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BEAUTIFUL OLD HOMES

DECOR ATING & SHOPPING

GARDEN ANTIQUES INSPIRATION & VINTAGE

RENOVATION & MAINTENANCE

PERIODLIVING 30 & reuse

How to source salvaged items – and what to pay

Idyllic rural homes Rustic decorating ideas Floral accessories

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BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING PERIOD HOMES MAGAZINE

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BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

THE LATEST WOODEN FLOOR OPTIONS FOR EVERY BUDGET COMPETITION SPECIAL

£12,000 WORTH OF PRIZES TO BE WON

Let in light Timeless orangery and conservatory designs to connect your home and garden

Illustration Sarah Overs Photograph David Lloyd

Editor’s Letter

ver the seven years I’ve worked on this magazine, I have seen hundreds, if not thousands, of period homes encompassing all eras, sizes and styles. But still, I never fail to be surprised by the high standard of properties that are entered into our awards scheme each year, and impressed by their owners’ individual style. So I couldn’t be more excited to launch our search for Period Living’s Home and Garden of the Year 2020 this month (page 46). Our readers are a modest bunch, and often tell me that they don’t think their cherished home or garden is of an award-winning standard or of interest to others, but I wholeheartedly disagree. We’re not looking for perfect show houses, we just want to see properties that are truly loved, and find out how people have used creative solutions to make them special – that’s what inspires us. So, what are you waiting for? You could win a fabulous prize and get to see your home or garden in print.

Also this issue, we reveal how to recreate that most universally loved of decorating looks - country rustic (page 34). Is there any style so homely, so lived in, so welcoming?

Its beauty lies in its emphasis on simplicity, so you don’t have to try too hard or spend too much money to achieve it. Elsewhere, we take an in-depth look at buying reclaimed materials for a period home (page 116). From timber beams to antique fireplaces, not only is reusing original items a shortcut to adding character, but it is the eco-friendly choice too, reducing the impact of manufacturing and transporting goods.

Finally, this month don’t miss the chance to get a free Annie Sloan Chalk Paint set, created exclusively for Period Living, when you subscribe (page 62). Containing three beautiful hand-picked colours, finishing wax and a paintbrush, it’s perfect for getting creative on an upcycling project like a chair, stool or small table. Enjoy!

Melanie Griffiths Editor, Period Living

Period Living 3

PERIODLIVING

Future PLC, Units 1 & 2, Sugarbrook Court, Aston Road, Bromsgrove B60 3EX EDITORIAL Editor Melanie Griffiths Content Editor Rachel Crow Homes Content Editor Karen Darlow Style Editor Pippa Blenkinsop Features Writer/Subeditor Holly Reaney Email periodliving@futurenet.com ART Head of Art Billy Peel Senior Art Editor Emily Smith Art Editor Karen Lawson Contributions by Cliff Newman ADVERTISING Media packs are available on request. For all media sales enquiries, please contact rebecca.vincze@futurenet.com; 01527 834415 Commercial Director Clare Dove clare.dove@futurenet.com Group Media Director Mark Wright mark.wright@futurenet.com Strategic Partnership Director Jackie Sanders 01527 834426 jackie.sanders@futurenet.com Print and Digital Sales Manager Rebecca Vincze 01527 834415 rebecca.vincze@futurenet.com Print and Digital Sales Manager Kelly James 01527 834471 kelly.james@futurenet.com INTERNATIONAL LICENSING Period Living is available for licensing. Contact the liscensing team to discuss partnership opportunities Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw licensing@futurenet.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Email enquiries contact@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Orderline and enquiries +44 (0)344 848 2852 Online orders and enquiries www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Head of Subscriptions Sharon Todd CIRCULATION Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers PRODUCTION Head of Production Mark Constance Production Manager Frances Twentyman Advertising Production Manager Jo Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson ONLINE Technical Project Manager Tom Burbridge Realhomes.com Editor in Chief Lucy Searle Realhomes.com Associate Editor Lindsey Davis Video Producer Matt Gibbs MANAGEMENT Brand Director Paul Newman Editorial Director Jason Orme Commercial & Events Director Nick Noble Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham

Printed by William Gibbons & Sons PO Box 103, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands WV13 3XT. 01902 730011; williamgibbons.co.uk Distributed by Marketforce 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. 020 3787 9001; marketforce.co.uk ISSN 0958-1987 áƺ Əȸƺ ƬȒȅȅǣɎɎƺƳ ɎȒ ȒȇǼɵ ɖɀǣȇǕ ȵƏȵƺȸ ɯǝǣƬǝ ǣɀ ƳƺȸǣɮƺƳ ǔȸȒȅ ȸƺɀȵȒȇɀǣƫǼɵ ȅƏȇƏǕƺƳً ƬƺȸɎǣˡƺƳ ǔȒȸƺɀɎȸɵ ƏȇƳ ƬǝǼȒȸǣȇƺ‫ٮ‬ǔȸƺƺ ȅƏȇɖǔƏƬɎɖȸƺِ The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and ɀȒƬǣȒƺƬȒȇȒȅǣƬ ɀɎƏȇƳƏȸƳɀِ Áǝƺ ȅƏȇɖǔƏƬɎɖȸǣȇǕ ȵƏȵƺȸ ȅǣǼǼ ǝȒǼƳɀ ǔɖǼǼ I³! ٢IȒȸƺɀɎ ³ɎƺɯƏȸƳɀǝǣȵ !ȒɖȇƬǣǼ٣ ƬƺȸɎǣˡƬƏɎǣȒȇ ƏȇƳ ƏƬƬȸƺƳǣɎƏɎǣȒȇِ All contents © 2020 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) ǣɀ ȸƺǕǣɀɎƺȸƺƳ ǣȇ 0ȇǕǼƏȇƳ ƏȇƳ áƏǼƺɀِ «ƺǕǣɀɎƺȸƺƳ ȒǔˡƬƺ‫ ي‬ªɖƏɵ RȒɖɀƺً Áǝƺ ȅƫɖȸɵً ƏɎǝ ‫׏ ׏‬È ِ ǼǼ ǣȇǔȒȸȅƏɎǣȒȇ ƬȒȇɎƏǣȇƺƳ ǣȇ Ɏǝǣɀ ȵɖƫǼǣƬƏɎǣȒȇ ǣɀ ǔȒȸ information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other ƬǝƏȇǕƺɀ Ȓȸ ɖȵƳƏɎƺɀ ɎȒ Ɏǝƺȅِ Áǝǣɀ ȅƏǕƏɿǣȇƺ ǣɀ ǔɖǼǼɵ ǣȇƳƺȵƺȇƳƺȇɎ ƏȇƳ ȇȒɎ ƏǔˡǼǣƏɎƺƳ ǣȇ Əȇɵ ɯƏɵ ɯǣɎǝ Ɏǝƺ ƬȒȅȵƏȇǣƺɀ ȅƺȇɎǣȒȇƺƳ ǝƺȸƺǣȇِ If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) www.futureplc.com

Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford !ǝǣƺǔ ˡȇƏȇƬǣƏǼ ȒǔˡƬƺȸ Penny Ladkin-Brand Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

Homes

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Cover Photograph Brent Darby Styling Pippa Blenkinsop

Decorating & shopping

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Journal We round up the latest interiors offerings, news and exhibitions Vintage florals Capture the romance of a faded French farmhouse by decorating your home with an array of pretty, aged fabrics ON THE COVER

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Enter our awards We launch our search for Home and Garden of the Year 2020 Feels like home The Lovatts fell in love with a picturesque, 17th-century cottage, realising their dream of country living ON THE COVER

Living with history This former forestry worker’s cottage is filled with treasures from a lifetime of collecting Open house As Avril Leigh prepares to welcome visitors to her home as part of a local art trail, she gives us the tour

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Happily ever after Geneviève and Michel Vernède lovingly restored a ruined Normandy manor house to its former glory

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Blissful bluebell Be inspired to use this restful on-trend shade to breathe new life into interiors Time for tea Enjoy the English tradition in style with this array of beautiful tableware

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Country rustic Embrace laid-back living with these decorating ideas ON THE COVER

Showers shopping Make a splash with a traditional exposed design Period Living 7

Features

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30 years of Period Living Celebrating our anniversary year Competitions We’re giving away over £12,000 worth of prizes ON THE COVER

Made in Britain Artist Rachel Dein has found a special way to immortalise the flowers from her garden by creating beautiful botanical castings

Advice & inspiration

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ON THE COVER

Antiques journal The best shopping destinations and collectors’ stories Decorative details Marc Allum explores historic paint techniques

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May journal The best activities and ideas to keep you busy this month

House journal New products and expert advice for improving a period home Wooden floors Find the perfect design for your home with our round-up of options for every budget ON THE COVER

Health check Expert Roger Hunt advises on maintaining metal windows Reclaiming the past How buying salvaged materials for your home will add to its character and sense of history ON THE COVER

Glazed extensions Add space and value to your home with an orangery, conservatory or sunroom

Gardens Heritage weekend Explore the charms of north Wales in the Dee Valley with our inspiring guide Food journal Events, eateries and kitchen essentials for keen home cooks Recipes Put on a great show of cooking, with recipes inspired by Giffords Circus

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Garden journal The latest products for your garden, and horticultural advice Harmonious tones Creating a garden oasis has been a labour of love for Eithne Hudson Chelsea Flower Show We look back over the highlights and changing face of gardening over the last three decades ON THE COVER

Regulars

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Your journal We share our readers’ letters and photographs Subscribe Get a free bespoke Annie Sloan paint set, worth £30, when you subscribe for six months Stockists Where to find all the suppliers featured in this issue

Letters

YOUR journal

Share your own news and thoughts on the magazine

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8 E8 8 T Feature Holly Reaney *Applying the code at the checkout provides £50 off any Hepburn Voice speaker including standard colours and Emma Bridgewater and Cath Kidston prints. Offer valid through until 17 May 2020.

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to move to a plastic-free solution for the magazine subscription copies, and your awareness of the importance of tree replanting. Plastic pollution can destroy our planet, but Period Living is actually doing something right here, right now. We only have one chance to get this right, and you are doing just that.

Angela Hill

My Mum is an avid reader of Period Living and while it was on the kitchen island, I decided to pick it up. I read the Editor’s Letter and was hooked! Your work on sustainability is so inspiring and I applaud you for not only being aware of the environment but, more importantly, actually doing something about it now. I am 16 years old and studying A Levels, for which I am working on a project exploring plastic pollution. I was thrilled to see your commitment

HOME INSPIRATION

Denise and Brian’s restored thatched cottage (right), in the March issue, is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Every room is completely to my taste. Using a stair runner in the kitchen is a great idea – utilising something for a new purpose is double the joy of having it. We redesigned our kitchen a few years ago and added a pantry, utilising the 1920s stained glass windows from a garden bay that we needed to remove. The enjoyment Period Living brings cannot be underestimated – after a stressful day it’s as good as mindfulness. Carol Lambert

AN OLD FRIEND

Pairing vintage style with modern technology, this month’s prize is a Hepburn voice-activated smart speaker, worth £149.99 at MyVQ. With built-in Amazon Alexa, you can listen to music and ask to hear the weather and news. MyVQ is also offering PL readers an exclusive £50 off* with the code PLVQ.

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I rediscovered Period Living a few months ago; I used to buy it when it was Period Living and Traditional Homes. How sorry I am that I have missed out on so many years, but I’m very happy it is back in my life!

It is wonderful to see so many beautiful houses every month and the advice on looking after an old building was really useful, as we have been renovating our house for the past 12 years with lots of ups and downs. We adore our home, are always looking for ways to improve it and, of course, older homes naturally evolve over the course of time. As we live in the past, it is lovely to see that others share our love of tradition and period houses, particularly the more rustic properties. Anna Waterman

DELICIOUS TREATS

Karen Batey made the lemon madeleines from the February issue and can confirm they were absolutely delicious (right), and that the recipe was very easy to follow. If you try your hand at any of the recipes in this month’s issue (page 157), we’d love to see the results.

CELEBRATING 3 YEARS OF PERIOD LIVING Carol Durston-Wyatt: I have been subscribing to Period Living for almost all of the past 30 years. It is a real treasure chest of inspiration and I have often taken ideas from the articles, from choosing the tiles in our kitchen, to transforming our shed into a garden room.

Rachel Taylor: Lovely to see that Period Living is still going strong after 30 years!

Our flat was featured in the June 1991 edition. We are still in the same flat,

Get in touch: periodliving@futurenet.com

although it has undergone lots of changes. More recently, we have been putting our restoration energy into a French farmhouse we bought in 1992.

Jan Nairn: I still have my first issue of Period Living from February 1990 (left).

I have dipped in and out over the years but I always come back to it. It’s full of gorgeous houses, recipes and lots of advice: a good all-rounder. Thank you for making me look forward to every issue!

@periodlivingmagazine

@PeriodLivingMag

@period_living Period Living 11

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Celebrated for her beautifully bold botanical prints, Clarissa Hulse has teamed up with Blinds 2 Go to create a new collection of spirit-lifting window treatments. Featuring vibrant designs that bring together Clarissa’s passion for nature and travel, the blinds and curtains will add a touch of the exotic to any room.

Bring new life to a sunroom, as well as essential shade, with Roman blinds in this stunning Tropical Leaf Moss design, from ÂŁ31.15 for H40xW40cm.

Period Living 13

Eternal bouquets comprising handcrafted metal botanical stems, from £95

TALENT SPOT

Introducing designer-maker Josephine Gomersall, who uses mixed media to create beautiful jewellery, artwork and ‘jewellery for the home’, which all seek to highlight the ephemeral beauty of the natural world. Working in a mix of precious metals, her botanical stems can be displayed singularly or grouped together with dried flowers in vintage bottles as an ‘eternal bouquet’.

Based in Sheffield, on the edge of the Peak District, Josephine has no shortage of open countryside to inspire, yet finds the flora of urban spaces equally as fascinating. ‘My work aims to capture plants usually overlooked,’ she says. ‘I am drawn to the intricate, delicate structural details of botanical specimens found bordering the urban environment, growing from the cracks in the pavement, as well as in wild meadows, woodlands, hedgerows and gardens.’

Informed by both a BA in textile design, and MA in design focusing on jewellery and metalwork, Josephine’s work combines a plethora of creative processes, from detailed observational drawing to printing. ‘I seek to capture the essence of each plant, so I experiment with a wide range of techniques,’ she explains. The result is metal stems, which range from 3D wire-drawn forms to twodimensional sterling silver profiles finished with imprinting, photo-etching and drawing techniques to create surface decoration. See her work this summer at Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey, 12-14 June. (josephinegomersall.artweb.com) 14 Period Living

TICKLED PINK Le Creuset has unveiled its new shade for spring, Shell Pink. Taking inspiration from the soft tones of seashells and evoking romance and summer sunsets, Shell Pink has a muted undertone to add sophisticated blush to kitchen shelves.

Available across its iconic cast-iron range, including the signature casserole dish, the new shade is also available over stoneware and a limited-edition range featuring an adorable heart-shaped dish, flower plates and biscuit jar.

From £9 for an eggcup..

FROM THE MEADOW Dried flowers can be just as pretty as fresh, and what’s more are far more sustainable. Made from a pretty pastel mix of dried meadow grasses and blooms, this small floral wreath, £26 at Rose & Grey, will bring spring cheer all year round.

News

PEARLY QUEEN To celebrate 30 years since the launch of her popular velvety formula, Chalk Paint queen and colour expert Annie Sloan is launching a new Pearlescent Glaze.

Bringing extra shine to creative projects, the glaze, £11.95 for 250ml, is specifically designed to use over Chalk Paint to create a glistening finish. To achieve a solid pearl look paint two coats over white, or use over pastels for an intense pearlescent effect. Alternatively try it over dark tones for a glamorous shimmer. For this creative furniture makeover, Annie looked to the ornate designs of Asian mother-ofpearl inlaid furniture – what will inspire your next upcycling project?

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Perfectly timed for a spring interior refresh, Paper & Paint Library has unveiled its second wallpaper collection, Botany.

Taking inspiration from nature’s exotic flora to Gothic architecture, the collection ranges from delicate floral prints to largescale leafy murals and modern geometrics.

A beautiful watercolour treatment of large-scale foliage, this Tropicane paper in Chelsea Green II, £108 per roll, looks stunning teamed with its coordinating Chelsea Green II Architects’ eggshell paint.

Clockwise from top: Quatrefoil in Chelsea Green II, £108 per roll; Folia in Teal, £199 for 3 L325xW70cm panels; Honesty in Plaster III, £102 per roll

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News

EYE ON DESIGN Rebecca Craig, head of design at Sanderson, talks about its new collection in collaboration with the National Trust How did the collaboration come about?

With Sanderson celebrating its 160th anniversary this year, and the National Trust its 125th, it seemed the ideal time for the two heritage British brands to work together to create a stunning fabric and wallpaper collection.

Inspired by the history of the Trust’s country homes, gardens and fenlands, it was the perfect fit to pair with Sanderson’s ethos.

Enjoying the National Trust is a lovely way to find special places and make memories, and with Sanderson’s fabric collection you can bring these happy experiences into the home.

What was the inspiration behind the designs?

Comprising 11 prints based on hand-drawn artworks, seven rich embroideries and two textural weaves, the varied collection explores the National Trust’s raison d’être and celebrates Britain’s natural and cultural heritage. We have focused on five captivating design themes: Under the Greenwood Tree, The Lookout, The Fens, Country House and The Secret Garden, with patterns that capture tranquil waterways through to the abundant blooms and the warmth of a walled garden. In celebration of the National Trust’s commitment to conservation, we’re excited to be using eco inks and sustainable cotton in this collection, which supports our passion for fair trade and the environment.

Which is your favourite design and how would you use it in your home?

I personally love Perry Pears; it’s a wonderful and joyous print that can bring happiness to any room. Inspired by fruit and vegetable gardens, it has a quirky repeat and is a contemporary take on a trail design. It works perfectly as a long curtain or perhaps a kitchen blind. I would team it with block-coloured linens like Sanderson’s Felix embroidery or Melford Stripe.

SLEEP SUSTAINABLY Looking to sleep soundly knowing that you’re doing your best for the environment? The Origins range of luxury pocket-sprung mattresses from Hypnos are carbon neutral and made using responsibly sourced materials, including 100 per cent British wool sourced from Red Tractor Assured farms.

From £1,398 for the Origins Wool king-size.

Above: Front curtain in Catherine 237187, £89 per m; back curtain in Summer Peony 226748, £55 per m; Right: Perry Pears fabric in Gold/Aqua, £59 per m, all Sanderson x National Trust

A NEW ANGLE

Heritage pottery Burleigh has unveiled its first new pattern of a generation.

Staying true to its iconic blue and white palette, but with a contemporary edge, Pollen, part of the Collection One, features a stylish geometric design inspired by the beehive. In a twist on its traditional tissue transfer printing, unchanged for 200 years, Burleigh’s Pollen ceramics utilise the offset tissue transfer method meaning no one piece will be the same as the layout is decided by skilled craftspeople.

From left: Pollen large platter, £66; coffee can, £24, and saucer, £16; large tankard jug, £60

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te clay a r eb Founded in l e 1920 by Bernard Leach

and Shoji Hamada, the Leach Pottery, St Ives, marks its centenary this year and to celebrate is inviting the public to share in its Leach 100 Celebration Weekend. Expect an exciting programme of free hands-on clay activities, pottery demonstrations, special exhibition viewings, a National Raku Party and a tree-planting ceremony. Friday will also see the opening of an exhibition of new work by Tomoo Hamada, grandson of Shoji Hamada, and a special viewing of the Century of Connections exhibition.

