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PERIODLIVING BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING PERIOD HOMES MAGAZINE

HOMES

APRIL 2017

● DECORATING ● GARDENS ● ANTIQUES & VINTAGE ● RENOVATION

New country style

Joys of spring Create a vibrant tulip garden

BEAUTIFUL HOMES WITH A FRESH TAKE ON RURAL CHARM

ON -TREND GEOMETRICS Decorate with bold prints in the latest colourways

ART DECO FURNITURE Advice on buying iconic pieces FLOORING FOCUS Reclaimed flagstones Solid wood boards Engineered timber Luxury lookalikes

CONVERT AN OLD BUILDING INTO A UNIQUE HOME

Dream kitchens From classic farmhouse to industrial inspired – design the perfect hub for cooking and entertaining

PORTOBELLO COLLECTION

FURNITURE ALCHEMY

Experience the world’s finest handmade furniture.

Kitchens, dressing rooms, libraries and wine rooms.

A member of the Canburg Group

www.mwf.com or 01380 850 007

Illustration Sarah Overs Photograph David Lloyd

Editor’s Letter

reaming up a new design for the kitchen is one of the greatest joys of owning a home.

But the work involved in putting your plans into action can be a real low point. Once you’ve recovered from all the dust, chaos, washing dishes in the bath, eating too many takeaways, and going uncomfortably over budget, however, the end result makes everything worthwhile. So, this month we take a look at ‘The Art of Kitchen Design’ (page 99) to give you enough advice and inspiration to get started. I’ve been planning my new kitchen for some months now, and it’s become something of an obsession. My plans are constantly evolving as I come up with new ideas, so it’s worth taking the time to get it right.

Continuing on the theme, the homes featured this month have envy-inducing kitchens. Our cover house, Tina Jones’ converted mill (page 44), has the perfect country-style kitchen-diner, with just the right blend of new features and period charm – in particular the antique range, which takes pride of place. Meanwhile, Debbie Sarjant added an oak-frame extension to create her dream hub of the home (page 72), complete with a fabulous extra-long window seat in the dining area.

Elsewhere in this issue, we visit the workshop of blacksmith Lucy Sandys-Clarke (page 37), who practises her ancient craft out of a wonderfully atmospheric 17th-century smithy in the Yorkshire Dales. A close look at her work reveals the inimitable nuances of hand-forged objects like door latches and window furniture. I strongly encourage you to support artisans like Lucy to not only keep Britain’s manufacturing heritage alive, but to imbue your home with unique character.

Good craftsmanship takes many forms, from humble ironmongery to iconic designer pieces.

On page 33 Antiques Roadshow expert Marc Allum examines the history of Art Deco furniture, and reveals the stories of the trailblazing women behind some of the best designs. Art Deco style is synonymous with the glamour of the 1920s and ’30s, so even if it’s not a look you want to capture in your own home, it makes for fascinating viewing.

Finally, this month we show you how to decorate with geometrics (page 24).

Repeat prints may seem retro, but have been used for centuries, from ancient Greece to Victorian Britain. This year’s designs have a global feel in rich blue and coral hues to get you longing for summer. Enjoy!

Melanie Griffiths Editor, Period Living

Period Living 3

PERIODLIVING EDITORIAL Editor Melanie Griffiths Content Editor Rachel Crow Chief Content Sub Editor Emily Hawkes Homes Content Editor Karen Darlow Content Producer Pippa Blenkinsop Email periodliving@centaur.co.uk ART Head of Art Billy Peel Senior Art Editor Emily Smith Designer Karen Lawson Contributions by Sarah Overs MARKETING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Head of Marketing Melanie Kay 01527 834452 Group Marketing Manager Eve Mulvaney 01527 834445 Group Marketing Manager Anjuman Tariq 01527 834493 Interim Marketing Manager Helen Troth 01527 834483 Marketing Executive Vicki Lees 01527 834409 Marketing Executive Alicia Maragh 01527 834402 Marketing Executive Ricardo Douglas 01527 834481 Subscriptions Manager Alex Worthington 01527 834435 Customer Services Jayne Everton 01527 834484 ADVERTISING Print & Digital Sales Director Jackie Sanders 01527 834426 Print & Digital Sales Manager Rebecca Vincze 01527 834415 Key Account Manager Debra Greer 01527 834415 Key Account Manager Lucinda Clarke 01527 834404 Key Account Manager Helen Fox 01527 834491 Account Manager Elena Gill 01527 834494 Classified Sales Manager Emma Farrington 020 7970 4421 / 01527 834445 Business Development Manager Keri O’Connor 01527 834472 PRINT AND DIGITAL PRODUCTION Head of Production Bill Griffiths 01527 834421 Print & Digital Production Executive Alice Sullivan Digital Production Executive Nicholas Robertson Production Assistant Aimee Bradley-Davies PERIODLIVING.CO.UK Group Head of Digital Performance and Audience Gill Dawson Digital Manager Tom Burbridge Email Delivery Manager Alison Nash Email Production Manager David Lloyd Web Operations Manager Laura Sturgess Senior Web Editor Lindsey Davis Web Editor Jacob Ingram Video Producer Matt Gibbs Social Media Editor Sarah Handley PUBLISHING AND EXHIBITIONS MANAGEMENT Managing Director Steve Newbold Deputy Managing Director Nick Noble Director of Content & Product Development Michael Holmes Editorial Director Jason Orme Executive Assistant Zoe Beeston 01527 834477

LON DON

020 7091 9781 westburygardenrooms.com Visit our showrooms: 61 Lambeth Walk, 46-52 Cutlers Road, South Woodham Ferrers, London, SE11 6DX Essex, CM3 5XJ

Period Living is published monthly by Centaur Home Interest Media, a division of Centaur Holdings plc, Wells Point, 79 Wells Street, London W1T 3QN. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material published in Period Living, the publishers can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. Although Period Living has endeavoured to ensure that all information inside the magazine is correct, prices and details may be subject to change. No guarantee can be made of the safe return of unsolicited text or photographs. Letters may be adapted at the discretion of the editor. Copyright for all materials published in Period Living remains with the publishers and nothing in this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publishers. Designed using Apple computers. Printed by William Gibbons & Sons.

Distributed by Marketforce. Period Living Š 2017 is published monthly. ISSN 0958-1987.

HOMES

60

CONTENTS Cover Photograph Darren Chung

Decorating & shopping

13 21 22 24 71 91

April journal We round up the latest interiors offerings, news and exhibitions Floral fancy Welcome spring into your home with these flowery finds Gold plated Our pick of the prettiest plates for creating a wall display Geometrics Inspiration for decorating with bold repeat patterns ON THE COVER

Sleep well Get sumptuous style and a good night’s kip with a beautiful bed Factory cool Recreate this look by mixing colour with reclaimed pieces

22

Features

33

Art Deco furniture Antiques Roadshow expert Marc Allum discusses this iconic era in design history ON THE COVER

37 Bright spark

We visit a historic village blacksmith workshop where Lucy Sandys-Clarke introduces us to her ancient craft

131 Delicate indulgence

From fruity to floral, we share tasty ways with cheesecakes

136 Heritage weekend… York

122

Discover where to stay, visit, eat and shop in our city guide, and take the perfect mini break

141 The grand tour… Barcelona

We journey to the Catalonia capital and explore Gaudí’s magnificent mosaics

162 Pardon the expression

We discover the origins behind our favourite household sayings Period Living 7

Homes

44 33

60 72 80

ON THE COVER The old watermill A characterful Grade II-listed converted watermill within breathtaking grounds is the perfect home for the Jones family

Fit for a queen The Salvesens’ early-18thcentury farmhouse, once host to royalty, is refined yet relaxed A new chapter Debbie and Sarj Sarjant adapted their 17th-century home for modern living by adding a light-filled kitchen extension Light industry Josefine Persson and Andreas Göthammer put their creative stamp on a Swedish home

107 109

95 80

99

131

8 Period Living

ON THE COVER Rural conversions Dream of transforming a historic village schoolhouse or barn into a home? Take heed of this advice

House journal New products and expert advice for updating a period property The art of kitchen design Ideas and tips for creating the perfect hub of the home, from layout to design details

ON THE COVER Go with the grain The best wood flooring options for a period home

115 Home health check

Advice on maintaining fireplaces and flues and spotting problems

Gardens

119 Garden journal

The latest products for your garden, plus expert advice

121 A bug’s life

Garden shopping inspired by creepy-crawlies

122

Advice & inspiration

55

The reclaimer Kate Rowe of Ribble Reclamation advises on Yorkstone flooring ON THE COVER

ON THE COVER Rainbow of colours A stunning tulip-filled garden on a misty spring morning

Regulars

92 59

ON THE COVER

145

Subscribe Get a free copy of The Big Book of Vintage Style Décor when you subscribe this month Next month A preview of the May issue Stockists Where to find the products and suppliers featured this month

72

#TheCountryFarmhouse

ST YLE

a range cooker for every style Two vast oven cavities, 5-zone induction or gas hob, glide-out grill and storage drawer; the Rangemaster Elise offers 110cm of range cooking perfection.

Built on a heritage of over 185 years, award-winning Rangemaster cookers have picked up countless industry accolades and are at the heart of more than a million homes. From urban loft apartments to rural farmhouses, there’s a Rangemaster model for every kitchen.

Call 0800 804 6261 or visit us at rangemaster.co.uk

&

PE RFORMANCE

journal APRIL

Our pick of the latest interiors offerings, from new fabrics, furniture and ceramics to shops and fairs to visit

Feature Pippa Blenkinsop Image (fabric swatches, top right) fabric designs by Lucienne Day supplied with kind permission of Classic Textiles

DIARY DATE Fanatic about fabric?

The Textiles Society’s Manchester Antique Textiles Fair returns for its 25th show on 30 April at The Armitage Centre. Hosting over 80 exhibitors showcasing stunning antique textiles, from haberdashery to clothes from around the world, it’s a favourite for dealers and collectors alike.

For more details, see textilesociety.org.uk.

COLOUR MIX-UP With lustrous jewel-tone crackle glazes, this Dakara tableware from ethical brand Nkuku brings handcrafted charm and colour to the table – ideal for mixing and matching.

From £6.95 for a mug.

Don’t miss West Dean Tapestry Studio’s new exhibition, Artists Meet their Makers, which explores the theme of weaving in art. Expect to see work by contemporary artists including Rebecca Salter and Henry Moore. From 4 April at Farnham Crafts Study Centre, Surrey

RETRO REVIVAL This sleek and colourful 366 Concept chair in Chili Pepper velvet will bring a mid-century twist to your home. An updated version of the iconic 366 Easy chair, originally designed by Józef Chierowski in 1962, it costs £595 at Rose & Grey.

Period Living 13

ECLECTIC PRINTS With inspiration ranging from a 1751 silk dress to a plate found in Northumberland’s Wallington Hall, Charlotte Gaisford’s 1751 fabric collection gives a fresh take on vintage motifs. Bound by a palette of ochre, dusky red and olive green with fresh pinks, blues and neutrals, the linen/ cotton-mix fabrics cost £50 per m.

ARTISANS & ADVENTURERS Founded by two friends with a common love for design, animals and sustainability, this east London shop, set on the vibrant Columbia Road, aims to bring joy to both creator and consumer through ethical, traditional craft.

Expect to find colourful handmade products with a modern edge, from handcarved Kenyan spoons to recycled cushion covers.

Don’t miss the Antiques for Everyone Spring Fair, 6 - 9 April at Birmingham’s NEC. As well as over 200 specialist dealers, the fair will have a special exhibition from the English Ceramic Circle 14 Period Living

Quacking

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FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @PeriodLivingMag for daily news and inspiration

This spring our favourite feathered friend has waddled out of the pond and into the kitchen.

Inspired by British park life, and with signature retro appeal, Cath Kidston’s Ducks design is available across tableware and textiles, from £6 for a cream tea plate.

BOTANICAL BEAUTIES Bring the outside in with Sofa.com’s latest Design Lab range, featuring leafy prints from Bristol-based textile designer Imogen Heath. Fingal three-seater sofa, £1,080, and armchair, £820, both in Leaves Ivy, and Iggy footstool in Geometric Spring Green, £350.

Period Living 15

CASTLE

GARDEN

www.clarke-clarke.com

Next Month

BRANCHING OUT A soft take on classic Japanese floral motifs, the new Imperial Gardens wallpaper range from Fired Earth will give a sophisticated Eastern feel to a period home. PL’s favourite design is Kyoto Summer (shown), which features a delicate trailing Japanese Black Pine.

Priced £75 per roll.

VERY VERDIGRIS Covered with a captivating turquoise coating created from an accelerated oxidation process, this weathered Factory Lux copper pendant oozes reclaimed chic. Perfect over a kitchen island, it costs £265.89 from the new collection at Urban Cottage Industries.

Geometric brushstroke cushion and brushstroke lampshades, all £55

W RTIME RECIPES

Introducing Victory in the Kitchen, a new recipe book filled with resourceful meals inspired by the kitchen tables of British households during the Second World War. Combining hearty favourites, including steak and kidney pie, crumpets and Queen’s pudding, with colourful war posters, the book is £6.99 exclusively from the Imperial War Museum Shop.

TALENT SPOT Though creative from an early age, with a penchant for painting, Sarah Capel only discovered her love of screen printing in recent years. A mother of two, she has traded in a career working for a prison reform charity to pursue her passion and now makes beautiful screen-printed accessories from her home studio in south-east London. Still fascinated by paint, Sarah creates her designs by first applying expressive brushstrokes straight onto acetate, before exposing the marks onto silkscreens.

Using a press set up by her grandfather, a former art teacher, Sarah brings the designs to life with vibrant colours before they are made up into cushions and lampshades. ‘I love the process as it allows me to be playful, but gives the ability to create exact replicas.’

Period Living 17

WOVEN WONDERS

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @period_living for more vintage inspiration and style ideas

OF L Conjure up happy memories with a souvenir city mug, new from Emma Bridgewater.

Featuring illustrations of Venice, Paris, London and Oxford, the ceramic collectibles cost £19.95 each.

This spring, the leading contemporary ceramic art fair, Ceramic Art London, returns for the 13th year.

Showcasing the work of 90 makers, from professional potters to emerging talent, it runs from 31 March to 2 April at Central St Martins

EYE ON DESIGN What inspired your new paint collection, The Stones?

As Paint the Town Green uses pure ingredients, I took inspiration from the natural, Leading interior glowing colours of minerals and designer Nicky semi-precious stones. They’re Haslam talks colours I’ve always loved but about his first ones I’ve never been able to find ever collection in existing collections, and range with eco paint from Tiger’s Eye, a wonderful, company Paint rich yellow like the sheen on the Town Green brown silk velvet, through to Peridot, a masculine, stony pink.

18 Period Living

How do you envisage these colours being used in the home?

The paints are not specifically designed to be colourful – they’re designed as perfect backgrounds for people and things such as pictures and ornaments. They’re shades that pull the room together – they’re embracing.

The point of decoration is to make people look prettier, which is what it’s all about really, and these are very flattering colours.

What’s good about them is they

won’t reflect each other. There’s no ‘bounce’ off them and they all work together. They’ve got depth but not fragility. Using one as the main colour with touches of another will anchor it, or make it sing, just as happens in nature.

From left: Tiger’s Eye, Agate, Blue John, Feldspar, Peridot and Diorite – all from The Stones collection, £35 for 2.5ltrs at Paint the Town Green. A percentage of each sale goes to the Duchenne muscular dystrophy charity Harrison’s Fund

Image (top right) Midori Takaki The land of Archaeopteryx, 2016, hand-built, stoneware, underglaze, slip and glaze. Image courtesy of Ceramic Art London and © the artist

New from Liberty comes a selection of resplendent rugs skilfully handwoven by a community of master weavers in Laos, southeast Asia. Made using 23 colours, compared to the Persian silks which use up to 12, the rugs make an exuberant focal point. Fabulously floral, this Secret Garden design is £15,350.

FOR THE FULL TETRAD EXPERIENCE PLEASE CONTACT OUR PREMIER STOCKISTS LISTED BELOW Aberdeen Archibalds • Aberdeen Sterling Furniture • Abingdon Lee Longlands • Banbury Bennetts • Banchory Taylors • Bangor Caprice • Barnstaple Padfields • Barrow-in-Furness Stollers • Bath TR Hayes • Battersea, London Barker & Stonehouse • Birmingham Lee Longlands • Bo'ness Belgica • Boston Sack Store • Brighouse Websters Furniture • Broughty Ferry Gillies • Carlisle Vaseys • Chesterfield Brampton House Furnishers • Clitheroe Shackletons Home & Garden • Colchester Hatfields • Crickhowell, Wales Webbs of Crickhowell • Darlington Barker & Stonehouse • Derby Lee Longlands • Doncaster Ward Brothers • Dundee Sterling • Dunfermline Thomsons World of Furniture • Dumfries Barbours • Edinburgh Martin & Frost • Elgin Anderson & England • Exeter Stoneman & Bowker • Falmouth Richard Cook • Fulham, London Darlings of Chelsea • Gateshead Barker & Stonehouse • Glasgow Forrest Furnishing • Glasgow Sterling Furniture • Gorseinon, Swansea Arthur Llewellyn Jenkins • Grantham Oldrids • Grimsby AW Robinson Furniture • Guernsey Scope Furnishing • Hawick Chrysties • Hedge End Bradbeers • Hinckley Paul Edwards Interiors • Holt Bakers and Larners • Hull Barker & Stonehouse • Inverness Ogilvies • Inverness Sterling Furniture • Inverurie Andersons • Isle of Wight Bayliss & Booth • Kilmarnock Tannahills • Kingsbridge Peter Betteridge • Knaresborough Barker & Stonehouse • Leamington Spa Whartons • Leeds Barker & Stonehouse • Lincoln GH Shaw • Liverpool Taskers - Aintree • Llanidloes, Mid Wales Hafren Furnishers • Llantrisant, Cardiff Arthur Llewellyn Jenkins • Macclesfield Arighi Bianchi • Milton Keynes Morgan Gilder • Montrose Buicks • Morecambe LPC Furniture • Nelson Pendle Village Mill • Newcastle Barker & Stonehouse • Newton Abbot Prestige Furniture • Northamptonshire, Heart of the Shires Texture Interiors • Norwich Jarrolds • Nottingham Barker & Stonehouse • Perth Gillies • Rainham G Lukehurst • Ringwood Furlong Furniture • Salisbury Mylor & Mawes • Sheffield Ponsford • Sherborne Dodge Interiors • Shrewsbury Alan Ward • Solihull Whartons • Southsea Design House • St Albans Darlings of Chelsea • Stamford Stamford Garden Centre • Teeside Barker & Stonehouse • Tillicoultry Sterling Furniture • Tunbridge Wells Darlings of Chelsea • Tunbridge Wells Hoopers • Waltham Cross Fishpools • Winchester Design House • Windsor WJ Daniels • Yeovil The Old Creamery • York Browns

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angel&boho FURNITURE, FABRICS & FINE THINGS

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Incorporating an Angel at my Table’s furniture with Boho&Co’s unique fabrics and home accessories

A Still Life of Flowers in a Wan-Li Vase small tray, £18.50, National Gallery

Shopping

Limited-edition Foxglove Botanical watercolour print, £25, Starkeys Lane

Painted garden teapot, £25, Collier Campbell

Roberts Revival radio in Liberty Flowers Betsy, £250, Liberty

Floral Heritage flower measuring spoons, £16 for set of four, Laura Ashley Pansy petite vase, £14, Anthropologie

Country Floral cake tins, £20 for set of three, John Lewis

Aspen armchair in Magnolia, Cream and Blue by GP & J Baker, from £1,379, Content

by Terence Conran

Galina lamp in Stone with Hydrangea shade, £212, Voyage Maison

FLOR AL FANCY Hummingbird umbrella stand, £195, Shimu

Feature Emily Hawkes

From vibrant blooms to fresh botanicals, these flower motifs will bring a splash of spring to your interior

Limerence large velvet cushion in Quartz Pink, £165, House of Hackney

William Morris set of six prints, £25, M&S

Lavenham midi sofa in Romo Black Edition Herbaria Peacock, £3,475, Sofas & Stuff Period Living 21

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GEOMETRIC DESIGNS

Feature Pippa Blenkinsop Quarter circle wallpaper, £160 per roll, Smink Things

Geometry shapes the world we live in, and from the decorative carvings of Byzantine architecture and textiles woven by African tribes, to North American folk quilts and Minton-tiled floors of Victorian terraces, geometric ornament and pattern has been the source of universal visual delight for centuries.

