Stories 10 GBP

STORIES

A different perspective…

VO L U M E 10

Your sitting room’s bar-meets-display cabinet, your kitchen’s freestanding feature piece, your study’s wall-to-wall bookcase, your bedroom’s chest of drawers, your utility room’s ‘everything’ cupboard…

Discover the possibilities at your local Neptune store. neptune.com/stores

VOLUME 10

Our challenge was to design one piece of furniture that could do it all.

Meet Chawton.

STOR IES

10 There are numbers bigger and there are digits smaller, but there’s no escaping that the first jump into double figures is a momentous one. Step back into your nine-but-soon-to-be-ten year-old self’s shoes. Ten was a big deal. And today, it’s a milestone that still matters for everything from wedding anniversaries to badge-worthy metres swum in the little pool.

That’s why we didn’t want to just gloss over the fact that this marks the tenth volume of Stories. We’re not throwing a party, but we are nodding to it, smiling about it and telling our close friends (that’s you) all about it.

So, here’s to volume ten. Delve deep into colour psychology and history with internationally acclaimed Michelle Ogundehin (a Stories regular), cook up seasonal dishes from our resident nutritional therapist and chef (exclusive to us and our café, The Provenist), find interiors inspiration for styling every inch of your home, and hear first-hand advice from Richard Parr (of leading architect studio, Richard Parr + Associates) on how to approach an extension. There are 84 pages of all things home, waiting and wanting to be read.

Take a deep breath, count to ten and dive right in…

With love, the Stories team

A story of statements Seen, heard and felt in interior decoration

This autumn, expect to hear us speaking about statements. Loud ones and quiet ones, statements colourful and statements textural, expressions elusive and abstract as much as those deep-rooted and personal. But why statements as a talking point? And how to use statements to tell your home’s story?

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hat do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘make a statement’? Do you imagine wearing something remarkable that makes your muse known? Are you imagining clearing your throat and voicing an opinion decided and divisive? Is it an action that you take to make your feelings known, like signing a petition or turning vegan? Or do none of those come close, because for you, a statement needn’t be about challenging the status quo and raising eyebrows? Statement-making means different things to different people, but the bottom line is this – statements are deeply personal.

Now ask yourself another question – do you want your home to feel like you or to imitate somebody else? Interior design is about many things, from better use of space to harmonious cohabiting of textures and colours, but it’s also an exercise in expression. It’s about reflecting you and your inspirations, identifying what’s industry influence and what’s genuinely going to make you feel good, and then realising that your home can help you to reflect your very best self (we’ve lost count of the times that people have said their furniture choices have transformed them into the organised person they’ve always longed to be). Homes are blank canvases waiting to be coloured in, filled up and illustrated using your own hand-writing; somewhere for you to make your mark – on it, in it, through it.

It was this idea that grabbed us when we sat down in our design library to craft the context for our new autumn collection. Our pieces have long celebrated individualism, rather than being destined to one look and one look alone. This season is all about things blending in beautifully as well as standing out strongly. Take our new seasonal shade, Ink, as an example. It’s a colour that speaks volumes, whether as a booming proclamation of your dark side or as a quiet whisper of something more understated (turn to page 16 to see it in action). Or Chawton – a new approach to bespoke cabinetry – that was purposefully designed to scale up or down, to work in every room, to be painted in any colour, to sit back in a scheme or to step forward and ask for the spotlight (the following article is evidence to that).

Autumn 2019 is a time for adapting ideas, interpreting inspiration and thinking freely. Take the time to consider what words you want your home to say – what statements will it make and what conversations will it spark? This is a collection that reminds us all to use design as a vehicle for communication, with you as the artist and the author, and your home as the masterpiece, the storybook, the showcase for everything that makes it yours.

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Chawton

STOR AGE , ST Y L ED

This autumn, we welcome a new storage addition to the collection – Chawton. Designed to be configured exactly as you want it, it suits any style of property, any size of space, and any type of room in your home.

Here, our stylist Meaghan takes Chawton around four different living spaces to show just that.

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The freestanding kitchen Wherever possible, it’s a good idea to include at least one freestanding element in a kitchen design. It provides a change of cadence and breaks up the expectation of finding purely fitted cabinetry. With Chawton, you can take the notion of an unfitted kitchen as far as you like. The sideboard section takes the place of base cabinets and the dresser part acts like a countertop design so that you have, in effect, a run of cabinetry. Because Chawton can be as wide and as tall as you like, you can design it as a freestanding section at the end of a run, to replace a full bank of cabinets or to stand against its own wall in a smaller format – ideal for storing larder essentials or crockery and glassware. Versatile as it is though, Chawton wasn’t designed to replace all of your kitchen’s cabinets. It’s roughly desk height so won’t squeeze in appliances like dishwashers. Instead, use it as a compliment to break things up.

The at-home bar The rise of the art deco era penchant for a drinks trolley has plateaued and in its place is using cabinets, dressers and bookcases as a mini bar – a role that Chawton is more than ready to play. Whether you decide to use the entirety of Chawton as one grand display of spirits, glassware and cocktail accessories or to portion off a dedicated area, it’s a sure-fire way to make a statement out of your drinks collection. Better still, our design team have specifically created accessories for achieving an at-home bar, like the solid oak X-shaped dividers that slot into the shelves for balancing wine and champagne bottles.

Previous Chawton custom cabinet, painted in Ink £3,992 wine bottle storage shelves £88 each Right Chawton custom cabinet with ladder, painted in Snow £10,066 Montague bar stools, painted in Slate £180 each Keats Bronze conical pendant £90

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The bathroom pantry This idea came from one of our #realneptunehomes stories (see Vivienne Cutler’s kitchen and laundry room in Stories volume nine or on our online journal). She had a section in her laundry room that she referred to as her ‘laundry pantry’ for all things freshly pressed, which got us thinking about what other rooms could benefit from the pantry approach. When a bathroom is thoughtfully designed, and you go above and beyond the bare necessities, the difference is really felt. Bring Chawton into the bathroom and you’ve got yourself a storage area for all of your towels (guest towels in one pile, beach towels in another, facecloths and so on) – picture them all fluffed up, rolled and ready to go on Chawton’s shelves – and then somewhere to stow away laundered and waiting-to-be-used bed linen for every room in the house in the cupboard sections. You could even keep spares of toiletries in there, as well as the ones you use day-in day-out on display in elegant glass jars and woven rattan baskets as Meaghan has in our calming, country bathroom.

A Chawton bathroom pantry not only sounds charming and like something you want to immediately add to your wish list, but it’s a highly functioning storage saviour designed to make your home calmer, less cluttered and appreciatively considered.

The eaves bookcase Look at Chawton, and it’s easy to picture it as a library wall, especially with the traditional oak ladder and rail.

But what probably doesn’t strike you at first is how you can design it with a stepped shape to fit into alcoves and eaves.

There are three different sizes of dresser top and they’re stackable too so you can have a double-height with a single on top, or a triple plus a double plus a single, and so on.

And because every cabinet is treated as a complete piece of furniture (something quite rare for a modular design), it means you can graduate the height without the concern that any exposed parts will look unfinished. So if you’ve got a home office in the eaves or a sloped ceiling in a hallway where you’re longing to make a book store, Chawton can slot right in.

Chawton custom cabinet, painted in Snow £3,324 Edinburgh large open washstand £1,715

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C H AW T O N

One design, (almost) endless possibilities

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From hallway to home office, wall-to-wall or small and sweet, pop into your nearest Neptune store or head online to create a Chawton that’s just-right for you.

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A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE A COLOUR ANALYSIS OF INK

BY MICHELLE OGUNDEHIN

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INK

How should we define this colour – dark blue, midnight blue, indigo, blue-black? Whichever moniker we might choose at first, surely we can agree that this is a shade that sits somewhere between blue and black? Yet when Isaac Newton famously refracted light into a rainbow in the mid 1660s, he’d have us believe that it lies between blue and violet!

And to discover why I take issue with this, we need to travel right back to the organic source of blue.

To explain. Prior to Newton’s experiments, the woad plant (Isatis tinctoria), native to parts of Europe and the UK, particularly East Anglia, had been the primary source of blue dye for common usage, whether pale or dark (albeit with a greenish tinge). A plant from the mustard family, its leaves were chopped, dried, crushed and fermented, then mixed with hot water, potash or urine to make it into a mixture ready to dye cloth. Despite being both time and labour intensive to create, woad balls became a valuable commodity and disputes frequently raged over trading agreements. In fact, by the mid-1580s, the English government had to impose restrictions on its growth as over-production threatened grain supplies – it was, by then, six times more lucrative than the foodstuff.

Meanwhile, when the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered a sea route to India in the late 15th century, he circumvented costly and dangerous land passage and opened up the possibility of direct trade with Asia. And one of the first new imports was a local plant called Indigofera tinctoria, aka indigo. Being cheap, colourfast and easier to use, it rapidly started to supplant the local woad industry and, between this and the perfection of synthetic dyes in the late 19th century, the use of woad all but died out, with the last mill closing in Lincolnshire in 1932.

Amelia chair in Isla Swallow velvet £730 Camilla cushion in

This little trip through history is of relevance because the colour produced from naturally-occurring indigo is arguably the closest chromatic cousin to ink, and around the time of Newton’s experiments, the import of the plant and its effect on local trade would have been the hot political and business news of the day; ‘indigo’ therefore probably being a word heard often in popular parlance. So, back in his study, in describing his optical spectrum, although Newton readily acknowledged a continuum of colours, he pointedly chose to name only seven. His description from the time went something like this… “The originall or primary colours are Red, Yellow, Green, Blew, & a Violet Purple; together with Orange, Indico, & an indefinite varietie of intermediate gradations.”

And yet, the human eye does not in fact readily differentiate hues in the wavelengths between what we today call blue and violet. In other words, if this is where Newton meant indigo to lie, most people would have a huge amount of difficulty distinguishing it from its neighbours.

Indeed, according to the American author and biochemist Isaac Asimov, “It is customary to list indigo as a colour lying between blue and violet, but it has never seemed to me that indigo is worth the dignity of being considered a separate colour. To my eyes, it seems merely deep blue.”

Bilberry & Isla Swallow £78 wall painted in Ink matte emulsion from £4/125ml

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And this is the point. If it’s not really possible to discern it as a distinct entity in its own right, could it be that Newton inserted indigo into his spectrum simply because it was the fashionable word du jour? Plus, if I’m to be completely pedantic, because violet is defined as being a colour between blue and purple, anything placed between it and blue would strictly speaking be one quarter purple to three quarters blue. Why does this matter? Well, from a purely aesthetic, if not psychological, point of view, indigo (nor ink) borrows one jot in look or meaning from purple, a colour commonly associated with grandeur, nobility, extravagance and wealth.

But let’s dive even further into the detail, for even if we’re now agreed that neither shade is spectrally related to purple, what remains to distinguish them from navy blue, or even midnight blue?

Here, it’s more an issue of perception and semantics.

Navy blue has its roots in the crisper (and brighter) blue uniforms of the British Navy from the early 19th-century, with all the associated connotations of rules and regulations. Midnight blue, in contrast, is poetically named for its resemblance to the colour of the sky around a full moon, and as a term, dates back only to 1915. Nevertheless, the 19th-century Dutch postimpressionist Vincent Van Gogh seems to refer to it in his

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painting Cafe Terrace at Night, one of his first to feature a starry sky painted distinctly darkly blue. So excited was he by this work that he wrote the following in a letter to his sister, “The gables of the houses on a street that leads away under the blue sky studded with stars are dark blue or violet. Now there’s a painting of night without black.”

Albeit he rather annoyingly seems to side with Newton with his reference to violet!

