ENGLISH HOME The
Celebrating the essence of English style
BEST OF BRITISH Craftsmanship, heritage & design
HISTORY TO TREASURE Preserving the UK’s leading houses to visit
STYLE & SUBSTANCE A guide to decorating with Britain’s finest brands
FLORAL DISPLAYS Beautiful ways with English flowers
HOMES WITH HEART
Five period properties brimming with character & charm
February 2021
FURNITURE
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TEL: 020 7225 1011
C H E L S E A H AR B O U R , G ROU N D F L O O R , D E S I G N C E N T R E E A S T S W 1 0 0 X F I N F O @ N I N AC A M P BE L L . C O M
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CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2021
16
56
36 Beautiful Buys
76 LAYERS OF WARMTH Our guide to transforming
6
85 SHARED VISIONS Leading interior designers and
existing room schemes into cosy sanctuaries. HOME COMFORTS This month’s homeware edit.
12 NATURALLY BRITISH Designs inspired by nature.
PHOTOGRAPHS (ABOVE LEFT) © ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL; (TOP RIGHT & ABOVE RIGHT) © RACHAEL SMITH
14 ARTISTIC LICENCE Gallery and museum shop buys.
English Homes 16 DESIGN FOR LIFE A Cotswold manor is the focus
of family life and a burgeoning hospitality business. 26 TUDOR MAJESTY A restored Gloucestershire
manor house offers a wealth of decorative history. 36 A STYLISH MARRIAGE Two separate styles
harmonise in designer Kate Earle’s Suffolk home. 46 ROOM TO GROW Antiques dealer and interior
designer Max Rollitt’s stylish Hampshire farmhouse. 56 CLASSIC ACCORD A Somerset farmhouse provides
opportunity to indulge a love of architecture. 66 MY ENGLISH COUNTRY HOME BBC presenter, writer and nature lover Kate Humble on her rural idyll.
Style Inspiration 69 WALL FLOWER The rebirth of historic fabric
company Warner House. 70 DECORATING WITH BRITISH BRANDS Create a
cohesive scheme with home-grown designs.
the craftspeople who turn their designs into reality.
Quintessentially 91 THE FIRE IS SO DELIGHTFUL Making the fireplace 92 94 100 108 111 114
the gathering point of the room. FROM PATCH TO PLATE Matthew Fort on the delights of farmers’ markets and warming stews. THE SEASONAL HOME: WINTER Decorating with the season’s foliage, flowers and natural materials. HERITAGE TO TREASURE Key historic houses and gardens to visit and support throughout the UK. HOUSES WITH CHARACTER Period properties. THE ART OF MOVING HOUSE Mrs M on a new home. MY DESIGN HERO Designer and antiques dealer Christopher Hodsoll on Sir John Soane.
Regulars 4
A LETTER FROM HOME A warm welcome from
ENGLISH HOME The
Celebrating the essence of English style
BEST OF BRITISH Craftsmanship, heritage & design
HISTORY TO TREASURE Preserving the UK’s leading houses to visit
STYLE & SUBSTANCE A guide to decorating with Britain’s finest brands
our Editor. 90 READER TRAVEL OFFER A tailor-made luxury
trip to visit Britain. 113 ADDRESS BOOK Useful contact details.
FLORAL DISPLAYS Beautiful ways with English flowers
HOMES WITH HEART
Five period properties brimming with character & charm
TEH US feb 21 Cover final.indd 1
COVER IMAGE: © REBECCA BERNSTEIN
February 2021
26/10/2020 16:22
THE ENGLISH HOME 3
Our feature on decorating authentically (page 70) showcases great British brands such as Farrow & Ball.
WRITE TO US AT
The English Home, Cumberland House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1BB, 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
UK ADVERTISING CONTACTS
T
he English Home has championed British brands for as long as I can remember, but it feels especially important to support our homegrown talent now, at such a crucial time for designers, manufacturers and retailers. It is also a welcome opportunity to remind ourselves of the exciting diversity of design and craftsmanship we can support in buying British for our homes, both in the UK and overseas, as there are so many reasons to choose products made on our shores. In this issue, we reveal an abundance of British-made, beautifully designed, high-quality products to be tempted by. Our guide to decorating (page 70) shows the breath of designs British brands offer for a range of classic, eclectic and contemporary looks, whilst our feature on craftsmanship (page 85) highlights the skills of some of our talented artisans and makers. Our tempting home buys are all from British brands (page 6), designs inspired by our landscapes (page 12), and from British museums and galleries (page 14). Adding to the cultural dimension are insights on supporting Britain’s architectural heritage (page 100), which we hope may even inspire future trips or at least a spot of armchair travel for the time being. Along with five beautiful homes to discover, ideas for entertaining, and how to fill the home with seasonal flowers and arrangements, we hope you enjoy an element of escapism as you join us to explore this special Best of British edition.
Samantha Scott-Jeffries, Editor
NORTH AMERICAN ADVERTISING CONTACTS Michel Manzo mmanzo@manzomediagroup.com Office – 610-527-7047; Cell – 215-470-7075 Kim Richards krichards@manzomediagroup.com Office – 610-527-7047; Cell – 610-812-8251
PUBLISHING
Chairman Paul Dobson Chief Financial Officer Vicki Gavin Director of Media James Dobson Managing Director Sales & Create Steve Ross Publisher Caroline Scott Circulation Manager Daniel Webb Acting EA to Chairman Sophie Easton
ONLINE
Digital Product Manager Ben Iskander Email & Digital Creative Manager Jenny Choo
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Reprographics Manager Neil Puttnam Printing William Gibbons Ltd Publishing Office The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ Tel +44 (0)20 7349 3700 Email info@chelseamagazines.com
NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 9 FEBRUARY 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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A letter from home
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HOMEComforts Take inspiration from Britain’s finest with our selection of buys Sleeping soundly This delightfully crisp, organic-cotton bed linen from Devon-based brand Naturalmat not only offers a luxurious 500 thread count but also peace of mind. The company has a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development thanks to its clear sustainability leadership and ethos. Organic bedlinen, from £22 for a pair of standard pillowcases, Naturalmat
6 THE ENGLISH HOME
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Splash of colour The two latest colourways from cabinetry specialist Tom Howley offer a bold yet sophisticated feel. Dusky Pink (shown here) imparts a soft yet impactful colour whilst Serpentine offers a calm, green hue. Kitchens from £20,000, Tom Howley New classic Combining a traditional trellis design and a stylised pomegranate print this wallpaper from Londonbased interiors brand Ceraudo is printed in the UK and is available in four colourways. Pome! wallpaper shown in Moss, £140 a roll, Ceraudo In the pink Inspired by Victorian fireside chairs, the classic shape and button-back detailing of this new design are offset with soft pink velvet for a modern take on tradition. Sorrel Chair in House Velvet Petal, from £467, Sofa Workshop
THE ENGLISH HOME 7
SEASON’S GREETINGS
Victorian Lodge, Connecticut
Discover the secret of Hartley Botanic by calling 781 933 1993 or visit www.hartley-botanic.com
HANDMADE IN ENGLAND CHERISHED IN AMERICA The only aluminium Glasshouses and Greenhouses endorsed by the RHS © The Royal Horticultural Society 2020. Endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society. Registered Charity No 222879/SC038262 rhs.org.uk
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Nature’s beauty Faded flowers and bamboo shoots sit against the gentle shades of tomato, lichen green and muted aqua in this charming print from Colefax and Fowler’s latest collection. Oleander, Red, £85 a metre, Colefax and Fowler Nostalgic design Polly Fern is an illustrator and ceramicist who takes her inspiration from local, historical and childhood stories to make her one-of-a-kind vases, platters and plates. Tin-glazed ceramics (top shelf), from £85 for a small dish; Romantic vases (bottom shelf), from £480, all Polly Fern Historic hue Recalling the serene calm of nature, this deep forest green from Mylands was drawn from the company’s archive and is named after the London address the paint was originally supplied to. Brompton Road No 205, from £26 for 1l Marble Matt, Mylands Fresh feel From a recently introduced range by Brockway Carpets, whose products are all British-made in Kidderminster, the calm grey-greens and warming mid-beige tones of this design lend a chic look whilst providing softness underfoot. Lingdale in Grassington, £28 a square metre, Brockway Carpets
THE ENGLISH HOME 9
FEATURE EVE MIDDLETON PHOTOGRAPH P9 (BROCKWAY CARPETS) © DOMINIC BLACKMORE
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Artisan inspiration The playful colours and prints of the five designs in this collaboration between design studios A Rum Fellow and George Spencer Designs are inspired by the former’s work with artisan communities around the world. Cushion fabrics (from back): Anusi, Verde, £118 a metre; Pumori, Verde, £140 a metre; Pumori, Mulberry, £140 a metre; bench: Nikal, Verde, £118 a metre, all Kindred Collection by A Rum Fellow for George Spencer Designs Kitchen update The smart blue colourway from Everhot sees the brand’s electric range cookers impart a timeless and tranquil feel to the heart of the home. Everhot 100 in Dusky Blue, £7,925, Everhot Sitting pretty Style and function combine in this chic and practical sofa topper, designed to protect cherished pieces and offer a resting place to four-legged friends. Luxury velvet sofa topper in Grey, from £170, The Lounging Hound n
10 THE ENGLISH HOME
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
Curtain, Melford, £35 a metre; wallpaper, Fencott, £59 a metre, both National Trust collection, Sanderson
Bird cushion cover, £95, Abigail Edwards
Daffodils & Bluebells fabric, £288 a metre, Chelsea Textiles
NATURALLY BRITISH
Quirky B Liberty Fabrics Strawberry Meadow Acanthus patterned carpet, £149 a square metre, Alternative Flooring
Blackbird Egg paint, £25 for 1l of Pure Matt, Fenwick & Tilbrook
T3-031 Small Tea Caddy table lamp, hand-painted or decoupage, £357, Besselink & Jones
Durbar chest of drawers, £1,895, Oka
Toulouse bath, from £3,455, Victoria + Albert
Children’s Lucian bed, from £2,644, Leporello
Badger and Crow wall hanging, £85, Sam Wilson Studio 12 THE ENGLISH HOME
FEATURE SUZANNA LE GROVE PHOTOGRAPH (SANDERSON) © ANDY GORE
Bronze Vine Root side table in polished bronze with warm gilt lacquer base and marble top, £11,280, Cox London
Bring a refined touch to elegant schemes with pretty yet sophisticated designs inspired by nature. Seek out soft colourways to instil a gentle mood or, for a more contemporary setting, neutrals or shades of grey lend a fresh feel to country themes, whilst layering print on print creates a timeless country style. Within a more polished scheme, look to furnishings or details with hand-painted motifs or that capture natural shapes in classic materials, such as marble, wood and metal.
COXLONDON.COM +44 (0) 203 328 9506
Woman Portrait canvas print, framed £55, Abstract House
Grayson Perry ‘Map of Days’ mug, £25, National Portrait Gallery
Museum Butterflies tea towel, £8, Natural History Museum
Tesselation 3, hand-woven framed artwork, £2,450, Margo Selby at Turner Contemporary Shop
British museums and art galleries provide a treasure trove of delights to discover via their online shops. From creations by renowned artists to limited editions from rising stars, many pieces lend a sense of provenance or allude to works of art, history and literature. As well as enhancing our interiors, this can also be a way of supporting our institutions during these difficult times.
Pink and white tapestry blanket, from £180 (single), Museum Wales
Country tweed dog bed, £75, Historic Environment Scotland
Custom prints, from £7.99, painting seen here Summer Fields by Joan Eardley, on loan, bequeathed by Mr R R Scott Hay and presented by Mrs M E B Scott Hay 1984, National Galleries Scotland Shop
The Rake’s Progress Drop Curtain director’s chair by David Hockney, £240, Glyndebourne 14 THE ENGLISH HOME
Buttermilk Yellow ceramic plate, from £14.40, Tate Shop
Grace Tray by Cressida Bell for Charleston, £20, Charleston
FEATURE SUZANNA LE GROVE PHOTOGRAPHS (NATIONAL GALLERIES SCOTLAND) ESTATE OF JOAN EARDLEY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DACS, LONDON 2019. PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANTONIA REEVE; (ABSTRACT HOUSE) © FOLLOW THE FLOW
ARTISTIC LICENCE
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
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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
AVAILABLEB OVER 30 INTERIOR DESIGNER CASE STUDIES BY FOR Nina Campbell, Joanna Wood, Jane Churchill, Paolo Moschino, Susie Atkinson, Emma Sims-Hilditch & many, many more... PRE-ORDER
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.”
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TEH UK Bookazine 2021Bathroom case studySSJamends.indd 86-87
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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.
27/10/2020 15:40
Only $13.45 23/10/2020 12:25
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. Pre-order online at chelseamagazines.com/interiordesign21
Buy online for $13.45 (including shipping and handling) and have it delivered direct to your door. Visit chelseamagazines.com/interiordesign21 THE ENGLISH HOME 15
The wood-panelled drawing room is one of the most spacious and inviting rooms in the house. The sofas either side of the fireplace are bespoke designs by George Smith, whilst the coffee table is from Lorfords Antiques. RIGHT The Hibbert’s manor house is surrounded by private gardens.
16 THE ENGLISH HOME
Design FOR LIFE Moving to a Cotswolds manor house has served as a catalyst for Caryn Hibbert to indulge in a rural lifestyle and establish a burgeoning family business FEATURE DOMINIC BRADBURY PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
Caryn with two of her dogs, Daphne and Angelica.
THE ENGLISH HOME 17
ABOVE The kitchen is in what was previously a series of small rooms. Now a large, airy space, it features an Aga and custom-made cabinetry that gives it an air of having evolved over years. ABOVE RIGHT Adjoining the breakfast area is the snug – a favoured retreat for the family. OPPOSITE A stone archway links the kitchen and breakfast area. The table was sourced from Brownrigg Antiques and the chairs from Lorfords Antiques.
D
iscovering and renovating a new family home is always going to be a big adventure, however, for Caryn and Jerry Hibbert and their three (now grown-up) children – Tom, Camilla and Charlie – it proved to be a 15-year project. Their decision to move out of London and buy a run-down Cotswolds manor house, set on the edge of a quiet village in Gloucestershire, has resulted in the transformation not only of the family home, but also of the surrounding gardens and farmstead. Whilst for many, such a huge undertaking would be a daunting prospect, for Caryn the natural beauty of this rural setting proved impossible to resist. “We were living in London, first in Putney, then Kingston Hill and then Richmond Park,” says Caryn, whose first career was in medicine. “But I’m really a country person and I love being outdoors. I was brought up always loving the countryside, growing vegetables and appreciating nature and the land. So for me, being in London full time felt quite claustrophobic. And then we found this house.”
18 THE ENGLISH HOME
Dating back to the fourteenth century, but extended and reworked during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the property and its gardens were full of character and history. They were once part of an estate that included three farms, a pub, a number of cottages and a small church which had been rebuilt by the Knights of St John. The chance to live in such an idyllic spot was a dream come true for both Caryn and Jerry, a commercials director who owned his own film company and studio in Soho. “When we bought the house, 19 years ago, the roof leaked and we had a lot of work to do,” says Caryn. “However, it has this wonderful central hall with ancient fireplaces, and had been extended and had a Georgian facade added facing the main lawns. It also had spaces at the back, which are more ‘cottagey’, including the kitchen. “The key things we really wanted to do were to bring in some more light and have a real sense of communication with the outside – those were the challenges. But it was also about creating a home for our three children, who all grew up here after we
‘It’s a very friendly house – even when I’m here on my own I feel comfortable and content’ ABOVE The carved stone arch above the doorway from the hallway into the dining room is one of the oldest features in the house. RIGHT In the woodpanelled dining room, a tablecloth designed by Caryn Hibbert for her Bertioli by Thyme table linen collection covers the dining table. The antique rug is from Robert Stephenson Handmade Carpets. ABOVE RIGHT Caryn, Jerry and their three children – Tom, Camilla and Charlie – with the family’s dogs Daphne, Mulan and Anjelica.
moved from Richmond. It’s very much a family home that has evolved over the years, along with the estate.” One of the most important rooms in the house, right from the start, was the kitchen, which Caryn redesigned and opened up to create a more familyfriendly area. It is one of the best-loved parts of the home, with a hard-working zone arranged around the Aga, complemented by a breakfast area alongside. This flows through, via an open double doorway, to the comfortable, inviting snug which is also a favourite for the family’s three dogs, Daphne, Angelica and Mulan. “It was a series of old rooms that we opened up and we added a stone archway that frames the link between the kitchen and breakfast area,” says Caryn. “With the Aga, it’s a lovely warm space in the winter and then we have a wood-burning stove in the snug, which is super cosy. But we also have this little courtyard garden next to the kitchen, which is lovely for sitting outside and eating in the summer.”
ABOVE The sofa in the snug is from Kingcome Sofas and is covered in a Fermoie fabric. The ottoman is from George Smith and the antique armchairs are from Watkins & Adams. LEFT Dogs Daphne and Angelica make themselves at home in the snug.
THE ENGLISH HOME 21
The master bedroom and other key rooms overlook the private lawns and gardens to one side of the house ABOVE LEFT The generously sized central hallway serves not only as a circulation route, but as a multi-functional family space too. ABOVE RIGHT This sumptuous bathroom features a clawfoot bath from The Water Monopoly, curtains in fabric by Colefax and Fowler and an elegant chair from Watkins & Adams.