Today, prints formed by the arrangement of simple shapes are a staple among fabric and wallpaper houses alongside toiles, florals and stripes. The embodiment of precision, there’s a tendency for geometrics to look stark and soulless. For a more relaxed look suited to the unique character of a period home, take inspiration from the past and choose products made with handcrafted processes: with imperfections, varied texture and handmade marks, they bring a sense of personality inimitable through digital manufacture. By playing with shape, scale and shade, this versatile genre of ornamentation can evoke all sorts of eras in design history and can be both soothing and stimulating. So go on, think outside the box and give your interior a new dimension this spring…

24 Period Living

Decorating

Combining African tradition and a warm, vibrant palette with the imperfect and textural charm of a hand-block-printed process, Lewis & Wood’s Metrica collection of complementary fabrics are an inviting way to bring on-trend geometrics into the home. Reminiscent of a Harlequin costume to tribal textiles, this Jacko print on curtains, and Sawtooth design covering dining chairs, both in Tutti Frutti, offer a playful, relaxed take on the geometric look. £79.50 per m.

Combine with rustic terracotta tableware and natural linen to complete the look.

Period Living 25

A visual feast of geometry and scale – composed of diamonds, zigzags and triangles, offset with the subtle gradation of hand-dyed fibres – hand-woven Kilim rugs combine geometrics with warmth and texture. Create an exciting juxtaposition with sumptuous velvet upholstery, such as the Lucy ottoman in Blaire Geo Shimmer fabric, £630, and James two-seater sofa in Brick Dust Deepest velvet, £1,380, both Perch & Parrow.

Continue the geometric theme on the wall with the company’s sculptural Aries mirror, £175.

26 Period Living

Decorating Decorated with angular, Art Decoinspired ornament, this Carraway cabinet, £849 from Marks & Spencer, makes a lavish statement in a dining room, especially when set against a rich jewel-toned backdrop. Contrast the precision of the design with the painterly shapes of an abstract art print and complement the gold detail with gleaming metallic accessories.

From top: Hustle Print, £55; Deco lantern, £29.50, Conran small glass hurricane, £25; Conran bookends; Conran table lamp, £89, all Marks & Spencer.

Through prints, papers and furniture, geometrics can evoke myriad looks, from the textile-filled streets of a Turkish bazaar to the glamour of a 1920s Miami hotel Period Living 27

*Bedlinen available to buy online from mid March

Scottish-based designer Niki Jones’ new kaleidoscopic bedlinen range represents her fascination with the infinite patterns created by tessellating a few simple shapes. £105 for a double duvet cover and £20 for a housewife pillowcase.*

Repetitive and hypnotic, geometric prints work surprisingly well in a bedroom, especially when combined with serene blue shades.

For best results, temper with flat colour in a co-ordinating tone 28 Period Living

Decorating Geometric designs have paved floors for centuries, but why not give yours a contemporary twist by laying giant triangular flags in a random arrangement and in a refreshing mix of contrasting hues? These Triangoli handcrafted terracotta tiles, around £205 per m2 at Palazzo Morelli, look really effective teamed with a freestanding bath, such as Drummonds’ Spey design, £3,570, painted in a complementary shade.

For a similar paint, try Inkwood by Sanderson, £21 per 1ltr of matt emulsion. Finally, mirror the angular feel on the ceiling with a sculptural statement light-fitting.

Period Living 29

Mirabelle www.linwoodfabric.com

Styling Pippa Blenkinsop

Decorating

Clockwise from top: Serenata Majadas fabric, £61.67 per m, Bert & May. Hand-printed Medina linen in Coral, £90 per m, Rapture & Wright. Screen-printed Quarter Circle ceramic tile QC06, £9, Smink Things. Byzantine tea saucer, £20, Wedgwood. Hex wallcovering 005, £75 per roll, the Wedgwood Home Volume II Arris collection at Blendworth. Pink Rapture paint, £21 for 1ltr of matt emulsion, Sanderson. Hand-block-printed Hail & Laugh linen, £120 per m, Louisa Loakes. Cherokee fabric in Cayenne, £87.50 per m, Clarke & Clarke. Hay small Kaleido tray in black, £19, Amara. Ferm Living hexagon napkin rings, £43 for a set of four, Amara. Backgammon fabric in Linen, £65 per m, James Hare. Broste Gold Tvis salad servers, £40, Amara. Medina linen in Dirty Lilac, as before.

Quarter Circle ceramic tile QC03, as before. Folk Pad printed bowl in black/blue, £8, West Elm. Hex wallcovering 006, as before. Hand-block-printed Saffron Spot linen, £120 per m, Louisa Loakes. Geo marble jewellery dish, £19, West Elm. Bloomingville candle holder in shiny brass, £49, Amara Jacko fabric in Tutti Frutti, £79.50 per m, Lewis & Wood. Falling Cubes A5 notebook, £16.50, Pentreath & Hall. Tahoma fabric in Charcoal, £68.50 per m, Clarke & Clarke.

Period Living 31

Design Details

Greta MagnussonGrossman designed the iconic Sofa Table in the 1930s. This one, made in glass and elmwood, is £6,968 at 1stdibs

Art Deco furniture Antiques Roadshow specialist Marc Allum defines the ‘Deco’ in furniture and the women behind the designs

Photographs (Bonaparte chair) Shira Klasmer / Aram Designs Ltd

A

rt Deco is a mongrel! Now I’ve said it, I will have to justify what I mean. As a style, the name ‘Art Deco’ conjures up a period in history synonymous with the decorative and technological expression of style, luxury, speed and glamour. Although we mainly associate it with the 1920s and 30s, it began life before the First World War. It is a style that captured an epoch in history and made it its own by pervading the visual arts and design across the globe – its influence further reaching perhaps, than any other previous style.

It was and will forever be deemed a French invention. Most pundits generally accept that the movement was named after the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels held in Paris in 1925, albeit slightly abbreviated!

Yet the phrase itself was not in common usage until the 1960s, and is broadly quoted in most sources as being accepted after the publication in 1968 of Bevis Hillier’s book – Art Deco of the 20s and 30s.

Describing the movement as a ‘mongrel’ is in no way deprecating. Its influence filtered down to the

The Bonaparte chair by Eileen Gray, shown in black leather upholstery on a chromed tubular steel frame, is £2,985 from Aram Store

man on the street in many aspects of domestic design, yet at its purest, Deco is a style that defines the idea of streamlining, aerodynamics, symmetry, geometry and modernity. We see this in all aspects of its influence. Yet, the style is a potpourri of ideas and decorative influences borrowed from many different cultures and fused into a clever mosaic conveniently covered by the umbrella heading of ‘modernity’. South American culture, Japanese, Chinese and Egyptian influences all play their part; so too do historical references from French history, even elements of Art Nouveau and importantly, the Ballets Russes – all of these fused with different takes on colour theory and avant-garde Cubist structure.

A distinctive style Despite this varied blend, it is visually very difficult to confuse Deco with other styles. Of course, as in any artistic or design movement, there are the well-known protagonists who drive the main narrative, and the big names in Art Deco design are generally male. That shouldn’t be a surprise, as society in that period was still generally a male dominated arena, particularly in areas such as design. This naturally made it more difficult for women to achieve success in such fields.

Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999) – now defined as one of the pre-eminent 20th-century designers – is a perfect example of how her initial role was ➤ Period Living 33

its popularity - has become synonymous with the idea of good design. The B301 or LC1 sling chair is also a classic and the ‘Grand conforts’ cubeshaped armchair - both large and small models - are beautiful pieces of pared-down excess, their gleaming chromium exoskeletons worn on the outside as an expression of Deco and Modernism’s overt challenge to convention. The markets have – of course – been flooded with copies over the decades but Cassina has held the official licence since 1965. Official versions cost around £3,500.

Pioneering designs Another leading light in the female design firmament was Eileen Gray (1878-1976). Regarded as both an icon and pioneer in 20th-century furniture design, her legacy captured the headlines in 2009 when her ‘Fauteuil aux Dragons’ sold for a staggering £19.4million. It formed part of the collection of the late Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, so the sale was bound to attract unprecedented interest, but it more than superseded the anticipated £3 million and became the highest price ever paid for a piece of 20th-century design.

So why did it make so much money? Created between 1917-1919, it was in fact unique and was also an important precursor to some of her betterknown designs such as the 1926 Bibendum chair, and her 1935 Bonaparte chair, both Art Deco classics. The worldwide licenses for these are held exclusively by Aram Designs and they cost around £2,500 and £2,000 respectively.

Gray’s artistic studies centred around the Slade School of Fine Art and later in Paris, where she also studied lacquer work under the master Seizo Sugawara. Like many designers, she was also a talented architect and would – as is often the case – ‘design the entire package’.

The style is a potpourri of ideas and decorative influences borrowed from many different cultures and fused into a clever mosaic

The skill of Charlotte Perriand was eventually recognised by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, and her collaboration resulted in the design of many iconic pieces, such as the ergonomic and relaxing LC4 chaise longue, priced £3,516 from Cassina

34 Period Living

Photographs (Bibendum chair) Shira Klasmer/ Aram Designs Ltd

This rare Art Deco console table designed by Betty Joel shows the attention to detail in her pieces.

Made of satin mahogany and maple, it has a sunburst design at each end and on all three drawers. £7,993 from 1stdibs

subjugated by the inequalities of the time.

Famously, she went to the studio of Le Corbusier and was apparently rejected with the words ‘we don’t embroider cushions here’. Using her initiative, she cleverly renovated her own apartment using metal and glass elements, later recreating it for the exhibition Salon d’Automne. Her innovative use of materials is now famous, but Le Corbusier and his partner Pierre Jeanneret were forced to reassess their initial apprehension and employ her, a position from which she became instrumental in designing and collaborating on some of the most iconic pieces of 20th-century furniture. The 1928 B306 chaise longue or LC4 is perhaps one of the most famous; this chaise or ‘relaxing machine’ - almost clichéd in

Design Details

An Art Deco classic, the Bibendum chair by Eileen Gray was designed in 1926.

Shown in dark green Divina fabric on chromed tubular steel frame, £2,215 from Aram Store

and clients included Ingrid Bergman and Greta Garbo. Latterly, after a period of relative obscurity, her ergonomic slender and graceful designs in steel, wood, glass and stone are now recognised as classic midcentury California modern, and there has been a massive resurgence of interest in her work, particularly lighting. Her pre-war designs from the Deco period have similarly garnered greater interest and value. She’s now justly renowned as one of the most important female pre- and post-war designers in America. Unfortunately, however, you may have missed the boat if you are looking for a bargain!

Where to see Art Deco furniture

Yet the British designer Betty Joel (1894-1985) – born in Hong Kong – is someone for whom I have a strong admiration. Her path in designing furniture, in particular, was unconventional. Although lacking in formal training, she set up workshops along with her husband, and retailed from impressive premises in Knightsbridge, supplying innovative furniture designs and interiors to the likes of Coutts Bank and Claridge’s Hotel, as well as private clients. I once owned a rare chair by Joel, an item I wish I hadn’t sold, yet the diversity of Joel’s workshop meant that she designed everything from beds to dining room suites with trademark fine detailing and selected materials that were typically used in stylish and understated ways. As a result, her products – being less iconic than those of Perriand, for instance – are not copied and are therefore, by default, more exclusive and, ironically, better value. Prices at auction tend to be in the £1,000-£2,000 bracket and sometimes in the lower hundreds for single pieces, such as chairs and parts of bedroom suites. Well worth investing in!

Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG; designmuseum.org Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL; vam.ac.uk Eltham Palace, Court Yard, Eltham, Greenwich, London SE9 5QE; english-heritage.org.uk/visit/ places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/

Where to buy Art Deco furniture The Old Cinema, 160 Chiswick High Road, London W4 1PR. Tel: 020 8995 4166; theoldcinema.co.uk Gazelles of Lyndhurst, address as above. Tel: 02380 811610; gazelles.co.uk Sheryl’s Art Deco Emporium. Tel: 01883 620767 sheryls-artdeco.com Cloud 9 Art Deco, Unit 12, Standish Self Storage, Douglas Mill, Bradley Lane, Standish, Wigan WN6 0XF. Tel: 01257 473688; cloud9artdeco.co.uk

What to read Miller’s Art Deco, Living with the Art Deco Style

by Judith Miller (2016) Art Deco Furniture: The French Designers by Alastair Duncan (1992) Art Deco – 1910-1939 by Charlotte and Tim Benton and Ghislaine Wood (2003)

Timeless classics Personally, I am an admirer of the Swedish designer Greta Magnusson. Born in Helsingborg in 1906, she came from a family of cabinetmakers and trained as an apprentice. Being the only female in the workshop at a local furniture company was no doubt challenging but she went on to form her own company in Stockholm in the early 1930s called ‘Studio’. Having married the British jazz musician Billy Grossman, Greta Magnusson-Grossman worked with great individual resolve to create some timeless classics; examples of her iconic circular Sofa Table now realise several thousand at auction.

In 1940 she emigrated – with her husband – to America and re-established herself with a shop on Rodeo Drive named Magnusson-Grossman Studio.

Her designs became popular with the Hollywood set

You can find many styles of Art Deco furniture from various sources, as above, such as this sideboard cocktail cabinet, c.1930, £950; and Art Deco table lamp with marbled glass shade and Bakelite base, £380, both from The Old Cinema

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Made in Britain Lucy is the latest in an almost unbroken line of blacksmiths who have worked the Dent forge on this site since 1640.

‘I don’t feel being a blacksmith is about imposing my strength on something and making it happen,’ she says.

‘It’s about understanding what it can do if I treat it the right way’

BRIGHT SPARK Artisan blacksmith Lucy Sandys-Clarke took on a historic village smithy and is using the ancient craft to forge her future Words Hazel Dolan | Photographs Jeremy Phillips Period Living 37

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lacksmith Lucy SandysClarke’s forge isn’t hard to find; it’s set in the shadow of a 15th-century church, just a few steps away from the cobbled centre of Dent on the border of Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales.

If all landmarks fail, she says, just stand in the middle of the village and shout; her door is usually open and she’s bound to hear.

The Smithy has always been at the heart of the community, and on this site since the mid 1600s; blacksmiths past would recognise its rubble-stone walls with their flaking whitewash, the horseshoehung beams and rough-hewn workbench, the heavy anvil bolted to an ancient tree stump, and the tools, off-cuts and part-worked iron that surround her. ‘In many ways for me it’s incredibly inconvenient because there’s not very much space here,’ Lucy says, as she gathers willow kindling to set the coke fire burning in the corner hearth.

‘Sometimes I dream of a lovely, spartan new workshop that I’ve set up myself, but at the same time I just love it so much.’

This is where she can patch up a broken tractor axle at harvest-time, craft a contemporary door plate, its handle like a delicate leaf, or make a finely weighted latch, drawing out, bending and moulding a bar of steel so that it fits the curve of a thumb. Lucy works to commission and the variety is endless, from restoration of church ironwork to bespoke designs and exhibition pieces.

The workspace may be traditional, but she is quick to point out that the work has always been innovative. ‘Blacksmiths historically were inventive,’ she says, ‘and it was part of their job

38 Period Living

to find the best way of doing things. You can’t be backward-looking as a blacksmith. They have always been inventors and innovators, for other people and for themselves, trying to make tools to make life easier.’

Lucy arrived here in Dent by chance, an English graduate, visiting her grandmother who lived nearby. A vague plan to study furniture-making led to an introduction to the forge tenant and for five years she was his apprentice. When he moved on in 2006, she took his place, with the support of a small loan from The Prince’s Trust. ‘I was still in my twenties and had that youthful optimism,’ she says. ‘I think now I would advise people to do it differently. I should probably have gone and worked in another workshop because I still had a lot to learn, but luckily I didn’t know that then.’

She was fortunate in her earliest customers, whose loyal commissions filled her first year of trading and who matched imagination with encouragement, always urging her to try new things. ‘That was really important,’ she says.

‘It would be easy to flounder early on without it.’

Lucy’s own interest in history and Arts and Crafts, and a natural curiosity in how things work have drawn her to heritage projects. ‘A lot of what I do is about looking at things and working out how somebody did it in the past without being able to ask them, particularly with the restoration work.’

Each of the blacksmith’s tasks depends on an intimate knowledge of heat and how to work with it, she explains, sliding a slim rod of mild steel into the flames. Reading the colour of both fire and metal are key, then choosing the right moment to withdraw the piece and reach for the hand tools.

Tapering will draw the steel out and make it slimmer. Upsetting is almost the opposite, putting metal back in by pounding so that it is forced back in upon itself, becoming shorter and thicker.

Spreading will make the metal thin; punching will stamp holes in it, yet keep its integral strength in a way that drilling never could. Hot metal can be bent or twisted, yet when it cools, once again it is rigid and unyielding.

‘Fire-welding is the real magic,’ says Lucy. ‘That is when you get two, or several, pieces of metal so hot that the surface is basically liquid and you join them together. The two become one and that’s as ➤

Opposite clockwise from top left: Lucy has forged a successful career in a largely male-dominated profession; Suffolk latches are among the traditional door and window furniture she can craft; notes and checklists are pegged at eye level, close to the working area for a quick reference guide to help Lucy keep multiple pieces consistent in style; examples of door handles and hinges based on old vernacular designs or drawn from antique examples; understanding where to move metalwork to make use of the different temperatures within a fire it is a key part of the blacksmith’s craft

Period Living 39

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Made in Britain

The Grade II-listed smithy with its beamed ceiling still contains the tools and past work of blacksmiths who have worked in it since the 17th century, including the old anvil, mounted on an ancient tree stump at the centre of the forge. Anvils are traditionally set on wood to absorb some of the shock of hammering. Everything that Lucy may need as she works is gathered in a semi-circle around the forge fire

Period Living 41

Clockwise from far left: Lucy hot chisels designs on to hinges for a restoration project – ‘some of the markings had significance, others were just decorative’; she has a 15-minute commute to the cobbled streets of Dent; butterfly hinges have regional variations Opposite, clockwise from top left: A thumb latch sample; the various holes in a swage block are used to support, bend, forge heads and punch holes in rods of metal being worked; punching rather than drilling holes helps the pieces retain strength; twists made while the steel is hot can be more subtle and nuanced – by controlling the temperature of the steel, Lucy can graduate the twist to look exactly as she wants it; a blacksmith’s fire is designed to be small, contained and efficient; ‘I can’t help thinking the landscape where I work must influence what I produce,’ Lucy says; tools old and new

near, I think, to alchemy as you get. Your skill is in knowing exactly when it is hot enough to do the joinery, without destroying the metal. What I believe is at the heart of all craft is working with the material as opposed to just controlling it. It feels like a collaboration in a way.’

Whenever possible Lucy visits the end site for the pieces she is to create. ‘I try and take things along, even those that aren’t relevant,’ she says. ‘People might not know what they like but will often have quite a strong dislike of a particular technique. It’s really helpful to have as much as I can to work on visually: photographs, existing ironwork, details of doors and fireplaces, to take into consideration.’

Anything touched by the fire bears its marks, and that is part of the enduring appeal of handworked iron. ‘Surface texture is hard to replicate with mass production,’ Lucy says. ‘As soon as 42 Period Living

something has been in the fire, scale appears.

The outside layer of the steel oxidises in the fire, and the iron oxide flakes when you work it.’

It is not a feature that could ever be replicated exactly; neither is the infinite variation that comes from the marks of Lucy’s hammer, which is why, she believes, the art will continue to thrive. ‘The whole point of each piece is not to be terribly exact,’ she says. ‘It’s the individuality that is the key to it, so I don’t feel anxious about the future of blacksmithing. I don’t think it needs to be done for nostalgic reasons. It is still much more a living thing. It’s not about trying to make it look old; it’s about still having value in itself, being current as well as being a reference to the past.’

To find out more about Lucy’s work, visit lucysandysclarke.com or call 07866 741833

Next Month

Period Living 43

Built in 1862, on a site where a watermill has stood for 800 years, Tina and Simon’s home gives beautiful views of the grounds, lake and surrounding countryside. Even though it was an industrial building, the mid-Victorian builders who created it showed admirable attention to detail, with decorative brickwork, classical styling and impressive arched windows 44 Period Living

Converted Victorian Mill

THE OLD WATERMILL With their carefully considered renovation of a former Victorian industrial building, Tina and Simon Jones have preserved a piece of English heritage and created a beautiful home fit for modern living Words Owen Collins | Styling Pippa Blenkinsop | Photographs Darren Chung

Period Living 45

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earching for a characterful old property to restore, German-born Tina and her American husband Simon knew they need look no further when they saw the old millhouse – an idyllic setting to bring up their three youngest children. The Grade II-listed former flour mill is set in two acres of grounds, with the millpond a bonus for the fishermen in the family.

The mill was built in 1862 but had fallen into disuse by the 1920s, becoming completely derelict before being restored into two weekend homes in the 1960s. By the time Tina and her family took it on, there were decades of additions to unpick.

