bathrooms special showcases a range of rooms by four experienced designers, each demonstrating that it is eminently possible to marry form and function and create a space which is both perfectly practical and a beautiful haven in which to refresh and unwind.
The brief
“My client’s main residence is outside the UK and so, as this home is used intermittently, they wanted the master suite – bedroom, dressing room and bathroom – to have all the luxuries of a hotel, but with a more homely feel. They loved the decadence of a copper bath in the dressing room, and asked us to use this as the starting point for the design. The property is a handsome Georgian townhouse, with high ceilings and beautiful architectural features, and so another aim was to complement this feeling of grandeur with a suitably classic yet chic design.”
Luxury & opulence
“The perfect place for the bath was by the window in the dressing room, with a cream linen Roman blind for privacy. I chose copper because the client expressed a desire for a statement piece and, to elevate the experience (and to allow for possible water splashes), raised the bath on an Arabescato marble plinth. The room is finished with a luxurious, cut-pile velvet carpet. Next to the bath, I designed an oversized ottoman in a sage cotton velvet that allows for clothes to be laid out, or for a partner to sit and chat. I do feel that bathing in a room full of soft, luxurious fabrics is a lovely, serene and elegant way to relax and cleanse. I designed wardrobe doors with a copper inlay to complement the bath. The en suite has plenty of space for a shower and vanity unit. I continued the opulent theme by using the same Arabescato marble on the walls, floor and even the drawer fronts. Above the vanity, wall-mounted taps create clean lines and allow plenty of space for toiletries, and a shallow mirror-fronted storage unit has inset lighting concealed beneath. The oversized, walk-in shower with a wet-room floor ensures the room feels spacious but unfussy. The finishing touch is low-level lighting in the bathroom that is automatically triggered by movement at night. The overall effect is luxurious but also quite architectural.”
86 THE ENGLISH HOME
OPPOSITE PAGE & ABOVE RIGHT A copper bath from Catchpole & Rye is raised to window height by being set on a marble plinth in the dressing room. The wardrobe doors feature a copper inlay to echo the bath’s exterior; they were designed by Gordon-Duff & Linton. The silverframed bird paintings are from Oka. ABOVE LEFT The walls, floor and drawer fronts of the en-suite shower room are covered with beautifully grained Arabescato marble from Stone of London.
THE ENGLISH HOME 87
TEH UK Bookazine 2021Bathroom case studySSJamends.indd 86-87
27/10/2020 15:40
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Interior Design is the ultimate room-by-room guide dedicated to helping readers create their dream home. From the publishers of The English Home magazine, it features invaluable advice from some of Britain’s finest designers and interiors experts on choosing all the key elements that make a house an elegant home. Order online at chelseamagazines.com/interiordesign21
Buy online for $14.95 (including shipping and handling) and have it delivered direct to your door. Visit chelseamagazines.com/interiordesign21 THE ENGLISH HOME 15
Nabis wall paint from Papers and Paints sets the palette for the drawing room, which is decorated in traditional English country house style with a mix of patterns and antique furniture. The eighteenth-century mirror is from James Graham-Stewart.
16 THE ENGLISH HOME
A fresh PERSPECTIVE Harmony and flow have been restored to this handsome house in the Hampshire countryside to create an elegant and welcoming home FEATURE CHRISTINE STOVELL PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL
The pretty, antique sofa is covered in turquoise Cunard velvet from Claremont. Mugham Flower fabric from Robert Kime was used for the cushions. A pair of urns from Orchid Furniture sit in the alcoves.
18 THE ENGLISH HOME
A
s a highly successful retailer, Keith Abel has a particular talent for spotting the potential in others and encouraging them to realise their unique skills. “Figuring out what someone is good at and letting them get on with it is the fun bit. I’ve been blessed by people who’ve come along at the right time,” he says, modestly. It is an approach Keith also applied to the process of finding and creating a new home, beginning, in 2008, when he engaged a search agent to save himself valuable time and effort that might otherwise have been wasted on a long mission to find the right property. “I needed greater access to London and wanted an old-fashioned English house – something that was liveable and comfortable, but also simple and functional,” he explains. “Ideally, I was looking for a ‘fixer-upper’, something that would be a bit of challenge.” The property that ‘ticked all the boxes’ for Keith sits in a quiet location on the edge of a picturesque village in north Hampshire. Dating back some six centuries, with later Georgian, Victorian and twentieth-century additions, the listed manor house stands assuredly in formal grounds of extensive lawns, mellow walls and
‘I wanted something liveable and comfortable, but also simple and functional’ ABOVE In the dining room, Venetian Damask wallpaper by George Spencer Designs in a bespoke colour makes a dramatic backdrop to the gleam of crystal and a chandelier from Denton Antiques. The gilt convex mirror is from Tarquin Bilgen. LEFT A custom printed and coloured Uppark Damask fabric by Bernard Thorp was used for the blinds in the entrance hall.
‘It was about rationalising an interior that had evolved over 50 years’ ancient, clipped yews which give way to softer planting and a wider vista across distant fields. “I immediately loved the look of the house, with its red brick facade,” says Keith. “There wasn’t a lot I wanted to change structurally; it was more about rationalising an interior that had evolved over 50 years.” Keith turned to award-winning architect Elspeth Beard – who is also famous for being the first British woman to circumnavigate the world by motorcycle – to help him unravel the knot of large rooms which had been subdivided according to the requirements of previous occupants, resulting in a disconnected series of smaller spaces. Working closely with planners and conservation departments, and sensitive both to her client’s needs and to the history of the house, Elspeth simplified the layout to restore a sense of proportion to the rooms and create a cohesive flow throughout the house. Careful attention to hard finishes, such as the rounded school radiators, deep, comfortable old baths which were all reconditioned and restored, and ABOVE The kitchen cabinetry is by Plain English and the Prismatic Railroad Pendants are by Holloways of Ludlow. LEFT Rain or shine, there’s something for all weathers on the attractive and practical antique coat-stand.
20 THE ENGLISH HOME
Sophisticated layers of textiles and tonal contrasts are complemented by walls and bookcases painted in Bath Stone 2 by Papers and Paints. The chevron pattern fabric on the armchair in the foreground is Claremont’s Matelas de Laine. The six-legged stool is by Robert Kime.
THE ENGLISH HOME 21
‘Life is precious, so it’s important to make each moment count’ wooden pulley racks suspended from the ceiling in the old-fashioned laundry room, bring warmth and character to the ambience of each space. Keith takes great pleasure in entertaining, so the new layout had to be sufficiently flexible to accommodate gatherings both large and small. The entrance hall now leads into a spacious central hall with stairs and an open-plan reception space. A series of four service rooms became the large, light-filled kitchen and dining area where up to a dozen people can comfortably sit for a cosy supper or informal Sunday lunch. There is also a formal dining room, a drawing room and a library, previously a conservatory. Stairs in the grand central hall lead to a spacious galleried landing and six bedrooms, and attic rooms above. With the architectural revisions in place, Keith briefly toyed with the idea of bringing the interior up to date by painting everything white. Instead, he decided to seek expert advice on a wider palette of colours from interior designer Sarah Morris of McWhirter Morris, who he had met through a mutual friend and whose work he knew and admired. Sarah, who is known for interiors which combine comfort, charm and the kind of timeless, enduring styles which are ‘resolutely anti-fashion’, realised that the house alterations had, in effect, created a blank canvas which called for a more nuanced and comprehensive approach to the decoration. “Although the rooms were of a good size and shape, the house itself lacked personality,” explains Sarah. ABOVE The handsome red brick manor house has a Tudor core with later additions and sits in extensive grounds. RIGHT The stylised florals of Le Manach’s Victor Hugo fabric for the curtains teamed with cushions in Kos fabric by Vaughan intensify the colour palette in the bright and inviting library.
22 THE ENGLISH HOME
‘This arrangement has meant we have made full use of every room in the house’
THE ENGLISH HOME 23
ABOVE In the main bedroom, the four-poster bed is dressed in Bergama linen by Robert Kime and the wallpaper is George Spencer Design’s Palm Stripe.
“There were a few rugs that I could work around, but there was very little furniture that would fill the space, as Keith’s previous home had been very different both in character and size. Comfort was a priority, so I suggested wallpaper, which I think adds warmth, pattern and individuality.” Wallpaper has been used to striking effect in some of the bedrooms, the main bathroom and in the formal dining room, where
24 THE ENGLISH HOME
George Spencer’s Venetian Damask wallpaper in a bespoke colour bathes the room in a golden glow. Throughout the house, Sarah has referenced a colour palette that varies in intensity but blends with the well-chosen pieces of antique furniture, lighting and art to create a harmonious whole. Whilst fabrics from Robert Kime and Colefax and Fowler amongst others have been used in the majority of rooms for
Colefax and Fowler’s Snow Tree wallpaper sets the tone for the luxurious main bathroom which has extensive views across the grounds.
‘Wallpaper adds warmth, pattern and individuality’
curtains, upholstery and cushions, the galleried landing and luxurious main bathroom have been left free of curtains for a surge of natural light and views across the extensive grounds. “A dynamic business,” Keith observes, “is about building a culture where everyone involved is contributing ideas. Once the right people have been hired, it’s buzzing.” By applying the same philosophy
to finding and renovating a house, he has produced a beautiful, functional and comfortable home that brings pleasure to both him and his guests. “Life is precious, so it’s important to make each moment count,” he reflects. “The beauty of this house is that it’s perfect all year round for entertaining, and in warmer weather, people can spill out into the garden. It’s a great success.” n
ABOVE Cole & Son’s Hummingbirds wallpaper, twin nineteenth-century bedsteads and vintage bedspreads make this guest room cosy and inviting.
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Family AFFAIR Robyn and Peter Christie’s careful conservation of a treasured family home filled with memories has secured its heritage for future generations FEATURE CHRISTINE STOVELL ADDITIONAL STYLING CLAIR WAYMAN PHOTOGRAPHY NICK SMITH
The plaster mouldings above the fireplace in the sitting room are thought to have been collected by Robyn’s grandfather, architect Arnold Silcock.
ABOVE The cupboard in the sitting room belonged to Robyn’s grandmother and the painting above it is by Edward Wakeford, who along with his wife Eileen was a close friend of Robyn’s aunt Ruth. Marvic’s Indigo Mood Pila Charcoal and Pila Red cover the sofa sourced from Claire Langley Antiques. RIGHT In the snug, a portrait by Raymond Coxon of Robyn’s mother, Diana, hangs above the chaise longue covered in Bayberry Strie by Brunschwig & Fils.
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‘With the blessing of my three siblings, my husband Peter and I decided to purchase the cottage and keep it in the family’
I
n a rapidly changing world, a sense of continuity can be easily lost. However, for architectural heritage consultant Robyn Christie and her family, a picturesque eighteenth-century thatched cottage in a small Oxfordshire village has provided an anchor of stability, having passed from one generation to the next over the course of a 100 years. “My mother and her sister, Ruth, inherited the cottage from their aunt,” explains current owner and custodian, Robyn. “As my mother had moved to Australia, married and had four children, my aunt
lived in the cottage, and we stayed with her on our regular trips to the UK. When I left school, I even lived with Ruth for several months whilst I made my way in the world.” This happy arrangement continued for some 40 years, until Robyn’s aunt required nursing-home care and it looked as if the property would have to be sold. “Instead, and with the blessing of my three siblings, my husband Peter and I decided to purchase the cottage and take on the responsibility of keeping it in the family, although we were still living in Sydney,” says Robyn.
ABOVE Robyn originally bought the rush chairs in New Zealand, then brought them over from Sydney and had them repaired by Dovetail Restoration. The sisal rug is from MB Carpets.
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‘The sink in the laundry room has such character, I couldn’t bear to lose it’ ABOVE The bespoke kitchen was made locally by C&G Joinery. Open shelving topped with bright cookware gives the room a light, airy feel. LEFT The laundry room, which used to be the kitchen, looks out onto the kitchen garden. The porcelain sink serves as a reminder of the room’s original use.
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The listed cottage had been carefully maintained, but work was necessary to provide a serviceable kitchen and a new upstairs bathroom. “The existing kitchen, now the laundry room, was a nightmare if we were all trying to use it,” Robyn recalls. “And in the only bathroom, off the kitchen, the room was always freezing and the bath water was cold by the time it filled.” Working with conservation architects Rodney Melville & Partners, Robyn and Peter drew up a series of plans to expand the property for modern needs whilst respecting its history, carefully retaining the existing layout and patina of the small cottage within a conservation area. A sun parlour added to the cottage in the 1950s offered an obvious solution to the problem of creating more living space, but the decision to replace it was not made lightly in a house imbued with memories.
The south-facing extension is suffused with natural light. A Circus pendant light by Corinna Warm hangs above a classic Clifton table from Benchmark. The painting by Frederick Brill is of Rowfant Mill, West Sussex, where Robyn’s grandmother had a cottage. The flooring is European Oak, Novar Rustic, from Havwoods Wood.
“It was built by my maternal grandfather who was an architect in Bath,” Robyn explains. “Ruth would have kept it for that reason, and it was difficult for me to contemplate demolishing his work, but I believe the cottage is more habitable as a consequence.” As a graduate architect and having spent her career in Sydney advising on new additions to old buildings, Robyn was guided by her own principles for the design of a new two-storey addition to replace the former sun parlour. Her philosophy, that new fabric should be distinguishable from old fabric, and, also, that it should not obscure the reading of its past is evident in the new extension, which is a separate structure with a glazed link tucked snugly under the thatch. “It doesn’t add to the bulk of the original cottage and takes a subtle abstract language from vernacular wooden barns,” says Robyn. “And, importantly, because the cottage sits sideways to the street, the new structure is hardly visible from the village.”
The eighteenth-century thatched cottage sits in a conservation area. A sympathetic two-storey extension, with a glazed link to the main building, houses the new kitchen and upstairs bathroom.
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ABOVE Previously accessed by another bedroom, the original master bedroom is a serene sanctuary. An Etienne quilt from The White Company is in keeping with the cottage feel. The painting above the bed is by Charles DuBack, a New York artist who was then married to the artist Daphne Mumford, Ruth’s cousin.
Inside, Robyn has enhanced the rhythm and layout of the original cottage. Upstairs, a new bedroom and bathroom bring cohesion and allow each of the three bedrooms their own space. Downstairs, the southern light that floods the two-storey extension has lifted the dark and occasionally claustrophobic feel of the original ground-floor rooms. “I’m delighted with how well it works all year round; the new extension sits comfortably within the garden, and sunlight pours in through the French windows,” Robyn remarks. The cottage is filled with an abundance of heirlooms and mementoes which pay touching tribute to the women who inspired Robyn. “I feel I am with my mother and my aunt whenever I am here,” she reflects. “They were both extraordinary people and had quite different and sometimes difficult lives.” Most of the furniture in the cottage belonged to Robyn’s aunt or grandmother and she has been exacting in her care to preserve pieces as she remembered them for future generations, even waiting patiently until the perfect
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shade of green fabric came along to replace the existing one on a tired chaise longue. Working with “the best furnishing person”, Jane Adams – whom Robyn is quick to thank for partnering her on a “thoroughly enjoyable journey of discovery” – fabrics were selected on the basis of what had been there before and would work best in the cottage. “My grandmother had a cottage in Sussex and, when she passed away, my aunt brought some of her things here. I knew both cottages intimately, so I even know which china and which cutlery set belongs to which cottage,” Robyn continues. “All the objects and paintings here were my aunt’s. She and my grandmother had a coterie of artist friends who included Raymond and Gin Coxon [née Edna Ginesi], and Frederick Brill and his wife Deirdre Borlase who visited them regularly. Although my aunt worked as a social worker – as did my mother and my grandmother – her love was literature. She was an author and poet, publishing her third anthology of poems Biographies,
‘I feel I’m with my mother and my aunt here. They were both extraordinary people’ etc, at the age of 80. Ruth was someone with an amazing ability to make cross-generational links with everyone she met.” In 2018, Robyn marked the creative and sociable legacy passed on to the family through the cottage when she, her three siblings and their partners gathered there to celebrate the centenary of it belonging to the family. “It was the most special time and full of magical memories,” she says. Although none of the family was sorry to lose the original kitchen and having to work around one another in the cramped space, one element of it remains to serve as a reminder of the past. “The ceramic sink in the laundry room is where I stood and washed up over many years,” Robyn says. “It has such character, I just couldn’t bear to lose it.” n
ABOVE Robyn purchased the twin beds in Australia. Bowood fabric by Colefax and Fowler is used for the cushions and curtains. RIGHT The trunk under the window was brought back from China in the 1920s by Robyn’s grandparents. Her architect grandfather was there to build a Quaker university in Chengdu.
