Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2024 i Country Homes & Interiors

THERE’S A HUGE LEGACY OF DESIGN TALENT here in the UK – centuries of craft skills, creativity and teaching passed from generation to generation, despite the commercial challenges of retaining traditional and local manufacturing in a global economy. Emerging talent is supported by those who have successfully gone before, which is why for our special The Best of British edition, I wanted to pair stars of the future with well-known names happy to share their experience and expertise. Huge thanks to the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) for introducing us to a few of the makers it supports, and to the mentors who shared their time so generously – turn to page 73 to see what happened when they met. Plus, we introduce 12 of our favourite sustainable brands, and…

Lisa is CEO of Sanderson Design Group, a family of fabric and wallpaper brands including the likes of Morris & Co and Zoffany, as well as the ‘pattern powerhouse’, Sanderson itself. Though it is one of Britain’s longest-standing interiors brands, in line with the spirit of founder Arthur Sanderson its designs are always evolving. The collections draw from a vast archive dating back to the 1860s to create contemporary fabrics and wallpapers that stay true to its heritage. Lisa tells us more. What is it about the brand that sets it apart? Sanderson pushes the boundaries of heritage design. Enduringly beautiful, its iconic florals and illustrative botanicals reflect a femininity with a touch of ‘new-stalgia’ that evokes a calm response to a classical design aesthetic, perfectly updated. What influences the…

Emma Bridgewater started her pottery business in Stoke on Trent almost 40 years ago, rescuing a factory from near ruin and giving new purpose to the community and traditions of a skilful local workforce via her hand-painted designs. Traditional signwriter Amy Goodwin works in a profession officially recognised as an endangered skill. Her characterful heritage painting technique is entirely achieved by hand and she is one of only 12 fairground artists left in the UK. Amy Growing up, I travelled with steam fairs in the West Country and that shaped my interest in hand-painted lettering, fairground art and scroll work. Emma So it really is your birthright. Amy It definitely feels like part of my identity. My upbringing shaped my work. I went to art school, followed by courses with…

Bring the colours of the season into your home with golden-hued walls, accessories in turning-leaf tones and textural furniture that evokes just-bare branches Folk-inspired patterns bring a fairy-tale feel to the bedroom, perfect for cosying beneath the covers as the nights become dark and chilly…

The arboretum colours of autumnal woodlands herald a shift in the seasons with a blazing spectacle of shades. As nature says farewell to summer, our native tree canopies take a dramatic curtain call as their leaves turn and radiate with russet hues. The term arboretum, first coined by Scottish botanist John Claudius Loudon in 1833, describes a botanical garden devoted to trees. In the warmer months, such a place is vibrant with chlorophyll-pigmented greenery. But as the temperatures drop and daylight diminishes, a chemical shift means yellow flavanols, orange carotenoids and red to purple anthocyanins are more prominent, treating us to a fiery foliage display. These toasty arboretum tones can be seen in Ancient Egyptian artworks, which glow with the mineral pigment realgar. In India, garlands of orange marigolds traditionally…

Secret Linen Store is a British, family-owned online retailer specialising in luxury bedroom textiles. The brand was founded by sisters, Molly and Harriet, who have a passion for finding fabulous fabrics for bedrooms, offering a wide and colourful range of comfortable and stylish bedding, curtains, nightwear and towels. As a Certified B Corporation, they are committed to building a business that is a force for good, balancing purpose with profit. With an emphasis on providing exceptional quality and comfort, Secret Linen Store has become a firm bedtime favourite for those seeking to make a sound ethical purchase, without compromising a good night’s sleep. READER OFFER Secret Linen Store is offering an exclusive 20% discount for Country Homes & Interiors readers. Go to secretlinenstore.com and enter the code CHIOCT20 at checkout.…

This morning I woke to a fiery amber glow bathing the bedroom – it came from the early morning light reflecting off golden leaves into the space. The sheer beauty of it prompted me to hop out of bed faster than you could say ‘pumpkin spice’ as I have an agenda today – foraging. With cable knit in hand, I head downstairs to check my boots for spiders (a necessary precaution, as this footwear hasn’t seen the outside of the boiler room since late spring). I consult my ‘shopping’ list before heading out to gather the homegrown portion from the garden. First, apples from the orchard, a mix of James Grieve and Bramley; I know they’re ripe when a quarter turn allows them to fall easily from the branch. Then…

We all need boundaries. It’s not just about keeping things out or setting limits, but about creating a border around ourselves and our gardens where we feel safe and comfortable. There’s a good reason that the tradition of walled gardens persists in so many different cultures. From cloisters to courtyards and kitchen gardens, walled enclosures offer a sense of seclusion. They have a magical feel of privacy and tranquillity, and a glimpse through an open gateway has been inspiration for many a secret garden. Old brick walls are perhaps the most prized of boundaries. They have the power to connect house and garden within the landscape, through the textures and colours of local bricks and stone. The walls can also be a home for planting. Artful pruning of fruit trees…