The central hall of the manor house is used as a fluid, multifaceted area and is where Caryn prefers to work. “I do have an office in the house, but I don’t like it that much because I feel rather cut off,” she explains. “However, the hall is a lovely space where I feel connected to everything and I can also spread out, make a mess and do some painting. I would love to have a big painting studio one day, but the light is good in the hall, so I do like to work and paint in there. It is a very friendly house and even when I’m here on my own I do feel very comfortable and content.” Caryn has decorated the interiors with pretty floral prints in a soft palette of hues, something which is particularly apparent in the snug, bedrooms and bathrooms, where feminine fabrics and wallpapers abound. The master bedroom and other key spaces overlook the private lawns and gardens to one side of
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the house, but also have views of the fields beyond. Over time the Hibberts have gradually developed the estate and created a thriving business called Thyme, which now includes a hotel, a working farm, kitchen gardens and a cookery school. With help from Caryn’s father Michael Bertioli, Thyme has grown to include many parts of the original estate around the manor house, such as the farmyard and barns next door, plus around 150 acres of farmland, meadows and gardens. “The children grew up living with this project for years and are very much part of it,” says Caryn. “There were all these farm buildings, many of which had fallen into dereliction, and then the opportunity suddenly came up to buy them. It was something that we didn’t have much time to think about, but we wanted them to be working buildings again and to have a purpose. the Tithe Barn and the Ox Barn are incredible buildings and we really wanted to keep them intact
One of the most feminine rooms in the house, this pink bedroom features fabrics and wallpaper by Pierre Frey. The chest of drawers is from Watkins & Adams.
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whilst finding a good use for them.” The Ox Barn is now home to a restaurant of the same name at Thyme – run by Caryn and Jerry’s son Charlie – and there is also a spa, a nearby pub and over 30 guest bedrooms arranged across the old farm. The formal gardens around the estate are by garden designer Bunny Guinness, but just as important are the kitchen gardens, where many of the ingredients are grown for the restaurant and cookery school. “It has really evolved piece by piece and with baby steps,” says Caryn. “I don’t think we would have had the ambition at the start or have been brave enough to do it all in one go. The next step has always been obvious to us because it’s been something that we needed to do. When people coming to the cookery school wanted to stay here overnight, for instance, we needed to find more room for them. We needed to make everything work together, but at the same time this is still very much our home.”
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ABOVE The four-poster bed in this bedroom is bespoke. The pretty green and pink scheme includes curtains in Indienne fabric by Lewis & Wood. ABOVE RIGHT Caryn’s love of botanical themes and patterns extends to the landing upstairs, which features Adam’s Eden wallpaper by Lewis & Wood. RIGHT The Hibberts’ manor house is surrounded by private gardens with topiary hedges and water features. The surrounding farmstead extends over 150 acres and includes kitchen gardens and grazing pastures.
Caryn with dog Angelica in one of the fields at Thyme.
PORTRAIT © RICH STAPLETON
Caryn Hibbert: Patterns of Nature The evolution of Thyme has given Caryn Hibbert the opportunity to indulge her love of art and design. The gradual development of the ‘village within a village’ was a creative challenge that embraced the interior design of a whole range of spaces, including the Hibberts’ own home plus 31 guest rooms and suites in neighbouring houses, buildings and barns. Taking inspiration from the surrounding gardens and the Cotswolds landscape, Caryn also began to indulge her love of drawing and painting. “I loved painting when I was at school, but went in the direction of maths and physics,” she says. “Then I started to draw again about three years ago, concentrating on plants and garden produce. My son Charlie, who is the head chef at our Ox Barn restaurant and helps run the cookery school here, suggested that we use some of the paintings on the menus, which then led to other things.” Caryn’s paintings of flora and fauna now feature not just on the menus but on Thyme’s guest and spa booklets, as well as a growing collection of table linen and textiles sold in the hotel’s shop, The Piggery, and online. The latest addition to the botanical collection, which Caryn developed with daughter Camilla, is a new fashion range. “We began by printing the designs on to linens and tablecloths, which were very well
The light-filled central hall of the manor house is a favourite spot for Caryn to paint.
received,” says Caryn. “And then we moved on to silks and developed a beautiful range of silk loungewear using these patterns. We call them ‘patterns of nature’ because they overlap with the gardens, which are so important to us. We love the creative side of what we do here.” thyme.co.uk n
ABOVE The Bertioli By Thyme collection includes (clockwise from left): Copper Beech; Green Stem and Cobnut; and Wild Rose table linen.
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Tudor MAJESTY A carefully restored fifteenth-century manor house in a wooded valley in Gloucestershire retains a wealth of architectural and decorative history FEATURE HANNAH NEWTON PHOTOGRAPHY CLAIRE WORTHY
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This is the original Lord’s Parlour and was designed in an era when demand for privacy and family life first led to the planning of ‘withdrawing’ parlours and ‘apartments’. The Georgian sofa was upholstered by Sir Nicholas Mander’s great-grandmother and great aunt in the 1930s.
A glimpse from the Great Hall into the breathtaking formal gardens at Owlpen Manor and beyond. The walnut chest was bought in Spain by Sir Nicholas’s great-grandmother in the 1890s. The painting above is of Sir Nicholas’s great-great aunts, Sophie and Janetta, 1861, painted by William Jabez Muckley.
I
n 1974, an unassuming advert in Country Life magazine caught the eye of Sir Nicholas Mander – it was the private sale of a country estate tucked into the borders of Gloucestershire, turning to his wife, Lady Karin, he declared: “Owlpen is for sale.” Dating back to 1450, Owlpen Manor is rich in history with roots thought to stretch as far back as the Saxons. Today this Grade II listed building is considered one of the most romantic Tudor houses in the south of England. The elegant gardens are one of the earliest English domestic gardens to have survived and has been admired by the likes of author and garden designer Vita Sackville-West. Sir Nicholas, who was then in his early 20s, was immediately enthralled at the thought of owning Owlpen Manor. He has a passion for architectural history – he has written several books on country houses – and had seen illustrations of Owlpen and read about it in the esteemed pages of English Homes by the Edwardian champion of taste, H A Tipping. Despite Sir Nicholas’s palpable excitement, Lady Karin was not so keen. They had already decided on a different home, and had
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The kitchen is very much the heart of the home. The chairs around the table were designed by Ernest Gimson, an Arts and Crafts furniture designer. A spice cupboard from the late eighteenth century is on the left-hand side of the kitchen and sits on the seventeenth-century stewing stove.
a young daughter and another child on the way, so Swedish-born Lady Karin had no inclination to deviate from their carefully laid plans. “We had a flaming row before we came to see it,” she explains. “I said, ‘I will only see the house on the condition that we stick with our plans’. Then I walked through the threshold and I just knew. There was an extraordinary feeling of homecoming.” The deal was firmly sealed and the couple bought Owlpen Manor in 1974 and set about making it into a home for them and their five children. Today they also have 12 grandchildren who regularly visit. It was the 1970s and the pair felt their lives were not dissimilar to the classic BBC sitcom The Good Life. “We had the wonderful innocence of being very young,” Lady Karin says. “It was a reckless decision to buy such a huge old place, but it didn’t worry us. It did not even enter our heads to worry. Although it is big, it is compact. But old houses are fragile, especially Owlpen, which is partly built from materials like ox
hair, lime, loam and stone burrowed from the hills, and some of the timbers have been dated to 1179.” There is a wonderful sense of discovering a sleeping beauty when arriving at Owlpen Manor. A long winding lane leads deep into a beautifully wooded valley, where the house nestles, almost hidden amongst a wealth of mature trees. Historical records show that Owlpen belonged to the same family for over a thousand years – an astonishing archive of charters, court records and marriage settlements from about 1220 is kept safely by Sir Nicholas. It then lay abandoned from 1815 until the early twentieth century, unwittingly preserving it from the degradation of many great English houses during the industrialisation of the nineteenth century. In 1925, it was bought by Norman Jewson, an architect and craftsman of the Cotswold group of the Arts and Crafts movement. Jewson restored and carefully preserved Owlpen’s Tudor architecture, thoughtfully introducing his unique skills of conservation and, as
LEFT Owlpen Manor enveloped by trees. Described by Vita Sackville-West in 1941 as, “Owlpen, that tiny grey manor-house cowering amongst its enormous yews, yews that make rooms in the garden with walls taller than any rooms in the house; dark, secret rooms of yews hiding in the slope of the valley.”
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Looking from the Great Hall into the Little Parlour through the splendid archway, this beautiful early Georgian addition was added in 1719 when Thomas Daunty IV took over the estate.
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a result, the house has barely changed since the seventeenth century. These Tudor roots are immediately evident from the uneven stone flags in the entrance hall. To the right is the kitchen, within which a seventeenth-century stewing stove is visible. These cooking devices were used well into the eighteenth century and there is one at Hampton Court Palace. Today an ample Aga, with several dogs snoozing peacefully beside it, is perfect for cooking large family meals and keeps the room toasty. The Great Hall, which dates from 1523, is the family dining room. A splendid inherited Jupe circular table, with enough chairs to seat 12, is central to the room. When they first arrived, Sir Nicholas and Lady Karin spent a lot of time carefully restoring the room, including removing the white gloss paint that covered most of the walls and replacing it with limewash and colours more in keeping with its origins. Arts and Crafts plasterwork of an owl and thistles created by 
ABOVE & RIGHT The original Georgian colours in the Little Parlour were discovered by Sir Nicholas and Lady Karin in the shellhead of the alcove recess, allowing them to choose colours similar to those used originally. This would have been the service end of the house in medieval times and so the thick walls do not quite match the Georgian designs.
ABOVE The Great Hall, which is today used as the dining room, but would have been the heart of the Tudor home. A plasterwork moulding of an owl, remodelled by specialist Norman Jewson, can be seen on the wall above the door to the left. The painting above the fireplace of Owlpen Manor is by Julian Barrow and the antlers were left in the house when they bought it. LEFT Sir Nicholas and Lady Karin Mander with their dogs Maliki and Otto. To find out more about Owlpen Manor, visit owlpen.com
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Norman Jewson are visible on the walls, whilst a great open fireplace heats the room. Even the door frames still have their medieval sills at the bottom. The Little Parlour, built in 1720 has been painted to better reflect its original roots, and new curtains, commissioned from interior designer David Mlinaric, have been added. Over the years, the couple have sought out furniture from the Georgian, late-Stewart and Victorian eras, and also purchased pieces from the Arts and Crafts movement to furnish it. Upstairs, Owlpen boasts six bedrooms and even though the children have all left home, the house continues to be a magnet for them. Lady Karin explains: “We very rarely have a weekend on our own, there is always somebody here. It is an open house for the children, god-children, grandchildren, even their friends. Owlpen is an institution.” The bedrooms all enjoy historical connections. Queen Margaret’s Chamber is a reference to Queen Margaret of Anjou, the wife of Henry VI, who stayed here in 1471 on her way to the Battle of Tewkesbury. The walls of the bedroom have a unique set of seventeenth-century painted cloths on them. These
This bedroom boasts a beautiful Flemish marriage bed from 1701. The wooden door sill at the bottom of the door frame is one of many that have survived from the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries when all doors had frames with sills. Norman Jewson restored the doors breathing new life into them by carefully preserving as much as possible. THE ENGLISH HOME 33
This bathroom has a console table designed by Norman Jewson for toiletries next the basin. Pretty French rose-print wallpaper and matching fabric decorate the walls, sink and windows. For a similar fabric try Colefax and Fowler.
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Queen Margaret’s Chamber displays the original painted cloth that is dated to 1711 and was, according to Sir Nicholas, made at the tail end of painted cloth decorating that goes back to medieval times. The beautiful fourposter bed is thought to be George II and the mahogany writing desk is what antique dealers call ‘plum pudding’ veneer from the early nineteenth century.
rare cloths are extraordinary and have been copied to be used in other historic buildings. Owlpen Manor is an exceptional house, the respect of its current owners to care and protect, rather than remove and replace, sustains the flow and story of this beautiful, majestic home. By gently tending the traditional craftsmanship of its heritage alongside the belief system of the Arts and Crafts movement, it is almost a blueprint for historic house care. As Sir Nicholas says: “It is a bit like breathing on glowing embers, caring for the tail-end of long traditions.” He sees this mutual respect as a kind of inter-dependency. “You look after the house and the house looks after you. A lot of life has flowed through Owlpen and it leaves a deposit. I feel like a conservator, preserving, keeping, caring and then handing on.” n RIGHT The cloths at Owlpen were conserved in 1963 as a complete decorative scheme and perfect style of Tudor and Stuart interiors. On the left is a Charles II armchair; the child’s chair is a William Morris ‘Sussex’ design; and on the right is a chair typical of the Cromwellian period.
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A stylish MARRIAGE
Presented with a scheme last changed in 1947, interior designer Kate Earle combined two apparently divergent style preferences to harmonious effect in her family’s Suffolk home FEATURE CHRISTINE STOVELL PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL
A custom-printed de Gournay wallpaper, rescaled to take the pattern up to the picture rail, covers the walls in the dining room. The original carved-oak surround of the Delft-tiled chimney piece has been painted white for a lighter feel. An off-white, Sahco linen has been chosen for the curtains.
To the right of the staircase is a further sitting area lit by deep bay windows featuring armorial glass. A pair of wing chairs are upholstered in Groundwork by David Hicks and the curtain fabric is Zebra by Neisha Crosland.
LEFT Kate has opened up several small rooms to create a large kitchen and dining area, where a wall of part-glazed 1930s pantry cupboards is both practical and beautiful. The limed-oak table and chairs are by Philippe Hurel. RIGHT The imposing entrance of the late-nineteenthcentury exterior.
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R
ising from a quintessentially English landscape, an imposing red brick and stone country house with tall chimneys, gables and cupolas stretches towards the wide East Anglian sky. This is now the much-loved country home of interior designer Kate Earle, her husband Tom Hill and children Orlando, 17 and Lily, 15, but Kate’s first impressions were a little different. “When I first came, I couldn’t picture myself living here,’’ she says. “It just wasn’t the sort of house, I imagined I’d live in.” Tom, a barrister and Queen’s Counsel with a passion for architectural history, bought the house in 1996, six years before the couple’s marriage. At its core is a modest Georgian house which was added to and
reconfigured in the late 1890s by the Hon Stanhope Tollemache in preparation for his own marriage. Frank Brown of Ipswich, a pupil of George Street – who designed the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand – carried out a major expansion of the earlier house and added a pair of circular twin towers to the front, which now bears a distinctively Victorian facade. Inside, a lighter touch was applied to what is still, essentially, a late-Georgian interior. A white-painted staircase rises from the generous entrance hall which is described on the 1920s servants’ bell board as the ‘lounge hall’ and was created to suit the prevailing taste of the time for a more open-plan reception space. Off this central hall, in what was originally the morning
ABOVE The handsome carved staircase and open-plan seating area off the entrance hall are just two of the changes made to the original late-Georgian property in the 1890s.
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room, is Tom’s study with its library and sitting area. Here, Kate has replaced a heavy late-nineteenthcentury chimney piece with a more architecturally appropriate Regency-style fire surround in white and green marble. On the opposite side of the hall is the formal dining room, which leads through to a family room and Kate’s office and sitting room. When it came to the kitchen, several small rooms were knocked through to create a large kitchen and dining area, but Kate retained the characterful 1950s cream Aga as well as a wall of beautifully made 1930s part-glazed pantry cupboards. Kate and her business partner Emily Todhunter are the women behind Todhunter Earle, one of the UK’s most successful interiors businesses. Often described as the creators of ‘quiet glamour’ and ‘timeless modern comfort’ they have been at the forefront of the international interior design industry for over 20 years. However, ‘quiet glamour’ was far 40 THE ENGLISH HOME
ABOVE & LEFT The elegant Gillows bookcases in Tom’s study were bought at Christie’s. Cushions by Robert Kime add an extra dash of colour to a pleasing fusion of styles. The green and white marble fireplace is teamed with walls painted in Ball Green by Farrow & Ball. RIGHT Paintings and busts which once filled Tom’s bachelor pad have found their natural place in the family’s country home.
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ABOVE Uplifting golden yellow paint has been used for the grand entrance hall with woodwork in a fresh white. Paintings and busts which once filled Tom’s bachelor pad in London have found their natural place in the family’s country home. LEFT Despite not being overly enamoured of the house when she first saw it, Kate has grown to love it, transforming it into a light-suffused, inviting space with an organic, evolved look that befits its architecture.
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from being the order of the day when Kate first stepped into the house and was faced with what she describes as “miles of peach-coloured gloss paint” and velvet curtains labelled ‘Harvey Nichols 1947’ firmly dating the period since the house received its last extensive refurbishment. Guided by her own design intuition, memories of her grandparents’ house and her husband’s extensive collection of early nineteenth-century furniture, busts and pictures, Kate began what she light-heartedly refers to as “negotiating with Tom” on the redecoration. “His London bachelor pad was known as the ‘Wallace Collection’,” she says, with a smile, “but we agreed that all of those things would be perfect for the country and I would transform the London flat.” Whereas for clients it is usual for Kate to create an entire scheme to present them with, here she has taken a room-by-room approach. It has been a sensitive balancing act between the personal and professional and has contributed to the sense of an organic and evolving country house style. Kate says she decorates by “reading the room”. “It’s usually
The view from the dining room across the hall to Tom’s study.
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ABOVE In Kate and Tom’s bedroom the four-poster bed is dressed with sumptuous silks from Todhunter Earle. The bamboo-pattern wallpaper, Victories from The Emily Todhunter Collection, connects with the garden view beyond. RIGHT Guests are spoilt in this elegant bedroom where Tuileries wallpaper, also from The Emily Todhunter Collection, a painted French bed, a silk eiderdown, pillows and hangings create a calm, luxurious retreat.
