Stories 11 GBP

STORIES

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STOR IES V O L U M E 11

VOLUME 11

Our spring collection will be here in just a few short weeks.

Mark your calendars for March.

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Permission to pause Life can be beautiful and life can be challenging, and if we’re honest, we all experience a bit of both. And that’s why having a special place to call home is so important. As our co-founder John says, “A good home gives you a good foundation for life.”

It’s what motivates us all at Neptune: to help people create their own unique home, where they have space to relax, to think, to celebrate and to share. And so, this volume of Stories is all about taking time to enjoy and appreciate our homes and the wider world around us.

We explore why a cosy loveseat is the perfect excuse to curl up and get close with a loved one, a little one or a four-legged friend. And we consider the joy of a long Sunday lunch with family and friends gathered around that most essential of investments – the dining table.

We ask beauty director Jo Glanville Blackburn how to create nurturing, restorative scents to fill a winter home, and interiors expert Michelle Ogundehin to explain the creative benefits of spending an hour or two making a moodboard that expresses one’s inner vision.

Looking further afield, it’s a chance to marvel at the hypnotic serenity of icebergs and glaciers, and wonder how one eccentric Victorian lady’s travels could result in Kew Gardens’ best kept secret gallery, brimming with her paintings of flora and fauna. Or contemplate what it takes for double-amputee Neil Heritage to scale some of the world’s highest mountains or row the Atlantic. Unsupported.

But ultimately, it’s a time to be thankful for what we have around us. To feel contented with our lot. To see the beauty in the little things, from the warmth of a home-cooked meal to the satisfying click of a well-made cupboard closing.

It’s what Neptune is all about. A home that feels like a sanctuary. And a never-ending interest in learning more.

With love from the Stories team

PS We want to do our bit, so we’ve produced this volume of Stories with the environment in mind. The paper is carbon-balanced with the World Land Trust, an international conservation charity who offset carbon emissions through the purchase and preservation of highconservation-value land. And as usual, it’s printed on FSC® certified paper from responsible sources, which ensures there’s an audited chain of custody from the tree in the well-managed forest through to the printing factory.

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A fragile beauty

By David Nicholls

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torytellers love the frozen worlds that exist at the earth’s poles and on its highest peaks. They’re the dramatic backdrops for Nordic noir novels and television series, and before that, Mary Shelley’s Victor Frankenstein stopped to marvel at the sublime beauty of the Arctic glaciers while searching for his monstrous creation. Even Disney isn’t immune: it was the flight to the glacier that triggered Elsa to ‘Let it Go’ in Frozen. Viking lore presages this, telling that glaciers had the power to give life: Buri, the grandfather of gods, was born from glacial ice blocks (with the help of a great cow called Auðumbla).

It’s no wonder that glaciers have become so embedded in the cultures of those who have lived alongside them, encountered them, navigated their way through them or even heard tale of them. There’s a majestic beauty which, combined with their sheer scale, inspires a sense of awe in the beholder of their sight. Perhaps there’s a little apprehension too; some hidden menace lurking within the ice. The sinking of the Titanic as it struck an iceberg is a nautical tragedy imprinted in the memory of anyone familiar with the story. And so the narrative surrounding these frozen worlds has always been more fluid than the icy monoliths themselves: as a place of discovery, a cause for wonder, a cautionary tale.

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Today, the tone feels a little more melancholic – their beauty seeming fragile and fleeting, like that of an endangered species. I find it impossible to look at images like these and not hear David Attenborough’s voice warning of global warming, the Arctic melting and rising sea levels.

A particularly poignant expression of this came in the form of a ‘funeral’ that was held last year for Okjokull, a 700-year-old Icelandic glacier. A century ago, it measured 16 square kilometers; today, it is but a small patch of ice. No simple environmentalist stunt, the country’s Prime Minister was in attendance to help raise awareness of the decline of Iceland’s glaciers due to global warming. To commemorate the event, the organisers created a brass plaque – a ‘Letter to the Future’ – which states simply: “In the next 200 years all our main glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it.”

The funeral took place around the same time that Neptune’s head of brand creative, Chris Griffiths took these photographs in Iceland. And while they capture the overwhelming beauty of these ancient glacial formations, a photograph represents but a brief moment in time – frozen, if you will – between what came before and what will happen next. We cannot see the glaciers creep or recede with the seasons, creak and roar as they calve icebergs into the Arctic waters. Nor how the ice masses have shrunk in the 18 months since the photos were taken. And they have. Whether that’s a permanent change or not will be answered in the next chapter of storytelling on the subject of these magnificent bodies of ice. And one way or another, we’re all the authors of their destiny.

Canadian-born David Nicholls is the deputy editor of House & Garden. He was previously design editor of The Telegraph Magazine.

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Bréf til framtíðar Ok er fyrsti nafnkunni jökullinn til að missa titil sinn. Á næstu 200 árum er talið að allir jöklar landsins fari sömu leið. Þetta minnismerki er til vitnis um að við vitum hvað er að gerast og hvað þarf að gera.

Aðeins þú veist hvort við gerðum eitthvað.

A letter to the future Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier.

In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path.

This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done.

Only you know if we did it. Ágúst 2019 415ppm CO2

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The gathering spot A dedication to the dining table, that most treasured of pieces in your home and the anchor for modern family life.

What is it about the dining table that puts it at the very heart of our homes? Is it its sheer size that makes it dominate? Or its position in a key reception room rather than out of sight and out of mind? Is it the activities that happen upon it, or does history have a hand to play in how it’s earned its position as one of the home’s hardest working heroes?

A hop and a skip through the history books The dining table dates to way back when. The ancient Egyptians resurrected makeshift pedestal tables using rock and stone to banquet upon. And, over in early Europe, the Romans feasted on handmade tables in luxurious marble, bronze or hewn timber.

These ancient empires fed the dining table’s growth. A love of lavish entertaining cemented its use as the place where food is served and shared. Though it wasn’t all a case of formal dinners and sumptuous spreads. The rise of the round table is said to have started with the Romans too – for less grandiose occasions where nobody was designated as head of the table and everyone had equal status, easily able to make eye contact with one another.

Closer to home still, Britain played a role in the table’s evolution. During the feudal period, tables were at the heart of court life, with a grand rectangular table positioned in a castle’s great hall for master and guests to gather and feast. Medieval monasteries honoured the ever-stretching refectory table and accompanying benches – a custom still adhered to in today’s historic institutes, from the dining halls of Oxford and Cambridge colleges to London’s Inns of Court.

The typical refectory table would have been grandiose in scale and rectangular in shape (with a removable top – to be followed by the invention of the draw-top table in the 16th century where drop leaves and runners first started to appear).

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It was timber in material (oak and elm were most common, though walnut and cherry were not unusual), and trestle-based in design, though the round table wasn’t forgotten. In fact, Winchester Castle in Hampshire remains home to one of the few surviving examples of an original round table from the Middle Ages.

Away from the pomp and ceremony, it formed the base for regular home life.

Families were typically much bigger back then and so the table needed to be able to comfortably fit everybody around it. Lower-class families had kitchen tables (often placed in the living room as the table for everybody to use as they saw fit), whereas those in the middle and upper classes were upgraded to the more stately dining table.

Either way, the table’s reputation was confirmed as the home’s gathering point, be it for food or family affairs.

Of course, as the centuries ticked by, variations in design ensued. Italian-made tables of the late-17th and early-18th centuries observed marquetry and rare materials as a taste for the ornate took hold. Indeed, Charles II was presented with a silver-clad table by the City of London to mark his restoration as King of England. And more recently, we welcomed French bistro table renditions, born on the 19th-century cafe scene where pavement space was at a premium.

The dining table today Modern-day masterpieces haven’t changed much from those of old. Most bear a heavy resemblance to the long-stretching refectory table of old, the charming bistro sets made for two à la France, and the iconic round table where knights once gathered.

The most notable evolution? The table’s forever extending function. Sure, food still fills its tabletop, but today’s dining table’s notion of sustenance is more a case of nurturing togetherness and a sense of community. Homework is done upon it, arts and crafts too, and family debates and important discussions are held at it. The dining table is the new desk – no stranger to laptops, cables and paperwork in place of plates, cutlery and napkins. It’s where we work from home. It’s the new boardroom table from which you ‘dial in’. Indeed, food writer and chef Prue Leith paid £1,100 at auction for food author Elizabeth David’s old bleached pine kitchen table for it was “where she cooked her omelettes and wrote most of her books.” Yes, the dining table is a workhorse and a powerhouse, a piece of furniture that serves to please as much as it does seat to feed.

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Arundel dining table, Darkened Oak £1,695 Keats Bronze pendant light £90 Ella tumblers, Ink set of six £37 wall art from £95

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A closer look at: Arundel As part of our autumn collection, we welcomed a new-look dining table to the family. A familiar face, it’s our much-loved, country style Arundel table – but not as you’ve seen it before. The classic design traits of the collection remain – solid A-frame legs, visible dowel lock joins, diagonal leg supports and a textured finish – but the sophisticated deep, Darkened Oak finish is a real Neptune statement.

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At this time of year, when the mercury dips and the evenings close in early, what better company could you ask for than that of a loveseat’s embrace?

Made for sharing W

here on earth did the loveseat appear from? Cast version – an S-shaped silhouette designed so that people your mind back ten years and do you recall could sit, privacy intact, facing one another, and often them being such a ‘thing’? It seems like we blinked referred to as a kissing bench or a gossip’s chair.

Less for whispering sweet nothings into a loved one’s and suddenly an ample-sized take on the armchair appeared as if from nowhere. But a flick through the ear, 21st-century loveseats are popular once again as archives will tell you that the loveseat has been around for great space-saving solutions. Taking up less room than a two-seater sofa but still able to seat two, cosily, they’re a far longer than you realise.

Towards the end of the 17th century is when the loveseat smart fix for compact or awkwardly-shaped sitting rooms. is thought to have been invented, and the original rationale And, practicalities aside, they have an emotional pull that behind it was for fashion rather than for furniture’s sake. sees us happily snuggling up to create a comfy nook for This was a time when women would wear pavlova-like the family pet (or six), or to make room for a little one hooped dresses – wide and voluminous with layer upon willing you for a chapter read aloud, or for nothing more layer of fabric – and so sitting down was more than a than a cwtch (the Welsh word for the sort of hug that trifle challenging. Enter the loveseat – a place to perch makes you feel safe, warm and at home, which we say deserves to be 2020’s ‘hygge’). comfortably, skirt tiers and all.

