Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Country Homes & Interiors

THERE’S A REASON NEW YEAR IS A TIME OF FRESH STARTS – research shows that ‘temporal landmarks’ inspire fresh thinking and ambitions, which is what we are bringing you this month! I’m really excited to introduce two new columnists to the CH&I family. From her cosy studio on her Devon smallholding, Anna-Lisa creates wonderful crafts projects – and she will be sharing them with us each month, with step-by-step instructions so we can have a go ourselves (do send us your pictures if you make the pretty wire wreath, page 120). Tessa and I first worked together on Red magazine. I was pondering who could write a regular column on living in the countryside when I found out she had moved to the Peak District. Perfect! I can’t wait to…

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LAYERED LOOKS ‘Combining statement pendants, wall lights and even a table lamp adds depth, dimension and versatility, allowing a variety of lighting for different moods and tasks,’ explains Fred Horlock, design director at Neptune. Layers of light at different heights make it easy to switch between ambient lighting that illuminates the whole room, shadow-free task lighting for food preparation, and mood lighting for when you want a softer feel. If possible, install lights on dimmers and on separate circuits so you can switch quickly between moods. Consider rechargeable lamps to light areas where you don’t have sockets or in-wall wiring or simply don’t want a trailing cable, such as on a table, shelf or bar cart. SUBTLE LIGHTING A section of glazed cabinets will break up a wall of solid…

Heat pumps are hailed by some as the future of home heating while others are more sceptical. To help you decide whether one could be a viable addition to your home, we’ve asked the experts for their advice. Q What are the different types of heat pumps? A There are three main types of heat pumps available – air, ground or water. ‘Air source is the most common and suitable for most homes in the UK. Even at low external temperatures (down to -24°C) heat pumps can extract heat from the air and convert it into hot water to heat your home,’ explains Max Waddingham, operations director of Good Energy. ‘Ground source heat pumps work best for larger properties, as do water source heat pumps, though these are rarer, as…

Growing up as an only child, I was adept at entertaining myself and I’d very happily while away hours in my bedroom making all manner of creations, from little illustrated poetry books and hand-sewn dolls’ clothes to quirky decorations made from foraged finds. We lived in leafy Kent and I’d spend blissful weekends in the woodlands exploring with my father. In spring, we’d head for the shaded glades to marvel at the carpets of bluebells, then early summer would make the hedgerows frothy with sweet-smelling cow parsley, which I’d gather in bunches so I could savour their honeyed aroma when I got home. In autumn, we’d collect sweet chestnuts to roast on the fire and don our wellies for forays into the dewy fields to gather plate-sized mushrooms to have…

I’m currently at the desk in the corner of my bedroom, socked feet pressed against the piping hot radiator, helping me beat the January chill. An urge to get creative has taken hold today, as it often does in the early quiet days of the new year. The extended family has departed, and I have no plans. There’s a stack of flower presses under the desk, filled with treasures collected over the last year, just waiting to be turned into something beautiful. I began flower pressing in the early days after my son passed away. Flowers arrived thick and fast, along with letters and cards of condolence from friends and family, who couldn’t visit in person due to the pandemic. In the despair of those first days, the need to…

The creation of new snowdrops is a cottage industry, with unusual varieties infused by hints of gold or splashes of green making very high prices. But big business has yet to cotton on to producing these collectors’ treasures. Instead, it’s people such as Anne Wright in York, the sole owner and breeder of Dryad Nursery, who have been quietly getting on with creating some of the most covetable flowers around. A botanical artist with a degree in biology, she was brought up in a family of gardeners and found that by selling plants she had created herself, she could earn a useful income without leaving home. Miniature narcissus are her first love – Anne still has 14,000 little daffodils that have to be repotted every year – but she began…

ANNA-LISA DE’ATH is our fantastic new crafts columnist (page 120), who is always looking for more skills to learn. ‘I’m starting 2025 with a plan to develop my lino printing; it’s a skill I find really absorbing and it’s a great way to switch off after a busy day. I also want to do more visible decorative mending.’ LAURIE AVON illustrates Tales from the Country (page 162). ‘I like to translate complex stories into multi-faceted pictures with layers of meaning. I also have a love of folklore and hands-on creativity.’ TESSA CLAYTON will be sharing her Tales from the Country with you all each month. ‘I find writing incredibly calming,’ she says. ‘I lose myself in putting the right word in the right place.’…