15–17 May.

Rice Bowl, c.1610, given to Bernard Leach by Shoji Hamada

Early Raku vase, c.1925, by Bernard Leach

TO THE MAX Used throughout design for centuries, rocks, minerals and semi-precious stones are again popular in design circles to bring colour and texture to interiors.

Exquisitely handpainted to imitate the emerald green surface of malachite, Vanrenen GW Designs’ lamp base, £400, would look the part in a maximalist scheme, particularly teamed with a handpainted tortoiseshell shade, from £320.

DATE FOR THE DIARY Are you looking forward to leaving hibernation and venturing out into the garden this Easter?

Make sure you head to realhomes.com first.

From 10–13 April, our sister title is hosting The Great Garden Weekender – a whole Bank Holiday weekend dedicated to gardens.

Discover the best deals on garden essentials, from sheds and furniture to lawnmowers and barbecues. Now all we need is good weather…

18 Period Living

This month the V&A will open Renaissance Watercolours: from Dürer to van Dyck. Shining a light on this important, yet surprisingly little known subject, the exhibition will bring together 200 rarely seen works to explore the key role of watercolour in documenting, interpreting and understanding places, nature and people. From vibrant sketches to highly finished works, discover how watercolour evolved during the period from the margins of illuminated manuscripts to a powerful art form in its own right. Highlights in the show include the earliest known depiction of London in a beautiful manuscript, two maps

by Leonardo da Vinci, and a series of stunning botanical drawings by Jacques le Moyne.

Gallery 38, 16 May – 20 September, Advance tickets £15, concessions from £12.

Images (top right) Rice bowl and Raku vase © Crafts Study Centre, University for the Creative Arts (bottom right) Jacques le Moyne de Morgues, A Young Daughter of the Picts, c.1585 Courtesy of The Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

MUST VISIT

20 Period Living

Anniversary

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n the first ever issue of Period Living, editor Kirstie Rogers announced ‘a new type of home magazine for people who enjoy living in period homes; who enjoy the sense of history, the elegance, the atmosphere, the character, but who can also brave the dry rot, the damp, the seemingly inexhaustible demand on the pocket and patience, to see that character lovingly restored.’ That mission statement could have been written today, and while the magazine has evolved with the times, it still inspires people to live the period home dream.

This year, Period Living turns 30, and the team will be celebrating over the coming months with a series of special content. Over the years, dozens of people have contributed to the magazine – from section editors and writers to designers and photographers – and helped it to go from strength to strength. Last year that hard work and passion paid off as we became Britain’s fastest-growing homes magazine.

Of course, we wouldn’t have got here without you, our loyal readers. We thank you for supporting us for three decades, and hope you will be with us for many more years to come.

RS

In 1990, a new magazine was launched with the intention of helping readers care for and enjoy their period homes.

Three decades later, it’s almost unrecognisable from its original form, but the aim remains the same

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Supported by our anniversary sponsors:

Period Living 21

Competitions

ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY! To celebrate 30 years of Period Living, we’ve arranged a fantastic selection of competition prizes worth over £12,000 – for your chance to win one, enter now at realhomes.com/period-living-competitions

Terms and conditions: All prizes are as stated and cannot be changed or transferred. No refund or cash alternative will be given. The prize giver reserves the right to change the prize at any time without notice. For full terms and conditions, see futureplc.com/competition-rules

Win a hand-cast iron bed by The Cornish Bed Company

HOW TO ENTER One lucky winner will receive a matt black king-size Maud bed topped with a Naturalmat The Splendid mattress, with a total value of £2,660. To be in with a chance of winning, visit realhomes.com/period-livingcompetitions and answer the following question: What type of traditional joints does The Cornish Bed Company hand-cast for its Victorian-style beds?

Set in the heart of Cornwall, The Cornish Bed Company is one of the legacy working foundries, hand-casting beautiful madeto-order Victorian-style beds, day beds, four-poster beds and dog beds.

Its dedicated and talented craftsmen have amassed a collective skill of over 100 years.

They hand-cast traditional knuckle joints (the staple of a true Victorian cast-iron bed), creating future heirlooms and antiques.

Every bed is hand-poured and individually numbered, made bespoke for each customer.

To help celebrate PL’s 30th anniversary, The Cornish Bed Company is giving away one of its best-selling beds. The Maud design stands as the pinnacle of classic metal bed style and will look as stylish in a minimalist house as well it would in a restored mansion. It has been paired with Naturalmat’s The Splendid pocket-sprung mattress, which is made from organic lambswool and recycled denim for a natural, organic and sustainable sleep experience.

Win £1,000 to spend at Garden Trading See in spring and summer in style with the latest home and garden collections at Garden Trading. From outdoor furniture to suit all shapes and sizes of gardens to new indoor pieces that add the finishing touch to every home.

Outside, the Outdoor Living collection now includes more choice than ever before with a mix of materials and styles.

While complementary coffee tables, colourful bistro sets, and garden armchairs provide plenty of choice for flexible entertaining to suit all spaces and styles.

Indoors, Garden Trading’s debut tabletop collection provides new-season colour courtesy of soft sages, deep rosemary and delicate rose hues combining with ethereal lines and edges to capture the natural beauty of spring.

HOW TO ENTER One winner will receive a £1,000 gift voucher to spend on any of the latest collections. Visit realhomes.com/ period-living-competitions and answer the following question: What three colours are featured in the debut tabletop collection?

Period Living 23

Competitions

Win £500 to spend at Sanderson

Terms and conditions: The voucher only applies to the purchase of fabrics, wallpapers and paint from Sanderson. It cannot be used in conjunction with other offers, discount cards or vouchers. The voucher is exclusive to Period Living readers and can be redeemed by contacting the Sanderson press office. It is for the amount of £500 only. Only original vouchers will be accepted; defaced, photocopied, altered or damaged vouchers will not be accepted. This voucher is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. For full terms and conditions, see futureplc.com/competition-rules

To mark the iconic interiors brand’s 160th anniversary, Period Living is offering 10 lucky readers the prize of £500 to spend on fabric, wallpaper and paint This year, Sanderson embarks on its 160th anniversary, celebrating the beauty of nature in design. Since 1860, Sanderson has taken its inspiration from the wonders of the English countryside, furnishing every kind of home with its unique and iconic design.

Today, Sanderson is famous for a signature style that is informed by heritage yet designed for modern living.

Its look combines classic, hand-drawn patterns with fresh, vibrant colours that are elegant yet easy to live with. Sanderson truly belongs in the family homes where style matters but not at the expense of comfort.

To celebrate its 160th anniversary, Sanderson is offering 10 lucky Period Living readers the fabulous prize of £500 worth of Sanderson fabric, wallpaper or paint of their choice.

Whether you’re new to the world of Sanderson or rekindling an old love affair, this is the perfect opportunity to refresh any room in the home to offer the warmest of welcomes.

Discover all of Sanderson’s stunning interiors collections at stylelibrary.com/sanderson.

HOW TO ENTER

10 lucky winners will each receive a £500 voucher to spend on fabric, wallpaper and/or paint of their choice at Sanderson. To be in with a chance of winning, visit realhomes.com/period-living-competitions and answer the following question: What anniversary is Sanderson celebrating in 2020? Winners will be chosen at random from the correct answers.

Above: Blinds in Daula fabic in Tyrian, £79 per m; walls in Window Blue, £47 for 2.5ltrs of Active emulsion; sofa in Khira fabric in Madder, £59 per m; footstool in Omega fabric in Eucalyptus, £29 per m Left: Curtains in Indra Flower fabric in Hibiscus, £59 per m; wallpaper in Cantaloupe in English Grey, £79 per m; headboard in Meru fabric in Celeste, £49 per m Right: Blind in Duala fabric in Tyrian, as before; Blue Clay, £47 per 2.5ltrs of Active emulsion; chair in Rhodera, £47 per 2.5ltrs of Active emulsion

Period Living 25

Also celebrating its 30th birthday in 2020, Vogue (UK) is the country’s leading manufacturer of quality towel warmers, designer radiators and heating accessories.

Understanding that small is always beautiful, Vogue (UK) is offering the chance to win one of its traditional Hamlet towel warmers, which is the perfect heating solution when space is at a premium but warm, dry towels are a must! A beautifully crafted, petite wall-mounted towel rail with classic style, Hamlet is made in high-quality brass and features an exclusive Antique Bronze finish.

Measuring H23.5xW57.5xD13.5cm, it is suitable for all hotwater, dual-fuel or sealed electric systems, with a heat output of 270 Btu/hr. It comes with a 30-year guarantee.

HOW TO ENTER One winner will receive a Hamlet towel warmer worth £1,106. Visit realhomes.com/period-living-competitions and answer: What exclusive finish does the Hamlet feature?

Win a door from George Barnsdale Founded in 1884, George Barnsdale is renowned for making high-performance timber windows and doors from Donington, Lincolnshire. The family-run business designs its front doors to combine exceptional levels of security and comfort with the elegance of FSC-certified wood. With multi-point locking and advanced cylinder locks as standard, the doors come in a number of styles and configurations, and limitless colours, made bespoke to your measurements. The doors will last up to 70 years with minimal maintenance. To celebrate PL’s birthday George Barnsdale is offering a single timber door, painted on both sides, with or without plain glass, fully finished with hardware, gaskets, locks and a 10-year guarantee.

HOW TO ENTER One winner will receive a timber exterior door, worth up to £2,000, including VAT and delivery*. Visit realhomes. com/period-living-competitions and answer: How long will George Barnsdale doors last with minimal maintenance?

Win built-in cabinetry from DIY Alcove Cabinets DIY Alcove Cabinets offers bespoke cabinetry without the bespoke price tag. It keeps costs low as there’s no site visit and the cabinet fitting is done by you or your local carpenter. Prices start from just £390 for a single full alcove dresser with soft-close doors and height-adjustable shelves (unprimed). What’s more, you don’t have to be a DIY expert to install the furniture.

Installation is easy, as DIY Alcove Cabinets provides a flatpack ‘alcove cabinet kit’ that includes everything you need with easy-to-read, step-by-step instructions.

To help celebrate Period Living’s 30th anniversary DIY Alcove Cabinets is offering a prize of cabinets or wardrobes up to the value of £1,500.

HOW TO ENTER One winner will receive bespoke cabinetry up to the value of £1,500**. Visit realhomes.com/period-livingcompetitions and answer: What’s the starting price of a dresser?

26 Period Living

Terms and conditions: All prizes are as stated and cannot be changed or transferred. No refund or cash alternative will be given. The prize giver reserves the right to change the prize at any time without notice. For full terms and conditions, see futureplc.com/competition-rules. *George Barnsdale can arrange delivery by courier up to the value of £100 within England/Wales and Scotland; anything over £100 will be charged as extra. Paint colour to be the same both sides; dual colour to be charged extra. ** DIY Alcove Cabinets prize includes delivery to mainland UK only, and does not include installation. The winner will need to supply measurements. Allow 5 weeks between confirmation of the order and delivery. Winners must be willing to participate in publicity if required. Prize is valid for six months after the date of the draw

Win a towel warmer from Vogue

Vintage florals Capture the romance of a historic French farmhouse by decorating with an array of pretty faded fabrics in a classic raspberries and cream palette, set off with textural plains and timeless stripes

Piles from left, bottom to top: Pile 1: Adelaine Floral linen in French Raspberry, £54 per m, Meg Morton; Paris Rose linen in Raspberry, £75 per m, Cabbages & Roses; Dashi linen in Faded Red, £59 per m, Sarah Hardaker; Charlotte linen in Raspberry, £75 per m, Cabbages & Roses. Pile 2: Dorset striped linen in Vintage Pink on White, £52 per m, Meg Morton; Isobella linen, £90 per m, Kate Forman; Torcello linen in Faded Pink, £59 per m, Sarah Hardaker; Rose Bud on Ivory White linen, £52 per m, The Painted Room; handmade calligraphy tag with hand-dyed pink ribbon, £3, Edie Rose Ashley. Pile 3: Brocante Stripe linen in French Raspberry, £54 per m, Meg Morton; Posies in Ruby, Raspberry and Clay on White linen, £64 per m, Peony & Sage; Dedalo linen in Linen/Raspberry, £110 per m, Inchyra; French Toile in Berry Red, £75 per m, Cabbages & Roses; naturally dyed ribbon, from £3.50, Edie Rose Ashley. Pile 4: Brocante striped linen in Chevery Pink, £54 per m, Meg Morton; Check Pink linen and Agatha linen, both £85 per m, Kate Forman; Rose Medallion linen in Pale Pink Stripe on Ivory White, £52 per m, The Painted Room

Styling Pippa Blenkinsop Photograph Kasia Fiszer

Fabrics

Shopping Warner Textile Archive ceramic brooches, £15 each, Stockwell Ceramics

Metal pendant lampshade in Cornflower Blue, £10, Argos Home

Designers Guild Dufrene Delft wool rug, £1,295 for W160xL260cm, Woven

Cornflower glass platter, £28, Club Matters Eva glass vase in Blue, from £18.95, Graham & Green

Feature Pippa Blenkinsop

Artisan dinner plate in Denim, £10, John Lewis & Partners

Bluebell fine bone china mug, £14, Hannah Madden Printmaker

Blissful bluebell

As the forest floors turn into magical carpets of purply blue, be inspired to use this restful shade to breathe new life into interiors

Bluebell cushion, £54, Lorna Syson

Fil-à-Fil linen/cottonmix rectangular pillowcase in Blue, £30 for a pair, Habitat

Camilla coated Italian linen placemat in Periwinkle, £20, Rebecca Udall

HK Living large glass, £12, Liberty London

Sugar Bum sofa in Winter Sky Clever velvet, £1,345, Loaf

Scalloped cotton towels, from £4.99 for a face towel, Zara Home

Bluebell, £48 for 2.5ltrs of Perfect matt emulsion, Designers Guild

Felicity small teapot in Dark Blue, £64, Burleigh

Hungarica linen tablecloth in Sky/White, from £64, Julia Brendel Lee

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TIME FOR TEA

1 Lucy Tiffney cake slice, £8, Debenhams; 2 Yvonne Ellen poodle/sausage dog two-tier cake stand, £45, John Lewis & Partners; 3 Yunomi stoneware teacup/sugar bowl, £36, Kara Leigh Ford Ceramics; 4 Blush pink woven linen tablecloth, £85, Rockett St George; 5 Barrel teapot with roses in Mint Green, £182, Virginia Graham at Made by Hand Online; 6 Echinacea large mug, £19.50, Susie Watson Designs; 7 Handpainted small round pink flora plate, £70, Rachael Cocker; 8 Gold rabbit dessert forks, £22.95 for 2, Graham & Green; 9 Doris Splatter jade china teacup and saucer, £17.95, Sweetpea & Willow; 10 Linear jug in Pink Gin, £30, Garden Trading; 11 Incontournable Classic Collection macaron gift box, £28, Ladurée; 12 Handmade enamel and brushed gold tea strainer in Mint, £14.95, Bombay Duck; 13 Delilah linen napkins, £50 for 4, Liberty London; 14 Sunflower green glass tumbler, £8 for 4, George Home; 15 Cloverleaf sugar bowl, £100, Fortnum & Mason 32 Period Living

Feature Sophie Warren-Smith

Hosting an afternoon tea party? Enjoy the English tradition in style with this array of pretty tableware, from classic china teacups to fancy cake forks and sweet treats

SOOTHE THE SENSES Part of the beauty of living in the country is being able to throw open the doors to savour the sights, sounds, smells and scenic vistas of nature from the comfort of your living room. Painting walls in off-white will help to mirror the serenity of natural surroundings, while sink-in, loose-cushioned sofas layered with knitted throws will achieve a relaxed rural look. With its irresistible texture, linen makes a great choice for slouchy sofas, particularly those with feather-filled cushions. To complement the strippedback feel, opt for a chunky reclaimed wood bench as a coffee table – for similar try Homebarn. Finally, as the light fades, set the mood for magical summer evenings with plenty of lanterns and fairy lights, from £30 at Lights4fun

Decorating

Country

rustic

Embrace laid-back living by creating timeless interiors that draw on the simple pleasures of rural life. Think natural materials, understated design and earthy tones Feature Pippa Blenkinsop

Period Living 35

TIMELESS TEXTILES Whether used on blinds, seat cushions or curtains to cover unsightly white goods, fabrics are a fail-safe way to add a splash of colour to a kitchen. Florals, stripes, and linens printed with natural motifs are all country classics that would work well. PL loves this warm peach melba palette as an alternative to typical strawberries and cream or coastal blue. From left: Rose Lullaby Stonewash cotton, £42 per m, Susie Watson Designs; Delilah linen, £90 per m, Kate Forman; Acorn Leaf linen/cotton fabric, £52 per m, Vanessa Arbuthnott; Jura Stripe fabric in Sage, £47.50 per m, Ian Mankin

KITCHEN CLASSICS No traditional country kitchen could be without a simple wooden table and stick-back chairs. With fuss-free designs combining natural wood with painted legs, the Bournemouth furniture range from Argos would make a classic and affordable choice. Try the Bournemouth 150cm dining table, £180, and Kentucky chairs, £100 for the pair, or for a more contemporary look, try benches, £80 for a pair

Decorating

PRACTICALLY PERFECT A handy utility room, laundry or pantry off the kitchen is often high on the wish-list when it comes to having a practical country home. A combination of Shaker-style cabinetry, open shelving and weatherboarding is guaranteed to evoke rustic rural charm, but why not try patterned floor tiles for a decorative twist? Use the shelves to store classic table and serveware, such as these Nordic Touch pieces, from ÂŁ8 at Nordic House, and team with rustic wooden furniture like its teak bar stool, ÂŁ230

LAZY LUNCHES Set the scene for relaxed summer dining by laying the table with textiles and tableware inspired by the textures and tones of nature.

Try Neptune’s Emily linen tablecloth in Mist, £95; woven Ashcroft round placemats, £78 for 6; Lewes side plates, £54 for 6; and Antonia linen napkins in Apricot, £44 for 6

GATHER AROUND Make the most of summer days by kitting out your patio with plenty of seating. For a touch of rustic chic take Rowen & Wren’s Polperro bench, £784, outside and team with its Kapok floor cushions, £112 each; mattresses in Coastal Grey Stripe and Tea Rose, £98; and washed linen cushion covers in Honey Yellow and Plaster Pink, £24

CUES FROM THE COAST Capturing the beauty of the British coastline in a subdued pastel palette, Sainsbury’s Home’s Estuary collection consists of homely pieces perfect for a relaxed country look. Estuary linen cushion, £14; tableware in Blush, Slate, Apple and Yellow, from £3.50 for a mug; recycled glass jug, £10; runner, £12; and napkins, £8 for 2

MAY MOOD A sophisticated take on a floral paint palette, Il Florista by Atelier Ellis is soft and elegant without being overtly feminine. Conjuring mellow summer scenes, it comprises (clockwise from top left) Firle, Pollen, Shadow Grey, Tea Rose, Garden Party Green, Palette Red, Bell Pink, Triple Warm White and Canopy, all £51 for 2.5ltrs of matt emulsion

38 Period Living

Decorating

‘To capture a timeless country look choose a neutral palette and subtly contrasting colours. Introduce natural materials such as wood and linen; the varying textures will create a rustic aesthetic, which will combine with the quiet colours for an air of familiarity and serenity’ Simon Temprell, interior design manager, Neptune GO WITH THE GRAIN Pieces of furniture handcrafted from sustainable timber really look the part in historic country homes. Not only will they stand the test of time, the varied grains will complement the aged patina of the exposed original surfaces that give old properties their inimitable character. Try the Arundel round table in Natural Oak for a dining room, from £1,925, shown here with the Shoreditch dining chair in Harry Sand with Pale Oak legs, £710 for a set of two, both Neptune.