More decadent than an armchair and more snug than They began as mere wooden benches, but as time went on, the trend for billowing gowns waned, and a sofa, a loveseat is a welcome addition to any sitting room consequently, space was freed up on the seat. Less skirt or as a most extravagant bedroom chair. They suit the meant more room for a companion to sit close, carving out corners of a room as much as they do an alcove, the side an intimate spot for a chaste courting Victorian couple to of a window ledge or the curve of a bay where you can look talk without being overheard. Et voilà, the term loveseat out onto the world in comfort. They welcome cushions was born and design evolution ensued to make the couple’s and a blanket and they become the piece of furniture bench suitably cosy and comfy (take a peek at our Olivia that holds a special place in the hearts of all the family.

Maybe that’s the reason why the name ‘loveseat’ still loveseat as a case in point).

Today’s loveseats have come a long way since the original resonates to this very day. wooden bench fit for lady and skirt, and the later tête-à-tête Enjoying the comfort of the Olivia loveseat are six, seven-week-old cocker spaniel puppies, who came along to shoot with their mum, Bonnie.

Olivia loveseat, Harris Tweed Bircher £2,250 Alex footstool, Isla Fox £345 Tussock double sheepskin £250 Castlefield throw £200 Grace and Florence cushions from £50 walls painted in Chestnut matte emulsion from £38 for 2.5l

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WINTER MOOD M AK ING

By Michelle Ogundehin

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

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inter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” So perfectly surmised the English poet Edith Sitwell. Because, as the dawns get later, days darken and nights become colder, the pleasures of home rise in tandem. The joy of stepping over your threshold to be greeted by warmth and to know that you’re safe, can, and should, never be underestimated. It’s a privilege that’s too easily taken for granted in the temperate hug of the summer months.

Thus, as our innate programming encourages us to hunker down and seek comfort at this time of year, it behoves us to ask, what does it mean to be comforted?

And then, how can we capture this feeling in order to prep our homes to soothe us accordingly?

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The dictionary definition of comfort suggests that it’s something that affords a state of ease or wellbeing. And while it’s true that any successful interior scheme always starts by asking how you want to feel in the room or space in question, admittedly, this can also sometimes be a bit of a dead end, or at least not a path that leads automatically to decisions about which materials and colours to best surround yourself with. Instead, try contemplating as well, what positive feelings you associate with winter, and why? Which materials make you want to reach out and touch them? How do you dress when it gets cold: multiple layers or one thick coat? How do you feel when it gets dark outside: cosy, or constricted? Note down all and any thoughts as they occur to you without over-thinking them. Let your imagination wander and your subconscious be freed.

In short, have faith that all of this musing will gradually take shape as the foundation of a coherent palette.

And to note, this is a process that can be applied at any time of year, just switch winter for spring and cold and dark for warm and light.

As an example, for me, the king of seasons is epitomised by the sweet scent of roasting chestnuts while hot mulled wine traces a fiery path down my throat on a chilly but bright afternoon. It’s the inner warmth that this instantly suggests: the heat of the spices, the slight catch in the mouth, the aroma in the wind and the contrast of it all with the steamy vapour of my breath and the chill in my fingers. It’s the agreeably sticky afterglow as the wine spreads gentle messages of relaxation and contentment through my body.

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How does this translate into a palette? Easy! Start by picturing the wine as paint swatches of full-bodied berry tones: a set of colours that are intrinsically indulgent, possessing both substance and sophistication in spades.

Their silky smoothness might also call to mind the plush pile of velvet upholstery or the softest naps of leather. And alongside these, the intricacy of richlyembroidered linens for cushions and drapes represents the exotic melding of flavours. Of course, the hit of spice is that element of the unexpected, the accent colour that lends any scheme depth and intrigue. But will it be the lift of a rich cinnamon red, the kick of ginger, or the earthy subtlety of the colour of cloves?

And let’s not forget the context. My tableau is heightened by the fragrant air and crispness of the day. Therefore, I’d ground this scheme with burnished wood and undertones of blue and grey. Finally, that all important signature flourish which makes any palette personal. Perhaps a touch of pale pink, redolent of a favourite cashmere scarf? A swathe of sequinned satin

to recall a much-loved party outfit? Or the glitter of a treasured Christmas bauble. Whether statement finish, a metallic for accessories or something quirkier, add it to your moodboard.

Regardless, any winter palette must be profoundly textural. In the dark months, we need to be cossetted and supported by our surroundings. It’s all about making a modern den in which to hide away: think piles of chunky woollen throws and toes dug deep into snuggly sheepskin rugs. As such, although the digital sphere is marvellous as a starting sourcebook, it can never substitute for the tactility of real samples.

Moodboards must be composed of physical things as a tangible interpretation of your imagination. Why? Because in order to emotionally engage with our homes, we must touch them. Regardless of the season, the goal should be the creation of a space that feels great, not one that just looks good. We live in real life, after all, and not virtually.

Internationally renowned as an authority on interiors, trends and style, Michelle Ogundehin is an editor, writer, consultant and TV presenter and the awardwinning former editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration UK.

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A BOTA N IC A L L EG AC Y

By Dominic Lutyens

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Intrepid Victorian explorer Marianne North travelled the world painting flora and fauna, then returned to Britain to create her most spectacular work: the Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens.

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s a girl, Marianne North was presented with a bunch of rare Amherstia nobilis flowers by William Jackson Hooker, a botanist and Kew Gardens’ first director, when she and her politician father visited its new Palm House in the 1840s. The sight of those crimson blooms, native to Burma, and the opportunity to wonder at the Palm House’s exotic palms and tropical plants, entranced the young North, who was later to become one of Victorian Britain’s leading botanical artists.

North was born in 1830 in Hastings to a well-to-do, wellconnected family. Her father mixed with eminent scientists such as Charles Darwin. Her mother was the daughter of a baronet. “Marianne’s parents were slightly bohemian and eccentric,” says Maria Devaney, galleries & exhibitions leader at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. “She was a daddy’s girl. He encouraged her interests, including painting and music and the natural world.” North was largely self-taught, although she received some art lessons from artist and author Edward Lear and travelled extensively to Europe, Syria and along the Nile with her father.

When her father died in 1869, he left her a fortune, providing her with the means to indulge her passion to see and paint plants in their natural environment. Darwin took an interest in her paintings and, on his advice, she travelled to Australia, presumably because he considered its habitat crucial to a full understanding of evolution.

Extraordinarily independent for a woman of the time, she went on to explore the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, India and Malaysia, among other places, in the 1870s and 1880s, her paintbrush capturing flora and fauna in their native habitat. The intrepid North executed her paintings, ranging from small-scale, panoramic landscapes to acutely well-observed plants and flowers, accompanied just by a guide, who helped her carry her luggage, food, water and portable painting sets through all terrains.

On her return to the UK, she contacted Kew Gardens’ new director Joseph Dalton Hooker (William’s son), offering to give Kew some of her artworks and finance a gallery to house them. He promptly accepted her offer.

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The images in this article, and our cover image, are supplied by RBG Kew. Visit the gallery to see them in person.

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Today, over 800 of her jewel-bright oils paintings are densely hung in the high-ceilinged Marianne North Gallery in Kew Gardens, which opened in 1882 under her strict supervision.

The gallery, nestled in the heart of Kew, is a brisk tenminute walk away from Victoria Gate. Although something of a hidden gem, it’s a wonderful attraction to visitors for Kew, and is now annexed by the contemporary Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, the world’s first gallery devoted solely to this genre. “North’s paintings show plants in their natural habitat rather than in isolation against a white background, making them uncommon among our illustrations collection,” says Fiona Ainsworth, head of library, art and archives at Kew Gardens, pinpointing their appeal. “What’s more, having the context around the plant as North saw it in the 19th century provides a basis for comparison with those same habitats today.”

The gallery was designed by James Fergusson, a Scottish architectural historian who also created the parliament building in Jamaica. Fergusson was hugely interested in Indian architecture, and while the exterior of the gallery resembles a colonial governor’s house, with its wrap-around verandah, its interior is neo-classical: the clerestory windows that run around the gallery at ceiling height and allow daylight to enter the space are a direct nod to Greek temples.

The windows are also an original approach to lighting a gallery, running counter to the tradition at the time of toplit galleries, and are just one reason why this unique space is Grade II-listed. In 1885, electric lighting was installed – an early example of its use in a gallery. And it’s just as well that the space is well-lit. North hung her works – oils painted on cardboard in various dimensions and sizes – over practically every inch of wall space and it would be hard to appreciate all their detail without modern lighting.

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Below the paintings are wood panels in rich tones which In 2008, the gallery benefited from a major restoration.

“Mould was found behind the paintings so each one was were wood samples of trees that she collected, such as cypress and cedar, making this an exhibition that appeals removed, restored and reinstated,” says Devaney.

As a first time visitor, Devaney led me into its sumptuously to natural historians as much as to art lovers.

North might have co-created a thoroughly immersive decorative interior. “It’s rather overwhelming,” she admits. I had to agree but soon found myself engrossed by the space space that demands – and rewards – careful scrutiny, but and its exotic paintings, which also teem with insects and she wasn’t precious about this shrine to her oeuvre. Keen animals and sometimes include iconic buildings, such as that visitors should relax in the gallery, she suggested to Hooker that it accommodate a teahouse. But he rejected the Taj Mahal.

Enhancing the gallery’s renovated opulence is its boldly the idea since a café already existed nearby. Her riposte was patterned floor, with encaustic tiles in terracotta and blue, to paint plants associated with tea and coffee in the form of and an ornate coved cornice, decorated with an Etruscan decorative garlands around two doorways.

Despite the gallery’s busy interior, its atmosphere is motif – the anthemion with fanning petals, commonly peaceful and not overly formal. Four handsome wooden found in ancient Greek and Roman buildings.