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obvious,” she remarks. “Either a piece of furniture, a great carpet or a paint colour is the starting point and the rest just flows.” In the dining room, for example, leading off the sunny yellow-and-white entrance hall, a customised de Gournay wallpaper sets the tone whilst also alluding to the history of the house. “The design is an eighteenth-century document called Askew, which I had scaled up and recoloured. I also had the base design reduced to suit the height of the room,” Kate says. Upstairs, where the principal bedrooms lead off the broad first-floor landing, the crisp freshness of Kate and Tom’s bedroom, with the walls and curtains in leafy wallpaper and fabric, takes its cue from views across the garden. “Most of the furniture was bought at the Ickworth House sale in 1996,” explains Kate. A sophisticated and comfortably elegant spare room, also with glorious views, is inspired by Nancy Lancaster’s white room at Kelmarsh Hall. In another spare room, in what is known as the children’s wing, Kate’s use of a discontinued Cole & Son wallpaper, the large-pattern Madras Violet, was so successful the company brought it back into production.
PORTRAIT P42 LUCY HENSON
‘This is very much a country house and a family home – I wanted to respect the architecture, the location and our lifestyle here’ Throughout the house, Kate has cleverly blended her husband’s fondness for classic and traditional English pieces with her own preference for midtwentieth-century decorative elements in a happy and harmonious marriage of styles to create a home that is elegant, inviting and deeply personal. “Whilst my taste has become a lot more contemporary over the years, this is very much a country house and a family home,” Kate reflects. “I wanted to respect the architecture, the location and our lifestyle here.” With both of their families close by, a beach hut at Felixstowe, sailing off the Shotley Peninsula and holidays on the beaches of Norfolk, it is easy to see why Kate and Tom relish precious weekends in the country. “We see our old friends and our children meet up with their children,” Kate explains. “We both love our work, and with a base in London, we truly have the best of both worlds.” n
ABOVE Antique paisley eiderdowns, Melin Tregwynt checked blankets and a riot of flowers in the form of Madras Violets wallpaper by Cole & Son all contribute to the cosy, welcoming feel of this pretty guest bedroom. LEFT Lined with Cole & Son’s Hummingbirds wallpaper and fittings from Sitting Pretty Bathrooms, Tom’s bathroom is a classic, stylish space.
Max replaced a solid kitchen island with a rustic, eighteenthcentury industrial table from Arabesque Antiques. He chose this style because of its openness, allowing light through. The previous owners installed the Mark Wilkinson kitchen and Max updated it with a fresh coat of paint and new knobs. 46 THE ENGLISH HOME
A French elm cabinet, dating back to around 1880, provides useful storage and adds character to the back hall. The vibrant green Liberty Wallace Secret Garden wallpaper is no longer available, but was taken from a William Morris print called Larkspur, originally designed in 1872. Max sourced the humorous sign on the door from a French market.
Room TO GROW A desire for more space led antique dealer and interior designer Max Rollitt and his family to move from a townhouse to a characterful eighteenth-century Hampshire farmhouse FEATURE CLAIR WAYMAN PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES MCDONALD
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ABOVE In the cosy sitting room, a Knole sofa from the Max Rollitt Bespoke Collection is upholstered in fabrics by Turnell & Gigon and John Boyd Textiles. The fire surround, designed by Max, is teamed with a Grove grate by Jamb. The red Eiffel Tower artwork was painted by eldest son, Laurie, when he was 11 – he is now a successful illustrator. LEFT Max and Jane with their dogs, Ginny, an English Pointer and Beano, a Parson Terrier.
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M
oving to the country happened quite spontaneously for antique dealer and interior designer, Max Rollitt. The catalyst came in 2009, when Max and his wife, movement therapist Jane Watson, decided they needed more space for their young sons. “We were living in a very nice townhouse in the centre of Winchester, but the backyard was the size of a postage stamp,” Max says. “I’ve got four boys – Laurie, Ed, Alfie and Will, now 32, 21, 20 and 17 respectively – with three living at home at the time, and they all needed to run around. We hadn’t planned it at all, but I persuaded Jane to have a look in the country.” Having worked in theatre around the world, Jane was used to the bright lights of big cities. “I had never contemplated life in the country,” she says. “Moving from London back to my childhood home of Winchester was quite a big leap, so the idea of living in a more rural location did slightly terrify me at first.” As often happens, life takes an unexpected turn and almost as if it was meant to be, Max spotted a
The Windsor armchair, made from ash with an elm seat, is from the Max Rollitt Bespoke Collection and is a copy of an original West Country design. The decorative stone quoin or keystone, in the top corner, is from an abandoned twelfth-century priory.
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In the morning room, a comfortable Max Rollitt Bespoke Howard chair, covered in a pretty Le Manach fabric from Pierre Frey, is an inviting spot to curl up with a book. The set of five witty portrait paintings behind it are by son Ed. A striking neo-classical style alabaster head adds to the quirky charm. The decorative 1920s round table lamp, from Rajasthan, echoes the colours in the Japanese hand-painted cabinet, which dates back to 1700.
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‘I’m educated as I go along … Antiques offer an enormous pool of ideas that I am always drawing on’ farmhouse on an estate agent’s website that looked familiar. “I used to catch sight of the property on my regular nine-mile cycle route from Winchester to my former antique shop in Alresford,” Max explains. “When I saw it online, I said to Jane, ‘I know that house – that’s the place we should live.’ The connection was instant. We didn’t look at any other houses, it was quite remarkable.” The eighteenth-century brick-and-flint farmhouse, with modest, cottage proportions, is charming, but it was the land and dilapidated outbuildings that really sparked Max’s imagination. Having outgrown his small antique shop in Alresford, he realised the former grain store on the property presented a golden opportunity and had the potential to make a fantastic new showroom. “It took a while for it to all settle in my head,” he says. “I talked to architects about how to convert the disused farm buildings into something useful, in the right way, and the result has been better than I could have imagined.” Jane also benefitted from
the move as it gave her the opportunity to create a studio and consulting room on the site of an old piggery, where she teaches the Feldenkrais Method. She had trained many years ago to teach the therapy, which improves movement, breathing and posture through gentle exercises. When it came to the farmhouse, the couple did not need to do any major work, and they embraced all the quirks that naturally come with an ancient, eighteenthcentury building. “The surveyor said, ‘Well Max, do you want a full survey or my comments?’,” explains Max. “I chose his comments and he said bluntly, ‘It’s over 400 years old and built on the same level as a river,’ which put it in a nutshell. The house has subsidence, so it’s been shored up in various ways, but it’s built to withstand movement. The River Itchen is on the other side of the field and there’s water all around us, but as we’re on chalk, it doesn’t flood.” The main part of the farmhouse was built in the early 1700s, but elements of a nearby twelfth-century
ABOVE LEFT The rush mat is from Rush Matters. An Italian altar stick, converted into a lamp, sits on top of an English elm chest of drawers dating back to 1730. ABOVE RIGHT The Bergère mahogany chair in the sitting room, with cushions in Colefax and Fowler fabric, is from the Max Rollitt Bespoke Collection. The embroidered portrait of the family is by Hampshire-based textile artist Linda Miller.
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ABOVE Enchanting portraits of the family’s two dogs, by naïve artist, Pearl Bugg, painted on the door to the master bedroom, adds a whimsical feel. The trailing floral Sans Papillions wallpaper by Pierre Frey envelops the room in an English country house charm.
priory, abandoned during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, were used in its construction. Stone quoins on the sides of the building, for example, are known to have come from the priory and Max has discovered some original Gothic beams in the attic. The house was also once part of the magnificent Avington Park estate, once owned by Winchester Cathedral, until Henry VIII’s time, then by one of King Charles II’s courtiers, before being left to the 3rd Duke of Chandos. Designing the interiors has been an evolving process for Max and Jane. It is clear to see that they revel in the
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rich history of the house, as well as sharing a love of quirky design. A mix of elegant antiques, plus stylish, clean-lined furniture from Max’s own workshops, jostle for space in each room. Max works in a non-formulaic, intuitive way, as each antique is unique and he has decorated in a style that is sympathetic and appropriate to the style of the house, but he also likes to push the boundaries. Even though architecturally the cottagestyle farmhouse is on a modest scale, Max has incorporated antiques with slightly grander proportions. “Charleston, home of the Bloomsbury Group, for example, is quite a rustic farmhouse, but
The exquisite eighteenth-century silk bourette pelmet came from Peta Smyth Antique Textiles in London and is lined with dyed French antique linen. The pair of Dutch walnut stools have been covered in a vibrant antique, hand-dyed turquoise linen, which contrasts with the antique French floral eiderdown.
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ABOVE Max and Jane’s son Ed chose Sang de Boeuf by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint for his bedroom walls and sourced the cushions and painting of the Moroccan woman at an antiques fair in Montpellier, France. The headboard is covered in a George Spencer Designs fabric.
has been furnished with some beautifully refined antiques, and I think that juxtaposition really works.” Decorating with antiques acts as a constant inspiration for Max and his business. “I’m educated as I go along. When I found the eighteenth-century pelmet, I could see how it could be adapted as a bed canopy for our bedroom, and I’m reproducing it for a client now. All of these historic forms and lines were really well thought through. When England was at its height, design-wise, it was attracting the best of everybody. So many continental designs influenced what we were doing, and we had the money to attract the best, so pieces made in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were phenomenal. No matter how we look at it, it was a ridiculously privileged era,
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and we had some incredible resources. Antiques offer an enormous pool of ideas that I am always drawing on,” says Max. Since leaving Winchester, Max, Jane and their boys have relished country life and their menagerie of animals is growing. As well as two dogs, Ginny, an English Pointer and Beano, a Parson Terrier, they have two pigs, Betsy and Madame Whiteboots, and chickens. “When I was younger, I didn’t ever think I’d end up in the country with dogs, but I’ve grown to love the peace of it and the dark nights don’t scare me anymore,” says Jane. “It’s also great that our sons have been brought up in the country, that they understand quiet and space, and appreciate nature. We definitely feel very attached to the place now.”
MAX ROLLITT
REFINED DESIGN The antique dealer and interior designer reveals his passion for antiques and creating timeless interiors When did your love of antiques begin? My mum had an interiors shop selling antiques and fabrics to all the ladies of Winchester, so I was introduced to the world of antiques from a young age. I used to help out in the shop and spent my holidays and weekends hunting for antiques with her. She came from a fashion background, so understood about colour and design, but was also a fantastic saleswoman.
FEATURE CLAIR WAYMAN PHOTOGRAPHS © JAMES MCDONALD
What were your first steps to becoming an antique dealer yourself? I studied furniture design at Rycotewood College in Thame and then did an apprenticeship in furniture restoration at Frearson & Hewlett, a highly regarded local workshop. It gave me a real appreciation for craftsmanship and a passion for patina. In 1993, I took over my mum’s antique shop, but it was when I started exhibiting at Olympia, that things really took off, and interior designers in both the UK and America started buying my pieces, so I knew I had a certain look. What do you look for when choosing antiques? I look for beauty, purity in design and authenticity. Patination is key, so pieces that haven’t been over-cleaned, polished or modified in any way, are far more appealing to me. The best pieces are still in their original state, that show a lifetime of wear and tear. How did you move into interior design? It seemed like the natural progression, as I’d always sold antiques to interior designers and it all links. In 2006,
a couple who had bought a sofa from me, asked for my help to decorate their vicarage. My passion has always been furniture, but moving into interior design, has meant my knowledge has broadened. I look at everything – furniture, fabrics, wallpaper, paint colours, china, paintings and prints, and I’m drawn to pieces with character or interesting colours. I look at my peers – it’s a constant learning process. What makes your interiors unique? There’s a spontaneity and intuitiveness to my design work that’s brought about by the random nature of antiques. I also have a willingness to be quite bold with colour and pattern. My aim is to create joyful, elegant, comfortable homes, with a mix of formality and informality. I like to layer my interiors with an eclectic mix of artefacts, prints and paintings to create a lived-in, accumulated feel. I often feature quirky, humorous objects, such as a bust with a top hat in the dining room of my Hampshire clients’ house, or a galleon-shaped 1930s chandelier above a dining table in a London house. These fun elements create a sense that a house is loved and lived in, rather than just designed. Describe the process when designing interiors for clients? I listen to what my clients want, look at the internal architecture, how the house needs to function as a whole, and the flow from one room to the another. Then I design each room accordingly, but I keep returning to the flow and movement throughout the house. When I bring all the rooms schemes together, I might have to throw some ideas out and reconsider
until I get it right. So much of the design is affected by the architecture and light. The light is key to it all because it affects your colour palette, the textures that you use and how things respond, so you have to be really mindful of that. When do you know a room is finished? It’s the point when you’re satisfied, like an artist composing a painting, although I tell clients there’s never a time when you have to stop. You can keep rearranging and moving things around. I don’t ever want to design a room that is too fixed. Interior design should be fluid rather than too formulaic or set. You converted a barn on your property into a large showroom. Why is having this space crucial to your work as a designer? When I decorate clients’ houses, I need to have a reasonable-sized stock of antiques to draw on – the shop is my arsenal when it comes to interior design. I can try things out in clients’ houses and if they don’t work, I just bring them back to the showroom. Also, it being such a big space with high ceilings means I can indulge in my love of large-scale architectural pieces. I combine furniture and interesting objects to create room sets so clients can see how everything works together. I also display my range of bespoke furniture, including sofas that are copies of some favourite eighteenth and nineteenth century designs. To view Max Rollitt’s range of bespoke furniture and antiques visit his website maxrollitt.com or visit the showroom in Avington, Hampshire. n
THE ENGLISH HOME 55
The garden room, used for formal dining, links the kitchen to the drawing room, which spans the main house. Natural materials and an oak leaf chandelier by Richard Taylor Designs bring the outside in. The cane chairs are from Albrissi Interiors and the rush matting is by Tim Page Carpets.
56 THE ENGLISH HOME
Classic ACCORD A modest farmhouse in Somerset provides the perfect opportunity to build a home that fulfils a passion for architecture and complements its location FEATURE CHRISTINE STOVELL PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
THE ENGLISH HOME 57
ABOVE LEFT The spacious kitchen is a place to talk, eat and relax. The oak units are by Clapham Joinery. A table from IJ & L Brown is complemented by Lloyd Loom chairs by Vincent Sheppard. LEFT There are huge arched windows at both ends of the kitchen wing. The throw on the sofa is by William Yeoward and the cushion fabrics are by Manuel Canovas and Brunschwig & Fils. ABOVE RIGHT Meticulous attention to detail characterises every aspect of the property, which combines a classically symmetrical central main house with a vernacular-style wing either side.
58 THE ENGLISH HOME
Q
uietness is a rare commodity in an age of noise, nevertheless when Nickie and Willie Gething decided to act upon a long-held ambition to build their own home, finding the perfect site away from the cacophony of traffic noise was fundamental to their search. “You must be in love with the location before you start building, because it’s going to be a marathon,” Willie explains. “Places unaffected by roads yet within striking distance of London are as rare as hens’ teeth, but we were determined to find somewhere quiet and peaceful.” Eventually, Willie, a property fund manager, and Nickie, who works with him, found a modest farmhouse in Somerset, with a collection of derelict outbuildings, a separate farmyard and extensive land, which offered the peace and privacy they craved. It was the ideal opportunity for the couple, who share a passion for domestic architecture, to build a house to complement the location they both loved. “Of the glass-fronted contemporary houses that work so well on the coast, fewer stand the test of time in a rural settling,” Willie observes. “We wanted something that would convey the spirit of a manor farm, a timeless design with architectural merit which would use local materials, traditional skills and sit comfortably in the landscape.”
One of a pair of wrought-iron Leaf console tables from Tyson London which stand either side of the double doors that lead from the garden room into the kitchen.
THE ENGLISH HOME 59
ABOVE An antique rug, sourced from Christie’s, harmonises the drawing room scheme. The furniture is an inviting blend of antique and contemporary pieces. The George Smith sofas are covered in a velvet from Lelièvre and the console table lamps are from William Yeoward. RIGHT The bespoke curtain fabric was printed for interior designer Caroline Paterson by Knowles & Christou. The antique rug is from antiques and rug dealer Edward Marnier and the oak floorboards are by Winchester Hardwood Flooring.
60 THE ENGLISH HOME
Careful consideration has resulted in a welcoming, stylish home with enduringly classic good looks
ABOVE RIGHT There is a timeless and traditional feel in the entrance hall with a comfortable chair covered in Toile de Carreaux fabric by Claremont and a club fender by Acres Farm covered in horsehair fabric by John Boyd Textiles. The antique rug is from Anthony Thompson and the bespoke wall paint is by Veere Grenney for Papers and Paints.