Regardless, a move away from the strictures and conformity of navy, and one step closer to black, midnight blue projects elegance and sophistication. A subtle strike out against convention too, as evidenced by the Duke of Windsor who, in the 1920s, allegedly favoured midnight blue for his suits and tuxedos, rather than the customary black, believing that it would better show off the fine tailoring and subtle details of his clothing.

Accordingly, almost any deep dark blue – with the absolutism and severity of black tempered, the perceived pomposity of purple negated and even the equanimity of a purer blue quashed – is commonly described as a powerful but also dignified colour, said to promote concentration and deeper levels of consciousness and be a signifier of wisdom and justice. It also infers the mysterious, as we can’t quite put a finger on what makes it special. Certainly, this depth of shade in ‘New Age’ circles is often referred to as the colour of the third eye: the supposed gateway to our powers of intuition. In short, shades of this nature are more of the imaginative mind than the instinctive gut.

And so, a picture emerges of something that, throughout history, was perceived as both precious and useful, global yet local, beautiful and commonplace – lest we forget, variants of this shade universally colour denim jeans, the world’s most democratic clothing type. But why not call all such blues indigo? Or even ink!

In truth, now we’re down to debating the nuance of tonal difference involving incremental smudges of black. But there are differences. For if we were to place our dark blues in a line from bluest to black, it would read: navy, midnight blue, indigo, ink, black. Again, perspective is helped by taking a step back.

Indigo trumps in exoticism, having admirably deep roots as the foundation of many ancient textile traditions. From the Tuareg nomads, or ‘blue people’ of the Sahara, who still traditionally dress in this deep shade from head to toe such that it stains their skin, to the Yoruba tribes of South-Western Nigeria where women created adire: intricately-patterned indigo resist-dyed cloth, formed using folding and tying techniques before dipping. Then there’s Japanese shibori, which dates back to the 8thcentury, and Indonesian ikat where the yarn itself is tied and dyed prior to weaving – both also habitually rendered in an inky blue dye. In the Americas too, indigo was an increasingly important cash crop and historical records even indicate that 35 barrels of the plant helped Benjamin Franklin to negotiate the support of France for the 1775 American War of Independence!

In short, indigo was so valuable it was often referred to as blue gold.

Caspar armchair in

If we turn now to ink, and consider the product itself, writing inks pragmatically tended to be black because they needed to be liquid enough to be usable and most other pigments wouldn’t be legible at the levels of dilution thus required. As far back as Ancient Egypt, lampblack was the go-to – literally a pigment made from burning a lamp or candle and mixing the soot with water and glue. While other materials were sometimes used, this recipe persisted until the 19th century save for one famous interloper: iron-gall ink, revered for its velvety blueish-black colour. Made from the addition of iron sulphate to the tannic acid extracted from oak galls, surviving manuscripts from both the Middle Ages and Renaissance are testament to its longevity and water resistance. The popularity of iron gall ink duly travelled around the world and even the United States postal service had its own recipe. And it wasn’t until the invention of chemically-produced inks in the late 20th-century that it fell from use.

Thus, the precise positioning of the colour ink is a supremely darkened blue stopped a slither short of black to avoid troubling references to death, mourning or fear, instead revealing a shade inspired by all of its precedents while having a unique character of its own – versatile and timeless, embodying both the physical and the spiritual realm. Indeed, according to the writer Kassia St Clair, “The Arabic word for ink, midãd, is closely related to that for divine substance or matter,” which seems entirely fitting. But, with all due respect to Newton, let’s never call it dark purple.

Bilberry £1,820 Camilla

Bilberry & Isla Swallow cushion £89

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Ink. Unleashed.

This autumn, we welcome a colour that’s decidedly night’s-sky dark but with a measured amount of warming, always-elegant navy swirled into its depths. For Neptune’s Sarah Green, it was love at first sight, so we decided to follow her footsteps as she let Ink loose in three different spots of her farmhouse home.

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ike any colour on the spectrum, Ink invites an instant reaction. For some, it’s a slight gulp, supposing it would be much too dark, much too bold, much too daring. For others, it’s a case of a contented sigh as Ink’s sense of calm, steady grounding and surprising softness and security washes over them. It was the latter for Neptune’s Sarah Green, who, when first catching a glimpse of Ink, announced how she would be ‘taking it to town’ in her home come autumn time.

You might find yourself believing that Ink would have to be applied sparingly. Any more than a one-room-only approach would be overwhelming; Ink is far too powerful to spread across two rooms, three rooms, four. Right? Not so. The most soothing of colour palettes is one that weaves its way around your whole home, making its presence felt strongly and subtly in equal measure, and Ink is no exception.

This was very much Sarah’s mindset as she plucked off the paint tin lid and dipped in her paint brush.

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“I wanted Ink to make a serious splash in at least one part of the house. I know that some designers are a little ‘done’ with feature walls, but for me they really work.

I thought, let’s give one long and clear wall in my sitting room all that Ink’s got,” Sarah explained. “What’s especially interesting is that I did this in August, just before Ink’s launch, and despite its warm undertone, it had this wonderfully cooling effect at the height of the heat wave.

I wasn’t expecting it and just loved it. But now that we have autumn on the horizon, I can feel its cocooning nature coming through. I suspect it will be like having a huge blanket wrapped around my sitting room walls and anyone who’s inside it, namely me and my dog, Angus!” To help blend Ink into its surroundings, Sarah added an accent armchair in Ink-toned upholstery as well as the odd Ink scatter cushion. It has a similar effect to smudging the lines in a sketch, removing any harshness so that the colours melt into one another.

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Next, to one of Sarah’s passing places where she decided to try putting Ink on Ink. “I did toy with doing this in the sitting room, but I have to hold my hands up and admit I was nervous about whether it would be a tad heavy. Now though, part of me wishes I had because it isn’t at all – quite the opposite. My skinny corridor appears, quite incredibly, roomier than before, because the wall and bench merge into one. Colour really is the most clever tool.” You can see just what Sarah means by comparing the final scheme with the image on the left, which shows the original Salt-painted wall (a colour that complements Ink and produces an easygoing, elegant alternative to monochrome) with the velvet-covered footstool in front.

And finally, to the bedroom – a bit of a surprise scheme.

Sarah was redecorating the whole room and knew she

wanted to bring in more colour, but took a while deciding her palette. Certain that she wanted Ink to be included in the mix, she considered tones like Mustard (our seasonal shade from autumn 2016) and Sage (from spring 2017) before settling on Cactus (from the Plant palette). Play to Ink’s dual warm-cool character as Sarah did by teaming it with antique brass, wrought iron, green-tinted glass accessories and the occasional piece of brown furniture. “My home is mainly coloured with earthy neutrals but I’m no stranger to bursts of colour either. I ended up being rather spoilt for choice with how well Ink pairs with different shades, particularly those that share its blue-grey base note. Ink takes on rather more of a secondary role in my bedroom. It’s an accent but one that feels familiar and perfectly at ease in its surroundings.

I love how it connects to the rest of my home.”

Previous Sketch Seated prints £170 each Eva medium sofa in Hugo Pale Oat £2,625 Amelia armchair in Isla Swallow £730 Brompton reading light £340 Above Rupert footstool in Isla Swallow £395 Grace Natural Geometric cushion £82 Grace Natural Twill cushion £90 Hadleigh Ink throw £235 Right Chawton 3ft six-drawer sideboard £1,497 Brompton desk lamp £140 Tussock sheepskin rug £125 Albertine Grey Oak bed linen from £46

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exploring autumn To get deeper still into Ink, to root around Chawton some more (turn to page 4 to get started), to see all of our new fabrics up close be they covering sofas and footstools or embracing cushions, know that the entirety of our autumn collection awaits online and at your nearest Neptune store… neptune.com/stores

Eva medium sofa in Hugo Pale Oat £2,625 Grace Isla Swallow cushion £74 Grace

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Marmalade cushion £92 Carter set of two nesting tables £700

Milling around

Our autumn collection marks the beginning of a relationship with a traditional British mill – Mallalieus of Delph. In this story, our photographer Tab and digital communications manager, Kat, travelled to Lancashire to learn how our new throws are woven and to watch the careful balance between hand and machine.

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Founded in 1863, the mill gets its name from the Mallalieus family who ran it for five generations. Today, they remain family-run, set at the foot of the grass-covered, sheep-grazing heart of the Pennines. Specialising in woollen cloth, sheared fleece arrives in bales as raw fibre.

For soft furnishings like throws, British wool is a bit too coarse. Instead, they favour breeds like Australian merino lambswool which is far finer.

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Mallalieus of Delph is one of the last remaining vertical mills in Britain, which means they look after the whole making cycle, from spinning, warping and weaving to mending and fabric finishing. Making our throws is a six to eight-week process. It’s now very rare for one mill to house that span of skills under one roof, and Mallalieus is particularly proud of how this significantly reduces its carbon footprint.

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Our two colourways – Ink and Natural – are produced specifically for Neptune.

They’re made using a mixture of tones known as a ‘melange’. From dyeing to finishing, there’s also a mixture of hand and machine processes. Here, you can see Claire (top right) purling the tassels on our Sudbury throw, coaxing the Lafer machine to twist the threads and create the soft fringe that tops and tails all of our throws.

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Fresh off the loom, the throws are peppered with mends-needed and have lost some of their softness.

Woollen fabrics are loosely woven to allow them to ‘mill’ when they’re washed, meaning the fibres relax and spread, blending into one another and becoming softer. Post-washing, the fabric goes through a mangle and is then brushed with natural teasels (top left) to make the surface softer still. The final stage involves steam-blowing to give the wool back its natural drape, before each label is sewn on by well-practiced hands…

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You can see (and feel) each of the throws created for us by Mallalieus – Sudbury, Hadleigh and Thurston – in any of our stores, as well as online. neptune.com/throws

Throws, from top Hadleigh Ink £235 Sudbury Natural £210 Thurston Natural, large £270 Thurston Ink £210 Milo large footstool in

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Marmalade £565

The chair through time Contributing editor of Elle Decoration Amy Bradford explores the history of one of the home’s most used pieces of furniture – the dining chair.

“The good chair is a task that one is never completely done with,” Hans J Wegner once said. The Danish designer created hundreds of chairs in his lifetime – including several 20th-century icons such as the Wishbone. What kept him coming back to them was an intuition that many of us share: the notion that chairs are somehow different from other furniture. Unlike beds or sofas, they’re portable and adaptable; they can play all kinds of roles around your home: there’s a place for them in every single space. More important still is their intimate connection to the human body.

The act of sitting makes you realise that every chair has its own special qualities, not just relating to looks or function, but also in terms of basic physical comfort.

At this time of year, as the nights begin to draw in, one type of chair really comes into its own. We retreat indoors and start to think once more about sociable meals enjoyed in warm surroundings. Such experiences are nothing without the right dining chair. Most of us choose ours for a mixture of style, comfort and practicality, but apart from that, we take them for granted. Perhaps we shouldn’t though, for a quick look back through history reveals that they’re a relatively recent luxury.

The story of how the dining chair evolved into the object we know today is more about cultural and economic change than functionality. Structurally, the chair’s altered remarkably little since its earliest beginnings: four legs, a seat and a backrest are as familiar now as they were then.

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Greek klismos chair 5th century BC

Wainscot chair 1680

Louis XV chair 1715

Windsor chair 1710

Chippendale chair 1750

Shaker ladder-back chair 1820

Thonet No.14 chair 1859

Wegner Wishbone chair 1949

Eames DSW chair 1950

Nobody really knows where it originated as a form, but what’s certain is that in ancient times, it was a status symbol, almost exclusively reserved for the wealthy and ceremonial use. The word ‘chair’ itself derives from the Latin word cathedra, or seat (thus, a cathedral is the ‘seat’ of a bishop). Dedicated rooms for dining didn’t become common before Tudor times, and even then, ordinary people didn’t own much furniture; instead, most would eat either on crude benches and stools or sitting on the floor.