North, who had a huge say in the interior design, benches face different walls, allowing visitors to contemplate imposed order on the seemingly undifferentiated mass of the artworks in comfort – a reflection, surely, of North’s paintings, all with gilded mounts and black wood frames. concern for the visitors’ wellbeing as much as her desire to She grouped them geographically, personally hand-painting preserve her work for posterity. the names of the country or region they related to above each section in gold.

Dominic Lutyens is a design journalist and author. He has his great-great uncle, the architect Edwin Lutyens, to thank for his passion for interiors.

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PA I N T the SPEC T RU M

If you’ve ever contemplated a paint chart of similar hues or fabric swatches of indistinguishable shades with a degree of confusion, the solution might lie in science.

Colour theory and the colour wheel are not only interesting creative concepts, they’re the decorator’s best friends.

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W H AT E X AC T LY IS ‘COLOUR THEORY ’?

LEAR NING TO R EAD THE COLOUR W HEEL

Some colours just go together. They look good, they feel right. But why? Colour is far from being an artistic practice alone. Science is very much at play, providing reasoning and rationale as to why certain colours work so well and why others don’t. And that’s the essence of colour theory – observing colour relationships through a scientific lens.

Primary versus secondary versus tertiary colours No matter which sort of colour wheel you use, all of them share the essential outer layer. This is where you find the 12 core colours, each of which belong to one of three categories. As we already know, red, yellow and blue are there forming the primary colours whose appearance cannot be created by blending any other colour. Mix equal amounts of the primary colours together though and you give rise to orange (red and yellow), purple (red and blue) and green (yellow and blue) – your secondary colours. All of the colours that remain are referred to as tertiary colours. You’ll notice that their naming convention fuses two colours together e.g. yellow-green, red-orange. This is, quite simply, because they’re produced by combining any two primary and secondary shades in a 2:1 ratio.

THE COLOUR W HEEL – A GOOD PL ACE TO BEGIN The interior designer’s secret weapon, a constant feature in the stylist’s toolkit, impressive know-how for all decor aficionados out there – the colour wheel is the bedrock of colour theory and offers a visual explanation of inter-colour relationships.

Invented by Issac Newton in 1666, he took the full colour spectrum and presented it in circle form to begin showing the different layers. It was Newton’s work with white light that brought about the discovery of the visible colour spectrum, and with his colour wheel, he dissected it further by establishing the three primary colours from which every other colour was derived.

Cool versus warm Most of us know that every colour has either a warm or cool character. When choosing a palette, it’s one of the most important colour decisions you have to make early on as it will bear huge influence on your home’s ambiance.

In search of a cool colour (or receding colours, as they’re sometimes called)? Keep to the side of the wheel with greens, blues and violets. Wanting a bit of warmth? Then head to the land of reds, oranges and yellows (fireside tones also referred to as aggressive colours).

Hue versus tint versus tone versus shade So often do you hear these terms used interchangeably as a synonym for the word ‘colour’. But actually, it’s only ‘hue’ that qualifies as an alternative. The rest have very different meanings.

A tint is when you take any of the twelve colours and add white to lighten it. A shade, on the other hand, is what you create when dabbing in some black. Add grey however, and what you’ve done there is produce a tone.

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A BR IEF NOTE ON COLOUR H AR MONY

Triadic – my favourite for a palette that would work all year long would be Silver Birch, Smoke and Moss.

Conversations about the colour wheel inevitably lead to discussing colour harmony. A whole other topic in itself, the nuts and bolts of it pivot around using the wheel to uncover five major approaches to palettes: complementary (colours directly opposite each other on the wheel – a good way to achieve high contrast), analogous (three side by side on the wheel – stick to tints to avoid a jarring combination of colour), triadic (three colours equally spaced on the wheel – a high contrast palette so let one colour triumph and the others accent), split complementary (three hues where you match one colour with two adjacent to its complementary counterpart – an easy way to use multiple colours that aren’t poles apart), and tetradic (two lots of two complementary hues – again, use just one more dominantly than the remaining three).

Want to see the palettes in practice? Here, our head of store design, Fred, breaks down all five, suggesting examples of colours from the Neptune paint collection to achieve each one.

Split complementary – this example is a very rich, bold palette but a beautifully balanced one: Mustard, Ink and Cactus.

Complementary – try warming Chestnut with green-tinted Alpine, or even Pink Peppercorn with deeper green Cactus.

Analogous – a very subtle example could be Silver Birch, Driftwood and Grey Oak. Strictly speaking however, these are three that are very similar in tone rather than different colours. For a truer analogous palette, you could try Moss, Powder Blue and Smoke.

Tetradic – you can have some real fun exploring hues with this final colour scheme. I’d suggest Salt, Juniper, Pink Peppercorn and Moss, letting Moss be the main feature out of the four colours.

PL AY ING W ITH COLOUR AND E X PLOR I NG T HE SPEC T RU M Colour is a personal thing. There aren’t any rights or wrongs because it all comes down to your eye and what lights it (or rather, them) up most. That being said, the colour wheel is there to guide you into making palette choices that are scientifically balanced and artistically pleasing.

Even if you’re a bit of a natural at combining colours, the colour wheel can help you plan a scheme for a single room or your whole home. It encourages contrasts as much as it does classically complementary colours, but most importantly, it’s there to provide you with ideas for how to use colour and to boost your confidence when decorating your home.

So spin the wheel, try on an analogous palette for size, and if you’re working with neutrals, pick out those base notes to help you make sense of your colour choices, where they sit on the wheel and how to feature them best. Then live life in technicolour.

Colour experiments and shade exploration are made so much easier with our paint swatch booklet and tester pots.

You can pick both up online and in store.

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Spring 2020’s seasonal hue: INTRODUCING SA FFRON With our spring collection tiptoeing onto the scene, it won’t be long before our newest colour is unveiled. As a Stories exclusive though, Amy from the Neptune design team gives us a peek at Saffron…

“Our first ‘true’ yellow, Saffron offers a subtle sunniness that was very much inspired by our wish to develop a collection of subdued neutrals akin to those seen in archetypal Belgian interiors. To act as a foil against these neutrals though, we felt a more pigmented hue would help, and so blended a traditional yellow similar to what you might see in a British heritage property.

To help it feel more contemporary, we suggest pairing it with Salt, but all spring and summer long, we’ll be presenting it in various schemes to inspire your own decorating projects.”

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Small & beautiful

Want to make a bijou room feel bigger? With a little forethought, it’s easy to achieve, as Neptune’s creative director, Emma Sims Hilditch explains.

A different layout Planning is key. Always consider how a room will look from different angles – whether you’re sitting or standing.

Emma recommends forgetting symmetry in small spaces.

“Arranging furniture on a diagonal angle makes the room feel longer as the longest line in any room is the diagonal,” she explains. But layout isn’t just about the arrangement of furniture. Views from windows or doorways can be cleverly utilised to enhance the sense of space. “Try to include the view in your decoration,” says Emma. “Think of the area outside the room as an extension, so if your window overlooks a terrace, create a beautiful scene outside with pots and plants.” Even flower boxes on windowsills will carry the eye beyond the confines of the room, making it feel more expansive.

Lighting layers “Lighting is such a beautiful opportunity to transform atmosphere,” says Emma. She recommends going for statement lamps and not relying on a single, overhead light source. Instead, use different light sources from wall to floor to table, which will enhance dark corners and stretch the space outwards.

Shapely furniture A small room doesn’t need small furniture. “Adding a few large pieces can give the room a completely different feel,” says Emma. But do have a few ‘leggy’ pieces rather than too many solid shapes. “If you’ve got a sofa with a skirt, don’t add in a tub-style ottoman – choose instead a piece with elegant legs to create an airy feel.”

Colour confidence Most people know to avoid painting a small room white to try to make it light and bright. “You won’t achieve what you’re looking for,” warns Emma. Instead, embrace the room’s size and create depth with darker colours, making it moody and atmospheric. “We have a small sitting room painted in Neptune’s super-dark Mahogany and I love it,” says Emma. “I also like using Neptune’s Chestnut shade: it’s a warm browny-red and is perfect for a TV room or a space where you’re going to have the lights dimmer.”

Perfect storage “Any room will feel bigger if it’s tidy,” observes Emma with a smile, “so good storage is worth investing in.” But do keep favourite pieces out: “You want the room to feel homely and furnished, not that it’s so small you can’t put anything on display.” Carry fitted cabinets up to the ceiling and mix flat-fronted cupboards with open shelving.

“We have a Henley dresser in our small sitting room,” she explains, “and within the dresser, there’s lots going on – all our family memorabilia – but because it’s behind glass doors, it feels contained.”

Decorative tricks To help a room feel taller, Emma often hangs pictures over doorways as they lift the eye upwards, and she also suggests opting for one statement print or painting, rather than a busy gallery-style wall. Mirrors are a great way to add depth to a room but positioning is key. Hang a mirror so that it reflects back the garden or view, and can be seen when you’re sitting. Full-length mirrors are also good for expanding a room’s horizons, or even consider a mirrored wall behind a sofa to enlarge the sense of space.

Pembroke shelving, Walnut from £660 Caspar armchair, Harris Tweed Bilberry £1,820 Brompton reading lamp £340 Olivia loveseat, Harris Tweed Bircher £2,250 Arthur large footstool, St James Saddle £740 Long Island corner sofa, Imogen Holkham Sand from £5,440

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The cook’s

KITCHEN These days, thoughts about kitchen design are very much centred on entertaining. From islands for gathering around to open-plan layouts, it’s the consideration at the top of many renovation lists. But, if the kitchen for you is a place that’s all about cooking, baking or preserving, then what do you need to consider when it comes to designing your dream space? Here, a few of our kitchen designers break it down for you.

Stella from Neptune Farnham on storage Drawers are definitely my go-to when it comes to storage.

Unlike under-counter cupboards, where you’ll need to crouch down to see what’s inside, they mean everything is in easy view and, crucially for heavier things like pots and pans, more convenient to pick out. Think beyond cutlery though – I always like to include a spice drawer in the kitchens of keen cooks, because all those small jars are easily lost and jumbled in a cupboard.

That’s not to discount shelving though. Use open shelves near your hob for the ingredients you cook with most so you can pick out what you need without having to move around the kitchen. A larder is on most people’s wish lists too – and with good reason. Having one, cavernous cupboard means no more rooting through multiple cabinets. And they often include useful features: look out for vegetable baskets for things like potatoes that prefer somewhere dry and dark, and marble counters that’ll keep cheese and eggs cool but not too cold. I’d also suggest, if you can, positioning your larder against an outside wall and including a vent – it’ll help with creating a cool and dry space as well.