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Glowing WITH COLOUR A vibrant mix of colour and pattern, in all its many forms, has infused this sixteenth century house in Suffolk with an uplifting, playful feel FEATURE AMANDA HARLING PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL
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Antiques such as the round side table and the mahogany tall boy, known as Grandpa Goodman because it was made as a wedding present for a Goodman relative and passed down the generations to John, are mixed with contemporary pieces giving the sitting room a pleasantly informal look.
ABOVE The Georgian fire surround and the Delft tiles so often found in period Suffolk houses are original. Little Greene’s Yellow Pink on the wall matches the yellow silk trim on the framed pair of Chinese armbands hanging on either side of the fireplace. LEFT The sitting room is vibrant with colour and pattern. The toile de Jouy screen was sourced from specialist dealer Su Mason, whilst the sofa, bought in the 1970s, is covered in purple velvet from The Conran Shop and cushions made by Lynn from 1930s velvet curtains.
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L
ynn Walford is recalling how she and her husband John swapped life in busy Hackney, east London for the picturesque East Anglian village where they have lived for the past 10 years. “It was only a matter of time before we moved to Suffolk,” she says. “Although John was born and brought up in Kenya, his family had owned a home in Walberswick since 1905, where he loved to spend holidays. This part of the world had long been familiar to him, and to me too, from the days when we met as students at Birmingham University.” The couple both studied drama, John going on to stage fashion shows and events for designers, and Lynn a stylist and fashion editor. “Because of work, we lived in London, but the more congested it became, the more we yearned for a quieter environment with cleaner air,” Lynn says. “So, after our daughter had completed her studies and left home, we set about looking for a place in the country. John still teaches in London a couple of days a week, so being within reach of a station was important, but apart from that we were pretty flexible about where we lived.” The village house the couple eventually bought has undergone many changes since it was built in the latter
‘Once the weather warms up, we turn off the Aga in the original kitchen and cook and eat in the new kitchen’ part of the sixteenth century. The core dates from 1590 and originally consisted of two or three terraced cottages but was later altered to become one property. At the end of the eighteenth century, it was gentrified with the addition of the Georgian facade and the attic floor which provided accommodation for servants. The alterations the couple have made since moving in have been mainly decorative. “The first thing we did was change the traditional ‘Suffolk Pink’ of the facade to Farrow & Ball’s Wimborne White to freshen up the exterior,” Lynn says. “According to research, ‘Suffolk Pink’ was first used in the fourteenth century by the dyers of Suffolk, who added natural materials to limewash, such as elderberries, or blood from pigs or oxen. Blackthorn or sloe juice were other less grizzly ways of tinting the paint.” Lynn and John also converted what had been a music room, built by previous owners in the 1960s, into a dining room and kitchen that they use in the
ABOVE Adam’s Eden wallpaper by Lewis & Wood adds a decorative flourish in the new kitchen. The blue chairs are from Coexistence in Islington and the table is made from scaffolding planks resting on Victorian carpenter’s trestles sourced from a reclamation yard. RIGHT Nothing co-ordinates but everything looks effortlessly stylish. A turquoise lamp base elevates the bottom half of a Welsh dresser.
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The original kitchen is used mainly during the winter months, when the oil-fired Aga keeps the room warm. Art in the form of a toucan by master ceramicist John Chipperfield, founder of the Suffolk Craft Society, sits on the shelf above. The farmhouse table is contrasted by a pair of early Ikea metal chairs with seats painted in Willow Tree by Dulux.
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The shelves in the pantry are filled with china and serving dishes. The original bells summoning servants remain in situ.
‘I’m not a purist when it comes to combining designs of one era with those of another. It’s all in the mix’ summer. “Once the weather warms up, we turn off the Aga in the original kitchen and cook and eat in the new kitchen,” Lynn says. “The kitchen appliances in it are concealed in the cupboards so they don’t dominate the room. It makes a change and, if the weather allows, we can open the French windows and take everything outside to eat in the garden.” A previous owner was the late garden designer Mark Rumary. “We try to keep up his good work by retaining his planting and his design scheme which divided the garden into a series of ‘rooms’,” Lynn explains. Time for the garden is limited, however, by her other occupation: “I’ve always loved decorative
textiles and fine linen, and I’ve been collecting them for years, buying at auctions, antique fairs and from specialist dealers,” she says. “There’s something magical about holding a piece of Spitalfields silk.” “After we moved to Suffolk, she continues, “I did a professional pattern-cutting course and began using fabrics from my hoard to make dresses. Each one is a one-off and I sell online as well as at The Country Brocante fairs around the southern half of England. Since the first lockdown, I’ve concentrated on making decorative items such as cushions, throws and lampshades. Everyone is spending so much more time at home rather than dressing up and going out, so
TOP The Georgian facade provides the perfect backdrop for the Madame Alfred Carrière climbing roses. ABOVE The couple’s whippet Lily sits with Lynn, who is wearing one of her own designs. To find out more, visit @lynn walforddbdlondon
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In pride of place on the landing is a painting by Robert Anderson. It was commissioned in 1879 by John’s great-grandfather and was the only item John’s father managed to salvage after his own father went bankrupt during the Great Depression in 1929.
ABOVE LEFT Using three shades of Little Greene’s French Grey on the walls and ceiling gives the main bedroom added dimension and depth. On the bed is a 1920s French cotton quilt, and cushions made by Lynn using antique silks and trimmings. Bedside tables picked up in a junk shop have been painted in Dragon’s Blood by Fired Earth. The lampshades are from Su Mason. LEFT The wardrobe in the couple’s daughter’s bedroom has been painted by John in true Bloomsbury style to reflect her love for Charleston in Sussex.
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there is a demand for individual, handmade accessories which add interest to one’s surroundings.” Lynn’s flair for design and decoration can be seen in her own home, where her skill with a needle and her resourceful approach is evident throughout. In the sitting room’s vibrant mix of pattern and colour, in the dining room, where a wonderful ‘tree of life’ wallpaper spans one wall, and upstairs, where finely worked antique and vintage textiles add interest and atmosphere to the bedrooms. “Being resourceful was a necessity when I moved to London after leaving university,” Lynn says. “Nobody had any money, so we’d buy one crepe blouse and dye it a different colour every week. On Saturdays, we’d shop at Biba or Bus Stop. Once we were all dressed up, it was off to the clubs on the King’s Road. One of my first dresses was from Mary Quant’s shop on the King’s Road. Later on I had a couple of Ossie Clark’s beautiful dresses, and I loved the cut of the clothes from Mr Freedom. It was an exciting, innovative time.” Initially, Lynn worked for a magazine where the art director, Stanley Glazer, taught her about photography, graphics and design. Later, she worked on films and commercials as a costume stylist. “I just
The bathroom walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath and the bath is painted in Dragon’s Blood by Fired Earth whilst the needlework panel was a gift from a friend. “Our whippet Lily is loved by all who meet her,” Lynn says.
‘I’ve always loved decorative textiles and fine linen, I’ve been collecting them for years’ had to think on my feet. Staying calm and coping, adapting, nipping in here, letting out there. Teaching someone to style is impossible – one either has ‘the eye’ or one hasn’t. It can be honed, of course, by studying the work of talented designers and makers. On the sewing side, I’m largely self-taught, but I’ve found that the more you do the more you learn.” Lynn’s innate sense of style – having the confidence to mix bold pattern with equally bold colour – is balanced by knowing when to stop. In the sitting room the plain yellow walls are a foil to the panoply of patterned cushions on the Ercol day bed and the purple velvet sofa. In the dining room, the timeless design of the wallpaper is contrasted by contemporary dining chairs. “I’m not a purist when it comes to combining designs of one era with those of another,” she says. “It’s all in the mix.” n
RIGHT In the guest bedroom, a reproduction oak wardrobe bought at auction has been fitted with shelves and painted with White Lead Deep on the exterior and Pale Wedgwood inside, both by Little Greene.
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A rug designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is a neutral base in the drawing room, enlivened by a pair of jewel-toned hand-blown-glass lamp bases and an oval artwork by Susan Derges at Purdy Hicks Gallery. The side tables are vintage pieces, as is the Viscontea pendant by Castiglioni for Flos.
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House of MEMORIES
Sam and Hugh Godsal’s London home is full of family stories and special finds which have been artfully curated to create a welcoming interior FEATURE JO LEEVERS STYLING MARCIA MORGAN PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
The pretty, antique sofa is covered in turquoise Cunard velvet from Claremont. Mugham Flower fabric from Robert Kime was used for the cushions. A pair of urns from Orchid Furniture sit in the alcoves.
ABOVE In the kitchen-diner, a marble-topped Eero Saarinen Tulip table bought at Criterion Auctioneers is paired with mid-century dining chairs Sam bought at Sunbury Antiques Market. RIGHT In the entrance hall, a handwoven rug from Guyana lies beneath a Murano glass chandelier bought at Alfies Antique Market. The Italian cherrywood credenza is from Valerie Wade, complemented by a vintage French mirror from Foster & Gane, set between wall lights from Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler
W
hen Sam Godsal was wondering what colour to paint her kitchen, she asked her good friend Lulu Lytle, founder of Soane Britain, for advice. “We were walking in Kensington Gardens and she immediately replied, ‘Ben Pentreath’s Parsonage Pink’,” she says. Trusting Lulu implicitly, Sam ordered several pots of the paint over the phone and the two women continued their walk. “Five minutes later we bumped into none other than Ben Pentreath. This pink was meant to be,” she adds. The recently redecorated chic kitchen-diner is the hub of the west London townhouse that has been a happy family home for Sam and her husband Hugh for over 20 years. When the couple took on the Victorian property, the rooms had a very different atmosphere. This once-grand house had been divided into flats, and then divided again into several more unofficial bedsits. “The house had been really butchered. Not a single architrave or original door had survived,” says Sam. The house’s fortunes changed for the better when Sam and Hugh found it because they are not ones to shy away from a project. They had already carried out a major overhaul of their Devon home (featured in The English Home November 2019). Then there is the renowned Barbados hotel Cobblers Cove, which
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‘There’s something magical about this house’
This ground floor seating area is full of light. The walls are painted in Parsonage Pink by Ben Pentreath for Papers and Paints and the sofa is a 1930s piece, its curves echoed by a vintage faux bamboo footstool.
‘It was about rationalising an interior that had evolved over 50 years’
ABOVE The bespoke kitchen has a Brazilian marble work surface, handles custom-made to Sam’s design by Collier Webb and is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Vert de Terre. The two nineteenthcentury pantry cupboards are from Lorfords, whilst the pendant and sconces are by Soane Britain. RIGHT The rear of the house seen from the garden.
Hugh inherited 10 years ago. Sam oversaw a sensitive upgrade of this tropical institution beloved by royalty, aristocracy and actors such as Dame Judi Dench. As work on their London home began, Sam and Hugh realised the scale of the job. “One evening, standing in the basement, we could look up through all five floors and see the sky through the roof rafters. At that point we did wonder, ‘What have we taken on?’,” Sam says. However, this back-to-the-bones restructure was exactly what the house needed. Once the floors were shored up, the period features reinstated and the electrics updated, it was ready for its next chapter. “It felt reassuringly solid, like a home that would look after us, and it’s been a wonderful place to bring up our children,” says Sam.
When Sam and Hugh first moved in, it was just them and their eldest daughter, Clover. “We didn’t expect to have any more children, so we designed it for a family of three,” remembers Sam. Amazingly, they went on to have four more children. “I genuinely believe there’s something magical about this house,” Sam says. “If we ever sell, it will have to go to a couple who want a large family.” One by one, the Godsal children (Clover, now 22, Cary, 19, Harley, 16, Grey, 15, and Stanley, 13) were installed on the top floor, which remains a bedroom for the two youngest boys. “It was very sweet having them all up in the attic – like an old-fashioned nursery or a scene from Nanny McPhee,” says Sam, recalling
how the littlest would always start out in a cot on their landing below and a deep handbasin made a very good baby bath. There is a strong sense of family stories woven through this home. “Memories are everywhere I look,” agrees Sam. Since the house’s redesign, there is a sense of flow between floors and rooms thanks to Sam’s creative eye. After studying English at Cambridge, Sam gained an MA in fashion at Central Saint Martins and designed ski and swimwear for her Fulham Road boutique, Sam de Teran, in the 1990s. She now writes children’s books under the name Sam Angus and her study is on the first floor, which leads off the family’s drawing room where her talent for bringing together antiques
ABOVE One of the nineteenth-century pantry cupboards is filled with the Sultan’s Garden china range, a collaboration between Sam Godsal and William Edwards, sold at John Lewis. The porcelain artwork on top of the cupboard is by Sam’s good friend, the ceramicist Natasha Daintry.
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ABOVE In the master bedroom, 1950s Spanish lamp bases with custom-made shades sit on top of antique side tables by early twentiethcentury interior designer Syrie Maugham. The cushions on the bed are from Wicklewood and on the floor is a röllakan, a Swedish flatweave rug. RIGHT Small Medallion wallpaper by Blithfield covers the walls in daughter Clover’s bedroom on the lower-ground floor. The wheatsheaf sconces are vintage finds from Foster & Gane.
‘It felt reassuringly solid, like a home that would look after us, and it’s been a wonderful place to bring up our children’ and vintage finds is evident. Handily, the house is close to the antiques shops of Portobello Road, Westbourne Park and also Church Street in Marylebone. “I remember everything about the pieces we’ve found,” Sam says. “We didn’t inherit anything, we just slowly built up our home.” She jokes that she almost envies people with homes where everything is co-ordinated and has been bought in one go. “Treasure seekers like me never stop looking for the next special piece,” she says. “We’re condemned to the long, slow torture of finding the ‘perfect’ item.” In truth, Sam would not have it any other way: “I love a home that tells you about its owners and the places they’ve visited. If furniture all comes from one store, it just tells you where someone’s been shopping.” A perfect example of Sam’s attitude to decorating are the colourful rugs dotted around the house, some bought in Tunisia, others from Sweden and, in the hallway, a Guyanese handwoven jute rug that took
seven days to transport by canoe to Georgetown, Guyana, before being shipped to the UK. Every piece has its own story. Also in the hallway is a set of drawings of Sam’s 1990s skiwear designs by renowned designer, illustrator and fashion lecturer Howard Tangye, who taught Sam at Central St Martins. “Every time I walk past them, they are a lovely reminder of that time in my life,” she says. “Pictures, photographs or a special object your child made many years ago all give you a heart-warming feeling. Houses have a richness and a depth if you fill them with your own things. However, once a year, I do go through our rooms, drawers and cupboards and have an almighty clear out.” Having brought up five children in this London home, Sam appreciates the way it has looked after them all, and she knows it will continue to adapt with them. “A house is full of memories, but it also needs to evolve with you,” she says. n
ABOVE A clawfooted bath from CP Hart has space to breathe in this generous bathroom. A 1940s gilt brass drinks trolley purchased at Christie’s provides a useful moveable surface to have near the bath. Ceramics and glassware, all gifts from friends, line the mantelpiece.