‘Years of substandard building works meant that the mill had to be stripped right back to the bricks and our six-month plan to complete the renovation fell by the wayside,’ recalls Tina. ‘We also had issues with the listed building consent. They didn’t allow us to replace the 1960s windows with cast-iron multi-pane designs in the original style, and also suggested adding a garage that would have been completely at odds with the mill’s architecture.’

After six months, Tina decided she needed to be there every day so the family moved in to what was essentially a construction site, confined to the kitchen. With new builders, who understood exactly what was needed in a project like this, the work was finally completed 18 months later.

The ground floor is home to the restored mill wheel, complete with working gears, separated

46 Period Living

from an oak-beamed study by a glass screen, as well as a laundry room and workshop. After a lot of debate, Tina ensured the original heavy oak doors were retained, despite building control wanting to replace them with modern fire doors.

The living spaces are on the first floor, where Tina removed multiple layers of flooring to reveal the original pine boards. Five inches of screed in the kitchen had caused so much damage that the floor had to be replaced with reclaimed pine. A glass panel in the living room gives a view of the mill gears below, a constant reminder of the building’s past.

Tina’s interior design training has helped her seek out authentic period details while still ensuring the mill is equipped for modern family living. She enlisted Churchwood Design to create a bespoke kitchen to suit both the period and the proportions of the mill. ‘Made in solid timber and showcasing traditional skills, the new kitchen looks as though it’s part of the building’s original architectural fabric,’ says Tina. She sourced an antique cooking range, which has been restored and now cleverly integrates two modern Smeg ovens and an induction hob. ‘The beauty of being the interior designer for your own home is that you don’t have to compromise your ideas; you can do exactly as you please,’ she adds. Her inventive approach prompted her to repurpose the mill’s old coal shaft, which runs the full height of the building, to install a lift for when elderly relatives visit.

Tina has enjoyed subtly reflecting her and Simon’s backgrounds in her interior choices.

Echoes of Germany’s North Sea coast and classic New England styles are carefully fused with English design cues to create a look that’s eclectic yet in perfect harmony with the mill’s strong heritage.

THE STORY Owners Tina and Simon Jones live here with their children Finian, 15, Rhiannon, 14 and Conlan, 12. They also have four grown-up children who live abroad. Tina is an interior designer and Simon is a lawyer Property A six-bedroom, Grade II-listed watermill, built in 1862, near Guildford, Surrey What they did The mill had to be stripped right back to correct shoddy construction work carried out over previous decades. The wiring, plumbing and heating were all replaced

Converted Victorian Mill This image: Tina sits at the vintage pine kitchen table.

The chairs came from German company Marktex. Tina made the cushions and had blinds made up in a Robert Allen fabric. An antique brass oil lamp, bought in Amsterdam at a fleamarket, has been converted to an electrical fitting Opposite, left: A closer look reveals the craftsmanship of the Victorian bricklayers, with the original cast-iron windows Opposite, far left: The waterwheel and gear wheels have been fully restored in their original position on the ground floor, which now also accommodates a study

Period Living 47

Tina commissioned a bespoke kitchen from Churchwood Design to suit the mill’s unique period features. Plenty of cupboards – with a rail-mounted ladder to reach the high ones – and a clever mobile island unit, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Oval Room Blue, give useful additional storage and a workspace that can be pushed out of the way when not in use. Arch details on some cabinets echo the shape of the mill’s windows. The sink is from Villeroy & Boch, with taps from Perrin & Rowe and Grohe. An original Victorian range has been converted by David White Fireplaces to include two Smeg ovens and an induction hob, and the tile mural above was designed by German artist Regina Bakker. Try Jamjar Lights for a similar cluster light. Additional silk flowers were supplied by Bloom

48 Period Living

Period Living 49

Left: Ikea’s Ektorp sofa has been matched with an antique rug. The sideboard and ceiling light are from Maisons du Monde Above: The window seat fabric was a remnant from France; for similar, try Izabela Peters. For grain sack cushions, try Parna. The other cushions are by Lexington. For similar lights, try Hector Finch Below left: A feature wallpaper mural adds a nautical dimension to the dining room. For similar, try Wallsauce.com Below: A quirky gallery display of map prints Opposite: In the living room, a Stovax Regency stove offers a cosy spot to sit. A glass panel in the floor reveals the millwheel mechanism below. The chair, footstool and table are antiques

50 Period Living

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52 Period Living

Converted Victorian Mill

Above: The pretty guest room, with vintage Habitat bed, Laura Ashley quilt, and pillowcases by Ralph Lauren. The curtain fabric is Diamond & Baratta’s Silhouettes Below: The basins and cabinets are salvage yard finds. For similar lights, try Broughtons, and for tiles, try Bert & May Left: Simon is a keen caver and the framed maps are caves he has charted over the years. In a wire basket at the centre of the display is a vintage caving lantern Opposite: Tina bought the daybed in her native Germany; try Swoon Editions for similar. Dressed with a mix of cushions from vintage and high-street shops, it’s perfect for the feminine scheme in the guest room

Period Living 53

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Advice FOCUS ON…

Rural conversions Be inspired by Tina’s beautiful mill house and discover how to live in your own individual converted home

I

f you dream of owning a unique, characterful home in a prime country or village location, then a converted non-residential building could be the answer. Barn conversions are a common sight in rural areas, but other disused properties, such as old mills, schools, pubs and chapels, do sometimes come on to the market and can be turned into great individual homes. In addition, they often contain large spaces, so if you like the idea of openplan living in a rustic shell – which period houses don’t always lend themselves to – then a conversion is ideal.

Buying a ready-converted property doesn’t hugely differ from a standard house purchase, but taking on a project yourself can be a challenging endeavour requiring a good deal of patience, imagination and flexibility. The end result, however, will be well worth the effort.

Where to start

Words Melanie Griffiths Illustration Sarah Overs

Redundant agricultural buildings and the like were not originally intended to be homes, which means that successfully converting one needs a strong creative vision.

In almost all cases it is best to hire an experienced architect or designer to come up with ideas and prepare plans. The architect will work alongside other professionals, such as a structural engineer, and consult with the local planning department to come up with a scheme that works both aesthetically and structurally.

Unless you have a lot of time and experience, you will need your architect, contractor or an independent project manager to oversee the work. This will involve hiring and

managing tradespeople and ensuring the conversion goes as planned. It will add around 10 per cent to the overall cost, but is more likely to result in the home of your dreams.

Design challenges Conversions can throw up a whole host of challenges – both anticipated and unseen – but clever design solutions often yield the most appealing features. Important original details that point to the building’s previous purpose, such as mill wheels, bread ovens and ironmongery, are desirable elements that should be retained and made a feature of.

Old barns can have small window openings, making maximising natural light a priority. Planners are often reluctant to allow for the creation of new apertures, so low-profile rooflights are usually used. Large cart door openings present the perfect opportunity for floor-toceiling windows, and minimalist glazed extensions can be used to link an extension or separate smaller building.

While village schools, for instance, may have smaller separate rooms, agricultural, industrial and religious buildings tend to contain large spaces. To divide them up into lots of smaller rooms is to fight against the character of the property, so while you will need to include bedrooms and bathrooms, you should be more accepting of at least a semi-open-plan arrangement in the main living areas.

Adding an upper storey can present a challenge. Dividing tall windows in half is generally avoided, so light on both floors needs to be considered. Many converted buildings have vaulted ceilings and double-height areas to make the ➤

Original cart door openings on barn conversions can make for stunning feature windows

Minimalist glazed links can be used to connect other converted buildings or an extension

Period Living 55

Connecting to services Some buildings will already be connected to mains water, power and drainage, but more isolated properties might be completely off mains. Getting services to site can be costly, and you may need to install your own sewage treatment plant, for example, so you would be wise to investigate the situation and get quotes before completing the purchase.

Converting a building from scratch provides the ideal opportunity to install renewable technologies, which will make your home less expensive to run in the long term.

Investigate options such as ground- and air-source heat pumps, which can provide underfloor heating, and solar panels to contribute towards hot water or electricity.

What will it cost?

Every conversion is unique and so you can’t estimate build costs until a survey has been carried out and you have an idea of the design. Expect to pay anything from £600 to £1,200 per square metre, dependent on the building’s condition, your design and the level of work needed. Stone properties tend to be the most expensive to convert.

Getting finance for a conversion isn’t always simple and you’ll likely need a bigger deposit than if buying a house.

Your best bet may be to target self-build mortgage firms who specialise in lending on out-of-the-ordinary projects.

The good news is that conversions are largely free of VAT. At the end of the project you can make a claim on eligible materials and labour. The latter should, in the first instance, be reduce rated to five per cent. You cannot claim VAT paid out in error, so study HMRC Notice 431C before starting.

Planning permission Don’t buy a property on the assumption you will be granted permission for a change of use – first make enquiries with

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the local planning department. If possible, negotiate the purchase subject to gaining permission for a change of use.

Recent updates to planning laws have meant that some agricultural conversions can be carried out under permitted development rights, which have previously only allowed homeowners to carry out minor improvements without applying for planning permission, such as loft conversions and small extensions. There are limitations on factors such as the size of the house and garden, location and amount of structural alteration required, and there is a prior approvals process. This means that many converters will still need to apply for full planning permission to get what they want.

Before granting permission for a conversion, the planners will want to ensure that it meets the local plan and there isn’t a preferred viable use for the building, as well as looking at issues such as access. On top of that, there are separate laws related to endangered species, and if any are present, steps will need to be taken before work can start.

FINDING A CONVERSION OPPORTUNITY

Below left: To bring in more natural light, rooflights are usually preferable to adding new window openings Below right: Where the property originally consisted of a large open expanse, it’s usually best to avoid creating lots of smaller rooms, and embracing a more open-plan living arrangement

Ready-converted properties are sold through the same routes as any other type of home. However, if you are seeking a building to convert yourself, you will have to look beyond the obvious routes.

As a starting point, use online housefinding websites, including specialist services such as plotfinder.net and barnsetc.co.uk. Check adverts in local papers, view auction listings and enquire with estate agents. Also keep your eyes open for properties with potential that aren’t currently for sale. If a building looks redundant and the location is right, it’s worth seeking out the owners to discuss the idea of selling.

Words Melanie Griffiths Photographs Andreas Von Einsiedel, Alistair Nicholls, Jeremy Phillips

most of them, with a semi-first floor or mezzanine level providing bedrooms. A view to the upstairs landing with a feature staircase will add to the wow-factor.

FOR THOSE WHO APPRECIATE THE DIFFERENCE

Advertorial

Crafted from ash with a driftwood finish and carved with a stag’s head, these Hunter’s chairs cost £410 each. Shown with the refectory trestle oak table, from £3,324, and bench, from £889

Batheaston Bespoke Furniture by Richard Gill & Sons Established in 1955, this family business has become one of the UK’s leading specialists in handmade reproduction period furniture

Above: These beautiful stickback Windsor chairs cost £375 for the side chair and £498 for an armchair

B

atheaston has become a name to trust and a sure sign that a piece of furniture has been made to last, with no compromises and unprecedented attention to detail.

Miles and Sam Gill are a father and son team, who right from the start of the process carefully

select oak and ash trees from sustainable woodlands, checking that they make the grade.

Then, using methods and techniques handed down through the generations, they begin to mould them into the heirlooms of the future.

The firm specialises in oak cabinets and extendable tables that can be made to measure to suit all tastes and fit specific spaces, designed with you and catered to your individual needs.

The backbone of the family business is the world-famous Windsor chair and its many variations. A timeless classic that brings an elegance all of its own, it is the finishing touch to any room in a period property.

Every beautiful piece is made to order, and customers can choose from the wide selection of colours and finishes, and even have newly made furniture colour matched to existing pieces.

Visit batheaston.co.uk to find the right piece of furniture for you, or call 01943 880622 for more information. You can also see ‘Batheaston Bespoke Furniture’ being made on Facebook.

Left: Together Miles and Sam distress and sand an oak pedestal table

58 Period Living

Next Month

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PERIODLIVING Photographs Colin Poole, Sofi Sykfont/House of Pictures, Polly Eltes, Lynn Keddie, Philip Lauterbach, Jeremy Phillips

OUT 30 MARCH

● Stunning period homes ● Inspiring extensions ● Mid-century decorating ● Enter the Readers’ Homes Awards 2017

Period Living 59

The formal drawing room where Queen Victoria once took tea is now used for pre-dinner drinks for shooting parties. The magnificent wallpapered ceiling dates back to 1866 and is now listed so the décor has been designed around the paper. A flokati rug softens the scheme, as does the ottoman, upholstered in Sky and Blush tweed from Peony & Sage. The curtain fabric is Cassiopeia by Voyage Decoration.

Above the fireplace hangs an ornate mirror bought at an auction in Singapore. Walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Parma Gray.

The natural-coloured sofa is from nearby The Black Faced Sheep, and the other belonged to Hal’s parents and has been reupholstered in pale blue velvet

60 Period Living

Highland Farmhouse

FIT FOR A QUEEN Emily and Hal Salvesen’s early-18th-century farmhouse was extended in Victorian times to add a drawing room smart enough to host the monarch herself for afternoon tea Words Alison Gibb | Photographs Douglas Gibb

Period Living 61

THE STORY Owners Emily and Hal Salvesen live here with their children, Monty, 18 months, and Coco, six months, and dogs Eigg and Islay. Hal runs a country sports company, findracksporting.com; Emily is studying interior design Property The six-bedroom house in Royal Deeside, Scotland, was originally built as a farmhouse in 1700. Two wings were added in the Victorian era What they did A wall was removed between the original kitchen and scullery to create a big kitchen-diner, and the house was redecorated throughout

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hoose to live in a house 20 miles from Balmoral, and you never know when royalty might pop round.

Determined to be prepared, the Victorian owners of this Aberdeenshire farmhouse added a small wing on either side, to aggrandise the property. And to their delight, Queen Victoria did once stop by and took afternoon tea in the newly decorated drawing room. The wallpapered ceiling has survived intact and is now listed. ‘It is not in perfect condition,’ explain current owners Emily and Hal. ‘But we are not allowed to touch it.’

They bought the house in 2012, when they were still living in Singapore. Hal was in the merchant navy, so travelled a lot, and Emily was working as a teacher. ‘We loved our life over there, but we always knew that if we were to start a family we would want to return to the Highlands, where Hal was brought up.’ He now runs sporting weekends on the family estate and throughout the shooting season he and Emily host parties every weekend.

Removing the wall between the kitchen and scullery was the first job the couple tackled and turned out to be a major undertaking. ‘It was a supporting wall, and the initial attempt was a disaster,’ recalls Emily. ‘The engineers had wildly underestimated the support and so the fireplaces in the bedrooms above started slipping away as

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insufficient steel had been used. The whole thing had to be done again and we were without a kitchen for two months – never again!’

The couple had hoped to fit a brand-new kitchen in the resulting space, but the additional structural work had used up too much of the budget, so Emily salvaged the old kitchen that had been temporarily stored in the garage and painted it. ‘It’s all a bit cobbled together,’ she admits, ‘largely unfitted, but the new room is cosy and functional, and the pistachio Aga makes a wonderful focal point.’

Renovating the many bathrooms in the house was another essential task. ‘Functional bathrooms are a priority when you have guests visiting in large numbers, and as our family are all so far flung, they sometimes stay for a while,’ says Emily.

The house was elaborately decorated when the couple first bought it, but unfortunately not in a style Emily loved. ‘I was brought up in a Victorian house in Dorset, so I wanted to inject some gentle English style into our majestic, but quite bleak, Highland home.’ She has painted the rooms in subtle heritage shades and the soft fabrics are all vintage-inspired country linens by Berwickshirebased company Peony & Sage. ‘I would actually choose the fabric first and make it the starting point for almost every room scheme,’ she explains.

It has been a slight hindrance that some of the fixtures and fittings left by the previous owner were not to Emily’s taste. ‘The bedroom carpets are all real wool and plain colours, but not quite what I would have chosen,’ she says. ‘It is hard to justify the expense of throwing something out when it is in good condition and of high quality.’ Peony & Sage’s designer Kimberley Bell helped Emily choose fabrics that would co-ordinate with the existing carpets to give the impression that each room was planned that way from scratch.

The result is fresh and contemporary, a pleasing combination of Highland splendour alongside the delicate patterns and colours more typical of English country style. Some statement pieces, such as the bed in the master bedroom, were brought back from Singapore. ‘We had to fill a container, so we did some last-minute shopping and found some great pieces at auction,’ says Emily. Inherited artwork, a few contemporary prints and some sporting trophies are the finishing touches.

The large garden is still a work in progress, and although Emily and Hal enjoyed planting it up, their busy lives and small children take up most of their time. The pretty gable-end glasshouse that the couple have restored is now used as a summerhouse to enjoy the garden over a spot of lunch or summer evening drinks.

This comfortable, hospitable home is now the perfect place for the family and visitors alike. And while Emily and Hal place far less emphasis on grandeur than previous owners did, they like to think that their home’s 21st-century update might have appealed to Queen Victoria just as much.

Above: Emily and Hal’s home was extended at both sides in 1866 by its Victorian owners who aspired to a grander-looking house fit for a royal visit. The central section dates back to 1700 Right: With plenty of natural light coming in from the drawing room windows, an antique mahogany desk, bought in a Singapore auction for just £150, makes a good place to display interesting artefacts, some of which, like the framed map above, reference Hal’s eight years travelling the world in the merchant navy Below: An elegant banister and cast-iron spindles create a focal point in the hallway, framing the antique sewing table and pretty armchair – the upholstery fabric is Millie Gustavian Grey by Peony & Sage. Emily chose two Farrow & Ball paints, Slipper Satin and Charleston Gray below the dado rail on the stairs, a practical shade with children around.

For a similar radiator cover, try Jali

Period Living 63

64 Period Living

Highland Farmhouse

The spacious kitchen-diner was created by opening up the wall between the old kitchen and scullery. When building costs escalated and it became apparent that a new fitted kitchen was out of the question, Emily decided to upcycle the old cabinets, painting them in Farrow & Ball’s Stony Ground Estate eggshell to match the pine dresser, and adding a bespoke island from Eastburn Country Furniture. The table and chairs are painted in Neptune’s Old Chalk.

Blinds made up in Kate Forman’s Sprig fabric add a pretty touch to the room. The stone-look floor tiles are from Quickstep Period Living 65

Above: The statement super-king-size bed in the master bedroom is by Ralph Lauren, bought on impulse at a Singapore auction when Emily and Hal wanted to fill a container with furniture before coming home. They bought the bedside tables on Ebay. The bench at the foot of the bed is upholstered in Peony & Sage’s Sky and Blush tweed fabric. The curtains and stone-washed linen cushions are also from Peony & Sage, and the walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Cornforth White Left: The stylish bed in the guest room was another Singapore auction buy, dressed with bedding from The White Company and blue cushions from Oka. The curtain fabric is Faded Dotty Butterflies by Peony & Sage.

Walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Skylight Right: Emily and Monty enjoy a story in Monty’s room while baby Coco has a nap.

The blue and cream geometric rug is from Cox & Cox. The curtains are made from Stag All Star fabric in Oxford Blue and Red; Emily has edged them with pom-poms, all from Peony & Sage. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Light Blue

66 Period Living

Left: In the main bathroom, Emily added a Neptune vanity unit with twin sinks, and glued Peony & Sage’s Fleur fabric to the bath in sections. ‘It was a two-person job, so my mum held the fabric in place while I smoothed it down,’ says Emily. ‘I had no idea if it would work, but we got there in the end.’ The blind fabric is Peony & Sage’s Triple Grain Sack in Raspberry Below: The blue dolls’ house in Coco’s pretty pink bedroom was Emily’s mum’s, and the other was a raffle prize. The bunting above is made from assorted Peony & Sage fabrics Bottom: The Stokke cot transforms into a toddler bed, then a small sofa.

The walls and vintage chest of drawers in the corner are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Calamine, and the floor length linen curtains are made from Rabbit All Star fabric by Peony & Sage, in Ivory and Powder Pink, edged in pom-poms.

The pink velvet storage chest is from Oliver Bonas. For a similar rug, try one of The Rug Seller’s flokati rugs

Period Living 67

Above and far right: The couple carefully restored the glasshouse, added by the previous owner, and painted it in Farrow & Ball’s Brassica. The table came from Bali.

‘We bought it when we were on holiday there from Singapore,’ says Emily. ‘It took three months to arrive and then when it did, we had to pay more in import tax than we paid for the table!’