A timeless way to store and display, a traditional dresser is a country home must-have. With the ability to customise dimensions and storage options, Neptune’s Chawton design is perfect for fitting into different spaces, plus is available in 40 natural timber and paint finishes

This image: Freshly picked spring garden flowers, artistically arranged and pressed into clay, already resemble a beautiful still life Opposite: Rachel’s delicately decorative relief tiles come in a range of sizes, which are dictated by their natural muses

Made in Britain

Perfect impression Artist Rachel Dein has found a special way to immortalise the flowers from her garden, capturing every delicate detail of leaf and petal in beautiful botanical castings Words Mirjam Enzerink/Rachel Crow Photographs Peggy Janssen/Coco Features

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ACHEL DEIN’S sunny attic studio is a hive of activity as she busily prepares her botanical ‘still lifes’ ahead of Chelsea Flower Show.

Freshly picked spring garden flowers fill vases, awaiting their turn to be gently placed and pressed into a slab of grey pottery clay to capture every leaf vein and petal fold of their delicate, organic beauty. ‘The plants will dictate the size of a piece,’ Rachel explains, as she painstakingly removes each tiny, curving stem, leaving an imprint into which liquid plaster will be poured and left to set. ‘Every season has its flower combinations that I like best – flowering blackcurrant, hellebores, daffodils… The smaller flower forms cast better.’

Rachel heads out to pick more flowers from the lush garden borders of her charming corner house in north London, which she shares with her three children and husband Alan, a BBC radio journalist. Hidden in a romantic courtyard, the 1920s property is hardly visible from the road, set in a neighbourhood that was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement. Rachel spots a blossoming Solomon’s seal under a large magnolia tree. ‘These are very decorative,’ she says, ‘like the bleeding heart flowers of dicentra – they have such a beautiful straight-from-the-forest atmosphere.

I prefer more of a natural, woodland look.’ A leaf of a garden fern follows into her wooden collecting box, then the flower of a heuchera. ‘It’s not yet blossoming, but look how beautiful those buds are,’ she says.

The garden borders are planted with her favourite flowers, most of which are selected by shape: from tall Japanese anemones and Sanguisorba officinalis; plants with beautifully heart-shaped, feathered and serrated leaves; to the decorative lace flowers of dill and cow parsley next to delicate spring muscari and daffodils, or wild flowers, such as buttercups, nettles and sorrel. ‘I’m interested in using those flowers and plants that many people think of as weeds,’ Rachel explains. ‘In my work, it’s all about shape, not value or status. The beautiful, round cloverleaf is so pretty next to a tall stem. People are often very surprised when they hear which flowers I’ve used for a piece.

Suddenly they discover the beauty in what they had always thought of as worthless plants.’

Having studied Fine Art at Middlesex University, Rachel started her career as a prop maker for English National Opera, and over the course of 15 years worked for various theatres and operas. She had dabbled with casting while at college, a process she found fascinating, and experimented at home with shapes in clay, from dolls’ clothes to a wedding bouquet, thereby discovering the ephemeral beauty of flowers caught in plaster. It was not until she moved to her home, 13 years ago, that Rachel finally had the studio space and garden to grow the subject of her artworks.

‘I’ve always grown plants with whatever tiny space I’ve had, but moving here really allowed me to develop what I did,’ explains Rachel, who adds more flowers to her plot by dividing, spreading and natural propagation. ‘It’s a wonderful way to tackle the impermanence of flowers; to preserve nature, like a fossil,’ she adds, referring to her unique form of botanical artwork. ‘I make true-to-nature prints; not drawings on paper, but in plaster relief.’

Alongside the smaller cast tiles in concrete and plaster that she sells via Etsy and her website, varied commissions have included a set of six 1.5-metre panels for the new P&O Iona cruise ship, launching in May. While most of her casts are left plain and natural, she is experimenting with more colourful work.

In the attic studio, the floorboards are decorated with the white footprints of Rachel’s sturdy work shoes, their black leather also whitewashed under the flakes of dried plaster. As the casting process progresses, more and more sweeping whites

‘It’s a wonderful way to tackle the impermanence of flowers, to preserve nature, like a fossil’

42 Period Living

Top left: Rachel picks the flowers she works with mostly from her own garden. They have to be fresh for the perfect result. ‘Roses don’t cast well, or peonies; the smaller forms rather than blousy blooms cast better,’ she explains Top right: A wooden frame is fitted around the still life in clay for the casting process, before the plaster mixture is poured gently into the mould, which will take a few hours to cure. A technician now assists her one day a week with casting Right: Rachel has used the same piece of clay for pressing the flowers for years. ‘Sometimes a seed is left behind in the clay, and I’ll suddenly discover a baby plant growing out of it,’ she says Far right: She uses a small tool to remove the flowers before casting

Made in Britain

appear in Rachel’s hair and face. She laughs apologetically.

‘It’s all about precision, but also about speed with this technique: I cannot wash my hands in between, because plaster has to be poured as soon as possible after mixing.’

Rachel takes the newly picked flowers out of the box one by one, and sensitively arranges them next to each other on the plaque of clay; delicate flowers of the purple henbit resting by a round petalled yellow poppy, or the bell-shaped blooms of the common comfrey nestling alongside a curved fern leaf and nearly transparent dill. ‘It’s all about contrasts, in size, fineness and structure. In this way the different shapes reinforce each other. But I do not like it too stylised; it has to look natural, as if they are standing next to each other in the forest,’ Rachel explains.

When the composition is right, Rachel pushes the flowers into the clay very carefully with the tips of her fingers, from top to bottom, petal by petal, gradually pressing them

Above and right: Available in plaster or concrete – ideal for use as decorative elements in the garden – Rachel’s botanical casts are priced from £30. She also creates more colourful work using added pigments. She will be exhibiting her pieces at Chelsea Flower Show

44 Period Living

deeper into the clay to capture every detail, before skilfully picking them out again to leave behind their fine imprint.

This forms the mould for the casting process. Once the plaster is sufficiently cured, Rachel cautiously separates the clay layer from the plaster whereupon flower for flower, the spring scene sees the light. The fragile reliefs of the gracefully curved fern, poppy petals and leaf veins in the heuchera look so real you feel compelled to touch them and trace the organic contours with your fingertips.

‘I like to work with the seasons, to really catch spring or summer in a cast,’ Rachel explains. ‘When I see all these flowers next to each other on a cast, I can immediately recall: this was made on a beautiful day in May. That feeling and the fleeting beauty of those spring flowers are now permanent memories in plaster.’

To see more of Rachel’s work visit racheldein.com

Could you be one of our 2020 winners?

If you think your home or garden deserves a prize, enter Period Living’s Home and Garden of the Year awards and you could be in the running for a prize worth £1,000

ave you recently completed a renovation, an extension project, or given your home décor a stylish update? Have you redesigned and replanted your garden? Or do you simply feel that all your work on your home or garden has finally come together and is ready to be admired?

If so, Period Living would love to hear from you.

We’re inviting readers to enter their completed home improvement, garden, or interior decoration projects into our awards. We can’t wait to see the schemes you’ve come up with for all kinds of period properties, large and small, and to hear their unique stories. As we launch the 2020 Home and Garden of the Year awards, we look forward to finding out all about your homes, kitchens and gardens, and to hearing about your inspirations and the work you’ve put in. For how to enter, see right.

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The prizes Our prizewinning entries will be announced in Period Living’s November 2020 issue. One overall winner will scoop a fabulous £1,000 in John Lewis vouchers. Our first-prizewinner also receives a year’s Period Living magazine subscription for themselves and a friend, worth over £100. The garden of the year will win £500 worth of John Lewis vouchers, and a year’s subscription to Period Living, worth £50, and three further runners-up will each win a year’s subscription to Period Living, worth £50.

We want to see: O Elegant townhouses and semis O Cosy cottages and terraces O Fabulous farmhouses

How to enter

O Characterful conversions – barns,

Enter online at realhomes.com/features/periodliving-awards and follow the instructions on the website. You will need to have the following information ready to complete your application: Tell us in up to 500 words why you think your home should win, giving us details of how it looked before you renovated, what you’ve achieved and

schools, chapels, pubs, windmills O Intriguing listed buildings O Extended homes O First-time and DIY projects O Showstopping kitchens O And gorgeous gardens 46 Period Living

Enter the Awards

In 2019 the judges were all wowed by Tom and Jenny Williams’ family home.

A former laundry and dairy, the Grade II-listed building belonged to a hall that had been handed down through five generations of Tom’s family. They stripped the laundry to the brick, creating a glorious five-bedroom house, moving the staircase and adding a bootroom to give them the space they needed

how you’ve gone about it. Please also tell us what period or original features you’ve successfully managed to restore or reinstate.

Make sure you include photos of all the main rooms in the house (or main areas of the garden for a garden entry) – quick snaps will do – and a photo of the exterior of the property. To enter by post write to Period Living, Future Plc, Units 1 & 2, Sugarbrook Court, Aston Road, Bromsgrove B60 3EX and we’ll send you a paper entry form.

Full terms and conditions can be found at futureplc.com/competition-rules. The closing date for all entries is 5pm on Monday 8 June 2019.

Last year’s winners In 2019 we received some stunning entries of homes full of inspiring ideas. The standard was exceptional and showed just how much care and creativity our readers put into their projects.

Tom and Jenny Williams’ family home – a renovated former laundry and dairy – scooped the top prize last year. The Grade II-listed building belonged to a hall that had been in Tom’s family for five generations. Tim and Olivia Payne were the winners in the garden category, having spent five years transforming a negelected plot into a fabulous English country garden. ³ Period Living 47

THE CATEGORIES

1

Best Project

This is the category to enter if you’ve successfully negotiated your way through an extension or building project on a period home – we can’t wait to see what you’ve done and find out how the new space works alongside the original property.

2

Best Kitchen

If you’ve completed a kitchen update – whether that’s extending or just rearranging the layout and adding new cabinetry, we’d like to see the results of your hard work.

3Best Interior Style

SPONSORED BY THE RUG SELLER If you love the way the colours, patterns, furniture and furnishings have all come together in your updated home then this is the category to enter.

Visit therugseller.co.uk online or in its Manchester showroom for the latest rugs, cushions, bedding, hallway runners, doormats and curtains by leading designers including Ted Baker and Calvin Klein. The Rug Seller offers free UK delivery, the lowest prices guaranteed and no-quibble returns.

4

Best Listed Home

SPONSORED BY THE SASH WINDOW WORKSHOP Renovating or updating a listed property brings joys and challenges. We look forward to hearing all about yours.

The Sash Window Workshop specialises in manufacturing and installing high-quality, bespoke timber windows and doors which are designed to improve energy efficiency, while preserving the character of your home. For more details, visit sashwindow.com.

5Garden of the Year

SPONSORED BY BRIDGMAN If your garden is your pride and joy, we’d like to see photos of your planting schemes – whether they are cottage style, country garden or billowing borders and mellow meadows.

Spend time enjoying your home and garden with Bridgman’s luxury furniture. A furniture specialist since 1977, Bridgman places distinct emphasis on providing reliable, luxurious comfort when it comes to furnishing your home. It works with award-winning designers and skilled craftsmen to create beautiful collections that are sure to impress. For more details, visit bridgman.co.uk.

When Tim and Olivia Payne moved into their cottage in 2014, the neglected garden was crying out for a makeover. The couple spent five years turning it into a stunning English country garden, creating a series of ‘rooms’ to give a sense of space, with a delightful surprise around every corner

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FEELS LIKE HOME

Realising their dream of rural living, the Lovatts fell for a picturesque 17th-century cottage, transforming it into an idyllic family home brimming with relaxed country charm Words and styling Pippa Blenkinsop | Photographs Brent Darby

Clockwise from top left: Lined with hollyhocks, the cottage looks like a picture postcard during the summer months; Rebecca loves to create garden displays on her potting bench and is always on the look out for vintage pots and garden tools; she likes to fill the house with flowers from the garden; just a short walk from the front of the house, across the garden and a patio area, is a stable block that Rebecca and Jamie have converted into guest accommodation for friends and family; in contrast to the front of the property, the rear is traditionally clad in black weatherboarding – a typical feature of Suffolk’s vernacular architecture Right: Jamie and Rebecca created the outdoor seating using old palettes and topped them with large bench cushions from Loaf and scatter cushions from Cabbages & Roses, Etsy and Ebay. The throw is from Ian Snow

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Thatched Country Cottage

The handmade dining table was bought in Brighton over 20 years ago. Rebecca found the mismatched chairs from Greenwich market and Ebay and has painted them in Farrow & Ball’s Mizzle, Pigeon and New White. The pine dresser was another Ebay find, which Rebecca has upcycled using Annie Sloan’s Château Grey and Old White Chalk paint to create a country feel

52 Period Living

Thatched Country Cottage

Period Living 53

THE STORY Owners Rebecca and Jamie Lovatt live here with their two children Freddie, ten, and Verity, eight. Rebecca is a lifestyle blogger @myenglishcountrycottage covering country interiors, gardening, Aga recipes and interior design, and Jamie is managing director of commercial joinery manufacturer and contractor WJL Property A three-bedroom 17th-century thatched cottage, on the Suffolk/Essex/Cambridgeshire border What they did A bespoke timber kitchen was fitted and the couple redecorated throughout. They also converted a stable block into guest accommodation and a creative room for Rebecca

Above left: To create a kitchen with a quintessential cottage feel, bespoke wooden in-frame base cabinets were teamed with freestanding pieces, including a moveable island, plate rack and wicker storage baskets. Hanging by the window is a painting by Jamie’s late great-aunt and celebrated artist Muriel Pemberton, former member of the Royal Watercolour Society

54 Period Living

Above right: The rocking chair was given to Rebecca as a present on her 14th birthday; she loves to sit here and relax by the Aga. The handmade Pakistani Baluchi wool rug was bought from a retired Cambridge professor Right: A classic striped sofa from Laura Ashley creates a cosy corner in the kitchen.

On the wall hangs another Muriel Pemberton artwork

Thatched Country Cottage

hen it comes to finding, ‘the one’, no matter how well a property fits your brief, for many of us it all rests on a feeling; something that Rebecca Lovatt knows all too well after discovering her dream home in rural Cambridgeshire. ‘My mother-in-law says it’s like walking in and getting a huge hug,’ she says. It was this same comforting feeling that won over Rebecca and husband Jamie on their first viewing in 2013.

‘We must have seen about 40 properties, but this was the only one that we fell in love with,’ she says.

‘A listed thatch was certainly not what we set out to buy, but when you fall in love with something, you just take it on don’t you?’

While it may not have been what they originally envisioned, Rebecca and Jamie were looking for an older property, having previously sampled the delights of period living in a canalside cottage in Cheshire. ‘We knew that older homes demand a lot of upkeep,’ says Rebecca, ‘so we said, let’s not go listed, let’s not go thatched, let’s not go really old…’ she laughs. ‘But our hearts ruled our heads.’

As well as its warm welcome, the Lovatts were drawn to the cottage’s uncharacteristically large rooms. ‘The ceiling height was amazing and it felt really spacious,’ says Rebecca. ‘I think it works well because there are two huge rooms downstairs which are perfect for a young family.’

Wary of the problems that old properties can conceal, the couple had an extensive survey carried out, which confirmed that the property was structurally sound. As has been the fate of so many period properties, some years before it had been unsympathetically extended to the side and back as well as with a porch, hallway, tack room and at one point, a boiler room. Luckily the previous owners had removed all the recent additions, meaning that the building was back to its original fabric when the Lovatts bought the house. ‘It was pretty much an empty shell,’ says Rebecca. ‘But hadn’t been lived in for a year and a half, so it looked neglected and needed us to come in and bring it back to life again.’

Fortunately, the cottage had retained an array of prized period features, including original beams, floorboards and a large brick inglenook fireplace.

While the windows are not original, they had been replaced with sympathetic timber frames. Besides a nasty kitchen unit, concrete floor and dated carpet in the bedroom, the house was pretty much a blank canvas ready for Rebecca to lend her effortless rural style. ‘I definitely wanted an English country home with lots of textures, fabrics, rugs, thick curtains and comfy, sink-in sofas.’

First on the list was a classic handmade country kitchen. The couple chose a mix of in-frame base cabinets and freestanding units to create a relaxed look and versatile layout. Jamie’s company built the cabinets to their own design while Rebecca sourced secondhand units, including a dresser and island, which can easily be repositioned for entertaining.

‘It’s somewhere people can gather with muddy boots and where kids can run around and bang into things without us having to worry,’ she says.

‘Yet it’s still a beautiful space where grown-ups can sit and enjoy an evening meal.’

As keen hosts, the couple found one of the drawbacks of the property was having nowhere to accommodate friends and family, but they soon saw the opportunity to convert a stable block in the garden into guest accommodation comprising a double bedroom, bathroom and second bedroom, which also doubles as a creative room for Rebecca.

As the property is set in a Conservation Area and is Grade II listed, they knew planning permission would be needed, but happily the project was swiftly approved. ‘We showed them detailed plans, including the suppliers we intended to use,’ says Rebecca. ‘They could see that we loved the property and didn’t want to blight it in any way.’

Indeed, rather than conceal its history, the pair have sought to embrace the property’s unique quirks, awkward angles, wonky floors, scrapes and even sways. Décor is kept simple with Farrow & Ball neutrals allowing the beautiful timber-frame structure to really sing, while wooden furniture and classic floral linens complete the English cottage look. ‘In the bedroom we took up the carpet to reveal original wooden boards,’ says Rebecca.

‘They were wonky, covered in holes, and had nails sticking out, but we love them! When the wind blows at night you notice the house genuinely does move; it’s like being in a ship’s cabin. But it’s been here for 400 years, so it’s not going anywhere.’

Like any country cottage it really shines in the summertime. Rebecca loves to throw open the French doors to the garden and host dinner parties on the patio, lounge in her handmade seating area, and pick the garden flowers, but admits there is still lots to do. ‘The garden is our next big project,’ she says. ‘At the moment it would get ruined by cricket balls, but I dream of having a little knot garden.’ Rebecca knows that one day the family will outgrow the property and toys with the idea of extending, but wonders in her heart if it’s right.

‘It’s a practical solution, but I can’t help feeling that as it’s so perfect we should keep it as it is, for another family to continue its story.’

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Thatched Country Cottage

The original brick inglenook fireplace fitted with a wood-burning stove provides the central focus in the living room. Rebecca opted for an understated, timeless feel by teaming traditional duck egg sofas from Sofa Workshop with an antique chair from Ebay and a handmade Persian tree of life rug. Curtains in Kate Forman’s Roses linen finish the English country feel

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Thatched Country Cottage

Left: Bespoke floor-to-ceiling bookshelves occupy the entire far wall of the living room complete with a built-in window seat, the perfect reading nook.

‘It was a tricky job for the joiner as he had to avoid touching any of the original plaster or beams,’ says Rebecca. ‘Trying to get it straight in a house where not one wall, beam or floor is level was a nightmare!’