Gradually, as a result of social progress, this changed. In 17th-century Britain, an emerging democracy, thriving trade and a prospering middle class chipped away at the link between chairs and privilege, so that anyone who could afford chairs could have them. Certain primitive points lingered: they were still reserved for the man of the house at the head of the table, and they were still made by hand almost exclusively from wood. They would have been much heavier, too; if you owned one, you were likely to have servants who could manoeuvre it into the right position at table. But in terms of look and function, they already had much in common with today’s modern chairs.

If the chair’s basic shape remained the same, there were plenty of changes when it came to fashion. One of the earliest examples, the Greek klismos chair, seems to have been designed as much for elegance as usefulness. Dating back to around the 5th century BC, it survives only in artworks that show its graceful curved legs and back. There seems to have been a certain snobbery attached to chairs in Greek culture – their long-time enemies, the Persians, were looked down on for sitting on floor cushions, amongst other things – but when it came to dining, they favoured reclining on couches. This habit was copied, like many an Ancient Greek custom, by the Romans.

The klismos chair was revived in the 18th century, when neoclassical style became wildly popular after the discovery, in 1748, of Greek and Roman ruins at Herculaneum and Pompeii. This was the era that gave us the endlessly copied French Louis XV chair. Its gilt finish, Greek-inspired decoration and plump upholstery were in stark contrast to earlier, hard wooden chairs, although in America and Britain, the chair was also developing in a more modest direction. In New England, Shaker communities made austere, simple wooden chairs which reflected their belief that form should follow function. And back in the old country, there was the classic Windsor chair. Possibly starting out as a spin-off from wooden wheel spokes, this stickback chair took advantage of plentiful supplies of beech in the forests of Buckinghamshire, where it was traditionally made. For its wealthier fans, it was used as garden furniture, but in humbler homes it found a place at the dining table.

Today, it’s in that rustic spirit that we still celebrate it.

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As chairs became more common in ordinary households, other fashions evolved to communicate a sense of luxury. One of these was upholstery. 18th-century London cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale’s chairs often had padded seats, but it wasn’t until after the Industrial Revolution that these reached modern standards of comfort. At this time, new types of steel coil springs were being developed for carriages, clocks and railway trains; in 1857, they were used for the first time in chair seats.

Thanks to technology and a thriving economy, the 19th century was a boom time for the dining chair. For the Victorians, the home was a potent symbol of their pride in nation, Empire and family. Dining well was a sign of civilisation, and the dining room was the centre of the house; great attention was paid to its furniture, and to accessories like crockery, candles, linen and sparkling cutlery. Just think of all the feasting that happens in Charles Dickens’ stories – A Christmas Carol, for example – and reflect that the novelist himself was an obsessive dinner host.

There was still one transition that needed to happen to bring the dining chair into the modern age. People weren’t yet thinking of them in terms of designers, brands, or factory mass production. The man who changed that – and turned the chair into an object of popular desire – was a German-Austrian entrepreneur named Michael Thonet. In the 1850s, he patented a steam-bending technique that allowed him to create strong, lightweight wooden chairs on a vast scale. His simple yet elegant No. 14 chair was used in cafés all over Europe, and could be distributed flat-packed for ease and speed. By the 1930s, over 50 million had been sold; it’s still one of the most successful designs of all time.

Thonet blazed a trail for the designer-focused, factory-made dining chairs of the 20th century, including those by Charles and Ray Eames and Arne Jacobsen.

Modernists like these – many of whom were also architects – were keen to explore the relationship between chairs and their surroundings, imagining them as objects that could be admired from all angles within a space. In so doing, they would surely have understood the surprising impact that seating habits have on the buildings we live in. In oriental countries like Japan, for instance, where sitting on the floor is common, furniture tends to be low level. There’s generally less of it, so you don’t trip over things, and rooms are less cluttered. Ceilings are usually lower, too.

Taller furniture – like dining chairs – makes our rooms bigger, grander, and more geared towards creating an impression. Choosing to sit up high, rather than on the ground, says much about our sense of self. In this small but important sense, we have more in common with our ancestors than we realise.

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Decorating myths put to bed and a handful of home truths confirmed, here interiors expert Suzanne Imre reveals what to believe when it comes to interior design.

Talking about...

R E N O VAT I O N RUMOURS

Myth: Ceilings must be white

Truth: Paint your radiators to hide them

Most of us grew up with white ceilings as the norm but they don’t have to be. Carrying colour from the walls up onto the ceiling, especially when using dark colours, can actually make a room feel bigger because the edges are lost, creating a sense of limitless space rather like the night sky.

Of course, white ceilings will make a room feel brighter and can open up the space but try reversing the balance with colour on the ceiling and white walls, or using a complimentary colour on the ceiling to that on the walls or a softer scheme.

Rarely do we wish that our radiators were more conspicuous (unless you’re lucky enough to have decorative, cast iron beauties) so the best solution is to let them fade into the background by painting them the same colour as your walls.

That said, for a polished look on a wallpapered wall, pick out one colour within the paper design and paint the radiator in front in that shade.

Truth: The 60:30:10 colour ratio works

Never discount the indulgence of toe-warming underfloor heating just because you’ve got wooden floors. It’s perfectly do-able but some options are better than others. Engineered wooden floors are generally best as they’re designed to expand and contract with heat and still stay strong, but you can also use solid wood, it just might not be quite as toasty underfoot and can cause a little board movement. The only flooring to really avoid is laminate planks. The good news is that, because underfloor heating keeps the whole floor at a uniform temperature, it can actually benefit floorboards which might warp if exposed to rapid temperature variations or hotspots.

So much of interior design is about proportions, and colour balance in a room is no exception. To achieve a harmonious scheme, stick to the 60:30:10 rule where you have a dominant shade, a secondary shade and an accent colour. The 60% shade will cover the largest expanse of the room including walls, ceilings and floors and is usually a neutral, including a dark neutrals such as navy or grey. The secondary colour can be stronger and used for furniture (think mid-tones), while the boldest 10% is great for strong-coloured accessories or, if the dominant shade is dark, introducing pale hues to balance the scheme.

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Myth: Underfloor heating can’t be used with wooden floors

Truth: Small bathrooms need big tiles

Myth: Dining room tables and chairs must match

It might feel counter-intuitive, but it’s a good idea to use large tiles in small bathrooms and keep small tiles (like mosaics) for compact areas such as basin splash backs.

That’s because smaller tiles (and all that necessary grouting) can look very busy in a small bathroom, while bigger tiles need less grouting therefore creating fewer fussy lines on an expanse of wall.

Dining areas are often informal these days so it’s almost de rigueur to avoid the matchy-matchy look of a dining set, unless of course, you’re planning a formal dining room where uniformity is king. Instead, try mixing up chair styles: two grand carver chairs at either end of a table; a couple of tall dining chairs topping-and-tailing two trestle benches, or a mish-mash of wooden chairs. The trick is to stick to a common colour or finish – keep wood stains light or dark, paint mis-matched chairs in the same shade or select upholstery or seat cushions in a unifying fabric.

Myth: Never mix old and new Some of the most successful interiors are a careful edit of old and new. It’s just a matter of ensuring the proportions, shapes, and finishes hang together comfortably, so try juxtaposing modern quartz worktops with crackle-glazed pottery, or crisp cotton bedlinen with ornate gilded mirrors, and pair an antique side table with a modern lamp or a low-slung modular sofa with a vintage tapestry throw – opposites do attract.

And while it might feel easier to slip contemporary pieces into a classic room, don’t be afraid to throw vintage pieces into an ultra-modern space – they will soften the scheme and add depth, personality and history.

Truth: Mixing pattern and print works It’s easy to mix patterns in a scheme as long as you stick to a few basics. The key is to only mix large scale pattern with medium scale prints, or medium scale pattern with small prints. The balance looks off when you try to mix large scale pattern with small prints. Add one common colour running through the scheme to ensure the patterns hang together harmoniously.

Above Arundel Darkened Oak eight-seater table £2,250 and four-seater benches £715 each Chawton double sideboard in Ink £2,484

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Where do I begin with an extension?

Whether it’s a glass box extension at the back of a London townhouse or connecting an outbuilding to the rest of a country barn conversion, it can be a bit overwhelming to get an extension project going. So, we caught up with Richard from world-leading architecture practice, Richard Parr + Associates to advise on the earliest steps and how best to get the extension ball rolling.

Do you always need planning permission for an extension?

And if so, where should I begin? RP: “No, you don’t always need it, but there are many different cases. For example, you can’t put a small extension on a listed building without permission. Conservation areas are another area to be mindful of. A good place to start is by looking at local authority websites and calling your local council for advice. But really, this is where an architect can help you. They’re there to advise you and ensure all those permissions are abided by and applied for correctly.”

If I sorted the planning restrictions myself, do I still need an architect for an extension? And if so, how do I find one?

RP: “Again, you don’t always need an architect either. What I would say though is that, when one undertakes an extension, it’s a real financial investment from which you should hope to see a return. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to get things right.

An architect will be there to make certain that the building work is thought-through and beautifully designed so that you’re maximising and exploiting that opportunity to its fullest.

“In terms of how to find an architect, there are many different avenues. The internet is, of course, a tool at your disposal, but I always recommend the RIBA (the Royal Institute of British Architects). They’re a great port of call because you know they’re validated. Magazines and blogs are also a good way to explore; in fact, only recently we were instructed following one of our staircases being featured in Homes & Gardens magazine. Trawl around, do your research and when you’ve found someone whose work you like, speak to them and get to know them before you commit.”

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When finding an architect, what should I be looking out for?

RP: “Their portfolio is there for you to familiarise yourself with their work and their approach. Look through and see if they’re aligned with your thinking. Also, logically you should be looking for accreditation too, which is where the RIBA mark of approval comes in. Essentially, you want to marry the skills and capacity of an architectural studio with your own. For example, you wouldn’t choose somebody like Foster & Partners for a one-room kitchen extension, because they’re much too vast for that. Similarly, it wouldn’t make sense to invite a commercial studio to work on a domestic project. Additionally, consider location as it’s not ideal to have your architect located far away – though it’s not an impossible scenario. You’re also seeking a natural synergy.

Remember, this is a personal project so it’s never wise to appoint an architect without meeting them first. They’re going to be your advisor and your sounding board so there should be a mutual connection. Finally, I would say to be wary of large practices for small projects as it’s likely your work will be passed down to a junior rather than you benefitting from the shared force of the whole practice.”

When starting a room from scratch, what would the top three pieces of advice be that you’d give a client? RP: “To be deeply mindful of the way you live your life and what drives you outside of the home; to dream big but then be ready to step back and be open to guidance; and to start small and build on ideas gradually as a project needs to grow and have room to move.

“My understanding of a client is fundamental. I like to ask about where people stay on holiday, understand their aspirations and dreams, what are their favourite restaurants, and so forth. These are very telling. It’s important to dream and talk, and then step back to let yourself be taken on a journey.

If it’s a single space then declutter it, strip it back to a blank canvas and ask what you like about it and what you don’t.

Then define exactly what you want to achieve. The rest is like cooking: you add ingredients to create a balance and harmony as you create the space together.”

In your opinion, what’s the most important layer in a room – light, texture or colour? RP: “That’s too hard to answer – all three are everything, and yet there’s more. Architecture is a three-dimensional experience. It’s about materials, light, feeling, colour and circulation. A room has countless layers, and as an architect, you’re concerned with the invisible layers too. Those that you don’t really notice but you feel their presence, like the layer that provides solidity and security, and the one that achieves silence. Interior design brings you to the surface layers.”