Right: A Tamworth pig helps to dig the ground ready for a wildflower meadow

68 Period Living

HURLINGHAM The Bath Company

Retail Partners: T: 01400 263310 E: sales@hurlinghambaths.co.uk W: www.hurlinghambaths.co.uk

Shopping

Weathered oak and linen French-style four-poster bed, £1,250 for a king-size, Blue Isle

Anne iron-framed bed in Rose Couture fabric by Designers Guild, £3,495 for a double, Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Co

Plumstead upholstered bed in Steel Blue, £745 for a double, Warren Evans

Elegant Tufted bedstead in Natural velvet with button detailing, £725 for a double, Bed Monkey

Florence cast-iron bed, £1,550 for a double, The Cornish Bed Co

SLEEP WELL Be inspired by Emily and Hal’s statement beds and prepare for a luxurious night’s slumber in one of these sleeping beauties

Mahogany four-poster bed, £9,995 for a double, Titchmarsh & Goodwin

Montmartre bed, made from sustainable mahogany with black velvet upholstery, £1,695 for a king-size, The French Bedroom Company

Period Living 71

The kitchen cabinets and island were designed and built by Four Corners for the new extension.

A reclaimed pine surface from Peppermill Antiques tops the island, which has been painted in Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue.

Debbie bought the blue tiles as a job lot privately from Ebay.

The large industrial-style lights in the kitchen were a bargain from Ikea, at ÂŁ25 each

72 Period Living

Extended Cottage

A NEW CHAPTER An oak-frame kitchen extension and improved layout have transformed Debbie and Sarj Sarjant’s 17th-century home Words Victoria Jenkins | Styling Karen Darlow | Photographs William Goddard

Period Living 73

THE STORY

D

espite being confronted with its overgrown garden and poorly built extension, Debbie and ‘Sarj’ Sarjant felt a growing excitement as they viewed Bookend Cottage.

‘There was no proper front door, one bedroom was bright pink and there was a total lack of wow factor,’ says Debbie. ‘But we loved the history, the honey-coloured stone and all the nooks and crannies.

‘We were looking to downsize, and the cottage was smaller than our previous home but still had three floors and four bedrooms, so there was plenty of room for our grown-up children to stay.’ That was in February 2015, and Debbie and Sarj went on to buy the cottage, living in rented accommodation while they tackled the renovation and extension.

The project’s first and only major hurdle came when the couple applied for planning permission to add an oak-frame kitchen extension. ‘We found out that we needed an archaeological watching brief because we’re in the medieval heart of the village,’ says Debbie. ‘They didn’t find a thing but it took 14 weeks before we could begin building.’

The magnificent new kitchen-diner is now the heart of the cottage, and the couple have also improved the older two-storey extension and modernised the original cottage. ‘The old extension had been built in 2000 but still needed rewiring, replumbing and replastering,’ says Debbie.

After demolishing a ramshackle lean-to, the first job the builders tackled was tanking the living

74 Period Living

Owners Debbie Sarjant, a journalist, and husband Sarj, a chartered surveyor, live here with their cat Betty Boo. Their six grown-up children no longer live at home Property The four-bedroom cottage dates back to the 1600s. Its previous owners added a two-storey extension What they did The couple rewired throughout, repaired the roof, fitted new windows and built a single-storey oak-frame kitchen-diner extension.

The original kitchen is now a hall, cloakroom and open-plan study.

The stairs were rebuilt and turned to face the new front door

room and old kitchen in the cottage and the new sitting room in the extension. ‘Just a week after we’d bought the place, a mysterious puddle of water appeared in the living room, which we think came from the flooded road,’ says Debbie. Next, they levelled the floors and installed underfloor heating.

‘We also had to get rid of the damp that was coming up through the floor and down from the leaking roof,’ says Debbie. ‘In addition, we replaced the windows and, because the cottage isn’t listed, we were able to change its layout to improve the flow of the property.’

They created a much-needed cottage porch entrance where a kitchen window used to be.

Before that entering the ‘front’ door had involved taking a winding path through the back garden to one of five fully glazed doors. ‘We’ve made good use of the old kitchen space, turning it into a hall and cloakroom with an open-plan study area,’ says Debbie. ‘We’ve also swapped one of the three bathrooms with a bedroom for better access and refurbished them all.’ Then, as all the original rooms had such low ceilings, Debbie and Sarj removed some of the doors downstairs to create more of a flow-through.

In total, the project took just nine months to complete, and the couple are delighted with the results. ‘I’m particularly pleased with the kitchen, which was designed and built locally,’ Debbie says. ‘The new room has given us exactly the large, light, modern space we needed, and it’s where we eat, talk and entertain.

‘And the great thing about downsizing is that it was a chance to replace a lot of our furniture. I gave the house a backdrop of soft white walls, which enabled me to have fun with colour in each room.

Now it’s a lovely warm and welcoming home.’

Extended Cottage

Top: The dining room reminds Debbie of a ski chalet, and features a pine table and leather chairs from Peppermill Antiques. Rural Timber Window Company supplied the windows and joiner James Chandler made the window seat. The crockery is by Burleigh Left: The double Belfast sink is from Four Corners, with a tap from Fountain Softeners. The flooring is from Cotswold Wood Floors. With no gas supply in the village, Debbie chose an electric Everhot range Above: The umbrella stand in the hall is an old apple picker’s barrel, bought at the Barn Antiques Centre.

For a similar bench, try Cotswold Co Above right: James Chandler rebuilt the stairs, turning them to face the new entrance Opposite: The extension was built by Kevin Bath and is clad in oak waney board. A new front door has been created from an old window opening Period Living 75

76 Period Living

Extended Cottage

Located in the original 17th-century part of the cottage, the living room had to be tanked due to flood water getting in. The previous owners installed the stove; for similar, try Chesney’s. The yellow Grand Bovary chair, Square Dimple footstool and Jonesy sofa, all from Loaf, add a pop of colour. Debbie has had the pippy oak coffee table for a long time, and the large lamp is from Oka. Blinds and curtains throughout are from the Curtain Emporium in Blackwell

Period Living 77

Top: The master bedroom is located in the two-storey extension built by the previous owners. Debbie and Sarj have added French windows and a Juliet balcony. The sleigh bed is by Willis & Gambier, and the armchair was inherited from Debbie’s grandparents Left: An Albion Bath Company slipper bath is painted in Annie Sloan’s Aubusson Blue Above: This pretty guest room was once painted bright pink with a tiny basin jammed under the eaves, and had a leaking roof. A new Loaf bed is topped with a bedspread from Greengate.

The cushions and antique nursing chair are covered in Victorian fabrics

78 Period Living

Rise & Shine Introducing PowerView® Motorisation from Luxaflex® A remarkable new system that moves your shades throughout the day, so you don’t have to. Create personalised settings with your smart phone or tablet, or use our uniquely designed Pebble® remote control to activate your favourite pre-set program.

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See PowerView® in motion at luxaflex.co.uk

LIGHT INDUSTRY Interiors shop owners Josefine Persson and Andreas Gรถthammer have given their 1940s hill-top home in Sweden a bright new look with a cool mix of factory finds and vintage treasures Words and styling Tina Hom/Living Agency | Photographs Jean-Marc Wullschleger/Living Agency

80 Period Living

This page: Josefine and Andreas made the sofa by covering single mattresses with Ikea fabric and built a base from pallets. For similar animal print cushions, try Redbubble. Andreas made the coffee table from wooden planks and welded water pipes.

The oversized clock and ceiling lamp are from the couple’s shop Opposite: The stairs have had an industrialstyle makeover, with metal-effect vinyl flooring from Tarkett.

Josefine created the chequerboard floor design with metal paint. The giant letter was part of an old neon sign, the Tolix stool came from a local store and the light is from the couple’s shop

Period Living 81

J

osefine and Andreas had only just finished renovating an apartment when they fell for a rambling little house with wide views of the surrounding countryside. ‘We weren’t looking to move house, but we saw this and thought it looked interesting,’ says Josefine. ‘We loved its setting perched high up on a hill overlooking the village – that’s why we decided to buy it and it was the best decision we ever made!’

‘Josefine had a strong vision of how the house should be, and I loved the large windows that fill the rooms with natural light,’ adds Andreas.

Structurally the property was not in bad condition, but the flooring and 1980s kitchen were not to the couple’s taste. ‘We just wanted to give it our own style,’ says Josefine.

It took a year and a half of hard work as Andreas and Josefine totally refurbished the house from the ground up, doing almost everything themselves.

They ripped up old laminate flooring, along with the dark wood panelling that covered most of the walls. Next the couple restored the original walls and wooden floors, painting most of them white.

The largest project was the kitchen, where Josefine and Andrew raised the ceiling height and opened up a wall, installing an internal window overlooking the living room – one of the things the couple are most proud of. ‘It does a lot for both the kitchen and the living area, adding an extra dimension to the rooms,’ says Josefine.

The living room is spacious and bright with large windows. The couple opened it up further still by removing a dividing wall, then replaced the dated

flooring, painted the ceiling and covered the walls with new wood panelling. ‘It’s now a much more versatile space with a dining area and a relaxed seating area in front of the stove,’ says Andreas.

Upstairs, just as they did in the kitchen, the couple have installed an internal window between two rooms, here painting the frame turquoise.

Josefine and Andreas’ home is full of details that tell the story of their creative lives. They are both passionate about interior design and spend their free time hunting for industrial or vintage pieces. They own an accessories and furniture shop and showcase many of its products here, alongside their own antiques and vintage pieces, describing the overall look as ‘a jumble of stuff collected from garage sales and fleamarkets’. However, that makes light of the harmonious and characterful impression created as all the individual pieces work together in this much-loved home.

THE STORY Owners Josefine Persson and Andreas Göthammer, who run an interiors shop, inmyhouse.se.

Property A three-bedroom house, built in 1947, in Ronneby, south Sweden What they did Although the house was structurally sound, the couple updated the décor, replaced the flooring, raised the height of the ceiling and opened up a wall in the kitchen to install a large interior window

82 Period Living

Mid-century Swedish Home

This page: The flooring was replaced and finished with metal paint, and new wall panelling added. Andreas made the dining table using wooden planks and metal pipes. The chairs came from France and the light fittings are from the couple’s store Opposite, top: They bought all the kitchen fixtures from Ikea, adding colour with a rug from their shop and a brightly painted step stool Opposite, bottom: Over the years, Andreas and Josefine have collected a vast range of vintage homeware Period Living 83

84 Period Living

Above: An internal window between the dining area and kitchen has improved the flow of the downstairs space. The log store and glass-fronted china cabinet were originally both full-height cupboards, but were adapted when the couple added the window Top right: The wood-burning stove was installed when the house was built and is covered with ceramic tiles Right: Josefine at work in her studio, where another one of Andreas’ homemade tables is perfectly positioned to make use of the natural daylight. Josefine makes the crochet seat covers and sells them online Opposite: The chaise longue belonged to Josefine’s grandmother, who reupholstered it. The black wall light and the four animal posters are fleamarket finds, and the old lockers came from a closing factory

Period Living 85

Above and below: The master bedroom, where the couple installed another internal window. The letter G was from a local factory and the table was a fleamarket find. American bus destinations adorn the wall, and the lamp was once used to keep pig pens warm Right: The cheery wallpaper in the nursery is from Ferm Living Opposite: This magnificent arch window was what sold the house to Josefine and Andreas. The cast-iron bed was an auction find

86 Period Living

Mid-century Swedish Home

Period Living 87

Above: The TV room is full of salvaged and homemade furniture. The two coffee tables are made from cable drums that Andreas got from the local electricity company. He painted them and added castors. The couple also made the three quirky lampshades at the far end of the room from zinc buckets. The poster is from House Doctor Right: The view through the internal window to the TV room, where crates from a flower shop have been ingeniously repurposed as display shelves Above right: The vibrant wallpaper in the WC is by Marimekko, the basin is from Ikea and the WC from a local bathroom shop. For a similar light fitting, try The Chandelier & Mirror Company

88 Period Living

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Shopping

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HOUSE journal Discover the latest products to improve your period home and pick up top tips from experts

TURNING TILES Transform elegant tiling into a striking splashback with a simple basket weave design, as shown here with these Impact Petrol glass metro tiles from British Ceramic Tile. ‘By alternating horizontal and vertical patterns, you can make the tile the hero of the room,’ explains marketing manager Jayne Adamson. ‘The main factor to consider is accuracy, so all lines are sharp and linear.

The key to creating a stand-out design is to use a contrasting grout that will show off the pattern.’ W10xL20cm, they cost £61.20 per box of 10.

Lighting inspiration Create a welcoming wow factor in your entrance hall with this matt black Charlecote lantern from Jim Lawrence. Handforged with Victorian styling inspired by the architecture of Charlecote Park in Oxfordshire, this beautifully crafted design is perfect for adding authentic period detailing to your interior. From £595 for H55.5xDia.30cm.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @period_living for more home improvement inspiration and style ideas

Feature Karen Bray

A HAND IN THE KITCHEN Designed by Sophie Conran, the Cook’s Companion from Harvey Jones features a spice drawer, five-bottle wine rack, a 60mm end-grain butcher’s block, a worktop knife block and castor wheels for ease of movement.

H92xW66xD56cm, it can be painted in the colour of your choice, from £1,600.

The Property Investor & Homebuyer Show at London’s Excel on 28-29 April is the UK’s longest-running as well as largest residential property investment, business and networking event. Visit propertyinvestor.co.uk for more details on this year’s exhibitors and seminars Period Living 95

ASK THE EXPERT Douglas Kent, technical and research director at the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), answers your renovation queries Our old house has areas of woodworm but we think they’re all inactive – how can we be sure?

Most beetle attacks in old timbers are extinct. Active outbreaks display holes with sharp instead of round edges, and the insides and bore dust (‘frass’) resemble newly cut timber.

Furniture beetles inhabit both soft and hardwood, creating Dia.1-2mm holes and lemon-shaped frass. Death watch beetles, by contrast, favour oak and leave 2-3 mm holes and bunshaped pellets; smaller populations sometimes exit from cracks rather than holes, but the distinctive tapping sound during the springtime mating season may announce their presence.

Where signs aren’t clear, monitor by using water-soluble glue to cover a cluster of holes with acid-free tissue paper, through which beetles will bite their way if present. Alternatively, holes can be plugged with wax polish.

Q A PIECE OF NORWAY Offering high heat, water, UV, scratch and stain resistance, this Larvikite and Anorthosite 100 per cent natural stone from Norwegian specialist Lundhs is available in four materials and two distinct finishes. Each worktop is delivered with a certificate of authenticity, stating the origin of the stone.

Antique, shown here, costs from £970 per m2.

ON THE WEB Visit periodliving. co.uk to discover 10 more ideas for kitchen worktops

BATHTIME BLISS Even the most utilitarian features can be stylish and beautiful. Showcasing the trend for mixing metals, this elegant BSM 100 bath shower mixer, finished in chrome and French oil-rubbed copper, is perfectly complemented by a back plate with soap bottle holder in an unlacquered brass finish, from £900 and £948 respectively at Chadder & Co.

Patterned or striped runners are a great choice for a hallway or staircase, as they are not only practical and hardwearing, but help draw the eye up and into the space, while adding a decorative touch. Try the Fabulous Diamond Narrow, £150 per m2, with Cotton Picallo Sleet border, £17 per m, paired here with carpet in Indulgent Mink, £137 per m2, all from Crucial Trading.

If you have a question for Douglas Kent, email it to periodliving@ centaur.co.uk*

*We do our best to answer all queries, but cannot guarantee a response

Q

STYLISH STAIRS

96 Period Living

The mortar joints in the front of our Georgian house are red with finer white lines added.

Is this ‘tuck pointing’?

From the late 17th to early 20th centuries, tuck pointing was often executed on façades or enrichments to emulate superior ‘gauged work’. or to conceal irregular, spoilt or cheap bricks. Joints are filled flush with mortar coloured to match, and a narrow groove incised into which a thin ribbon of (usually white) mortar is pressed or ‘tucked’. It may also be introduced retrospectively today when repointing bricks with damaged edges.

Tuck pointing can go unnoticed, especially where it is weathered, but signs may survive in sheltered areas, such as below windowsills.

Visit our website at www.cotteswood.co.uk

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Advice

The art of

KITCHEN DESIGN From perfecting the layout to deciding whether to go bespoke or off the shelf, discover how to create the perfect hub of your home Feature Melanie Griffiths

The image of the dream traditional kitchen that we conjure up in our imaginations is, in many ways, a modern invention. Before electronic appliances, hot and cold water on demand, and clever cabinet design, cooking was unglamorous, hard work. Even in grander households, meals were prepped on a large, simple table and heated on a grate or range, and there was often no sink. A separate pantry stored food, while dressers, open shelving and hooks displayed china, pots and pans, and utensils.

However, what these kitchens had in abundance was character, and so while today we rarely seek to truly emulate their authenticity, we take inspiration from the classic design to create an inviting space.

There is an art to creating a kitchen that marries modern functionality with period looks. Many homeowners don’t even try, and prefer an honest approach – mixing contemporary cabinetry with a rustic shell. But whatever style you have in mind, you’ll need to carefully plan it out so that the space works for your individual home and requirements. ➤

Mixing natural wood finishes with painted units adds warmth to an all white scheme.

This bespoke Original handpainted kitchen costs from £45,000 at Smallbone of Devizes

Period Living 99

WHERE TO START Begin by taking a good look at your existing kitchen.

‘Consider carefully how you use the space and how everything is organised,’ says Tony McCarthy from Crown Imperial. ‘Are items accessible or do you spend most of your time struggling to reach them?’

As well as what you’d like to improve on, note your kitchen’s positive points. Then, pull together all your ideas and collected images to create a wishlist.

Include in your list big things, such as an open-plan space or an island, as well as smaller elements, such as more power points or a Belfast sink. You should also include a sense of the feeling you want to create, plus colours and styles.

If you don’t have the space for everything you want, or some items are impractical or pricey, then take your wishlist to a good kitchen designer, who will help you work out a compromise.

WISHLIST IDEAS FOR... ●

Families: breakfast bar, seating area, American-style fridge-freezer, utility room, homework/play area, toy storage, curved cabinet corners, rounded handles ● Entertaining: open-plan kitchen-diner, freestanding island, statement range cooker, dimmable lighting, quiet extractor fan, concealed appliances, garden access ● Keen cooks: pantry cupboard, pan drawers, integrated storage for knifes and chopping boards, area with marble worktop for making pastry, multifunctional range-style cooker

FINALISE YOUR BUDGET Decide the maximum amount you are prepared to pay for your kitchen and make sure your supplier understands. As a rough guide, you should look to spend between 3-5 per cent of the overall value of the house –any more and you risk losing money if you sell. Include appliances, installation, electrics and plumbing, as well as finishes, such as worktops.

CHECK THE SPACE IS BIG ENOUGH If your current kitchen isn’t big enough to include all the elements you would like in the new design, then consider extending to gain more space. One of the most popular extension projects is to add a kitchen/dining/living area that opens out to the garden through large doors. Expect to pay £1,500 to £3,000 per square metre for the building work, plus professional fees. Assuming the design meets certain criteria (check planningportal.co.uk), such projects often do not require planning permission.

Alternatively, you may be able to create a larger open-plan space by removing a non load-bearing wall between the kitchen and dining room. ➤ 100 Period Living

Next Month

Left: Fired Earth’s freestanding Bastide kitchen costs from about £12,000 excluding appliances.

The collection is made from oak and is available in ten standard painted finishes (including Bone White and Antimony, shown here) and in three oak finishes. The tiles are Fired Earth’s handmade Marrakech designs in Mabrouka, priced £9.95 each Above right: This classic handpainted panelled cabinetry

by Mowlem & Co is handleless for a contemporary finish. Painted in a chic soft grey tone, it’s accented by wood, stone and copper finishes. The six-seat breakfast bar is perfect for informal family gatherings. From £30,000 Right: A bold, coloured island makes a statement in this otherwise neutral country kitchen, which consists of solid ash Ashton units from Crown Imperial. Prices start from about £10,000

Period Living 101

Personally designed kitchens to enhance your home.

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Next Month PLAN THE LAYOUT Once upon a time, the ‘work triangle’ – where the sink, hob and fridge are evenly sited at key points around the cook in the centre – used to be the main factor when designing a kitchen layout. While this theory is still useful, it was developed when cooking was a solitary task and kitchens were smaller, and doesn’t take into account how home life has evolved.

Now kitchens are more likely to be part of an openplan space with a dining area, seating or play space.

‘The most up-to-date kitchens feature separate zones,’ says Vincent Glue from Smallbone of Devizes.

‘The trend is for a more informal kitchen featuring freestanding furniture and space to gather, so layouts are designed to fuse cooking with entertaining.’

An island unit, which acts as a divide while allowing the cook to be sociable, is one of the best solutions, but also consider how seating and larger furniture is arranged, and include clear walkways.

DESIGN DETAILS ‘As well as the overall shape of your kitchen, the elements that stand period homes apart can become integral features of the kitchen design,’ says Tori Summers, from Benchmarx Kitchens and Joinery.