The result of the couple’s four-year deliberations, with final input from three architects, is a triumph of teamwork. The elegant but restrained main house alludes to Georgian style: stone steps lead to a porticoed central front door with Gothic fanlights; the quoins, window surrounds and detailing are worked in fine Bath stone, and an impressive exterior cornice inspired by Mompesson House in Salisbury skirts a graceful, Welsh slate roof. Complementing the main house, there are two charmingly vernacular wings built on the footprint of the original farm buildings. In one wing, there is a shared study, two spare bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a family room. The opposite wing provides Nickie and Willie with the spacious kitchen they wanted, with a seating area, an open fire and glazed oak double doors leading out to the French-style courtyard garden. At a very early stage in the project, the couple consulted Willie’s sister, interior designer Caroline Paterson, for her expert advice. Some people, perhaps,
might have baulked a little at the prospect of collaborating with close family on design schemes and decisions at the very heart of their home, but the timeless, thoughtful interiors stand testament to a harmonious and fruitful relationship. “The chemistry between my wife and my sister was right from day one,” says Willie. “It was a lovely feeling to work en famille,” Caroline agrees. “Both Nickie and Willie are passionate about what they do and were very open to new ideas. We chose items together, listened to each other and learned together. It was enormous fun.” The scheme was designed to be traditional and – with three children aged 15, 13 and 10 when the work was completed in 2008 – family friendly. For her colour palette, Caroline drew inspiration from the local stone. “It has cool, greenish tones, unlike Cotswold stone, for example,” she says. “We tried endless tester pots of paints, sampling, sampling, sampling to find the right neutrals that THE ENGLISH HOME 61
TOP Framed sporting prints add a jaunty note to Willie’s dressing room. Old White by Farrow & Ball was used for the walls and the curtains are in Sivas fabric by Vaughan. ABOVE Antique panels, bought from Talisman, hang above a traditional steel bath by Aston Matthews in the main bathroom. RIGHT The antique twin beds in this guest bedroom are adorned with paisley throws from Oka. Sand III from Paint & Paper Library was used for the walls.
62 THE ENGLISH HOME
The elegant staircase was designed by Tim Reeve of TFH Reeve and Jonathan Ross of The Relph Ross Partnership. Locally quarried Doulting stone was used for the flooring.
‘We wanted a timeless design, with architectural merit, which would use local materials, traditional skills and sit comfortably in the landscape’ weren’t cold and accent colours to bring it all to life. The addition of a few ‘grungy’ tones is also important to balance pretty colours.” Patience, planning and meticulous – even fastidious – attention to detail characterise every aspect of Nickie and Willie’s home. “Plans can be changed ad infinitum,” Willie explains. “Hold back, hold back until you’ve got it right. But once you start building, you build, because mistakes are costly. Not a wall was changed once we’d begun.” Willie acknowledges that this approach is inspired, in part, by the philosophy of Peter Zumthor, the internationally acclaimed Swiss architect, renowned
for his incredible exactitude and rigorous choice of material. With this in mind, the couple sourced stone from two different local quarries, which was irregularly cut then blended through the build to create connectivity both to the component parts of the house and to the landscape itself. This sense was further enhanced by lowering the slope of a field in front of the house by a metre to mount the property, like a jewel, within its setting. Nickie and Willie’s careful consideration has resulted in a welcoming, stylish home with enduringly classic good looks and the modern comforts of insulation and ground-source heating. Outside, the courtyard echoes
ABOVE LEFT China Rose by Lewis & Wood used for the canopy and curtains sets the scheme for the main bedroom. The throw was a serendipitous find from Marrakesh.
THE ENGLISH HOME 63
not with traffic noise but with the gentle ripple of water features. A series of garden ‘rooms’, separated by hornbeam and yew hedging, created with help from Martin Lane Fox and garden designers Arabella Lennox-Boyd and Libby Russell, extend into the peaceful surrounding countryside. Whilst the couple consulted many experts and worked with teams of highly skilled craftsmen, there is one person in particular Willie credits with turning their dream of building their own home into a reality.
64 THE ENGLISH HOME
“A successful house, according to Peter Zumthor, requires years of planning, an obsessive knowledge of raw materials, meticulous site supervision and – especially when there’s a plumbing leak in winter or an electrical contractor goes under – a healthy dose of sheer bloody-mindedness,” he says, with a smile. “We may have collaborated on many details of the house, but it was my wife Nickie who made it happen; she was the one on site from dawn to dusk driving the project, it’s Nickie who got us here.” n
PHOTOGRAPH OF HOUSE EXTERIOR © REBECCA BERNSTEIN
ABOVE In this peaceful bedroom, the canopy is made in a Lewis & Wood check fabric with a plain cream fabric by Claremont. The blue paisley bed throw is by de Le Cuona.
BOVANO StudioS
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20/10/2020 11:13
Kate Humble MY BRITISH HOME
A cosy, relaxed interior and a garden for wildlife and entertaining make home for this nature-loving BBC presenter
K
ate Humble is a writer, broadcaster and campaigner who is passionate about nature and travel. She lives with her husband Ludo Graham – a BAFTAwinning television producer – their three dogs Teg, Badger and Bella, two pigs Duffy and Delilah and two cats amongst other animals. The couple also run Humble By Nature on a 117-acre working farm, providing rural skills and animal husbandry courses. Kate has also launched Humble, a natural beauty range and written Thinking On My Feet, a book on the joys of walking and A Year of Living Simply: The Joys of a Life Less Complicated.
FEATURE SAMANTHA SCOTT-JEFFRIES PHOTOGRAPH © ALUN CALLENDER
Where do you live and why? My husband Ludo and I live in the Wye Valley. When I was young, my parents and I moved from London to Berkshire, to a house next door to a farm. It was down a dirt track, surrounded by fields and gravel pits, and had all the sorts of brilliant things you can enjoy when you grow up in the Seventies and no one has thought of health and safety yet. I climbed trees and had snails in my pockets. I have a theory that you get drawn back to your roots when you hit a certain age. I don’t think it has to be conscious or geographical; it’s more about going back to your happy place maybe. For me, the first 18 years of my life were connected with animals, nature and mucking about in the mud, and that yearning got me again. Why did you choose the Wye Valley? We lived and worked in London for years and initially when I said, “I’ve got to leave”, Ludo said, “We can’t. We don’t have those kinds of jobs or life”, which made me very gloomy indeed. We thought we could rent somewhere for weekends and started looking in 2006, when every matchbox within striking distance of London was about a million pounds. It all got a bit hopeless, so we started looking further out. I would sit and gaze at the A-Z of Great Britain. All around the South East is this big muddle of roads, but the further west you go, the more glorious it gets, with all the greens and browns, and I just had this absolute yearning for Wales. Then suddenly Ludo was offered a job in Cardiff and suggested we rent in Wales to see if we liked it. I nodded and smiled and thought, “Get me over that bridge and I’m never coming back”.
How did you find your home? We couldn’t find anywhere to rent and we came down every weekend from London to house hunt. We saw this old stone farmhouse for sale, up a mile of dirt track, through some woods, and as we were driving up the track to meet the estate agent, Ludo looked at me and asked “What are you thinking?”, and I said “I’m writing directions to our friends”. I just knew. I honestly didn’t care if there was a cardboard box at the top, but there was a beautiful stone house with beautiful views over the Wye Valley and four acres of land. What is the history of your house? It’s a bit of a mystery, but we think it’s seventeenth century. It was the house for the farm next door, and it had been abandoned in the 1970s. It’s a typically designed Welsh stone house – one room deep, three rooms in a row and three storeys high – with a barn attached to it. It had been pretty dilapidated until it was bought by a couple in the 1980s. He was a stone mason and she was incredibly artistic. They used to get all of their artisan friends over, have a massive party and build a staircase at the same time. We’ve since met lots of people who have done work to the house. How would you describe your style? This is a house where, I hope, everyone who comes to it feels they can put their feet up on the furniture. There are original floors in wood, tile and stone, fireplaces and wood burners. We love cosiness, with blankets over the backs of sofas. I don’t like clutter, but I don’t like minimalism either, so we’ve got loads of books and lots of art – some of which has been created by people we know. Because both of us have been lucky enough to travel with work, we often bring something back, so we’ve also got quirky things that we’ve collected over the years. It’s a very personal house – an interior designer would faint if they saw it – but it’s very much our house, with our stuff in it, and that’s what I love about it. How does the house work in summer? We have lots of windows and everything is open in the summer. Outside the kitchen there is a terrace with a big table, lights entwined in the crab apple trees and a fire pit. On evenings when it isn’t really warm enough, we say to all of our friends, “Wear
loads of jumpers; we are going to pretend that we have a Greek taverna”. In Thinking On My Feet you say walking without a dog would be unthinkable. Would life at home be the same? There is something about having an animal which makes a house a home. When you’ve been away, the welcome you get from your dogs is infinitely better than the welcome you get from your husband. How have you made the garden your own? I’m no gardener, but I like the garden to feel like it’s got flowers I want to pick, vegetables I want to eat and that it’s a wildlife habitat too. When we lived in London we had a fantastic allotment, so we’ve also created a vegetable garden here. I thought I was quite good at growing vegetables, but soon realised that without the London microclimate, I was rather rubbish. Last year, my lovely mum gave me a greenhouse, which is my pride and joy. I have a great friend called Emma who is the most brilliant gardener and comes once a week to help me. We’ve decided to grow dahlias, unusual vegetables and tomatoes, and we share the things we grow. What do you love about your garden? I love the bees and butterflies in summer, so we’ve planted things like nepeta, lavender and sweet peas. The thing I love most is to lie on my back in the grass (inevitably with a dog on some part of me), listening to that gorgeous sound of contented bees buzzing around the plants. What about your home inspires your work? It feels like this house has joined up all the things I love and embodies it in its stone and land. The setting of our home is the kind of rural idyll I spend a lot of time persuading other people to celebrate. Is this your forever home? I’ve always been restless – I think it’s in my genes as my grandparents were all quite peripatetic, and in London I was constantly moving – but this is the place I’ve lived in the longest and the only place I ever feel homesick for. A Year of Living Simply: The Joys of a Life Less Complicated by Kate Humble, published by Aster. For more information, visit katehumble.com n THE ENGLISH HOME 67
KENTCHURCH BUTLERS
Period Hardware & Traditional Ironmongery
Shop and Online Store Based in Church Stretton, Shropshire. 4, High Street, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6BU Tel: 01694 720189 Email: info@thedoorknockercompany.co.uk English_Home-Garden_Ad_4.17.20.qxp_Layout 7 4/17/20 2:29 PM Page 1 Web: www.thedoorknockercompany.co.uk
An ideal present that will last forever. Hand painted and crafted in Devon, these delightful wooden side-tables are fun pieces of furniture to rest your drinks etc on. Standing 38’’ high, their sturdy trays are 25’’ above ground, an ideal height to place your favourite tipple when resting on your sofa after a hard day eventing. Perfect for that birthday, wedding, anniversary or retirement present. Jockeys can be painted in your own silks and soldiers in your regiments. USA customers should allow 10 days for delivery. To see over 50 models and to order, visit our website below.
Kentchurch Butlers 07774 959561
www.kentchurchbutlers.co.uk
SCOTLAND
— 2021 ESCORTED TOURS — British Isles
Scotland: Dumfries and Galloway England: Hadrian’s Wall, Lake District Wales: Snowdonia National Park, Welsh Castles Ireland: Dublin, the magnificent Neolithic site at Knowth in Bru Na Boinne, Belfast
May 7-20, 2021 • 13 Nights • $5,795
18th Annual Outlander Tour® Based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon. Time travel back to the 18th-century Highlands, where history and fantasy come face to face. See secret places & magical sites off the beaten path.
June 20-July 1, 2021 • 11 Nights • $4,995 October 2-11, 2021 • 9 Nights • $3,995
Deluxe escorted tours 16-guest maximum
Western & Northern Isles of Scotland
A combination tour of the popular Lords of the Isles and Viking Treasure. Skye, Lewis, Harris, Orkney, the Northwest and Northeast coasts, and the Highlands. Includes the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
July 30 - Aug 15, 2021 • 16 Nights • $5,995
703.941.6455 • www.CelticJourneys.us • Email: Judy@celticjourneys.us
STYLE INSPIRATION
Our special section dedicated to design and decorating inspiration begins here
WALL FLOWER
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN
Far from shrinking into the background, this bold floral pattern makes quite the impact. Such a maximalist look may not be for the faint hearted, yet the wraparound pattern provides cohesion for the eye and the sense of a cosseting embrace. This design is from the archives of historic British fabric company Warner, which last year – its 150th anniversary – was acquired by the founders of Clarke & Clarke, Lee and Emma Clarke. The duo have relaunched the brand as Warner House with an extensive offering of wallpapers, fabrics, paint, furniture and accessories. Afansa wallpaper, £95 a roll, and fabric, £55 a metre, both Warner House
THE ENGLISH HOME 69
British brands DECORATING WITH
Reflect home-grown style in different ways using our native talents, designers and manufacturers
B
ritish decorating style can take many forms, from those devoted to traditional period looks to those seeking more modern twists on the classics and those who embrace all that is eclectic and colourful. Naturally, style is sometimes shaped by the era of a property, and largely by personal character and taste. Whether seeking elegant period designs, chicer contemporary updates or a more relaxed and playful approach, using products from British brands will help to achieve an authentic and cohesive scheme.
Classic beauty Like natural beauty, classic British interiors tend to be based on good bone structure, that is, a strong architectural period with original features to be sympathetic to. A soft colour palette that does not overwhelm any delicate plasterwork is often the basis of such an interior. Neutrals can be employed along with soft sages, blues and reds, with deeper and richer tones adding a sumptuous note. Though a classic look is not totally co-ordinated, there is cohesion between patterns and colours to create a considered, balanced scheme that still has character. Patterns on fabrics and walls tend to vary from florals such as chintzes and blowsy blooms, scrolling botanical motifs and tree of life designs to more structured Regency stripes or a traditional damask for grandeur. British brands such as Colefax and Fowler, Hamilton Weston, Sanderson, Morris & Co, Osborne & Little, James Hare, Lewis & Wood, Cole & Son and Watts of Westminster provide a good selection for this style. Antique furniture and newer pieces that are influenced by classic design – such as pieces from the likes of David Seyfried, Max Rollitt and Beaumont & Fletcher – would sit well in these well-considered schemes. 70 THE ENGLISH HOME
ABOVE r n d curves of this smart sofa ar ns r d n rn r d s n r o as o Clarence sofa, £6,150 plus 16 metres of fabric, Beaumont & Fletcher
BELOW s roll n da as d s n n a l l d s r ss d ld d a r ro d s a lass a dro Brideshead, £69 a roll, Nina Campbell at Osborne & Little
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT Hamilton Weston specialises in subtly updating archive designs in lovely colourways. Sophie’s Choice, £146 a roll, Paradise Restored collection, Hamilton Weston A traditional piece with a modern w s , s s all so a s a n of British craftsmanship. Aubrey two-seater sofa, £2,655 plus nine metres of fabric, David Seyfried Adam’s Eden is a stalwart of classic interiors with its large tree of life design. Fresh colourways give it a new lease of life. Adam’s Eden, Ceramic, £70.81 a metre, Lewis & Wood William Morris fabrics work beautifully with antique furniture. Curtains, Sunflower Velvet, Kermes/ Birch, £115 a metre, Morris & Co
RIGHT This bespoke headboard is the elegant result of a collaboration between Ensemblier and interior designer Joanna Plant. It is a perfect companion to the pretty chinoiserie on the walls. BELOW This intricate floral d s n, ar o the Gardyne collection by James Hare, is inspired by Elizabethan embroideries and Tudor gardens. Elizabeth, Red/Blue, £115 a metre, James Hare
LEFT A classic palette can be rich and varied, but always softly co-ordinated and well considered. 2020 Collection fabrics, Colefax and Fowler
ABOVE Tara Craig, founder of furniture company Ensemblier, has decorated her sitting room in a country house style with a range of patterned yet cohesive fabrics. THE ENGLISH HOME 71
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT old floral s r d s n ol on Angel’s Trumpet £135 a roll, Cole & son s and r n d wall a r o rs a roo ar sanal fla r Walled Garden, Plum, £23 a metre, Rapture & Wright n l alan o sa n rn r and a l walls Dahlia wallpaper, blue,£90 a metre, Sarah Vanrenen an r ll s n w oll on a rs lar s al florals w s r n r al r n s Headboard, Vita, £65 a metre, and all other fabrics, 2020 collection, Jane Churchill
LEFT Vibrant textiles bring joyful character to this dining room. Chairs, Sawtooth, Tutti Frutti, £91.51 a metre, Lewis & Wood RIGHT An antique chest lends gravitas to a charming bohemian ensemble of fabrics. Fabrics, from £56 a metre, Tribes collection, Julia Brendel BELOW Designer Penny Morrison demonstrates how classic and eclectic harmonise perfectly in this bedroom scheme. Wallpaper, Begum Pink, £90 a metre; Penny Morrison at The Fabric Collective
Colourfully eclectic
FAR LEFT Satisfy a taste for colour in the kitchen with a vibrantly painted freestanding pantry. Shaker kitchen by Harvey Jones LEFT l ld s diverse selection of fabrics is inspired by documents from around the world, offering a global twist to colourful interiors. Bench in Osborne, Green, £106 a metre; chairs in Cavendish, Wheat, £129 a metre, Blith eld
Few excel at the perfectly mismatched, diverse, yet somehow unified, interior schemes as the British. Bringing together a broad range of patterns, furniture styles and accessories in an often vibrant colour palette, the eclectic look is evolved and full of character but not haphazard. Look closely and there is unity amongst the disparate-looking medley of patterns. Whilst the colours might be daring and varied, they are harmonious, too – whether in rich, deep tones, brighter hues or a softer palette – and feature patterns with an artisan quality and organic motifs. The eclectic style often takes inspiration from around the globe, combining pieces from Britain with those found overseas. There are several British brands that cater for this look, from sourcing quality products from far-flung parts of the world to sending their designs to be made by expert craftsmen in those countries, as well as adding a thoroughly British twist to such products made on these shores. The raft of textile and wallpaper designers who exemplify the eclectic look include those such as Blithfield, Lewis & Wood, Molly Mahon, Penny Morrison, Julia Brendel, Sarah Vanrenen, Totty Lowther and Soane Britain. Furniture varies from classic antiques to rattan pieces and vibrantly upholstered creations. An emphasis on craftsmanship, authenticity and beauty unites the blend under a discerning eye and a passion for colour, expression and personality. THE ENGLISH HOME 73
Contemporary elegance Refined, pared back, yet full of exquisite detail, the softly modern twist on classic style is defined by clean lines, a focused and often neutral palette and a range of smart, tactile furnishings. Contemporary elegance is not about minimalism or stark white interiors but celebrating period features, which might be given a more modern treatment. For instance, ornate cornicing painted in the same colour as the walls or an original fireplace balanced by a contemporary mirror above the mantel. A soft neutral palette in pale greys and off-whites or deeper tones of charcoal and slate is often deployed, but gentle natural colours of soft pinks and greens might also be utilised. Plain fabrics or those with small, subtle patterns, and most likely painted, rather than papered walls are to be found in such schemes. Texture plays a pivotal role, with velvets, weaves and the odd subtle flourish of embroidery or a patterned trim adding layers of interest. Harder textures such as polished metals in nickel, gold, brass or bronze are sophisticated additions, with wood or polished concrete floors topped with rugs for a sumptuous note. Furniture will have cleaner lines and often provide the more modern elements in what is otherwise a refined classic look – statement artwork or lighting is also more contemporary. Look to British brands such as David Hunt, Cox London, The Odd Chair Company, Bert Frank, Ochre and Vaughan for pieces to suit. 74 THE ENGLISH HOME
ABOVE Dark-painted cabinetry makes a smart statement with a knowing nod to period style, too. Haddon Kitchen in Charcoal, from £15,000, Kitchen Makers RIGHT Painting plasterwork detailing in the same colour as the walls offers a fresh take on period style. Walls, Jitney, £47.95 for 2.5l Estate Emulsion, Farrow & Ball FAR RIGHT Here two shades of the same paint are used for visual impact whilst still being sympathetic to the period features. Steel II & Steel V, £30 for 2.5l Pure Flat Emulsion, Paint & Paper Library
FOR WHERE TO BUY SEE ADDRESS BOOK
Bedrooms
CORNISH BED COMPANY
Tradtional hand-cast metal beds. cornishbeds.co.uk HYPNOS
Handmade mattresses and beds. hypnosbeds.com THE HEADBOARD WORKSHOP
Handmade, bespoke headboards. theheadboardworkshop.co.uk
WROUGHT IRON & BRASS BED CO
Period-style metal beds. wroughtironandbrassbed.co.uk
Fabrics & Wallpapers
COLEFAX AND FOWLER
Classically British style with a gentle modern twist. colefax.com LEWIS & WOOD
Perfectly English designs, from the in-house team and collaborations. lewisandwood.co.uk OSBORNE & LITTLE
Collections for classic, modern and eclectic tastes. osborneandlittle.com STYLE LIBRARY
Home to Sanderson, Zoffany, Harlequin and Morris & Co. stylelibrary.com THE FABRIC COLLECTIVE
Wide array of smaller textile makers with beutiful designs. thefabriccollective.com
Furniture
COX LONDON
Bespoke pieces with a fine line between art and design. coxlondon.com SOANE BRITAIN
Diverse range of contemporary, antique and innovative rattan designs. soane.co.uk
Kitchens
BRITISH STANDARD
Off-the-shelf cupboards from luxury kitchen company Plain English. britishstandardcupboards.co.uk DEVOL
Bespoke kitchens, interior accessories and antiques. devolkitchens.co.uk NAKED KITCHENS
FOR WHERE TO BUY SEE ADDRESS BOOK
Offering bespoke and customised classic and contemporary designs. nakedkitchens.com n THE ENGLISH HOME 75
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN PHOTOGRAPHS P71 (MORRIS & CO) © ANDY GORE. P73 (PENNY MORRISON) © MIKE GARLICK. P74 (KITCHEN MAKERS) © JON DAY; (FARROW & BALL) © JAMES MERRELL; (PAINT & PAPER LIBRARY) © PAUL RAESIDE
LEFT Classic good looks are given a streamlined update for modern tastes. Alexandra Sofa, £4,150 (plus 10 metres of fabric), Beaumont & Fletcher LEFT BELOW The Odd Chair Company offers a variety of upholstery options. Theo Chair, The Odd Chair Company, £POA, covered in Piccadilly, Black, £55 a metre, James Hare RIGHT This classic kitchen is lent a modern touch with a gentle colour choice. Finsbury Kitchen, from £11,000, Burbidge MIDDLE RIGHT Polished metals add chic glamour in a bathroom. Copper Boat Bath, from £3,780, BC Designs BOTTOM RIGHT Add luxurious character with a contemporary bronze textured, sculptural lamp. Bronze Grotto lamp, £5,040 excluding shade, and all other pieces, Cox London
GREAT BRITISH BRANDS A selection of home-grown companies we admire for dependable British style.