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Perfect TIMING A chance discovery and a tantalising childhood memory have resulted in the sensitive restoration of a Grade II* listed house in Hampshire FEATURE & STYLING CELIA RUFEY PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES BALSTON
With the kitchen the hub of the household, the sitting room can afford to be more formal with seating arranged around a coffee table by Tom Faulkner. Two antique chairs purchased with the house and re-covered in Harcourt velvet by GP & J Baker establish the bold blue thread that runs through the room in accessories and soft furnishings such as the curtains in Kalmar by Colefax and Fowler.
ABOVE The kitchen, designed and fitted by Lewis Alderson Fine English Furniture, has been moved to the largest ground floor room in recognition of its importance to contemporary family life. French windows flood the room with natural light and give easy access to the garden. The splendid Arctic Pear chandelier is by Ochre and the paint colour on the island is Squid Ink by Paint & Paper Library.
T
he turn of events that found Becci Friend, her husband, Rob, and their three children leaving London in 2016 began when she saw a house for sale in the Hampshire village where she had grown up. She knew the house, but had never been inside. “It had a high hedge along the front and, as a child, I’d thought it must conceal a secret garden,” she says. Despite not having previously had any firm plans to move out of London, Becci could not resist the temptation to book a viewing. “A couple had lived in the house for 30 years,” she explains, “and nothing had been done to the interior since the 1980s, but it immediately felt like a proper home. I think Rob realised he’d be fighting a losing battle if he didn’t agree that this was the right house for our family.” The handsome property that brought the couple and their children – Oliver, William and Henry,
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now respectively 10, nine and seven – back to Becci’s old village was built around 1812, possibly for a local merchant. The house is Grade II* listed, which meant that making changes to it was not straightforward. “Our initial idea had been to add an orangery to the kitchen at the back of the house,” Becci explains, “but our application for Listed Building Consent was turned down. So then we needed to find another way to adapt the house for family living that would take account of the conservation officer’s concern about possible damage to the historic structure.” Help came unexpectedly from a previous owner of the house, still living in the village, who brought over a plan showing how the rooms were laid out in 1930. “We worked out that if the existing drawing room overlooking the garden at the back became the kitchen, it would create a modern family living space,” Becci says. “And if the adjoining morning room
The combination of a large mirror and low level illumination from table lamps is designed to give softer layers of light in the evenings. The rug is from Farnham Antique Carpets and the pendant light is by Owl Lighting.
‘Nothing had been done to the interior since the 1980s, but it immediately felt like a proper home’ LEFT A plan of the house dating from 1930 shows how it was used by previous inhabitants. RIGHT Tucked under the sweep of the stairs is a handsome chest purchased from the estate of the previous owners and flanked by antique chairs covered in Otello No 2 velvet by Nobilis. THE ENGLISH HOME 53
‘It is a very simple house, nothing too rambling, and it has kept all its Georgian character’
ABOVE Framed by a magnificent magnolia tree, the imposing scale of this doublefronted Georgian house is matched by the simple elegance of the elevation. ABOVE RIGHT Original glazed doors with an integral fanlight link the kitchen to the dining room, which sits at the front of the house.
through the original glazed doors became the dining room, and the previous dining room across the hall, our sitting room, it would then be a matter of redecorating and furnishing without any structural alterations at all.” The laundry room leading off the back hall was given a new role as the family’s snug and the old kitchen took over laundry duty. “This arrangement has meant we make full use of every room in the house. If we’d been allowed the extension, we wouldn’t have used the space nearly as effectively.” The kitchen was now to be the focal point in a busy family house, but challenges lay ahead to make it work within the restrictions of the listed status. Becci was helped by Tom Edmonds of Lewis Alderson Fine English Furniture, whose showroom Becci passed every day when taking the children to school and whose work includes fitting kitchens. “One issue was how large to have the kitchen island as there are five
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of us who sit around it every morning for breakfast,” she explains. “We decided to give more than half of its area to eating and seating. On the other side are two ovens, a large hob and drawers.” To ensure no damage to the room’s structure, a low-level extraction system had to be installed, and the best way to fit pipework around the sink had to be organised with considerable ingenuity. As only one ceiling fitting was permitted, an incredibly large pendant was chosen to light the island. Floorboards fitted in the 1970s throughout the ground floor were in poor condition, so Becci had tumbled oak in a chevron pattern laid in the hall, kitchen and dining room. “The floor was then aged with a wax-based finish,” she says. “It’s practical flooring and it has linked these related areas.” Becci and Rob also needed to establish furniture placement, particularly in the sitting room, as any alteration to the existing electrical layout was
Wallpaper in Veranda Trellis and curtains in Garden Blossom, both by Zoffany, keep the dining room mood fresh and light. The Darby dining table by Benchmark echoes the warm wood tones of the tumbled oak chevron flooring from Wood Floors of Farnham.
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‘This arrangement has meant we have made full use of every room in the house’ ABOVE Brocatello Zinc wallpaper by Zoffany reflects soft light around the master bedroom. Colour and pattern is introduced via other elements such as the bench, covered in Mikado Raspberry velvet by Osborne & Litte, and Messina Vase table lamps with Tribal collection shades by Vaughan. A Smoke Crystal chandelier by Tigermoth adds dramatic effect. ABOVE RIGHT Stone Too oval washbowls and Artlinea tables from CP Hart bring elegance to the en-suite bathroom.
restricted by the Conservation Office. “That was when I called in Georgina Taylor of Overbury Interiors,” Becci explains. “Having come from a smaller London house, all the furniture was the wrong size and shape for these rooms. I also needed help to be bolder in my choice of colours and patterns, and my brief to Georgina was to take me out of my comfort zone.” In one respect though, Becci was the one who controlled the ongoing refurbishment day by day. She is a qualified surveyor and employed these skills throughout the project, managing plumbers, electricians, decorators and kitchen and bathroom installations with an efficiency praised by everyone who worked at the house. Georgina first came up with a proposed layout for the sitting room and a number of colour schemes based around Becci’s preferred palette. “I love her skill in mixing patterns and colours, as I find it easy to be overwhelmed with options,” Becci says. Georgina also recognised specific issues such as the importance of fitting corded curtain poles because of the high ceilings, the deep shutter boxes at all the main
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windows, and the need to be clever about how curtains returned back to the walls. Becci and Rob had purchased some antique chairs from the estate of the previous owners and Georgina suggested how they could be integrated into rooms with bold colours to make a particular statement. Becci was also glad of Georgina’s advice on where to look for sofas and chairs, lamps, console and coffee tables. “But the sitting room mirror I sourced myself,” she says, “from Looking Glass of Bath, and for a while I had tinfoil on the wall to work out the size it should be.” Becci’s instinct that this could be a perfect family house has been fully justified. “The rooms are large but there are not too many of them,” she says. “It is a very simple house, nothing too rambling, and it has kept all its Georgian character. Rooms flow, the boys run in and out and we use all of the space.” When Becci thinks about what called her back to this village, all that is missing is the vision of a secret garden – she understood when she first walked through the door that, with mutual respect, a historic house can cope very well with modern family living. n
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HANDMADE IN ENGLAND CHERISHED IN AMERICA The only aluminium Glasshouses and Greenhouses endorsed by the RHS © The Royal Horticultural Society 2021. Endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society. Registered Charity No 222879/SC038262. rhs.org.uk
STYLE INSPIRATION
Our special section dedicated to design and decorating inspiration begins here
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN
IDEAL PARTNERSHIP The marriage of blue and white is an ever harmonious one. Timeless, elegant and fresh, it works for all manner of patterns – and in our edit of the spring collections (see p60) we see it works beautifully in a contemporary way, too. Here a Japanese scene with pagodas, flying cranes and young women fishing is portrayed in a detailed hand-drawn toile. The height of the stairwell allows the generous scale to flourish and the clean contrast of the colours to remain perfectly balanced. Nara, Celeste, £79 a roll, Manuel Canovas at Colefax and Fowler
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awakening
SPRING
Reinvigorate interiors with bright and beautiful new fabrics and wallpapers from the latest collections
60 THE ENGLISH HOME
FOR WHERE TO BUY SEE ADDRESS BOOK
NEW COLLECTIONS
Bountiful botanicals The ever-popular allure of botanical designs sees florals abound in new collections. The organic forms of trailing leaves and florals is captured in a number of designs that celebrate the natural beauty of the shapes and colours of plants, often in painterly detail or fine embroidery. Sanderson’s recoloured archive for Brewers has bold brights for a modern approach and softer, romantic choices too. Manuel Canovas has signature brights alongside embroideries in pretty watercolour hues, creating a dreamy choice for bedrooms. Delicate, classic approaches can be found in Flora Roberts’ sublime artwork for Hamilton Weston, and in Etamine’s watercolour-style botanical designs. Designers Guild can be relied upon for contemporary twists on big blowsy blooms and larger-scale designs in soft hues as well as more intense tones. Whether on walls or textiles, these flowery, leafy patterns will bring a joyous boost of colour and connection to the natural world. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Court Embroidery wallpaper, £130 a roll; Library Frieze, £125 a roll, both Cole & Son Blind, Rose de Mai, £109 a metre, Maison-Jardin collection, Etamine Chair, Nancy, £96 a metre, Vogue Living x Schumacher Trim, Plaza Medallion, £47 a metre; Fringe, Swanson, £39 a metre, both Travers
ABOVE & ABOVE RIGHT Selection of wallpapers, from £69 a roll, Sanderson Brewers Edit, Wallpaperdirect.com SWATCHES RIGHT, FROM TOP Jolie Fleurs wallpaper, £197 a roll, Pierre Frey Floral Stripe wallpaper, £175 a roll, Flora Roberts at Hamilton Weston Pahari fabric, £95 a metre, Designers Guild
STYLE NOTES • Bolder, vibrant colours in floral patterns will have a modern feel when paired with block colours on walls or woodwork. • Create a romantic, delicate look with intricate embroideries or prints with a painterly quality - perfect for a timeless uplift to neutral schemes. • Botanicals with a flowing organic design will always work well with a stripe or check to bring a subtle, structured element to the ensemble of patterns.
Rich heritage
ABOVE Curtains, Carsina, £159 a metre; chair, Delgado, £75 a metre, Colefax and Fowler BELOW Wallpaper, Verdure Tapestry, £500 a roll (210cm x 3.5m). Silk version £2,750 a roll (210cm x 3.5m), Cole & Son SWATCHES ABOVE RIGHT, FROM LEFT Folklore fabric, £35.76 a metre; Elliot fabric, £32.40 a metre, both Prestigious Textiles SWATCHES RIGHT, FROM TOP Theodore and Fougere wallpapers, £40 a roll, John Lewis & Partners
OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Curtain, Cardaillac Black Rhapsody Linen, £270 a metre, Watts of Westminster Sofa and curtain, Holkar, £72 a metre, Nina Campbell at Osborne & Little Curtain, Folklore, £35.76 a metre; upholstery, Dickens, £35.76 a metre, and cushions, all Prestigious Textiles Henriette wallpaper, £40 a roll, and all furniture, John Lewis & Partners
New collections created with longevity in mind always appeal to our desire for timeless and evolved interiors. Colefax and Fowler’s new collection perfectly encapsulates this ethos with designs that showcase expert craftsmanship and techniques, and both antique and Eastern influences. Embroideries, tapestry styles, crewel work and kilim-inspired designs feature and combine for a co-ordinated yet charmingly diverse look in rich, comforting colours of rust oranges and reds, teal, navy and browns – a palette also seen in Prestigious Textiles’ Arts and Crafts-influenced collection. Nina Campbell, too, is influenced by the East with indiennestyle prints, embroideries and weaves evoking the textiles of the ancient Silk Route. Holka emulates a Persian rug in luxurious chenille, and Patudi references traditional ikat designs. Look also to Cole & Son’s Grand Masters collection of wallpapers, created in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces. The spectacular designs are inspired by the interiors and gardens of six palaces. We particularly like Verdure Tapestry. Taken from a work displayed at Kensington Palace, and also available as a silk wallcovering, it works as well juxtaposed with contemporary furniture as with traditional pieces. These heritage designs will add gravitas and a sense of history to schemes and bring an extra level of evolution to a wellestablished room.
STYLE NOTES • Mix different pieces from collections, combining weaves and embroideries for a layered and textured look that is full of pattern and character. • Give heritage pieces a modern twist with boldly coloured woodwork and combine with contemporary furniture. • For a more classic style, these collections will work splendidly with antiques, as well as adding further interest to an exisiting eclectic scheme.
NEW COLLECTIONS
FOR WHERE TO BUY SEE ADDRESS BOOK
THE ENGLISH HOME 63
NEW COLLECTIONS
Pinks & greens This combination is a somewhat modern classic – a perfect marriage of fresh and pretty, unexpected yet reassuringly calming. As red and green are contrasting or complementary colours, sitting opposite each other on the colour wheel, using softer shades of green with gentle pink, which has a main base tone of red, makes for a dynamic pairing. Pink and green are frequently seen together in nature, and in interiors the effect is similarly appealing, with botanical patterns having a natural affinity with these colours. Susie Hetherington’s charming new designs perfectly encapsulate the natural world in a pretty palette that combines greens and pinks perfectly – though shades of duck egg and blue are available too. Named after her new home, Hillslie, and inspired by everyday life there, Hetherington’s new collection is inspired by chickens pecking under runner beans, walks in the woods and a first crop of blueberries. Birdie Fortescue’s new textiles are also inspired by nature, but with a seventeenth-century Persian influence, combining geometrics with greenery and florals. To successfully combine this palette, green often works best as the more dominant colour, with accents of pink, and a few soft earthy neutrals or fresh whites for balance. RIGHT Personal Landscapes collection, from £70 a metre, all Zimmer + Rohde BELOW Striped velvet & linen/ cotton cushion cover, £65; Embroidered velvet cushion cover, £70; limited-edition hand-block-printed Green Throw, £350; Half Drop Floral blockprinted cushion cover, £55;
Hexagon cushion cover, £55, all Birdie Fortescue SWATCHES RIGHT, FROM TOP Zinnia fabric, £196 a metre, Clay McLaurin at George Spencer Designs Reverse Doshi fabric, Schuyler Samperton at Tissus d’Hélène Blueberry fabric, £56 a metre, Susie Hetherington
STYLE NOTES • Set a pretty and romantic mood with gentle shades of greens and pinks. Botanical designs naturally suit these hues, not only in chintzes, but simpler block-print styles too. • Green works best as the dominant colour in this palette, with large accents of pink. Consider a 60/30 per cent balance, with 10 per cent in a neutral. • Cut neutrals with crisp whites for added freshness, or set an earthy, mellow mood with some soft tones of brown and greys.