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Suffolk kitchen, designed by Woods of London

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Suzi from Neptune Chichester on work surfaces As well as choosing a surface that works aesthetically with the rest of your kitchen, consider the kind of cooking you do too. If you often create meals with lots of dishes, for instance, you might want to use a heat-resistant material like Dekton so you don’t need to worry about finding a trivet for every dish that comes out of the oven.

Combining different surfaces is absolutely something you can do too. You might want cool marble for making pastry on but are worried about it staining, so could use just a strip of it along the end of an island. Or, if you always find that chopping boards are too small, create a ‘butcher’s block’ area instead using timber. Just make sure it’s a relatively soft wood if you’re planning to chop straight onto it or it’ll blunt your knives. For the same reason, an end-grain chopping block (which looks like a chequerboard of timber squares) is also a good option.

Hayley from Neptune York on appliances No doubt, as a cook, your oven and hob are going to be the two most important appliances in your kitchen.

Modern electric fan ovens offer lots of different options nowadays, from steaming (perfect if you like to cook fish and vegetables simply) to self-cleaning. I’ll often include at least one in a cook’s kitchen, even if they’d also like a more traditional Everhot or Aga range, so they have the option of more precise cooking as well as the extra oven space.

If you’re not including a range in your kitchen though, you’ll need to think about a separate hob too. Many cooks still prefer to cook on gas, because of the greater degree of control it offers over the intensity of the heat. But don’t discount ceramic and induction hobs out of hand.

They’re now faster to heat up, easier to clean and more precise in their controls. If you’re serious about your hob though, I’d say the ultimate indulgence would be a mixand-match design, letting you combine gas, induction and specialist barbecue and Teppanyaki (for Japanese-style cooking) surfaces.

Stefanie from Neptune Cambridge on layout No matter how big your kitchen, it’s a good idea to keep all the things you use most when you’re cooking within a relatively small area. That way, you’ll be able to roughly pivot between each zone without really needing to walk anywhere. It’ll also mean that you’re not accidentally dropping chopped vegetables on your way to the pan or carrying dripping colanders too far from the sink.

Unless you have a galley kitchen, this is where an island will come in most useful, because it’ll help you create that turning circle. Think about what you do most in the kitchen: are you a baker who spends a lot of time mixing and kneading and needs a wide space for rolling out pastry, or do you often make things like jams or risottos that mean you’re usually stood in front of the hob? Plan your island – and what goes on it – for purpose.

Above: Chichester kitchen painted in Cobble Suffollk chopping block, painted in Silver birch £1,055

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Right: Suffolk freestanding potboard, painted in Shale £1,090

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I N M Y K ITCH EN… The culinary team behind our café, The Provenist, share their tried-and-tested tips from their own kitchens.

“Try and include a few extra-wide and deep drawers in your kitchen. If, like me, you enjoy serving things on platters, they’re invaluable storage. I’d also recommend having a good, heavy marble pestle and mortar – it sounds simple, but it’s my most favourite piece of equipment.”

Georgie, nutritional therapist “Having an induction hob has really changed the game for me, and I’d always use one at home now.

And at work if I can! They’re just so efficient and easy to use, not to mention safer.”

Jay, chef “I’d definitely recommend choosing a really tough work surface. You’ll often see stainless-steel ones in professional kitchens, but try a quartz one at home. Not only do they look good, but from my own experience, they’re incredibly practical too. It means you can cook away without worrying about scratches and stains.”

Ross, resident chef at The Provenist in Bath

From layout and storage to the finer details, our kitchen designers will help you every step of the way. You’ll find them in all of our stores – just get in touch with your nearest to book your free initial appointment. neptune.com/our-stores 33

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R E V I V I NG THE PAST Our recently-opened Cambridge store shows why it’s so important to bring new life to old buildings.

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very Neptune store has its own unique charm, but our new Cambridge outpost has been more eagerly anticipated than most. You’ll find it in the pretty village of Harston, which lies five miles south of the ancient university town. Harston is a place with lots of history – it’s thought that it was once a hunting ground for Elizabeth I – and its long, winding high street is echoed by a narrow stretch of the River Cam meandering through. In the months before the store’s December opening, director Jasper Burnham was inundated with messages from locals excited about the new arrival. Jasper’s worked with Neptune for 13 years, but felt there was an extra buzz surrounding this launch. And there’s a simple reason why: it’s in a very special building.

We’ve known for a while that we wanted to open a store in Cambridge, and when the old Three Horseshoes Inn came up for sale, it was “too good an opportunity to miss,” says Jasper. Harston’s a place with lots of history, and the chance to lovingly restore one of its landmarks fitted perfectly with Neptune’s tradition of giving new life to old buildings

(our Bath store, housed in a Victorian tram station, and the Cheltenham store, set in a Georgian townhouse, are just two examples of how we’ve done this in the past).

Built in the early 19th century, the Three Horseshoes sits on the edge of the village, but in one way or another, it’s always been at the heart of everyday life. It’s one of the many bustling inns that have existed here since Tudor times, catering to travellers between Cambridge and London. Over the years, it’s been surrounded by all kinds of amenities – among them a general store, a tea room, a dovecote and a smithy – and the building itself has been occupied by various pub landlords, cafes and restaurants.

This chequered past had left it in a tired state, says head of design Fred Horlock, who oversaw the restoration and new store interiors. “Several unflattering extensions had been added, which we cleared away to reveal the original façade,” he explains. Now, with the frontage repainted in soft grey and a new wooden porch over the entrance, it feels as homely and welcoming as it must once have done to weary coach passengers in Victorian times.

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With the dated outbuildings removed, the inn’s sweeping views of the Cambridgeshire countryside magically came to life. “There’s a small garden in front and a field behind, so we’ve been able to create some amazing landscaping to show off our outdoor collections,” says Jasper. There was also space for a large extension at the back, which forms a subtle contrast with the inn’s smaller, cosier rooms.

“It’s a timber-clad design that’s linked to the inn by a glass walkway,” explains Fred. “It has a contemporary spin, so it reads as an obvious addition, not as something trying to blend in. The wood cladding means the two buildings sit naturally together.”

This aspect was crucial because, for us, restoring buildings is about creating harmony between past and present. “It’s hugely important to protect this kind of space for future generations to enjoy,” enthuses Fred. “It would have been much easier to knock everything down and start again, but you can’t recreate history, so we wanted to keep what we could.”

In the same way that we preserved as much of the original exterior as possible, inside, it was about revealing the best period features and bringing them up to date with a characterful feel. In the old inn rooms, you’ll spot cosy nooks under the eaves that have been given a fresh twist with inky-blue walls, our plumpest sofas and lots of sheepskins. Beautifully bare beams and brick fireplaces – now painted white – are among the timeless details to admire as you linger.

Fred and his team were keenly aware of how the old building could help visitors see their own homes in a new light. “One of the best things we did was to expose the chimney stacks,” he says. “This not only helps tie the room sets into the inn’s history, but also shows people how they can work with awkward features of their own – even in the smallest spaces.”

The team played on the contrasts between the old and new architecture, showing how the beauty of one enhances the other. “We based our design on four homely domestic spaces that each have their own character,” says Fred.

The Three Horseshoes in 1925, and auction papers from 1893 – both from the Harston Local History Group archives.

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“The older half of the store has more of a traditional, cosy feel with two ‘apartments’ split over two floors, while the new side is much more open, to reflect what you might see in a barn conversion or modern country home.

When we were furnishing the rooms, we chose colours and collections that complement the architecture – more rustic, deeper-toned pieces in the cosier spaces, and a lighter, pared-back palette in the modern areas.”

While Cambridge isn’t our first restoration project, it’s perhaps our most ambitious one so far. And it’s part of a much bigger commitment we’ve made to safeguarding our architectural heritage. As environmental issues become more urgent in every sphere of life, it’s vital that we make things last longer – not just furniture and fashion, but buildings, too. In this spirit, we’ve been working with forwardthinking developer Audley Villages (audleyvillages.co.uk) on furnishing show apartments at its retirement properties.

From Regency villas to Victorian gothic mansions, these

thoughtful conversions show how restoration and renewal can be put at the heart of modern housing projects.

“The buildings we rescue – whether abandoned stately homes, listed buildings or old schools – become the new focus of a location,” says Gaunt Francis, one of the company’s architects. “Our refits are seamless, as if built for purpose; the approach is to restore where the architecture demands and refurbish only where appropriate, so we’re celebrating the past while providing comfort and sustainability.”

Back at the Cambridge store, each visitor will find their own favourite spots to explore, whether it’s a white Suffolk country kitchen or a calm bedroom in soft blues and greys. For Fred, it’s an Olivia sofa next to a window with picturesque views. But what matters most about the place, he says, goes way beyond what’s arranged inside – it’s also about the memories it keeps alive for local residents. Or, as Gaunt puts it: “The more we rescue from the past, the less we damage the future.”

Amy Bradford is the former features director of ELLE Decoration. She's now a contributing editor to the title and also writes for The Telegraph Magazine and Stella.

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THE GOOD LIFE Life on the farm belonging to Neptune co-founder Giles and his wife Hannah is a constantly evolving lesson that crosses the generations and flows at nature’s pace.

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here’s a deceptively relaxed rhythm to life on the Wiltshire farm of Neptune co-founder Giles and his wife, Hannah. Partly thanks to the couple’s ‘give it a go’ mantra where everything is for trying and nothing is seen as a failure (not even when the crops are ravaged by caterpillars, as Giles wryly observes, “that’s when you learn you do need to cover them up before the bugs arrive”), and partly down to a respect for the seasonality of nature. And it’s an approach that’s stood them in good stead as they slowly turn their farm into a mostly self-supporting enterprise for themselves and their four children. It’s the same approach that Giles has to the business: being open to new ideas, always learning and retaining a respect for the bigger picture.

But the journey to sustainability on the farm began way before any vegetable plot took shape. It started with

the very fabric of the Victorian farmhouse which the couple painstakingly redesigned and rebuilt to suit their modern family life, re-using all the stone walls and timber from the old building and supplementing the beams and floorboards with oak from the woods adjacent to the house.