Layers of WARMTH From townhouse to country cottage, winter is a time to add cosy touches to the home for the ultimate cocooning effect
A
s with the world of fashion, dressing interiors for a different season is transformative not just for practical reasons, but in terms of mood too. Now the natural light has become less abundant and the nights have drawn in, artifical lighting is one of the most important factors to consider when looking to imbue a room with an enveloping ambience. This can be achieved not just by judicious placement of lamps but with the type of bulbs used too. “The glow of a softly lit room is homely and inviting; bring the lighting level down with warm white bulbs,” says interior designer Joanna Wood. The glow of a real fire is also key, so update fireplaces and accessories. Multi-fuel stoves provide flexibility as they can burn wood, coal, wood pellets or peat, which may be more of a consideration these days. For visual and functional warmth, add layers of texture in the form of rugs, curtains, cushions and throws. “Think of all the cosiest materials like cashmere, mohair and wool,” says Wood. Fragrance can be an instant way to impart a soothing, enveloping atmosphere. Interior designer Emma Sims-Hilditch recommends seeking out “scents like nutmeg” for candles and reed diffusers. New additions will need to fit into existing schemes, and here we explore the touches that can transform town and country interior styles into winter havens.
The use of rich colours and contrasting textures brings a sense of visual and tactile warmth to this sitting room. Eliot 2.5-seater sofa in Fir Matt Velvet, £1.499; Clara footstool in Pebble Classic Velvet, £399; Fjord Rug, Oyster, £279, all The Cotswold Company
THE ENGLISH HOME 77
Indulgent bedroom details
A tall woollen headboard and bed frame make a supremely cosy focal point. Morecambe bed in Pebble wool, £2,095, Soho Home
A wool coaster makes a charming bedside table accessory and is a lovely reminder of the joy of sipping a cup of tea in bed. Cream coaster, handmade from wool, £5, Home of Juniper
A long hot water bottle provides maximum warmth for the coldest nights, especially when covered in luxuriously soft cashmere. Mayfair knit in Champagne (left); Chelsea knit in stone (right), both 100 per cent cashmere, £179 each, Yuyu Designs
78 THE ENGLISH HOME
COSY RETREAT Adding warmth to a classic town house bedroom begins with the bed itself. The effect of a tall headboard to make the bed feel cosseting should not be underestimated. “Make it oversized and add some bedside sheepskin rugs,” say Wood. To evoke the alluring appeal of a hotel bed, plump for embroidered cushions and a textured quilt on the bed. A cashmere-covered hot water bottle and a scented candle will complete the indulgent scene. With winter’s longer nights comes the temptation to retreat to the bedroom earlier, so make any seating in the room even more inviting with the addition of luxuriously textured cushions and throws. To aid a good night’s sleep, blackout blinds or interlined curtains are a worthwhile investment to add an extra layer of cosiness and ensure the bedroom is suitably warm and dark. ABOVE RIGHT A sleek wooden tray makes breakfast in bed even more cosy with its mellow tones. Skagerak Norr tray, £69, Nest RIGHT Lavender sachets add gentle, soothing scent to drawers and cupboards. Lavender sachets, available in various fabric designs, £12 for a set of three, Daisy Dumpling
Subtle patterns and mirrored surfaces infuse this elegant bedroom with layers of warmth and impart the luxurious mood of a boutique hotel suite. Vasa linen lounge chair, Natural, £795; Dalu sideboard, Taupe Wood, £2,995; Coleridge three-seater sofa, £2,050; Solasta tables, Antique Bronze, £995 for set of two; Karaikal quilt, £250, all Oka
RIGHT Refresh side tables with LED candles for a warm glow. Gold Ombre LED pillar candles, £16.99 for a set of three, Lights4fun BELOW RIGHT Opt for a classic wing chair for an enveloping silhouette. Penshurst wing chair, from £1,157, Parker Knoll BELOW Take time to dress the bed in embroidered cushions and textured throws with a high thread count to create an inviting bedscape. Moire duvet cover (king size), £680 and Moire pillowcases, from £175, both 720 thread count Egyptian cotton sateen jacquard; Folio echo cushion (left), £218; Gild Sterling cushion backed and piped with Buckingham Platinum, £157; Regency Steel Blue throw, £418, Evitavonni
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT Subtly perfume the bedroom with a fragrance reminiscent of sitting beside a crackling fire. Signature ‘Welcome Home’ scented candle with a woody aroma, £70, Ormonde Jayne; Directional wall lights are practical and atmospheric for cosy evenings reading in bed. Ledbury smoked reading wall light, £255, Fritz Fryer; A stylish sofa in a large-scale pattern revitalizes a plain scheme. Beaufort sofa, £POA, Nina Campbell; A tray in a bold pattern can double as an invigorating decorative feature for lazy weekends. Round birch tray, Milky Way Pink and Old Red, £29, Cambridge Imprint; Sheepskin rugs offer the ultimate way to sink into cosy textures for the first and last moments of the day. Gotland sheepskin rug, £395,Toast
TOWN HOUSE BEDROOM
Fireside traditions
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80 THE ENGLISH HOME
SEASONAL VIBRANCY To make a grand country sitting room feel cosy, consider how to delineate areas for different uses during wintertime. For instance, an occasional chair in a little used corner can be transformed into a cosy reading nook with a side table and an elegant lamp. Mix bold patterns for added vibrancy, or rich seasonal tones – such as dark reds, oranges and greens – for a more intimate warmth. To set the mood, generous piles of cushions and candlelight are a welcoming combination. Of course, the main source of heat in a sitting room is the fireplace, and as well as making sure the fire itself is effective, dressing the area with rustic accessories creates a pleasing focal point. “Baskets of logs by the fireplace work really well to bring natural textures into your design,” says Sims-Hilditch. RIGHT ABOVE A bold ikat pattern wakes up plain floors and ladd ns Sa Ru , , ndrew artin RIGHT s w lass n ral rows and n or ora a r dw a n a old on o arr a eaver reen av iamond eave throw, , ational rust
COUNTRY ESTATE SITTING ROOM
ABOVE andl l ,w r ar al or r al, ns an l s s s n Aten light, from £1,500 (small), Soane Britain RIGHT lass r w l ro d r an s d on rn s n s, la s ad s or n as wall ar o n ora n r ors w r Butterfl rewel abri , a metre, Coromandel Crewel BELOW RIGHT lass a ssor s n w l on s a a nl o l n r ors Cr stal vase, Sta , aho an Brown, , Ra hel Bates
ABOVE a rows and s ons a and or ra war and o or (From left): Arthur stool in Clara Slate, elilah ushion in rla/ oss, sabelle ushion in Chloe/ oss, sabelle ushion in arr Rose i , uburn ushion in eometri re wool, uburn throw, hornton throw, , all e tune
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ABOVE Burnt oranges infuse s s w an n r s ar ubois tufted ottoman in Patola linen, , ind the a LEFT a r s and so rn s n s n an assor n o las n olo rs and a rns o r a a lor o sl l l s Curtains, tavia, a metre hair, a Blue reen, a metre lar e linder shade, from £56, all Kate Forman RIGHT n ro s s lo as on s a os ood Re tan ular ro e lo bas et, , mara
THE ENGLISH HOME 81
Warm reception
The advantage of a wool lampshade is a thick rim and a deep saturated colour. Teal wool lampshade, choice of 27 colours, £28, ByMarie at Not On The High Street.com
Create warmth practically and visually with a patterned full-length curtain covering the front door. Curtain, Jardine, Navy, £85 a metre, Colefax and fowler
ABOVE Functional and stylish, this cotton door stop features a handy strap so it is easy to move to close the door. Natural Cotton Door Stop, £16, The White Company
Keep four-legged friends off the ground and away from drafts. Dog Day Bed, custom made, £1,200, Cornish Bed Company
These handsome tweed doorstops are both practical and a heartwarming sight. Stag doorstop in Attadale Lichen (left) or Banff Marine (right), £65, Johnstons of Elgin
A bespoke wool-covered notebook makes a convivial addition to hallway tables. Use as a handsome guestbook or to write last minute messages to loved ones whilst dashing out of the door. Twill wool-covered notebooks, £17.50 each, Laura’s Loom at Not On The High Street.com
82 THE ENGLISH HOME
NATURAL CHARM In cottage hallways consider adding rugs, textiles and furnishings in natural textures to provide warmth and rustic charm. Within a predominantly neutral scheme hues of deep blue, dark grey and earthy brown are eminently suitable, as are lovingly hand-crafted throws, baskets and other accessories. “To shut out the winter chill, we recommend installing a drapery arm and a heavyweight curtain, with a pretty fabric on both sides, across your front door,” says Sims-Hilditch. “This creates a cosy, cocooning effect and ensures you don’t compromise on the aesthetic of your design when guests see the reverse side of the fabric through the window of your door. A heavier textured fabric like a wool or heavyweight linen would work well in this instance, and two layers will provide extra thermal insulation.” RIGHT ABOVE Handmade throws in different textures and earthy hues will be perfect for wrapping up in after a long winter walk. Bespoke hand-crocheted blankets, from £240, Damson & Slate RIGHT Place a diffuser on a hall table to fill the hallway with a welcoming fragrance. Isabella diffuser, £26, Addison Ross
COUNTRY COTTAGE HALLWAY
Maximise the space in hallway corners to create a snug nook. Sheepskin chair, £1,100, and all other products The White Company
FEATURE SUZANNA LE GROVE PHOTOGRAPHS P77 (EVITAVONNI) © DOMINIC BLACKMORE; (LIGHTS4FUN) © OLIVER PERROTT; (TOAST) © DAVID LOTHIAN; P78 (BD DESIGNS) © JAKE FITZJONES; (TORI MURPHY) © JACK NEVILLE; P79 (LSA) © CHRISTINE MUIRHEAD; P80 (CHESNEYS) © JAKE FITZJONES; P82 (JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN) © ANGUS BREMNER); (THE WHITE COMPANY) © TAMSIN JONES
ABOVE Rich colour and a patterned cushion make for an elegant shoe bench. Shoe bench with doors, £495, The Dormy House RIGHT Even if not used often, a chaise longue in a sumptuous velvet exudes luxurious warmth. The Hunter chaise longue, £1,265, Sweetpea & Willow
FROM ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT A natural woven basket has a cosy aesthetic and can be used for a dried seasonal flower display, as well as for storage purposes. Sienna woven basket, £30, The Future Kept; A functional winter essential, this draught excluder invests the hallway with a rich depth of colour. Draught excluder in Black Chambray, £22, Garden Trading; Dress hallway seats with textured cushions to bestow visual warmth every day. Oxford Stripe cushions in Monsoon (left) and Dove Grey (right), £30 each, Weaver Green; Neatly folded throws amplify the visual warmth. Organic wool throw, £200, Naturalmat n
THE ENGLISH HOME 83
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Shared VISIONS Leading interior designers reveal the British craftspeople whose skill, ingenuity and passion for quality they trust to bring complex ideas to life
E
very interior designer’s address book features key craftspeople they commission for specially made items. Furniture to fit an awkward space, paint effects, lighting beyond the ordinary, bespoke textiles and metalwork, or an aspect of restoration, can all on occasion need bespoke solutions, and interior designers build relationships with the craftspeople who can deliver them. Besides skill in executing the commissions, craftspeople must also be mind readers, digesting the designer’s thinking and returning it fully formed. ‘Found in translation’ is one way to sum it up. Here we discover the relationship between designer and craftsperson that results in true beauty.
Flora Roberts has worked with a number of interior designers on bespoke murals, including for Nina Campbell (see page 88). Here, her original artwork for the Garland panel design hangs in her studio. The design is now part of her collection for Hamilton Weston Wallpapers.
THE ENGLISH HOME 85
Victoria Davar’s chandelier commission was a fresh take on Cox London’s Genoese chandelier.