PHIL BARKER photographed our The Best of British special feature. ‘I’m a believer in passion-driven work. Watching skilled British creatives come together and immediately find connections and spark new ideas and future projects was an honour.’ Share the excitement, from page 73. JO LEEVERS tells the story of a Cotswold farmhouse, from page 48. ‘I love how homeowners draw on the past without being weighed down by it. British design has a history of experimenting and eccentricity.’ KERRYN HARPER-CUSS interviewed the Mentors & Makers for our celebration of homegrown talent. ‘Listening to them gave me faith that the future of British design remains bright,’ she says.…

1 Reuse it London-based sisters Olivia and Marnie Walker are the creative duo behind Keep Candles, a sustainable and natural candle range that double as unique homeware products, from egg cups and glasses to bowls and mugs, starting from £16, keepcandles.com 2 Plant it Eco-conscious brand Selfmade hand-pours deliciously scented soy wax into glass jars adorned with seeded labels that can be removed and planted inside afterwards. Notes of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg make Pumpkin Spice a must for this time of year, £25, selfmadecandle.com 3 Refill it Pott candles come in a beautiful, hand-thrown pot, available in a range of colours and sizes. Order a refill of your choice, or sign up to the seasonal subscription service, from £9.50 a month for refills (reusable pot, £17), pottcandles.com…

Liz and Richard Wilkinson always knew that finding a replacement for their family home – an idyllic cottage set deep in Gloucestershire woodland – would be a challenge. But then they heard about this 18th-century farmhouse overlooking a village green, which came with plenty of character and intrigue. A thoughtful redesign has paid homage to the property’s past and blended it with Liz and Richard’s own family story to create a special atmosphere. ‘There’s a sense of lots of elements coming together,’ Liz says. ‘Very quickly, this house felt like home.’ Part of what made their previous rural home so unique was that it doubled as a residential centre giving inner city children a taste of nature. The couple ran it together for a charity. ‘It was a wonderful life,…

Cath Kidston’s country home is a honey-coloured hideaway near Stroud in Gloucestershire, with views that stretch for miles. The ‘higgledy-piggledy’ property, built as a farmhouse in the 1600s, then smartened up with a new frontage and Gothic windows in the 18th century, retains its old stone floors and huge fireplaces, and Cath has lovingly decorated around these to create an interior full of the colour, warmth and personality we would expect from her. Here, she talks us through her design thinking, plus why you’ll always find a touch of red in her decorating schemes. RULE 1 IT’S OK TO THROW OUT A PLAN The sitting room is rectangular, and when I was decorating I drew a fairly traditional furniture plan, putting armchairs on either side of the fireplace and a…

If you have an existing basement, conversion is the quickest and easiest way to extend your home. It can take as little as a few weeks, but you’ll need a ceiling height of at least 2.7m for a functional room. Q Do I need planning permission to convert a basement? A In most cases, converting an existing basement without any structural work won’t need planning permission, but always check with your local planning authority before starting. Excavating a new basement or extending an existing one will require planning permission. Building regulations – which cover fire escapes, ventilation and damp proofing – apply to all types of work. If the walls of your basement adjoin those of your neighbours, you will also need to adhere to the Party Wall Act. See…

For Rebecca and Karl, the husband-and-wife team behind stationery company Wildflower Illustration Co., the day often begins with a dog walk on the hill. ‘There’s something about looking down from a hill that gives you perspective; it’s very grounding,’ says Rebecca. Spending time immersed in nature away from our digital lives is something the couple has been passionate about since they first met in 2010. And it was mutual values that set them on a career path together, giving up roles in law and teaching to run their own business and share their love of letter writing. Having started their business online from the kitchen table, selling greetings cards printed with Rebecca’s charming watercolour illustrations, the pair has organically grown the brand over nine years and now offer beautiful note…

Beetroot, red onion & blue cheese filo tart SERVES 6 Matching the earthiness of beetroot to the sweetness of caramelised onions and blue cheese works well. 450g raw beetroot, peeled and cut into 1cm chunks Olive oil 60g butter, plus 25g for the onions 3 red onions, finely sliced 270g packet of filo pastry, defrosted if frozen (you may not need it all) 150g mild blue cheese, such as Dolcelatte or Saint Agur 6 thyme sprigs Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper 1 Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7. Tip your prepared beetroot into a roasting tin, splash with olive oil, season with pepper and a small amount of salt, then bake for 25–30 minutes, or until tender. Reduce the oven temperature to 200C/Gas 6. 2 Meanwhile, melt…