What advice can you give a client to help the process to go smoothly? RP: “Trust and openness. It’s pivotal to find the right partner and to trust one another. Establish clear lines of communication and remember that if an architect is going to commit time, energy and resources, then they’re invested in you and your home. Be honest about budget too from the beginning.”

Do most architects suggest tradespeople to work with or is that on the client to build their team? RP: “Most architects won’t liaise directly with individual tradespeople. Typically, we’ll go to a contractor or put forward one to you and they come with their own army. The role of the architect is far wider than recommending a joiner or carpet fitter. We’re here to create a web of specialists, bringing them altogether to work as one well-oiled machine.”

Should I expect to pay for an initial consultation? And what other fees should I expect? RP: “I can only really speak for myself and my practice. We never charge for an initial meeting. There should be an understanding that a client is going to want to try you on for size first and I believe in that approachability. Once one is asked to do work though and to dig deeper, then the ideas begin to have real value and this is when a client should expect to start paying. If you try to extend the consultation period or to hurry the process along, you only lose out in the end. Consideration costs, and ideas will only ever be as good as the time spent.”

Will most architects only offer one proposed plan or is it common practice to suggest a few for the client to choose from? RP: “I think there are different scenarios here. I’ll start from quite a conceptual mindset with sketch-like drawings that draw the client in slowly, because I need to be watching their reaction and making amends as the process unfolds.

I don’t land on day one with an immediate proposal because it should be a gradual development. You watch, and you amend. You listen, and you tweak. Inevitably, this means a client sees multiple plans, but it’s not a choose option A or B approach; it’s a progressive exercise. There are some examples however, where I think you should ask for more than one firm proposal as there are times when there’s more than one very valid option. For example, you may ask for an all-singing and all-dancing solution and one that’s more cost-effective. Here, it’s worth looking at two proposals if the blow-the-budget option truly is an option, otherwise it’s a wasted exercise for all parties.”

How does the briefing process typically work? What information do most architects need from a client to achieve lift-off? RP: “You need the client to have reflected and then to talk. Listening is a crucial element to our briefing process.

People will talk about their houses, what they do and don't like. It’s important for the full household to get involved because everyone should have their say. We then open a private Pinterest account straight away and encourage our clients to pour their likes and dislikes into that, as well as noting the why. That is very important. You’re seeking to establish an emotional and a physical brief. The emotional one is everything the client can’t put their finger on, such as pinning lots of timber floors but being unable to articulate what draws them to that. As an architect, you then need to draw that out so you can understand and make that emotional motivation present throughout the extension. The physical brief is easier as this is about what services you need, like underfloor heating. And finally, the brief has to involve the budget.

There’s a misconception that you shouldn’t tell an architect the budget or they’ll simply spend the maximum, so if this is a concern, then give a range. Without a budget, it can lead to unrealistic expectations and they’re important to manage from the very beginning.”

See some of Richard Parr + Associates work from city to countryside at richardparr.com

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Stepping through tucked-away doors and peering into rarely-opened drawers, our marketing director, Fiona, takes us into RIBA’s drawings and archives at the Victoria & Albert museum.

Behind the scenes at the museum

I

love museums. Given my time again, I’d study history and spend my days curating extraordinary exhibits in age-old buildings; honestly, though, I’d be happy anywhere involving brown labels, bell jars and plan chests.

My go-to place in London is the V&A. I get lost in its galleries, I linger in its exhibitions (I thought the McQueen was unsurpassable, but the Dior is getting close), I meet friends for tea and cake in the members’ café, I go to talks by curators and creators, and I’m addicted to buying postcards and fridge magnets from the gift shop.

And ever since we started writing Stories three years ago, I’ve wanted to find a way of including this magnificent museum in our chapters.

The relevance of the V&A to Neptune is manifold.

As the world’s leading museum of art and design, it’s the ultimate showcase of all things creative. It houses some of the greatest resources and inspiration for the study of architecture, furniture, textiles, painting, ceramics and design. For anyone fascinated by the history of homes, the furniture galleries are like a rock’n’roll hall of fame; telling the story of domestic furniture over the last 600 years, they feature iconic pieces by Chippendale, Lloyd

Wright, Eames and Dixon. Any and all of these enthralling exhibits would look just as much at home today as when they were first imagined.

Perhaps less well known, but just as captivating, are the RIBA Collections, owned by The Royal Institute of British Architects. Since 2004, through the V&A and RIBA partnership, RIBA’s architectural drawings, archives, models and artefacts have been housed at the V&A. Here, the RIBA Collections are made available to researchers in the study rooms and are exhibited in the museum’s architecture galleries, curated by RIBA and V&A staff. At the moment, for instance, there’s a brilliant exhibition, ‘Into the Blue’, about Britain’s love affair with swimming baths (as a swimmer in my local lido, lovingly restored from its 1902 origins as a ladies’ swimming bath, I was hooked).

In order to investigate further, we were invited to go and meet the Assistant Curator and the Project Officer of the RIBA Collection. Rarely has an invitation for Neptune been so coveted. With the excitement and anticipation of a much-planned school trip, Oliver, who designs Stories, and I packed our notebooks (we felt that pen and paper was somehow the only thing to take) and went along to meet Lauren and India.

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It turns out that behind the scenes at a museum is every bit as spellbinding as we had imagined. Journeying through secret doors and dimly-lit corridors, we arrived at the RIBA offices, formerly museum galleries. Neptune HQ is impressive, but what I would give to spend my days surrounded by marble busts and benevolent portraits, by bookshelves laden with leather, by portfolios piled onto every surface and by the reassuring smell of parchment.

Absolute heaven.

The RIBA Collections themselves are open to the public; their study room at the V&A offers access to millions of items, including drawings, archives and models, as well as the photographs, books and periodicals available at RIBA’s Portland Place HQ. Established as a tool for ‘education and inspiration’, the curators at RIBA have been collecting anything related to architecture since it was founded in 1834. “But it’s not just about collecting the best of the best,” explains Lauren, “it’s about representing a movement, and architecture as a whole.” The oldest pieces date from the late 15th century, and include an early edition of Andrea Palladio’s I quattro libri dell’architettura from 1570 and John Tallis’s London street views from 1838 to 1840. Palladio, widely considered to be one of the most influential individuals in the history of architecture, is of obvious importance to RIBA; around 350 of Palladio’s original drawings and sketches are coveted in its collections, most of which were originally owned by Inigo Jones, considered the first significant English architect in the early modern period.

But the RIBA collections aren’t all priceless documents.

“We have Architect Barbie,” says India. “She’s carrying a pink tube, wearing a pink hard hat and six-inch stilettos.

She was part of a campaign to encourage more girls to consider traditionally male-dominated careers – but it’s fair to say it was received with mixed reviews...” Neither

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is it all about grand palaces and national monuments.

There are significant records of domestic buildings, social housing and workers’ cottages. Last year, the V&A and RIBA exhibition was ‘A home for all’, making sure that 20th-century examples of mass housing are given the historical significance they deserve.

The houses that we actually live in and the local buildings that we admire are intrinsic to RIBA’s reason for being – the ones not designed by famous architects or significant to design movements. RIBA get enquiries from all sorts of people, not just architects and researchers.

If there’s a record of a building’s history, their curators will probably know about it. Over 100,000 objects are available to explore on the online image resource, RIBApix, with a separate online library catalogue detailing the fuller extent of the collections. Some of the most frequently requested artefacts are those of Erno Goldfinger, the Hungarian-born architect, key member of the modernist movement, and most prominently remembered for his residential tower blocks. Living in Hampstead near to Ian Fleming, Goldfinger had demolished some of Fleming’s favourite cottages to make way for his brutalist-designed new home. When the next James Bond story featured his namesake as the baddie, Goldfinger considered suing. Fleming sent him six copies of the book as an apology. His house in Willow Road is well worth a visit.

Lauren and India unlocked unmarked doors and led us into temperature-controlled storage rooms, pulling out box after box of meticulously-wrapped portfolios and notebooks. It was hard, but nevertheless amazing, to believe that these tiny, intricate, age-old sketches were the beginnings of buildings that have, in many cases, literally changed the way we live. Without computers, CAD drawings, 3D printers. Just brilliant imaginations.

The RIBA Collections are free to access and open to all. Visit architecture.com/collections to begin your own architectural journey.

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“Among the indescribable sounds of paper, moving”

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Back to Stories. What the RIBA Collections do brilliantly is tell stories of how architects have, over hundreds of years, solved problems and risen to new challenges. Conversations around affordable housing, sustainability and space standards have been ever thus.

When you look into the archives, it’s clear that architects have been struggling with these issues for quite some time and we can still learn from their solutions, even in the most modern of contexts.

When you spend your days looking at designs for the most beautiful and significant buildings in the country, how do you choose a favourite? Lauren’s list includes The Red House in Bexleyheath, co-designed by architect Philip Webb and artist William Morris, with the latter using it as his family home, and Leighton House in Holland Park, the former home of the Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton. The only purpose-built studio-house open to the public in London, it’s considered one of the most

remarkable buildings of the nineteenth century. “That’s impossible!” exclaims India. Pushed for a shortlist, she cites the Natural History Museum next door, “because I love the idea that it plays on the style of a gothic cathedral, but instead of the traditional gargoyles, it has carvings of living and extinct flora and fauna. It’s a restrained, rational building, without the whimsy of some gothic revivalism, but with real moments of fun.” Perfectly put.

So what did we love the most? The Eduardo Paolozzi designs for the doors of the British Library, the Corbusier lecture drawing, the Edwardian toy building sets, the boxes (officially) called Odds and Sods or Louis Hellman’s caricature of Charles and Ray Eames? All of them were absolutely glorious. But the thing that summed it all up was a print, hanging casually on the wall, saying simply that we were ‘among the indescribable sounds of paper, moving’.

That’s it. That’s what the magic was.

Design for Christian Dior fashion boutique at 9 Conduit Street. RIBA Collections This lyrical 1972 drawing by Max Clendinning is currently on display in the V&A’s major Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition. Funnily enough the building it shows was also, until the mid-1930s, home to RIBA’s headquarters. Sketch bar now occupies 9 Conduit Street, the latest in a long line of prestigious occupants.

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In the kitchen The seasons are in flux with summer waning and autumn rubbing its sleepy eyes. But summer is no stranger to clinging on through September and beyond, even though our minds are conditioned to thinking warming bowls and woolly hats with October’s arrival. For this volume’s recipe section, the lead provenist and nutritional therapist behind the menu of our café, The Provenist (read all about it on page 50), Georgie Prowse, serves up three dishes to gradually bring you out of summer and into autumn.

Using ingredients naturally in season, there’s a hedgerow harvest cheesecake for September, a wholesome chicken soup for October’s first cold snap, and a root vegetable take on the sausage roll for cutting up, wrapping up and taking with you to enjoy around the bonfire in November. So step into the kitchen, roll up your sleeves, get stuck in (and then tuck in).

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S E P T E M B E R’ S B L A C K B E R R Y, C A S H E W & DAT E C H E E S E C A K E Makes: 8–10 slices | Put aside: 50 minutes for prep and two hours for chilling | Suitable for vegans

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

W H AT TO D O

For the base 200g dates pitted 150g almonds 1 tsp coconut oil A pinch of salt

1 Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or gas mark six, and then line the base of a 20cm springform tin with baking parchment.

For the filling 250g cashews raw – not roasted or salted 200g blackberries 40ml pure cane or maple syrup organic 60ml coconut oil 50ml oat milk or any plant-based milk Half a lemon juiced For the topping 150g blackberries 20ml pure cane or maple syrup organic One lemon zested

2 While the oven is coming to temperature, use boiling water to soak the cashews and dates in separate bowls – this should take about 20 minutes.