Victoria Davar & Christopher Cox VICTORIA DAVAR Antiques dealer and interior designer, Victoria Davar, is well known for taking on the decoration of period houses, including the sourcing of antique furniture and lighting. For this Grade II listed Georgian mansion, Davar asked Christopher Cox of Cox London to design a significant chandelier for the large dining room. “I wanted a fitting that would relate easily with the antiques in the room but add lightness and simplicity to balance its grand scale and the furniture,” she says. The kind of design Davar had in mind was realised as a bespoke version of the Genoese chandelier Cox London makes. “The gilded stem feels antique,” she says, “but the arms and metalwork have simple lines and an organic flow. It is all lightness and grace.” Cox provided a scale drawing to ensure the chandelier would be in proportion with the scale of the room and brought samples of the metalwork to demonstrate how it would work within Davar’s planned colour scheme. “Chris’s work incorporates so many details that make a difference, from the flowers and leaves to the French style tapered electrified candles,” Davar says. “Even the chain the chandelier hangs from is a feature, almost like a vine. Chris has a special talent for understanding another person’s vision. It makes collaborations like this one intensely satisfying.” Tel 020 7381 2500; maisonartefact.com CHRISTOPHER COX Lighting & furniture “I’m from three generations of antiques dealers,” says Christopher Cox, “and after studying sculpture at art school – where I met my wife and fellow sculptor, Nicola – I worked for a metal restorer who took me to collect jobs from the best dealers and interior designers. It was wonderful training because I took apart and rewired every style of chandelier, so when I made my own first prototype, I knew exactly what to do having dismantled so many of them.” Christopher and Nicola started their business in 1998, casting in bronze in a garage, and launched Cox London in 2005, now well known for lighting and contemporary furniture. “We began making pieces for Victoria early on,” Cox says. “I love the vigour of her 86 THE ENGLISH HOME
ABOVE LEFT The Goddess floor lamp illustrates a more contemporary lighting creation designed and made by Cox London. ABOVE RIGHT The success of their work together on the main chandelier for the room inspired Victoria Davar and Christopher Cox to create bespoke wall lights for the same room.
attitude. When we begin to talk about a chandelier commission for any her projects, she’ll always tell me the dimensions of the room, whether it’s to hang over a table, the size and style of the furniture, even the colour scheme, so that together we agree on the scale of the piece that will suit the room. “For this Genoese chandelier, we talked a lot about balance and how to arrange the beading – some clear, some coloured and some antique. She is always open to my suggestions, in this instance that the amethyst beads would be most effective used lower down on the piece. In fact, our work together on this chandelier was so transformative to the room that we then worked together on a style for companion wall lights.” Tel 020 3328 9506; coxlondon.com
Ben Pentreath & Geoffrey Preston BEN PENTREATH When in-demand architectural interior designer Ben Pentreath was asked to work on an eighteenth-century house in Oxfordshire, he asked Geoffrey Preston to design a ceiling for the entrance hall in a new wing. “I knew we wanted an element of decorative plasterwork and I was well aware of Geoffrey’s work,” Pentreath says. “He is an amazing man and part of the living craft tradition, which is about more than just copying old patterns. I discussed ideas with Geoffrey and my clients, and suggested he might look at early Georgian plasterwork at Mompesson House in Salisbury as an indication of the style I had in mind. Of course, he was already familiar with the plasterwork there.” Preston began by preparing two design options for Pentreath to see, one more architectural and one more decorative and there are elements of both in the finished work. “Plasterwork is an unusual process,” Pentreath explains. “You can’t leave very much to chance, especially when working in the style of the early eighteenth century. And you need someone who models by hand and that is what Geoffrey does. I can't think of anyone else I would trust with a project like this one.” Tel 020 7430 2424; benpentreath.com
GEOFFREY PRESTON Plasterwork A leading exponent of architectural sculpture, Geoffrey Preston first trained as a sculptor then as a stonemason and carver. He set up his workshop in Devon in 2000, modelling, moulding and casting work in clay or directly modelling in stucco. He has worked on many important restoration projects including hand-modelled plasterwork at Uppark House in West Sussex after the great fire there in 1989, but he also takes on smaller commissions from private clients, often for a decorative ceiling or an overmantel or plaque for a period house. “Ben’s design is beautifully proportioned and flooded with natural light,” Preston says. “A staircase hall is quite a theatrical space and for me that’s exciting because as you climb the stairs, the ceiling gets viewed from every angle, and in close up from the landing.” Preston particularly enjoyed working on the central eclipse. “I loved the joyful element in the movement of the leaves surrounded by what we call the gadroon, a series of convex curves that’s a tour de force for the maker. Ben and his client were a delight to work for and were so encouraging. I think they got the best out of me.” Tel 01392 811421; geoffreypreston.co.uk
ABOVE LEFT Ben Pentreath sought the skills of Geoffrey Preston for this decorative ceiling in an eighteenth-century house. It is inspired by the early Georgian plasterwork at Mompesson House in Salisbury. ABOVE RIGHT The complete plasterwork ceiling seen from below. The central eclipse features alternating fruit and flowers.
THE ENGLISH HOME 87
NINA CAMPBELL One of Britain’s most esteemed interior designers, Nina Campbell has an instinct for spotting young talent. “Flora Roberts was not long out of art school when I saw her painting a mural,” Campbell says. “I was working on the interior of Ellenborough Park hotel [in Gloucestershire] at the time and I knew the dark wooden staircase with panelled dado wouldn’t look right with a standard wallpaper, so I commissioned Flora to paint a mural there.” The hotel is in parkland, so Campbell suggested the local landscape should be the theme. “I never like directing artists too much; it’s inhibiting,” she explains. “I sow the idea. I suggested the colour palette for this mural, then I stepped back. Flora did an amazing job, keeping within the colour boundaries I’d suggested, and the effect is far more theatrical than wallpaper. There were sizeable projecting wall lights at intervals up the stairs and Flora had the clever idea of positioning branches so that each light appears to be suspended from the bough of a tree. She did a wonderful job.” Tel 020 7225 1011; ninacampbellinteriors.com 88 THE ENGLISH HOME
FLORA ROBERTS Decorative painting Flora Roberts studied printed textiles at Glasgow School of Art followed by an MA at the Royal College of Art. Then her career took an unexpected direction, leaving textiles behind, after she painted a mural for her sister that then appeared in a magazine. “That led to me being commissioned to paint a mural for a fashion boutique,” Roberts explains, “and Nina happened to walk in while I was working on it.” Serendipity all round, as Campbell needed a mural painter for the Ellenborough Park hotel project. It was decided that the mural should be painted on canvas rather than directly on to the wall so as not to inconvenience the workings of the hotel. “As part of my research, I got the idea for mural painting on canvas from Rex Whistler,” Roberts says, “and I went to look at his mural in the restaurant at Tate Britain. It was quite a challenge working on three-metre-wide canvas. In fact, I had to rent a space at the back of the Theatre Royal in Windsor where their scenery is painted, and sometimes plays were going on whilst I was working. When putting large themes together on a wall like this stairway, perspective can be tricky. But, best of all, Nina trusted me to solve the problems any project like this throws up and she was delighted with the result.” Tel 07771 878602; floraroberts.co.uk
ABOVE LEFT The mural Nina Campbell commissioned Flora Roberts to paint at Gloucestershire’s Ellenborough Park hotel. Roberts took inspiration from the surrounding parkland and cleverly painted the branches to ensure the wall lights appear to be hanging from them. ABOVE RIGHT Collaborating with several wallpaper companies has made Flora Roberts’ decorative work accessible to many. Doves, for Lewis & Wood, is recognised for its soft colours and serene charm.
FEATURE CELIA RUFEY PHOTOGRAPHS P85 © TOM TEASDALE; P86 (CHRISTOPHER COX PORTRAIT) © ALUN CALLENDER; P87 (BEN PENTREATH PORTRAIT) © SIMON BEVAN; (PRESTON PORTRAIT) © NICK CARTER; (ABOVE LEFT) © JASON INGRAM; (ABOVE RIGHT) © NICK CARTER; P88 (NINA CAMPBELL PORTRAIT) © SIMON BROWN; (FLORA ROBERTS PORTRAIT) © TOM TEASDALE; P89 (JOANNA WOOD PORTRAIT) © HEINER ORTH
Nina Campbell & Flora Roberts
Joanna Wood & Michael Jacques JOANNA WOOD Renowned interior designer, Joanna Wood describes master blacksmith Michael Jacques as a wizard. “He has made numerous items for my projects – from fire grates to a garden bridge, even a gazebo,” she says. “The staircase for the house in this commission leads to a sensational roof garden, complete with kitchen, that I worked on with florist and garden designer Stephen Woodhams,” Wood continues. “The balustrade leading up to it needed to have an organic element – anticipating plants, flowers and growth. Michael instantly understood that the style I wanted should be both airy and delicate and achieved exactly what I had hoped. Whenever we collaborate I’m the hem of the garment and he makes the dress.” Tel 020 7730 0693; joannawood.com
ABOVE Joanna Wood worked with Michael Jacques on a design for a stair balustrade at the top of a house where the emphasis in the design was on visual lightness. LEFT This ornate strap hinge was made by Michael Jacques to give authenticity to a new door for a period property.
MICHAEL JACQUES Master blacksmith Michael Jacques is a master blacksmith specialising in hand-forged metalwork, inspired by English architecture and landscape. He set up his forge in 1991 and much of his work is in steel, but he also works in wrought iron, aluminium, brass, bronze and copper. He holds a silver medal from The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths for the high quality of his designs. “When Joanna Wood came to see me about commissioning a new balustrade for one of her projects, she had a clear view of the style of design she wanted. The stairway was to be incredibly lightweight to suit a space that is lit from above,” Jacques says. “I did some sketches for her and a sample in metal as it was essential to agree the level of delicacy, but also to judge the feel of the metal in the hand. Joanna asked for a greater fineness in the scrolls and these small adjustments made quite a difference. We agreed to highlight the leaves on the balusters with tiny touches of gold leaf to catch the light. The other stairway I worked on in the same house was an extension to an existing balustrade in a much more linear design in keeping with the classic contemporary style of the interior. Both of these projects were forged in steel.” Tel 01865 891810; mejj.co.uk n 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 FIRE IS SO DELIGHTFUL
The crackling of logs, the comforting smokey aromas and captivating flickering of flames makes cosying up by the fire one of the great delights of winter. Make the fireplace the gathering point of the room, whether for a read of a favourite book, a warming hot toddy or a friendly game of chess, with a handy butler’s tray and fold-out stand. Set the mood with the glow of candles, ensure the log basket is well stocked and hunker down for the night. Hambledon Butler’s tray, £150, Garden Trading
THE ENGLISH HOME 91
MY ENGLISH HOME
Matthew Fort FROM PATCH TO PLATE
I
have just drawn three oblongs on a blank page in my gardening diary. I call it a diary, but, in truth it’s more a set of random jottings with dates attached. Be that as it may, those three oblongs are signs of hope, of the future, of the cheery optimism that must flower in the bosom of every vegetable grower. Each one represents a bed to be seeded at the appropriate time in the growing season to come. To be honest, just at the moment my vegetable beds look singularly inert, as if they couldn’t be bothered to get up this morning. But ... but ... but beneath that dozy surface things are stirring, even if I can’t see them. Preparations are under way. Compost has been loaded on them, with a topping of manure to draw up the worms and get them to do the heavy lifting of dragging all that manury, composty goodness down into the soil. February is the month to plan the spring assault – radishes here, carrots there, broad beans in this bed, peas in that, potatoes over there, and so on or so forth. In the not too distant future, sorrel will be
92 THE ENGLISH HOME
putting in an appearance – it’s always the first vegetable to galvanise itself – and rhubarb blanching inside its old-fashioned pot will be keeping it company. And after rhubarb, what? The race is on. Ah, a gardener may dream. In the meantime, I rely on my local farmers’ market for vegetables. Farmers’ markets are yet another thing we owe to the Americas (along with potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, chocolate, tobacco, corn, pumpkins and turkeys). They had a long and honourable tradition in the USA before they arrived in England. (The one in Bath that opened in 1997 is generally credited with being the UK’s first farmers’ market in the modern sense.) I’m very lucky because I live a few miles away from one of this country’s finest, Stroud Farmer’s Market, which is my source of great pleasure and foods of every kind that I can’t produce myself, including vegetables during the long winter months. There is a myth that there’s scarcely a green winter vegetable worth eating. “Oh cabbage,” people say, “so boring. Oh kale, so virtuous. Brussels sprouts – well, I’d rather not.” Well, I beg to differ. I’ve counted 11 green vegetables at a market in February, each with its particular character and uses: three cabbages (Savoy, January King, white); three kales (Russian, Cavolo Nero, curly); leeks; cauliflowers; Brussels sprouts; turnip tops; and beet tops. And that’s not including red cabbage (because it isn’t green). It’s sad that these magnificent beasts of the vegetable patch aren’t more highly regarded and seemingly don’t have the
romance of beans, peas, asparagus or courgettes. To my way of thinking and tasting they are every bit as delicious, radiating good health and versatility. Best of all, they bring colour and mass to soups and stews, sitting easily alongside those other winter stalwarts, root vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, parsnips, swedes and turnips. The stew is the pluperfect winter dish, heart-warming, filling, cheering. A good stew will fill a kitchen with the odours of pleasure and fulfilment. Think of Irish stew, oxtail, Lancashire hotpot, shin of beef with dumplings. Think even of Hindle Wakes, that great northernEnglish chicken and prune stew of mysterious origin. The world of stews is many and varied, whether hefty and hearty or light and lively. Of course, stews take a bit of time, but most of that time is spent with them, well, stewing away gently on the hob or in the oven. While the ingredients ‘politely exchange flavours’, as an old chum of mine once put it – the odd bubble popping gently on the the surface, releasing those divine aromas – one can snooze quietly in front of the fire. Stews may not be smart, they may not the fashionable, but they’re as easy to cook as they are to eat and bring comfort and cheer even on a dank February day. n 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.
PHOTOGRAPHS P92 (PORTRAIT) GRANT SCOTT. P93 © STOCKFOOD / GARETH MORGANS ILLUSTRATIONS MAMITA/SHUTTERSTOCK
During a period when his own vegetable beds lie dormant, the food writer and critic is thankful for farmers’ markets full of delicious produce with which to make heart-warming stews
LANCASHIRE HOT POT Serves 4
INGREDIENTS 8 best of neck lamb chops 500g lamb meat (shoulder, neck and shin) 500g onions 15g butter Water or lamb stock 1kg potatoes
METHOD • If you can, this should be cooked in a traditional stove pipe-shaped terracotta pot, but a casserole will do just as well. Turn on the oven to 200°C/392°F/Gas Mark 6. • Stack the meat, onions and potatoes in layers, finishing with a thick layer of potatoes on top, neatly laid out like fish scales. • Season each layer as you go. Add water, or better lamb stock, about halfway up the pot. Paint the top layer of potatoes with melted butter. • Cover and put into the oven for 30 minutes. Turn down the oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3 and cook for 2½ hours. • Take off the cover after 1 hour to allow the potatoes on top to brown. Serve with pickled red cabbage (traditional) or January King cabbage cooked in lamb or chicken stock (me).
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THE SEASONAL HOME: Winter Find beauty in the few delicate blooms that thrive in the cooler months, along with pretty bulbs, and use foliage to bring the outdoors in and create eye-catching displays for New Year entertaining
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inter can provide more of a challenge for decorating the home with seasonal flowers and plants. Traditional greenery and foliage used over the festive period, such as holly and ivy is obviously abundant and can be utilised beyond Christmas in creative ways. Other leaves such as eucalyptus can also look beautiful in a simple vase. Late winter can see the emergence of some early bulbs and blooms in the garden, some of which can be used in arrangements indoors – snowdrops, hellebores and anemones bring cheer from later January into Februrary. It is the challenges of the season that most appeal to Anna Potter, founder of Swallows & Damsons, a flower shop in Yorkshire, and author of The Flower Fix. “I have really started to appreciate winter over the last few years as I find the challenge to continue to work with what’s available outside forces me to pay closer attention and think outside the box. It is easy to create a showstopping display with amazing blooms, but winter allows for more considered, wilder and quieter arrangements that are a total reflection of the season.” Potter suggests collecting dried materials from previous seasons to utilise in the scarcer months. “There is a real fashion for dried flowers, which is sustainable too, and less demand for exotic imports,” she reveals. “I love working with seedheads, such as scabious and poppies; collecting sculptural gnarly
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branches covered in lichen – everything becomes a bit more obscure and interesting in winter. It’s less about blooms and more about textures.” As winter progresses Potter heralds “hellebores as a welcome flower in a time of scarcity. They are a favourite because there is not much else around!” However she enthuses she loves these cheerful ‘Christmas Roses’ too because they often have folklore around them. “They are actually a poisonous flower and have many old wives tales surrounding them.” From warding off demons, to symbolizing serenity, this member of the buttercup family is highly symbolic. Potter adds, “I think with a lot of delicate winter flowers there is a magical quality to them. Perhaps because they bloom in harsh conditions, which is quite poetic.” Flowers such as ranunculus can also be available – though perhaps not from the garden but grown under glass. Narcissi such as paper whites can be forced to grow indoors as a houseplant – along with cyclamen, hyacinths and amaryllis, which can all be used to brighten up a table in an array of cheerful colours. Over the coming pages we explore ways to use the plants and flowers available in winter to decorate tables for entertaining in the New Year, as well as tips from Anna Potter on creating a winter wreath to last through to spring and a detailed, beautiful arrangement in a cloche.
ABOVE LEFT Hellebores – or Christmas roses – are one of the few flow rs o loo n the depths of winter, bringing a cheerful burst of colour in pretty pastel hues. RIGHT A welcome sight in winter, delicate snowdrops cannot fail to delight. Flowering from as early as Januaury, they can be cut and arranged in jam jars, bottles and bud vases for a sweet note on a windowsill to brighten even a gloomy day.
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White magic Team hues of snowy white, crisp green and shimmering silver to create a magical scene for celebrations with loved ones After the richness of festive arrangements in reds, greens and gold, it can be nice to pare things back to a simple and effective palette of clean whites. Whether it is snowy outdoors or not, this clean, bright, fresh look is perfect for winter dinner parties, offset with twinkling candles for a magical atmosphere. Here we share some creative ideas for dressing the table throughout winter.
‘Many, many welcomes, February fair-maid, Ever as of old time, Solitary firstling, Coming in the cold time’ The Snowdrop by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892)
PURE BEAUTY Snowdrops can work beautifully as a cut flower and arranging them simply in jam jars, bud vases or champagne flutes in a table arrangement allows their delicate beauty to be viewed close-up, as well as the indoor warmth intensifying their beautiful fragrance. SILVER SETTING Gather pinecones and spray lightly with metallic paint to add extra shimmer to place settings. Arranged in bowls or casually strewn on the table they work well with other silver decorations for a frosted, lustrous look.