‘High ceilings, chimney breasts, alcoves, beams and cornicing can be incorporated for dramatic effect, so it’s worth bringing in a kitchen designer early on.’

When it comes to cabinet style, a simple Shakerstyle design is versatile enough to suit homes from all eras. More intricate raised and fielded panelled doors create a sense of grandeur befitting Georgian or larger Victorian homes, while minimalist glossy, handleless units give a contemporary contrast.

‘If you have wooden beams on show, teaming these with solid wood worktops effortlessly pulls the kitchen and room themes together,’ continues Tori. To further highlight beams, use pale cupboard shades, which will lift the whole scheme.

‘To make the most of beautiful coving and ceiling features, don’t feel you have to add cornicing for a period feel,’ adds Tori. ‘Using crisp lines and curved cupboards can give the room balance and texture.’ ➤

Above: Located in a Georgian family home, this English kitchen

by Martin Moore combines complementary colours to add warmth and interest. Prices start from £35,000. The work surfaces are by Caesarstone Below: Mixing worktops adds interest to a kitchen, as in this design by Benchmarx, which features Warwick Shaker Ivory units to complement the timber beams. Prices start from around £180 for a 100cm base unit

BESPOKE OR OFF THE SHELF? Handmade, hardwood in-frame cabinets are the most authentic option for period homes.

They can be tailor-made for awkward spaces and wonky walls, and freestanding or fitted.

Although desirable, this type of unit demands a premium, starting at around £15,000. Some firms make less costly versions from pine.

Off-the-shelf flatpack cabinets are usually made from chipboard and come in standard sizes. Better quality units have thicker frames and can emulate in-frame designs with solid wood or paint-effect moulded door fronts.

Period Living 103

Right: For a true period country feel, opt for unpainted wood. This bespoke natural pippy oak in-frame kitchen costs from £20,000 at Churchwood Below: This bespoke kitchen features redwood and solid oak painted wooden cabinetry with curved and linear doors, granite worktops and wagon board reclaimed timber accents. Expect to pay from £15,000 at The Main Company

A larder cupboard makes great use of this alcove space. From John Lewis of Hungerford’s Artisan collection, which features doors with raised fielded centre panels, from £25,000

STORAGE SOLUTIONS The starting point for good, space-efficient design is always the size and quantity of units. Tempting as it is to cram them in wall to wall, this can make the space feel cramped. Instead, break up runs of wall units with open shelving, plate racks or at the very least use glass-fronted cabinets for display pieces.

‘Choosing a larder over a conventional unit can be a great way to make the most of a smaller space,’ says Smallbone’s Vincent. ‘A bespoke, built-in design can store the equivalent of eight wall cabinets.’

104 Period Living

ON THE WEB Discover how to create a stylish kitchen on a budget at periodliving.co.uk

Often the larder unit, or other tall cupboard, and an American fridge-freezer are fitted side by side to form a wall of storage, thus freeing up valuable space in the working part of the kitchen.

This also avoids too many long runs of cupboards.

‘Internal cupboard storage is key to maximising space without detracting from the period feel on the outside,’ says Benchmarx’s Tori. ‘Integrated carousels, swing-out corner shelves and pull-out larders are all excellent. You can also make the most of every inch with internal drawers, pull-out wire shelves and storage baskets.’

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The Reclaimer

Floors of distinction Katie Rowe of Ribble Reclamation explains how to source and use reclaimed Yorkstone flags for internal flooring Research the seller…

A good reclamation yard or stone specialist will carefully grade reclaimed stone into different batches according to use. If buying online, make sure photos are of the exact stock, look out for reviews, and agree in writing the flag sizes to expect. We always follow the SALVO code when buying flags, collecting them directly from the source ourselves, to ensure reliable provenance.

will have small chips, pits and undulations that contribute to their beauty. Avoid flagstones that have been reclaimed from industrial mills – although impressive looking, there is a strong chance they will be contaminated with oil. You won’t be able to tell when viewing them in a reclamation yard (especially in winter), but this will become apparent after the flags have been laid and heated up. Also avoid flagstones that show signs of lamination.

Think about your laying pattern…

If laying the stone in a random pattern, you will need to order extra (approximately 10 per cent for wastage). Traditionally stone floors were laid in courses of an equal width with random lengths, so we will often lay the floor out in our yard to fit room dimensions, which will save time and expense on site. Doing this also means you don’t have to order extra, and you can then get a detailed plan for laying.

Consider the surface…

Smooth, cathedral-grade flags are a popular choice for internal floors, yet even smooth flags

Feature Karen Bray

How much should you pay?

Reclaimed Yorkstone flags vary greatly.

A batch of beautiful large, foot-worn flagstones from an old church will cost a lot more than ones from a cellar, and this is reflected in the price. Reclaimed weathered Yorkstone flags start from around £78 per square yard, and bespoke stone floors, coursed to plan, are around £156 per square yard.

Protection is key…

When we supply an internal coursed floor, none of the reclaimed flags are sandblasted; instead, each is carefully hand cleaned using researched techniques to ensure it retains its natural foot-worn patina. Use a good sealer to make the stone less porous and more stain resistant, and a colour-enhancing or wet-look sealer for a more dramatic effect. To protect the stone without changing the appearance, use a matt-finish sealer – buy a range to try on off-cuts before committing to the entire floor.

With underfloor heating, it’s important to use flagstones of a uniform thickness. Reclaimed Yorkstone flags can range from 25-150mm, so we use a specialist saw to calibrate them to 35–40mm to ensure an ideal thickness. If too thin, they are susceptible to cracks.

The worn patina, caused by years of foot traffic and weathering, sets reclaimed Yorkstone flags apart from other types of paving such as limestone and travertine. They are extremely durable and unique, no two flagstones are the same, and that’s the beauty of a reclaimed stone floor – its authentic look can’t be replicated.

From top left: Reclaimed Yorkstone flooring laid in courses in a Lancashire Edwardian terrace, from £156 per sq yard, Ribble Reclamation; reclaimed Yorkstone from a Hampshire pub, £102 per m2, Authentic Reclamation; naturally worn, cathedral-grade Yorkstone with a riven surface, £114 per m2, Ren-New; Katie in Ribble’s yard; exterior cathedral flags, all foot-worn smooth over 100 years, from £80 per sq yard, Reclaimed Flagstones; bespoke antique Yorkstone flags in the entrance hall of a classical Clapham villa, from £168 per sq yard, Ribble Reclamation

Period Living 107

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Wood Flooring

This Chevron Dark Brown engineered oak wood floor features occasional knots, cracks and fillings for an authentic look. Laid in a herringbone pattern, it has a bevelled edge and a brushed, dark brown stained oil prefinish.

From £105.60 per m² at Kährs

GO WITH THE GRAIN A key element of a period home’s character, wood flooring provides a practical, hardwearing surface as well as a beautiful backdrop to any interior. We look at the options, from solid and engineered to wood effect, and the latest designs

Period Living 109

Left: These Dusk engineered boards from The Natural Wood Floor Company have the look of painted floorboards, gently brushed so that the grain of the wood shows through. £84 per m2 Above: Go contemporary with a classic parquet floor like this Ash Grey Mansion Weave, from £336 per m2 at Element7 Right: With a finish mimicking the effect of burnt wood, these Dartrey Black Rhombus porcelain tiles cost £66.67 per m2 at Topps Tiles Below left: For a smooth, sun-bleached look, this Cornish Oak vinyl floor in Herringbone costs £70 per m2 from Amtico’s Signature collection Below: The Reclaimed Flooring Company’s hand-finished Heritage oak planks have a depth of character and colour that lend an undeniable sense of history. From £234 per m2

110 Period Living

Wood Flooring

TYPES OF TIMBER Solid wood From changing the acoustics of a room, giving it a warm, rich sound, to adding value and a sense of luxury, natural wood flooring possesses unique properties and is truly authentic. Long-lasting and sustainable, solid wood boards can be sanded and refinished when required. Hardwoods, such as oak and walnut, won’t scratch as easily as soft options, while woods like pine and beech are cost effective, but are more likely to show wear over time.

‘A wide-board solid wood floor really comes into its own in a large, open space,’ says Junckers’ managing director Steve Maltby. ‘Hardwood timbers are perfect for busy living areas as they are very durable and easy to maintain. When choosing a timber, consider the colour, thickness, size and style of boards, as well as the grading, which makes a massive difference to the appearance – a more natural or rustic grade as opposed to a cleaner grade can make a large, bland area look interesting.’

Prices for solid wood flooring start from £25– £30 per m² for budget options, with average prices being around £40-£60 per m².

Feature Emily Hawkes

Engineered wood Engineered or ‘multi-layered’ planks comprise three or more layers of hardwood ply, laid at right angles to each other, with a top ‘wear’ layer of natural timber up to 6mm thick. With an engineered board, the floor expands and contracts as a complete surface, making it more stable, and combined with a quality joint, minimises the risk of gaps or problems associated with humidity. As engineered flooring only uses hardwood in the surface layer, it’s arguably more eco-friendly, yet can be refurbished in the same way as solid wood – but only a couple of times over its life. It is also considered a good choice for use with underfloor heating as its stability makes it less likely to warp.

‘Engineered floors are robust, and movement is limited in environments where the temperature and humidity might change, such as in kitchens and bathrooms,’ explains Peter Keane, director of The Natural Wood Floor Company. ‘They can also be fitted onto most types of sub floor, overlayed onto an existing floor, screwed or glued down.’ Prices start from £30 per m² to in excess of £100 per m².

Reclaimed flooring Ready-aged and characterful, original reclaimed timber has true period authenticity that radiates

the richness of its historic past to add a layer of depth and warmth to the home. As the age of the wood means it has already been acclimatised for centuries, reclaimed boards also work well over underfloor heating.

‘Reclaimed oak has an old world charm that weaves its magic in all interiors,’ says Claire Thomas of Indigenous. ‘But, as demand increases, the supply of salvaged flooring will dwindle, making it even more desirable, so if the price tag is too steep, there are now lots of vintage-look engineered oak flooring designs to choose from.’

Parquet flooring With its roots in the 17th-century homes of the aristocracy, parquet flooring is made up of smaller blocks laid in a pattern such as herringbone, which enhances the grain of the wood, reflecting the light for extra wow factor.

‘Parquet flooring can be laid almost anywhere, especially in high-traffic areas, but for more narrow spaces, like corridors and hallways, extra care needs to be taken when fitting to ensure both sides of the room are equal and balanced,’explains Element7 creative director Jago Anderson. ‘Of all styles of parquet flooring, herringbone has been the most popular, although we are now seeing a greater demand for chevrons and mansion weaves.’

Wood-effect flooring Made from synthetic materials comprising a printed-design layer between a foam base and protective top layer, vinyl flooring is resilient as well as realistic in look and texture, and as the material helps heat to travel, is ideal for underfloor heating. Go for an extra-matt finish and a handscraped texture for an authentic look. The mark of quality is in the attention to detail – look for darker grooves at the joints and the finishing of edges.

Wood-effect ceramic, porcelain and stone floor tiles offer the perfect solution if you want the look of timber with the durability of a tiled floor. Hardwearing and easy to maintain, they’re less susceptible to scratching, denting and staining – porcelain is particularly desirable due to its high quality and strength – and are the most water-resistant choice.

Laminate flooring is made of layered planks built around a watertight, glued high-density fibreboard. To create a floor with a natural wood finish, opt for deeply furrowed grooves between boards to enhance a vintage look, and darker oak or pine boards to increase the feeling of age. ➤ Period Living 111

UNDERFLOOR HEATING Wood flooring is generally suitable for use with underfloor heating, but as different types of wood have varying thermal mass and conductivity, attention should be paid to the thickness and density of the material. The changing floor temperature can also affect some wood flooring, causing extensive drying, which can make a solid wood floor, for example, contract and shrink. Always check with the manufacturer regarding

suitability, and as with laminate and vinyl flooring, wood floor surface temperature must not exceed 27°C. ‘An underfloor heating system should provide efficient and even heat distribution over the entire floor area,’ explains Kährs UK & Ireland country manager Harvey Booth. ‘With good furnishing, it’s reasonable to achieve a temperature of 23°C over the free floor area, giving a room temperature of around 21°C.’

Top left: Ted Todd’s Salcey European oak engineered planks feature mocha tones with a rustic texture, finished with burnished hardwax oil, £94.27 per m2. Woolaston solid parquet panels, used as wall cladding, combine to create a characterful space, £463.05 per m2 Above: This oak engineered herringbone floor in Tall Ship Brown has a brushed, hard wax oil finish and bevelled edge. From £88.80 per m2 at Indigenous Above right: From Quick-Step’s Massimo collection, these Frozen oak extra-matt engineered boards have undergone a deep rounded brushing to accentuate the grain and texture of the wood, £85.95 per m2 Above left: The pale highlights and organic grains in this Dark Smoked white oiled engineered oak will add a country feel to your floors, £64.80 per m2 from Beswick Stone Left: Junckers’ Black oak Boulevard solid wood flooring, £172.50 per m2, can be sanded and re-finished up to seven times, and is ready to walk on once installed Right: Sanded and oiled in gorgeous warm tones, Fired Earth’s Woodland filled, sanded and oiled solid oak in Autumn Leaf takes inspiration from the open countryside, £89.94 per m2

112 Period Living

K I TC H E N S

FURNITURE

F LO O R I N G

The Green, Green Hammer ton, York, Nor th Yorkshire, YO26 8BQ T. 01423 330451 E. sales@maincompany.com w w w.themaincompany.co.uk

Maintenance

HOME HEALTH CHECK:

Fireplaces Ensure that the hearth of the home is warm and welcoming but also safe and efficient, with regular maintenance Words Roger Hunt

T

he focal point of many homes, fireplaces offer the enjoyment and comfort that only a real fire can provide, but they need care and attention if they are to look good and work efficiently. Safety is key and, whether a fireplace is used regularly or infrequently, problems should be rectified promptly.

Escaping fumes from poorly maintained or incorrectly specified fires, stoves or flues represent a real danger as combustion produces carbon monoxide, a potentially deadly gas that has no smell. House fires are another danger and are sometimes caused by joists or other timbers that have been built into the structure of the chimney or hearth catching alight.

Thatched properties are vulnerable where chimneys are defective.

In any home with a fireplace, both carbon monoxide and smoke alarms should be installed and tested monthly, although they must never be considered a substitute for good maintenance. Advice on fireplaces and chimneys is available from specialist fireplace and stove shops.

Material facts Fireplaces range from inglenooks designed to burn large logs, to small but sometimes highly decorated cast-iron surrounds that traditionally burned coal. Within the fireplace opening, a fireback helps radiate the heat forward and a fire basket holds and contains the fire, often with a removable ash pan below.

CAST IRON: Attractive and easy to maintain, cast iron is strong but can crack when stressed.

As well as its use in fire surrounds, it is used to manufacture fire baskets, firebacks and stoves.

Blacksmiths can sometimes make repairs.

WOOD: Often with applied decorative mouldings, timber fire surrounds should generally be treated in the same way as other joinery items.

STONE AND MARBLE: Easily damaged, stone and marble may discolour due to soot deposits, suffer staining from red wine or rust and can crack. If the surround is particularly old or valuable, seek expert advice on how to restore it.

Warning signs A fire in a fireplace or stove should burn well with smoke and fumes carried away via the flue. Chimneys must be swept at least once a year by a professional chimney sweep and more often if fires are lit regularly. Good chimney sweeps will advise on potential problems.

What to look for: Twigs in the hearth from a bird’s nest.

Plaster, brick, stone or soot debris coming down the chimney. ● Poorly burning fires. ● Smoke entering the room. ● Recurring sooty smells. ● Damp patches or staining appearing on chimney breasts. ●

Illustration Sarah Overs

●

Chimneys and flues A fire should never be lit unless you are sure all is safe with it. Externally chimneys are vulnerable to damage from wind and rain, while flues are affected by the corrosive effect of combustion gases.

ACTION: ● Inspect chimneys using binoculars. Look for loose chimney pots, eroded mortar on the stack and defective flashing where chimney and roof meet. ➤ Period Living 115

In the roof space check for dampness around the chimney stack. ● Test the flue for leaks (see below). ● Call in a specialist to survey the flue internally using a video camera. Have any repairs needed made by a builder who understands old buildings. ● Consider having the chimney lined. ●

Testing for leaks A flue can be checked using a smoke pellet bought from a fireplace shop or plumbers’ merchant. If possible, temporarily seal the top of the flue, although scaffolding will generally be required for access. Light the pellet in the hearth and then examine the entire length of the chimney, including the loft space, for smoke leaking out through the masonry.

Smoking fires Problems with smoking fires or smoke entering the room must be dealt with promptly but may require some experimentation to find a solution.

ACTION: ● Check for flue blockages. ● Try raising the fire basket on bricks. ● Increase the ventilation within the room to improve the draw of the fire. ● Ensure fuel is dry. ● Decrease the size of the fireplace opening by fitting a canopy. ● Reduce the height of nearby trees that may be causing a downdraught.

Cracked firebacks Over time clay firebacks crack due to heat and gaps may open up between the various fireplace elements. This can result in smoke leaking out or hot embers reaching the fabric of the building.

ACTION: ● Patch minor cracks with fireproof cement. ● Replace badly damaged firebacks. ● Plug gaps between the fireback and fire surround with fireproof rope. This allows for expansion and contraction between surfaces.

Stoves Maintenance is vitally important to ensure that the components are working safely and that no combustion gasses are escaping into the room.

ACTION: ● Ensure that the door fits snugly, the hinges are not misaligned or worn and the latch operates effectively. ● Examine the fireproof seal of the door to check that it is not flattened or misshapen.

Test the stove by lighting a small fire, close the door and 116 Period Living

move a candle around its edges. If the flame is drawn towards the fire this means the seal has failed and must be replaced. ● When the stove is cold, brush out all ash and vacuum. Using a torch, inspect the firebricks for damage and ensure air inlets are clear. ● Clean the window with a stove glass cleaner.

A soot or tar covered window can indicate that the stove it not burning efficiently. Replace cracked glass immediately.

Cast-iron fire surrounds A cast-iron fire surround may lose its lustre and become rusty, but is relatively easy to revive.

ACTION: ● Use a wire brush to remove any rust and loose material on the surround. ● Protect neighbouring areas and rub graphite paste into the surface of the surround using a soft cloth or old toothbrush. ● Burnish with a cloth, brush or a pad attached to a power drill attachment.

Useful contacts Chimella – Supplies umbrella draught excluders, which fit all square and rectangular flue sizes.

Tel: 020 8533 3888; chimella.com Chimney Balloon – Draught excluders that are inflated to fill the gap. Tel: 01252 319325; chimneyballoon.com Chimney Sheep – A range of wool draught excluders. Tel: 01900 269427; chimneysheep.co.uk Fireplace.co.uk – Find help and advice on how to plan, install and maintain an open fireplace and stove in this knowledge hub. Tel: 0121 773 7312; fireplace.co.uk HETAS – The official body recognised to approve biomass and solid-fuel heating appliances, fuels and services. Find information and details of competent businesses and installers.

Tel: 01684 278170; hetas.co.uk National Association of Chimney Sweeps – Index of specialist members that adhere to a code of practice. Tel: 01785 336555; nacs.org.uk Solid Fuel Association – Find information, advice and approved appliances and installers.

Tel: 01773 835400; solidfuel.co.uk Victorian Society – Publishes a fireplace guide.

Tel: 020 8994 1019; victorian-society.org.uk Vitcas – Manufactures fire-resistant cement, firebricks and rope. Tel: 0117 9117895; vitcas.com

nothing similar is quite the same

www.jim-lawrence.co.uk Call: 01473 826940 Visit our showroom in Hadleigh, Suffolk

Call 01473 826940 for a free Brochure

Floral attack Wage love not war on your garden and bomb it with 21 varieties of tall-growing flower seeds, found in each ‘Cornfield in Bloom’ bag, £7.50 from Etsy.

Feature Rachel Crow

NEAT TREAT Keep your gardening utensils and accessories in order with practical and attractive wall shelving. The Colworth storage unit can be mounted on any outside wall or in the garden shed. H55xW70xD15cm, priced £60 from Garden Trading.

RHS expert Jim Gardiner will be at Borde Hill Garden in Sussex , home of one of the finest collections of magnolias, on 5 April, advising on how to grow these ‘aristocratic’ trees.

Tickets £30. (bordehill.co.uk)

GARDEN journal Imaginative gardens

The nature-loving Moomins, first created in the iconic Finnish storybooks of Tove Jansson in the 1950s, will be found among the vibrant displays of crocuses, fritillaries and tulips from 1–17 April at Kew Gardens. The special Easter experience will include interactive trails, ‘Hemulen’s Herbarium’, and a magical ‘Moomin Camp’. Find out more at Kew.org.