You can literally measure the new building’s sustainable footprint in footsteps.

Once the house was built, the couple focused on the land and how to develop a mostly organic, self-sustaining farm.

They’d both grown up with vegetable patches as children (“I spent my childhood weeding,” says Giles), and they were keen for their own children to learn to appreciate quality home-grown fruit and veg. “It’s about teaching our children the benefits of growing your own produce, and hopefully they’ll pass it on to the next generation,” says Hannah.

“It’s what our parents did with us.”

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Over the years, as the Neptune business has developed and grown, Giles has also expanded the farm to accommodate various enterprises, most recently the arrival of six nettle and thistle-eating goats which he hopes to breed. They join the farm’s 330 sheep (the farm keeps the local butchers well-stocked with lamb), one dog, three cats, ten chickens and eight ducks. And then there’s Hannah’s flower garden.

As a self-taught florist, Hannah has taken a childhood love of flowers and turned it into a business, filling vintage containers, which she finds at antiques fairs, with seasonal floral arrangements. It means the flower garden is an everchanging riot of colours and blooms. “I love the seasonality of flowers,” explains Hannah, “starting the year with tulips and irises, then the alliums arrive, and going right through to cutting down the cosmos in November.”

Meanwhile, the seasonality in the vegetable patch is more of a challenge. “It’s easy to grow veg through the summer months,” says Giles, “but it’s the off-season that’s the hard bit.” And some vegetables prove more testing than others. “Cabbages and sprouts can be quite tricky,” he adds, “because there are so many little beasties that like to munch on them!” But kale, spinach, leeks and squashes are all much easier. Salad ingredients like lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber also thrive under the family’s care, though they’re less sold on the ‘fancy’ varieties. “We were growing ‘Indigo Rose’ tomatoes which looked very cool but they don’t produce enough fruit,” says Hannah. “You’ll have a lovely plant that only produces ten tomatoes, and in my family, they’re gone within a minute!”

But it isn’t just the satisfaction of having grown and bred one’s own food (“That’s a basic human instinct,” says Giles) – there’s a real enjoyment in the process for the whole family.

The children are great pickers, if less good at weeding, while for Giles and Hannah, it’s the opportunity to share the harvest with family and friends. They’re also constantly learning. Whether it’s new recipes using whatever seasonal veg they suddenly have in abundance, or clever ways to outwit the foxes lurking around the hen run. The farm is a never-ending source of discovery.

And as his farming experience and expertise grows, there’s one aspect of self-sufficiency that Giles is unapologetically evangelical about, and that’s seed packets. Or rather the cut-and-come-again varieties such as Sutton Seeds’ ‘Salad Bowl’ lettuce. “£1.99 for 1,300 seeds. Brilliant!” he exclaims.

Or his other favourite, perpetual spinach: “It’s an absolute dream. You can grow it easily and you get loads of leaves.

Buy an old rustic bowl from a car boot sale and plant it up with salad leaves. It looks nice and you get to eat it!”

To follow the couple’s mantra, just give it a go!

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A STORY OF TEXTUR E The how, the where and the why to feature beautiful, natural sheepskin in your interior.

What’s curly, cosy and a completely natural accessory to have in your home? Sheepskin.

Whether in fashion or in homeware, shearling (as it’s interchangeably called) not only cocoons you up in woolly warmth, but introduces a can’t-help-but-touch texture to your wardrobe or home. So read on for the lowdown on sheepskin need-to-knows…

Singing shearling’s praises When it comes to wool, there’s a tendency to think it’s a wintery exclusive. After all, snug-as-a-bug and summer sun don’t tend to go hand in hand. Yet one of wool’s many (many) qualities is that is’s so very breathable. The hollow fibres trap in warmth when you need it most, but release it just as easily when the thermometer rises. It’s why sheepskin is so popular as a lining in children’s prams and pushchairs.

Different as it may be to woollen yarn – sheepskin isn’t blended or woven, but is the by-product of sheared fleece and hide – the fibres are one of the same breed, sharing the exact same properties. It’s resistant to bacteria because of the natural lanolin oils found in sheep’s wool that act as a kind of self-cleaning service; it activates the body’s blood circulation and immune system when touched, helping you to feel more relaxed and regenerated; it’s even been known to help heal sensitive or irritated skin; and, of course, it’s entirely natural. To name a few.

Styling with sheepskins Variation is the name of the texture game. Keeping all of your cushions and throws in classic fabrics can feel predictable and may fall a bit flat unless you mix up your textile types. Our go-to places to feature sheepskin?

Think rugs draped over dining benches and the backs of chairs to give you something comforting to lean into or sit upon; or imagine the largest of our Tussock cushions stacked behind pillows on a bed instead of an Oxford-edged square sort; and the longest of the Tussock rugs as a bedside companion so the first and last thing your toes touch is something sumptuously soft.

Knowing a good thing when you see it Like with anything, shapes, sizes and sorts of sheepskin are bountiful. Separating the wheat from the chaff generally calls for a spot of due diligence on your part. Elise from our design team advises: “If you’re considering sheepskin, one of the first areas to investigate is sourcing to be certain that it’s a by-product. From here, delve deeper into the making process so that you can be assured it’s not been overwhelmed with chemicals in the finishing process to undo its natural pedigree. And finally, ask questions about the breed of sheep. Not only will this inform you how the fibres may change over time (some become coarser for example or may shed more easily), but it tells you the whole product story which will make you appreciate it all the more.”

Take a look at our newest Tussock sheepskin cushions and rugs as well as our long-time favourites, British-made Herdwick and Southdown rugs on our website or at your local Neptune store. neptune.com/our-stores

Opposite: Tussock sheepskin rug £125 double rug £250 large cushion £300 and small cushion £170 Eloise ottoman, Imogen

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Holkham Sand £610 Sefton throw, Rust £175 wall painted in Silver Birch and Chestnut matte emulsion from £38 for 2.5l

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Aroma your home Our homes can help us live better, says wellness author and founder of JOGB Living, Jo Glanville-Blackburn.

Here, she reveals why embracing the power of nature’s scents will enhance our surroundings.

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alk in, shut the door, drop your bags and relax.

When the world is in its constant state of flux, home is the one place of comfort, security, safety and peace where we can reconnect with our emotions.

Home is our safety net: our harmony hotspot. It indulges all the senses, yet the easiest way to instantly transform the atmosphere in your home – and yourself – is with aroma.

Aromas constantly suffuse our living space. Whether your home smells of freshly cut flowers, furniture polish or wet dog, familiarity gives comfort: it’s your home. Yet, we underestimate the subliminal impact everyday scents have on our psyche. Our innate sense of smell is powerfully evocative because the olfactory system is like the fast track to our brain, our emotional epicentre, and the key to our heart. This is due to thousands of smell receptors in the nasal passage directly linked to the limbic system that processes every emotional memory stored from when we were young. Faster than broadband, we each have a

unique scent fingerprint, but even more subconscious is the comfort, joy and security that positive aroma associations have on our wellbeing. For some, it might be the smell of a vanilla sponge that brings back memories of a loving mother’s embrace; or that the smell of freshly-cut grass reminds you of picnics during long summer holidays. For me, it’s woodsmoke, rekindling early evenings spent by my late father’s side, stoking the garden bonfire with a stick. As a result, I’m obsessed with woody aromas such as sandalwood and cedar, which I use in my candles.

Fundamentally, it’s about bringing nature back into your home by embracing purer botanical aromas that make us feel more secure and comforted, not the otherwise chemically-deodorised scents. These supposedly ‘purify’ our air, but actually release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – airborne chemicals that can affect the nervous system, causing headaches, nausea and asthma.

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“I love to add a sneaky couple of ‘ invisible’ aromatic drops of my favourite essential oils on the inside seam of a cushion, to curtain hems, on an ornament, in a vase, or to water to spray over logs and linen.”

Plant essential oils, aka aromatherapy, have the power Be a home environmentalist to work deeply on multiple levels both emotionally and First, take yourself off into the wild, or to a garden centre physically. Individually, they each have a unique signature – any space filled with ripe, botanical energy – and immerse and vibration that connects to our nervous system via the your senses in natural notes to find the elements you truly brain. This is the reason we’ll inevitably have a personal connect with. Run your fingertips through bushes of connection with certain notes throughout our life, starting wintry evergreens, rosemary, cypress, lavender and thyme; from young. By infusing nature’s essences into your crush a vibrant little leaf of geranium or sage between your home, you can create a positive, beneficial effect on the fingertips. Now steal a moment to determine what stirs you ambience and your mood, especially mid-winter. Every within: it’ll certainly connect with your past and make you time we breathe, we inhale – around 25,000 times a day. feel snug and ‘at home’ in yourself. Is it a woodland, fireside, Time to breathe a little better, to energise your home and conifer moment like me? Are you happiest cooking in the engage with your senses, naturally. kitchen with fresh fruits, herbs and spices? Or perhaps you yearn for that bouquet of jasmine, hyacinth or orange blossom (neroli). Wherever your choice takes you, that’s your core, your sense of belonging, your go-to – your home.

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Smells like home R EFR ESHING Citrus oils are refreshing and uplifting against anxiety, especially sweet orange and grapefruit.

GROU NDING Grasses and leaves are grounding and tend to have deep, warm, rich aromas. Try West Indian bay, vetiver and patchouli.

PER SPECTIV E Pine and conifers tend to evoke a sense of expansion and perspective and the outdoors.

ENERGISING Herbal oils are clearing for the mind and energising. I would suggest cardamom, peppermint, sweet basil or rosemary.

CONTENTMENT Flowers, like geranium, ylang-ylang and lavender, are tonics for the heart, and evoke contentment and good spirits.

WA R M I N G Spices are warming and activating and can be great maverick notes. Try clove and pink pepper.

CALMING Resins – frankincense, myrrh and elemi – are very protective and calming.

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Scent your space Using notes from nature, you can transform your home into a natural retreat.

Welcome The first impression of your home is that step through the door. How does it make you feel? How do your guests feel?

My own home is full of the aroma of our pure candle oils that burn as a harmony trio in the hallway. Place candles and diffusers in the entrance of your home as the ultimate sensory hug hello.