Good gourds Carved pumpkins are a Halloween staple, but they do have a short lifespan. For an elegant autumnal aesthetic that will stay fresh throughout the season, decorate with pumpkins, squashes and gourds in a variety of sizes and spicy shades, then surround with lanterns for a cosy glow. Ira console table, £895; Ibo stool, £195; Siwan lamp, £225; lanterns, from £45, all Nkuku Make a scene Family-run British pattern house Romo has launched the Ottavia collection. Taking its cue from nature and the Impressionist art movement, expressive designs feature across embroideries, velvets and rich jacquards as well as a supple linen blend. Mural-style wallcoverings are artwork in their own right, featuring beautiful botanicals and scenic skies. Prices for fabrics start from £79m, mural wallcoverings are £197 a roll (68.5cm…

The quaint Sussex cottage owned by Effie Gibson and partner Darren Phizacklea (known as Phiz) oozes fairy-tale charm, both in appearance and its woodland setting. Nestled among deciduous trees and conifers where fallow, muntjac and roe deer roam freely, it is as enchanting as any mythical forest might be. ‘We also have stoats, weasels, foxes and many other mammals,’ explains Phiz, ‘and a huge variety of birdlife such as yellow wagtails, fire crests, owls and other birds of prey.’ Architecturally the cottage is a historic beauty, with a traditional timber frame, low-slung thatched roof, stamp-sized windows and patchwork walls of brick and clay, dating it to the late 16th century. Appearances of course can be deceptive. Prior to Effie and Phiz taking ownership, the cottage had been in the family…

Heal’s has been a beacon of craftsmanship for 214 years, led by a series of guardians of good design. Current CEO Hamish Mansbridge is a champion of both established and emerging talent, both through the designers he selects to showcase on the shop floor and through advocacy initiatives such as Heal’s Discovers and Design for Diversity. Designer-maker Jay Heston Richards set up his workshop – Don Heston Studio (named after a relative) in 2021 with a focus on organically inspired furniture and jewellery made to reflect his love of the natural world. Jay All of my furniture is hand made. I keep my designs as organic as possible, inspired by natural forms and animal shapes, thinking carefully about the whorls and textures in the materials. Hamish I think that is…

1 EDWARD BULMER Crafts natural paint that is free from fossil fuel-derived ingredients Paint is one of the least sustainable aspects of decorating your home. ‘The paint industry is inextricably linked to the oil industry but we can all help change that by making a simple switch from paint made with plastic to paint made from plants,’ explains Edward Bulmer, founder of the eponymous paint company. ‘We don’t use any fossil fuel-derived ingredients, such as acrylics, vinyl or microplastics, in our wall paint. Instead, we use plant alternatives, which can ultimately return to the earth, without polluting it.’ 2 CHAUNCEYS TIMBER FLOORING Produces reclaimed flooring in a sustainably powered factory One of the beauties of reclaimed flooring is that each plank brings distinctive marks, grain patterns and weathering. Plus, it’s…

COOKING THEATRE ‘Curves offer a dramatic effect and underline a project’s bespoke nature,’ says Ben Hawkswell, senior designer at Roundhouse, who used horizontal book-matched walnut veneer to highlight the beautiful natural grain of the timber and the sweeping curve on this peninsula design. ‘This kitchen’s layout factored in a busy walkway, three doorways and a dining area,’ he explains. ‘The curved unit created a natural flow through the space, providing maximum work surface with the hob at the centre, facing the dining area.’ This ‘cooking theatre’ design means the person cooking is included in conversation, while the seamless stainless steel worktop highlights the curve. SOFTER LOOK ‘Hard lines are unavoidable in kitchens, so incorporating rounded shapes, such as banquette seating on an island, is an easy way to soften a…

WEST DEAN The Watercolour Painting in Detail course is perfect for nature lovers looking to improve their painting skills. After foraging in West Dean’s West Sussex gardens for beautiful natural finds, you will return to the studio where tutor Amber Halsall, a member of the Society of Botanical Artists, will guide you through various techniques to bring them to life. westdean.ac.uk BETH MORRIS WORKSHOPS Create your own seasonal sketchbook in The Art of Nature journaling course. Taking place between the studio and the grounds of Insole Court, Wales, the course is designed for beginners and improvers to hone their skills in painting trees, flowers and wildlife. You’ll discover the art of the line and wash technique and incorporate additional media. bethmorrisworkshops.co.uk BARNSDALE GARDENS Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland offers an array…

Trees are part of our personal and global folklore. They serve as metaphors for our lives and help us make sense of the world, whether it’s offering an olive branch in peace or feeling like we can’t see the wood for the trees. Symbolism aside, trees provide food and shelter, shade, medicines, fuel, timber for building and, as if this wasn’t enough, they capture carbon, too. They mark the waxing and waning of the seasons, with fresh green new growth creeping across the canopies in spring and a final flourish of autumn leaf colour. We are intrinsically connected to the trees around us. Gardener and TV presenter Arit Anderson emphasises this connection in her new book The Essential Tree Selection Guide, co-authored with scientist Henrik Sjöman (£50, Filbert Press). She…