Visit some spring gardens as they come into bloom for planting inspiration

ON THE BOOKSHELF Revolutionise your cooking and look upon nettles in a new light with the help of Nettle Cookbook: Recipes for Foragers and Foodies by Vivian Tuffney. Beautiful heritage illustrations accompany over 35 recipes plus facts about this prickly ingredient, £9.99 from the Natural History Museum Shop.

Period Living 119

Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour samuel-heath.co.uk Made in England

Bugs & Butterflies wallpaper, £150 per roll, Ella Doran

School chart insect art print, £38, Not Another Bill

Armscote Bee pot, from £23.50 for H19xDia.20cm, Whichford Pottery

Midi moulded bee watch in grey and rose gold, £125, Olivia Burton

A BUG’S LIFE Every garden is like a mini continent of insects, a wildly diverse bunch that carry out essential gardening chores.

Ladybird and wasp larvae scoff aphids, bees pollinate flowers, beetles and spiders chomp on nuisance critters… So rejoice in a little bug biodiversity

Napoleon bee cushion in Honey, £108, Rume

la ep be orld al W Natur

Nature Trail magnifying glass, £2.95, Dotcomgiftshop

Dragonflies bone china six-cup teapot, £68, Melody Rose

te ,£ 16 , An thro pologie

Jay Biologica Moths decorative scroll wall chart, £40, Hurn & Hurn

Feature Rachel Crow

Geranium Sky rectangular tray, £18, Berry Red

The Bee Book, £16.99, published by Dorling Kindersley

Bee and ladybird wooden coaster set, £5, Pastel Lane

Ladybird tower, H29xW13cm, £9.99, Potter & Rest

Fine china beetle trinket tray, £12, Natural History Museum Shop

Insect embroidered cushion, £19.50, Marks & Spencer

Period Living 121

122 Period Living

Gardens

RAINBOW OF COLOURS The arrival of spring in the garden at Ulting Wick in Essex is a bright, bold tulip extravaganza – beautifully offset by an atmospheric backdrop of early-morning mist Words Tamsin Hope Thomson | Photographs Abigail Rex

The kitchen garden in spring is a riot of colour, planted with a multitude of mixed tulips, including Tulipa ‘Survivor’, ‘Recreado’, ‘Merlot’, ‘Barcelona’, ‘Mistress’, ‘Cafe Noir’, ‘National Velvet’, ‘Jan Reus’ and ‘Ballerina’

Period Living 123

KEY FACTS CHARACTER OF GARDEN: Formal with naturalistic areas. Peak interest in spring and late summer SIZE: 11 acres, including woodland. The main garden is around four-and-a-half acres ASPECT: The main garden is west facing SOIL: Dry and clay in some areas OWNERS: Philippa and Bryan Burrough and their two teenage sons, Leo and George VISITING: Open for the NGS on 30 April, 11am–5pm, 5 & 12 May, 2pm–5pm, 23 June, 2pm–5pm, 10 & 15 September, 2pm–5pm. Ulting Wick, Crouchman’s Farm Road, Ulting, Maldon, Essex CM9 6QX. Tel: 01245 380216; ultingwickgarden.co.uk

T

Opposite: Beyond a spring bed of tulips and honesty, a decorative white bench overlooks the formal lawn area by the house 124 Period Living

ulips in vibrant blocks, soft drifts and elegant pots that stand like sentinels alongside the house, provide a rush of dramatic colour in spring at Ulting Wick in Essex.

The stunning scene requires expertise, planning and a lot of hard work; Philippa Burrough spends weeks planting thousands of bulbs to ensure each spring spectacle is every bit as good as the last.

Philippa has learned everything she knows from working in this garden, which was quite different when she moved here with her husband, Bryan, 20 years ago. ‘There were rhododendrons and island beds,which isn’t my style at all,’ she says.

The planting has changed completely since then.

The garden is beautiful year-round, but visitors come primarily for the tulips in spring and exotics in late summer. ‘We have to play to our strengths,’ Philippa adds, ‘and tulips work really well in Essex because we have free-draining soil, and then because we’re on gravel the soil heats up so we can do all the exotics that other people struggle with.’

The garden was also inspired by the character of the existing buildings – three listed Essex barns, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. ‘I decided to use the barns as a backdrop, which is why I like using colour because we have this amazing black to bounce it off,’ Philippa explains.

Behind the farmhouse is a stretch of lawn, on one side of which sits the hub of the garden, known as ‘the old farmyard’, where Philippa has planted a spring garden with a parterre of four box-edged beds. There is also a kitchen garden and colourthemed areas, including circular pink and white gardens. On the other side of the lawn is a long pond, where tulips blend into naturalistic planting in soft drifts beside the water. Through the woodland on the far side of the garden from the pond, pink tulips bloom in May below a canopy of cherry blossom. And there are still more tulips in drought-tolerant beds in front of the house, inspired by the nearby Beth Chatto garden; a mix of white and pink varieties complemented by the green domes of box balls and Irish yew.

‘The front border works so well, we just love it as it is, whereas in the white garden we’ll try out different tulips each year,’ Philippa says. These include the popular ‘Spring Green’ with its eyecatching green flares and the simple ‘Angel’s Wish’ planted among vivid green euphorbia, set off by box spirals. In the larger circular garden there are tulips in every hue of pink and purple, including the hot pink ‘Barcelona’ and rose pink ‘Mariette’ with its attractive fringed petals, right through to the purple striped ‘Hot Pants’ and stately, purple-black ‘Queen of Night’. From here you can see through to the kitchen garden where Philippa likes to try out new combinations of shape and shade. ‘You have this wonderful ability with tulips to use colour, and it’s the first major group of plants you can play around with.’ Here, she treats tulips like annuals, planting in blocks with many shades of one colour – light pinks through to crimson – or using contrast for impact, placing bold colours such as orange ‘Ballerina’ up next to the deep red ‘Jan Reus’.

Philippa describes her style as exuberant and experimental, something that is obvious from her plant displays. She and her husband spend a lot of time working out which combinations to use. They walk around the garden holding individual tulips to see which varieties might suit different locations, and use up to 50 varieties and around 10,000 tulips throughout the garden. ‘We try and think about the way that they are used, so we’ll put varieties with large flower heads and bold colours in the borders that are furthest away and use single blocks of colour for impact.’ Four thousand tulips have now been planted into the four box parterre beds, currently brimming with wallflowers, Tellima grandiflora and narcissus, so this year’s display will be even bigger than in previous years.

‘We do a tulip review every year,’ Philippa adds.

‘In some of the borders we have set colours and set tulips, say ‘Queen of Night’ in the pink garden or ‘Maureen’ in the white garden, and then we add to that every year, but in the kitchen garden we try new combinations. Sometimes I try them out in pots first.’ There are a few varieties and shapes that have a place in the garden every year, such as lily tulips and varieties like elegant ‘Ballerina’.

The garden is not low maintenance – planting starts in November and goes on until Christmas.

All the pots must be emptied and cleaned to help prevent disease, and many of the tulips in the borders are lifted and replaced every year to ensure high quality, and the soil is then improved with manure and compost. Then Philippa begins preparing for the next show as dahlias, cosmos, sunflowers and other annuals fill the garden with colour again in late summer.

Although she gleans new ideas and knowledge all the time from other gardens, it’s Philippa’s own garden that will fill many people with inspiration this spring. Every year the planting is tweaked and perfected but for visitors it will always look like the finished article – a spring garden at its very best. ➤

Gardens

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Metal arches stand at either end of the kitchen garden, leading to the spring beds enclosed in hedges of clipped Buxus, and planted with a mix of honesty, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, Wallflower ‘Giant Pink’, narcissus and Tellima grandiflora

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Gardens

➤ Period Living 127

ON THE WEB Discover how to create the perfect cottage garden at periodliving.co.uk

128 Period Living

Gardens

CREATING TULIP DISPLAYS Philippa advises: In pots we tend to keep it simple – try orange violas planted on top of lily flowered tulips, such as ‘Ballade Dream’ or blue forget-me-nots combined with the purple tulip ‘Victoria’s Secret’.

Tellima grandiflora is a wonderful foil for tulips in borders because of its early tall airy growth in spring, or you could try earlyflowering perennials such as Geranium phaeum ‘Misty Samobor’, or biennials such as honesty.

Look at the foliage in your borders and think about which tulips would complement it. The glaucous foliage of sedum goes very well with pink/purple tulips, or you can combine evergreen grasses such as Stipa tenuissima with fiery orange tulips like ‘National Velvet’, ‘Cairo’ or ‘Abu Hassan’.

Know your tulips – some have very fleshy leaves, like Darwin hybrid ‘Ivory Floradale’, but dainty lily tulips, such as ‘Ballerina’, have thin, delicate leaves, so they won’t dominate the plants around them.

When planting tulips in borders, plant as many as you possibly can in a drift for impact.

A few tulips looks mean. The same applies to pots, which need fresh tulips every year.

1 2 3 Above left: The vivid colours of Tulipa ‘Survivor’, ‘Ballerina’, ‘Cafe Noir’, ‘Mistress’, ‘Barcelona’ and ‘Sapporo’ stand out against the dark backdrop of an old wooden 18th-century Essex barn Above right: Candy pink hues of mixed Tulipa ‘Barcelona’, ‘Shirley’, ‘Survivor’, ‘China Pink’, ‘Hot Pants’ and more surround the green domes of box balls Far left: Roses clamber over archways either end of a quaint wooden bridge Left: Heuchera ‘Amethyst Myst’, Pennisetum orientale, and Penstemon ‘Devonshire Cream’ plus beech hedging are dotted among the tulips

4 5

IN THE AREA: FURZELEA is a colour-themed Victorian garden.

Spring includes tulips, summer bursts into colour with roses and perennials, continuing into autumn with vibrant showy dahlias and many other exotics.

Bicknacre Road, Danbury, Essex CM3 4JR. For opening times for NGS, visit ngs.org.uk PARSONAGE HOUSE has sumptuous borders with plenty of tulips around a pretty listed house.

Wiggens Green, Helions Bumpstead, Haverhill, Essex CB9 7AD. For opening times for NGS, visit ngs.org.uk MARKS HALL ESTATE has a stunning contemporary garden placed within an old walled garden.

Coggeshall, Essex CO6 1TG. Tel: 01376 563796; markshall.org.uk LANGTHORNS PLANTERY is a good source of perennials and shrubs. Little Canfield, Dunmow, Essex CM6 1TD. Tel: 01371 872611; langthorns.com Period Living 129

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MINI BAK ED B LUE BE RR Y

Recipes CH AGE 132 FOR RECI EE P PE S; S KE CA SE EE

Photographs Steve Painter

Delicate indulgence Whether traditionally baked or deliciously chilled, the humble cheesecake has universal appeal.

Hannah Miles shares some fruity and fragrant recipes for the perfect springtime dessert

MINI BAKED BLUEBERRY These are perfect picnic cheesecakes as you can seal the jars and transport them so easily. I have flavoured them with blueberries and vanilla, but you can substitute a variety of other flavours – lemon zest, a shot of espresso coffee or chocolate chips – if you prefer.

MAKES 6 For the crumb bases: ● 130g of digestive biscuits ● 60g of butter, melted

The perfect pick-me-up combination, this cheesecake is flavoured with delicate ginger syrup and studded with piquant stem ginger pieces, which contrast with the tangy lemon curd swirled on top – a fantastic dessert for ginger lovers.

SERVES 12

For the filling: ● 250g of mascarpone cheese ● 300ml of sour cream ● 2 eggs ● 70g of caster sugar ● 1 tsp of vanilla bean paste ● 100g of blueberries

For the crumb base: ● 300g of ginger biscuits ● 150g butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas Mark 3.

1 To make the crumb bases, crush the biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor or place in a clean plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Divide the buttery crumbs between six small Kilner or jam jars and press down firmly with a spoon or the end of a rolling pin.

2 For the filling, whisk together the mascarpone cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla bean paste in a large mixing bowl until thick and creamy.

Pour the filling carefully into the jars, then sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the tops.

3 Place the jars in a large roasting pan half full with water, ensuring that the water is not so high as to spill out or go over the top of the cheesecake jars. Transfer the cheesecakes, in their waterbath, to the preheated oven and bake for about 25–30 minutes until just set, but still with a slight wobble in the centre. Leave them to cool, then chill them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Reader offer This is an edited extract from Cheesecake by Hannah Miles (£16.99, Ryland Peters & Small). PL readers can buy it for the special price of £11.99 including UK postage and packaging.

To order, call Macmillan Direct on 01256 302699 and quote reference KA5.

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LEMON AND GINGER

For the topping: ● 60g of butter ● Freshly squeezed juice and grated zest of 3 lemons ● 100g of caster sugar ● 3 large egg yolks

For the filling: ● 6 sheets of leaf gelatine ● 300g of cream cheese ● 250g of mascarpone cheese ● 100g of caster sugar ● 4 balls of preserved stem ginger, finely chopped ● 60ml of ginger syrup (from the preserved stem ginger jar) ● 250ml of double cream

1 Begin by preparing the lemon curd topping. Put the butter, lemon juice and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Whisk in the egg yolks and lemon zest, then return the bowl to the pan over the water and stir all the time until the curd thickens. Leave to cool completely.

2 For the crumb case, crush the ginger biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor or place in a clean plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Firmly press the buttery crumbs into the base and sides of a greased and lined 23cm/9-inch round springform cake pan, using the back of a spoon. You need the crumbs to come up about 3–4cm high on the side of the pan so that they make a case for the filling.

3 To make the filling, soak the gelatine leaves in water until they are soft. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar until light and creamy, then beat in the chopped ginger pieces. Put the ginger syrup and 120ml of water in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and heat gently.

Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves and add them to the warm ginger syrup, stirring until the gelatine has dissolved. Carefully add the ginger syrup to the cream cheese mixture, passing it through a sieve as you go to remove any undissolved gelatine pieces. Add the double cream and whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth and slightly thick.

4 Pour the filling into the crumb case and tap it gently so that the mixture is even, then chill in the refrigerator for three hours or overnight.

Before serving, place spoonfuls of the lemon curd on top of the cheese filling and swirl them gently using a knife to make pretty patterns. ➤

Recipes

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SIMPLY VANILLA

ROSE AND CARDAMOM

This cheesecake is simple but is always popular with my friends and family. No frills, no fuss – just a good old-fashioned vanilla.

One of my favourite flavour combinations, this cheesecake – with a delicate pistachio sponge base, decorated with elegant rose petals and pistachios – makes a sophisticated dinner party dessert.

SERVES 12 For the crumb base: ● 300g digestive biscuits ● 150g butter, melted For the filling: ● 600ml of crème fraîche ● 750g of cream cheese ● 4 eggs

●

400g of condensed milk 2 tbsp of plain flour, sifted ● 1 vanilla pod ●

To serve: ● Fresh berries of your choice ● Pouring cream

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas Mark 3.

1 To make the crumb case, crush the biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor or place in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin, as in previous recipes. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Firmly press the buttery crumbs into the base and sides of a greased and lined 26cm/10-inch round springform cake pan, using the back of a spoon. Ensure the crumbs come up about 3–4cm high on the side of the pan so that they make a case for the filling. Wrap the outside of the pan in cling film and place in a roasting pan half full with water, ensuring that the water is not so high as to spill out. Set aside.

2 For the filling, whisk together the crème fraîche, cream cheese, eggs, condensed milk and flour.

Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla pod in half, scrape out the seeds from both halves and add to the cheesecake mixture, discarding the pod (alternatively, store it in a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar for baking). Whisk until the seeds are evenly distributed, then pour the mixture into the crumb case. Transfer the cheesecake, in its waterbath, to the oven and bake for 1–1 ¼ hours until golden brown on top, and still with a slight wobble in the centre.

3 Remove the cheesecake from the waterbath and slide a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cheesecake and prevent it from cracking. Leave to cool, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least three hours or preferably overnight. Serve with berries and pouring cream.

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SERVES 12 For the cake base: ● 115g of shelled pistachios ● 60g of caster sugar ● 60g of butter, softened ● 2 eggs ● 60g of self-raising flour For the filling: ● 6 sheets of leaf gelatine ● 500g of ricotta ● 250g of mascarpone cheese ● 100g of caster sugar ● 25 cardamom pods ● 300g of evaporated milk ● 160ml of double cream

● ●

80ml of rosewater A few drops of pink food colouring (optional)

For the crystallised rose petals: ● 1 egg white ● Pesticide-free edible flowers, stems removed ● Caster sugar To decorate: ● 2 tbsp of bright green pistachios, chopped ● Edible glitter (optional)

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas Mark 4.

1 For the base, finely chop the pistachios in a food processor or blender. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter until creamy. Add the eggs and beat again. Sift in the flour, add the ground pistachios and whisk well so that everything is incorporated. Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 23cm/9-inch round springform cake pan, and bake in a preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until the cake is golden brown and springs back when pressed gently in the centre. Leave to cool in the pan.

2 For the cheesecake, soak the gelatine leaves in water until soft. Whisk the ricotta, mascarpone cheese and sugar together until light and creamy.

Crush the cardamom pods to remove the husks, then grind the black seeds to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar.

3 Heat the evaporated milk and cream together in a saucepan with the ground cardamom and rosewater, and continue until the mixture has reduced by one third. Remove from heat and leave to cool slightly.

4 Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves and add them to the warm cream, stirring until dissolved.

Pass the cream through a sieve to remove any undissolved pieces, then whisk into the cheese mixture with a few drops of food colouring. Pour the filling on top of the cake base in the pan and leave to set in the fridge for three hours or overnight.

5 For the crystallised rose petals, whisk the egg white until foamy. Use the brush to paint the egg white on the front and the back of each petal.

Sprinkle lightly with caster sugar (best done by holding the sugar at a small height above the flower, with a plate below to catch any excess). Make sure all the egg white is covered, then repeat with each petal. Lay on a silicone mat or sheet of non-stick baking paper, and place in a warm place overnight.

Once dried, store in an airtight container.

6 When ready to serve, arrange the crystallised rose petals on top of the cheesecake and sprinkle with chopped pistachios and edible glitter.

Recipes

Heritage weekend...

YORK

Discover history at every turn in this beautifully preserved city, heart of the medieval North, full of fable and fascinating finds

E

nclosed within its 13th-century walls lies a tangle of narrow cobbled streets and one of the most stunning Gothic cathedrals in the world – nowhere says ‘medieval’ quite like York. Flanking the River Ouse, the city is rich in historical and cultural wealth. From the awe-inspiring York Minster at its heart, and hidden treasures such as the Georgian splendour of Fairfax House, to the myriad museums, eateries and traditional pubs, each plays its own part in honouring and maintaining York’s heritage.

With sweeping panoramic views, Clifford’s Tower – the last remaining remnant of York Castle – stands proud, while the Jorvik Viking Centre reveals the backyards of the Viking-Age city as it stood nearly 1,000 years ago. And as the most haunted city in Europe, York offers many a ghost walk, seamlessly combining history with myth.

One of the best-preserved and picturesque streets there is, The Shambles, taken from the

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Saxon word for slaughterhouse, was made narrow by design to keep the cuts of meat sold from the butchers’ windows out of direct sunlight. Today, the crooked 15th-century Tudor buildings are home to quirky boutiques as well as cafés and tearooms, of which this Yorkshire gem has many.

Pass the many street entertainers to explore the city’s streets and snickleways, with names such as Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate and Mad Alice Lane; to avoid confusion, remember that gate means street, and bar means gate. Got a sweet tooth? Immerse yourself in the city’s lesser-known confectionery tale by visiting York’s Chocolate Story, and discover the 300-year history behind great names in UK chocolate, including Terry’s and Rowntree’s.

With a tour for every taste, from bus to cycle, York also offers food, music and literature festivals throughout the year, as well some of the best horse race days. The history of this lovely city is well woven into its fabric, meaning it’s lost little of its charm for seasoned visitors or new explorers alike.

Photographs (River Ouse, York Minister, The Shambles, Bar Convent) VisitYork (Grays Court) © Olivia Brabbs Photography Illustration Sarah Overs

Feature Emily Hawkes

Out and About

Opposite: Take a boat tour down the River Ouse Clockwise from left: York Minister is a masterpiece in stained-glass and stone; visit Marmadukes for a comfortable four-poster stay; Henshelwoods Deli stocks over 70 cheeses; The Rattle Owl, which has the remains of a Roman building in its basement; every room has a stunning view at Grays Court; the Georgian redbrick of the Bar Convent, founded in 1686; The Shambles was mentioned in the Domesday Book

Where to stay Despite being but a stone’s throw from the Minster, Grays Court’s pretty garden setting makes it feel like a country house. Each room combines period elegance with modern luxury, and guests can enjoy the Bow Room’s art collection, or eat in the Long Gallery, dating back to the 11th century, where King James I once dined. From £176 per night, bed & breakfast. 01904 612613; grayscourtyork.com.