The seat cushion is covered in Kate Forman fabric with scatter cushions from Susie Watson Designs. The floor lamp is from Original Homewares – a friend’s company which specialises in mid-century pieces Above left: Rebecca made maximum use of the landing area with the clever addition of a storage bench; she found it on Ebay and painted it in Earl Grey Vintage paint by Grand

Illusions. Rattan chests from Cox & Cox provide extra storage while complementing the rustic country look. The seagrass carpet is from Alternative Flooring Above right: Neutral walls keep the bedroom feeling light and airy while the Frank Hudson Cane weathered bed and curtains in Paris Rose linen

by Cabbages & Roses create a vintage French feel. The floorboards are so uneven that Rebecca uses old books to level up the bed Right: The exposed brick chimney breast rising up through the house makes for a characterful feature in the bathroom. The cork floor was already in the house and ‘too beautifully warm to remove,’ says Rebecca. The mirror is from The Taylor

Above left: As the stable block had no period features worth preserving, it gave Rebecca free rein to showcase her flair for creating country rustic interiors. The front door opens into a bright bedroom clad in whitewashed pine for a modern rustic feel and the space is paved throughout with reclaimed Charles Howey brick tiles from Lubelska. For a similar bed try the Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Company Above right: Old meets new in the stylish stable block bathroom. While laid out as a contemporary wet room,

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Rebecca created a pretty and unique bathroom vanity unit by mounting a transferware basin from Ebay onto a wooden washstand. The tiles in the shower are Baked Tiles’ Tuscany range Right: The second bedroom in the stable block doubles as Rebecca’s creative room where she does a lot of her interiors work. The wardrobe is another Ebay find, painted in Annie Sloan’s French Linen. Rebecca found a quirky rattan lamp shade she liked on Ebay so created a pendant light using fittings from Creative Cables

Subscribefor£20 plus FREE Annie Sloan paint set YOUR FREE GIFT This bespoke project set was created by Annie Sloan exclusively for Period Living and contains three 120ml tins of Chalk Paint – Aubusson Blue, Duck Egg Blue and Old White – plus 120ml of clear Chalk Paint wax and a small paint brush.

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62 Period Living

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Great reasons to subscribe O Brilliant value – save money on the cover price O You’ll never miss an issue O Every issue is delivered in an eco-friendly paper wrap O Get two free tickets to all eight Homebuilding & Renovating Shows worth £216

SUBSCRIBE NOW Go to www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/PLMAY20 or call 0344 848 2852 and quote PLMAY20 *Terms and conditions: This offer entitles new UK Direct Debit subscribers to pay just £20 every 6 months plus receive a free Annie Sloan Set worth £30. The free gift is available to the first 200 subscribers. You will receive 12 issues in a year. You can write to us or call us to cancel your subscription within 14 days of purchase. Payment is non-refundable after the 14 day cancellation period unless exceptional circumstances apply. Your statutory rights are not affected. Prices correct at point of print and subject to change. Full details of the Direct Debit guarantee are available upon request. UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) or are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). For full terms and conditions please visit: bit.ly/magtandc. Offer ends 30th May 2020.

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LIVING WITH HISTORY This forestry worker’s cottage has been home to Albert Weir for more than three decades and is filled with treasures from a lifetime of collecting Words Hazel Dolan | Photographs Brent Darby

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1920s Rural Home Albert replaced his worn-out original white Rayburn range with the closest similar new model in cream. Around it the wood panelling is painted in Stone Pale Cool, the wall above it in Whitening, and the floor in Stone Mid Cool floor paint, all by Little Greene.

He made his own star stencil for the border. The early-Victorian poster was one of a batch from a retirement sale at a Northumberland printers

Right: Tucked into an alcove, the kitchen window seat was one of Albert’s first projects when he moved in.’ That was important because the view is so great from there,’ he says Below: A local dealer was carrying the utensil rack with drawers to his stall at an antiques fair when Albert spotted it. ‘I raced up the street and asked if I could buy it,’ he says. ‘It’s probably Indian and was originally painted turquoise. The shelves on the left contain brown and white storage jars, which Albert began collecting decades ago when his landlady gave him a salt pot he had admired.

‘It has always taken pride of place, he says. ‘The earliest ones I have are 18th century’ Opposite: Freestanding furniture suits the kitchen’s relaxed country style. Tableware is stowed away in a dairy counter from Albert’s late brother-inlaw’s Cheshire farm, now

painted in Stone Pale Cool

by Little Greene. The vintage enamel storage jars are French and were a recent buy Below right: The kitchen table is an old partner’s desk, bought in Cumbria. The red enamel lidded pail came from the Ripley Castle Decorative Home & Salvage Show. Albert restored the oak chairs and had new rush seats woven for them by an expert in Cumbria.

The upholstered chairs came from a closing-down sale at a Hexham furniture shop. ‘I have fitted glass into the old reclaimed doors because this is a dark house, facing north,’ he says. ‘It needs the light’ Below far right: TG Green, best known for blue and white Cornishware, introduced its green-banded Streamline ware in the 1930s. It was closely followed a decade later by the Sadler company, which made a similar popular design marketed as Kleen Ware

1920s Rural Home

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ouses should reflect the fact that you age,’ says Albert Weir. ‘Blemishes and wrinkles will appear over time. I don’t mind mine being slightly worn and lived in. I’m a conservationist and feel very strongly that we shouldn’t be wasting resources constantly changing things. A house and its furnishings very much reflect you as a person, and this is why I don’t do a lot of decorating, even though it may look as if I do.’

Tucked into a low-slung row of early-20thcentury stone forestry cottages, 900 feet above sea level, Albert’s home looks out over rippling Northumberland hills. ‘It’s one of the best places to get the whole view of Northumberland in one look,’ he points out. ‘Even when it’s not particularly clear I can see north to the Cheviots 60 miles away and Hadrian’s Wall is about 20 miles from here. It is incredibly exposed. It’s very rare that there is not a breeze or a howling gale blowing, so a day when there is not a breath of anything moving is exceptional.’

It was on one such paused and beautiful June evening, when those sweeping views could be taken in at a glance, that Albert first saw the cottage, tipped off that it was about to go on the market by a friend who drove the mobile library and knew her patch well.

‘All it had were four square rooms, all on one floor – that was what standard forestry cottages were,’ says Albert. ‘It was very modest, but with so much potential. When I looked through a hole in the passageway ceiling, I could see that the loft matched the floor area and the roof pitch meant there was plenty of height up there for two double bedrooms.’

That was the first project he tackled, building a staircase up through the core of the space. Over time, helped by a builder friend, he has extended the original kitchen, added a new porch and entrance hall, landscaped the garden and built a workshop, summerhouses, and a garage.

Long before he began trading in antiques, Albert’s practical skills and tastes were shaped by a childhood on a Cheshire farm and years he spent as conservation officer for the Northumberland National Park. ‘Craftsmanship is very important 68 Period Living

to me,’ he says. ‘We were a farming family, and a farm is an incredibly good school to be taught every skill imaginable, from horsemanship and veterinary to joinery, carpentry and gardening.

It is a fantastic academy.’

Inherited and found objects have steered his redesign. The new entrance hall faces directly north and is based on the scale of an heirloom dresser and a huge window he spotted when visiting a big country house in his work for the National Park. ‘They’d knocked down a surplus wing,’ he says, ‘and this lintel and quoins were lying on the ground. I just happened to ask if they were for sale. It basically capitalised on the wonderful view that you get from the garden but weren’t getting from the house. By setting it at floor level, and it being a tall window from a much grander house, it gave the wonderful aspect to see the 60-mile, 180-degree view.’

His decorating influences are pan-European.

‘I like French styles because of the materials,’ he says. ‘I think they make good use of metal and glass. Swedish, because they make good use of wood and I love the choice of colours: very earthy reds, greens, blues and greys. Northumberland is very similar to Sweden and Norway, to Scandinavia generally, more than many counties in England.

It has the same light and the same rural greenness about it, and grey skies off the North Sea. And then I find English style pretty, comfortable and warming. This house is a melting pot of all three.

The gingham is essentially Scandinavian, the enamel is French, the china English.’

And having established his style, his practice is for low-key maintenance, with two important exceptions. ‘Other rooms I’ve allowed to age and develop a patina like you would a piece of furniture,’ he says, ‘but the kitchen and bathroom are high-traffic areas and do need redecoration more often.’ Even there, he keeps to the tried and tested ideas: his new Rayburn is an updated version of his last.

It is his magpie eye which makes his home so appealing: everywhere you look are interesting antique and vintage finds, loosely linked by colour or craft. ‘I don’t have extensive collections, he says, ‘or go to the ends of the earth, every auction or the internet to search for a particular piece. I just like things that have a bit of history and I have got a very good memory for colour and detail – I can see something and think: “That will complement that display”. I’m not buying from scratch to furnish a house, just adding little gems to it.’

The end result is a home that reflects his interests entirely. ‘Because I live on my own I can do exactly what I want with it,’ he says. ‘It has evolved and now it’s a rewarding experience to live here. I love it, and even though it is a big cottage for one person, I have no plans to move.

I want to spend a few years benefitting from all the work that has been put into it, to sit back, relax and mellow a little.’

Above: Albert’s cottage is one of a short row built in the 1920s to house forestry workers and their families This image: He bought extra land to create his garden from scratch and build a workshop and summerhouse

Below right: Making a garden in this exposed spot 900ft above sea level can be a tough challenge, he maintains, but the potential is infinite and the views across 60 miles of open countryside are glorious

THE STORY Owner Antiques dealer Albert Weir, owner of Vintage at the Tower and Living at the Tower, lives here Property A three-bedroom former forestry cottage in Northumberland, built in the 1920s What he did Since moving here in 1985, Albert has installed a staircase and converted the attic space into two bedrooms, extended and refitted the kitchen, added a porch and entrance hall. He also refitted the bathroom, extended and landscaped the garden and built a summerhouse and workshop, garage and garden shelter

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1920s Rural Home Opposite: The entrance hall’s oak floor was salvaged from a village hall in Cumbria. ‘It took an inordinate amount of cleaning,’ says Albert. ‘Some friends from work helped me to lay it.’ The broad glazed door came from a salvage yard near Newcastle (no longer in business) and now lets extra light into the space. Offbeat treasures gathered around it include Albert’s collection of antique and vintage umbrellas, parasols, walking sticks and measuring sticks, all gathered during his years of antiques dealing Left: The dining chairs are a harlequin set of Georgian and early Victorian ones. Originally, they would have been in sets of up to 12 but Albert picked them up one by one from antiques shops in Hexham in the 1980s and reupholstered each of them in embroidered

silk from Absolutely Fabrics to make a new collection.

The reproduction Victorian dining table was being thrown away by neighbours when Albert rescued it Below: Walls painted in palest shell pink create the perfect backdrop for Albert’s collection of delicate vintage china in the living room; Little Greene’s Dorchester Pink is a similar shade. The cottage has no central heating and relies on the kitchen range and open fires for warmth. Albert stripped out the existing tiled fireplaces in the living and dining rooms, replacing them with a pair of Georgian fireplaces with cast-iron curved basket grates, both salvaged from a shop in Hexham which was being gutted by workmen. ‘I bought them out of a skip,’ says Albert.

For a similar button-back armchair, try Susie Watson

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1920s Rural Home

Opposite: Albert converted the attic space into two bedrooms, using Velux roof windows to let in plenty of light. The antique French walnut bed in the guest room is three-quarter-sized so Albert had to have a mattress specially made for it. The floral Victorian quilt is from Living at the Tower Above: Albert bought the day bed to sell in his shop. ‘The chap made such a good job I couldn’t bear to sell it,’ he says. He upholstered the chairs himself and inherited the chest of drawers. ‘It was made by an ancestor and I found it in the attic. I stripped

it down the summer I did my O Levels.’ The curtains were made by a local farmer’s wife Left: The bentwood rocking chair is a classic design first produced in 1860 by GermanAustrian cabinetmaker Michael Thonet, considered by some to be the father of modern furniture design. Albert’s example was bought from a Hexham saleroom in the 1970s and he re-covered it himself.

The pine wardrobe was one of Albert’s first buys when he began studying for his doctorate at Newcastle University. The pine table came from a church in Carlisle. All the suitcases are car-boot and auction buys

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Clockwise from top left: The communal garden, which Avril and Colin share with their neighbours. ‘On warm evenings we all gather here to enjoy a glass of wine. It’s so sociable,’ says Avril; a birdbath by Vicki Behm, one of the artists exhibiting here as part of Warwickshire Open Studios; outside the kitchen is a sheltered outdoor dining space. The circular pot at the back of the table is by Nicola Richards; the side gate (try Valspar’s Cheerio for a similar shade) leads to a sunny back garden that was completely overgrown when the couple moved in.

By cutting things back they made space for more pots and new plants; Right: The handsome four-storey townhouse was built in 1835 74 Period Living

Regency Villa

OPEN HOUSE As ceramicist Avril Leigh prepares to welcome visitors to her home as part of a local art trail, she gives us the tour and highlights some of the artists who’ll be showing their work Words Karen Darlow | Styling Pippa Blenkinsop | Photographs Kasia Fiszer

ust as their garden is beginning to show the first signs of summer colour, and the lavender lining the path hints at deep blue, Avril and Colin start to wonder how they can find extra space inside their Regency home for more ceramics and artworks. Yet somehow every year they manage it, as ceramicist Avril has been involved with Warwickshire Open Studios since 2017, allowing visitors into her home to see, handle and buy the work of local artists and craftspeople, as part of Summer Art Weeks at a network of studios and homes in the county.

‘It is a pleasure to share the house with other artists for Art Weeks and I enjoy watching people looking at details of the house as well as the art works on display,’ says Avril. ‘So many people who know about art and architecture do the arts trail so the conversations are fascinating,’ Finding room to display and enjoy special things has become something of a recurring theme with this house. Seven years ago when Avril and Colin married there were several lifetimes of treasured collections to accommodate in their new home, along with three children and six grandchildren between them, who like to visit when they can. ‘It was so difficult going through our things from our previous homes and items we had each inherited, choosing what to keep and what to get rid of,’ recalls Avril. ‘But we did it in the end and I can’t imagine living anywhere else now.’

Indeed, there’s no hint of overcrowding or clashing tastes in the four-storey Regency villa, where the couple eventually brought their remaining possessions together. The overall impression is spacious, elegant, calm and above all interesting, with something unusual to catch the eye in every room, along with the home’s charming original architectural features.

It has taken a lot of effort to create that impression. Not just the couple’s big clear-out, but the building itself required careful attention and renovation. Colin and Avril had been keen to buy a Regency period property, and looked in a wide area.

When they found this pretty villa they loved the fact that it was tucked away in a quiet part of town, not too far from Avril’s grandchildren, and that it shared a communal garden besides having its own very attractive front and back gardens. However, 76 Period Living

it needed roof repairs, replacement windows and work to remedy damp in the basement. All that was before they could begin to think about updating the décor, which was striking but not to their taste.

The couple came up with a plan to make the basement layout work better for them. They opened up the stairs again and repaired the plasterwork in the ground floor hall that had been damaged when doors had been added in the 1960s. Alongside a new fitted kitchen, they created an office for Avril, and a separate boiler room. Previously the central heating boiler and its tangle of pipes had been a rather unsightly focal point in the kitchen Next Avril and Colin turned their attention to the windows. ‘They really are the defining features in homes of this period,’ says Avril ‘Ours was the only house in the whole circus where the front French windows didn’t match so replacing them has made a huge difference.’ A fresh coat of paint for the outside walls of the house and introducing a calmer palette inside has created a smarter, more sophisticated look. ‘I know these aren’t Regency shades – they would have had much more colour,’ says Avril, ‘but somehow these light greys and creams seem to fit with the whole lightness of the circus and the style of the architecture.’ Even with a neutral backdrop the various artworks, ceramics and many family treasures dotted about add plenty of interest and individuality.

As the renovations neared completion, a date was set for a housewarming and wedding party to take place in the house and newly cleared garden.

‘It certainly helped to concentrate the minds of the builders. They knew they had to finish in time as they were all invited to the party!’ says Avril.

Avril and Colin’s home will open to visitors from 11am-5pm on 3-5 July 2020 as part of Warwickshire Open Studios Summer Arts Weeks. You’ll be able to see and buy work by seven local artists, including Avril. Visit warwickshireopenstudios.org for details.

THE STORY Owners Avril Leigh, a ceramicist and former education adviser, and her husband Colin Cohen, who used to work in printing and publishing, live here; they have three grown-up children and six grandchildren between them. The couple open their home for warwickshireopenstudios.org Property A semi-detached Grade II*-listed Regency townhouse in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. It’s part of a circus of 17 villas designed by William Thomas and built in 1835, around a shared central garden. The four-storey house has four bedrooms What they did The couple repaired the roof and renovated the windows and French windows. They tackled the damp in the basement, dividing up the space to create room for an office and boiler room, alongside the kitchen where they fitted new units

Regency Villa

Clockwise from top left: Avril in the kitchen, which was treated for damp and reconfigured to create a separate boiler room and to open up the stairs; the two living room sofas and the cushions are from M&S. Avril made the four white bowls and white vase on the mantelpiece.

The 1930s bronze is from Colin’s family, the painting is a Victorian study of a woman; a garden posy fills a vase by Sally Larke, who will be exhibiting here this summer. The bowls are by Avril and the paintings and chest came from Colin’s childhood home; Avril and Colin chose a Wickes kitchen, fitting different handles and adding a Franke sink and an island that the carpenter made from offcuts of the wooden worktops Period Living 77

The basement kitchen-diner is a surprisingly light space so when not sharing a friend’s nearby studio Avril creates her unique ceramics at the kitchen table. The table itself came from an uncle who worked for the forestry department in Nigeria, and the chairs and rug belonged to Colin’s grandparents. The fruit bowl is by Sally Larke, and on the shelves are more pieces from Open Studios, including a striped bottle by Nicola Richards and a shallow dish by Paula Barraclough-Fox

Regency Villa

Colin’s study is packed with his collection of books and material relating to the history of printing and paper making. He is currently researching his own family history and is working through numerous boxes of letters. The Victorian chair is a family piece that was reupholstered in the 1970s.

Leaning against the bookshelves is an old library ladder made of bamboo

Regency Villa At the other end of Colin’s study is the original fireplace.

The ornate surround would have been painted at one time and there are still traces of paint in the decorative woodwork. The portrait above it is of Colin’s Uncle Stephen as a young boy, around it are old family photos. The typically Victorian Staffordshire dogs belonged to Colin’s grandparents

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Colin and Avril decided to close the stairs to the basement again, fitting a new door and extending the wall above it. The bronze bust of an ancestor at the turn of the stairs has been nicknamed happy grandad

by Avril and Colin’s grandchildren.

The one they call grumpy grandad is further up the stairs, out of sight!