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NEW COLLECTIONS
Singing the blues This year there is a noticeable palette of blues that are neither deeply navy nor pale and powdery. Instead, a rich yet fresh, bold but not vibrant mid-indigo blue seems to pervade many collections. A perfect partner to white, this blue works well in traditional and contemporary settings. It is bold without being overpowering, and allows for a confident approach to pattern, whether a large damask, strong geometric, abstract print, delicate block print, intricate design, or mixing some or all together. Antique blue-and-white china is often an inspiration for fabrics and papers to set a classical look in toile designs, as we have seen on page 59 in Manuel Canovas’s pretty design. For a truly modern look, Rapture & Wright’s new Albaicin fabric and wallpaper has a striking hand-printed pattern. Featuring a strong white-line design that is at once abstract and ordered, it looks particularly handsome in the Indigo colourway. LEFT ABOVE Selection of trimmings, from £39 to £151 a metre, all Style Moderne collection, Travers LEFT BELOW Brush fabric, £196 a metre, Clay McLaurin Studio at George Spencer Designs BELOW Albaicin wallpaper, £23 a metre, Rapture & Wright at The Fabric Collective
SWATCHES BELOW RIGHT, FROM TOP Zanzibar fabric, £282 a metre, Peter Dunham at Tissus d’Hélène Rialto wallpaper, £130 a metre, Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam Bettina fabric, £222 a metre, Lake August at The Fabric Collective
STYLE NOTES • A blue-and-white palette allows for the layering of different types of patterns without the end-result being overpowering. • Botanical designs look fresh and interesting in blue as it is not a natural colourway for leaves and flowers. • Strong geometrics are striking in blue and white. Try a Greek-key trim to elevate a plain curtain or footstool, or simply add a bold stripe to cushions for a contemporary lift.
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STYLE NOTES • Let bold artistic designs take centre stage as a statement piece on walls. • Do not be afraid of large-scale designs as often they feel less overwhelming once used on a large expanse of wall than when seen as a swatch. • Allow a striking pattern to shine by limiting other pattern choices or pairing with plains in interesting textures. • Considering colour and form, use such designs as a painterly backdrop to display a collection of objects.
Artistic inspiration All designs are works of art, often created from beautiful original artworks by talented artists and designers. Many, too, are inspired by antique designs – whether on textiles, plates or other artworks. This season sees a very clear celebration of artistry with fabrics and wallpapers showcasing artistic style – whether from movements such as cubism, expressionism or fauvism – as well as wonderful contemporary updates of designs found on antique pieces. At the more contemporary end, Abbot + Boyd have a Rothkoinspired wallcovering with bold colour-blocking, whilst Rubelli’s ‘Burano’ features an almost fauvist depiction of the Venetian island it is named after. Pierre Frey has also taken a bold, colourful approach for its Joie de Vivre textile and Eternal Été wallpaper collections, celebrating artistic traditions of the 1950s, as well as the spirit of the French Riviera. Ceramic designs are the inspiration behind Jim Thompson’s designs, along with cubist and jazz-age artworks. For a softer approach, Villa Nova’s Still Life collection translates artworks of everyday objects into beautiful, delicate designs – from a continuous line drawing of a tabletop scene of vases, fruit bowls and coffee cups, to a large-scale patchwork of watercolour brushstrokes that, though bold in scale, is surprisingly calming used as a wallcovering in soft green-greys or blues. n 66 THE ENGLISH HOME
ABOVE LEFT Tabletop wallpaper, £59.50 a roll, Villa Nova ABOVE Outside The Box wallpaper, £POA, Elitis at Abbot + Boyd OPPOSITE Calanques wallpaper, £178 a metre, Caspari x Pierre Frey
SWATCHES ABOVE, FROM TOP Catteau fabric, £150 a metre, Jim Thompson Still Life wallpaper £67.50 a roll, Villa Nova Burano, £113 a metre, Rubelli
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN PHOTOGRAPHS P60 (TRAVERS) © KIP DAWKINS; P61 (SCHUMACHER) © MELANIE ACEVEDO; P63 (JOHN LEWIS & PARTNERS) © DAMIAN RUSSELL; 64 (ZIMMER + ROHDE) © GEORG ROSKE; (BIRDIE FORTESCUE) MATT KEAL
NEW COLLECTIONS
This grand, classical drawing room has so many ingredients that are typically English that it is hard to know where to begin. Perhaps most notable, along with the flowers and the casual cocktail of colour and pattern, is the presence of a magnificently relaxed and saggy sofa, layered with squishy cushions. 68 THE ENGLISH HOME
DECORATING
Creating
AN ENGLISH SITTING ROOM Praised for its relaxed elegance and comfort, the perfect sitting room is deceptively layered yet achievable, as Ros Byam Shaw explores
T
here are certain elements of the English sitting room – or drawing room, if you prefer the more old-fashioned term – that are non-negotiable. There should be a sofa, ideally squashy, plump, and loaded with cushions – the sort of sofa you can curl up in, lie down on, and share with your dog. Armchairs can be substituted for the sofa, if necessary, as long as they are the sort you can sprawl in. The room needs a focus, a direction in which to point the sofa, and this can only be a fireplace. Best of all is an open fire, piled with logs snapping with flames in winter, its grate cool and dark on summer evenings when doors stand ajar into the garden. Sofa and fireplace are the axis around which all other elements of the room are built. For comfort and convenience, these should include side tables big enough to hold a drink, a book, and a lamp, and perhaps a padded stool between sofa and fireplace for more books and somewhere to put a tea tray. Once you have these, you have everything you need. The same formula applies whether your room is large and high-ceilinged with tall sash windows and an ornate cornice, or cosy and beamed with a broad inglenook fireplace. All that changes is the number and positioning of sofas and armchairs, the intention being to create a conversational group in front of those dancing flames. When it comes to filling the gaps, this is a room where style and creativity are on show. It is the most public room in the house, but, unlike the kitchen, THE ENGLISH HOME 69
It is the place to display any furnishing trophies. Pieces you have gathered over time. Things that confer a little jolt of pleasure whenever you look at them 70 THE ENGLISH HOME
DECORATING
which you may also use for entertaining, it has a less specific role. Its purpose is mainly for rest and relaxation, and as a place to gather and talk. So once seating and lighting are sorted, with sofas, armchairs, and table lamps, it is the place to display any furnishing trophies – the inherited secretaire, the oil painting you splashed out on, the expensive rug. Ideally, these are pieces you have gathered over time, things you have been given, or have bought because they delight you, things that confer a little jolt of pleasure whenever you look at them. No one can tell you what these things should be – there is no magic formula – but, it is the mix of furnishings, including pictures on the walls, curtains, upholstery fabrics, rugs, and ornaments, that give a room its character and atmosphere. This can mean not only pieces from different eras, but also different cultures – a Turkish suzani thrown over the back of a sofa, a group of Indian miniatures on the wall, an African basket. In truth, this mix is difficult to get just right. The best decorators make it look easy. A master like Robert Kime can put an eighteenth-century painted Italian
cupboard, a French provincial table, an English wing ABOVE Whilst this is English style at its chair, curtains made from Anatolian tent hangings, a Turkish rug, and a 1920s standard lamp all in the same most ascetic, the English trope of sofas room, and create an effect that is harmonious, and facing one another looks very like the result of years of thoughtful on either side of the acquisition by several generations of owners. This fireplace persists. ‘layering’ is at the heart of what makes an English LEFT This sitting room is almost too room distinctive. Because it is inclusive, it makes you poised and chic to be feel welcome, and because there appear to be no strict typically English. The rules, you feel you can relax. comfort of a deep For those of us who are not professional decorators sofa with a generous with long experience and generous budgets, getting it loading of cushions and a thick rug laid right is likely to be a process of experimentation – adding and subtracting, moving things round until you over the matting help it to qualify, get what Nancy Lancaster called ‘a judicious mixture but still at the very that flows’. Scale is also important – oddly, big bits of smartest and tidiest furniture look marvellous in small rooms, while lots of end of the Englishstyle spectrum. small pieces look as mincing and bitty in small rooms as they do in big ones. Scale equally applies to textiles and wallpapers – a sprigged fabric to complement a bold tree of life, neat checks with blowsy chintz, stripes with paisley, plain on pattern and pattern on plain. To weave it all together, you need a palette of colours that THE ENGLISH HOME 71
You need a palette of colours that bring out the best in each other instead of clashing and disagreeing
When the arrangement of doors, windows and fireplace allows, to have sofas facing each other on either side of a fireplace is comfortable and looks balanced. There is no need for them to match. 72 THE ENGLISH HOME
bring out the best in each other instead of clashing and disagreeing. This is much more straightforward if you limit a room to shades of white and cream or taupe and coffee, but also too restrictive to be truly English. Better to find a colour thread or theme, perhaps taken from the curtains or the sofa upholstery, and work around it, remembering that you can’t always predict what will please and what won’t, so it’s worth trying out different combinations. Scale and harmony also apply to ornaments, their size and placing. Little things look better in herds than dotted around singly. Some, like pretty boxes, are best appreciated from above so could be laid out on a side table. Others are best seen in silhouette ranked along a mantelshelf. Just as you can play with patterns, colours, and scale, so you can twiddle the dials of symmetry in arrangements that subtly subvert expectations, setting up a framework with a pair of tall candlesticks, or matching jugs, and weaving things of differing heights and shapes in between. It’s a game you can play endlessly to get different effects. There is one last element that many would consider essential in a sitting room, and that is the television, assuming you do not have a secondary reception room, snug, or playroom where watching it can be indulged like a guilty secret. If the fireplace is the focal point of the room, then the television needs to be next to it. I have seen various ways of accommodating televisions – inside a cupboard, wall-mounted in a box behind doors from a glazed antique cabinet, and tucked under the heavily embroidered cloth of a corner table. As long as it is not so big that its blank, black oblong dominates, I would rather see it than not, though it is nice to be able to hide it on occasion, and I note that televisions have been censored in every photograph I have chosen to illustrate this feature. The cherry on the cake of a room made from these ingredients is fresh flowers – one of Nancy Lancaster’s three ‘tricks’. She suggested ‘masses of them’, along with open fires and candlelight. If you have a large, productive garden and time for flower arranging, or a generous flower budget, then you can follow Nancy’s advice to the letter. If you live in the country, there are certain times of year when you can pick armfuls of cow parsley or foxgloves. For longer-lasting displays, there are pot plants, which are having a fashion moment. For something traditional, and typically English, you might choose pelargoniums, which some people can persuade to flower all year if kept indoors. n
To discover the essential ingredients to create timeless English interiors for the whole house see Perfect English Style by Ros Byam Shaw (Ryland Peters & Small).
ABOVE The formality of this elegant panelled room, with its hang of antique portraits and selection of mostly eighteenth-century furnishings, is undercut and softened by enormous cushions on the demure French sofa and an untidy pile of books on the side table. RIGHT These armchairs are so plump and mounded with cushions, it seems possible to bounce straight off them. Instead, thanks to squashy feather fillings, make a nest and cover up in the woollen throws that hang over their backs.
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DECORATING
Natural
CONNECTION
Decorate a garden room, whether a conservatory, orangery or even a greenhouse, to provide an enjoyable space that bridges interior and exterior
A
garden room provides a natural link between a home and the green space beyond. It could be a conservatory in which to relax, an orangery designed for everyday living, or a greenhouse that doubles as a dining room in summer. Glazed structures like these create an extension to the home, a half-way space where house and garden, inside and outside, come together.
Whether used year-round or only during warmer months, garden rooms can provide a sanctuary to retreat to, a practical well-lit place to read or paint in, or a space in which to socialise. However they are to be used, they can offer the perfect canvas on which to experiment with a more adventurous approach to interior design, introducing bolder patterns or furniture styles than elsewhere in the home.
Often, the best sources of inspiration are the verdant plants and colourful blooms in the world outside. Being influenced by them can result in a pleasing synergy between interior and exterior zones. ABOVE Blinds in Manilla embroidery, £69 a metre, all other fabrics and wallpaper all Glass House collection, Sanderson
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Style Notes • Consider how the space will be used, year-round • Create a connection between inside and outside, as well as with exisiting interiors for flow
A MATTER OF CHOICE
TOP An orangery from Vale Garden Houses provides an extra sitting room. ABOVE A garden room provides the perfect space for enjoying a hobby. Curtain, Tabletop Lichen, £31.50 a metre, Villa Nova
76 THE ENGLISH HOME
Many properties already have a garden room or conservatory, but, for those thinking about adding one, there are many different options to consider. A classic conservatory with glazed walls, either floor to ceiling or half bricked, perhaps with a glazed or partially glazed roof as well, can be built in keeping with a particular period style. “It is important the design of a conservatory is sympathetic to the existing property in terms of both its size and its architectural detailing,” says Lisa Morton, director of Vale Garden Houses. “Mixing architectural periods would be frowned upon, unless the period of the property is less clearly defined, with additions or alterations made over the years, and it can take a more relaxed approach.”
For a more contemporary aesthetic, clean-lined unfussy extensions with glazed walls are a popular option, perhaps including bi-fold doors and a roof lantern. Greenhouses, too, can double-up as living spaces in the warmer months. “In recent years customers have shown a preference for lean-to and abutting structures so they can walk in seamlessly from their living space,” says Tom Barry, managing director of Hartley Botanic. “We see customers using their greenhouses for relaxation, dining and exercise. The environment of a greenhouse is extremely calming, allowing you to both fully take in your garden and be surrounded by the plants you are growing.” John Lawson, sales director of Alitex, has also observed this shift, but cautions that single-glazed greenhouses are designed with
DECORATING
plants in mind and will be too cool for comfort through the winter months. Stylist and author Selina Lake is full of enthusiasm, though. “There is something a little magical to me about spending time in greenhouses,” she says. “Due to their very purpose, they are warm spaces to hang out in, and being surrounded by plants makes them an ideal structure to just be in. A perfect example of how a practical space can still be appealing and inspiring.” For those seeking a year-round living space, particularly for dining or a home office, a conservatory with heating for winter and ventilation for summer is usually the best solution. Something else to consider is a true ‘garden room’ – a structure built apart from the main house: the ideal place for teenagers or grown-up children, a home office, or gym.
ABOVE LEFT Indooroutdoor fabrics are stylish and practical for a garden room. Selection from Landmark Textures collection, Thibaut ABOVE This citrusinspired wallpaper design is perfect for an orangery. Wallpaper, Orange Blossom, £115 a roll, Cole & Son RIGHT A part-glazed roof and bifold doors offer abundant light. Henley Ceramic Slate and Aluminium dining table with eight Cliveden dining armchairs, £6,699, Bridgman
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ABOVE Stylist Selina Lake has decorated this Alitex greenhouse with an abundance of flowers, echoed in floral cushions. Mismatched chairs and lighting from Rothschild & Bickers make it a wonderful setting for dining. LEFT Here, insects and plants are Lake’s inspiration for a home office or hobby space within a traditional glasshouse from Alitex.
BRING THE OUTDOORS IN Once a structure is chosen and its purpose defined, the pleasure of decorating and furnishing can begin. “When designing a garden room, it is important to consider the viewpoints and incorporate colour schemes which work well with the outdoors,” advises interior designer Emma Sims-Hilditch. “Greens, blues, sunny yellows and neutral tones are all timeless choices which will complement the garden space.” If there are walls that can be papered, a botanical motif that ties in with the external surroundings can work well. From small-scale florals or leafy patterns to grander mural-like papers, there is a plethora of designs to pick from. This can be an opportunity for a little fun, perhaps evoking a tropical mood with rainforest creepers, palm fronds and exotic blooms, with luscious greens and flashes of bright colour. Some papers evoke a Mediterranean feel or a classic ‘hot house’ look, recreating the aesthetic of a greenhouse within an orangery or conservatory.