Once the home of a Victorian gentleman, Marmadukes Town House Hotel has characterful rooms with handmade beds, decorated with antiques and Italian fabrics. Check out The Park restaurant within for its modern British eightcourse tasting menu. From £79 per night, bed & breakfast. 01904 640101; marmadukesyork.com.

England’s oldest living convent, The Bar Convent also houses a museum, library and exhibition, as well as charming guest accommodation. Find oldfashioned service and award-winning breakfasts.

From £90 per night (for a double with en-suite), bed & breakfast. 01904 643238; bar-convent.org.uk.

Where to eat From sampling some Ampleforth gin at The Hairy Fig, to the delicious Vegan menu at El Piano, York offers much for the foodie and for those who love a tipple, whether traditional ale or tea. Passionate about sourcing the freshest local produce, Henshelwoods Delicatessen offers hand-picked cold meats, homemade terrines, hampers and artisan sandwiches to order. Some of the recipes of its range of homemade vegetable preserves date back to medieval times. 01904 673877; deliyork.co.uk.

No trip to York would be complete without a visit to Bettys. Enjoy the mouth-watering handmade cakes and speciality teas in the Art Deco surroundings inspired by the Queen Mary ocean liner. 01904 659142; bettys.co.uk.

The Rattle Owl on Micklegate prides itself on offering a locally sourced menu from its quaint and inviting restaurant, where reclaimed materials fuse with elegant lighting. The Owlet Food & Wine microshop is also a great takeaway pit stop. 01904 658658; rattleowl.co.uk. ➤ Period Living 137

Where to shop

Clockwise from above left: The traditional shop front of The Flax & Twine at 20 The Shambles; pick up a painting among other antiques at The Red House; be charmed by the many curiosities for sale at The Imaginarium Below: Visitors in the garden of Arts and Crafts house, and home of Noel Terry, Goddards

In Georgian times, when York vied with London as one of England’s most fashionable places to live, the elegance of its shops reflected the affluence of their customers. The Flax & Twine on The Shambles stocks a lovingly sourced selection of antiques, vintage items and gifts. A Grade II-listed building that played host to two families of rope, flax and twine makers for over 100 years, its namesake also houses a pretty tearoom upstairs.

01904 289151; theflaxandtwine.co.uk.

Looking for a unique gift? With the aesthetic of a Victorian curiosity shop, The Imaginarium is an interiors wonderland packed full of stylishly curated, affordable luxuries, from soaps and scents to vintage glassware and fantastical creatures.

01904 466642; yorkshiresoap.co.uk/imaginarium.

The Red House, an 18th-century former townhouse constructed in 1700 for Lord Mayor of York Sir William Robinson, is now home to three floors of antiques, from furniture to jewellery, with a dedicated vintage room in the attic. With over 30,000 items in stock, it’s a collector’s must-visit. 01904 637000; redhouseyork.co.uk.

Visitor experience and volunteering manager Clare Alton-Fletcher offers a glimpse into Terry’s confectionery history at the family’s former home, an intimate Arts and Crafts house full of memories and hidden garden corners.

Can you give us a brief history of the property?

Goddards House was created by architect Walter Brierley for Noel Terry in 1927, with four acres of gardens designed by George Dillistone. The house features geometric patterned windows, beautiful panelled halls and William Morris-style wallpapers.

The gardens are laid out in a series of ‘rooms’, from formal gardens with herbaceous borders to informal rockeries, with a tennis court, bowling lawn, a glasshouse and working garden.

The property was owned and lived in by only one family, and looks over the racecourse to the factory building where, in its heyday, Terry’s once produced so much of its chocolate. One of Noel’s four children, Betty, has helped provide archive photos and letters, as shown at the house today.

Goddards was the family’s quiet oasis away from factory life, and Noel used it to house his fine 18th-century furniture collection, which on his death was given to Fairfax House in York. The property came into the National Trust’s care in the 1980s, and is used as its regional hub, with the house and gardens open to the public since 2012.

What does the house look like today?

Goddards is presented to tell the stories of the Terry family, and to enable visitors to get the feel of the house as a home. You can sit on the furniture in

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the drawing room and enjoy Chocolate Orange cake with a cup of tea by the fire, or sip gin and tonics on the terrace overlooking the gardens, and play croquet.

The rooms are presented to bring out the story of the family, rather than recreate the room layouts; it is sensitive, however, to the period setting, and the property is a beautiful chocolate box of a house. The story of the business is also told, and former Terry employees are invited to leave their memories of the factory on the old office typewriter.

What’s new for this year?

2017 is a particularly special time to visit Goddards, as it’s the 250th anniversary of the Terry business. Alongside citywide celebrations, new displays will chart its origins, from a small city shop to the globally recognised brand it is today.

Goddards will re-open for Easter after major conservation and maintenance work, from 12 April 2017, 10.30am–5pm.

Admission: adult £6.30, child £3.15, family £15.75. Tel: 01904 771930; nationaltrust.org.uk/goddards-house-and-garden

Photographs (Goddards House and Garden) © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

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Travel

The grand tour…

BARCELONA A major draw to this Catalan capital is its examples of imaginative architecture, the most daring of which are those dreamt up by the master of the fantastical Art Nouveau style, Antoni Gaudí Words Rachel Crow

A

Clockwise from above: With its tile-covered façade and ridged corners, Casa Vicens was Gaudí’s first major commission, built for Manuel Vicens; Gaudí designed the cast-iron elements with leaf and floral motifs, so characteristic of his work; his multicoloured mosaic salamander, known as ‘el drac’ (the dragon), guards the main entrance to Park Güell; the room of 100 columns with its mosaiced ceiling, is like a stone forest; the spire of the whimsically designed porter’s lodge

Photographs (clockwise from top) © iStock Illustration Sarah Overs

ntoni Gaudí i Cornet rarely wrote about the theory behind the architectural wonders he built in the city he called home from 1868 until 1926. Preferring the properties to illicit a reaction, he left it to the observer to draw their own opinions of the uniquely embellished, sculptural constructions – and few would remain speechless in front of one.

Born into a family of coppersmiths, Gaudí’s upbringing in a world of craftsmen is reflected in every facet of his buildings, which marry flights of fancy with functionality. Standing proud on street corners or knitted into the fabric of grand boulevards, the results of his distinctive take on the Catalan modernisme style – synonymous with the British Arts and Crafts movement with its attention to detail and organic, natural motifs – are unmistakable. When Gaudí graduated from the School of Architecture the director apparently said: ‘I don’t know if we have awarded this degree to a madman or to a genius; only time will tell.’

Wildly inventive, Gaudí collaborated with artisans in many disciplines and wove ceramics, stained glass and sculpted wrought ironwork into the architecture – often dreaming up thrifty decorative solutions, such as making mosaics from waste shards of ceramics. His complete vision for a residential property extended to the smallest elements and details, including interior decoration, unique furnishings and light fittings. ➤

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Photographs © iStock (apartment La Pedrera) © Catalunya-La Pedrera Foundation

One of his first important commissions in 1883 as a still fairly wetbehind-the-ears architect was Casa Vicens. The imaginative residence in the peaceful Gràcia suburb was built for a wealthy tile manufacturer and stands like a colourful fairytale Moorish castle, an exotic, surreal sight sitting between its conventional neighbouring properties. Drawing on influences of Islamic, Indian and oriental architecture, Gaudí embellished the façade with chequered green and white tiles, floral motifs and intricately sculpted ironwork. Currently undergoing a programme of careful restoration, the relatively unknown property will hopefully open its doors to the public for the first time later this year.

A small distance away on the outskirts of Gràcia is Park Güell, Gaudí’s hand at landscape gardening, which is like an imaginative dreamscape.

Guarded by a flamboyant giant mosaic salamander sculpture and set on a mountainside perch, it is an enchanting environment that offers panoramic vistas of the city below. A ‘petrified forest’ of stone columns supports a terrace, around which a tiled bench resembling a sinuously curving sea serpent is decorated with a dizzying sequence of abstract tile and glass. Pavilions of coral-like rock formations lead to manicured gardens, while pathways lace through arboretums.

Commissioned by Gaudí’s lifelong friend and patron Eusebi Güell, a leading industrialist, it was originally envisaged as a ‘Garden City’, an estate of 60 houses with recreational areas and decorative monuments. However, only three houses were ever built, including the Porter’s lodge in Gaudí’s inimitable whimsical style resembling a gingerbread house, and it was opened as a municipal park in the 1920s.

Casa Museu Gaudí, the show house and Gaudí’s home from 1906 to 1925, with its distinctive pink stuccoed façade and spire covered in trencadís – mosaic created from broken shards of ceramic – was built by his assistant Francesc Berenguer. It is now a museum displaying some of the imaginatively original and cleverly engineered furniture Gaudí designed for other projects.

The architect’s fascination with natural forms that is so evident at Park Güell, where artifice almost trumps nature, is wonderfully exhibited in one of his most iconic works, Casa Batlló in the Eixample district. Known locally as ‘House of Bones’ and now open as a museum, Gaudí’s redesign of the façade is as if plucked from a fantasy book. It was intended to stop passers-by in their tracks – and it certainly does that. The window columns and surrounds set within the elaborately

Travel decorative and colourful undulating façade seem to resemble huge abstract bones and muscle, the balconies masquerade masks, while the roof is like the shimmering scales of a dragon; yet when viewed as a whole it is like a creature of the deep sea.

The interior of the building is no less organic and resembles the inside of some immense organism, with its undulating ceilings, sinuously vaulted walls, succession of arches that are reminiscent of an animal’s ribcage, and scale-like wall mosaics.

A little further down on the same expansive boulevard is La Pedrera.

Built as Casa Mila between 1905 and 1911, like Gaudí’s other work, it is part apartment building part sculpture – its hulking curvaceous façade, dotted with balconies of tangled metal, dominating the corner of Carrer de Provença. Said to have been inspired by the nearby mountain of Montserrat, inside the light-filled building walls ripple gently throughout, best appreciated in a visit to El Pis, which recreates a modernista-era bourgeoise apartment filled with period furniture and effects. The culmination of his experimental attempts to recreate natural forms in architectural style, even moulded door and window frames are sinuous in design. On a walk around the extraordinary roof terrace you can enjoy close up the chimney pots shaped like the helmets of medieval knights.

La Pedrera was Gaudí’s last secular commission, and for the final 12 years of his life he worked exclusively on his magnum opus, the magnificent Sagrada Família. His vision for this temple of worship, on which he had started work in 1883, is unlike anything else in the world. For the last year of his life Gaudí lived like a recluse in the workshop on site, but he only saw at most 25 per cent of it completed, as in 1926 he was tragically knocked down by a tram and died. He is buried in the crypt of the church on which work has continued at a glacial pace ever since – it is estimated to be completed at the earliest in 2026, the 100th anniversary of his death.

It is unlikely anyone envisaged the church would take nearly 150 years to complete. Vandalism in 1936 following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War resulted in the destruction of many of Gaudí’s models, but his fascination with natural forms is still evident in its interior, defined by columns that stretch like the branches of a forest towards the ceiling, decorated with geometric stars, while the light filtering through the stained-glass windows illuminates the carved stone fruit and flowers.

While his architectural achievements still today resemble something from the future, Gaudí’s originality, imagination and innovation have guaranteed him a place in Barcelona’s history books for ever.

Wildly inventive, Gaudí wove ceramics, stained glass, and sculpted wrought ironwork into the architecture

Opposite, clockwise from top left: The arched roof of Casa Batlló resembles a dragon’s back; much of the fantastical façade is decorated with colourful trencadís mosaic; Casa Museu Gaudí in Park Güell was Gaudí’s home for nearly 20 years; a mollusc-shaped light fitting in the undulating wave-like ceiling of Batlló Clockwise from top: The iconic yet controversial Sagrada Família is still not completed; inside, columns stretch like tree branches toward the ceiling; on the rooftop of La Pedrera, chimneys resemble knights’ helmets; inside its recreated modernisme apartment

Contact details CASA BATLLÓ – Passeig de Gràcia, 43.

Open daily, 9am-9pm. Admission from €23.50. casabatllo.es PARK GUELL – Open daily. Admission: adults €8; children €5.60. parkguell.cat/ CASA MUSEU GAUDÍ – Open daily.

Admission €5.50. casamuseugaudi.org LA PEDRERA – Passeig de Gràcia, 92.

Open daily, 9am-6.30pm. Admission from: adults €22; children €11; six and under free. lapedrera.com SAGRADA FAMÍLIA – Open daily, 9am-8pm. Admission from €15. sagradafamilia.org/en

Period Living 143

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1stDibs 1stdibs.com Abode Living 01273 621116 abodeliving.co.uk Albion Bath Company 01255 831605 albionbathco.com Amara 0800 587 7645 amara.com Amtico 0121 745 0800 amtico.com Annie Sloan 01865 803168 anniesloan.com Anthropologie 00800 0026 8476 anthropologie.com Antiques for Everyone antiquesforeveryone.co.uk Aram Store 020 7557 7557 aram.co.uk Ardingly Antiques Market iacf.co.uk/ ardingly Artisans & Adventurers artisans-and-adventurers.com Authentic Reclamation 01580 201258 authentic-reclamation.co.uk

B

Barker & Stonehouse 0333 331 7561 barkerandstonehouse.co.uk Barn Antiques Centre 01789 721399 barnantique.co.uk Bed Monkey 01924 469993 bedmonkey.com Benchmarx 01372 385915 benchmarxkitchens.co.uk Berry Red 0845 4503937 berryred.co.uk Bert & May 020 3744 0776 bertandmay.com Beswick Stone 01285 885795 beswickstone.co.uk The Black Faced Sheep 01339 887311 blackfacedsheep.co.uk Blendworth 023 9259 4911 blendworth.co.uk Bloom 0844 482 2332 bloom.uk Blue Isle 01425 653031 blueisle.co.uk British Ceramic Tile 01626 831391 britishceramictile.com Broste brostecopenhagen.com Broughtons 0116 234 1888 broughtons.com Burleigh 01773 740740 burleigh.co.uk

C

Cassina 020 7584 0000 cassina.com Cath Kidston 01480 424477 cathkidston.com Ceramics Art London ceramics.org.uk Chadder & Co 01342 823243 chadder.com The Chandelier & Mirror Company 01322 476465 chandeliersandmirrors.co.uk Charlotte Gaisford 01434 689583 charlottegaisford.co.uk Chesney’s 020 7627 1410 chesneys.co.uk Chic Antique chicantique.dk Churchwood 01298 872422 churchwood.co.uk Clarabelle Interiors clarabelleinteriors.co.uk Clarke & Clarke 01706 242010 clarke-clarke.co.uk Collier Campbell colliercampbell.com Content by Conran 020 8150 8380 contentbyterenceconran.com Cornish Bed Company 01726 825182 cornishbeds.co.uk Cotswold Co 0333 200 1725 cotswoldco.com Cotswold Wood Floors 01242 222822 cotswoldwoodfloors.com Cox & Cox 0330 333 2123 coxandcox.co.uk Crafts Study Centre 01252 891450 csc.uca.ac.uk Crown Imperial 01227 742424 crown-imperial.co.uk

Crucial Trading 01562 743747 crucial-trading.com Cult Furniture 020 8185 6960 cultfurniture.com Curtain Emporium 01608 682001 curtain-emporium.com

D

David White Fireplaces 01904 613623 davidwhitefireplaces.com Dorling Kindersley 020 3176 2939 dk.com/uk Dotcomgiftshop 020 8746 2473 dotcomgiftshop.com Drummonds 020 7376 4499 drummonds-uk.com

E

Eastburn Country Furniture 01535 656297 eastburncountryfurniture.co.uk Element7 020 7736 2366 element7.co.uk Ella Doran 020 7254 4744 elladoran.co.uk Emma Bridgewater 01782 407733 emmabridgewater.co.uk Etsy etsy.com Everhot 01453 890018 everhot.co.uk

F

Farrow & Ball 01202 876141 farrow-ball.com Ferm Living ferm-living.com Fired Earth 0845 366 0400 firedearth.com Fountain Softeners 0845 1080 685 fountainsofteners.co.uk Four Corners 01789 297818 fourcornerstrading.co.uk The French Bedroom Company 01444 415430 frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

G

Garden Trading 01993 845559 gardentrading.co.uk George Home 0800 952 0101 direct.asda.com Greengate greengate.dk Grohe 0871 200 3414 grohe.co.uk

H

Habitat 0344 499 4686 habitat.co.uk Harvey Jones 0800 389 7365 harveyjones.com Hector Finch 020 7731 8886 hectorfinch.com House Doctor en.housedoctor.dk House of Hackney houseofhackney.com Hurn & Hurn 01603 559250 hurnandhurn.com

I

Ian Snow 01271 858649 iansnow.com Ikea 020 3645 0000 ikea.com Imperial War Museum Shop 020 7091 3119 iwmshop.org.uk In my House inmyhouse.se Indigenous 01993 824200 indigenous.co.uk Izabela Peters 0161 724 4008 izabelapeters.com

J

Jali 01227 833333 jali.co.uk James Chandler chandlercarpentry.com James Hare 0113 243 1204 james-hare.com Jamjar Lights 0121 439 1790 jamjarlights.com Jim Lawrence 01473 826685 jim-lawrence.co.uk John Lewis 0345 604 9049 johnlewis.com John Lewis of Hungerford 0700 278 4726 john-lewis.co.uk Jonathan Adler 020 7589 9563 uk.jonathanadler.com

Junckers 01376 534700 junckers.com

K

Kährs 023 9245 3045 kahrs.com Kate Forman 01962 732244 kateforman.co.uk Kevin Bath 01789 470573 distinctpropertydevelopment.co.uk Kings of Chelsea 020 7751 4586 kofc.co.uk

L

Laura Ashley 0333 2008 009 lauraashley.com Lewis & Wood 01453 878517 lewisandwood.co.uk Lexington lexingtoncompany.com Liberty 020 7734 1234 libertylondon.com Loaf 0845 468 0697 loaf.com Louisa Loakes louisaloakes.com Lundhs lundhs.co.uk

M

Made made.com Main Company 01423 330451 themaincompany.co.uk Maisons du Monde 0808 234 2172 maisonsdumonde.com Marimekko 020 703 70951 marimekko.com Marks & Spencer marksandspencer.com Marktex marktex.de Martin Moore 0845 180 0015 martinmoore.com Melody Rose melodyrose.co.uk MiaFleur 0116 298 6393 miafleur.com Mowlem & Co 020 7610 6626 mowlemandco.com

N

National Gallery 020 7747 2885 nationalgallery.org.uk Natural History Museum Shop 020 7942 5494 nhmshop.co.uk The Natural Wood Floor Co 020 8871 9771 naturalwoodfloor.co.uk Neptune 01793 427427 neptune.com Niki Jones 0141 556 2462 niki-jones.co.uk Nkuku 0333 240 0155 nkuku.com Not Another Bill notanotherbill.com

O

Oka 0844 815 7380 okadirect.com One Village Worldshop 01993 812866 onevillage.com Oliver Bonas 020 8974 0110 oliverbonas.com Olivia Burton 020 7426 0413 oliviaburton.com The Organised Home theorganisedhome.co.uk

P

Paint the Town Green 020 8871 0531 paintthetowngreen.biz Palazzo Morelli palazzomorelli.it Parna 01865 522272 parna.co.uk Pastel Lane pastellane.co.uk Pentreath & Hall 020 7430 2526 pentreath-hall.com Peony & Sage 01289 388650 peonyandsage.com Peppermill Antiques 01543 375872 peppermillantiques.com Perch & Parrow 020 8629 1166 perchandparrow.com Perrin & Rowe 01708 526361 perrinandrowe.co.uk Pib Home 020 3445 5150 pib-home.co.uk Potter & Rest 01278 440500 potterandrest.co.uk

Q

Quick-step 0283 025 0477 quick-step.co.uk

R

Ralph Lauren 020 3450 7750 ralphlauren.co.uk Rapture & Wright 01608 652442 raptureandwright.co.uk Reclaimed Flagstones 01942 678070 reclaimedflagstonesltd.co.uk The Reclaimed Flooring Co 020 7250 1108 reclaimedflooringco.com Redbubble redbubble.com Regina Bakker hobby-fliesenmalerei.de Ren-New 01952 750816 ren-new.co.uk Ribble Reclamation 01772 794534 ribble-reclamation.co.uk Robert Allen 01494 474741 robertallendesign.co.uk Rose & Grey 0161 926 8763 roseandgrey.co.uk The Rug Seller 0161 876 4566 therugseller.co.uk Rume rume.co.uk Rural Window Timber Company 01905 841199 ruraltimberwindow.co.uk

S

Sainsbury’s Home 0800 636 262 sainsburys.co.uk Sanderson 0844 543 9500 sanderson-uk.com Sarah Capel sarahcapelprinting.co.uk Selfridges 0800 123 400 selfridges.com Shimu 0800 088 6800 shimu.co.uk Skinflint 01326 565227 skinflintdesign.co.uk Smallbone 020 7589 5998 smallbone.co.uk Smeg 0344 557 9907 smeguk.com Smink Things sminkthings.co.uk Sofa.com 0345 400 2222 Sofas & Stuff 0808 178 3211 sofasandstuff.com Starkeys Lane starkeyslane.com Stokke stokke.com Stovax 01392 474000 stovax.com Swoon Editions 020 3389 7550 swooneditions.com

T

Tarkett 01622 854000 tarkett.co.uk Ted Todd 01925 284495 tedtodd.co.uk Textile Society textilesociety.org.uk Tile Giant 01782 597777 tilegiant.co.uk Titchmarsh & Goodwin 01473 252158 titchmarsh-goodwin.co.uk

U V

Urban Cottage Industries urbancottageindustries.com

Villeroy & Boch villeroy-boch.co.uk Voyage 0141 641 1700 voyagemaison.co.uk

W

Wallpaper Direct 01323 430886 wallpaperdirect.com Wallsauce.com 01772 284110 wallsauce.com Warren Evans 020 7693 8988 warrenevans.com Wayfair wayfair.co.uk Wedgwood 01782 282651 wedgwood.co.uk West Dean College 01243 811301 westdean.org.uk Westelm westelm.co.uk Whichford Pottery 01608 684416 whichfordpottery.com The White Company 020 375 89 222 thewhitecompany.com Willis & Gambier 01733 318400 willisgambier.co.uk Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Co 01485 542516 wroughtironandbrassbed.co.uk Period Living 145

T R A D I T I O N A L B R I T I S H U P H O L S T E RY

MADE IN UK

21 day home trial 5 year hardwood frame warranty Direct from the manufacturer

Call for your free brochure 01495 243999

www.kirkdale.co.uk

M

PL C

Looking for a perfect period-style furnishings, fixtures and finishes for your decorating or renovation project? You’ll find everything you need right here. To book advertising space call Emma Farrington on 020 7970 4421 or email emma.farrington@centaurmedia.com

MARSHALL ALPHA MARSHALL

NOW ELECTRIC

MARSHALL

Still also available oil, wood & multi fuel Probably the most beautiful 3 oven electric cooker in the world. Also available, to stand alongside the Marshall cooker, is the electric mini cooker for use in the summer when you do not want a hot kitchen.