The antique music stand is one of the pieces Colin brought with him from his previous home

Regency Villa

Clockwise from top left: Calm shades of cream create a restful bedroom, with accents of duck egg and jade picked out in cushions and in the large framed painting by Sally Foden. The silk shawl belonged to Colin’s mother; an armchair from Avril’s mother and a silk rug and footstool from Colin’s family create a cosy reading corner. The cushion is from Sandra Bertolotti and the moon jar is by Adam Buick; a special room for the grandchildren, with a vintage dolls’ house and a Victorian maid’s bed; rather than replacing the fine roll-top bath Avril and Colin had it re-enamelled. They also added the clothes airer. Avril bought the print above the bath from a fine art students’ degree show Period Living 83

HAPPILY EVER AFTER On a quest for both authenticity and practicality, Geneviève and Michel Vernède lovingly restored a ruined Normandy manor house to its former glory, creating a country escape fit for a fairy tale Words Amelia Smith | Photographs Jody Stewart

It is no surprise that Geneviève and Michel fell in love with the house the first time that they saw it, instantly attracted to the quaint timber-frame design, natural stone and abundance of land. Located in the French countryside, and surrounded by meadows, apple trees and cows, this picture-postcard 16th-century manor really is a joy to behold

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French Manor House

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Above left: Once home to 3,000 doves, this charming building, with roses growing around the doorway, is now used for garden storage Above middle: Geneviève and Michel at the entrance of their rural manor and country escape, where they love to welcome friends and family Above right: The couple found much of their furniture and accessories at antiques fairs, including this sideboard, large rug, 20th-century chair and decorative plates in the characterful main entrance to the house. The 18th-century painting of a clock tower has a real clock inside that chimes every 15 minutes, although Geneviève, unsurprisingly, turns this off. When the couple bought the terracotta floor tiles from an antiques dealer they were covered in red paint. Michel dipped each tile individually into hydrochloric acid and then carefully brushed them one by one to remove the paint and return the tiles to their former glory Below: Once used primarily for making cheese for the farm, the large open-plan kitchen-diner, where the couple now love to entertain, has been brightened by painting the beams white, and walls in a pastel shade. The dining table is from an antiques fair, and the fridge is by Beko

French Manor House THE STORY Owners Geneviève, a retired English teacher, and Michel, a retired project manager, live between here and their Paris apartment. The couple have two grown-up sons, and five grandchildren Property A five-bedroom manor house with two outbuildings, in a Normandy village. The manor dates back to the Middle Ages What they did Geneviève and Michel installed new windows, raised flooring, added two new staircases, a new kitchen, new bathrooms and redecorated throughout to create a bright countryside escape

or some, choosing between a vibrant and exciting city lifestyle and the calm and peaceful serenity of the countryside can be difficult. Geneviève and Michel Vernède, however, decided that they would have the best of both worlds. They already owned a modern apartment in Paris, but also craved a country escape. Having successfully completed a renovation near Paris, they were ready for a bigger project, which would have space for their children and grandchildren to spend their holidays together. It took two years and 24 viewings, but finally they found the property that would provide their next adventure.

‘The estate agent had described it to us as a ruin in a good state,’ says Geneviève, and that’s exactly what it was. The charming exterior architecture, with its enchanting timber frame and stone walls, instantly attracted the couple, but what was waiting for them on the inside was another story.

Every room was dark and dishevelled, and even the staircases had collapsed, making it impossible to live in as it was. ‘We were really looking for something in slightly better condition,’ admits Geneviève, ‘but were attracted to the idea that we could do exactly what we wanted to every room in the house, so we decided to go for it.’

Dating back to the 16th century, the manor has a long and rich history, which the couple have enjoyed delving into since buying the property.

‘There was once a full moat and drawbridge,’ explains Geneviève. ‘The land was used as a working farm; the kitchen was used primarily for making cheese, and the living room used to be a cider cellar.’ Inevitably, much had to be done to make the manor more suitable for 21st-century living, so they enlisted the help of an architect to bring their vision to life.

Maintaining the property’s original features was a priority for the couple, whose aim was to strike a balance between preserving the past, while making it fit for the future. ‘Originally, the manor only had arrowslit windows,’ says Geneviève.

Over the years, larger windows had been installed, but one arrowslit window has been preserved and displayed beside the front door, as a reminder of the building’s fascinating origins.

Wanting to transform the cider cellar into a cosy living room, Geneviève and Michel fitted windows

to flood the dark space with light. In a bid to preserve the manor’s idyllic façade, they took inspiration for these from the stone design of the balconies installed by their predecessors, and fitted three stone windows which sit perfectly with the rest of the property. They also raised the floor level in the room, bringing it in line with the rest of the house, for a seamless flow between the spaces.

The ruined state of the interior gave Geneviève free rein when it came to design. She installed four bathrooms and fitted a new kitchen, choosing an open-plan kitchen-diner layout so that she can chat to friends and family while cooking.

The couple also fitted two new staircases, which give access to five bedrooms – perfect for hosting visiting friends and family – as well as a large and multifunctional empty landing area. ‘When our grandchildren come to visit, they love dancing and doing gymnastics, so we’ve created an area especially where they can dance away to their heart’s content,’ says Geneviève.

Fascinated by the manor’s origins, the couple decided to use its rich history as their main source of inspiration when it came to décor. Keen to bring a bit of the past back to life, they searched for a decorator who specialised in 16th-century-style painting and discovered Atelier Sineux Frères.

They hired the two brothers to paint much of the house. As the beams had turned black over time, Geneviève chose soft pastels to lighten the spaces, while intricate prints give the manor back its fairy tale charm. Trompe l’oeil designs create the look of wall panelling, while delicate patterns and fine details make the walls themselves works of art.

Now the work is complete, Geneviève and Michel spend five days a week here. They’ve embraced the rewards of a rural lifestyle, joining local groups and making friends nearby, who they enjoy inviting round for dinner. Long weekends and school holidays see the manor filled with their two sons’ families and dancing grandchildren.

They have managed to create a true family hub and country escape, where everyone has space to do exactly as they wish. This thoughtful restoration, turning a ‘ruin’ into a beautiful, functional home and new-found part of the community, has given Geneviève and Michel their very own happily ever after.

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Above: Once a cider cellar, this space was transformed into a cosy living room by adding a raised floor and newly fitted windows. Decorated in soft orange hues and warm woods, it’s the perfect spot for huddling up by the fire. For a similar paint colour, try India Yellow from Farrow & Ball. The deeply inset windows display the thick walls of the manor, which help to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer. The floor tiles were originally in the bedrooms upstairs, but as so many of them were broken, Geneviève and Michel salvaged what they could and repurposed them in the downstairs rooms. The decorative gilt antique wall lights provide perfect symmetry either side of the fireplace

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French Manor House

Above: In the dining room, the existing fireplace, which was not the original, was not to Geneviève and Michel’s taste, so they engaged a carpenter to build this new design over the top, and hired specialist 16th-century-style painters, Atelier Sineux Frères, to create a trompe l'oeil paint effect and ensure it sits perfectly with the rest of the house. The fine attention to detail makes this a focal point of the room.

The dining table, chairs and arm chairs, which are covered in vintage fabric, are from an antiques shop. The old terracotta floor tiles were already in situ when Geneviève and Michel moved in

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French Manor House

Left: Providing a beautiful transition from the landing into the bedrooms, the soft pastel shades used throughout the first floor create a dreamy and calming feel. For similar paint colours, try Delicate Seashell and First Frost from Dulux. The trompe l’oeil paint effect creates the illusion of panelling, adding depth and texture to the spaces. The marble effect on the skirting boards was created using oil paint, and the repeated patterns were formed using a stencil, so that graceful patterns greet you at every angle Above: The bedding and curtains in this bedroom were made by interior designer Claude Ellouet, using Ellingham fabric by Colefax & Fowler Below left: The bedrooms were painted in a whitewash paint and stained to varying degrees with a natural pigment. This cheery yellow is the perfect backdrop for one of their grandchildren’s bedrooms. For a similar paint colour, try Hay from Farrow & Ball Below middle: Geneviève found the mirror in a fleamarket, and she hired specialist artist, Corinne Hoorelbeke, to paint this along with the bathroom furniture and door. After finding a motif of grain that she loved in an interiors magazine, she asked Hoorelbeke to replicate the design. The pastel shade and intricate paint detail makes for a luxurious, calming bathroom Below right: The exposed ceiling beams are painted in contrasting blue to accentuate them and tie the room scheme together. For a similar wall paint colour, try Tomato Cream Sauce by Benjamin Moore. For a similar ceiling beam paint colour, try Blue Reflection from Dulux

Mark Hill, BBC Antiques Roadshow expert and head of design at Dawsons Auctions, talks Sam Herman Studio Glass ‘Innovative and progressive in form and colour, the unique works of glass artist Sam Herman, who began working in the 1960s, have risen dramatically in value at auction.

This follows a reappraisal of his pioneering work with a landmark exhibition at the V&A in 1971 and the publication of the glassmaker’s first monograph. Sam brought over new ‘studio glass’ techniques from the US, spreading them first in the UK from the Royal College of Art, where he was tutor in glass, and then to Europe and Australia, making him a key figure in 20th-century decorative arts.’

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Feature Alice Roberton Photographs (Mark Hill) Dawsons (dawsonsauctions.co.uk), (1970s Sam Herman torso-shaped glass vase) Mark Hill, (La Petite Brocante) Jody Stewart, (perpetual calendars) @mendyourhead

WHAT’S HOT

A gem of a find, La Petite Brocante is a delightfully bijou shop run by mother and daughter Gloria and Dee Stewart in Tenterden, Kent. With a passion for French 18th-century antiques, stemmed from 25 years of living in France, Gloria’s romantic style combines pretty treasures from both sides of the Channel. Expect painted French furniture and linens mingled with blue and white English china, paintings and floral textiles. The owners extend a warm, lavender-scented welcome, taking shopping from chore to pleasure. (@lapetitebrocante tenterden)

ANTIQUES journal News from the antiques and vintage world, from fairs to collectors’ stories

MEET THE COLLECTOR Andy Poplar What I collect: Of my many collections, my favourite has to be my vintage perpetual calendar collection.

These stylish yet utilitarian desktop objects were designed to tell the day and month irrespective of the year.

Made from wood, brass, chrome or Bakelite, the calendars come in a multitude of shapes and with an array of mechanisms used to rotate their dials. I enjoy the daily ritual of going around the house turning them all to the correct date. I have around

20 pieces which date from the 1920s through to the 1980s, however my collection fluctuates as I sometimes use them in my work as an artist under the guise of Vinegar & Brown Paper (@mendyourhead).

Why I collect: I bought my first perpetual calendar at the age of 14; it was in my local antiques shop on sale for £12, but the dealer kindly let me have it for £8. The thrill of the find was a wonderful experience and a pivotal moment in my collecting life. As a fan of typography, one of the things I like most about these objects is how the fonts used are wonderfully indicative of their period.

How I collect: I’m always on the look out and pick up calendars at vintage fairs, antiques shops, car boots

and on Ebay. They’ve cost me anywhere between £2 and £80.

My collection highlight: I once found a beautiful calendar in pristine condition wrapped in tissue paper and still inside its original box.

On the box written in pencil is ‘1958’ – I love the idea that its dates possibly hadn’t seen the light of day for over 60 years.

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ONE TO WATCH

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This month The Dorset Brocante will host its fifth spring event at the glorious Larmer Tree Gardens in Wiltshire. Designed by General Pitt Rivers in the late 1800s, the pleasure gardens are a wonderment of temples, curious follies and woodland walks – a dreamy setting to peruse over 40 handpicked vintage stalls. Expect decorative antiques, heritage textiles, French country finds and artisan wares.

3 May, entry £5. (thedorset brocante.co.uk)

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After discovering the thrill of buying and selling at car-boot sales aged just nine, Matt Dixon, now 24, has turned his passion into a full-time career as an antiques dealer. Trading as Tallboy Interiors, his eye for the rare and unusual, coupled with his interior design knowledge, has earned him a shining reputation for bringing classic design pieces from every era into the modern home. With a focus on traditional European craftsmanship, and more of a trend setter than a follower, he’ll effortlessly team 17th-century console tables with mid-century chairs, set to a backdrop of 21st-century artwork.

If you’re in North Yorkshire don’t miss the new Tallboy Interiors shop in Malton, set within a handsome Georgian-fronted building, which Matt has sympathetically restored. (tallboyinteriors.co.uk)

ON INSTAGRAM The side project of Manchester-based interior designer and stylist Karen Barlow, The Old Potato Store is a beautifully curated Instagram shop where you can buy vintage treasures direct from the stylist’s cupboard. With a Wabi-Sabi look pitched at the modern rustic home, Karen’s one-off, time-worn and gently faded vintage treasures are styled up to ignite interior inspiration and are sold on a firstcome-first-served basis. (@theoldpotatostore)

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The oldest working pottery in Wales, Ewenny Pottery has seen eight generations of the same family throwing pots at its Vale of Glamorgan site since 1610, with the earliest manorial record of clay being used there in 1427. Historically, Ewenny made rustic earthenware jugs, vases and storage jars.

Commemorative pieces and cat and pig figurines were also made, as well as some excellent ‘art pottery’ pieces notably of the Arts and Crafts era.

Similar pieces continue to be made to this day, using the same time-honoured techniques. It’s traditionally a Welsh-speaking pottery, so you’ll often find pieces scripted with Welsh words and proverbs, such as milk jugs bearing the word ‘llaeth’. The trend for rustic studio pottery has seen interest in Ewenny rise, with collectors generally falling into two categories: those who collect by date mark and those who collect by wording. Pieces dated 1890–1910 are sought after and fetch anything upwards of £200 – these are best bought through specialist dealers, many of whom you’ll find in Wales.

Pieces made in the 1930s–40s can be picked up at the very affordable price of £10 to £30 at fleamarkets and car-boot sales in Wales and England. The style of pottery and soft nature of the clay used means that older pieces may appear knocked and chipped, however this wear and tear is expected with Ewenny, so don’t let it put you off – it’s all part of the rich heritage. Most pieces bear a handwritten ‘Ewenny Pottery’ mark. (ewennypottery.com)

Photographs (Ewenny Pottery jugs and pots) Brita Rogers (cat and pig) Janice Issitt (top left) wooden mechanics drawers and dining chairs after a design by Hans Wegner, Tallboy Interiors

IN FOCUS EWENNY POTTERY

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ooking back to the 1980s, I remember when interest rates were 15 per cent, money was tight, and my first property – a flat in north London – was in dire need of decoration. On the coffee table was a book, Paint Magic,

by Jocasta Innes. Now an iconic 1980s self-help decorating manual, it literally revolutionised the way many of us addressed the interiors of our homes by explaining a multitude of faux - fake or imitation - paint finishes and effects. With a bit of flair and hard work, it was possible to change the look of any tired interior or piece of furniture and relatively cheaply, too. So began my love affair with paint techniques and interior design.

FA U X O R F R E S C O Nothing is new, however, and we have only to look at the remarkable survival of decorative painting schemes in numerous archaeological contexts, 96 Period Living

such as Pompeii, to realise how adept countless civilizations were at producing superb frescoes and faux stone finishes. As with many decorative and artistic techniques, the art of marbling and faux bois – fake wood – became immensely popular and was widely utilised in the Renaissance period.

A few days in Florence and a visit to literally any Italian Palazzo or church will see you bombarded with a glorious array of techniques that were usually designed to enforce a sense of majesty and power, while cleverly designed to play with your senses, too – warping perspectives and toying with your perception of reality.

Known as trompe l’oeil, the idea of illusionistic painting was also an important feature of ancient interiors. Naturally, much of this is pictorially and allegorically based, but can be immensely playful with features such as fake doorways, drawing on a mixture of paint-based techniques to imitate wood and stone. (See examples of 16th-century-

Photographs (above) Hand of Glory Antiques

Antiques Roadshow specialist Marc Allum delves into the history of decorative paint techniques

Antiques

Photographs (dresser) Lassco; (bookcase) Windsor House Antiques; (chairs) Robert Kime

Clockwise from opposite: Examples of faux paint techniques – scumble glazed washstand, circa 1850, Hand of Glory Antiques; scumble glazed Lincolnshire dresser, Lassco; Regency faux bamboo bookcase, Windsor House Antiques; Regency faux bamboo chairs, Robert Kime

style trompe l’oeil in the French Manor on page 84).

Embellished with lashings of gilding, the sumptuous detail of superlative Renaissance interiors, such as the Palazzo Vecchio or the Sistine Chapel, meant that by the 17th century such techniques had been perfected by various European schools, but were largely defined by the formality of the French or the loose, artistic approach of the Italians. That said, as many painters were itinerant and regional, such rigid rules are notoriously difficult to apply; you will often find examples of a local artisan’s naïve interpretation of the styles.

It’s important to discuss why certain forms of paint-based imitation were used at all. The main reason is usually cited on grounds of cost and the fact that imitation marble or marbling – for instance – is considerably cheaper than the real thing. This has some truth, but the fact that a

Renaissance painter might apprentice for ten years to produce such startlingly realistic effects meant that their skills were also held in high esteem and were not cheap, either. Masters of this art have always been revered and people such as Thomas Kershaw, born in Lancashire in 1819, proved their competence, becoming internationally renowned.

His marbling techniques were so good that people accused him of using fraudulent methods, forcing him to publicly demonstrate his amazing ability.

He won numerous awards and his prestigious commissions included the columns in Buckingham Palace and Osborne house.

Other historical and technically complicated techniques, such as ‘fresco’ or ‘buon fresco’ involved painting on wet plaster and required great skill. Yet for most of us, and outside of the experience of such grandiose and historical Period Living 97

of several woods that produce quite exotic-looking country pieces that are more akin to folk art.

Finishes on such vernacular pieces are extremely important, and layers of worn-back paint on old country chairs can massively excite collectors.

Techniques were often simple, using faux bois graining combs and specially devised brushes.

Modern equivalents are readily available, but producing the desired effects takes practice. The furniture itself, commonly referred to as being made of ‘deal’, is just an old expression for pine or spruce, and scumble glazing is a technique using coloured glazes over painted finishes.

Above: The local artisans’ interpretations of faux paint techniques were often quite naïve in their style, such as this unusual early 19thcentury faux marble painted provincial console table with slate top, at Nicholas Wells Antiques Right: By contrast is the faux marbling effect on this Italian pier table dating from the early 20th century, from Windsor House Antiques

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examples, we are most likely to encounter paint techniques in relatively mundane situations.

VERNACULAR TRENDS As an auctioneer, I can remember the fashionable days of stripped pine and the many businesses with ‘dipping tanks’, who specialised in removing the paint from comparatively run-of-the-mill Georgian and Victorian furniture. These included items such as kitchen dressers, chests of drawers, sideboards and wardrobes. I now bemoan the trend for removing the original paint finishes from domestic furniture, because the wonderful faux bois ‘paint jobs’ were an intrinsic part of the history of these traditionally inexpensive pieces.

It has now come full circle, and the preference for original finishes is strong. Scumble glazing is back in, and the more naïve the finish the better: wonderfully simplistic and even unrealistic representations of exotic woods on cheap pine carcasses can hugely elevate the value. My favourites include the regional variations such as Lancashire or Lincolnshire dressers, with their sponged and combed representations of walnut, rosewood and mahogany, or incongruous mixes

Auction houses are a good hunting ground for such items but prices are escalating. Even pieces of late, less popular Victorian faux bois – such as painted wardrobes with their characteristic coloured line borders and foliate spandrels – have been doing well. Given the slightly fragile and quickly executed nature of the finishes, condition can be an issue.

Favourite among designers and dealers tend to be Regency pieces. The simplicity of an 1820s chest of drawers with splayed bracket feet and a good paint finish means that examples are commonly making several hundred pounds at auction, and considerably more for retail. Style is important and painted faux bamboo commands a premium.

The fashion for painted furniture was also the domain of the wealthy, and the Georgian desire for exotic Eastern designs also gave us a plethora of painted chinoiserie items. Superlative examples can sell for thousands, but in the mid-markets, pine side tables, bedside cabinets, hall chairs, bookcases and washstands are all pieces that original paint finishes can elevate to a more desirable status.

Arsenic greens, creams and yellow are typical colours of the period. Be aware, however, that the renewed interest in such pieces means that some that went through the stripping tanks 30 years ago, are now being repainted in the same style.