DECORATING
Style Notes • Take inspiration from nature to blur the boundaries between interior and exterior • Use botanical or floral designs, native or exotic, on walls and fabrics • Seek natural textures such as grasscloth to echo the garden • Accessorise with plants and flowers
RIGHT Tiles are a practical choice in greenhouses or conservatories, adding colour and pattern too. Turquoise Dreams encaustic cement tile, £160.80 a square metre, Otto Tiles BELOW A ‘hot house’ look has been created with a large-scale design used as a screen in a large glass house. Palm House, £245 a roll, and fabrics, Osborne & Little
RIGHT Create a backdrop full of colour with a mural featuring largescale blooms and an outdoor scene. Nirvana mural wallpaper, from £295, Woodchip & Magnolia BELOW RIGHT Echo native flora and fauna with a woodland design. Woodland wallpaper in Lichen, £69 a roll, Fiona Howard
In a greenhouse, plants provide the natural decor perhaps enhanced with playful soft furnishings. Selina Lake worked with Alitex to create a range of lifestyle settings within greenhouses. “Use cushions chosen to complement their surroundings and add floral pattern,” Lake suggests. “For a study area, let bees and other insects inspire a new greenhouse office scheme.” Use vintage entomology prints on available walls, mixed with rustic secondhand furniture and metalwork painted green, then add lots of lush green plants, including succulents planted, for example, in a set of mini desk drawers. If window frames can be painted, consider soft green shades for a more seamless blend with the
outdoors, or a soft neutral stone colour. It is important, also, to consider how a garden room connects to the rest of the house. Though a conservatory can feel like a separate area, if it flows from another room either in an open-plan manner or through glass, consider how the two zones can be integrated more cohesively. Interior designer Katharine Pooley suggests “using the same colour palette to really connect the space with the rest of the house, while also incorporating a variety of patterns and textures to add a layer of interest to the room.” Textured papers such as grasscloth can make a lovely choice for a neutral but interesting wall treatment with a tactile connection to the natural world. THE ENGLISH HOME 79
This greenhouse by Hartley Botanic is easy to access from the house and provides a warm, sheltered spot for a morning cup of tea.
TYPES OF GARDEN ROOMS CONSERVATORY A conservatory should be predominantly glazed with over 75 per cent of the roof glazed, and a delicate frame – whether timber, metal or UPVC. ORANGERY An orangery is a more substantial structure than a conservatory having pilasters, an inset roof and less glazing.
Style Notes • Curtains can be used for winter warmth and privacy • Specialist blind treatments create shade when needed • Hard flooring is most practical but add rugs in natural materials for softness
ABOVE A separate garden room can provide an additional space for work, relaxing, or entertaining. Painted in Pure Brilliant White, from £17 for 750ml 10-Year Exterior Satin, Sandtex
• Glass lampshades will make lights twinkle and gleam
GARDEN ROOMS A separate structure built in the garden – this could house a sitting room for teenagers, provide a home office, a gym or a place for pastimes, from art to music. As with any external addition or garden structure, ensure if planning permission is needed. Most conservatories, provided they fall under certain conditions, will not require permission, but orangeries and other extensions may. Check with the local planning authority on gov.uk 80 THE ENGLISH HOME
ABOVE Add a contemporary feel with glass and brass pendants. Pendant lights, from £72, Pooky RIGHT Roman blinds provide adjustable shade and privacy in a sunny, glazed room. Roman Blinds, from £72.55 each, English Blinds
LEFT Braid is used here to add a tailored finish to walls in different finishes in this scheme by interior design studio Gunter & Co.
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN PHOTOGRAPHS P105 & P107 (TRAVERS) KIP DAWKINS. P107 (HOULES) STUDIO DES PLANTES
GREENHOUSE Designed for growing plants, these structures are single glazed. They can be freestanding in a desired spot in the garden – ideally near a vegetable patch or kitchen garden, but can be abutted to the house and have sliding doors adjoining the home for easy access.
DECORATING
ABOVE Interior designer Emma Sims-Hilditch uses linen, wool, velvet and a crystal chandelier to make this a space to be enjoyed in cooler months too. BELOW A modern garden room by Garden Retreats.
YEAR-ROUND COMFORT A garden room is naturally at its best when flooded with sunlight. But at the hottest times of the day or year, so much glazing can sometimes make them too warm, and simply being outside can be better. Alitex’s John Lawson notes that garden rooms, particularly greenhouses, are best enjoyed in spring and autumn “when the temperature is ideal for creating a warm space in which to escape the rest of the house for a coffee, to read the paper or even to exercise.” Though greenhouses might be a little too cool in winter, a heated conservatory can be enjoyed throughout the year. The obvious attraction of a conservatory is the view outside, but in the cooler months or as evening falls, some window treatments might be desirable. Even in summer, it can be good to have a way of creating some shade. Blinds are the classic choice, and many companies offer specialist, flexible treatments for glazed roofs and walls. For a more gentle mood, voiles and sheers might soften harsh sunlight, whilst traditional curtains in heavier-weight textiles will provide comfort and warmth for a room used in winter – whether as an
additional sitting or dining room, or a snug for watching television. Katharine Pooley notes that other additions can make the space useable year-round. “A log-burning stove can add a touch of comfort – perfect for warming up in the colder months, as well as giving the room a unique focal point,” she suggests. “Utilise throws and blankets as well for a subtle winter update to create an inviting snug.” Lighting is also important for a room used in winter or in the evening. A beautiful chandelier can be the perfect choice, as it will catch the light and twinkle during the day – or opt for simple glass pendants. “Consider table lamps for a gentle glow,” Pooley suggests, “or if you choose a ceiling light, install a dimmer switch to create some more ambience.” Emma Sims-Hilditch says that on some projects she has installed floor lighting leading from the garden room to the ourside to create an illusion of outdoorindoor living. “On one recent project,” she adds, “where the conservatory was to be used as an additional living room, we wanted to avoid a ‘glass box’ look. So we introduced textured rough boarding to the walls. Combining this with heavy weighted
linen on the sofa, velvet cushions and a chunky woven wool rug, made the room a welcoming space in which to relax and enjoy the garden views beyond.” On a practical note, garden room flooring needs to work year-round, connecting indoors and outdoors. Hard flooring – whether marble, wood or tiles – is the most practical option for footfall from outside and is easy to clean. A rug can be used to add interest and comfort underfoot, perhaps something made from natural fibres such as jute or seagrass to complement a natural or botanical theme. THE ENGLISH HOME 81
DECORATING
ABOVE Take cues from nature with a leaf pattern in pretty hues. Cushions in Lazza, £22 a metre, iLiv LEFT Outdoor furniture can be used indoors for a lightweight look. Corner sofa, £1,250, and all other furniture, Hampstead collection, Garden Trading BELOW Interior designer Katharine Pooley has created year-round comfort with floorlength curtains and a variety of lighting. BELOW LEFT Indulge in a comfortable armchair covered in a vibrant floral fabric. Dakota armchair in Szekely Folk, £1,500, Mind The Gap
Style Notes • Woven furniture is a natural natural choice for garden rooms • Consider armchairs or sofas if a garden room is to be used throughout the year
FURNITURE A natural choice would be furniture that can be used indoors and out, perhaps to take onto a patio when the weather is fine and extra seating is needed. Woven furniture such as rattan is a popular choice in this case. Aesthetically it works well with a verdant backdrop and, being light, can easily be taken outdoors, where it will not jar visually with any other outdoor furniture. Lightweight metal furniture offers similar advantages, particularly for dining tables. “Furniture choices such as wicker and rattan will work well and give the space 82 THE ENGLISH HOME
its own identity, drawing up an earthy theme to differentiate from other living spaces,” says Pooley. “Use wooden accents and foliage to accentuate this look, or consider more modern styles if you’re after a more contemporary feel.” Removable seat-pads and cushions, perhaps covered in attractive and practical indoor-outdoor fabrics, are also an option. These types of fabrics are designed to be stain, mildew and water-resistant, and have better light-fastness than indoor fabrics, therefore less likely to fade in direct sunlight – an obvious boon in extensively glazed rooms.
Traditional conservatory or garden furniture is not the only option for a garden room; conventional indoor furniture can work equally well, particularly in heated rooms used yearround. Sofas and armchairs are a must if the room is to be used, not just for an occasional cup of tea, but for significant periods of time. To lighten the look, add side tables or a bench in rattan or consider a statement wicker rocking chair. For those utilising the space as a sunroom, a sun lounger might also be a nice touch, offering the option for some serious relaxation. n
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN PHOTOGRAPHS P76 ((THIBAUT) KIP DAWKINS; (VALE) CG ARCHARD; P78 (ALITEX) JULIA CURRIE; P79 (OSBORNE & LITTLE) ANDREW TWORT; P81 (GARDEN RETREATS) DIANA COTOVAN
• Indoor-outdoor fabric offers versatility and practicality, being water-resistant and less liable to fade in direct sunlight
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703.941.6455 • www.CelticJourneys.us • Email: Judy@celticjourneys.us THE ENGLISH HOME 83
The new
NEUTRALS Colour has the power to transform our homes and reflect the mood of the moment. We look at the evolution of a palette for our times and its roots in history
Artwork and companionable colour choices give gallery appeal to this kitchen. Cabinetry, Book Room Green; upper wall, Light Bronze Green; splashback Elysian Ground; highlight stripe, Nether Red, all Little Greene
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DESIGN INSIGHT
C
olour choices for interiors rarely stand still and recent decades have seen the fall of magnolia, a love affair with taupe, and more than a decade of grey in all its moods. Deeper shades are confidently in the mix too, but off-whites and soft neutrals remain the bedrock of home decorating as every paint chart makes plain. Whilst many of us have been turning to richer, darker colours in recent years, light colours are still the essential backdrop to everyday living, and seem to be even more so at a time when a large majority of us have been confined to our homes. David Mottershead, founder and managing director of paint company Little Greene, noted early on in the pandemic that people had begun buying warmer off-whites. “It was as if time spent working and living in the same environment had instigated an intuitive move towards more companionable tints,” he says. The search began for the signature tint that matches this far from ordinary moment. “I talked to the National Trust about a new capsule collection based on our mutual interest in keeping the colour concept related to nature,” Mottershead says. A plan was agreed for Little Greene to introduce a new collection named ‘Stone’, reflecting historic colours derived from earths rich in iron oxides. These encompass ochres for soft yellows and reds; siennas for brownish oranges and reds, and umbers for a range of browns. Some colours in this collection were taken from Little Greene’s ABOVE Pigment dispenser tubs at Little Greene. MIDDLE LEFT The imposing great staircase at Penrhyn Castle in North Wales that inspired Little Greene’s Baluster and Castell Pink shades. MIDDLE RIGHT Chocolate Colour by Little Greene on walls and woodwork highlights the bright contrast in colour and pattern of the seating and rug. RIGHT In recent decades paint companies have sought to replicate colours seen in period buildings such as the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
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LEFT One of a series of four painted wallhangings in the chapel at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire. The prominent deep red provided the reference for Arras in Little Greene’s Stone collection. BELOW LEFT Red ochre pigment as it comes into the Little Greene paintworks. It is the red base from which many warmer neutrals, as well as reds, are made.
existing palette, others were sourced from National Trust properties and taken directly from stonework. A hue named Baluster captures the limestone grey of the imposing staircase at Penrhyn Castle in North Wales, and another, named Nether Red – inspired by the stone walls at Nether Alderley Mill in Cheshire – speaks of rich sienna earth. “We have a spectrophotometer that analyses colour mathematically so it can be reproduced in the lab,” Mottershead explains. “Then we return to the site with that paint colour to check the match. There’s a lot of science in the maths of colour. Surprisingly the eye is more sensitive to analysing light colours accurately, whereas science is better with strong colours. We also analyse paint chips chemically.” In previous centuries, the majority of people relied on just two off-white finishes for walls and ceilings: 86 THE ENGLISH HOME
BELOW A warm earthy sienna tone runs through this study in a variety of concentrations. Ceiling and cornices, Ferdinand; upper wall, Castell Pink; lower wall, Nether Red; shutters, Arras, all Little Greene OPPOSITE Hues with ochre pigment at their core are shown here in varying shades of Little Greene’s Clay on the walls, the central panel in Scullery, and lower walls in Purple Brown.