Bathe Add a cosier feel to darker evenings with an indulgent, soporific bath of Himalayan bath salts and a relaxing blend of vetiver, melissa and chamomile essential oils, then take long, deep abdominal breaths to help reduce any feelings of anxiety or exhaustion. To boost confidence, try sandalwood and ylang-ylang; to balance, choose geranium and orange; to seduce, rose, ylang-ylang and patchouli are perfect.

Entertain From dinner dates to parties, make sharing your living Sleep space a mood-enhancing experience. Choose buoyant and Lower the lights, snuggle down: warmth and comfort are upbeat citrus oils like mandarin, lemon and grapefruit, and key to helping improve the quality of your sleep. Choose use them en masse by adding two drops of each to a diffuser relaxing notes that appeal, such as lavender, rose, geranium, or dish of hot water an hour before guests arrive. Or, if it’s a and ylang-ylang, either alone in a diffuser or mixed as a romantic evening for two, choose a blend of rose, ambrette blend. Add your chosen oils to a clean plant spray (used seed and sandalwood to set the scene. Why not simmer for indoor plants), shake well then spritz high in the air some scent? I love to fill a saucepan with red wine, oranges, over pillows, sheets and towels from a distance of cloves, nutmeg and a cinnamon stick, and leave gently two–three feet. Alternatively, add neat drops to a favourite simmering on a low heat while the delicious aroma fills not ornament (such as a small vase) or an electronic diffuser only the kitchen but the entire home with that wonderfully for half an hour before lights out to naturally make a room wintry, mulling scent. As a kitchen refresh, I always squirt smell more relaxing. lemon juice down the sink to make it smell healthier too.

Jo Glanville-Blackburn is a wellness author and journalist, and founder of candle and lifestyle company JOGB Living, jogbliving.com

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Edith Wharton R EDISCOV E R ED

Famed American novelist Edith Wharton started her career as an interior designer. A chance discovery of her first book, an anthology of home design, catches interiors expert Suzanne Imre by surprise – and then delight – when she finds the author’s (mostly) modern approach to decoration.

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urled up with a good book has always been my default position.

What’s better than wasting away a few hours, transported to another world, time or drama and then re-surfacing, feeling moved, inspired or on edge, depending on the book in hand?

I tend to go through phases, from historical autobiographies to gritty detective dramas to everything in-between, and it was in the 1990s that I first discovered the novels of America’s ‘First Lady of Letters’ and Pulitzer Prize winner, Edith Wharton. Inspired, no doubt, by Martin Scorsese’s 1993 emotionally-charged film based on her novel, The Age of Innocence, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder and Michelle Pfeiffer, and featuring evermemorable interiors, from cigar-stuffy, crimson, New York drawing rooms and Countess Olenksa’s seductively exotic parlour to airy, palm-filled Rhode Island conservatories. And so, as an interiors editor who spent my days looking at beautiful homes, I became an Edith Wharton fan by night, devouring her novels in rapid succession. And that, I thought, was the end of the story.

And so it was, until recently, when I stumbled upon a tome which revealed why I’d been instinctively drawn to Wharton’s writing. For long before Wharton was a much-feted novelist, she was an established interior designer and the author of The Decoration of Houses (along with co-writer Ogden Codman, Jr). Suddenly it made sense. The richly descriptive homes in her novels were thanks to her designer’s eye, and those evocative, carefully-painted backdrops to the characters’ stifled Victorian passions spoke to the interiors buff in me.

But the surprises didn’t stop there. For rather than having a Victorian primness to her design vision, writing back in 1897, Wharton is as refreshingly modern as if she’d been writing over one hundred years later. There in black and white, her ideas leap-frog a century, and while her delivery is, at times, rather school-marm-ish (“nothing has done more to vulgarise interior decoration than the general use of gas and electricity in the living rooms of modern houses…it makes the salon look like a railway station, the dining room like a restaurant”), her love of restraint (“the simplicity and dignity of a good room are diminished by crowding it with useless trifles”), and proportion (“symmetry…may be defined as the sanity of decoration”) is thoroughly contemporary.

In fact, Wharton’s take isn’t dissimilar to Neptune’s interior philosophy, based on timeless style and comfort, and quality craftsmanship. She rejects ornate, Victorian interiors and sniffs at the fashion for “dubious eclecticism”,

“The simplicity and dignity of a good room are diminished by crowding it with useless trifles”

“it is safe to say that the fewer the colours used in a room, the more pleasing and restful the result will be.

A multiplicity of colours produces the same effect as a number of voices talking at the same time.”

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which was so popular at the time in New York smart society. Instead, Wharton favours simple, thoughtful schemes where “decoration is always subservient to proportion” and furniture had the “solid qualities of good material, good design and good workmanship”. She writes, “it is safe to say that the fewer the colours used in a room, the more pleasing and restful the result will be. A multiplicity of colours produces the same effect as a number of voices talking at the same time.”

Nor is she fond of overly-decorated spaces: for Wharton, a stair carpet should be of only one colour, artworks should never be hung against a backdrop of pattern (“the overlaying of pattern is always a mistake”), and hall furniture should simply consist of benches or straight-backed chairs and a marble-topped table or console. Not so different to a Neptune hallway, circa 2020.

When it comes to bedrooms, she’s practically Scandi in her approach. “Now that people have been taught the unhealthiness of sleeping with stuff hangings, heavy window draperies and tufted furniture, the old fashion for painted walls and bare floors naturally commends itself,” she states, as she eschews the mode for “papered walls and nailed down carpets”. And fussy, voluminous Victorian curtain treatments, which are often more decorative than functional, are firmly rejected. “Lingerie effects do not combine well with architecture, and the more architecturally a window is treated, the less it need be dressed up in ruffles.”

But Wharton is also critical of some design ideas popular with the modern decorator, not least Crittal-style window partitions and extending tables. Of glass walls, she bemoans: “the indifference to privacy which has sprung up in modern times, and which in France, for instance, has given rise to the grotesque conceit of putting sheets of plate-glass between rooms”. While English designers don’t escape her caustic pen when it comes to tables: “Of the dining table, as we now know it, little needs to be said,” she remarks, before adding cuttingly, “the ingenious but ugly extension table with a central support, now used all over the world, is an English invention.” Pass the smelling salts.

And of course, while The Decoration of Houses has chapters dedicated to all the key rooms of a smart Victorian home (think ballroom, schoolroom and morning room) there’s one room, central to our modern way of living, that doesn’t even get a mention: the humble kitchen. A reminder, then, of how times have changed, and worth considering for a moment what Edith Wharton would have made of the room that has become the heart of the modern home.

With her love of simple, honest craftsmanship and understated elegance, I suspect she would have rather approved of a Neptune kitchen.

“Now that people have been taught the unhealthiness of sleeping with stuff hangings, heavy window draperies and tufted furniture, the old fashion for painted walls and bare floors naturally commends itself ”

“Lingerie effects do not combine well with architecture, and the more architecturally a window is treated, the less it need be dressed up in ruffles.”

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Getting to know

Edith Wharton Wharton didn’t published her first novel until she was 40, but from then on, she was a prolific writer, exploring society’s rigid rules and characters’ unspoken passions, played out against backdrops of precise manners and elegant homes.

The Age of Innocence explores a love triangle, featuring the innocent (or is she?) May Welland as she prepares for marriage to the upright Newland Archer, whose uptight internal life has been shaken by an unexpected passion for May’s disgraced aunt, the Countess Olenska. It’s a battle between love and duty, and a social commentary on the times when duty nearly always won.

The House of Mirth charts the tragic life of the bright, independent and uncompromising Lily Bart as she tries to find her way in a strict system that demands loveless marriage in exchange for social acceptability and security.

The Custom of the Country (an inspiration for Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey) follows nouveau riche Mid-Westerner Undine Spragg as she breaks into polite society and leaves a trail of destruction across the salons of New York and Paris in pursuit of ambition and greed.

Suzanne Imre is an interiors and brand expert and content consultant. For 17 years, she was the editor of iconic modern homes magazine Livingetc.

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In the kitchen Traditionally, winter recipes are a hearty affair. Made to comfort and cosset, stews and bakes aplenty will leave you feeling warm and nourished, and your spirit ready to face the icy weather. But this is a season of two halves: the rich with the fresh, the warming with the zingy, the soothing with the uplifting. Late winter brings us the crisp crunch of chicory and the joyfully pink stalks of forced Yorkshire rhubarb as much as it serves up robust root vegetables with cheesy toppings. Which is why our recipes in this volume – created by Georgie, the nutritional therapist behind the menu at our café, The Provenist – tell a tale of both.

Happy cooking and, more importantly, happy feasting.

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WA R M P U Y L E N T I L S A L A D with red chicory, long-stemmed broccoli and soft boiled eggs Makes: enough for four as a starter or side dish Put aside: at least an hour for soaking and an hour for prepping and cooking

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

W H AT TO D O

200g puy lentils 150g shallots 140g red chicory (about three small heads) 100g long-stemmed broccoli 2 cloves of garlic 1 litre vegetable stock 15g fresh parsley 5g fresh thyme 10g fresh mint 15ml balsamic vinegar 1 tsp honey 1 lemon zested and juiced 4 eggs 15ml olive oil

1 Start by soaking the lentils in cold water for at least an hour, then drain and pour them into a large saucepan and cover with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and cook for about 15 minutes (the longer you soak them, the quicker they cook so keep an eye out for them). They should be tender but not mushy. Drain your lentils and rinse them under the tap before tipping them back into the saucepan.

2 Whilst your lentils are cooking, pre-heat your oven to 180°C, then place your eggs in boiling water and cook for six minutes. Run under cold water, peel and put aside.

3 Next, finely slice the shallots and garlic and add them to a saucepan with a little of the oil and the thyme, and allow to cook until soft – they’ll take about 15 minutes. Once they’re translucent, add in the balsamic vinegar and honey and cook down until the liquid has evaporated. Pour the shallots into the lentils, add in the lemon juice and zest along with the chopped parsley and mint, and season with salt and pepper.

4 Arrange the broccoli on a small, lined baking tray and drizzle with a little oil before baking in the oven for about eight minutes, until they’re beginning to char and feel tender.