3 As soon as the oven’s warm enough, scatter the almonds onto a baking tray and roast them for ten minutes before setting them to one side to cool.

4 Drain the dates and blitz them in a food processor with the almonds, salt and coconut oil until they form a dough-like consistency. Scoop it out and press the mixture firmly into the lined tin as your cheesecake base and then pop it into the fridge to firm up while you make a start on the filling.

5 Next, drain the cashews and use a blender to mix them together with the rest of the filling ingredients – use the highest speed because you’re looking for a smooth, spreadable consistency. Dollop the blackberry mixture onto the chilled base, spreading it evenly, and then take it back to the fridge to set for at least two hours.

6 Now to make the topping. Using your blender once more, let it crush the blackberries and whip up the maple or pure cane syrup for you in one go, before carefully drizzling it over the chilled cheesecake and leaving that to set too. If you’re in a hurry, place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, only releasing it from the tin when it feels firm.

7 Top with the lemon zest and an extra drizzle of syrup then you’re ready to slice and serve.

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OCTOBER’S ROA ST CHICKEN, P E A R L B A R L E Y & C AV O L O N E R O S O U P Serves: six (with enough for leftovers) | Put aside: 20 minutes for prep and two hours for cooking

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

W H AT TO D O

1 free-range chicken organic too if you can 150g pearl barley rinsed and soaked in cold water for an hour 3 large red onions 1 bulb of garlic cut in half lengthways 2 sticks of celery 20g chives fresh 50ml extra virgin olive oil 1 unwaxed lemon 100g cavolo nero fresh 100g peas frozen 3 bay leaves

1 Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or gas mark six.

2 Slice the onion into rounds and scatter them around the base of a large roasting tin along with the garlic halves, bay leaves and roughly chopped celery. Rest the chicken on the top, breast side down, and then fill the tray with a litre of cold water before putting it in to roast for 90 minutes while you put your feet up.

3 About ten minutes before the chicken is due to come out, you can prepare the cavalo nero by slicing it finely into long strips, and then setting it to one side. Now turn your attention to the chive oil by simply chopping the chives as finely as possible and tipping them into a serving jug filled with 50ml of olive oil.

4 Once the oven timer has pinged, take a large saucepan and rest a sieve over the top. Get the chicken out of the oven and put it to one side, then pour all of the fresh chicken stock from the roasting tin through the sieve and into the saucepan. Compost your vegetables, remove the sieve and add another 750ml of boiling water to the pan.

5 Rinse the sieve and then use it to swill the pearl barley in cold water before adding it to the stock pan. Let it bubble on a medium-high heat for 20 minutes.

6 As the barley bubbles, shred the chicken off the bone, ready to go into the soup shortly. Have a taste of the barley, and if it’s tender, then it’s ready. Add the cavalo nero, peas and all of the chicken to the pan and let them cook through until the greens have wilted – it should take no more than three minutes.

7 Finally, add the lemon zest and seasoning, ladle into soup bowls and drizzle with a good dose of chive oil.

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NOVEMBER’S BEETROOT & GRU Y È R E ‘S AU S AGE’ R OL L Makes enough for: six slices | Put aside: 30 minutes for prep and 90 minutes for cooking

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

W H AT TO D O

1 large red onion 3 cloves of garlic 550g red beetroot 30g basil fresh 25g flat-leaf parsley fresh 120g gruyère grated 50g breadcrumbs 1 free-range egg organic too if you can Pre-rolled puff pastry enough for a 21x40cm rectangle

1 Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or gas mark six.

2 Place the beetroot in a roasting tin with a light drizzle of oil (anything from olive to rapeseed is fine). Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes until they’re nice and tender. Once cooled, peel off the hardy skins and root-y ends.

3 Next, chop the red onion into small(ish) chunks and mince the garlic, then sauté them in a saucepan or shallow frying pan in olive oil and salt. Once they’ve browned slightly, add them to a food processor with all of the other ingredients – save for the cheese. Pulse the mixture until it breaks down but still has a bit of texture to it.

4 Transfer to a bowl and add the cheese (keep about 20g aside for later) and a good pinch of salt and pepper, stirring them through gently.

5 Lay the ready-rolled puff pastry onto a chopping board.

Spread the mixture down the longest side of the pastry, leaving about two inches from the bottom edge, shaping it so that it’s roughly 2 ½ inches wide x 2 inches high.

Use your hands to make sure it’s tightly packed together.

6 In a little bowl, whisk the egg and use a pastry brush to lightly brush the egg wash onto the two-inch pastry gap, which will allow the pastry to stick at the other end.

Y O U C O U L D A LWAY S …

To make a vegan version, just remove the cheese and add 50g more beetroot – or use a plant-based cheese.

And instead of egg wash, a non-dairy milk works well too.

You can try this in The Provenist, Bath this autumn.

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7 Now comes the rolling. Take hold of the two-inch piece of pastry along the long edge and drape it over the beetroot mix, then carefully roll the whole thing over, supporting the length and keeping the pastry firmly hugging the contents.

As you get close to the other end, do another two-inch strip of egg wash to help the final bit of pastry stick together.

Once rolled, make sure the seam is touching your board, rather than facing up at you, and cut into six even slices.

8 Place each slice onto a lined baking tray and add a bit more egg wash to the top of each piece. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and cook for 40 minutes until golden brown.

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BOOK CLUB

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But the truth is, cover design can make or break a book, or at least be the very reason that it caught your eye in the first place. For this volume, we asked Louise Gorrod – regular Stories contributor and writer for slow-living magazine The Simple Things – to share some of her favourite spines. Read on to find out which made the cut and to discover why, when it comes to choosing reading material, love at first sight can be a good thing.

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SMALL PLEASURES

by The School of Life There are indeed many small pleasures to stop and notice in everyday life, and this book looks at fifty-two of them in detail, within its hardback green cloth cover. Each chapter puts one such moment under a kind of magnifying glass to find out what’s really going on in it and why it touches and moves us and makes us smile. Quick-read chapters include up at dawn, a hot bath, a favourite old jumper, holding hands with a small child and figs.

I like to leave my copy on the bedside table when guests stay over, as it’s the perfect short read before nodding off or upon waking.

STRUDEL, NOODLES & DUMPLINGS

by Anja Dunk Being a food stylist and photographer alongside my written work means I have a bit of an addiction to recipe books.

My ever-growing collection of cookbooks allows me to travel the world, in a culinary sense, without leaving my kitchen. This book, with its striking terracotta cover by graphic designer Sonya Dyakova, has not only transported me to Germany but provided a welcome, long-awaited revival of this underserved national cuisine.

It’s a celebration of modern German home cooking as told from Anja Dunk’s young family kitchen in Wales.

Recipes such as whole-wheat buttermilk waffles, caraway dumplings with spiced carrots and pickled blackberries with bay fill the pages. Anja’s way of cooking is deeply intertwined with all the seasons, but with the gently spiced, deeply savoury notes that fill the pages, autumn seems the most fitting season to indulge in this book.

CROSSING TO SAFETY

by Wallace Stegner (Penguin Modern Classics) There’s something rather nostalgic about this cover. It’s a photograph by Joel Meyerowitz, the renowned American street, portrait and landscape photographer. It sets the scene to the story – the friendships and woes of two couples and their lives told in a lyrical, evocative prose by one of the finest American writers of the late 20th century, Wallace Stegner. It’s a book for curling up on the sofa with, though with its traditional compact size and paperback form, it’s the perfect travel companion too.

THE FIR TREE

by Hans Christian Andersen, Illustrated by Sanna Annukka Hans Christian Andersen̓s tragic tale of naive greed and dissatisfaction is retold through the beautiful and intricate illustrations of Finnish illustrator Sanna Annukka.

Cloth-bound in rich forest green, with gold foil embellishments, The Fir Tree is a unique work of art – a beautiful gift to give and receive. I’ve long been an admirer of Sanna Annukka’s work for the Finnish design brand, Marimekko. She also provided the artwork for Keane’s album, Under the Iron Sea.

SOUNDTRACK TO THE SEASON

A regular since our very-first volume, you’ll find our tenth playlist – a soulful collection to see you through autumn – on Spotify. Simply search for @Neptune_home or tap the camera icon in the search box and scan the code to the left.

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THE PROVENIST

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Eating, living and breathing a philosophy Why we decided to open a café

In May this year, the first Neptune café opened its doors in the heart of Bath’s artisan quarter. Here, our co-founder John Sims-Hilditch writes about the shared philosophy between his world of interiors and his personal passion project, The Provenist.

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F

or some, when they heard that we’d be opening a café, they straight away understood our thought process and were excited that we’d finally decided to do it. I thought, fantastic, people get it and are responding very positively about our move into food and lifestyle.

They could see they naturally go hand in hand with interiors, and that we’re invested in much more than just decorating.

The progression made sense. Yet there were equally those who questioned it and couldn’t quite understand how and why a brand associated with furniture design and making might also have a clear view on what would make a great café.

This reaction excited me too, because it was an opportunity, I hoped, to express the breadth of our thinking.

What Neptune and The Provenist have in common is a shared desire to bring a little added happiness to our communities. We care about doing the right thing, whether that’s creating pieces to stand the test of time as one part of the remedy towards our throwaway culture or creating dishes that are, of course, visually appealing and delicious, but also balanced, nutritional, seasonal; the reason being to help make it easier not only to enjoy excellent food but also to feel well, perhaps even better, as a consequence.

Having once been an asthma sufferer, I developed a very personal interest in diet some time ago. After a bit of extended research, I chose to follow the blood group diet because I’ve found it suits my mind and body very well. Having previously

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never thought about what I ate, I became very aware that food affects health and wellbeing. This personal, vested passion in food, combined with Neptune’s purpose of creating happiness through creativity, turned out to be the perfect recipe for starting our own foodie world.

Knowing where to begin was actually not quite as daunting as you might expect. a) We had our viewpoint and knew what it was we wanted to bring to the table b) Feedback over the years has told us first-hand that this is something people have wanted us to do. There was pent-up demand, an appetite so to speak. c) Our reason for opening The Provenist wasn’t about competing or finding a niche. It was about doing what felt right for us and setting sail in that specific direction. Visually appealing, delicious and nutritious food turned out to be only half of our culinary creative effort however. It started some time ago that’d to hear people, when eating out, asking, where has that bread, that fish, those salad leaves come from? We’re becoming increasingly interested in the quality and sustainability of what we’re consuming, be it clothing, cushions or a cup of coffee. We want to know the source. For these very reasons, we decided to get behind the provenance of our dishes, hence the name, The Provenist. I wanted us to scour first the locality and, if necessary, further afield to unearth those growers, farmers, fishmongers and so on who care about what they do in the same way that we care about furniture making and materials. We believe that

Find The Provenist in Bath at: One Tram Yard, Walcot Street, BA1 5BD

the passion and commitment of the farmer comes through in the taste and nutritional quality of the product. As we’ve deepened our research as The Provenist, so have we found ourselves unwilling to participate in a food supply chain that’s completely lost touch with these vital principles. We want to join the movement against unthinking food production and champion carefully sought ingredients that we can turn into something delicious.

We hope that The Provenist will grow and grow as we nurture it in the way that it deserves. We started our pilot café at Neptune HQ in Wiltshire over a year ago. Here we trial recipes and can put good food at the centre of our culture – I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to walk through and see people enjoying our incredibly satisfying ‘goodness bowl’ or a Clifton Coffee with one of our sensational beetroot brownies, all sat together as a community in vibrant conversation rather than sandwiches alone at a computer screen. More recently, we hatched our first edition at Neptune Bath – our first to enter the big wide world. And we have The Provenist at our second Neptune store under way with the third in the planning phase.