A faux finish can, though, also make an item fairly unsaleable, and in a time when even quite handsome Georgian dining chairs are not that easy to sell, real mahogany will beat an imposter.

This interest in painted furniture also highlights the tradition of paint finishes in particular countries.

Scandinavia has a strong folk heritage for this work, such as highly decorative Swedish painted armoires and domed-top marriage trunks. Eastern Europe has a similar tradition, too.

Interesting is the use of faux painting techniques in unlikely situations: heavy 19th-century safes with combed wooden finishes, or small trunks with marbleised wooden panels. Yet such touches are part of the idiosyncratic nature of paint finishes.

Be it fashion or economic necessity, the use of paint effects is an important part of decorative history. If you were wondering, Paint Magic has been updated for the 21st century and is now environmentally friendly.

Photographs © WindsorHouse Antiques; Nicholas Wells Antiques

DEAL OR NO DEAL

Advertorial

Expert tips for protecting your collectibles Discover how to safeguard your art and antiques from criminals with advice from NFU Mutual

‘An up-to-date insurance valuation, done every three to five years, can provide some exciting surprises’ Harvey Cammell, global director of valuations at Bonhams

S

ourcing the right art, antiques and furniture for your period home can be a labour of love and investment, but there’s no doubt that a period property comes to life when furnished with items in-keeping with its history and architecture. Sadly, valuable and cherished pieces often incur a higher risk of theft and damage from enterprising criminals.

NFU Mutual has joined forces with Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers to help you keep your precious pieces safe and have the best chance of your items being returned if stolen.

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TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS AND WRITE A DESCRIPTION Photographs make it easier to identify your items. Make sure you show distinguishing marks and unique features, and shoot against a plain background, using natural light.

For the description, any information will be useful, but the Object ID format is recognised throughout the art world and includes the following details: O Type of object O Title O Materials O Maker O Measurements O Subject O Markings O Date or period

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GET A DISCREET HOME SAFE, BOLTED TO THE WALL OR FLOOR Safes are insurance-rated according to the type and value of the items they’re designed to keep secure. Check with your insurance company to make sure whatever you’re putting inside is adequately covered.

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ENSURE YOU HAVE REGULAR VALUATIONS OF YOUR CONTENTS ‘In our experience, valuations rarely stay the same,’ says Harvey Cammell, Bonhams’ global director of valuations.

‘An up-to-date insurance valuation, done every three to five years, can provide some exciting surprises, and also make sure you’re adequately covered in the event of theft or damage.’

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INSURE WITH AN EXPERIENCED AND SPECIALIST HOME INSURER Make sure your home insurer has experience in protecting high-value homes – particularly period properties and their contents – recognising the implications of age and construction, to give you access to the right specialist suppliers in the event of a claim.

NFU Mutual draws on over 100 years’ experience to offer NFU Mutual Bespoke home insurance for high-value homes, working with partners such as Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers to offer customers expert peace of mind. To find out more, and your local agency, visit nfumutual.co.uk/bespoke.

The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No 111982). Registered in England. Registered office: Tiddington Road, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7BJ.

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ut styl o e d n Luxury kitchen a t manufacturer Smallbone

of Devizes has launched a new brand, Brookmans by Smallbone, offering handmade kitchens, bedroom and bathroom furniture, plus individual pieces, such as tables and stools. Its debut kitchen collections – the Georgian-inspired K1 (right) and the vintage-retro K2 – are available in a palette of 20 colours with an expanding range of complementary items. Continuing its parent brand’s ethos, Brookmans combines British craftsmanship with environmental consciousness to produce its range of cabinetry, freestanding and fitted furniture. Kitchens start at £25,000 at Heal’s.

HOUSE journal

Discover the latest products to improve your period home and pick up top tips from industry experts HERITAGE UPDATE Introduce rustic charm to the bedroom with the latest furniture designs from Loaf. Featuring textured rattan door and drawer fronts and weathered wood frames, the Willow collection captures country chic to a tee.

Willow Robe wardrobe, £1,395.

HAPPY RETURNS It appears that, along with PL, all the best things started in 1990. For the last 30 years, Original BTC has been manufacturing slip-cast, hand-moulded lights from its Stoke-on-Trent factory, and to celebrate its birthday has launched Hector 30, a modern update on one of its earliest designs. The original bone-china light is now paired with a satin brass stem and black cotton braided cable. Floor light, £255.

METRO MAGIC Originating in underground stations, the brick-shaped metro tile is a 20th-century design icon, lending itself to a vast array of colours and laying patterns. Adding to its existing Metro collection, Topps Tiles has launched two new colours – Blush and Forest – both £30 per m2. Blush adds a playful edge to splashbacks and feature walls, while deep green Forest is ideal for creating an intimate and relaxing atmosphere.

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ouch t al Put your own

ASK THE EXPERT Douglas Kent, technical and research director at the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), answers your queries

Per so

stamp on your bath with BC Designs’ new bespoke painting service, which allows you to choose two contrasting Farrow & Ball or Little Greene eggshell colours, instead of a just a single shade. Whether you go for a modern colour clash, a statement monochrome or a more subtle tonal effect, it is sure to add even more personality to the focal point of your bathroom. BC Designs’ boat bath starts at £1,480, with bespoke painting starting from £390.

Q

Are wood-burning stoves best avoided in thatched houses?

I would strongly discourage using wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves in thatched buildings as they have been shown to present a greater risk to the thatch than other forms of heating, including traditional open fires. There is now a trend towards removing stoves in thatched cottages. Plus, it can also reduce your insurance premium.

Q

Built-in storage is often the best way to maximise space in older houses, particularly in rooms with unconventional shapes. My Fitted Bedroom’s new Elise range of wardrobes, from £3,450, takes inspiration from classic Shaker styles with its four-panelled design and inset drawers. It’s available in 29 colours, including this Indigo Blue shade, which has a sophisticated look that’s perfect for period homes.

OLD TIMBER, NEW LIFE Reclaimed wood has been highly prized in recent years for its ability to add instant character, but this interest has led to an increase in price. To overcome this challenge, Indigenous has introduced Reclaimed Beam to its engineered cladding collection. Made by bonding the outer layer of salvaged European beams to a birch multi-ply, it offers the personality of reclaimed wood at a lower price point. It is available in small cladding format for a textured look, tongue-and-groove engineered planks and panels, and costs from £127 per m2.

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Q

My cast-iron gutters have leaking joints – how can I repair them?

Dripping cast-iron gutters are often caused when original linseed putty, used to seal the gutter joints, hardens and cracks. Temporary repairs can be made by wire-brushing the joint areas and then using either linseed putty or an appropriate modern sealant to reseal them. For a more permanent measure, the putty can be replaced.

Remove the gutter bolts to separate the sections of guttering, then chip off the existing putty.

After priming the metal with oil-based gloss paint, new putty can then be applied.

Alternatively, a modern gun-applied sealant can also be used. The gutter can be painted internally with black bitumen paint and externally with gloss.

If you have a question for Douglas, email it to periodliving@futurenet.com*

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

NEAT AND TIDY

Could you suggest some advice for making an old house energy efficient in a sympathetic way?

Old buildings can often be upgraded to improve energy efficiency but you must be cautious so as not to cause dampness, promote mould or aggravate health conditions. Some very good guidance is available on the Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland websites, and a new edition of Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Roger Hunt and Marianne Suhr is well-worth consulting.

Shopping

Windsor exposed dualcontrol thermostatic shower with a slim shower head, £849.99, Fired Earth

Traditional exposed thermostatic bath and shower mixer in polished nickel, from £1,491, William Holland

Dalby surface-mounted chrome shower with straight arm and Shamrock shower head, £3,744, Drummonds

C1 shower system in chrome, from £1,280, Duravit

Tinago wall-mounted shower with large drencher, hand shower and mixer tap in satin gold, £549.99, Dowsing & Reynolds

MAK E A SPLASH

Feature Sophie Warren-Smith

Invest in a traditional exposed shower that delivers on both performance and style

Grand rigid riser shower system in chrome, from £529, Bayswater

Fusion thermostatic chrome shower column with diverter and round shower head, £465, Frontline Bathrooms

Manette ¾” bath shower filler and exposed wall-mounted shower with rose in chrome, £1,110, The Albion Bath Company

Stour thermostatic exposed shower valve two-outlet rigid riser, fixed shower arm, handset and holder with rose and soap basket, £1,518, Burlington

Victrion Superbe riser kit with fixed head in brushed gold, £854, BC Designs

Period Living 105

Wood Flooring

Go with the grain

Feature Jennifer Morgan

Warm and timeless, a wooden floor will add period charm to your home and look good for years to come. But with so many material and design options, how do you make the right choice?

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othing beats the natural beauty of wood flooring, providing character and a sense of heritage to a room. Whether you choose the authentic, raw charm of solid or reclaimed boards, engineered timber with its added advantage of being compatible with underfloor heating, or a practical wood-effect alternative such as laminate, vinyl or porcelain tiles, there are so many

PALE AND INTERESTING Mix and match tones of wood – from designer chairs in walnut to a weathered dining table and pale oak floor – for a calm, inviting kitchen. The delicate wood grains of these Arcadia brushed oak engineered boards, from £95 per m2 at Atkinson & Kirby, are subtly highlighted in white, which helps to keep the space light and bright.

exciting options available. Think about the timber’s tone carefully: dark woods look more dramatic and add warmth, while paler or white-washed designs can help a space to look brighter and bigger. Plank length and layout also plays an important role, affecting the flow of the space, while bespoke parquet patterns can elevate your wood floor to the height of luxury. Discuss options with your supplier.

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Your questions answered Peter Keane, director of The Natural Wood Floor Company, shares his expert insight into choosing wood flooring, and how to look after it What are the benefits of wood flooring? Wood can be very

easy to look after and far less hassle than carpet, while visually it can have a massive impact on the overall look and feel of a room. It’s a classic choice that works across any style of property. It is also suitable for virtually any room in the home – from hallways to kitchens – mixing well with stone and metal, while injecting personality and warmth into large and small spaces alike.

Any downsides I need to consider? Wood-effect flooring may

be cheaper than the real thing, but is unlikely to last as long. Solid wood flooring is not suitable for environments with high humidity and can’t be used with underfloor heating. However, engineered boards can be fitted in most rooms, including damp and humid areas such as the kitchen and bathroom. It can also be floated or fixed to most types of subfloor together with an underlay.

Do I need a subfloor? If so, how should I prepare one in a period home? There are various types of different

subfloors, including joists, concrete, wooden floorboards, plywood, chipboard and asphalt. If your subfloor is concrete or wooden floorboards, then engineered wood flooring can be floated over an underlay, without fixing it down, or it can be glued directly on to the concrete or screwed into wood.

What type of plank should I go for in a period home? Plank

size is very much down to personal taste and may well be dictated by the size of the room. Larger lengths and widths work well in big spaces, while parquet patterning is a great choice for any room.

Any tips for using wood in a period home? For a modern

twist on a design classic, go large with 600mm-sized blocks, which work particularly well in larger spaces, while aged engineered designs add extra character as they look like reclaimed blocks but can be used with underfloor heating.

Can I fit a wooden floor myself? A competent DIYer could

comfortably fit a pre-finished board floor. Installing parquet floors or sanding and sealing floors does require a higher level of expertise, needing specialist equipment, although this can be hired. If you are going to attempt fitting the flooring yourself, practice in a bedroom or less prominent room.

How do I make sure my wooden floor looks great for years to come? Dry clean to remove dirt and dust particles

and damp clean to protect it against scratches – that’s all that’s needed for lacquered or oiled floors. For weekly cleaning, a capful of concentrate wood floor cleaner mixed with water and applied with a damp mop will suffice, while to refresh the look and lustre annually in the high-traffic areas use a concentrated polish, again applied with water and a damp mop.

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HERRINGBONE CHARM Available in engineered and solid woods, with ten shade options, this Nuances parquet flooring, from £67 per m2 at Broadleaf Timber, is made in the UK from European oak.

Shown in the dark oak finish, which has a lovely inky tone, it features large and small knots, with just a hint of texture picking out the grain and adding depth.

DARK AND DRAMATIC Below: The brushed surface of Kahrs’ Nouveau oak engineered floor in Charcoal is coloured with a black pigment, while a matt lacquer increases its resistance to scratches, splashes and sunlight damage.

Keep skirting white to frame these bold planks – the contrast looks very striking. Nouveau flooring costs £72.99 per m2 at Carpetright.

Wood Flooring BRUSH OFF Left: This Oak White Oiled Brushed engineered flooring from The Natural Wood Floor Company has mid-brown tones of oak with a white oiled finish for a fresh look. The boards are brushed to remove grain, which allows the white oil to work deeper into its surface, protecting the wood and giving a more textured appearance. Use to lighten up a dark hallway or vestibule. £72 per m2.

RUSTIC RECLAIMED Right: Sourced from a textile mill in Oldham, this reclaimed wood flooring adds warmth and character to an older home. The boards are engineered, which makes them more compatible with underfloor heating. As you’d expect, the colour, grain knots and markings will vary from batch to batch. Similar reclaimed pine mill boards cost from £117 per m2 at The Main Company.

BACK TO GLORY Above: For a really special one-off wood floor, take a look at the antique options from Woodworks by Ted Todd. Each design is meticulously forged from reclaimed antique timber, before being patiently restored and reworked by the team. Because they are engineered, these 17th- and 18th-cenutry antique elm and oak designs, laid in a Parquetry Sapphire Geometric panel, from £355 per m2, can be used over underfloor heating. Use to create a wow moment in your hallway, where a small amount can make quite an impression.

PATTERN PICK Get the look of a traditional chevron or herringbone wooden floor with a good-quality laminate. Choose a design that’s waterresistant – great for bathrooms and easy to clean – while grooved lines make it look much more realistic. This Impressive Chevron Oak Medium laminate flooring costs from £23.99 per m2 at Quick-Step. Team natural oak tones with duck egg for a calm, tranquil space.

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FRENCH CHIC Above: Inspired by the Palace of Versailles, these Adalene Mocha large-format porcelain tiles, £55 per m2 at Topps Tiles, have a realistic and authentic wood-effect texture thanks to a unique glazing technique, which mimics parquet wood flooring. Use in high-traffic areas, where you want a low-maintenance alternative to real wood, or in a large space where you want to make a style statement.

PRACTICAL LUXURY Above: Bring the look of wood into your bathroom with luxury vinyl flooring, which can cope with bathroom splashes better than the real thing, and is softer underfoot than ceramic tiles.

This Cove plank luxury vinyl tile, £36.95 per m2 at Harvey Maria, is an ultra-realistic design that echoes the beauty of natural wood with plenty of graining and knots.

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REALISTIC FINISH With an authentic textured wood-effect surface, Polyflor’s Expona range of luxury vinyl is a hardwearing and practical alternative to real wood. Use a washedeffect tile in your bedroom or dressing room to lend a light touch. This EmCore Rigid Loc Moorland Oak luxury vinyl tile flooring costs from £29.99 per m2.

BAMBOO BENEFITS Above: If you’re looking for a natural material with enhanced durability, try stranded bamboo. The strands are crushed together with a resin using a cold press, which makes them twice as hard as horizontal and vertical bamboo boards and oak options. Designed to be clicked or glued into place, this 135mm Uniclic Bona-coated bamboo flooring, £32.39 per m2 at The Bamboo Flooring Company, is coated with an anti-slip matt lacquer, making it ideal for high-traffic areas.

Renovation

HOME MAINTENANCE

Metal windows From cast-iron to the popular steel style of the 1920s Art Deco period, metal windows can last for centuries when properly maintained, so learn how to spot when repairs are needed Feature Roger Hunt, author of Old House Handbook

M Illustrations Sarah Overs

etal windows have been used in buildings for centuries. The earliest had wrought-iron frames containing leaded lights, and later cast iron was employed; high-quality work is sometimes also undertaken in bronze. With the coming of massproduced steel, though, standard window sections were developed and, in the 1920s, steel windows became fashionable due to their slim glazing bars, durability and the contemporary design.

The most common complaint with metal windows tends to be draughts. Problems generally result from poor maintenance and decorating that has led to a build-up of paint layers, preventing the windows from being closed properly.

O Identify distorted, cracked or broken sections.

O Rectify any draughts.

O Replace cracked glass and missing, loose or

damaged sections of putty.

O Refinish defective paintwork.

Repair guide While the various types of metal windows have problems in common, repair methods can vary and might require the services of a blacksmith, specialist conservator or steel window company.

Minor repairs can be carried out in situ, but more significant problems may require the window being removed and repaired in a workshop.

The majority of steel windows from the 1940s onwards were hot-dip galvanised to protect them against the possibility of rust. Where corrosion does occur with metal windows, it’s generally at the bottom of frames and casements where moisture collects. Problem areas can be identified by probing with a pointed knife or screwdriver. Moving parts should be kept lubricated using a light penetrating oil; if seized up they can generally be freed with the help of a penetrating spray, such as WD-40.

Above: From the 1920s, with the advent of mass-produced steel, standard metal window sections were developed, and were popular in Art Decostyle homes

Replacement dos and don’ts O Do try to retain original windows and glass.

Maintenance checklist

O Don’t change the window’s detailing if replacing.

O Check for problems by opening and closing.

O Do employ specialist metalworkers and window

O Deal with areas of rust or corrosion.

companies where required.

O Don’t ignore structural problems that may affect the correct functioning of the window.

O Ensure that all window hinges, latches and

catches work correctly.

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Q

What is the best method for repairing leaded lights in metal windows?

If the glass is broken or cracked it may be possible to replace the individual panes. If the lead ‘cames’ – the strips holding the window panes together – are damaged or corroded, a specialist repair company would need to refurbish the whole leaded light, which will probably involve removing it from its frame and repairing it in the workshop.

Q

How can draughts around the window be cured?

Expert Q & A Darren Lloyd, president of the Steel Window Association, answers some common questions about windows and the best methods of repair.

Q

How can paint be removed from metal windows?

With steel windows, the best way is to remove the window and then shot blast it back to the original steel or galvanised finish. If you are unable to remove the frame, or in the case where you have potentially fragile old wrought- or cast-iron windows, use a chemical paint remover instead.

Q

The window frame is rusted; how should this be dealt with and repaired?

Surface rust can be removed using a wire brush or, with steel windows, by lightly grinding the frame back. For more serious rust issues, a specialist company should be employed. The window would generally be taken to the workshop where the frame can be shot blasted back to the original steel and the extent of the damage assessed. Where required it may be possible to weld in new sections.

Q

How should metal windows be painted?

Ensure all parts are back to the metal and are as smooth as possible. Apply a decent rust inhibitor, such as red oxide or Galvafroid, and then prime and paint. If steel windows are removed and shot blasted, it’s possible to galvanise them and then apply a powder-coat paint finish.

Q

The window is sticking; what is the best way to ease it?

This is generally to do with paint build-up. Try removing the paint at the hinge points. Where the window has been painted over, cut or chip away the paint. In some cases windows may have been deliberately screwed shut so, before removing any screws, check that the hinges are intact and in good condition – they may have been faulty and this might be why the window is screwed shut.

Q

When replacing broken glass in metal windows, is traditional putty suitable?

You will need to use a multi-purpose putty or a specialist steel window putty. Linseed oil-based putties are no good as the linseed will seep out rather than into the frame.