5 To assemble your salad, break up the chicory leaves and cut any larger leaves in half lengthways. Warm the lentils on a gentle heat (you may want to add in a little more olive oil at this point) and check the seasoning. Stir the chicory and broccoli through the lentils, place on a large serving plate and top with the eggs, cut into halves.

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SMOK ED HA DDOCK, SW EDE & CE L ER I AC GR AT I N Makes: enough for eight Put aside: two hours and ten minutes, including an hour and ten for baking and ten for cooling

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

W H AT TO D O

1 large swede (about 600g) 1 large celeriac (about 850g) 3 cloves of garlic 2 leeks washed and trimmed 150g gruyère cheese grated 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 10g fresh thyme 15g fresh chives 1 bay leaf 100g spinach 300g smoked haddock (undyed) 250ml crème fraiche 200ml good quality vegetable stock

1 Start by washing and peeling the celeriac and swede.

Then, using either a mandolin or very carefully with a knife, slice both into thin rounds (a little tip, if you’re using a knife, is to slice one end off first so they sit flat while you’re chopping). Set aside the celeriac. Bring a large saucepan to the boil and blanch the swede for about eight minutes before taking it out to drain and cool in a colander.

2 Now, roughly chop your leeks and garlic and sauté them in a little oil with the thyme until they’re soft and translucent. Once cooked, turn the heat down, add in the bay leaf, mustard, stock and crème fraiche and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir through the spinach, chopped chives and 100g of the gruyère cheese, and season well with salt and pepper.

3 Next, dice the haddock into roughly one-inch chunks, and lightly grease an oven-proof dish (about 28 by 23cm) with a little oil.

4 You can now start building your gratin. Begin with the swede and celeriac, laying them in the bottom of the dish. Follow these with the haddock before topping with the stock mixture. Continue building your layers until you reach the top of the dish, then finish with a sprinkle of the leftover cheese.

5 Bake your gratin in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40 minutes. Take a peek and, if it looks like it’s colouring too quickly, cover it in foil before returning it to the oven for a further 30 minutes. Check the vegetables are cooked and tender with a knife, then remove your gratin from the oven and allow it to stand for at least ten minutes before cutting it into portions.

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R H U BA R B TA RT E TAT I N with vanilla yoghurt Makes: enough for eight Put aside: 35 minutes for prepping and serving, and 25 minutes for baking

W H AT YO U ’ L L N E E D

W H AT TO D O

400g forced rhubarb 100g coconut (or soft, light brown) sugar plus 1-2 tbsp extra 1 vanilla pod split lengthways, seeds scraped out 100g ground almonds 500g block of puff pastry 1 egg beaten About 200g Greek yoghurt to serve

1 Start by chopping your rhubarb stalks into pieces about 4–5cm long (make them a little longer if your stalks are especially slim). Combine them together in a bowl with the sugar and half the vanilla seeds, then set to one side.

2 Preheat your own to 220°C, gas mark seven. Roll out your block of pastry to around 30cm round and the thickness of a pound coin, then transfer it to a large, parchment-lined baking tray. Scatter the ground almonds in the centre, leaving a 5cm border, and arrange the rhubarb on top.

3 Fold in the border so it overlaps some of the filling but so the centre’s still open, then brush the pastry with beaten egg and scatter over the extra sugar.

4 Place your galette in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes, and in the meantime, mix the Greek yoghurt with the remaining vanilla seeds.

5 Once it’s done chilling, bake your galette on the bottom shelf of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 190°C, gas mark five, and continue cooking for another 15–20 minutes until the pastry is golden and the base crisp. Let your galette sit for ten minutes or so (or leave it to cool completely) before serving it with the vanilla yoghurt.

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BOOK CLUB

Character, texture and mood are just some of the rewards of breathing new life into an old building. We asked Country Life’s Giles Kime – who recently dragged an Arts and Crafts house kicking and screaming into the 21st century – to suggest a few sources of inspiration for anyone planning to embark on this exciting journey

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THE NEW OLD HOUSE

By Marc Kristal (Abrams & Lincoln) No one needs to be reminded of the importance of recycling, particularly when creating a home. While it’s easy to be wowed by gleaming new houses, they can create a huge carbon footprint compared to a sensitively-restored period house. This beautifully illustrated book focuses on properties from the Cotswolds to Connecticut that combine aspects of the two, thanks to a combination of crafty restoration and modernist intervention. There are plenty of examples of how a contrast between old and new is at the heart of the appeal of this exciting approach.

ENGLISH HOUSE STYLE

By John Goodall (Rizzoli) This new book charts the history of English interiors through the pages of Country Life magazine. It’s all here, from Romanesque and Gothic, through to modern and postmodern. Over successive centuries, ideas disappear only to be reinvented by later generations. It’s this aspect of interior design that’s perhaps the most exciting and, for anyone planning a project, it demonstrates that only very rarely is there anything that’s truly new.

THE INTERIORS OF CHESTER JONES

By Henry Russell (Merrell) Before launching his own interior design practice, Chester Jones was at the helm of Colefax and Fowler, an iconic name in classic English design. Trained as an architect, he’s the master of a sympathetic refurbishment – his thinking is heavily influenced by the Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, who believed that, as much as possible, a building should reveal its past. The result is that his projects have a distinctive mood thanks to his ability to artfully combine new and old. There are lessons for us all in the pages of this wonderful book.

UPGRADE

By Gestalten This book not only demonstrates the exciting possibilities of bringing an old building to life, it also proves that almost any structure can be transformed into an elegant, comfortable living space. From boatsheds and barns to churches and industrial buildings, there’s plenty of inspiration. Yet the focus isn’t just limited to major architectural projects. Need to turn a garage into a guest house? Or your garden shed into a playroom? In this engaging book, you’ll find plenty of ideas for a wealth of different scenarios, both big and small.

Giles Kime is the executive editor of Country Life and lives in the Hampshire countryside. Previously, he was the deputy editor of Homes & Gardens.

SOUNDTRACK TO THE SEASON

A regular since our very-first volume, you’ll find our soundtrack for late winter 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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JULES & HER REAL NEPTUNE HOME The owner of this country idyll is hardly a stranger to Neptune. Having furnished much of her former Marlow property with our pieces, she went on to work as a home specialist at Neptune Reading. But it was a run-down barn in Suffolk that next caught her eye.

Step inside the home of Jules and her family of five – husband Paul; grown-up children Samuel, Alyce and Grace; and Coco the bichon frisÊ. Their 200-year-old barn is buried deep in the Suffolk countryside close to the medieval town of Lavenham, and has been transformed from ramshackle ruin to a welcoming family home.

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L

ike so many of our real Neptune home stories, Jules’ property marked the beginning of an extensive project. Under her watchful eye, the barn was taken right back to its carcass to be renovated from the ground up, turning it into what it is today. Works began back in 2017 and it is only in the last few months that the family have been able to hand over the keys to their temporary Henleyon-Thames property and settle in Suffolk.

“I always knew this was going to be my own version of a Neptune home,” Jules recalls. “I had figured out many years ago that the quality and the promise of timelessness are completely dependable, and so it was very much a heart and head decision to use Neptune from top to toe. I could hardly wait.”

With over 3,000 sq. feet to play with, the family decided to relocate the kitchen to make the most of the two expansive reception spaces. Location settled, the design process could unfurl. Having always thought she would one day have a Suffolk kitchen, it was the update on the classic Henley kitchen that swayed Jules’ mind. “I adore Suffolk, and still do, but when the painted Henley was launched I knew that was the one. Straight away, I pictured those Black-Bronze handles in a space with Crittall windows and I was all aflutter!” she said, laughing.

Jules worked alongside kitchen designer Christina at Neptune Reading who took what was a very simple wishlist – Jules asked for just two things: a Neptune kitchen and a sizeable island – and came up with a scheme that worked wonders. “There were lots of challenges with the property, such as wonky walls, sloped ceilings and beams that we couldn’t remove or cover, which meant we had to have largely base cabinets,” Jules explained. “She designed our kitchen in a way that still feels abundant in storage. My dream island is there – all three metres of it – and we have a section at the end for a full-height fridge-freezer cabinet and our beautiful bi-fold larder. It’s such a fabulous use of space.”

With six Montague bar stools gathered around the kitchen

island, the comfort of a woodburning stove and a George sofa made for sharing, it’s no surprise that Jules describes her kitchen as “the heart and soul of our family home.”

But Jules did far from stop there. She carried the Neptune aesthetic through from flooring and furniture choices to paint and lighting. Downstairs, you’ll find the Branscombe limestone flagstones in every room: upstairs, you’ll stumble upon his and hers Chichester washstands in bathrooms alongside Kennet marble tiles, and beds such as the statement Wardley four-poster.

There’s a boot room as well as a bijou Chichester laundry room just off the kitchen painted in Cobble (“Such a seamless transition and yet a refreshing contrast at the same time,” Jules commented) that gives the kitchen some breathing room, and reception rooms filled with four Neptune sofas and a scattering of armchairs as you roam from top to bottom. “One of my most cherished parts of the day is sitting in my George armchair on the mezzanine landing and looking out onto the garden with a magazine in hand and a cup of tea on the Carter side table. Heaven,” Jules told us. And there’s a total of over nine hues of Neptune paint, ranging from Snow-painted kitchen cabinetry and ceilings in every room to guest bedrooms in Cactus and Teal, inglenook fireplaces in Charcoal, a Juniper master ensuite and Smoke in the stairwell recesses for lighting and the mezzanine study – to name just a few. It really is quite the remarkable Neptune showcase, but made personal and individual to the family’s way of living. Jules has interpreted the look completely, through her exploratory use of colour to her mix of furniture aesthetics.

“I can’t quite explain just how incredible life feels to finally be in and able to call this our home. When the builders had packed up and gone for good in July, we sat in the garden – on our Harrington sofa – and said just how lucky we are to have been able to do this. Neptune has helped us make this the home we’ve always wanted, and the home that everyone flocks to. It’s brought our barn to life.”

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What’s your favourite thing to do in your new kitchen?

“Breaking bread as a family. We have a formal dining room but we now only eat in there on special occasions.

This is where we all want to be.”

What’s your favourite part of the new kitchen and why?

“The bi-fold countertop cabinet that’s effectively our larder and hidey-hole for the coffee machine. My island is in joint-first place too, of course.”