Please contact Tel No. 01332 833000 for brochures (A division of Sandyford Cookers)

www.sandyford.co.uk www.marshallcookers.co.uk

Category guide Showcase p150 Antique Fairs & Auctions p148 Architectural Salvage p152 Bathrooms p159 Bedrooms p154 Building Services p157

Fabric p158 Fixtures & Fittings p155 Flooring p156 Heating p158 Ironmongery p153 Kitchens p160 Lighting p155 Rugs & Carpets p157 Period Living 147

PERIOD LIVING’S GUIDE TO

ANTIQUE CENTRES, FAIRS & AUCTIONS All the events in the antiques world worth knowing about. To include a listing, call Emma Farrington on 020 7970 4421 or email emma.farrington@centaurmedia.com

1 Runway Monday at Newark - Antiques & Collectors Fair

The Runway, adjacent to Newark Air Museum, Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground NG24 2NY A short, sharp burst of vintage shopping to keep you satisifed between the larger fairs! Get there early to see the very best on offer.

Monday 20th March Monday 24th April iacf.co.uk 01636 702326

2 Newark - International Antiques & Collectors Fair Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 2NY

Don’t miss the opportunity to shop at the world famous Newark Antiques Fair. Thousands of stalls, an 84 acre site and an unrivalled product list.

What’s not to love?!

Thursday 30th & Friday 31st March Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd June iacf.co.uk 01636 702326

3 Sandown Park - Antiques & Collectors Market

Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ Take part in the admission FREE Sandown Park Market for a great mix of antique products. Car parking £5 per vehicle or there’s a free minibus shuttle from Esher Rail Station 8.30am - 2.30pm.

Tuesday 4th April Tuesday 2nd May iacf.co.uk 01636 702326

1,2,12 9 5,6 11 8 7 3 10 4

4 Ardingly - International Antiques & Collectors Fair

South of England Showground, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6TL A fantastic event for sourcing quality, stylish goods for your interiors.

Everything from ornate mirrors and grand furniture to rustic kitchenware and shabby chic.

Tuesday 7th & Wednesday 8th March Tuesday 18th & Wednesday 19th April iacf.co.uk 01636 702326

148 Period Living

5 Antiques and Home Show

Lincolnshire Showground, Grange-de-Lings, Lincoln, LN2 2NA With thousands of international stalls selling the most beautiful antiques, jewellery, furniture, reclamation items, French linens, vintage clothing and accessories. The world famous Lincolnshire Antiques and Home Show is the largest in Europe and attracts thousands of buyers and sellers from all over the world.

Monday 27 & Tuesday 28 March Monday 29 & Tuesday 30 May 2017 asfairs.com 01298 27493

7 The Cotswolds Antiques, Decorative and Art Fair Westonbirt School, Tetbury, South Cotswolds, Gloucestershire GL8 8QG

Quality datelined Antique fair. This well established fair has up to 80 stands. Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11am - 5pm.

Admission £5.

31st March Cooper Antiques Fairs - 01278 784 912

9

Midland Furniture Auctions

Midland Furniture Auctions holds one of the UK’s biggest weekly furniture auctions. Every Wednesday their salerooms are packed with the latest ranges and types of furniture.

Bidders can expect choice at great prices. Located off the M1 (J28) near Alfreton, Derbyshire.

10 Grange Close, Clover Nook Industrial Park, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 4QT. Call 01773 832 555

6 Hemswell Antique Centres

Caenby Corner Estate, Hemswell Cliff, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5TJ Visit the home of Europe’s largest range of antiques and collectables. A wide range of stock from over 400 dealers is always available including: Period furniture, decorative antiques, vintage, retro, clocks, mirrors, books, lighting, linen, silver, glass, ceramics, paintings and leather and sporting goods. Open 10am - 5pm everyday with two coffee shops and ample parking.

Nationwide delivery available. www.hemswell-antiques.com t: 01427 666016 e: enquiries@hemswell-antiques.com

8 The Chelsea Antiques Fair

Chelsea Old Town Hall, Kings Road, London SW3 5EE Traditional “boutique” fair, established 1950 - distilled into 30 stands offering a wide range of Art & Artifacts from 17th to 21st Centuries, for furnishing and collections. All presented with a refreshing new approach. Vetted for authenticity, no dateline.

Open Thursday 12-8, Friday 11-6, Saturday 11-6, Sunday 11-5.

Admission £5 (£6 on first day) 16th, 17th and 18th March

Penman Fairs 01886 833091

10 Shepton Mallet Antiques,Vintage & Collectors Fair Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN

Quality is the name of the game at this premier West Country fair.

Interior designers and stylists frequent the fair due to the quality of goods available in quantity.

Friday 10th to Sunday 12th March Friday 5th to Sunday 7th May

www.mfagroup.co.uk iacf.co.uk 01636 702326

11 British Motor Museum

(formerly the Heritage Motor Centre) Banbury Road, Gaydon, Warwickshire CV35 0BJ An indoor event with up to 150 stallholders selling an eclectic array of items from antiques, collectables & vintage items, including furniture from regency to retro, Victoriana to vintage, automobilia, miltaria, glassware, jewellery, art, collectables and more.

9.30am - 4.00pm £4 adults / £3 concessions. Early bird entry on Saturday only from 8.30am £5. Ample parking, level access, onsite catering, dogs not permitted at this venue. Please note that ticket prices are for entry to the Antiques Fair only - preferential priced tickets into the Motor Museum will be available from inside the Antiques Fair.

18th and 19th March - 07772 349431

12 Magnus Sports Centre Antiques & Collectors Fair Bowbridge Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 4AB

This fast paced and exciting, early start fair heralds the start of ‘Newark/Lincoln Antiques Week’ and is an absolute must for trade and public alike. Held on the Sunday before Newark International Antiques & Collectors Fair, it offers great opportunities for selling plus buying alike, from a wide range of dealers from around the country.

Refreshments available. Open 7am - 3pm. £2 entry.

26th March

Field Dog Fairs - 07772 349341

Period Living 149

Showcase

Cambridge Traditional Products produce Beeswax Furniture polish to an original Victorian recipe.

We use the best quality Beeswax and pure Gum Turpentine to create a cream polish that is easy to use, natural, and simply the best way to care for treasured antiques and wooden furniture. www.cambridgetraditionalproducts.co.uk 01954 251 380

It doesn’t matter how good a stove you have if you have a short chimney below the roofline or stove in a single story building, you are exposed to wind, surrounded by trees or in an area of low pressure and thermal disturbance you will be subject to downdraft. For chimney pots or twin wall flues, FlueCube the (patented) clever chimney cowl improves stoves burning efficiency, stops downdraft and reduces carbon.It achieves this by creating a positive draw through the flue system stabilizing the burn with in the stove and thus enabling the stove to perform (burn) at much greater efficiency consuming a larger amount of carbon then would previously be possible.

It has no moving parts and is British made call 01580 715870. www.fluecube.co.uk

STUNNING TOPAZ TAPS

SHAWS OF DARWEN BOWLAND Inspired design and superb craftsmanship are combined to produce this British made Shaws of Darwen traditional style ceramic fireclay Bowland sink which has a distinctive fluted front.

Available in both white and biscuit finishes the sink has a central 3½” waste outlet suitable for basket strainer or waste disposer. This Bowland 600 sink is compact so can be fitted into smaller kitchens in new or To see the complete range renovated properties. of ceramic fireclay sinks There is also an 800 size sink for larger areas.

and taps available, visit www.shawsofdarwen.com

Shaws of Darwen Tel: 01254 775111 Fax: 01254 873462

BOOK PUBLISHING

Bromleighs offer an extensive range of switches and electrical accessories to suit both period and contemporary interiors. Their Forged and Profile Collections are hand-made at their workshop in Cornwall, using inserts manufactured here in the UK. The Hardwood, Bakelite and Period Switch collections are made with British Oak which is hand-stained and waxed. Recent installations include a Chateau in France and the extensive refurbishment of an Irish Castle. Bromleighs also offer a wide range of interior and exterior lighting and architectural hardware. For a current brochure or further information, please call the team on 01208 79490 or www.bromleighs.com

OPEN MIND - OPEN LIVING

Hudson Reed has launched a selection of stunning new brassware with striking black ceramic detailing that will make a statement in any bathroom. The Topaz taps feature ceramic disk technology and a choice of two collar options with a lever or crosshead handle design. This versatility allows you to choose which suits you best, co-ordinate with the matching concealed and exposed shower 01422 417 099 www.hudsonreed.co.uk valves and kits for a harmonious look.

Coromandel

Authors invited to submit manuscripts all categories

New Authors welcome

A. H. STOCKWELL LTD, Dept. 703, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 8BA. Tel 01271 862557 www.ahstockwell.co.uk Publishers for over 100 Years 150 Period Living

Image from Stiff and Trevillion - Kilian O’Sullivan

Crittall Windows’ InnerVision steel framed internal screens add a new perspective to interiors with endless possibilities. Create that seamless transition between inside and out, by opening-up living space. Bright, beautifully crafted walls of glazing will reflect the timeless style of a period house, adeptly define spaces in a townhouse, minimalist urban loft, or warehouse apartment. www.crittall-windows.co.uk 01376 530800 • hq@crittall-windows.co.uk

Exquisite Coromandel Crewel Embroidered Fabrics As supplied to the National Trust 0118 979 6222 www.coromandel.co.uk

Period Living 151

Architects

Architectural Antiques

152 Period Living

Ironmongery

PERIOD FEATURES www.periodfeatures.co.uk

PURVEYORS OF

DISCOUNT CODE PLCOUP05

BRITISH IRONMONGERY

AND

ACCESSORIES FOR

High Quality Door and Window Furniture Handcrafted Period Ironmongery - Because Quality Matters...

www.BritishIronmongery.co.uk 0845 257 1147

sales@britishironmongery.co.uk

LEEK, STAFFORDSHIRE TEL.

01538 372202 Period Living 153

Bedrooms

HANDCRAFTED TO DELIVER A LIFETIME OF COMFORT & STYLE REQUEST A FREE BROCHURE

01777 869 669 revivalbeds.co.uk

Traditional & Contemporary Beds

www.time4sleep.co.uk

BLINDS I CURTAINS I SHUTTERS I CARPETS

QUALITY SALVAGE & ANTIQUE FITTINGS Original fireplaces Antique bathrooms Cast iron radiators

up to

Door furniture Garden antiques Reclaimed flooring

Architectural features Period doors Windows & Glass

50% off *

MEASURING & FITTING INCLUDED

15 Market Place, Hingham, Norfolk NR9 4AF t: 01953 851 868 e: mongers@mongersofhingham.co.uk TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR LOCAL ADVISOR CALL FREE 0800 916 6506 OR VISIT HILLARYS.CO.UK *T’s

154 Period Living

& C’s apply

www.mongersofhingham.co.uk

Lighting

our lamps won’t break the bank

www.pooky.com

Period Living 155

Flooring

MASCo

&

Vintage Floor Tile company

01509 234000 - www.floorsofstone.com

01509 234000 - www.floorsofstone.com

Architectural Salvage

Stocking the largest selection of original encaustic, geometric and reclaimed quarry tiles in the country.

Call 01233 850082 www.thevintagefloortilecompany.co.uk MASCo

Doors & Windows & Vintage Floor Tile company

Vintage & Architectural

Replacement aluminium windows for period and new homes

ST LE O OAK

NE

OR

The Old Radiator Architectural Salvage Company

OrlestoneOak Solid oak flooring manufactured at our Kent sawmill

The Conservation Range • Single or dual RAL colours • A-rated energy efficiency • Fit into timber or direct to stone • UK manufactured

● ● ● ●

Solid oak flooring in 3 grades Floor matching service Multi-width and extra-length Engineered hardwood flooring

01233 732179 www.orlestoneoak.co.uk OAK SAWMILL OAK BUILDINGS 156 Period Living

OAK JOINERY

NEW!฀ Phone for our 52 page brochure฀

OAK FLOORING

฀

For expert advice call 08008 401 508 www.thwc.co.uk Showrooms at: Sevenoaks Dorking Beaconsfield Loughton

Period brass door knobs – Victorian plumbing ittings- Georgian oak beams – reclaimed pine looring – ledge and brace doors – oak front doors – hand forged iron hinges – brass door knockers – nickle letter boxes – black iron lever handles- brass bib taps – Belfast sinks – vintage enamel lights – Georgian door knobs – cabinet knobs – drawer pulls – brass curtain poles – railway benches – high level w.c. suites – Belfast sinks – reclaimed pine doors – door bolts – door – handles – rosehead nails – locks – latches – door bells – waste plug and chain – butler sinks – brass basin taps – Suffolk latches – window ittings – radiator feet – wc lush pipes – chain pulls – brass and iron hooks – cast iron brackets – pendant lights – industrial lamp shades – Tee hinges

SEE IT ALL AT

coxsarchitectural.co.uk Established over 25 years ago Quality oak products and framing

Quality Oak Beams, Reclaimed & Air Dried Oak - Delivered Worldwide

Tel. 01825 723648 www.tradoak.com

Lighting

RUGS RUGS RUGS

A breath-taking stock of over 6000 Oriental rugs

& even more RUGS 10 showrooms filled to bursting

Alan & Polly Harrison are direct importers of beautiful hand woven rugs from around the world. We cater for all budgets, small or large and offer the best value you can get. We offer a try at home service so you can be sure to get exactly what you want at an affordable price.

OLNEY ORIENTAL CARPETS 21 High Street South, Olney, Bucks. MK46 4AA Website www.olneyrugs.co.uk 01234 712502

FREE UK Delivery

OPEN Tuesday to Saturday 10-00am to 5-00pm. CLOSED Sunday & Monday

Oriental Rug Cleaning and repair service.

Call 01234 712502 for advice and quotation.

View work in progress on our website.

26 years

Reputable trading Period Living 157

Stoves

Heating CHATSWORTH 4 & 6 EDWARDIAN RADIATORS

Beautifully restored & renovated Aga Cookers

THE CAST IRON ADIATOR FACTORY

|

TEL: 0116 9257 WWW.CASTIRONRADIATORFACTORY.COM TEL:260 0116 260 9257 WWW.CASTIRONRADIATORFACTORY.COM

|

SCAN FOR BROCHURE

Fabric

PHIL GREEN & SON “Top quality reasonably priced!”

Curtains, blinds and pelmets etc made to measure & installed.

Thousands of fabrics, poles etc.

Call now for a home visit by a professional Interior Designer

0208 688 6282 Croydon

01372 723 640 Epsom

fabricworldlondon.co.uk

158 Period Living

Reconditioned Aga range cookers & Rayburn-ranges available in all colours

Tel: 01885 488936 www.philgreenandson.co.uk

01548 830069 www.westcountrycookers.com

Established 1994

HARDWOOD WORKTOPS & END GRAIN CHOPPING BLOCKS

Made to measure

www.bordercraft.co.uk Email: sales@bordercraft.co.uk

TEL: 01981 550 251

Bathrooms

What makes an Albion bath unique?

Our exclusive bath material creates a difference you can feel.

With over 50 models available, we’ll have a size for bathrooms big or small.

Request your brochure on: 01255 831605 or go to: www.albionbathco.com

the ALBION bath co Handmade bathrooms directly from our factory

Period Living 159

Kitchens

HANDMADE KITCHEN FURNITURE AT SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE PRICES

• • • • • •

Handbuilt, made to measure in solid wood, cabinetry for the average sized kitchen @ only £7k.

•

Primed, or primed and painted units can now be provided

REQUEST YOUR FREE BROCHURE TODAY.

BV01_2609

www.creamerykitchens.co.uk

Lynx Trading Estate, YEOVIL BA20 2HL T: 01935 434700

Cookers

160 Period Living

PI01_MAR17

enquiries@pineland.co.uk

SEE US IN STORE - OR ONLINE

Pardon the expression The origins of some of our best-known figures of speech – and some lesser-known ones – are worth a few words themselves A square meal

Not worth the candle

Take a tour of one of Britain’s historic ships and you’ll be told that 18th-century sailors ate from Royal Navy standardissue square wooden plates – true, and the link sounds reasonable. But, say others, the phrase ‘a square meal’ didn’t appear in print until the mid-19th century and originated in America, from the proper, honest, straightforward meaning of square. So a good, wholesome meal served on any shape of plate you like.

This gauge of an activity’s merit, or lack of, is all about its 17th-century social context, when candles were a costly commodity.

Sleep tight

How many times have we used this caution, without a thought for its reference to medieval falconry? A falcon (in - or on- your hand) was seen as a valuable thing, worth more than its prey (cowering in the bush).

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Above board This phrase is thought to have found its origins in card playing. If the players’ hands remain above the table (board), they are playing honestly and by the rules.

Mantelpiece

Blue-pigeon flyer

The staple of every period home has fairly humble origins. Derived from the old word for clothes, the shelf above a fireplace was originally used for drying wet ‘mantles’.

Finally, from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, an obscure little gem of an expression that means ‘a man who steals the lead off of a house or church’.

Bluey was a slang term for lead, from its colour. To pigeon was to cheat someone of something. So blue-pigeon is to steal someone’s lead, and a flyer is someone who flies off with said lead. Something that could be adapted for modern-day pigeons stealing copper from our broadband cables.

Boudoir This opulent 18th-century equivalent of a man shed is where you would find the pampered lady of the house when things weren’t going her way. From the French word bouder – meaning ‘to sulk’.

162 Period Living

Medieval bakers weren’t innumerate, but added an extra loaf or two to their dozen to ensure that they weren’t selling under the regulated weight.

Feature Karen Darlow Images Istock For more information, visit phrases.org.uk

Here’s another much-used expression where the storytellers are at odds with its documented usage. One explanation involves the 16th- and 17th-century beds, where the rope supports were tightened to provide a good night’s sleep. Some dispute this, though, as it seems the phrase wasn’t recorded until the mid-19th century, so the more likely derivation is from the meaning of tight, as in firmly, soundly or fast – eyes shut tight, door closed tight.

Baker’s dozen

TM

ORANGERIES

|

GARDEN ROOMS

|

CONSERVATORIES

Call for a complimentary design consultation or visit our Chelsea showroom

01278 764444 davidsalisbury.com