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Above left: If a metal window frame is lightly rusted, this often can be repaired by using a wire brush or gently grinding the frame back Above right: The services of a specialist repair company may be needed for repairs to leaded lights

The most usual method is to create a rubberised ‘bead’ by applying a silicone sealant to one of the meeting surfaces of the window. A release agent or a thick masking tape is applied to the opposite surface and the window is then closed and left for around 24 hours. Once dry, trim the excess sealant, thereby leaving the window with a makeshift draught seal.

Q

Is it possible to install double glazing in existing steel windows?

If the original windows are single glazed, it is generally possible to use a slim, double-glazed unit within the frame. These are around 12mm thick.

The original single glazing would have been puttied in, but putty can break down the seal of doubleglazed units, so it’s better to employ a mastic.

Useful contacts ARCHITECTURAL BRONZE CASEMENTS – bronze

windows. Tel: 01476 249494; bronzecasements.com BRITISH ARTIST BLACKSMITHS ASSOCIATION - directory of members around the country. baba.org.uk CRITTALL WINDOWS – replica steel windows.

Tel: 01376 530800; crittall-windows.co.uk GOVETTE WINDOWS – new steel windows and doors Tel: 020 8668 1466; govettewindows.com HAWKSCROFT – traditional window specialist.

Tel: 01608 637148; hawkscroft.com HOLDSWORTH WINDOWS – steel windows, leaded lights and fittings. Tel: 01608 661883; holdsworthwindows.co.uk MONK METAL WINDOWS – replica steel windows.

Tel: 0121 351 4411; monkmetalwindows.co.uk STEEL WINDOW ASSOCIATION – members repair, supply and install windows. Tel: 020 8543 2841; steel-window-association.co.uk STEEL WINDOW SERVICE AND SUPPLIES – steel window repair and refurbishment. Tel: 020 7272 2294; steelwindows.co.uk CRAFT GLASS – window restoration specialist.

Tel: 01494 619300; tecglass.co.uk

Reclaiming the past Buying salvaged materials for your home will not only enhance its character and sense of history, but is an environmentally friendly choice. Here, experts offer specialist insight

Y

our local salvage yard is a fantastic source of architectural treasures to enhance your home, from antique fireplaces with intricate detailing to floorboards that capture the patina of centuries of footsteps. Reclaimed materials bring an abundance of period charm to a home, and are especially useful for repairing or reinstating original features that have been damaged or lost. Reusing items rather then buying new also cuts down on the environmental impact of manufacturing and transport. Consider how salvaged items can be used creatively out of context – stained glass can be turned into decorative panels, tiles transformed into framed artwork, and chimney pots and sinks used as garden planters.

Many salvage yards have specialties and focus on finding specific materials, such as Yorkstone flags, radiators or timber beams; others will sell pretty much anything they can lay their hands on. Some yards are quite rough and ready, meaning you have to use your imagination and look harder for hidden gems; others will curate stock and show it off to its best advantage - although this is often reflected in the price.

In some cases there are craftspeople on site to make repairs or restore items, so you can be sure they will function properly in your home.

Tips for buying salvaged items key measurements. When visiting yards, bring a tape measure and any samples of materials you are trying to match, such as bricks and tiles.

Take photographs of anything you need to refer to.

O Stock at salvage yards is ever changing, and different days will yield different finds, so be prepared for multiple visits. If there is something specific you are looking for, ask the owner to add it to their wanted list. If something suitable comes in, they will get in touch and send photographs. Most yards will reserve items for a limited time.

O If possible always go to see the item before committing to a purchase, and examine it carefully. Look for cracks, rot, rust and woodworm, and take a close look at the underside. Bear in mind that restoration can be expensive, so for bigger items make enquiries.

O Prices vary depending on condition, quality and rarity. Desirable items can be expensive, and upmarket showrooms will add a premium.

O Be prepared to haggle on price, especially when buying in quantity.

Most dealers will be prepared to come down a little – a good time to get a bargain is when haggling outdoors in the cold and rain!

O With materials such as stone and timber beams, some yards will cut and prepare them to your specifications at an extra fee.

O Factor in the cost of delivery on larger items. Many yards offer this service, but will usually charge for the privilege.

O Ask about the provenance of any item you are considering buying.

Most reputable dealers are signed up to the Salvo code of practice and will take precautions against dealing in stolen goods.

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Clockwise from top: Tobys Reclamation in Exminster is a treasure trove of salvage and vintage; baths and basins at Authentic Reclamation in Kent; a sea of old radiators at Holyrood Architectural Salvage in Edinburgh; mid-century Czech glass lights at Insitu Architectural Salvage in Manchester

Feature Melanie Griffiths Additional words Karen Bray Photographs Jeremy Phillips, Jody Stewart, Polly Eltes, Christopher Drake

O Before you go shopping, make a list of what you need and note down

Salvaged Materials

Key salvage buys BATHS ‘Old baths are much deeper and generally more comfortable than modern versions so you can really relax in an authentic roll-top tub,’ says Nick Cowen from Antique Bathrooms of Ivybridge. Most castiron roll-top baths date from between 1910 and 1940, but all of them are a bit different as they came from each town’s foundry. If you find a bath without enamel on it – which came in around 1890 – then it is very old, probably 1880 or earlier. Sizes tend to range between 1.6 to 1.8 metres long, but the width and design can be very different.

‘People often say that cast-iron baths are cold, but once the heat is in the bath it will retain it. Put the water in your bath first, leave it for five minutes, then adjust the temperature before getting in,’ adds Nick.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Check to see if the bath has been restored or resurfaced before. If the surface is flaking then it will need to be stripped and sanded again, which will entail extra work and cost.

A professional bath restoration takes around four weeks and costs between £300–£700. The outsides of reclaimed baths can be quite rough, but this is easily disguised by painting with oil-based satinwood or eggshell paints, which you can do yourself.

COST Unrestored baths cost between £30 and £150, and restored baths between £750 and £2,000.

LIGHTING ‘When you buy a vintage light, you’re not only purchasing a unique piece of history, but something with longevity,’ says Skinflint co-founder Sophie Miller. ‘Lights that were manufactured between 1900-1970 were made to last, and many have actually outlasted the buildings they were designed to illuminate. We’ve salvaged lights from derelict Victorian asylums and defunct factories to iconic sites that were being redeveloped such as the Rolls Royce factories in Derby and Cockenzie power station in Scotland. Each light has its own story.’

WHAT TO LOOK FOR ‘Keep an eye out for well-known lighting brands such as Revo and Benjamin for enamel ceiling lights, Victor and Coughtrie for industrial lighting, and Mei Elec and Dugdills for machinist lights. Glassware is harder to brand and date,’ adds Sophie.

You might come across vintage lights at car-boot sales or fleamarkets, but bringing them up to modern electrical standards is a skilled job – do not attempt to wire them yourself.

COST Expect to pay from around £200 for enamel pendant lights to £1,000+ for rare one-off finds.

RADIATORS ‘A piece of history for your home, a refurbished original radiator is of superior quality, durable, as well as an eco-friendly choice,’ says Fiona Triplow from The Old Radiator Company. ‘You may pay a little more, but the result will be authentic and appropriate for a period property. These radiators were made to stand the test of time, and will hold their value.’ There are many different styles, from the most common radiators to rare, more unusual designs from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The most prevalent style is the four-column radiator, but even within this design there are subtly different styles.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Choose an established salvage company, ideally one that can provide a refurbishment service. Unrestored and untested original radiators may have hidden cracks, pinholes or rotten sections, which will only become apparent once they are blasted to remove the old paint and tested. Their restoration is a painstaking task that is best carried out by a specialist. If you want a ‘ready to be fitted’ radiator, check the bushes have been changed to new 15mm versions.

COST Prices will vary depending on the style and size. Fully restored and tested common four-column radiators start from £400.

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TIMBER BEAMS ‘Oak beams are like good claret – they mature with age,’ says John Rawlinson from Oak Beam UK. ‘Reclaimed oak works perfectly for beams in period homes as it has a lot of character; it features knots, splits and a sense of time passed with old notches from cut branches still showing, or with previous joinery cuts now forming part of its history.’ Reclaimed oak is also darker in colour because the tannin in the wood reacts with the surrounding atmosphere, and is also very hard and heavy as it has completely dried out, so while difficult to cut, the beam moves less and therefore is less likely to twist.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Reclaimed beams can be anything from 50 to 300 years old, which are the most stable. When it comes to measurements, the odd centimetre often doesn’t matter; beams can be cut to length, but cutting them width-wise is much more difficult. Always check that reclaimed beams have been properly cleaned and treated or you could introduce an infestation into your home. ‘When it comes to restoration, a power washer, a stiff wire brush on a hand tool, draw knives and rotary polishers are used to achieve a variety of finishes,’ says John. Cleaning old beams is dirty work, and potentially toxic if the wrong type of paint has previously been applied. Don’t use sandblasting to clean beams as this can leave the wood pitted.

COST Prices range from £45 per cubic ft for unfinished and up to £75 for a finished beam that has been cleaned, treated, shaped and waxed.

BRICKS ‘Reclaimed bricks provide great character and a timeless, quality finish,’ says Eddie Finch of T. Caudwell Reclaimed Building Materials. ‘They originate from old mills to stately houses, range in age from a few years to centuries old, and come in a variety of colours, shapes, sizes and textures.’ Brick types include the smooth, pinky-orange Fletton facing brick, used for general building after the war; Sussex, which comes in a range of reds with little oddities of colour that add interest; pale yellow/grey Gault, typically used for Victorian detail work; and London yellow bricks from the early 1900s, which come in a variety of types.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Rescued from old buildings and cleaned up, reclaimed bricks have edges that are typically worn and irregular, and may have remnants of mortar due to their original use. ‘Good-quality reclaimed bricks only require two workable sides, one bond and one stretch. Many will have fine creases, characteristic folds and variations in colour that typify old brickwork,’ adds Eddie.

COST Common red bricks cost from as little as 30p each, whereas rarer bricks can cost from £1.30 upwards.

WOOD FLOORING ‘The benefits of a reclaimed wooden floor lie in the quality of the material and the inherent beauty of an aged piece of wood. Older trees were slower grown, therefore their grain structure is tighter and the timber more durable. They also exhibit a richer hue of subtle colour variations and a strong, unique character,’ says Robert J Henry from The New & Reclaimed Flooring Company. When it comes to choosing a timber type, English Victorian pine is always in demand, but 200 to 300-year-old French reclaimed boards are also popular. ‘Re-sawn French and European antique beams also provide a great canvas for creating many colours and patterns, such as parquet,’ adds Robert.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR There are various grades of reclaimed wood, all from different periods and backgrounds. It is important to consider wood infestation, chemical contamination and wood durability, as well as the quantity of timber available. A reputable company or timber merchant will ensure the wood has been de-nailed, properly dried, treated for pests and generally cared for. ‘If a floor needs restoration, my top tip would be not to over-sand it,’ says Robert.

COST £49-£400 per m2, depending on the type, quality and finish.

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Salvaged Materials Clockwise from left: Oak beams at Ribble Reclamation in Preston; an assortment of tiles at Symonds Salvage in Kent; slates and stones at Yew Tree Barn in the Lake District; outside in the yard at Symonds Salvage; floor boards at Yew Tree Barn; bricks at Wells Reclamation in Somerset

TILED FLOORING ‘Geometric and encaustic tiled floors first appeared in public buildings, churches and grand villas in the Victorian era. Their rise to fashion was assured by their use in prestigious sites like the Victoria and Albert Museum, and by the 1890s they had become an essential feature of ordinary terraced houses,’ says Andy Triplow from The Vintage Floor Tile Company. As well as adding status and colour to a hallway, tiled floors were also remarkably practical; in fact, most domestic interior examples have survived 100 years of family wear and tear.

With a little care, they will probably be good for another 100 years.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR When sourcing replacement tiles, make sure there is no concrete on the back of them as this is difficult to remove, and would need to be cut off at the risk of damaging the tile. Salvage yards are a good place to start if you only need a few replacement tiles to mix and match, but most yards are unable to offer enough for a complete floor, so you may need to try a specialist tile reclamation company. ‘Original tiles can come in slightly varying sizes and depths, which will involve using a good tiler to ensure the pattern flows and the tiles are flat at floor level,’ adds Andy. ‘As the tiles are all individual they can be used in any patterns, plus tiles within a pattern can also be changed to reflect the look you want to achieve.’

COST For good examples, prices start from around £285 per m2; individual tiles start from £1.75 each, encaustic tiles at £10.50 each.

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

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Smooth, cathedral-grade flags are a popular choice for internal floors, yet even smooth flags will have small chips, pits and undulations that contribute to their beauty. ‘Avoid flagstones that have been reclaimed from industrial mills – although impressive looking, there is a strong chance they will be contaminated with oil,’ adds Katie. ‘Also avoid flagstones that show signs of lamination.’

A good reclamation yard or stone specialist will carefully grade reclaimed stone into different batches according to use. If buying online, make sure photos are of the exact stock, and agree in writing the flag sizes to expect. If laying the stone in a random pattern, you will need to order extra (approximately 10 per cent for wastage). The flags will need to be finished, which can be shiny or matt – buy a range to try on off-cuts before committing to the entire floor.

COST Reclaimed Yorkstone flags start from around £78 per square yard; bespoke stone floors, coursed to plan, are around £156 per square yard.

GARDEN RECLAMATION From large architectural pieces to bird baths, planters and ornaments, reclaimed garden items have a wonderful weathered patina that can only be achieved through years of being outside. The advantage of buying an older piece for the garden is that you know it won’t crack during the first frost – chances are that if it’s already survived several or even decades of winters, it’s likely to last a long time to come.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Older garden items obviously won’t be in perfect condition but it is best to avoid anything with cracks, particularly planters. Once something has a crack, the frost can get in and break it unless it has been restored correctly. Also check for rot on wooden items. If buying online, check the size of large items such as statues.

COST Prices can vary enormously so it’s best to shop around. Bear in mind that you’ll also need to factor in the delivery costs to the price unless collecting it yourself. Reclaimed planters start from around £30.

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DOOR FURNITURE

From top: Characterful door furniture at Holyrood Architectural Salvage; a wide selection of basin taps at Mongers in Hingham; cast-iron fireplaces and inserts at Tobys Reclamation

The main benefit of using reclaimed doorknobs and handles is the sheer choice and variety available. ‘You can buy a few different styles of reproduction versions, but the range on offer in the late 1800s and early 1900s was huge, with thousands of styles to choose from,’ says Paul Nash of Architectural Decor. ‘Then there is the quality – if they’ve lasted this long in such great condition they’ll keep on going.’

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Always check that the handles are actually pairs, not single ones that look alike. If they have threaded spindles and grub screws (the small headless screws that hold the spindle in place), check the handles screw on and off the spindles, and the grub screws work properly. The spindle sizes are the same as modern ones and the majority of locks and latches are sprung. Check the measurements as you would a modern pair. ‘You can sometimes get original handles that are plated steel, especially from the 1900s, so it’s also worth checking the handles are actually made of brass,’ says Paul. Never buy handles that are missing their threaded spindles, as making new ones isn’t easy. Polishing can also be an issue if they haven’t been spruced up for a while, but it’s not too expensive to have them machine polished.

COST Refurbished handles start from around £60-£70 for a standard antique pair dating from 1880–1930. Rarer finds cost in the hundreds.

TAPS ‘The old adage of “they don’t make them like they used to” is definitely true of reclaimed taps,’ says Keith Watkins of Tap Refurbishment.

‘Antique versions were made without compromise in Britain at a time when proper mechanical engineering techniques and quality components were used, compared to the plastic and rubber parts that modern-day taps employ. They will stand the test of time rather than having to be replaced every few years.’

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Check to see if the tap is broken, as the cost of the tap restoration can double if bespoke parts need to be made. Always use a professional company to carry out restoration on reclaimed taps.

‘Moroccan taps should be avoided at all costs,’ says Keith. ‘They look pretty, but must not be used on a UK mains pressure water system for fear of flood as their mechanical sections are undersized.’

COST A polished brass pair of reclaimed and restored basin taps should cost around £199. A polished brass bath-shower mixer would start at £450, depending on the style and provenance.

FIREPLACES ‘There are lots of reasons you should choose a reclaimed fireplace,’ says Kevin Barlas, restoration expert at Holyrood Architectural Salvage.

‘A reclaimed version is a greener choice than a reproduction mantel, as most are shipped in from overseas, and it will give your room something unique – chances are you’ll never see another one like it.’

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Assess what work is going to be involved and if you’re capable of doing it yourself. Wooden mantels are the simplest things to restore, as they can be cleaned and finished with basic tools.

‘Look out for rot, woodworm and missing mouldings, which can be difficult to replace – aside from that the restoration is mainly cosmetic.

It’s time intensive to remove old paint, so you may want to hire a specialist,’ says Kevin. Stone mantels are best left to the professionals.

‘If you buy a marble mantel after it’s been taken down you need to make sure you’ve got all the parts,’ adds Kevin. ‘Staining is a problem and can be very hard to remove without industrial chemicals, so you should consult a specialist.’ Cast inserts are the hardest things to restore, unless you’re fortunate enough to find one that is a suitable size for your mantel complete with bars and an ash pan cover. When it comes to installation, always employ a HETAS qualified installer.

COST Unrestored inserts cost from £150; wooden mantels from £75; marble mantels from £200; cast mantels from £150.

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Bring the outside in

As our thoughts turn to the warmer, sunnier days ahead, consider whether you can make the most of your garden views all year round, with a well-designed conservatory, orangery or garden room Feature Holly Reaney

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Glazed Extensions

Opposite: Baldwin oak-frame garden room, expect to pay around £48,000 for similar at Julius Bahn Left: Bespoke timber conservatory in Siberian larch, from £40,000 for a similar project, David Salisbury Below left: Oak-frame garden room extension with a glazed roof panel and gable. This project cost £108,000 at Prime Oak Below: Glazed conservatory with leaded lights and bronze casement windows and doors, around £40,000, Vale Garden Houses

A

dding a conservatory, orangery or garden room is a popular way to create more space in a home, and a suitable option for enlarging many period properties. Often considered a more straightforward alternative to a typical extension, a glazed addition can be completely separate from the main house, or a fully open-plan, flexible room that can serve as a kitchen, living or dining area.

It is widely believed that while a conservatory is idyllic in mild weather, it is too hot to sit in during the height of summer and too cold in the depths of winter. With thoughtful planning and design, however, you can have a room that is not only usable, but enjoyable, all year round.

No matter what you plan on using your room for, the first thing you must consider is its location and orientation, as this will have a huge impact on the temperature inside. For example, a southfacing conservatory will be exposed to more sun

and so naturally will be warmer than a north-facing structure. The positioning will then play a key part in informing the design and heating options you choose.

Which type of glazed addition?

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there are several important differences between conservatories, orangeries and garden rooms.

Perhaps the biggest distinction is determined by their roofs. Conservatories have fully glazed roofs and as a result let in the most light, meaning a spike in temperature in warmer weather, but conversely they lose more heat in the colder winter months.

Garden rooms tend to have flat or pitched full roofs and are dependent on windows and glazed doors to let in the light. As a result, the seasonal temperature difference isn’t as dramatic, and there is less glare.

An orangery offers the best of both worlds: a solid roof with a central roof lantern, letting in light but also having the added benefits of more shading.

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Right: Timber conservatory, around £45,000, Westbury Garden Rooms Below: Aluminium conservatory, £3,000 per m2, Alitex Below right: Bespoke orangery, from £1,800 per m2, The Thames Valley Window Company Opposite: Timber-frame garden room with glazed gable, £45,000, Montpelier Joinery

How can I get the temperature right?