What could you now not live without?

“My Everhot – it’s just so good. It’s so easy once you get the hang of it and, for me, it’s a thing of beauty.”

Share your home’s story Enjoy plenty more real homes stories on our journal, and if you have your very own Neptune interior and would like to tell your story, tag us on Instagram with #realneptunehomes or email us at yourstories@neptune.com 63

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The season of the living room

Late winter can only mean one thing: it’s time to hibernate. So, before thoughts turn to spring, make the most of the dark evenings and frosty days in a living room that speaks of comfort and cosiness from top to toe.

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More than anything else, lighting will help you set the tone. Try our Brompton Antique Brass desk lamp, £140

Brass accents add warmth, while mirror makes the most of the low winter sun. Fleming 89cm mirror, £190

Another essential moodcreator, with a pine forest-meets-fireside scent.

Huxley Landscape candle, £37

Make a snug statement with layers of wool and linen. Scatter cushions, from £65 An extra perch for when movie night turns into a full house. Madeleine chair, from £420

Surround yourself with a rich shade on every wall. Chestnut matte emulsion, from £38 for 2.5l

A gleaming brass table to keep books and glasses of wine close by.

Keswick coffee table £785

Gather everyone close for evenings in on our laidback Long Island corner sofa. From £4,365

You’ll find even more designs for creating a welcoming home this winter online and in any one of our stores – just head to neptune.com/our-stores to search for your nearest.

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TA LK I NG TO

Georgina

In this exclusive Q&A, get to know Georgina (or George, as she generally goes by) who heads up the team of creative souls that style our stores into places to call home.

Visual merchandising, or VM, is an industry term that not everybody is au fait with. So, if you had to summarise your role, how would you explain it?

It’s all about showing the brand at its very best and enhancing the store experience. One part of the role is very logistical, but the other side centres on customer experience and coming up with ways to wow our customers. These days, you have to work hard to encourage people to come into store. That’s what inspires me and my team – what’s going to make customers think it was worth the journey and absolutely worth coming back again and again.

How did you get into the field? Where did it all start for you?

In Harrods in Knightsbridge. I used to dress the windows and was encouraged to think theatrically, so we had things like a fridge window where we’d hang pheasants at Christmas, or I’d completely fill a window with real flowers and moss. From there, I worked at Heal’s which taught me about blending contemporary and classic home furnishings, Fortnum & Mason’s where I installed Alice in Wonderland-style Christmas displays, The White Company for seven years, and Soho House. I learnt something different at every beautiful brand and then brought everything I’d experienced over the years to Neptune, where I’ve been for the last five years.

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Does it takes a particular type of person to work in VM? You need to be someone who’s a through and through creative, but if you can think commercially too that will really propel you. There’s a school of thought that, if it looks beautiful, people will want to invest in it, and while there’s truth in that, you also need to think beyond what’s beautiful. For example, I like the team to work closely with the marketing department to make sure the online and offline experiences marry. If you see something in a Neptune advert in a magazine, it makes sense to try to reflect that tone in store so there’s a common thread between all of our storytelling that makes it clearer and more enjoyable for the customer.

And finally, as somebody who styles for a living, what three areas of advice would you give anybody decorating their home?

Don’t underestimate the power of colour – it deserves deep contemplation and lots of conversations to know you’ve What tempted you to Neptune? chosen wisely. Go for a defined look when you’re styling rather I knew Neptune very well so was already attracted to the brand, than trying to do too much, otherwise everything will merge the product and the vision. But it was the prospect of being and it’ll feel like there’s no direction – do more with less. And able to set up a team and make a real step change. I wanted to invest in lighting. When you layer your lighting and make it develop a way to tell seasonal stories in our stores. Now, I’m as adaptable as possible, it gives you the freedom to fine-tune so proud of what an incredibly close-knit and talented team of the mood, the time of day and the occasion. creatives and stylists I have under my wing looking after every Neptune store across the UK and Europe.

Is there one thing that you love most about your job?

What I’ve just been doing – opening a new store, this time in Cambridge. It’s so rewarding. My team and I have transformed the space with room sets and stories, carved out experience areas and retail sections, and created all the warm, cosy and comforting things that make our stores feel like proper homes.

Is there a standout season that you enjoyed creating?

Earlier this year, when we launched Chawton [our first freestanding, modular cabinetry collection]. We set it up in a few stores such as Neptune Fulham, Bath and Edgbaston, and made the rooms so atmospheric. We used a vintage record player with soft jazz on repeat, a log-burning stove, our Landscape fragrance and dim pockets of light to make the room really immersive. It takes your breath away.

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RE ACHING NEW HEIGHTS

By John McCarthy

Two years ago, Neptune co-founder John began mentoring Neil, an ex-soldier who lost both his legs in Iraq. Here, they talk with journalist and former Lebanese hostage John McCarthy about the journey they’ve all shared since then and the challenges they’re looking forward to.

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IN

2004, just 24 years old, Neil Heritage was serving with

Neil wasn’t expected to walk again, but thanks to modern

the Royal Signals in Iraq when he had both legs blown

prosthetics – and phenomenal will power – after five years, he was

off by a suicide bomber. How could you come to terms with such a terrible and terrifying event?

Neil smiles gently, nods and says, with remarkable understatement, “Obviously it was a shock. I didn’t see it coming, it just happened… and that was it, yeah.”

I didn’t see my Lebanese kidnappers coming and can now look back at those long hostage years as something that ‘just happened’. But I came home physically intact, able to restart my life immediately. I’m awed by Neil’s lack of bitterness or self-pity.

doing just that.

But he didn’t stop there, deciding to join a team to row the Atlantic. An extraordinary challenge for a fully-fit, experienced rower, but for a double-amputee? Why did he do it?

“I was pretty well rehabbed physically, but not quite there mentally, so the row was about getting some confidence back.”

John cuts in teasingly, “You didn’t know how far it was, did you?” Both men erupt in laughter.

Their banter touches me – shared humour was a vital part of life with my fellow hostages.

“To be honest, what happened should have killed me, so my outlook is everything is a bit of a bonus – get the most out of having more days than I’m owed.”

John turns to me, “On top of what he’s come through, Neil is always looking to help others. That rowing team included other wounded veterans – raising money to help others still in rehab.”

Leaving the army in 2006, Neil had no real plan. After a brief

We’re in the elegant Neptune kitchen of John’s house. There’s clearly a strong rapport between the two men, who met two years ago. They laugh easily and listen intently as the other speaks.

spell as a financial advisor, he worked as a school sports coach and went on to be a fitness trainer.

Likewise, John had no clear career path to follow in civilian

John, some ten years older than Neil, served in the Coldstream

life. With little understanding of the financial world, he saw

Guards in the Far East and Northern Ireland. The three of us share

that his strengths lay in lessons learned in the army: teamwork

memories of living in a state of constant tension – me in captivity,

and planning.

John and Neil on the frontline – and how a sense of optimism helped during the toughest times.

Given his experience in the army and as a successful businessman, the charity Supporting Wounded Veterans thought that John could be a good mentor to Neil.

“I thought Neil would be teaching me things, not the other

“People said industry was a dog eat dog world, but esprit de corps was probably the thing I loved most in the army and I wanted to recreate that in a commercial environment – build a successful business, but one which aimed to improve things.”

way around! But having found ways of taking my life forward since leaving the army, maybe I could help Neil with his plans,” he explains.

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John started selling hammocks, then garden furniture, with his friend and Neptune co-founder Giles. It wasn’t long before

His determination, his energy, is amazing – where does it come from?

garden furniture morphed into kitchens, and the Neptune brand was born.

“The Neptune journey has evolved,” admits John. “Initially, it was about survival, keeping afloat. It was then about making the product in the best possible way. Then thinking how we could be

“I don’t want to be defined by that incident.

That was a split second in my life. I want to look back and know I went on and did something worthwhile.”

more supportive of our team. And now there’s the environment – our supply chain stretches to Asia. What can we do to leave the

John looks at Neil as he speaks, head bowed slightly, listening.

world a slightly better place?”

“Neil’s story is inspirational. It helps us think ‘maybe I can do

Clearly, John has a refreshing approach to business.

that’. And that’s all you need – to think ‘Maybe I can do that, to

“Numbers need to add up,” he says, “but only so we can do

challenge yourself to do more, do better.”

what we want and need to do. What’s exciting is how we take our ideas forward as a team.”

John has been sharing that philosophy with Neil in developing his charity, Climb2Recovery.

Neil explains, “The basic concept is to get people who’ve been wounded physically or mentally to learn a new activity.

“We’ve focussed on climbing, but it’s much more about making friends. Some of these guys haven’t been outside for months. Now they’re meeting up regularly.”

Indeed, knowing the challenge of life-changing experiences, I think I’d be taking life a bit easier if I were him. So what are his plans for 2020, I wonder?

“Well, next July there’s another go at the Matterhorn.”

“Wow!” I say.

“Yes,” Neil continues, “and this time John’s going to come as well!”

John laughs, “Initially I just wanted to support Neil, but now he’s dragging me up the mountain. It’s going to be an interesting challenge!”

“Climb2Recovery builds an incredible esprit de corps.”

John enthuses. “They talk about climbing and that leads to sharing their trauma. It’s about knowing you’re not alone.”

Indeed.

“Yes,” Neil says, completely deadpan. “And then in August I’ll be kayaking down the Amazon.”

I look at John, who shrugs, smiles and nods.

Climbing strikes me as an incredibly difficult sport for someone who’s lost both legs. But Neil designed special prosthetics that give him greater sensory response when on a rock face. He’s already made two attempts to summit the Matterhorn.

John McCarthy CBE is a journalist, writer and broadcaster who was held captive during the Lebanon hostage crisis. John was the UK's longest-held hostage in Lebanon, where he was a prisoner for more than five years.

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So much more than a store Our stores are more than just places to see our designs in person and find inspiration for your whole home. They’re somewhere to come together too.

From flower-arranging around the kitchen table to a talk with an interiors expert in the living room, there’s almost always something going on.

Simply head online to find out what’s coming up in your nearest store.

neptune.com/our-stores

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STORIES

Coming very soon...

STOR IES V O L U M E 11

VOLUME 11

Our spring collection will be here in just a few short weeks.

Mark your calendars for March.

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