Clothsmith is a new homeware and art venture set up by interior designers Heidi Clark Vasquez and Polly Haley. Having worked together for 15 years, they felt inspired to create affordable artwork that was more than just a framed print. Using high-resolution scanning and printing techniques, they replicate the intricacy and craftsmanship of embroidered textiles sourced from around the world, then digitally rework them to create signature prints. ‘We take so much joy unearthing one-of-a-kind textiles and transforming them into unique pieces of art,’ says Polly. Prices from £130; custom sizes and bespoke framing also available, clothsmith-home.com ONE FOR THE DIARY… UNTIL 23 FEBRUARY At MK Gallery in Milton Keynes in partnership with Charleston Farmhouse, Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour showcases over 120 drawings, paintings, ceramics and…

While holidaying in the pretty Cornish coastal village of Mousehole, Oliver and Laura Brown chanced upon an enchanting cottage with a For Sale sign attached. ‘We had been visiting Mousehole for many years and had always dreamed of having a home by the sea. On a trip in 2021, we noticed this beautiful cottage for sale on the seafront. We went for a viewing and knew within seconds of walking through the door that it was perfect for us,’ says Oliver. As soon as the house was theirs, the couple set about transforming the decor, opting for an easy-to-live-with vibe, offset with a few luxurious touches. Kailani, as the cottage is known, acts as the perfect holiday retreat for Oliver and Laura, and they also let it out for others…

While a statement tree can provide a festive focal point, adding decorations to unexpected areas will add an extra dimension to your displays Part of the fun of Christmas décor is getting creative with what you already have. Repurpose brass trays, fringes and satin ribbons to add sheen and sparkle Greenery doesn’t only have to come from your wreath and garlands. Crisp pears, cabbage crockery and leaves add freshness to a space Bring warmth to winter schemes with touches of gold, burnished brass and amber glassware. They’ll shine even more when lit by a candle’s flame…

Universally treasured, metallic objects and surfaces have been used in homes since ancient times. Representing rarity and richness, these materials indicate power and wealth in a range of hues including gold, silver, copper and bronze. Symbolic precious metals feature in many settings across the realms of religion, royalty and culture. Think about the gift of gold in the Christian Nativity, the golden fleece in Greek mythology and the legend of El Dorado – not to mention the bronze and silver talismans used in pageantry and ceremonial exchanges in Ancient Egypt, India and classical Greece and Rome. Today, metal is the colour of success, associated with wealth and splendour, medals and trophies, and in the form of golden handcuff contracts. Metals also have health-giving connotations – silver is cleansing and used…

Although Emma Parrott modestly describes her small yet perfectly formed garden studio as ‘just a glorified shed’, it has been transformed into something beautiful under her creative touch. An earthenware flagon bursts with dried flowers – honesty pods, sea lavender and ‘bunny tail’ grasses, set on a cloth-covered worktable. There is a whitewashed wooden chair, softened with a sheepskin throw, facing a small window onto the garden. She has recently added a flower patch here, ‘with the help of free compost from a friendly farmer neighbour’. Limonium, thistles, statice and strawflowers … all are in, ready for harvesting and coppicing through the coming year. Emma spends many quiet hours here, making door wreaths to which flowers and foliage can be added through the seasons. The sounds of birds and ‘big,…

It’s not often that a holiday rental comes with such pedigree. Hawarden Castle, set on a 6,000 acre estate in Flintshire, on the North Wales-England border, is the seat of the Gladstone family and was home to William Ewart Gladstone, who served four terms as British prime minister in the 19th century. The medieval ruins of ‘old’ Hawarden Castle sit atop a hill in the grounds, overlooking the walled garden, ponds, lake and parkland. And it’s a view of this ancient keep which we enjoyed from the sitting room in Hawarden Castle’s The West End. The West End, as its name suggests, occupies one wing of Hawarden Castle – a five-bedroom, four-bathroom apartment that rambles across two floors. The family’s 300-year-old silverware graces the dining table in the huge sitting…

Houseplants bring a lush, leafy look to conservatories and garden rooms, where the bright light and warmth from spring through to early autumn provide an ideal home for many sun-loving species. Choose tough plants that will cope with the conditions in a glass-roofed room where strong sun may raise summer temperatures to more than 30°C, while a lack of insulation makes it colder than the rest of the house in winter. Conservatories can experience marked differences between day and night-time temperatures, too, but many houseplants are adapted to these variations and will sail through the different seasons unscathed. When choosing plants for a conservatory, check your glazing before you buy. Neutral glass with high light transmittance allows the full spectrum of light through, offering the best conditions for plants that…