The world is our (carefully sourced) oyster.

theprovenist.com

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How to grow

BA BY L E A F SPI NACH

There’s much lore regarding spinach. The legendary pipe-smoking sailor, Popeye, got his strength from eating cans of this iron-rich green leaf, while it’s said that Catherine de Medici, the Italian wife of Henry II of France, had a love for spinach so great that, in 1533, she decreed that it be served with every meal. It seems that Catherine de Medici and Popeye may have been on to something, as Louise Gorrod goes on to divulge along with tips on how to cultivate your own little crop in our new ‘how to grow’ feature.

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Believed to be of Persian origin, spinach belongs to the goosefoot family of nutritional powerhouses which also includes beets, chard and quinoa – all favourites of ours on our seasonal menu at The Provenist. It’s perhaps because of its reputation as a superfood that spinach has been experiencing a sort of renaissance at the kitchen table, in particular the chef’s favourite – the baby leaf variety.

Baby leaf spinach is a term used to describe regular spinach that has been harvested during a fairly early stage of its growth. There are a couple of windows in the gardeners’ calendar in which you can sow baby spinach leaf; mid spring to early summer for summer leaves, and then now, in autumn, for a supply of leaves to see you through the winter months.

Spinach can be a bit of a prima donna if the conditions aren’t quite right. Seeds can struggle to germinate in hot weather, so by waiting until autumn you’ll be setting yourself up for success. Here’s our quick guide to get you on your way:

• Spinach can be grown directly in your veg plot, or interwoven between other plants in a flowerbed. Given its compact size, baby leaf spinach can also be grown in containers; try a generously-sized terracotta pot or zinc trough.

• Regardless of where you choose to grow your spinach, enriching your soil will help to nurture a plentiful crop. Spinach needs lots of moisture and nutrients, so apply a general fertiliser and some well-rotted manure or compost to the soil before sowing. Next, rake the soil surface so that it’s level and fine.

• Sow the seed directly in drills (shallow V-shaped valleys using a hoe or cane) about 1cm deep in rows 30cm apart, then cover with soil and gently press down over the seeds.

• Water the soil until it’s evenly moist. If you want a continuous supply of fresh leaves, make successive sowings of small amounts of seed every few weeks.

You can expect to start harvesting the first baby leaves in 15–35 days after sowing, just remember to keep the plants well-watered and weed free.

T H R E E S E E D VA R I E T I E S T O T RY ‘Perpetual Spinach’ – spinach beet with narrow stems and dark green leaves.

‘F1 Amazon’ – a fast-growing true-type spinach with smooth, round leaves.

‘Bordeaux’ – an attractive dark green leaf with contrasting red leaf veins and stems.

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Five British villages to visit this autumn

Lighter crowds make autumn an ideal time of year to visit some of Britain’s most appealing villages. Vogue and CondÊ Nast Traveller contributor Jo Rodgers shares the five at the top of her list.

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M O U S E H O L E , C O R N WA L L “Quite the loveliest village in England,” wrote Dylan Thomas while on his honeymoon in Mousehole, and it is. This postcard fishing town is full of granite cottages arranged around a tranquil harbour, a stone’s throw from Penzance (where you can get the train). Warm your hands around a mug of hot chocolate at the Rock Pool Cafe, while enjoying direct views over the English Channel.

MELLS, SOMERSET The opening of the superb Talbot Inn, a top-notch pub with rooms (not your standard bunks – think roll-top baths, luxurious linens, and four-posters) turned this sleepy historic town into a destination.

There are serene walks in the Mells Valley on your doorstep, full of wild mushrooms and wood smoke in the autumn, and hardy lunches at the Walled Garden at Mells, where you can sit outside with a rug over your knees.

B R O A D WAY, W O R C E S T E R S H I R E In a length of the country renowned for its chocolate-box charmers, this honey-coloured village in the north Cotswolds stands out as one of the most idyllic. There are cosy bedrooms with wooden beams at the Lygon Arms on the high street, or statelier accommodation five minutes out of town by car at Buckland Manor. Pick up sandwiches and coffee at the Broadway Deli and hike the mile and a half to Broadway Tower, which has wonderful views of the changing leaves across the countryside.

ENNISKILLEN, COUNTY FERMANAGH This island town, surrounded by the River Erne, has the feel of a coastal village in the thick of Ireland. There’s a popular castle-to-castle cycling path which begins at Enniskillen Castle, a Gaelic fortress, and goes three short miles (doable even in brisk weather) to Castle Coole, a pale Georgian mansion run by the National Trust. After you’ve pedalled back to town, stop at the Jolly Sandwich for a slice of apple pie.

APPLECROSS, WESTER ROSS Across the Inner Sound from the Isles of Raasay and Skye, and only accessible by two roads, the Applecross Peninsula feels like an untouched corner of the Highlands. There are a handful of inns in the area, but it’s more romantic to hole up in a rented cottage, burning peat in your stove as the temperatures drop.

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A NTIQUES & THE ART SCENE Hunting for antiques to proudly display in your home? Homes & Antiques writer Caroline Wheater rounds up some of the best haunts, visited by those in the know.

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hether you’re newly nesting, or are re-nesting now the children have left home, well chosen antiques and art can bring a new feeling of comfort and character to your home. “The feel is very eclectic at the moment – people want homely homes dotted with colour, pattern and wellmade brown furniture of all periods,” says antiques dealer Toby Lorford who runs Lorfords in Tetbury, which sells everything from classic French armoires to handmade Scandi rugs to Victorian silver candelabra.

To help you build that eclectic look, we’ve selected the go-to places for finding lovely things and statement pieces – magnets for creative minds and those on the art scene.

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A NTIQUE HOTSPOTS Good quality antiques are back in vogue, with even ornaments such as porcelain and glass on the creatives’ shopping lists. “It only takes a vase to make a table look more homely,” reminds Toby.

is the biggest fair in the southeast, also on six times a year, with up to 1,700 stalls to discover. Check the website of organisers, International Antiques & Collectors Fairs, for details (iacf.co.uk).

Out of town

The London scene

The Cotswolds has one of the biggest concentrations of antiques shops in the country, focusing on Burford, Stowon-the-Wold and Chipping Campden (browse cotswoldsantiques-art.com to plan a route). In Marlborough, Wiltshire, head for the Blanchard Collective, home to the likes of Marcelline Herald for standout furniture and Robert Antiques for eclectic taste (blanchardcollective.com). In Yorkshire, Harrogate’s Montpellier Quarter offers a street’s-worth of quality antiques from top dealers including Elaine Phillips.

Elsewhere, Edinburgh’s Georgian Antiques has the largest selection of antiques in Scotland (georgianantiques.net), while Snape Antiques Centre on the Suffolk coast is piled high with goodies (snapemaltings.co.uk), and inland small antiques shops in and around Sudbury, Long Melford, Clare and Halstead offer great browsing too. The big multi-day markets are also prime snaffling events, where you’ll find everything from chandeliers to fine furniture to silver teapots and decorative vesta cases. Newark in Nottinghamshire is the largest antiques event of its kind in Europe and runs six times a year, attracting up to 2,500 stands. Ardingly in West Sussex

Lillie Road in Fulham London draws buyers looking for distinctive items. A herd of shops stocks everything from French art deco furniture (Quindry) to antique mirrors (269-Antiques) and everything in between (lillieroad.co.uk).

For pure creativity, visit Pimlico Road to browse some of the most stylish antiques shops in the capital – Rose Uniacke Interiors, Jamb and Howe London (thepimlicoroad.com).

Antiques fairs Pick up special things, from Regency armchairs to Danish sideboards to Worcester porcelain, at these leading antiques and design fairs: The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair, held three times a year in Battersea Park (decorativefair.com); Lapada Art & Antiques Fair held in September at Berkeley Square (lapadalondon.com); Antiques for Everyone at the Birmingham NEC, which has over 200 exhibitors, three times a year (antiquesforeveryone.co.uk); and the Great Yorkshire Antiques Fair, with a premium antiques section, which is also held three times a year in Harrogate (continuityfairs.co.uk).

A RT T R E A SU R E T ROV E S Paintings and prints bring rooms alive and no creative in their right mind would want a bare wall these days. “A big, contemporary artwork used in a small space can make the room seem bigger,” advises Toby Lorford.

Artist’s prints The ‘Prints and Multiples’ auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams offer limited edition prints by big name artists such as David Hockney, Bridget Riley, Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein for a fraction of the price of a painting and you can bid online. Monitor the art sales of leading regional auction houses, Sworders and Cheffins, too.

Contemporary art For top value in the fine art world, visit the art schools’ graduate shows in early summer – The Slade, Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art in London; and the University of Leeds, the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford and Glasgow School of Art, outside the capital.

Traditional British art For fine drawings, paintings and prints of the 19th and 20th centuries, browse the stock of art dealer Harry Moore-Gwyn, who has an excellent eye (mooregwynfineart.co.uk).

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R TA L K I N G T O

Refreshingly understated, unquestionably approachable and ferociously hard-working, our COO, Richard is a bit of an enigma. Until now, he’s not appeared in any Q&As, he’s not graced the pages of House & Garden, he’s not quoted in any broadsheet. But in our latest ‘Talking to’ instalment, his low-profile days are over as he answers questions submitted by our Instagram followers.

RICHARD

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So, why Neptune? What was it that tempted you to move on from your last role?

“I’d been a great follower of Neptune for probably seven years or so. I admired everything that came out of the Neptune engine; it was all so exceptionally curated. I bought into the story because it was being told in such a magnificent way.

“I don’t even remember how it came about but somehow, I got talking to John and Giles [Neptune’s co-founders] back in 2014. I’d just launched the Timothy Oulton brand and before that had been at And So To Bed. They seemed interested in my background and had started to think about getting somebody in to look after the show, but it just wasn’t the right time for any of us. I later joined furniture company Halo and when I left there, I picked up the phone to Giles and said, how about now?

“I was attracted to the brand for sure, but the opportunity enticed me further. John and Giles were looking for somebody who could pull together the whole of Neptune, to craft a company-wide set of strategies that we’d all buy into together.”

Is there such a thing as a typical day for you?

“A typical day is me getting up at 6.15am. I launch out of bed – no snooze button on my watch – hop into the shower, grab a bowl of muesli and then I’m in the car. I’ve got about 90 minutes of driving ahead of me, so I always use that time to start my phone calls, starting with the Neptune team over in Qingdao. When I pull up at HQ, I’m pretty much straight into meetings, most of which pivot around the strategic projects that we’ve put in place. I’m constantly making sure there’s pace within every team so that the strategy is achieved.

In my first six months though, every day was wildly different because I wanted to spend time with everyone in the business.

I’d be out on the road with the drivers one day and sitting in design meetings the next. There’s so much learning to be done and I like doing it first-hand rather than listening to information filtered down the chain of command – I actually hate that phrase. Now I’m more settled, I’ve got a bit more of a routine I suppose.

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“I see my typical day as simply encouraging people to deliver what we’ve all agreed together and taking ownership of their part in our plan. The most critical aspect of my daily life is saying, how can I support you in getting your part done, and making sure everyone knows that, if they get stuck, I’m the chap who’ll help unblock the block.”

Nearly one year in, what’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

“That’s tricky. I’d say that it’s realising that we can only do so much at any one time. There’s an enormous amount of creativity at Neptune and I want to make sure that we channel it into a few projects which we then deliver brilliantly.

I love bringing all the creative minds together and then seeing them work collaboratively on amazing new ideas. The challenge is about doing less, not more.”

And what’s been your best bit to date?

“Working with a truly great team. The talent we have here is extraordinary. I know it might seem like this is the diplomatic answer, but I’m not the kind of man to just say it because I feel I should. The people here are the best I’ve come across.”