DESIGN INSIGHT These finely crafted, steam-bent oak planters are designed and made in Cornwall by Tom Raffield. Merryn floor-standing planters: Short, £695; tall, £745, both Tom Raffield
The enduring properties of stone have never lost their appeal. The subtlety of its colours and the reassuring resilience we draw from its strength underfoot have registered at this moment of change
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A stronger colour on doors can define a junction between different areas whilst keeping walls neutral for continuity. Ceiling, upper walls, dado, door and trim, in different shades of Portland Stone; doors in adjoining passageway, Dark Brunswick Green, all Little Greene
FEATURE CELIA RUFEY PHOTOGRAPHS P85 (PENRHYN CASTLE) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL; (ROYAL PAVILION) © NIGEL SPIERS/ALAMY; P86 (HARDWICK HALL) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ROBERT THRIFT; P88 (NETHER ALDERLEY MILL) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOHN MILLAR
DESIGN INSIGHT
limewash from limestone burned in kilns and mixed with water gave a disinfectant wash; and chalk combined with water and glue from animal bones and horn gave a hardier distemper. Most colour added to paint before the discovery of synthetic dyes came from earth pigments. Architectural historian Edward Bulmer’s paint brand Edward Bulmer Natural Paint offers thoroughly researched colours for every era and he makes a particular point of restating how decorating colours available to most people before the arrival of colour chemistry were based on common colours derived from digging up earths rich in iron oxides. Bright paint colours were hugely expensive – with the brilliant blue from crushed lapis lazuli defining the status of the few who could afford it – and sometimes toxic: vivid arsenic-based greens and yellows were not only costly but could also poison painters with their fumes. Events such as discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum in the mid-eighteenth century set off a fashion for terracotta reds in grand houses, and when chrome yellow was discovered in the early nineteenth century, it became a key colour in the Regency period. With the discovery of aniline (or synthetic) dye in 1856 came the ability to colour paint and a previously unimagined freedom in home decoration. Decorating choices throughout the twentieth century celebrated the ever-increasing palette of hues on offer, though it was brilliant white that surprised the 1920s when it was first formulated. Orange hues and greens from lime to olive were post-War favourites in the 1950s and 1960s, and a new interest in traditional colours ran from the late 1970s through to the 1980s. Patrick Baty at Papers and Paints was one of the first to track down historic paint colours like blue verditer, once a costly by-product of silver refining. He found it on the gallery walls at The Royal Pavilion in Brighton and the colour is among many more in his Traditional Colours paint collection. Other strong brights with historic associations include Farrow & Ball’s Picture Gallery Red, based on the gallery walls at Attingham Park in Shrophshire, and Cook’s Blue found in the cook’s closet at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. The subtlety of stone and the reassuring strength we draw from its resilience underfoot have registered at this time of change, with our homes suggesting the colour most needed now. If this is truly a new stone age, its many tints can be discovered across all paint collections, waiting to match the mood of the moment. n
A green taken from the early nineteenthcentury Book Room at Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire is used for the upper wall. Upper wall, Book Room Green; lower wall, dado and skirting, Sage Green; right-hand wall, Green Stone Pale, all Little Greene
TOP RIGHT Nether Alderley Mill in Cheshire was the source of Nether Red, the colour recurring through its walls. TOP MIDDLE David Mottershead, founder of Little Greene, using a spectrophotometer to take a reading from the wall at the Nether Alderley Mill. THE ENGLISH HOME 89
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QUINTESSENTIALLY
Inspiration for seasonal pastimes and making the most of life at home starts here
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Blue skies, rays of sunshine and cheerful displays of sweetly scented blooms are sure to raise the spirits and invigorate all the senses. Even if it is just to a sunny spot in the garden, decamp somewhere peaceful, armed with a delicious picnic of favourite treats, plump cushions and perhaps a deckchair to while away the afternoon. Take the time to savour the simple pleasures of being outside – feel grass between the toes, the sun on cheeks and a gentle breeze in the air, as birds chirp and bees buzz. Vintage deckchair frame, £135, and cover, £30; Indian Summer picnic mat, £78, and all other textiles, Susie Watson Designs Handmade Home collection
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MY ENGLISH HOME
Matthew Fort FROM PATCH TO PLATE
‘I
t’s been the most beautiful spring I can remember. Pretty much unbroken sunshine except for the odd rainy day.’ So said my garden diary this time last year. Ah, the joys of the vegetable bed, even in the time of lockdown. The hope, the joy, the simple pleasure and modest pride in the early produce as spring slides seamlessly into summer. The smell of cut grass, blossom on the fruit trees, the murmur of bees, and the seduction of asparagus. Nothing quite symbolises early summer to me than asparagus. The wild and curious flavour of those slender, green spears erupting from the earth. Bright green, naturally. The Belgians, French and Germans may favour the white asparagus, but in my view it’s not in the same league as our own emerald green spears. I say ‘our’, but strictly speaking asparagus isn’t ours. According to learned authorities, wild asparagus – asparagus officinalis – migrated westwards from Poland and Russia back in the day. The Romans cultivated it, as, a bit later, did the Moors, who helped spread the word about this most aristocratic of vegetables. Asparagus reached England in 1638 and we took to it with enthusiasm. It reached the Americas a little later, as it was popularised by that energetic polymath and devoted vegetable grower, Thomas
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Jefferson, who grew it in large quantities in his garden at Monticello. Modern varieties go by such names as ‘Aspalim’, ‘Darlise’, ‘Gijnlim’ and ‘Guelph Millenium’, that speak of cutting-edge hybridisation from the garden research centres of New Zealand, Holland and the USA. These varieties may be productive and regular in shape, but, call me oldfashioned, they simply don’t have the magic (or the flavour) of traditional varieties such as that Victorian favourite, ‘Connover’s Collosal’, the great American asparagus, ‘Mary Washington’, or ‘Violetto d’Albenga’, Italy’s very own heirloom purple asparagus. Sadly, I don’t grow asparagus myself. I simply don’t have enough space to let a large bed lie unused for much of the year, but I grew up with asparagus beds as a child. It was one of those seasonal treats – a few weeks of gorging ourselves on these mysteriously delectable spears slathered in butter. These days, the asparagus season has been extended by the judicious use of polytunnels, and I anxiously wait for the first bundles to appear in Stroud Farmer’s Market. I check the cut ends to make sure they’ve been picked that morning, or possibly the day before. If they look too dried out or show signs of shrinking up the stems, I pass on by, as asparagus is one
of those vegetables that, like potatoes, are transformed by being cooked and eaten as soon as possible after picking. So, having got them home, what then? If you’re a die-hard traditionalist, you’ll boil or steam them in a special upright asparagus pan, and then bathe them in melted butter, or hollandaise sauce if you’re being really sophisticated. However, now that asparagus has become a vegetable of the people, sometimes I roast them (about 10 minutes at 160°C), or fry them in butter (10 minutes again), or char them on a griddle pan. If you’ve ever steamed or boiled asparagus, you’ll have been aware of how the water smells and tastes of the vegetable, which means you’ve lost that essence. Roasting or frying in olive oil or butter means any juices lost by the spears go into the oil or butter and are not lost. I then shave Parmesan over them; incorporate them into frittatas; make a ristotto; or dip them into a soft-boiled egg instead of soldiers. In other words, eat them as fast as decency allows. About Matthew Best known as a judge on BBC2’s Great British Menu, Matthew is an award-winning food writer and critic. He was the Food & Drink Editor of The Guardian for 15 years and is the author of four books.
PORTRAIT GRANT SCOTT ILLUSTRATION OLIGA / SHUTTERSTOCK. PHOTOGRAPH © STOCKFOOD / MAGDALENA HENDEY
The food writer and critic tells of his excitement for the produce to come in his burgeoning vegetable beds and the sings the praises of asparagus in its many varieties
RECIPE
ASPARAGUS & PEA SOUP WITH CRÈME FRAICHE & MINT Serves 4
INGREDIENTS 500g asparagus 300g peas (fresh or frozen) 500 ml vegetable stock A sprig or two of mint 150 ml creme fraiche Extra virgin olive oil Salt and white pepper
METHOD • Bend each of the asparagus spears until they snap. Put the vegetable stock in a pan and bring to the boil. Add the bottom sections of the snapped asparagus and leave until they are cooked through (about 5–8 minutes). • Strain the vegetable/ asparagus stock into a fresh
pan. Plunge 400g of the asparagus tops into the stock along with the peas. Cook for 4 minutes. Add the mint sprigs and them leave to steep for a minute or two. • Purée the asparagus, peas, mint and stock to a smooth, velvety liquid. Season with salt and white pepper. Cut the remaining asparagus tops
in half lengthways and fry in the olive oil until tender. • Ladle the soup into four soup plates or bowls and drizzle the olive oil from the frying pan over them. Pop a dollop of crème fraiche on each and arrange the fried asparagus at random on top. (This soup can also be served cold). n
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THE SEASONAL HOME: Spring Add joyful colour to the home with displays of spring flowers, from daffodils and tulips to wildflowers and cherry blossom
ABOVE Pretty shades of pastel pink and soft white blossom fill the the branches of apple and cherry trees in spring, a harbinger of the delicious fruit to come. RIGHT Tulips come in all manner of styles and colours, including these decadent ‘Dream Touch’ and ‘Pink Parrot’ varieties, here arranged with another spring favourite, cream hyacinth.
S
pring bursts forth with long-awaited blooms full of bright, cheerful colour, and whilst traditional spring flowers, such as sunny daffodils, are increasingly making earlier appearances, florist Rowan Blossom says, “For me, March is synonymous with narcissi. Perhaps because my father is a proud Welshman and we always wear a daffodil to celebrate St David’s Day.” A kitchen in spring is almost incomplete without a pitcher full of daffodils and there is a huge range of colours and varieties to choose from. “Of course, the first type to spring to mind is the cheerful yolky yellow one, which cannot fail to raise a smile,” says Blossom. “But there are so many others which are a joy to create arrangements with, from the pure white ‘Thalia’ to the lemony ‘Toto’, and even an incredible peachy-pink variety called ‘Mary Gay Lirette’.” Another flower that is closely associated with spring is the ever-popular tulip. Again, this comes in an incredible array of colours and shapes – from cleanlined simple cups to double-flowered peony-like blooms, and extravagant parrot tulips with curled and fringed petals to beautiful striped hybrids. Placing a small number of tulips on their own in a vase will delight, particularly if they are of the frillier variety. “This season offers a bounty of luscious British beauties to play with, including tulips, ranunculus and
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anemone,” says Blossom. Ranunculus, with its dense clusters of petals, offers an aesthetic akin to layered roses, and comes in a palette of colours, from bright and light, to deep and dramatic. Consider freesias, too, whether in pastel or stronger shades, to offer delicate beauty as well as incredible scent, and hyacinths, with their incredible heady aroma. Lily of the valley are another beautifully scented choice. Wildflowers are a visual delight come spring. Fritillaries, bluebells, crocuses, grape hyacinths and even daisies can all be used to create charming arrangements in dainty bud vases. As can the clouds of pink and white blossom bursting forth on fruit trees at this time of year. These are a joy to behold and can be used to create a wonderfully simple yet impactful display on a console table in a hallway. Lilac blossoms, with their heavenly scent, provide beautiful sprays of tiny flowers, and can be used for culinary purposes too (see p99). Peonies are a herald of summer, though can start to appear sooner should the weather be warmer than usual, and “are a showstopper in any arrangement,” Blossom enthuses. Spring flowers allow for richly diverse arrangements, full of bright colours, shapes and textures, as we will explore over the coming pages, and are perfect for lifting the spirits when placed to catch the eye as we go about our daily lives at home.
SPRING FLOWERS
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Spring celebration Discover beautiful ways to showcase the variety and colour of spring blooms Rowan Blossom, the Notting Hill and Cotswolds-based florist, and author of Living with Flowers & Floriography (published April 2021), creates a beautiful celebration of spring flowers in a compote vase arrangement. “For me, spring is all about embracing the lighter and brighter days, and I love to use playful colours. One of my go-to combinations is pairing pretty pinks with buttery yellows and creams and lots of vibrant zingy foliages – a charming palette that feels hopeful, cheerful and is guaranteed to look pretty in any home. “Here (right), I have used ‘Butterfly’ ranunculus, ‘Cafe Latte’ roses, ‘Carnival’ ranunculus, ‘Cloni’ ranunculus, daffodils, daucus, forget-me-nots, poppies and ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peonies, along with asparagus fern, berried ivy, guelder roses, senico and soft rucus foliages. “A compote vase is a footed vessel that was traditionally used for serving nuts or fruit and is a lovely thing to arrange flowers in. I have used chicken wire to create a central support to elevate the centre of the arrangement. The reason it looks so special – perhaps as a centrepiece for a Sunday lunch – is that you don’t see the ‘mechanics’. There are no stems or water on show – it is all about the blooms. If being used as a centrepiece, consider the design ‘in the round’ so it looks lovely from all angles.”
BUDDING IDEA For small flowers – such as violas, crocuses, perhaps late snowdrops, bluebells, even buttercups and daisies or other wild flowers – a sweet little arrangement can be made in a simple bud vase on a kitchen windowsill to raise a smile. Or use mutliple vases or bottles in colurful glass for a bright display. For a more creative idea, consider other vessels, such as eggshells, which can be used as miniature vases for smaller flowers. To do this, carefully cut the top off an egg, remove the contents and clean the inside thoroughly. Create a simple wreath made of entwined twigs, glue the egg on to it thoroughly and hang using string or ribbon.
SPRING FLOWERS TIPS FOR TULIPS & DAFFODILS • Tulips continue to grow after cutting so buy flowers with stems shorter than the leaves for longevity. • Some may like the way tulips organically grow, change shape and droop over time within an arrangement – if so, turn the vase each day as they will grow towards sunlight. For straight stems, adding copper coins or a little sugar to the vase water will help them keep upright. • When cut, daffodils release sap that can kill other flowers when placed in a mixed arrangement, so pop them in a bucket of water for 24 hours to condition them before arranging (and do not cut stems again).
MAKE AN ENTRANCE Remember the home’s exterior too. A wreath for the front door made using blossom is a welcome sight, as are hanging baskets or window boxes. These can be filled with flowers such as violas, cowslips, pinks or dwarf wallflowers for colourful impact. CHEERFUL GIFT Bulb plants such as hyacinths or small ‘Tête à tête’ narcissi make for a lovely springtime gift to bring a smile to a loved one’s face. Present them in a painted pot or wrapped in tissue paper or old sheet music and tie with string, raffia or ribbon.
Grown in the garden or found in hedgerows and woodland edges, these densely packed branches of tiny flowers have a beautiful, decorative impact in simple displays. They come in a rich spectrum of purple hues – from delicate mauves to punchy violets – as well as ethereal whites. The flowers provide a heavenly sweet scent, and can be used for culinary purposes too. Lilac has a sweet floral flavour with a hint of citrus, imbuing a delicate zest to cakes or drinks.
LILAC SUGAR As with lavender, the flowers of lilacs can be used to scent and flavour sugar. Simply give branches a good shake to remove any bugs and take off the petals. Layer sugar and petals in a jar and shake gently every day. After around a week or so, once the sugar is dry, sift it to remove the petals. The sugar can be used in baking to lightly flavour cakes, sprinkled over shortbread or stirred into tea – it is a lovely addition to camomile tea.
LILAC SYRUP
Just now the lilac is in bloom, All before my little room; And in my flower-beds, I think, Smile the carnation and the pink The Old Vicarage, Grantchester, Rupert Brooke (1887–1915)
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The deeper the colour of the blooms, the more intense the lilac of the syrup will be. Simply add petals to a simple syrup solution of water, sugar and lemon and simmer for a few minutes. Once cooled, strained and bottled, the syrup can be drizzled on pancakes, or used as a cordial in sparkling water, added to cocktails or used to make a floral-infused pitcher of lemonade. n ABOVE LEFT Lilacs come in all sorts of shades, from white to deepest violet. LEFT White lilacs offer a refreshing alternative to purple varieties and as they won’t colour syrups they are best used for an alluring and aromatic display OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Lilac flowers can be used to create a delicious syrup to use as a cordial or to add to cocktails for a delicious floral note – particularly complementary to the botanicals in a gin.
Use lilac sugar to add an unexpected twist to a simple sponge and lilac flowers to decorate it. Lilac sugar can be used in much the same way as lavender sugar to add floral notes to sweet treats. There are few things more refreshing on a sunny day than a jug of homemade lemonade, particularly when flavoured with lilac. Mix lilac syrup with freshly squeezed lemon juice, top with water and serve with ice, lemon slices and a sprinkling of lilac flowers.
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN PHOTOGRAPHS P94 TAMSYN MORGANS. P95 SARAH GARDNER. P96 (ROWAN BLOSSOM) JAMES STOPFORTH; (OTHERS) FLORA PRESS/MINA HESSE; P97 (VIOLAS & HYACINTHS) TAMSYN MORGANS; (TULIPS) SHUTTERSTOCK/NATALIA VON DONINCK; (NARCISSI) FLORA PRESS/GEORGIE STEEDS. P98 (LILACS) FLORA PRESS/DANIELA KUNZ; (WHITE LILAC) FLORA PRESS/YVONNE KÖNIG. P99 (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) ZORYANA IVCHENKO/ALAMY; EYEEM/ALAMY; ZORYANA IVCHENKO/ALAMY; IRINA MELIUKH/STOCKFOOD
Lovely lilacs
SPRING FLOWERS
FOR WHERE TO BUY SEE ADDRESS BOOK
THE ENGLISH HOME 99
100 THE ENGLISH HOME
LIFESTYLE
Living well
Spring brings with it a freshness and the promise of a new dawn – embrace the season as a time for renewal with positive and refreshing lifestyle changes
B
e it in the home or beyond, the gradual increase in daylight hours at this time of year creates a sense of impetus and verve. Turning to face these brighter times ahead has a wonderfully uplifting effect on body and mind. Living well, or mindfully some might say, helps us to focus on simple yet rewarding pleasures. Whether adding a fresh lick of paint to a room or piece of furniture, creating a beautiful table setting or appreciating seasonal delights, here we suggest ideas for starting with small changes to create far-reaching effects.
The great outdoors Stepping outside to feel the wind and sunshine on hair and skin is an unequivocal pleasure made all the more feasible come spring. The benefits of being in the great outdoors have long been proven to lower blood pressure and heart rate, alongside boosting the immune system and restoring balance to both mind and body. Where striding out across a field, moor or stretch of coast can provide release and rejuvenation, so too can an exploration of a green space closer to, or even at home, allowing us to focus on the natural world in much the same manner as venturing further afield. For maximum benefits, pick a quiet time of day, leave electronic devices aside, and settle into an observation of the sights, sounds and sensory elements in the vicinity, taking time to slowly bring awareness to the natural environs. Often forgotten and overlooked amidst other everyday thoughts and cares, tapping into an almost-childlike sense of wonder in the natural world is a wonderfully rewarding way to note the seasonal changes brought about by spring.