A well-known name in the slow craft movement, Charlotte creates hand-thrown ceramics made in small batches and using local materials. And since opening her expansive new studio (based on a farm in rural Berkshire) last year, she’s had the opportunity to share her skills via workshops, classes and retreats, inspiring others to reach their artistic potential. How did your business come about? It was never my intention to start a pottery business. I studied art at school and college, then went on to train in ceramics at university. I focused mainly on sculptural work – throwing wasn’t my skill set. After graduating, I began a teaching internship at a school in Somerset. I had a pottery wheel set up in my grandparents’ garage where I could practice. I began selling my…

Numerous pairs of muddy boots and wellingtons sit in an orderly row by the back door of the cottage that author Lydia Millen shares with her husband Ali Gordon – evidence of the couple’s love of all things English country. Nestled in a rural nook of Northamptonshire, the house, surrounded on all sides by acres of parkland, also boasts its own private woodland. This comes into its own at Christmas, with mature conifers, holly and yew providing branches that are ripe for cutting, while the ivy that hangs from an old brick wall is also cut and brought indoors. ‘We’ve always lived close to the countryside,’ explains Lydia, ‘and when everybody in our social circle was moving to London, we had this overwhelming urge to move further away and be…

There was never going to be any compromise on style and comfort in Katharine Pooley’s holiday home. If anything, the interior designer’s bijou cottage is all the more luxurious than it might be, with beautifully textured fabrics and tailored furniture. There are clever design details at every turn, all aimed at making life and holidays here more comfortable and cosy. ‘Whether it’s a family home or a holiday home, I always look to design in a practical and long-lasting way,’ says Katharine. The 200-year-old cottage in the Lake District has changed dramatically since Katharine, her husband Dan and their two sons first rented it as a holiday home, before discovering it was up for sale. It was in good repair but looking a little tired, so as soon as Katharine…

The British are renowned for their love of carpet as a floor covering – and quite right, too. A fitted carpet is tactile and cosy, visually appealing and provides both sound and heat insulation. It also offers the opportunity to contribute to the decorative style of your rooms, as you pick from plain or patterned finishes, subtle and understated neutrals or eye-catching bold colours and a variety of textures. TYPES OF CARPET Carpets can be woven or tufted. The latter is the most popular option and, because of the manufacturing technique, the most affordable choice. A tufted carpet is constructed with a backing fabric into which yarn is inserted. The carpet that is then produced can have either a loop pile or a cut pile. Axminster and Wilton are woven…

Henry Holland DESIGNER ‘The week between Christmas and New Year is such a dichotomy, part slobbing out watching movies in bed, but also getting into that New Year, New Me mentality. I’ll start some new fitness programme and plan what I want to achieve for the upcoming year, then collapse and do a lot of napping. We try to get away somewhere hot during that time. As a small business owner, it’s one of the only times of year that you can actually take a break as the rest of the world is also on this restorative rest period.’ See Henry’s designs at harlequin.sandersondesigngroup.com Beth Kempton AUTHOR AND CREATOR OF THE CALM CHRISTMAS PODCAST ‘I call the time between Christmas and New Year “the Hush”. Everything is quieter and more…

Coffee cookies with vintage edible transfers MAKES 18 There are some wonderful products to enhance your baking, such as edible printed icing or rice paper sheets that create the stunning effects seen here. FOR THE COOKIES 115g butter, softened200g caster sugar2½tbsp espresso, cooled1 eggPinch of salt1tsp pure vanilla extract or ½tsp vanilla bean powder280g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting FOR THE ICING 400g royal icing sugar, sifted60-80ml espresso, cooled18 edible transfers2 baking sheets, greased and lined with baking parchmentPiping bag, fitted with a small round nozzle or a small leaf nozzle 1 Whisk together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the cooled espresso coffee and whisk in with the egg. Add the salt, vanilla and flour, and whisk until you have a soft dough. Wrap the…

Gardening catalogues have long been a literary tradition of their own, so much so that, in 1958, The New Yorker magazine started a column in praise of their unique style of prose and photography. They are made to fill a dual role, both as an escape from winter dreariness and also as a vital planning tool. Today, printed catalogues are a rarity and those you do come across still hark back to a pre-digital era when the only way a gardener could get through the off-season was by poring over the colourful pages and flamboyant descriptions, in anticipation of the growing season ahead. The Sarah Raven collection lands on the doormat at just the right time, packed with fantastic colour combinations and the option to buy plants as bulbs, seeds,…