Where do you see Neptune in ten years’ time?

“Phwoar, that’s a good one. In ten years’ time, I see Neptune as retaining its British roots, its British design and aesthetics, and its British sense of polite, respectful customer service.

We’ll develop more, and better, services to help customers create their perfect home. I want Neptune to be the first port of call whenever our customers think about doing anything to their house – from creating a moodboard to choosing a light or designing a new kitchen.”

Is the environment an important factor in your brand ethos?

“It’s more than important, it’s essential. In our strategy, sustainability is a constant reference. It’s at the top of our list. Our mark-in-the-sand ambition is to remove plastic from furniture packaging. It’s an immediate action that we’re collectively working towards, bringing in environmental experts to map out a road for us that will allow us to be a leader in sustainability.”

Let’s talk about some specifics. Can you talk through your price increases – why do Neptune do them and how do you determine how much to raise them by?

“Unfortunately, price increases are simply a part of life.

Raw materials across the world are going up and up, and so are salaries, and we only put our prices up in line with that. Increasing our prices is literally a reaction to the cost of buying materials and supporting our staff. We don’t make any more margin when we do that. This isn’t about boosting profit – it’s an exercise in trying to not lose margin.

Most importantly, whatever happens to costs, we refuse to compromise on quality.”

If you were furnishing your home and couldn’t use Neptune, where would you shop and why?

“I’m incredibly lucky because I've only ever worked at places where I love what they do. As a result, I have some amazing pieces. My Timothy Oulton Yeti Cabana chair stops everyone in their tracks. It’s amazingly comfy and completely over the top. Wherever I am in the world, I visit furniture shops. I’m addicted to them. In the USA, I think Restoration Hardware does a brilliant job of showcasing its collections in the most extraordinary stores. In Istanbul, I love to get lost in the bazaars, and can’t resist the hand-painted ceramics. And in Ibiza, where I spend my summer holidays, I tell everyone to visit Sluiz. It’s worth it just for the blue and white cows outside the shop and their eclectic mix of unusual pieces.”

QUICK-FIRE ROUND Favourite Neptune design:

Chawton. It’s the single most versatile piece of furniture I’ve ever seen.

Favourite Neptune kitchen:

Limehouse. I love the contemporary look.

Favourite Neptune store:

Bath – I’ve not been to them all yet, but I love the whole building, the fact it’s all on one floor and that The Provenist is next door.

Favourite dish at The Provenist:

The goodness bowl topped with smoked salmon. Every time.

Favourite time of your working day:

Coming in first thing – it’s all to look forward to.

Best perk of the job:

Working with our team, and I genuinely mean that.

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Hello new Ten new arrivals for our tenth issue – read on for a whistle-stop look at just a few of the pieces topping our autumn wish lists.

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Nestling in fireplace nooks, a surprise behind cupboard doors, splashed from wall to wall – however and wherever you use our Ink paint, it’ll feel bold and brave. And so will you.

Matte emulsion: 125ml sample £4 2.5l £38 5l £67 Eggshell: 125ml sample £4 2.5l £30

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This season sees a handful of our lighting designs reimagined in deepest bronze, including sleek and contemporary Hanover.

Hanover wall light £68 Henry shade £33

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Meet Ravenhead: a mirror combining clean lines with an antique-inspired timber finish.

140x87cm £520

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One third of our Beswick collection (along with a lamp and stool), these crackle-glazed, handgrooved vases are all about sculptural simplicity.

Tall £35 Medium £30

6 Mood-creating, light-catching Swallow is our Isla

5 Introducing ‘Dancer I’

cotton velvet’s take on Ink, for using on everything from upholstery to curtains. £55 per metre

and ‘Dancer II’: two of the dynamic, inky sketches created for us this season

by Betty Sims-Hilditch. £170 each

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Add personality and an artistic feel to your space with our brass and bronze sculptures, like contemporary Hemerdon.

Hemerdon statue £200

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From new-season fabrics to British-made woollen weaves, autumn’s cushion collection was made with layer upon layer of texture in mind.

From £31

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Natural black marble and a restrained shape make our Ashford bookends as statement-making as they are practical. Use them as decorative pieces as well as for keeping books in check. £130

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Created from start to finish in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, Harris Tweed made its debut in our collection last autumn. This year, it’s returning in two rich shades: flecked blue Bilberry and rust-meets-mustard Marmalade. £105 per metre

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#realneptunehomes

Our #realneptunehomes campaign sees us going behind the scenes of where you call home to hear all about how our designs are settling into their new life. Our latest instalment takes us to the centre of Chichester where Chris and his family have renovated the building that once housed the public library, restoring its Georgian beauty and finding their forever home along the way.

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ive storeys high, cathedral-facing, sash windowfronted, and with more than 5,000 square feet to fill inside, this home renovation was hardly one for the faint-hearted. Having retired from his solicitor days, Chris didn’t stay out of work for long, taking on the role of project manager and navigating a team of builders (with local tradesman Danny Edwards as frontman), an architect (Douglas Briggs), a lighting designer (Nicky Burridge) and everything and everyone in-between to transform this period property into his family’s new home. Some days, there were more than 20 people under his roof at any one time and this went on for fifteen all-consuming months.

“We’d lived near Goodwood for close to 17 years but had taken on the Chichester property in 1997 when it had been changed from the public library into offices. We used it as one of the satellite spaces for our solicitor firm,” Chris explained. “Back in 2007, we had the idea of converting it from a commercial property into a residential one. We knew we’d be ready for a change of scene in the coming years, and our son, George would be going off to university, closely followed by our twin daughters, Alice and Emma.

They’d appreciate being in a city centre rather than out in the sticks, so we pursued planning permission, which took a staggering seven years to grant. In 2017, the renovation works properly got underway.”

Not a stone was left unturned in this restoration project.

Parts were replaced out of sheer necessity, like rotten joists and collapsed chimneys, other areas were updated to improve the use of space and layout, like moving a staircase and changing the position of the front door, and the rest was down to reasons of taste and aesthetics. “Every room and every detail within it has been taken back to the beginning,” as Chris described it. They’ve practically built a new house within a heritage property’s grade II-listed shell.

Early on in the project, Chris’ wife, Helen, Alice and Emma went along to nearby Neptune Chichester to begin sourcing ideas, initially just for their kitchen. “I remember the day that the girls got back. They were all gushing and gasping about how I had to come and see it. They’d clearly all fallen in love; your stores are very special places as I was about to find out for myself. I went along to the complimentary design appointment which was where we met Suzie [their Neptune kitchen designer]. I have to say I was blown away. Straight away, I could see how it would suit our house and elevate it to the level we were hoping to reach,” he continued. “We were conscious that we wanted a very high-spec finish and for the quality to be immediately evident, and that’s what made us choose Neptune. The finish and the standard are excellent and very hard to come by.”

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Together, Suzie, Helen and Chris decided that the Suffolk collection would suit the building the most – not Chichester, ironically. They loved Limehouse too and have earmarked it for a future renovation; Chris is keen to work on a new-build one day as a side project. They felt Suffolk suited the character of their Georgian property most. So much so that they decided to have not one, but two Neptune kitchens designed in the Suffolk style. “We did a basement excavation so that we could use every inch of the property’s potential. It had to be dug out by hand because we couldn’t get machinery down there. It was a nightmare but well worth it. We’ve turned it into a selfcontained space with bedrooms, bathrooms, a laundry area, cinema room and kitchen. At first, we hadn’t intended on having Neptune down here too. But having experienced the quality of the main kitchen, we didn’t want to compromise the high standard and therefore ended up having the second Suffolk. Once you’ve had Neptune, it’s very hard to walk away because you know you’ll be compromising on something.”

On the family’s wish list for their principal kitchen was Suffolk’s signature double-door larder and plenty of storage.

They wanted the space to feel as open as possible, so Suzie chose just shelving and countertop cabinets rather than wall cabinetry to create a smooth flow between all of the elements.

“There are features of our kitchen that we didn’t even know we needed but that we now love. For example, the deep warming drawer and our Miele induction hob which is just so efficient.

But it’s the island that’s everybody’s favourite feature. It’s where everything happens – cooking, chatting, eating, drinking. It’s incredible how such a huge space has been made so functional and liveable. You just want to be here,” Chris continued.

Downstairs, Suzie worked to more of a budget and had the challenge of designing in a space that was a galley with low ceilings, beams and uneven walls. “I remember my first visit to Chris and Helen’s. The basement was just a muddy void.

We were having to use torch light on our phones and walk across tightrope-like planks. The low ceiling ruled out having anything full-height in the second kitchen.

And the room kept evolving as the rest of the project changed shape, so we had to keep tweaking the design.

Their only must-have down here was a large wine cooler for after-parties and film nights!” Suzie remembers.

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But it wasn’t purely kitchen design that Suzie was involved in. Being part of the renovation from the word go and establishing a close relationship with the family meant they tasked Suzie with defining the colour palette for all 24 rooms in the property. “Suzie helped us enormously. She was here all the time and went to the ends of the earth to help,” Chris added. “She collaborated with all of the other contractors and we trusted her judgement on everything.

We loved Neptune’s paint colours and had been told about their quality so asked if she would define a comprehensive colour scheme for the property.” The family wanted there to be a high degree of uniformity in their palette but to still see different pigments being used from room to room. Suzie’s paint plan included Shell walls in the kitchen, Driftwood cabinetry and the island in Walnut. Other rooms see colours such as Shingle, Old Rose, Smoke, Alpine, Aqua Blue, Salt, Lily and Snow. “The colour change is actually quite colossal when you really concentrate and look at the list of tones we have, but it all feels very subtle and natural,” said Chris. Suzie added: “I just loved how I’d constantly hear, ‘Suze, what do you think?’ We worked on flooring decisions together [there are our Marton floorboards in the kitchens and dining room and Kennett marble tiles in the bathrooms and fireplaces], room layouts, furniture choices, fabrics and pretty much every detail you can think of. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t a Neptune design. I was here to listen and to offer any advice in any way I could. It was really special being immersed from the word go.

It’s been the most extraordinary project that just kept giving and giving.”

With a fresh cup of tea and cookie in hand, Chris concluded: “Its been a lifelong ambition of ours to restore the building to its original grandeur, and we’ve had such a warm response from the community. Our Neptune kitchens are a huge part of that restoration work, especially our main one on the ground floor. It’s detailed, impeccable design is what informed our decisions for the rest of the house.

It showed us how and why to raise the bar and just how good life can feel when you do.”

Clockwise from top left The view past the Walnut-painted island to the dining room beyond: Sheldrake extending dining table £2,025 Montague chairs £220 each Browning large lantern pendant £485 Matilda armchair in Isla Mallard £880. Chris in his Suffolk kitchen, which is painted in Driftwood. Natural light floods the kitchen, which features bi-folding countertop cabinets. Chris and Helen’s designer from Neptune Chichester, Suzie.

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SPOTLIGHT ON

Our home design service

Chris and Helen’s Chichester home was renovated before our home design service came into being. But, with the help of Suzie, they got a taste of what was to come. For those of you who are yet to read about or meet our home designers, we went back with Laura, the home designer at Neptune Chichester, to decorate and style their sitting room. It’s just one example of how we can help you create your dream home beyond the kitchen too.