Turning to face brighter times ahead has a wonderfully uplifting effect on body and mind – living well helps us to focus on simple yet rewarding pleasures LEFT Spending time amidst nature is proven to have myriad health benefits – creating a memento such as dried wildflower montages from country walks is both a poignant and beautiful visual reminder. Flower Pressing Kit (includes Oak Veneer flower press, Japanese Niwaki Sentei garden scissors, Sussex trug, Wildflower identification book, flower seeds, bamboo tweezers), £275, JamJar Edit ABOVE Striding out barefoot across a sandy beach is just one of the ways to engage with the great outdoors – not to mention awakening a child-like sense of joy and delight. THE ENGLISH HOME 101
Interior refresh Delicate shoots and unfurling blooms outside are a poignant reminder of fresh beginnings. Now is the time to throw open the windows, let the light in, and start with a clean slate – all the while being mindful of caring for the earth from which the season stems. Pleasingly, spring cleaning need not mean using chemical products that can cause harm – lifestyle author Joanna Thornhill, in her title The New Mindful Home, points to findings in a 2018 University of Bergen study showing that regular use of chemical cleaning agents can affect lung health as significantly as smoking 20 cigarettes a day. The number of eco-friendly cleaning products now available continues to expand, but for those who prefer to take matters into their own hands, creating a chemical-free kit can reap dividends. Thornhill suggests a household cleaner made from one-part water to one-part distilled white vinegar with a few drops of essential oil for fragrance, or a carpet deodoriser made up of 150g of bicarbonate of soda left overnight in a jar with a few drops of essential oil or dried herbs or dried citrus peel. “Always do a patch test first, then sprinkle over carpets and rugs and leave for a day before vacuuming,” she advises. Consider swapping single-use sponges and brushes for those made from ethical materials such as natural 102 THE ENGLISH HOME
sustainable fibres; forgoing kitchen roll and wipes for fabric squares created from off-cuts or old clothes to clean up spills; or opting for beeswax food wraps in lieu of plastic wrap or Tupperware boxes. Nature’s powerful effect in highlighting better things to come can similarly be harnessed in interior decor, with the use of neutral tones and calming shades to encourage a feeling of tranquility and space within the home. Opting to paint an accent wall or woodwork is a relatively straightforward and instantaneous way to effect change. Dominic Myland, managing director of Mylands Paints, highlights broader use of natural colours “as people look to build their relationship with the outdoors”, and suggests looking to verdant tones for inspiration. “Green has always been a popular accent colour,” he says. “It is nature’s neutral, and works really well as a backdrop, but with the added benefit of an injection of colour which can be intensified or softened according to personal tastes.” To further echo the outdoors, try adding botanical prints – particularly effective when combined with window treatments such as sheer blinds to let light in, or a charming floral print. The use of flooring in natural and sustainable materials as temperatures rise allow for padding barefoot around the home.
ABOVE LEFT Opt for floral prints to echo beautiful blooms. Bluebell fabric, £62 a metre, Lorna Syson ABOVE Green accents mimic the effect of nature’s neutral tones. Timonius Timon roller blind by James Miller from the Natural History Museum Collection, £190, Surface View RIGHT Start the new season with a clean slate by adding beautiful storage solutions to keep things neat and tidy. Homeware from £10, Garden Trading
LIFESTYLE
FOR WHERE TO BUY SEE ADDRESS BOOK
THE ENGLISH HOME 103
Time spent planning and pottering in the greenhouse is a pleasure that reaps dividends. Greenhouse, from £12,950, Alitex
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FEATURE EVE MIDDLETON PHOTOGRAPHS P100 © EMMA GUSTOFF. P101 (FLYING KITES ON THE BEACH AT MURLOUGH NATURE RESERVE, COUNTY DOWN) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CHRISTOPHER HEANEY. P103 (SURFACE VIEW) OLIVER PERROTT. P105 (SWEET PEAS) FLORA PRESS/EWA
LIFESTYLE
Green-fingered projects
Little is as rewarding as nurturing shoots to fruition and appreciating the fruits of one’s labour. Though there are undeniably areas of gardening that require expertise, happily a multitude of smaller projects await those with more modest resources, be it in the garden, greenhouse, or in the home. Lovers of cut flowers such as peonies, freesias and sweet peas would do well to take advantage of warmer weather to plant out seedlings. The latter, in particular, provide a pretty focal point in the garden when planted at the base of willow frames to wend their rising tendrils around. Where gathering armfuls of scented blooms to display in the home is a delight in itself, so too is the notion of harvesting produce fresh from the soil. Strawberry seedlings in tubs will provide plump juicy berries in the months to come, whilst planting seeds now for mixed salad leaves, radishes, spinach and French beans will ensure plentiful bounty in due course. Should the need for a green-fingered project be more pressing, tending to kitchen herbs need only see plants decanted into terracotta pots, and kept well-watered on a sunny windowsill for use in seasonal dishes. n ABOVE Planting now will reap rewards such as beautiful sweet pea blooms come the summer season. ABOVE RIGHT Decant plants in to terracotta pots for a pretty and practical solution. Nuno Terracotta Pots, from £5, Rowen & Wren RIGHT Strawberry seedlings in tubs will provide plump berries in the months ahead. Zinc tub, £89 for a set of three, Nordic House THE ENGLISH HOME 105
y an 2 n 2 e ak e 20 t be Jun n ca fore e e z Pri e b tim
WIN A GREAT BRITISH HOLIDAY
Enter our competition for your chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two, including free flights YOUR ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TRIP INCLUDES: international flights (if applicable) • One-night London stay • Two-night stay in Edinburgh • Visit to Edinburgh Castle • Tickets to Blenheim Palace • A night in a Cotswolds hotel • West End tickets with dinner
• Free
Enter our competition for your chance to win a holiday in Britain for two worth up to £5,000, including free international flights What would your dream holiday to Britain include? A five-star stay in London and tickets to a West End show? A trip to historic Edinburgh? How about a stay in the Cotswolds, including a visit to one of Britain’s finest stately homes? Well, with our Great British Holiday competition, you can win all of this and more.
LONDON LUXURY Starting with free flights (for overseas entrants), the winner and their guest will travel to London for a luxury one-night stay at the Athenaeum, a five-star hotel in the heart of Mayfair – just a short stroll from Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus and the Royal Parks.
Your visit will also include tickets to a top West End show of your choice, with a lavish three-course meal with wine at Prezzo to make your night one to remember.
HISTORIC EDINBURGH Next, our winner and their guest will head to Edinburgh for a stay at the luxury Radisson Collection Edinburgh, located on the famous Royal Mile, with stunning views of the Old Town. During your stay you’ll visit the iconic Edinburgh Castle, followed by a special three-course dinner.
THE CHARMING COTSWOLDS To conclude your trip, it’s time to escape to the countryside to visit one of Britain’s finest stately homes and the birthplace of Winston Churchill: Blenheim Palace. Accommodation for the night will be at Minster Mill, a glamorous and luxurious hotel on the banks of the River Windrush in the historic village of Minster Lovell. After a full English breakfast, you can take advantage of the hotel’s top-class facilities – from its spa to its croquet lawn – or explore your surroundings: the idyllic Oxfordshire Cotswolds are home to some of England’s most beautiful villages.
COMPETITION
Two annual tickets to Blenheim Palace, one of the country's finest stately homes and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. www.blenheimpalace. com
One-night stay for two at The Athenaeum, a five-star hotel in London's Mayfair district, near Buckingham Palace. www.athenaeumhotel. com
One-night stay for two at Minster Mill, a luxurious Cotswolds hotel near Blenheim Palace. Includes breakfast. www.minstermill.co.uk
Two-night stay for two including breakfast at the Radisson Collection Edinburgh on the city's Royal Mile. www.radissonhotels.com
Two premium theatre tickets, plus a threecourse meal at Prezzo for two with wine from Buyagift, the UK’s leading provider of experience days. www.buyagift.co.uk
Visit Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish capital's unmissable historic attraction, followed by a three-course dinner for two from go-to gift experience company Red Letter Days. www.redletterdays.co.uk
HOW TO ENTER Go to www.theenglishhome. co.uk/GBH2021 or fill in the
✁
PHOTOGRAPH DAVID IONUT/SHUTTERSTOCK
coupon on the right with the answer to the question:
Question: Which famous Brit was born at Blenheim Palace? a) Isaac Newton b) Queen Victoria c) Winston Churchill TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Closing date for entries is 31 July 2021. The winner will be announced on www.theenglishhome.co.uk on 9 August 2021, and the holiday can be taken between 1 September 2021 and 31 May 2022, subject to availability. For full terms and conditions, go to www.chelseamagazines.com/GBH2021
SEND YOUR COUPON TO: US readers – Great British Holiday Competition 2021, The English Home, C/O NPS Media Group, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 945, Shelton, CT 06484 UK and ROW – Great British Holiday Competition 2021, The English Home, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ, UK
My answer: Name: Address: Postcode: Tel no: Email: Terms and conditions apply. For full details go to www.chelseamagazines.com/ GBH2021 Please tick here if you subscribe to The English Home ■ Please tick if you are happy to receive relevant information about new products or services from our competition partners via email ■ , post ■ , or phone ■ , and/or The Chelsea Magazine Company via email ■ , post ■ , or phone ■
PROPERTIES FOR SALE
HOUSES WITH CHARACTER Live the Bridgerton dream in one of these elegant Regency and Georgian properties resplendent with period features
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HALL WITH HISTORY Situated in an elevated position with commanding views of the majestic grounds, surrounding parkland and unspoilt Welsh hills, Shooters Hill Hall was originally built as a Georgian country retreat in North Shropshire. Resonating with period elegance, the Grade II listed house has been sensitively restored to retain high ceilings, intricate decorative plasterwork, attractive open fireplaces and deep sash windows with shutters.
108 THE ENGLISH HOME
Step over the threshold of the colonnaded entrance into a striking entrance hall, leading off which are the principal reception rooms and large kitchen, as well as French windows to the gardens, which are part wooded with sweeping lawns and a former grass tennis court. Accommodation comprises five bedrooms on the first floor and a separate garden cottage. Shooters Hill Hall, Shropshire, £1,600,000, Strutt & Parker
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REGENCY RESTORATION Harpole Hall is an attractive Regency country house situated on the outskirts of the village of Harpole in Northamptonshire. Rich in period features and comfort, the Grade II listed residence’s principal rooms contain marble fireplaces, moulded plasterwork and cornices, and sash windows with shutters. The front entrance portico opens to a welcoming entrance hall, which leads to a well-proportioned drawing room and substantial dining room, ideal for formal entertaining. The five bedrooms are positioned on the first floor, whilst an extensive basement offers potential for a games room and wine cellar. The gardens are mainly laid to lawn, where the seating areas and dappled shade of the mature oak can offer a relaxing retreat. Harpole Hall, Northamptonshire, £800,000, Jackson-Stops
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COUNTRY PILE Downhill from the picturesque Cotswold village of Chalford in Gloucestershire, and through a pair of gates, is Grade II* listed Skaiteshill House. Believed to have been designed by Georgian architect Thomas Baldwin in the early Regency period, the house features a magnificent cantilevered staircase which rises three floors to a skylight that floods the interior with light. Other original elements to admire are the detailed architraves, window shutters and fireplaces, which can be found in both reception rooms and two of the six bedrooms on the upper two floors. Outside are seven acres of grounds in which to wander, including formal gardens, woodland and a swimming pool with a bespoke summer house. Skaiteshill House, Gloucestershire, £2,200,000, Savills THE ENGLISH HOME 109
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DESIGN OF THE TIMES An exemplar of Georgian architectural design, Harker Lodge is a Grade II listed residence in the Cumbrian countryside, complete with a Regency facade, full-height sash windows and pleasing proportions. The house maintains its sense of period from the moment of entering, as the hall has a beautiful ornate ceiling and sweeping staircase leading to the first floor. The sitting room and dining room also benefit from decorative ceilings and cornicing, as well as lovely fireplaces and original solid oak floors. The five bedrooms are light and bright with double-aspect windows framing the established gardens that surround the house and meander to two paddocks and an area of woodland. Within the expansive grounds is a private garden cottage which provides further accommodation. Harker Lodge, Cumbria, £925,000, Finest Properties
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PERIOD PANACHE Minshulls is a grand Georgian residence located in the historic village of Aston Clinton, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire. This six-bedroom property is Grade II listed and possesses a wealth of period character, including sash windows and open fireplaces throughout. At the front of the house, the tiled entrance hall leads to a cosy sitting room and a wellproportioned dining room with its own wine store, whilst to the rear is an impressive vaulted drawing room with triple-aspect views outside. The garden, which is beautifully landscaped, features abundant floral beds, lawned areas, an orchard and a stream, as well as a topiary box yew hedge that lends an air of formality to the entrance of the grounds. Minshulls, Buckinghamshire, £1,750,000, Knight Frank
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RURAL REWARDS Hidden in rural Somerset, on the edge of the Quantock Hills, Woolmersdon House is a Georgian country villa, awarded a Grade II listing for its plethora of period details. Of particular architectural interest is the curved music room, currently used as a drawing room, offering generous proportions, an open fireplace and sash windows. The dining room, sitting room and recently added orangery are sunny and warm, and afford enjoyable views of the formal garden. There are five bedrooms on the upper floor, three of which are en suite. Surrounded by paddocks, pastures and rolling countryside in an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, an array of outdoor pursuits are available on the property’s doorstep to make the most of the idyllic setting. Woolmersdon House, Somerset, £1,250,000, Hamptons International n
FEATURE JANINE JORGENSEN PHOTOGRAPH (2) DOM JONES
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Mrs Minerva writes...
The art of
READING 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
BELOW Books are beautiful objects in their own right and I have long admired a trick of interior designers, which is to remove their jackets and file them by colour to create a pleasing display on a bookshelf.