WELCOME ADDITION Though not in season, roses can be bought from florists to add a romantic note to table centrepieces. Whether set in a wreath, vase or arranged around a candle along with sprigs of pine, fir, holly or ivy, perhaps berries for another texture, roses add interest and charm.
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DAINTY DISPLAYS Early blooms such as hellebores and paper whites create charming displays in glasses or votives wrapped in silver tissue paper and ribbon. Here strips of sheet music add a personalised touch and make for a centrepiece that could also be given as a gift to guests as they leave. SIMPLE ELEGANCE White vases filled with evergreen foliage make a striking arrangement. A sprinkling of gypsophila adds a pretty delicacy to the display. Pair with mercury silver tealight holders and line up along a shelf or mantelpiece. FOCAL POINT Amaryllis are long-lasting plants that can be nurtured for years, providing an annual display of large blooms. A striking arrangement of several bulbs could be taken from a hallway table and proudly used as a centrepiece for a winter celebration.
DRESSED TO IMPRESS The delicate silver-green of eucalyptus is a beautiful choice for creating a central garland. Add sprigs of white flowers, and tie miniature posies of paper whites to adorn napkins. Sprays of gypsophila add a snowy effect and silver candelabras with elegant white tapered candles add to the romantic mood. THE ENGLISH HOME 97
Winter creativity Anna Potter, author of The Flower Fix, shares her tips on creating winter wreaths to hang indoors, or out, and a beautiful arrangement under glass
ABOVE & RIGHT Swallows & Damsons founder and florist Anna Potter has used a palette of yellows, whites and pale greens for an enchanting winter wreath that will last until spring.
CLOCHE CREATION “These are so simple and effective to create. There is something about preserving flowers under glass that promotes a fairytale-like quality – customers often think it evokes Beauty and the Beast. I find the glass cloche gives a real added dimension to the flowers. “To achieve this look, you need a small bowl of water with something to steady the flowers, perhaps chicken wire or a flower frog secured with tape. It needs a few stems measuring the height of the cloche so you have something tall to reach the top, and the rest staggering down. Make sure to cover the base with moss. In other arrangements, I have included mushrooms, leaves, branches, pine cones – you can be really playful and collect treasure over autumn and use it throughout winter. A display like this should keep for one to two weeks in cool conditions.” n 98 THE ENGLISH HOME
“During the winter months we have customers who don’t want traditional wreaths just for Christmas. They are interested in different colourways, with wreaths full of textures found in winter. “We made this wreath in late November to last through to February. It is full of yellows and whites – including yellow and white holly – though I think that’s a sign of under-nourishment in the plant. A thing I love about winter is you can use weeds and things that are not deemed gardenworthy or prestigious to make something beautiful, and used dried things that have been collected throughout the year. “When making wreaths using fresh materials, we always consider how they will dry out and retain their shape and colour even though these will change over time. This means they can last for months.”
MATERIALS: Holly Holly berries Ivy berries
Forsythia foliage Senecio sunshine Moss
MATERIALS: Ranunculus Eucalyptus Slipper orchids Hellebores Astrantia Moss Bracken
LEFT Placing a glass cloche over this carefully curated display of blooms and foraged materials gives the arrangement a greater prestige.
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN PHOTOGRAPHS P94, P95, P96 (TOP RIGHT) & P97 (TOP LEFT) © FLORA PRESS/EWA. P96 (LEFT) © KOLPAKOVA SVETLANA/SHUTTERSTOCK; (BOTTOM RIGHT) © SYMBIOT/SHUTTERSTOCK; P97 (TOP RIGHT) © NARRATIVES/BRIDGET PEIRSON; (BOTTOM RIGHT) © NARRATIVES/POLLY WREFORD; (BOTTOM LEFT) © ALICIA GARSIDE/SHUTTERSTOCK. P98 © INDIA HOBSON, TAKEN FROM THE FLOWER FIX BY ANNA POTTER, WHITE LION PUBLISHING
WINTER WONDER
White Porcelain Made in England
t: +44 (0)1538 371471
e: home@scabetti.uk.com
www.scabetti.uk.com
Combination of scroll & cylindrical Shoals in a private residence. Photo by Yves Garneau.
Lighting for all the senses. Untitled-1 1
handandeyestudio.co.uk 28/06/2020 19:08:36
Heritage
TO TREASURE British heritage properties have been emerging into a new landscape following a period of national lockdown, with their keepers having to adapt and focus on ways to preserve these much-cherished sites for generations to come
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hilst we have all missed regular visits to country houses – and their tea rooms – they have missed us, too. Most of them rely on entrance fees for maintenance and staff costs, so the pandemic has been devastating, and it is not just the small trusts, galleries and museums that have suffered. “It was tough having to close everything down,” says National Trust spokesperson Allan King, “but it’s been even harder to reopen because of the safety issues around staff, visitors and volunteers.” Where some have held art auctions, Crowdfunder events, paid-for lectures and
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virtual tours, others have appealed to benefactors both at home and abroad. The good news is that there are a number of ways to help: becoming a member, a friend, buying a season ticket or making a donation, all are a means to invest in the nation’s heritage. Many of the locations have glorious gardens where restricted visits are now becoming a possibility, so autumn looks set to promise some wonderful outdoor experiences. Though it is challenging to select any one property over another, over the following pages we provide an overview of key sites from across the United Kingdom.
ABOVE With spectacular views over Strangford Lough, Grey Abbey House in County Down, Northern Ireland enjoys a temperate climate that supports a wealth of flora and fauna. The estate also owns three islands on the lough.
PHOTOGRAPHS (CHARLESTON) ALL © PENELOPE FEWSTER/CHARLESTON TRUST
England
CHARLESTON FARMHOUSE The pandemic has been financially devastating for Charleston in East Sussex, the country home of the Bloomsbury Group, as it relies entirely on visitors to the house and the Charleston Festival for its income. “The government’s directive is only half the picture and we still face months of closure,” says Jennifer Grindley of The Charleston Trust. Charleston Festival at Home, a series of free virtual events bringing artists, writers, thinkers and changemakers together online to explore art, literature and society, reached 16,000 people last June, many of whom donated to Charleston’s Emergency Appeal. Also in June, an auction of works by 143 artists raised an impressive £55,135. Brighton-based artist Emily Maude, who hosted the auction, says: “The love for Charleston and the desire to give back to somewhere that has inspired so many is heartwarming... I have been introduced to new artists, who in turn have sold works and found new audiences... you have given such hope in these times.” For more information, visit charleston.org.uk
TOP A plaster bust of author Virginia Woolf by sculptor Stephen Tomlin, created in 1931 at Charleston. ABOVE The exterior of the historic farmhouse. RIGHT Clive Bell’s study at Charleston, with trademark Bloomsbury fabric, painted furniture and ceramics.
LEFT The library at Stokesay Court featured in the film Atonement starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. It is hoped that more films could be made at the property one day. A house the size of Stokesay Court always has a to-do list, and it being a private family home means balancing safety issues for both residents and visitors.
STOKESAY COURT This privately owned and lived-in family home in Shropshire relies on tours and events to maintain it. When reopening, the new social distancing rules will require more staff and extra costs. “Whilst it is a nice idea to take the time to catch up on jobs and renovations, we have to balance the opportunity against the lack of income from opening to pay for such works,” says Alasdair Crawford, who runs the property. The team have used the time to tackle a backlog of jobs in the gardens since “they do not need to be so crisply presented every single week for visitors”. Visit for the library and other rooms where key scenes for the film Atonement were shot. “The ideal would be another major feature film to be set in the house,” says Crawford. stokesaycourt.com THE ENGLISH HOME 101
FARLEY’S HOUSE AND GALLERY Life in lockdown was surreal at the house of the Surrealists. The Sussex home of photographer and war reporter Lee Miller and her husband, the painter Roland Penrose, was in the past visited by Picasso, Max Ernst, Man Ray and Henry Moore, and all left their mark, often in the form of great art and original photographs. As a family-run house, the property receives no grants, and for the first time in 40 years, has made an appeal to the public to save the priceless archives. The property relies on the sale of rights in the UK and abroad – where it has previously run touring exhibitions. “The recognition of us from the public on Crowdfunder has proven our worth to those who turned us away,” says Lee Miller’s granddaughter, Ami Bouhassane. Visit for an insight into Surrealism and twentieth-century modern art. crowdfunder.co.uk/farleyshouseandgallery
RED HOUSE Described by Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones as “the beautifullest place on earth”, Red House in Bexleyheath, Greater London, is the only property commissioned, created and lived in by founder of the Arts and Crafts movement William Morris. Designed along the principles of ‘beauty in utility’, it celebrates artisan craftsmanship in contrast to the mechanisation of the time. During lockdown, staff focused on social media, sharing the property’s heritage with supporters and potential visitors. As a small house, social distancing cannot be easily maintained, so its reopening is postponed. The team had hoped to recreate part of the garden – outlined in the original plans as “designed to clothe the house’’ – with wattle-fenced ‘rooms’ for secluded relaxation but have run out of funds. Visit for Philip Webb designs and PreRaphaelite paintings. nationaltrust.org.uk/red-house
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ABOVE Farley’s House is full of surprises, such as the Orator’s Chair from Papua New Guinea. This beautiful old Sussex barn is found down Muddles Lane near Chiddingly in East Sussex. ABOVE RIGHT The facade of Farley’s. BELOW LEFT A reception room at Red House, home of William Morris and his wife Jane. The rooms give a unique view of their domestic life and the social significance of their work. RIGHT A view of Red House with the wisteria in full bloom.
Scotland
PHOTOGRAPHS P102 (FARLEY’S HOUSE) ALL BY TONY TREE © LEE MILLER ARCHIVES, ENGLAND 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. LEEMILLER.CO.UK; (RED HOUSE INTERIOR) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL; (RED HOUSE EXTERIOR) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ROBERT SMITH
THE HILL HOUSE Commissioned by Glasgow publisher Walter Blackie, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife, Margaret, designed almost everything here, from the building itself to the furniture and textiles. Considered a masterpiece when it was built in the early 1900s, over a century of the west of Scotland’s harsh, wet weather conditions has battered this revolutionary design, and the pandemic has meant no visitor revenue for the conservation programme that began last year. “If we don’t act soon, the house will be irreparably damaged and we’ll lose its iconic architecture and unique interiors,” says National Trust for Scotland. Once completed, the work will allow access to the house and to views that have not been seen before, even by Mackintosh, due to walkways around and over the house. Visit for a mix of Arts and Crafts, art nouveau, and Scottish Baronial styles. nts.org.uk/visit/places/the-hill-house
ABOVE The dark pine hallway of The Hill House, featuring the squares and rectangles typical of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s designs. The genius of his wife, Margaret Macdonald is also pervasive. “Margaret is more than half – she is three-quarters – of all I’ve done,” the architect said of his spouse. RIGHT Colour is used sparingly but to great effect in the furniture, seen here with Margaret’s rose design.
TRAQUAIR HOUSE Scotland’s oldest inhabited house dates from 1107 and was originally a royal hunting lodge that hosted 27 Scottish monarchs including Mary Queen of Scots. It has been lived in by the Stuart family since 1491 and nowadays it is in the hands of Catherine Maxwell Stuart, 21st Lady of Traquair and her family. Free virtual tours and activity on social media kept the property on the public’s radar during lockdown, and the house and its grounds are now currently open to visitors once more, with events, a wedding venue (the house has its own chapel) and tours on offer. There is also the chance to live like royalty and stay in one of the house’s luxurious bedrooms. Visit for a history lesson on Scottish kings and queens, to wander in the maze (said to rival that at Hampton Court Palace) and to sample some of the fine ales crafted at Traquair House’s own brewery. traquair.co.uk
ABOVE LEFT Traquair House, Scotland’s oldest inhabited house, and its grounds. LEFT The King’s Room, where kings and queens of Scotland stayed when they visited. THE ENGLISH HOME 103
MOUNT STEWART This neoclassical mansion in County Down was built in the mid-1830s and has gardens of worldwide renown created in the early twentieth century by Edith, Lady Londonderry, wife of the 7th Marquess. The stable block, farmyards and walled garden are architectural gems in their own right, and the property is surrounded by woodland (with red squirrels) and orchards. The eighteenth-century Temple of the Winds, completed as a banqueting hall in 1785, is identical in design to the ancient Tower of the Winds in Athens. Mount Stewart has always been a magnet to visitors, but without the public returning, its future is fragile. Visit, too, for the domed staircase hall, the music room and folly. nationaltrust.org/mount-stewart TOP RIGHT & LEFT The imposing West Stairs and hall at Mount Stewart. The hall features a black and white stone floor and tapestry-lined walls. RIGHT The Italian garden, part of extensive, world-renowned planting created by Edith, Lady Londonderry in the early 1900s.
GREY ABBEY HOUSE Overlooking Strangford Lough on the Ards Peninsula, County Down, Grey Abbey House is named after the twelfth-century Cistercian Abbey ruins in the grounds. This private home, owned by the Montgomery family since 1607, used family reserves to survive during the lockdown and retained a gardener to ensure the grounds could be opened as lockdown eased – horticultural groups are set to arrive in autumn to see the southern hemisphere planting. Its popularity as a location for films including The Woman in White, My Mother and Other Strangers and Mrs Wilson may help again in the future. “We very much hope for more films and TV programmes as these are wonderful fundraisers for the house and estate,” says a spokesperson for the Montgomery family. Visit for the Gothic windows in the drawing room and the cantilevered staircase in the main hall. greyabbeyhouse.com FAR LEFT The Gothic windows in the drawing room at Grey Abbey House in County Down. LEFT The cantilevered dividing staircase in the main hall dates from 1790. 104 THE ENGLISH HOME
PHOTOGRAPHS P104 (MOUNT STEWART – INTERIORS) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL; (MOUNT STEWART – GARDEN) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CHRIS LACEY. P105 (LLANERCHAERON – INTERIOR) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL; (EXTERIOR) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JAMES DOBSON; (PICTON CASTLE) © BELINDA BEAN
Northern Ireland
Wales PICTON CASTLE This medieval castle with a Georgian wing in Pembrokeshire was inhabited until 30 years ago. It has always been owned by important Welsh families and normally welcomes 30,000 visitors a year. It consists of four symmetrically placed half-round towers and a gatehouse flanked by two narrower towers, a style unique in the UK. A successful Crowdfunder appeal was launched during lockdown and a discount is being offered on tickets bought in advance. The Welsh Owl Garden and 40 acres of grounds are now open and there are special offers on the two self-catering cottages. In the diary are fairs, plant sales, dog shows and photography courses to generate income. Visit for the the white-and-gold drawing room and the eighteenth-century walled gardens with exotic, Mediterranean and native plants providing year-round interest. pictoncastle.co.uk ABOVE RIGHT The Great Hall at Picton Castle, a fully developed medieval castle built in 1280 that was transformed into a stately home in the eighteenth century. BELOW Llanerchaeron’s Inner Hall staircase. BELOW RIGHT The John Nash building is set in the wooded Aeron valley and has walled gardens and a lake.
LLANERCHAERON This family home on the site of a medieval village in Carmarthenshire is an insight into the career of architect John Nash before he designed the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, Regent Street in London and Buckingham Palace for George IV. The Palladian-style Georgian villa, completed in 1795, is deceptively simple in style – a two-storey box of stucco and slate – and is positioned to maximise views of the landscape. The service courtyard contains a dairy, scullery, cheese press room and store, bakehouse, smokehouse, salting room, brewhouse and the dry laundry room: a testament to the volume of work in a country house. As with all National Trust houses, the best way to help is to become a member. Visit for elegant symmetry of the rooms, plasterwork friezes and the walled gardens. nationaltrust.org.uk/llanerchaeron
ABOVE The exterior of Picton Castle. BELOW A reverse view of the Inner Hall at Llanerchaeron, looking towards the front door.
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Heritage heroes
As well as the National Trust, bodies and independent organisations work tirelessly to help preserve national culture. Though only a small and by no means exhaustive selection, here are some of the best-known. To avoid disappointment check the website of the property before travel. ENGLISH HERITAGE Charity responsible for managing more than 400 historic monuments, buildings and places, including Osborne, Queen Victoria’s former holiday home on the Isle of Wight. Tel 0370 333 1181 english-heritage.org.uk HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES Independent charity that manages unoccupied royal palaces such as the Tower of London. Tel 020 3166 6327 hrp.org.uk TREASURE HOUSES OF ENGLAND Heritage consortium encompassing a collection of 10 of the greatest houses in England, including Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. treasurehouses.co.uk
ABOVE Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built Osborne on the Isle of Wight in Italianate style as a seaside retreat for them and their family. It is now run by English Heritage. LEFT Kelmscott House in London, home to The William Morris Society. BELOW The Lower Library in Kelmscott House.