Whether you’re thinking of redecorating one room or ten, we’ve got all the tools you’ll need in one place. Just speak to any of the team at your local Neptune store to find out more. neptune.com/stores

Above Eva large sofa in Harry Cloud £3,250 Edinburgh square coffee table £935 Sketch Dancer I print £170 Brompton large wall light £140 Right Amelia armchair in Isla Swallow £730 Hadleigh Ink throw £235 Tolsey 200x330cm Flint Grey rug £610 Corinium jar £52 Suffolk side table, painted in Ink £290 Grace Isla Swallow cushion £74 Grace Natural Twill cushion £90 Delilah Ink Boucle & Isla Swallow cushion £90 Tussock sheepskin rug £125 and cushion £170 Newington hurricane vases from £56 (cow painting by John Marshall, wowcow.co.uk)

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Dream kitchens mean out-of-reach pricing and blowing the budget, yes?

After looking at nine interior design myths and truths, interiors expert Suzanne Imre takes on one of the biggest myths of all with a little design advice and insight from two of Neptune’s designers.

Kitchen myths maths Designing to a budget

Timeless, elegant design? Check. The chance to customise a kitchen with clever accessories? Check. Quality craftsmanship? Check. These are just some of the factors that go into creating a dream kitchen – and every Neptune kitchen, for that matter – along with the statement island and wow-factor larder cabinets and worktops, of course. But not every home is going to come at a kitchen renovation with a no-expense-spared approach. And dream kitchens are still more than achievable when the costs are kept down. Designing on a budget needs to be even more creative and inventive – but is hugely rewarding as a result.

Kitchen designer Annie Tullett is based at Neptune Bournemouth and recently designed a high-spec, high-end kitchen using cabinets from its Henley collection for just £8,000 (see left). “The space was small but had high ceilings, so I wanted to create something grand but spacious and airy,” she explains. “I kept the design simple with a few under-counter cabinets and a wall-length oak shelf (which offered great open storage), and introduced a sizeable focal piece with the elegant Henley cooker hood over the range.” The project was an interesting example of how it’s possible to achieve a look to long after, using uncompromisingly well-made cabinetry, while keeping to a modest budget. “When you’re looking at costs, open shelving is a great way to save, plus it opens up the space and adds character to a room,” says Annie.

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Dan Allen, senior product designer at Neptune, is a fan of the Chichester kitchen collection when it comes to designing to a budget. “Externally, the Chichester kitchen is the same high spec as all the other Neptune kitchens, but because it uses sturdy tulipwood for the frames and hardwood ply for more of its internal components rather than oak, it’s more affordable,” he explains. “Our attention to the manufacturing details means the ply chassis is grooved for accuracy and rigidness, so it’s extremely strong and long-lasting – you could climb into one of the cupboards if you wanted to!”

Both Dan and Annie agree that deeply-considered planning is key to keeping within a budget – and being clear on how the kitchen is going to be used.

Is seating important? What about lots of storage? How can the architecture of the space be best used? Dan suggests that a clever way to be cost efficient is to opt for wide, double-door cabinets instead of lots of drawers as fewer components means the costs are kinder. “Or if you really want drawers, go for a drawer and cupboard coupling. It’s less complex to craft than a full-drawer piece, so will be more affordable.” And keep a savvy eye on the cost of accessories too. “When it comes to brassware, go for the smaller cabinet handles,” he adds. “They look subtle and elegant and will contribute to reducing any costs.”

Colour can also help elevate the look and feel of a kitchen. For her recent £8,000 project, Annie selected the Henley collection in Snow and paired it with contrasting Black-Bronze brassware. “Our painted kitchens come in carefully curated colourways that reflect the character of each collection but, for an extra fee, there are over 28 other Neptune paint colours to chose from,” she explains. “I always think the Navy or Charcoal shades look expensive in that luxurious, moody way, but you can keep costs down by remaining with our classic ‘standard’ tone.”

A further way to create an interesting but cost-savvy kitchen is to save on certain items and then invest in one statement piece. For designer Dan that would’ve to be the Tardis-like larder cabinet that’s available across all the Neptune kitchen collections. “I particularly love the Henley and Limehouse larders,” he says.

“But I’m also a big fan of the Charlecote island which works with all styles of kitchen. It sits on legs and looks bespoke but is actually modular so is very flexible and competitively priced.”

Annie recommends Neptune’s glazed cabinets as an investment purchase if you’re keeping costs down elsewhere in the design. “They feel open and airy and have discreet internal lighting, so are both functional as storage space but also a great way to display pretty pieces,” she explains. “But for a real wow-factor, I’d combine simple cabinets with a show-stopping cooker hood. Paired with a range cooker, it’ll look stunning and can be done to come in exactly on budget.”

Now if that’s not a cost-efficient, dream kitchen…

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Solid oak or solid tulipwood cabinets sound like a beautiful thing, but designing to stand the test of time is a case of understanding materials, their potential, their limits, and how to apply them best. Solid tulipwood cabinets alone would move too much and need a stabilising timber to help counteract that. And solid oak cabinets alone would cost considerably more when you could achieve better structural integrity with other materials, for less, with oak only showing on the areas where you see and enjoy them most.

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STOR IES IS TEN

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Three years. Ten volumes. Dozens of voices, hundreds of pages and uncountable words.

Stories has grown in ways that we’d only hoped it would, but the thinking behind it is still very much the same. To gather together leading voices on all things interior design, home and life’s simple pleasures. To peer into our world and the worlds of others. To leave you with inspiration for your own home and with thoughts on new things to try outside it. It’s what we set out to do in autumn 2016’s volume one and, hopefully you’ll agree, it’s what we’re still doing here, in volume ten.

So, we felt it was only right to mark the occasion by looking back into our Stories archive and digging out just a few of the articles that do just that. You can read (or re-read) each one on our online journal over the coming weeks.

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Volume one: Symmetry – thoughts from our founder Giles Kime talks to our co-founder John Sims-Hilditch on why he believes symmetry is so important in decorating our homes, and why bending the rules is the key to achieving balance.

Volume two: The art of buying well From a passed-down kitchen table to investing in future heirlooms, Jo Leevers writes about how and why to fill your home with pieces that will stand the test of time.

Volume three: Same door no more Whether it’s boldly bright or rendered in classic French Grey, we look at how your front door’s colour is a glimpse at what’s to come.

Volume four: The best seat in the house Here, we tell the story behind our quest to create sofas and armchairs as finely crafted inside as they are out.

Volume five: Looking to tradition – the history of letter pressing Just one of the traditional crafts we championed in volume five, in this article, the team from letterpress experts Meticulous Ink in Bath explore the history behind this printed art.

Volume six: Rethinking beaches Proving they’re not just for summer, we go in search of some of the best British beaches to visit when the temperature drops.

Volume seven: The homes of poets and painters In this feature, we take a short tour around Britain to learn where some of our most historic poets and painters called home.

Volume eight: Harris Tweed – what lies behind the weave With the arrival of our second and third Harris Tweed fabrics this season, we look back at a trip taken to the croft house of a Harris Tweed-weaver to bring together all the threads of this cloth’s story.

Volume nine: The edited wardrobe In an issue that explored all things less-is-more, Jo Rodgers writes, with wardrobe in mind, how this way of thinking doesn’t just apply to our homes.

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Inspired by the past: Britain’s most influential interiors Stuck for decorating ideas or just a bit of a history buff?

Britain’s historic houses will provide all the ideas you’ll ever need, says Country Life’s Giles Kime.

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Images credit: Paul Highnam/Country Life Picture Library

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nstagram, Pinterest and the pages of magazines offer a treasure trove of interior inspiration. But look a little further and there’s plenty more to be found; walking through a beautifully decorated house, shop or stylish hotel allows you to experience, at first hand, the distinctive character and mood of an inspiring interior; how colours react to light, how the spaces relate and how individual elements such as furniture and artwork are knitted together to create a coherent feel. Perhaps most important of all, they offer living examples of how you can inject character and personality into a space.

There’s another resource right under our noses that can offer an even deeper understanding of how and why great rooms work. In Britain, we have a higher proportion of much loved, painstakingly preserved historic houses than anywhere on the world. Each is a living example of how beautiful colours, furniture, textiles and artwork contribute to the look and feel of a space.

Some are in the care of the National Trust, others of English Heritage, while plenty still remain in private or charitable hands. Of the latter, many are members of the Historic Houses Association and they range from those that you may have heard of, such as Chatsworth, Althorp and Holkham, to smaller houses that are only open to the public on an occasional basis or which can be used as the setting for weddings, events or filming.

The great attraction of these houses is a distinctive personality thanks to having been in the ownership of the same families for centuries, while others have been acquired more recently by those with a passion for their past. It’s the owners who use them on a daily basis who bring them to life, just as they were brought to life by those who lived there when they were first built. The fact that they’re still privately owned gives them a distinctive feel that makes them as relevant to the 21st century as they were in centuries past.

All the photos you’ ll spot here were taken at St Giles House, a restored family home near the village of Wimborne St Giles in Dorset.

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A house that delivers inspiration in astonishing quantities is St Giles House in Dorset, home of the 40-year-old Earl of Shaftesbury. When the former DJ and music promoter inherited the house 15 years ago, it was in an advanced state of decay. In 2010, he and his wife, Dinah, decided to make it their family home and embarked on a brave plan to bring it back to life. What’s perhaps most remarkable about the project is that the couple haven’t attempted to return it to the way that it might’ve been in 17th or 18th centuries, top-to-toe in perfect paint finishes and plasterwork, and instead have left parts of it pretty much as they found it, albeit clean, dry and warm. In some rooms it’s possible to see exposed brick and the structure of the ceiling laid bare.

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The couple’s bedroom has the same timeworn paint that they found in the house when they arrived, and it lends a wonderfully evocative mood of another era.

In the newly restored Riding House a stone’s throw from St Giles House, guests can sleep in luxuriously appointed stables that – with the exception of plumbing and furniture – remain pretty much the same as they would’ve been when the building was constructed in the 17th century. The result is a succession of spaces that reveal their history in a startling way and demonstrate how houses can be restored without losing character that has been created by the passage of time.

Not all the properties that are part of Historic Houses are as extravagant in scale; Columbine Hall in Suffolk is a moated medieval manor that, for almost a quarter of a century, has been a labour of love for its owners Hew Stevenson and his wife, Lesley Geddes Brown, a journalist, author and former deputy editor of Country Life magazine, who together, have sympathetically restored its interior, the surrounding formal gardens and 28 acres of orchards, woods and bog land. The house is typical of how historic houses can be made relevant to modern life; the couple offer their magnificent timbered barn as a venue for weddings and parties, and the old stables have been converted to holiday accommodation for six guests. In addition, they offer regular guided

tours of both the house and the gardens. Like St Giles House, its simple, sympathetically restored interiors offer plenty of ideas for the inquisitive visitor.

It’s these constantly evolving houses that don’t just offer an intimate experience of the past but also living examples of how period spaces can create comfortable family homes – and, in many cases, thriving businesses.

Their fascinating architecture and decorating offers a wealth of inspiration to any visitor hungry for ideas.

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M A K E A D AY O F I T When visiting a Neptune store you might consider combining your trip with a visit to an inspiring Historic House property nearby. Many of the larger houses are open every day, all year, while others offer a limited number of tours. Some stores have more than others on their doorstep; for example, Neptune’s store in Chester has the following gems within easy reach: Arley Hall, Adlington Hall, Bromley Hall, Cholmondley Castle, Dorfold Hall, Henbury Hall, Peover Hall and Tatton Park. Historic Houses’ website has a nifty search facility that will highlight its member properties within reach of any UK location.

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STORIES

A different perspective…

VO L U M E 10

Your sitting room’s bar-meets-display cabinet, your kitchen’s freestanding feature piece, your study’s wall-to-wall bookcase, your bedroom’s chest of drawers, your utility room’s ‘everything’ cupboard…

Discover the possibilities at your local Neptune store. neptune.com/stores

VOLUME 10

Our challenge was to design one piece of furniture that could do it all.

Meet Chawton.

STOR IES