O
ne of the most important things when creating a home is to carve out space just for oneself. Mr M and I are in complete agreement that we both need areas of the house we can call our own. I would not dream of entering his study uninvited. Even when he has calls for my presence, I enter with trepidation – and not just because I find the taxidermy a little intimidating. It simply feels a little wrong to be in his inner sanctum. The place where he does… well, whatever it is he does. Mr M’s study in our new home is a smaller replica of the one he had at Minerva Towers. The same toffee wrappers littering the desk, the same fly-fishing books littering the floor, and the same damp spaniel smell. It’s how he wanted it. This time round, I wanted my space to be rather different to how it was at the old place. Instead of a study, I wanted a reading room. Somewhere I could retreat from the world and indulge my love of literature. I wanted it to be unashamedly feminine, with gorgeous Cabbages & Roses curtains and cushions, a comfy chair and a Victorian fainting couch. The last of these is for the aesthetic rather than need, although living with Mr M can often bring about an attack of the vapours. I wanted very much to have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, complete with a ladder that went around the room. It has been a dream of mine since childhood, but had somehow never quite happened. I am thrilled to say
it has now. Mr M almost needed the fainting couch himself when he saw the quote from our lovely local carpenter but, as the cushion I bought him for his new study says, ‘happy wife, happy life’, and so he conceded whilst muttering something about needing to sell a Stubbs. Mr M has an eye for a bargain and is often on the village forum. Only last week he saw a pair of vintage, mid-century Ercol chairs for £30. Apparently they had been in the primary school staff room since new, much like the headmaster, who only recently agreed to retire. This came as something of a relief all round, I hear, as some at the school feared they might have to evict him or launch a coup d’état. Mr M immediately telephoned the number shown online only to be told a woman was coming to have a look at them. “A look,” he boomed, before trying to gazump his rival by offering double if they agreed to put her off. The school secretary became a little flustered; there has not been this much excitement in the village since a donkey escaped from the school fete and was apprehended two hours later frenziedly munching carrots in the Co-op. As I write, I do not know the fate of the Ercol chairs and whether they will find a home in Mr M’s study. He is unhappy about this, not least because the advert insisted they were ‘in full working order’, whatever that means for a chair. Whilst he fumes, I am concentrating on enjoying my new reading room. My love of books has been reignited by my gorgeous shelves. So much so, I have taken on the role of chair of the village book group. I intend to transform it, but sadly due to this wretched (but necessary) lockdown it has been held exclusively over Zoom thus far. When debating the merits of a literary masterpiece, the technology can THE ENGLISH HOME 111
Mrs Minerva Writes...
be rather limiting. Someone the other day described it as being “like a modern day seance”: “Are you there, Petunia? Make a sound if you can hear us.” “Are you alone?” “Tap once if you’re there…” And so on and so on. Very distracting. There has also been predictable squabbling about what to read. Until now it has been almost exclusively bodice rippers or historical fiction about women who live in northern mill towns and find themselves compromised. Often this is by dint of actions by the recalcitrant mill owner, who eventually sees the error of his ways and marries the poor girl. Goodness, they are exhausting and I am determined to bring a little more intellectual rigour to the group. The first book I have suggested is The Hiding Game by Naomi Wood. It is described as an intoxicating story of love and betrayal set in the Bauhaus art school. It has marvellous reviews and, if nothing else, at least it does not take place somewhere north of Sheffield. I suppose one thing we have learned whilst we have all been staying in our houses is quite how transporting books can be. It was miserable not being able to go on holiday, but I have vicariously visited so many different countries on the page. I mused to Mr M that now I have a reading room, complete with a small desk in the corner, I might perhaps turn my hand to writing a book myself. I suggested I could write about our lives. He went a little pale before mumbling something about no one being the slightest bit interested in us. Nevertheless, I have ordered three new ribbons for the typewriter just in case… n
112 THE ENGLISH HOME
Mrs M shares some of her favourite new discoveries to assist in creating the perfect reading room or study MORE DASH THAN CASH
When creating a space of one’s own, it is rather lovely to choose unique pieces that cannot be found anywhere else. That is why I was thrilled to discover Wondering People (wonderingpeople.com), a new website offering a fantastic selection of art and pieces for the home by emerging artists and makers. Ranging from original and editioned paintings, drawings, photographs and ceramics to jewellery and textiles. Mr M would approve as prices start at just £20 for a beautiful handmade mug. The website provides an exciting opportunity for people to build their art collections and to support emerging artists in the early stages of their careers, something that is particularly important at a time when so many galleries and shops are closed. Wondering People – set up by Sophie Merrell and Isabella Rothman – has such an array of delightful things I find myself scrolling for ages.
CHIC REPOSE
PHOTOGRAPHS P111 © STUDIOVIN/SHUTTERSTOCK P112 © LEDOKOLUA/SHUTTERSTOCK
ABOVE As well as providing a focal point to a desk, a vintage typewriter can be used when there is more to write than a card and an email would feel impersonal.
A SPACE OF ONE’S OWN
Having inherited most of my furniture up until now, I was like a child in a sweet shop when I had to actually buy new pieces. It is rather a daunting task I learned, but my lovely local antique dealer was a huge help. One thing I wanted to buy brand new was a squishy chair to sink right into, and after much research decided Maker & Sons was the company to go to. The deliciously named Love Seat proved the perfect choice. With a range of loose covers in heavenly colours (I went for a soft pink) and such cloud-like squishiness, this is a chair nobody will not want to get up from (see above). It can be ordered from makerandson.com and is priced from £3,495.
STYLE BIBLE
As well as immersing myself in huge swathes of fiction, I have also been hoarding interiors books. My excuse, of course, is that I am doing up my house. One of my most favourites (which was also featured in the October 2020 issue of The English Home) is At Home in the English Countryside: Designers and their Dogs by Susanna Salk. It is hard to know if it is the casually aristocratic or glamorously bohemian houses or the utterly adorable dogs that are the biggest draw. Published by Rizzoli, it costs £40.
FOR READERS IN THE USA AND CANADA The English Home tries, where possible, to ensure featured items can be bought by readers in the US and Canada. Simply contact the relevant company using the details in our address book. TELEPHONING THE UK We list UK telephone numbers for companies featured in the magazine as we know that they stock the products we love. Where a UK number is listed and you are ringing from the USA or Canada, dial the international code ‘01144’, then drop the first ‘0’ of the number in the listing. Freephone numbers (0800 and 0808) do not work outside the UK. TIME DIFFERENCE British Time is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the US and Canada. POSTING TO THE UK The current rate to post a letter or postcard via air to the UK from the US starts at US$1.20, depending on weight and size. From Canada, the rate is C$2.71 for letters and cards of 30g or less. Check with your local post office for other rates. CURRENCY At the time of going to press the exchange rate is US$1.40/C$1.76 to £1 sterling. Please be aware this will fluctuate on a daily basis. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rates for The English Home are: USA US$39.75 (6 issues), Canada C$49.75 inc HST/GST (6 issues). If you wish to order a subscription, please contact our subscription offices. Telephone 1-866-926-0260 or visit britsubs.com/englishhome MAILING LIST Occasionally we make our subscribers’ names and addresses available to other responsible companies. To be excluded from this list, please write to: The English Home, PO Box 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518, USA or telephone 1-866-926-0260 or email EHMcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com EDITORIAL LISTING Prices listed are correct at the time of going to press. Bedlinen sizes vary from country to country. Always check the item suits your requirements before ordering. ADVERTISING Some UK advertisers may not be able to ship to the US or Canada because of practical considerations or customs regulations. Please enquire direct to individual advertisers. CUSTOMER SERVICE Any queries should be directed to our subscription offices in the US and Canada. The details are as follows: USA: PO Box 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518 Canada: 1415 Janette Avenue, Windsor, ON B8X 1Z1 Email: EHMcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com Tel: 1-866-926-0260 For subscription details, visit britsubs.com/englishhome
ADDRESS BOOK Abbott + Boyd Tel 020 3096 9772 abbottandboyd.co.uk Aga Tel 0115 946 6138 agaliving.com Alitex Tel 01730 826900 alitex.co.uk Amy Kent Tel 01666 715151 amykent.co.uk Arteriors Tel 020 7929 8015 arteriorshome.com Balineum Tel 020 7431 9364 balineum.co.uk Benchmark Tel 01488 608020 benchmarkfurniture.com Benjamin Moore Tel 01753 575756 benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk Bernard Thorp Tel 020 7352 5745 bernardthorp.co.uk Birdie Fortescue Tel 01328 851651 birdiefortescue.co.uk Bridgman Tel 020 8804 7474 bridgman.co.uk Brunschwig & Fils Tel 01202 266700 gpjbaker.com C&G Joinery Tel 01235 763233 cgjoinery.co.uk Claire Langley Antiques Tel 07752 919172 clairelangleyantiques.co.uk Claremont Tel 020 7581 9575 claremontfurnishing.com Claybrook Studio Tel 020 7052 1555 claybrookstudio.co.uk Cole & Son Tel 020 7376 4628 cole-and-son.com Colefax and Fowler Tel 020 8874 6484 colefax.com Corinna Warm studiowarm.com CP Hart Tel 0161 214 7200 cphart.co.uk Daylesford Tel 01608 731 670 daylesford.com Denton Antiques Tel 020 7229 5866 denton-antiques.co.uk Designers Guild Tel 020 7351 5775 designersguild.com Divertimenti Tel 020 7581 8065 divertimenti.co.uk Drummonds Tel 020 7376 4499 drummonds-uk.com Dulux Tel 0333 222 7171 dulux.co.uk
English Blinds
Tel 0121 439 6770 englishblinds.co.uk Etamine Tel 020 7351 7115 zimmer-rohde.com Farnham Antique Carpets Tel 01252 851215 farnhamantiquecarpets.com Farrow & Ball Tel 01202 876141 farrow-ball.com Fiona Howard Tel 07900 302351 fionahoward.com Fired Earth Tel 01295 812088 firedearth.com Fortnum & Mason Tel 020 7734 8040 fortnumandmason.com Foundland foundland.com Garden Trading Tel 01993 845559 gardentrading.co.uk George Spencer Designs Tel 020 7584 3003 georgespencer.com GP & J Baker Tel 01202 266700 gpjbaker.com Green Retreats Tel 01296 325777 greenretreats.co.uk Hamilton Weston Tel 020 8940 4850 hamiltonweston.com Hartley Botanic Tel 01457 873244 hartley-botanic.co.uk Havwoods Tel 01524 737000 havwoods.com Heal’s Tel 0333 212 1915 heals.com Holloways of Ludlow Tel 01584 233104 hollowaysofludlow.com Iliv Tel 01772 651199 i-liv.co.uk Katharine Pooley Tel 020 7584 3223 katharinepooley.com Lewis & Wood Tel 020 7751 4554 lewisandwood.co.uk Lewis Alderson Fine English Furniture Tel 01252 844883 lewisalderson.com Little Greene Tel 0161 250 9572 littlegreene.com Loaf Tel 020 3141 8300 loaf.com London Basin Company Tel 020 8749 1267 londonbasincompany.com Manuel Canovas Tel 020 7351 0666 manuelcanovas.com
Margit Wittig Tel 07779 690846 margitwittig.com Marquis & Dawe Tel 01925 767611 marquisanddawe.co.uk MB Carpets Tel 01993 810022 mbcarpets.com McWhirter Morris Tel 020 7349 2575 mcwhirtermorris.com Mereway Kitchens Tel 0121 706 7844 mereway.co.uk Mind The Gap mindtheg.com National Trust Tel 0344 800 1895 nationaltrust.org.uk Neisha Crosland Tel 020 7657 1150 neishacrosland.com Nobilis Tel 020 8767 0774 nobilis.fr Ochre Tel 020 7096 7372 ochre.us OKA Tel 0333 003 2042 oka.com Orchid Furniture Tel 01264 811111 orchidfurniture.co.uk Original Style Tel 01392 473000 originalstyle.com Osborne & Little Tel 020 8812 3123 osborneandlittle.com Ostrich2Love Tel 07595 904366 ostrich2love.com Otto Tiles Tel 020 3729 1072 ottotiles.co.uk Owl Lighting Tel 01962 738689 owl-lighting.co.uk Paint & Paper Library Tel 020 7823 7755 paintandpaperlibrary.com Papers and Paints Tel 020 7352 8626 papersandpaints.co.uk Plain English Tel 020 7486 2674 plainenglishdesign.co.uk Pooky Tel 020 7351 3003 pooky.com Prestigious Textiles Tel 01274 688448 prestigious.co.uk Rapture & Wright Tel 01608 652442 raptureandwright.co.uk Robert Kime Tel 020 7831 6066 robertkime.com Rodney Melville & Partners Tel 01926 881311 rodneymelvilleandpartners. com
Rothschild & Bickers Tel 01992 677292 rothschildbickers.com Rowen & Wren Tel 01276 451077 rowenandwren.co.uk Sanderson Tel 020 3457 5862 sandersondesigngroup.com Sandtex Tel 0330 024 0303 sandtex.co.uk Sebastian Cox Tel 020 8316 5679 sebastiancox.co.uk Sims Hilditch Tel 01249 783087 simshilditch.com Soane Britain Tel 020 7730 6400 soane.co.uk Sofas & Stuff Tel 0808 178 3211 sofasandstuff.com Sophie Conran Tel 0333 240 1228 sophieconran.com Summerill & Bishop Tel 020 7221 4566 summerillandbishop.com Susie Atkinson Tel 020 7384 0700 susieatkinson.com Susie Hetherington susiehetherington.co.uk Susie Watson Designs Tel 0344 980 8185 susiewatsondesigns.co.uk The Conran Shop conranshop.co.uk The Future Kept thefuturekept.com The White Company Tel 020 3758 9222 thewhitecompany.com Thibaut thibautdesign.com Tigermoth Lighting Tel 0118 984 5232 tigermothlighting.com Tom Faulkner Tel 020 7351 7272 tomfaulkner.co.uk Vale Garden Houses Tel 01476 564433 valegardenhouses.co.uk Vaughan Designs Tel 020 7349 4600 vaughandesigns.com Villa Nova Tel 01623 727017 villanova.co.uk Willow & Stone Tel 01326 311388 willowandstone.co.uk Wood Floors of Farnham Tel 01252 712989 woodfloors-farnham.co.uk Woodchip & Magnolia Tel 01254 241100 woodchipandmagnolia.co.uk Zoe Glencross Tel 01625 724236 zoeglencross.com Zoffany Tel 020 3457 5862 sandersondesigngroup.com
THE ENGLISH HOME 113
design MY
HERO
Designer, cook and author Sophie Conran on artist, designer and architect Oliver Messel
“A
bout 15 years ago, I was very lucky to stay in one of the houses Oliver Messel designed on Mustique, and that got me interested in him and his journey. Messel went to the Slade School of Art in the early 1920s and started off as a painter, got into set and costume design for theatre and opera, then worked on Hollywood films in the glamorous age of the silver screen. He designed Vivien Leigh’s costumes for Caesar and Cleopatra in 1945 and was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Suddenly Last Summer in 1959. He was also a portrait painter, an illustrator and a fabric designer. In 1966, he moved to Barbados and started a new career as an architect and interior designer. It is Messel’s architecture on Mustique, in particular, that interests me. It is sensitive, uses local materials, and is not overly big and grand. The houses he designed have a breezy, uplifting quality, lovely symmetry, and a feeling of being immersed in nature. He often used a particular shade of green paint, now known as ‘Messel Green’, and, with a sea view on both sides, the houses feel almost transparent. Messel was from an era where things were handmade and ideas were sketched out. His drawings are just wonderful, very sensitive and sweet, and he had a really good sense of colour. He often had to improvise because of wartime shortages, making costumes using things like sweet wrappers and pipe cleaners. The results were glittery, fun and whimsical. His work has great joy and charm, and is also quite timeless, and that is the main way in which he has influenced me. I like to think that what I do is charming, timeless, thoughtful and whimsical. We all need things that make us smile, and Messel’s work is all about the human experience and making us sing a little bit inside.” n
114 THE ENGLISH HOME
ABOVE Depicting elegant blue trees and set in delicate golden frames, these Chinoiserie Blossom wall panels (£305 for two) from the Sophie Conran collection are elegant, classic and timeless. RIGHT A coloured sketch by Oliver Messel showing the decorative scheme for the Crush Room at the Royal Opera House, which he decorated for a gala ballet performance in 1950. BELOW The Golden Bouquet chest (£675), designed by Sophie Conran and her team, is hand-painted and was inspired by antique folk wedding chests.
LEFT The Oliver Messel Suite at The Dorchester hotel in London. Designed by Messel in 1953 – whose inspiration for it came from Venetian, Rococo and Ottoman interiors – it was carefully restored in the 1990s. RIGHT With scalloped edges and delicate bamboo details, the Blossom hand-painted metal table (£295) is an engaging piece from the Sophie Conran collection at sophieconran.com Read more in Oliver Messel: In the Theatre of Design by Thomas Messel, £45, published by Rizzoli.
FEATURE KATHERINE SORRELL PHOTOGRAPHS OLIVER MESSEL IMAGES COURTESY OF RIZZOLI
Oliver Messel (1904–1972), one of the foremost stage designers of the midtwentieth century
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