THE LANDMARK TRUST Building conservation charity rescuing properties and making them available for holiday rental. Tel 01628 825925 landmarktrust.org.uk
THE GEORGIAN GROUP English and Welsh conservation organisation created to campaign for the preservation of historic buildings and landscapes. Tel 020 7529 8920 georgiangroup.org.uk THE LUTYENS TRUST Charity dedicated to preserving the work of architect Edwin Lutyens, including Knebworth House and Lindisfarne Castle amongst others. Tel 01306 730487 lutyenstrust.org.uk
THE WILLIAM MORRIS SOCIETY Society highlighting the work of Victorian design stalwart William Morris, with a museum and office in his London home, Kelmscott House. Tel 020 8741 3735 williammorrissociety.org
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ABOVE You can book a stay at Bush Cottage in Shropshire, one of many properties from The Landmark Trust RIGHT Lindisfarne Castle in Northumberland, an example of Edwin Lutyens’ work
FEATURE KITTY CORRIGAN PHOTOGRAPHS (OSBORNE) © JIM HOLDEN/ENGLISH HERITAGE; (KELMSCOTT HOUSE) © THE WILLIAM MORRIS SOCIETY; (BUSH COTTAGE) © JIM JOHN MILLER/LANDMARK TRUST; (LINDISFARNE) © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOE CORNISH
VICTORIAN SOCIETY Charity founded in 1958 by amongst others poet laureate John Betjeman to protect Victorian and Edwardian buildings in England and Wales. Tel 020 8994 1019 victoriansociety.org.uk
ADVERTORIAL
CALL OF THE WILD Design, form and function are all watchwords for homeware brand ANTA – not to mention a long-standing commitment to innovation and sustainability
FROM TOP Ochil Highland Tweed made from pure British wool, woven in Scotland, £98 a metre. Head decorator Elaine hand-painting Cream Thistle porridge bowls, £40 each. Every stage at ANTA is expertly carried out by hand. Caithness large rug, £1,150, made from pure British wool, woven in Scotland and finished with a stainresistant treatment. Archie Stewart tableware, from £24 for a small mug. All ANTA’s stoneware pieces are freezer, dishwasher, microwave and oven-proof.
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n 1984, Annie and Lachie Stewart founded ANTA with a simple principle in mind – to produce high-quality, traditional home furnishings, using natural materials from Scotland. Realising that good design should be affordable, the couple began producing their home and giftware in multiples. Originally based in Spitalfields, East London, in 1989 the Stewarts moved back to Scotland, to Fearn in the Highlands, and for over 30 years now, ANTA products have been manufactured at the brand’s factory there, training local people to gain diverse skills. In 2015 a new factory was built, housing the textile and ceramic workshops, and design and dispatch offices. CARPETS & CLOTH ANTA has continued its tradition of manufacturing flatweave carpets and furnishing fabrics in contemporary and subtle designs from British wool since 1984. Its carpets are contract quality and are made from the wiry wool of British hill sheep. Like the sheep, the wool is hardy and tough, making the carpets and cloth long-lasting, hard-wearing and sustainable. Each ANTA design is inspired by the wonderful colour palette of the Scottish landscape and seasons. STONEWARE Alongside its textiles production, ANTA manufactures stoneware for the home and giftware. This is a zero-waste operation, making its own clay from British raw materials. Every stage is carried out by hand, ensuring high-quality pieces of ceramics. Made in a range of spongeware and hand-painted designs, ANTA stoneware is decorative but most importantly is practical and useable. All the pieces are freezer, dishwasher, microwave and oven-proof, making them suitable for contemporary living. CRAFTSMANSHIP Today, ANTA continues to grow and has become a leading Scottish design company that remains family-owned and has been recognised for its dedication to quality manufacturing; every process at ANTA is carefully undertaken by hands that care. With its motto being ‘Made in Scotland since 1984’, the company is committed to promoting the good craftsmanship of the local people that are employed and trained in its Highland factory and it strives to have an impact globally, nationally and, importantly, at home. In a time when we often feel far from the ones we love, ANTA’s skilled craftspeople continue to manufacture homeware and accessories, allowing the opportunity to say congratulations, thank you, happy birthday or simply to let someone know we are thinking of them with a gift that is timeless. n
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PROPERTIES FOR SALE
HOUSES WITH CHARACTER Our selection of appealing properties for sale. This month, homes with exceptional period features
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COURT FAVOUR Believed to be of medieval origin, The Court House is a striking five-bedroom home in the Wiltshire village of Bratton. The Grade II* listed property was once the court house to the local manor, and leased in the seventeenth century by the Whitaker family, whose name is engraved on both the lintel above the front door and an exposed beam in the original central hall. Tudor fireplaces, wood panelling, hardwood floors and a bread oven are just some of the impressive period characteristics of the timber-clad property. Another notable feature is the glass rotunda, which opens out to the country-style garden that includes a small orchard and thatched granary. An annexe provides additional accommodation at the rear of the house. The Court House, Wiltshire, ÂŁ825,000, Hamptons International
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PLEASANT OUTLOOK In addition to its period features of exposed beams and cottage windows, this thatched Grade II listed house boasts an original inglenook fireplace in the sitting room – the perfect place to while away a cosy winter’s evening. Tucked away in the dining room is a staircase to the first floor, where there are three charming bedrooms that overlook the garden. This borders onto meadowland with an elevated deck area for entertaining, pagoda with seating area, small pond and extensive lawn. There is also an outside studio which has been refitted to serve as a home office or an annexe for guests. Nestled in the pretty hamlet of Knapwell, the property is ideally located to enjoy the attractions of nearby Cambridge. 19 High Street, Cambridgeshire, £595,000, Strutt & Parker
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STEP INTO THE PAST A Grade I listed timber-framed house on the edge of the rural village of Cottered in Hertfordshire, The Lordship offers much in the way of historical character. The dining room is particularly of interest, featuring oak panelling and a chimney piece of the Jacobean period, with carved ornate detailing above the fireplace. The spacious kitchen/breakfast room retains an original wide fireplace with seats in the inglenook to warm the extremities on a frosty night. All five bedrooms are on the first floor and afford glorious views of the expansive grounds. Partly surrounded by a moat, with woodland and a paddock, the property has a tranquil outdoor setting which can be appreciated from the raised terrace. The Lordship, Hertfordshire, £1,800,000, Knight Frank THE ENGLISH HOME 109
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5 6 FULL OF CHARACTER The Stone House is an attractive ironstone house situated in the picturesque Northamptonshire village of Yelvertoft. Dating back to 1784, the residence’s period features include exposed beams, sash windows and parquet floors. The sitting room boasts a marble-surround fireplace amongst its original attributes. There are five bedrooms arranged on the two upper floors which offer a lovely scenic outlook. The large, mature garden is located at the rear of the property, with a terrace for entertaining in the summer and a greenhouse, fruit trees and a vegetable plot for harvesting home-grown fare. The area benefits from a range of walks and footpaths, including along the Grand Union Canal, which might include a sighting of otters. The Stone House, Northamptonshire, £580,000, Fine & Country 110 THE ENGLISH HOME
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RURAL RETREAT Built in the seventeenth century, The Mill House is a handsome six-bedroom home located in the Lake District village of Sockbridge. The reception rooms of this characterful house include a dining room with flagstone floors, a large drawing room with wood panelling and an inglenook fireplace, and a morning room with a multi-fuel stove with a period stone surround. An open-plan kitchen incorporates a conservatory which provides access to the garden. Wander outside to the front of the property, where there is a sunny terrace overlooking the original millrace, now a delightful water feature. For those who enjoy outdoor pursuits, the property has a horse paddock which leads to a wooded bank of the River Eamont, known for trout and salmon fishing. The Mill House, Cumbria, £1,200,000, Finest Properties
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HISTORIC TREASURE Grade II listed Hecton Farm is located on a peaceful lane in an idyllic rural setting, surrounded by paddocks and the open countryside of Kent. Step inside the former medieval hall house to be met with an abundance of period details carefully restored in collaboration with English Heritage. These include a heavy oak ceiling and structural beams, mullion windows, wide oak floorboards and exposed wattleand-daub in some areas. A grand inglenook fireplace with bressummer beam is a worthy feature in the dining room, whilst vaulted ceilings are present in two of the five bedrooms on the first floor. Outside, the nearly 20 acres of land include surrounding gardens which are mainly laid to lawn, a rose garden, apple and damson trees all bordered by mature hedging. Hecton Farm, Kent, £1,500,000, Jackson-Stops n
FEATURE JANINE JORGENSEN PHOTOGRAPHS (2) © ANDY GIDDINGS
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Mrs Minerva writes...
The art of
MOVING HOUSE 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 Moving is undoubtedly thirsty work. Remember to pack a kettle, tea bags, milk, cups and saucers (or mugs for tradesmen) so that they are at hand to keep spirits lifted.
M
r M and I have begun the New Year in a new home. After many decades of family life in Minerva Towers – most of them very happy – we are now in pastures new, turning a new key in a new door and turning a new page on our lives together. Our new little house is rather lovely. The children scoff when I call it small because it has five bedrooms, but to me it feels terribly cosy. Moving in winter can be a special kind of hell, but with two wood-burning stoves and an Aga, we are feeling quite toasty. It also means that we need the heating on less, which pleases Mr M no end. He feels personally insulted by central heating and mutters darkly about ‘the war’, millennials and other unrelated issues each time he hears the boiler fire up. Mr M has been in two minds about the move. It has been more of a shock for him. He was born in Minerva Towers and I suspect rather thought he might die there too. He admitted at one point that he thought the move might be the end of him and he may have had a point. He spent three weeks on bed rest after he trapped a nerve in his back trying to get the giant stuffed moose head (don’t ask) out of the loft space. Whilst, of course, I would never wish anyone ill, his confinement to bed did mean I could get three skips delivered and get rid of an awful lot of rubbish. If he had been upright and active, he would most definitely have put an end to what was really quite a sweeping clear-out. Spending almost one’s whole life in one’s childhood home – particularly a large one – may perhaps make one less happy to part with any longheld possessions. Everything may, as Mr M is fond of saying, “come in handy one day”. Clearing the outbuildings was rather like a journey through Mr M’s past hobbies. I found falconry gloves,
a lacrosse stick, half a dozen cricket bats, a Haynes manual for a Series I Land Rover, a potter’s wheel and various items of surveillance equipment from the time Mr M decided to approach MI6 to offer his “unique services”. The intelligence agency declined, not allowing him to get beyond the main switchboard. I try to be kind and accept his hoarding instincts – he is, after all, most forgiving of my cookery book habit. At the last count I had 563, although a trip to Waitrose just garnered another, this one by the brilliant Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain. I have to admit to becoming distracted from packing by the ‘Money Can’t Buy you Happiness Brownies’ recipe. It really is brilliant. I find cookery books calming and so I have had shelves fitted in my new pantry for them. All lined up beautifully, it is rather like having a kitchen library. I agonised over whether to file them by author name or to take part in the new trend of colour coding them. In the end, I echoed Waterstones and went by subject. I was rather miffed to find someone had popped a pie book in world cuisine, but Mr M justified his interference by saying “but steak and kidney pies mean the world to me”. It took three months for us to come to an agreement on what was staying and what was coming with us and there was a point at which we were both tempted to call the whole thing off. I began to have quite vivid daydreams about moving alone into a one-bedroom flat above a bakery. So much did my heart want this, I could almost smell the cinnamon buns. Finally, after a year of agonising, six months of planning and three months of packing, we are now THE ENGLISH HOME 111
Mrs Minerva Writes...
112 THE ENGLISH HOME
NEW HOME ESSENTIALS Mrs M is always incredibly organised. Here, she shares ideas on practical and luxurious buys for new homes A LIGHTER LIFE
This book was a godsend during the downsizing phase of the move although Mr M mocked me for purchasing a hardback copy rather than downloading the Kindle version. The premise of the book is how we can all live with no more than 100 objects. Mr M thought it hilarious to ask if the book counted as one and I’d only be allowed 99 others. Decluttering expert Mary Lambert explains how having too much clutter can stop you moving forward in life, and how learning to let go of items we neither love nor need is liberating and fulfilling. Mr M asked if this related to people too, but I ignored him. The mantra of this book is simple: if you don’t love it, lose it. So perhaps the answer lies there. The Joy of Living with Less, £9.99, Ryland Peters & Small
BUTTERFLY CORRESPONDENCE CARDS One of the loveliest things about moving has been the need for new stationery. I have a marvellous planner from CGD London, which has been my bible through the move, but I completely forgot to get anything with our new address on it. Smythson’s gorgeous Butterfly cards are just the ticket whilst I wait for my personalised ones. The pink colour is utterly cheering and they arrived the morning after I placed the order. Visit smythson.com for more details.
BLANKET COVERAGE
Moving in the depths of winter can be a bit of a challenge. The cold and damp seem to seep into one’s bones. Add to that the emotional upheaval and I think it makes sense to have a few little luxuries to keep oneself warm and to soothe one’s soul. This gorgeous velvet blanket from Toast does both. It’s perfect as a throw for a sofa or bed or to wrap oneself up in after a chilly walk. Quilted velvet throw, £225, toa.st
PHOTOGRAPHS P111 © TAMARA KULIKOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK; P112 (TOP) © TAMARABEGUCHEVA/SHUTTERSTOCK
finally installed in our new house and it is lovely. The minute we saw it we knew it was for us. Due to the lockdown, we initially had to watch a video tour of the house before expressing an interest in actually seeing it. This was rather wonderful because even once we’d viewed it, we could settle arguments about how many cupboards there were in a certain room or where the boiler was without having to ring the estate agents or to view it again. I am not sure if Mr M and I argue more than other couples, but we did watch the video 175 times. Make of that what you will. Living in a smaller house is quite joyful. There is so little to do. In our last house there was always a drama; loose roof tiles, an ancient boiler exploding, a flood in the boot room, a ceiling collapsing. It was like maintaining the Forth Bridge – once one thing was fixed another went wrong. Here, everything is shiny and new and all we have to do is pick out some new wallpaper for the guest bedroom, choose a paint colour for the kitchen cabinetry, install a new shower room and find the right carpet for the stairs. I realise this might seem like quite a lot, but to me it feels like a holiday. I adore the creative side of keeping a house, whilst I find the structural maintenance somewhat tedious – all that money and nothing pretty to look at. One thing I was really keen on was installing a shower in the boot room for the dog. It is a clever idea I once saw at a friend’s house in Yorkshire. I implore anyone with a mud-seeking hound to consider it if it is an option. That way you can have cream sofas without living in fear. I have popped back to the old house a few times to see our eldest son and his lovely wife, who have now taken it over. He is in his element, often to be found in the potting shed or in one of the attics unearthing a few of the ancient things we left behind he remembers from his childhood. She, on the other hand, is looking a tad wan and terrified by the scale of it all. She reminds me of myself at that age, although I’m pleased to report that my son is somewhat more attuned to her emotions than Mr M was to mine all those years ago and, as a result, is better placed to look after her. When we first moved in to Minerva Towers, Mr M left me for two weeks alone in the house whilst he went off on a work trip to the other side of the world. But not before kindly informing me of the whereabouts of the stopcock and the places where a ghost had been sighted a few years before. I did not sleep a wink until he came back. “Of course,” he muttered idly over the first supper after his return, “it might not have been a ghost at all. It may just have been that Bertie had had rather a skin-full.” Our new home, so far at least, is free from apparitions and inebriated guests, and long may it stay that way. n
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THE ENGLISH HOME 113
design MY
HERO
Esteemed interior designer and antiques dealer Christopher Hodsoll on the foremost Regency architect Sir John Soane
114 THE ENGLISH HOME
ABOVE Christopher Hodsoll’s dining room features four symmetrical bookcases featuring inset mirrored panels inspired by those in the Breakfast Room at Sir John Soane’s Museum. ABOVE RIGHT Soane’s Breakfast Room features a canopy-domed ceiling and the bookcases with inset mirrored panels which inspired Hodsoll. RIGHT The Monk’s Parlour at the museum shows what an avid collector of precious plaster busts, sculptures and casts Soane was. BELOW Hodsoll has painted the walls of the entrance hall at his London flat a dramatic red to create a background for his collection of antique plaster mouldings and busts, as a tribute to the plaster cast displays at Sir John Soane’s Museum.
ABOVE Sir John Soane (1753-1837) was one of the foremost architects of the Regency era and a collector. His St Lincoln’s Fields house is now Sir John Soane’s Museum.
FEATURE JUDITH WILSON PHOTOGRAPHS (PORTRAIT) © SARAH HODSOLL; (DINING ROOM) © JAMES MORTIMER; (BREAKFAST ROOM) © GARETH GARDNER/SOANE MUSEUM; (THE MONKS PARLOUR) © MARTIN CHARLES/ SOANE MUSEUM; (HALLWAY) © JAMES MORTIMER; (JOHN SOANE) © PORTRAIT OF SIR JOHN SOANE, 1828-9, OIL ON CANVAS, SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE PRA (1769-1830)
“I
was a teenager when I first visited Sir John Soane’s home [opened as a museum in 1837 to keep Soane’s collections intact]. I was expecting an eighteenth-century house, so I was astonished by its incredibly modern facade. Soane designed the property with purity of design. Its clean bones contrasted with the extraordinary layered collections clustered within. He was a polymath and a heroic collector – everything from classical antiquities to art by Hogarth, Canaletto and Piranesi. I was, and still am, amazed by the originality of his crazy picture-hanging in The Picture Room; so many important works crammed together. His arrangements must have been a first for his generation. When I decorated my London flat, I created a decorative homage to Soane, with red-painted walls and my burgeoning collection of plaster casts and sculptures. My dining room features four bookcases, inspired by those in Soane’s Breakfast Room. I love mirrors in a room, as he did; the reflections add a sense of mystery. I’m also an admirer of his bold sense of scale: he would always use the largest piece of furniture possible in an interior. Many people are afraid of scaling up, but in my dining room, I took the chimneybreast mirror to its full width, just as Soane did, and I devised new cornicework, using the top third of a tennis ball as a mould to create a clean silhouette, in keeping with Soane’s pure architecture. In a final homage to my hero, Lulu Lytle and I launched furnishings brand Soane Britain, now globally renowned for its British craftsmanship. Soane was the greatest architect of his era – he even designed the Bank of England – and if you can’t better him, why not follow?” n
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