Working out how to best control the temperature in the space is key to the room’s success and usability. Conservatories present more issues when it comes to maintaining a comfortable temperature, but when this is considered prior to building rather than as an afterthought, it is easier to solve.

The main challenge is keeping the room cool during the summer months. The easiest and most affordable option is roof blinds, which shield the sunlight in hotter weather and conversely reduce heat loss throughout the winter. Blinds tend to work best when paired with other methods, such as thermostatically controlled roof vents. Installed in the roof, the vents respond to the room temperature by opening and closing independently to provide a through-flow of air, closing once cool to prevent drops in temperature.

Another important element to consider is the glass itself. Modern developments have resulted in a variety of smart glazing options that will help to maintain a consistent temperature. Increasingly popular, low-emissivity (low-E) double glazing is the most energy-efficient option. Here, the gap between the glazing is filled with argon gas, which 124 Period Living

has a greater density than air, and so aids insulation in both hot and cold conditions. Another option is switchable glass or film, which allows you to control the opacity of your windows with the flick of a switch. An electrical current alters the glass from transparent to clear and can be fitted as film to existing glazing or installed as part of the glass.

A less-invasive alternative to roof blinds, it also offers thermal, solar and sound insulation.

When it comes to heating, radiators are still many people’s go-to choice, but while efficient, they can be take up a lot of wall space. Woodburners are also a favoured solution as they create a cosy atmosphere during the winter, but thought needs to be given to installing a flue and ventilation.

Trench heating is another popular option in glazed additions and works by drawing cold air into grilles installed in the floor, where it is warmed by heated pipes or electrical elements, before rising back into the room. A low-maintenance solution, it also counteracts draughts and condensation.

The least invasive choice is thermostatically controlled underfloor heating, which responds to the temperature of the room. It is compatible with many types of flooring, especially stone and tile.

Glazed Extensions

Which era style?

VICTORIAN – The conservatory rose in popularity

Look to your home’s period to help decide the most appropriate style of your glazed addition TUDOR – While it is not an authentic addition, a conservatory can be a sensitive way to add to the floorspace of a Tudor home. An oak-frame garden room would create a complementary traditional look, or opt for a minimalist glazed box addition for a contemporary contrast.

GEORGIAN – Featuring more classical, symmetrical proportions, an orangery is an elegant addition to a Georgian home. Glass was at a premium during the 18th century, so was installed in smaller panes, meaning structures would be mostly solid, made from brick or stone, with large glazed openings.

REGENCY – Gable end designs were popular during this period, with the front of the roof standing upright, rather than sloping, and they often featured a sunburst design.

As with Georgian styles, a rectangular floor plan was preferred.

with the upper-classes during this period as a way to grow exotic fruit and plants. Today, the design is regarded as the archetypal conservatory, featuring large glazed windows, ornate ironwork and elaborately cast cresting and finials. Victorian Gothic design took this a step further with even more complex decorative columns and detailing.

EDWARDIAN – Quite similar to Georgian rooms in terms of shape, Edwardian conservatories featured a rectangular footprint and tended to be made from wood. The designs were more simplistic than their Victorian predecessors, though still retained a few decorative flourishes.

ARTS AND CRAFTS – As with all Arts and Crafts design, there was a return to handcrafted finishes, anti-industrial processes and minimal use of unnecessary decorations. Asymmetrical in shape, they featured exposed stone or brick interiors and were often complemented by intricately crafted wooden furniture.

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Clockwise from left: Oak-frame garden room, around £45,000, Bath Bespoke; aluminium courtyard conservatory, £3,000 per m2, Marston & Langinger; pleated summer roof blinds in Powder Blue Crush, £177.14 for H100x W100cm, Thomas Sanderson

Which material is best?

SOLID TIMBER – the natural choice for many period

homes, with oak garden rooms being especially revered due to the wood’s inherent strength and beauty. Be wary of untreated softwood as it is not as durable and requires a lot more maintenance.

ENGINEERED TIMBER – sections of individually weaker wood are glued together to create a stronger single piece. While being stronger than solid timber, it is also usually a more affordable option.

MODIFIED TIMBER – has been treated with chemicals or exposed to high heat to improve strength.

Accoya is a popular choice since it is incredibly durable and resistant to fungal attacks.

ALUMINIUM – another traditional option, favoured for its strength and slimline design and its ability to be cast into more ornate designs.

COMPOSITE – timber frame is teamed with powdered aluminium, giving it a weather-proof exterior while maintaining an attractive timber interior.

How do I light the space?

Lighting is often overlooked in glazed additions, but with so much glazing and reflections the room can feel less welcoming come nightfall. ‘Prioritise illuminating the garden and greenery beyond the 126 Period Living

glass,’ says Nick Boatright-Wiltshire from Där Lighting. ‘This draws the eye outside and keeps the space from feeling eerie at night – otherwise you’ll be greeted by vast amounts of black glass.

Maximise the benefits of the outdoor lighting by keeping the inside on a lower light level – just one or two decorative table lamps – to minimise reflections and glare and create a cosy ambiance.

If the space is being used as a dining room, a narrow ceiling pendant hanging above the table adds a nice touch, too – just remember to dim it so that it doesn’t detract from the garden outside.’

Do I need planning permission?

The majority of projects will fall under permitted development meaning they will not need planning permission, although all additions will be required to comply with building regulations. If your home is listed, you live in a designated area, such as a Conservation Area, or are planning a particularly large or multi-storey addition, then it is likely that you’ll need consent. The exact requirements will vary project to project but your local authority will be able to provide further guidance on the necessary requirements and give an idea of acceptable designs.

Also see planningportal.co.uk for more advice.

A POTTED HISTORY

WATERING CANS: Pots for watering plants have been knocking around for millennia. Early Tudor ‘thumb pots’ were made from terracotta and had small holes in the base – the flow of water controlled by placing a thumb over the air hole at the top. These were superseded by earthenware pots with short spouts ending in a rose – deriving from the French word arroseur, meaning ‘sprinkler’ – but metal ‘cans’, as we know them today, started appearing from the late 17th century.

In 1886, at the height of the Victorian gardening boom, avid gardener John Haws found the prevailing style, with a handle arching from front to back, rather cumbersome, so patented his own. Two-handled ‘Haws’ watering cans are still manufactured in Birmingham.

MAY GARDEN VISIT NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN OF WALES To celebrate its 20th anniversary, on Sunday 24 May the botanic garden will turn back time and charge its 2000 adult admission fee of £6.50. Set in the beautiful Towy Valley of South Wales, the garden offers a medley of delights, from the Mediterranean landscape created within the world’s largest single-span glasshouse; one of Europe’s longest herbaceous borders; to the walled garden. This summer, it will also reveal 300 acres of restored Regency parkland, the culmination of a five-year project, with lakes and waterfalls restored, and revamped bog and Japanese gardens. Open daily. Adult £11.49, child £5.50.

(01558 667149; botanicgarden.wales)

GARDEN journal Why you should resist the call of summer bedding plants, plus shows and gardens to visit

e

ls are ali l hi It’s not just PL ve

Th

celebrating a special birthday this year – RHS Malvern Spring Festival marks its 35th anniversary, too. Running from 7-10 May, just as its floral and planting showcase will be broad and diverse, it will play host to two evenings of contrasting music, with the English Symphony Orchestra and then DJ Jo Whiley entertaining visitors.

Tickets from £20. For details visit rhsmalvern.co.uk

ON THE BOOKSHELF Combining practical gardening and cooking tips – with a healthy dose of humour – Rhubarb Rhubarb (£25, Unbound) is a collection of correspondence between gold medal-winning Chelsea garden designer Jo Thompson and chef Mary Jane Paterson. Along with trading sage advice on their respective areas of expertise, when the other is feeling hesitant in the face of a wooden spoon or trowel, are their musings on life in general.

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MADE BY HAND

Known for her award-winning gardens at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, garden designer Claudia de Yong has launched her own garden range. Keen to support artisans, many of the products on her online shop are handmade, including these hazel plant labels, £13, crafted from coppiced wood – a natural alternative to plastic.

VERY VINE If you can’t wait until summer to enjoy the distinctive aroma of tomatoes ripening in the sunshine as you open the greenhouse door, then recreate that aura in your home with the limited-edition tomato candle from Malin+Goetz. Combining the scent of freshly picked herbs with the sweetness of the fruit on the vine, it will smell almost good enough to eat. But don’t. £42, Liberty.

CROP COMPANIONS What: Nasturtium with cucumber Why: Some plants work better with others, and create natural protection and enrichment. Nasturtiums can help repel cucurbit pests when grown near cucumbers, and the leaves and stems form lush green ground cover that deters weeds. Bees also happily feast on their nectar, aiding pollination and resulting in a better cucumber crop.

Planting: Plant nasturtium seeds in early spring, about 1cm deep, 25cm apart. Water well when growing, and cut off faded or dead flowers to prolong blooming. They prefer poorer, well-drained soil, in full sun.

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EXPERT TIPS...

CHILLY NIGHTS AHEAD Mick Lavelle is senior lecturer in horticulture at Writtle University College* May is when spring really begins to give way to summer, with the prospect of long warm days spent outdoors.

It can be tempting to buy up summer bedding plants as they appear in garden centres from this month; but beware!

May nights can still bring an unwelcome chill to unprotected garden plants, and frosts in late spring often cause much more severe damage than those earlier. The greatest risk follows on from an idyllic, warm and sunny day – the combination of a clear sky and little or no wind enables the air near to the ground to cool rapidly.

This happens as heat absorbed through the day rapidly radiates back into space throughout the night, until just after dawn.

This results in ‘temperature inversion’, where temperatures increase with height above the ground (as opposed to the usual decrease with height), causing what is known as ‘ground frost’.

While these are short lived, they are often most severe just before dawn – the temperature near the ground can dip to, or even below freezing, damaging plants just before the sunlight warms the ground again. These frosts only occur for a short distance above the soil, meaning young, tender bedding plants at or near the soil surface are most vulnerable.

Even if the frost does not damage the plants, wild fluctuations between daytime highs and overnight lows can prove very stressful to tender young plants, and may result in slow growth for weeks to come.

So remember that old adage, ‘ne’er cast a clout ’till May be out’, and wait until month’s end before planting out those tender summer bedding plants.

Feature Rachel Crow Illustrations Sarah Overs *Writtle University College runs a variety of short, weekend and evening horticultural courses. To find out more visit writtle.ac.uk

PLOT TO PLATE Add a humorous and whimsical touch to dining outdoors with these fun illustrated side plates featuring playful slogans.

Made from sturdy stoneware, they are priced £5 each from Marks & Spencer.

Foliage and form from evergreens such as Juniperus squamata ‘Dream Joy’, combined with seasonal flowers, including irises, Rhododendron ‘Rosa Mundi’ and Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’, ebb and flow in curving beds.

A container of Tulipa ‘Queen of the Night’ is used as visual punctuation, while height is provided by obelisks and an arch smothered in clematis

Gardens

Harmonious

TONES

Creating a calm and lush garden oasis in the centre of a busy town has been a labour of love for Eithne Hudson over the past 30 years Words and photographs Leigh Clapp

FACT BOX Character An informal, plantswoman’s town garden, with a focus on form, foliage and flowers as material for flower arranging, with island beds of roses. Sunny and shady areas Size Quarter of an acre Aspect South-facing back garden Soil Ericaceous and sandy Owner Eithne Hudson, an independent florist (ivyandtwine.co.uk) who is assisted in the garden by the ‘helpful and extremely knowledgeable,’ Cyril Ernest Landscapes, from Sevenoaks House Built in 1927, this town villa in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, is influenced by the style of villas from the south of France Open Through the National Garden Scheme, 23–24 May, 1–5pm (ngs.org.uk)

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hen Eithne Hudson and her young family moved from a newbuild in Essex, with a garden set on river clay, to their 1927 town villa in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, built on a former grazing common on sandstone, it was a complete change in many ways.

‘We had never had a house that needed work; this one was on a much larger scale and I remember how our dining table looked like a coffee table in the dining room. The house was solidly and beautifully built – the survey read like Gone with the Wind – and we were only the fourth family to have lived here. It took us 17 years to get it as we wanted; it was a labour of love,’ explains Eithne.

From the start, however, it was the garden that was the main attraction for her. ‘It had originally been professionally landscaped in the 1960s, with a rockery and crazy paving of the time, but when we arrived in 1986 it had become tired, neglected and overgrown, with the lawn full of daisies. I could see the children playing in the garden and loved the feel of the house, but we wondered how we were going to get to grips with it all,’ Eithne admits.

The area had originally been part of the common and the street was developed with imposing houses from 1927, the first one theirs, with its French-style shutters and elegant stature. Set on a quarter-acre 134 Period Living

plot, the garden spread out mainly from the back of the house and had great potential.

‘I remember the delight in putting the spade so easily into the sandy soil here. Being very acidic, it has also given me the opportunity to grow different plants, such as rhododendrons, magnolias and camellias. My priority was the garden, and I worked tirelessly on it. It has just evolved over the years,’ says Eithne.

Although she wanted to create year-round colour, this was, she explains, a struggle ‘as it’s very much a spring garden. Roses, for instance, are a challenge on this soil, and I need to add plenty of manure and feed them. Tough rugosa roses do best, and I love David Austin roses, such as ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ and ‘Charles de Mills’. I have given up on large-flowered clematis but montana do well.’

A nursery school teacher for 40 years, but always a keen gardener from childhood, Eithne’s interest in plants and flowers led her to retrain as a florist through The Sussex Flower School.

Planting has since been partially dictated in this direction, with foliage plants a focus for use in her floristry work. ‘I love ivies, have lots of varieties and even call my business Ivy & Twine,’ she adds.

Nearer to the house, the slightly sloping, south-facing garden can get the full brunt of the sun, but as you venture down the garden, with its sweeping lawn and well-stocked beds, it becomes more naturalistic and shaded by mature trees.

Gardens Clockwise from far left: Sentinel standard bay trees underplanted with cineraria and annuals mark the front door, while the attractive foliage of Berberis thunbergii ‘Harlequin’ and variegated euonymus flank the path; Eithne gathers some Eucalyptus nicholii, narrow leaf black peppermint foliage for her flower arranging, helped by border terrier Bertie; profuse, vigorous and

scented Clematis Montana var. rubens mingles with richly scarlet fragrant Rosa ‘Ena Harkness’ on the arch; Eithne has created pretty vignettes and views as here, through the arch, splashed with deeper pink Clematis ‘Elizabeth’, which frames the beginning of the path that winds down the garden. Groups of eclectic containers, such as a hosta in a watering can, and harmonious hues complete the scene

Existing beds have been extended and replanted, while others have been created over the years. A rockery dominates the highest side, a known frost pocket; an existing small goldfish pond is adorned with lush foliage; a summerhouse and wooden swing seat beckon you to stop awhile; scented climbers scramble over arches and obelisks, and the whole garden has a calm and charming atmosphere.

Island beds hold billowing combinations of roses, mixed annuals and perennials. In May, spheres of Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ and harmonious irises stand above tumbling geraniums and prolific nepeta, while pink rhododendrons are interspersed among evergreen boundary hedging of different hues. Colours are gentle and restful, with pretty vignettes of containers and plant associations drawing the eye. ‘Throughout May it’s a fragrant confection of gorgeousness,’ Eithne enthuses.

Rather than creating a dedicated cutting garden to serve her floristry work, Eithne decided to incorporate foliage and flowers to use among the medley of herbaceous and shrubs. ‘I went to Sarah Raven’s garden to learn all about cut-and-comeagain planting, but when I looked at my garden, it was so fluid that I wanted to put things all over so as not to spoil the overall design.

‘You chance upon herbaceous choices and annuals dotted around, and I can collect armfuls, as there’s always something to cover any gaps. When I’m cutting shrubs, for example, I cut from the 136 Period Living

bottom as I’m always thinking about maintaining the look of the garden,’ she explains.

Colour themes are planned in the different areas.

At the bottom of the garden, with its dense shade from towering pines, light is provided by splashes of white and cream: ‘Thalia’ and pheasant eye daffodils in spring, followed by Magnolia stellata and grandiflora, as well as philadelphus. ‘In another bed closer to the patio, I try to follow Gertrude Jekyll’s design with deepest colours in the middle, and ends fading out, using roses paler to cream, with silver foliage at the end. It’s an experiment of graduated depth of colours,’ Eithne explains.

The grandchildren enjoy climbing the same trees their parents did, and sentiment guides many of the plant choices. ‘I always plant a rose for a significant event, including ‘William Lobb’ for my son, ‘Charlotte’ for my daughter, as well as ‘Jessica’ for my daughter Kate Jessica, as I couldn’t find a rose called Kate,’ Eithne explains. ‘However, it was a gorgeous hydrangea that I planted to mark my first grandchild, Annabelle’s, birth and then Rosa ‘Sophy’s Rose’ for my second granddaughter. For my granddaughter Ava, who had a difficult birth, I chose the climbing rose ‘Breath of Life’ as a pound for every sale of the rose went to the National College of Midwives,’ Eithne adds.

It is clear that this haven of calm from the bustle of life in Tunbridge Wells will continue to evolve lovingly under Eithne’s guidance.

Gardens

Clockwise from opposite: The swing seats invites you to stop and enjoy the tranquillity and vistas across the lawn of spheres of alliums and muted irises, including ‘Deputè Nomblot’, ‘Prudy’ and ‘Chinese Whisper’, popping up among the greenery; Eithne’s floristry studio is full of cut foliage, flowers and decorative items, but still has space for the workshops she holds; ivies are one of her

favourites and a variety of types have been used attractively in this shady corner – adding a splash of spring colour is the orange Azalea ‘Glowing Embers’, which also contrasts well with the deep blue violas in the urn; a pair of teak chairs are placed in a sunny spot, and attractive pots of salix underplanted with bright pelargoniums and a dainty pink Syringa ‘Red Pixie’, compact lilac, draw the eye

Above: The terrace overlooks the garden and is edged with a curving bed of sun-loving choices, including Helichrysum italicum, or curry plant, pittosporum, cordylines and ‘Hidcote’ lavender

Below: Tactile Ceanothus arboreus ‘Trewithen Blue’, Californian lilac, planted by the terrace areas, loves full sun and will bloom through May and June with its dense panicle clusters of beautiful blue flowers

Eithne’s gardening tips O Incorporate flowers and foliage for creating

cut flower displays into your whole garden.

O Colour theme areas, with paler flowers in the shade, and brighter varieties in the sun.

O Plant a wide range of shrubs for structure and interest in different seasons, and cutting, such as daphne, viburnum and dogwoods.

O Think of it as creative pruning when you are gathering specimens for flower arranging.

O Select foliage of different hues, including staples for flower arranging, such as Eucalyptus gunnii and pittosporum.

O Include plenty of bulbs and rhizomes in planting plans, such as alliums and irises.

O To get the best iris blooms follow Monty Don’s tip of ensuring the rhizomes get some baking on the top of the soil, doing the same again after splitting.

O Add in some cut-and-come-again flowers, such as phlox, erysimum, astilbe and nepeta

In the area PERRYHILL NURSERIES, Hartfield TN7 4JP. A wide

range of plants and expert advice. Tel: 01892 770377; perryhillnurseries.co.uk SARAH RAVEN’S CUTTING GARDEN, Perch Hill Farm, Robertsbridge TN32 5HP. Inspirational productive garden. Open on selected dates (see website).

Entry £10. Tel: 0345 092 0283; sarahraven.com PENSHURST PLACE AND GARDENS, Kent TN11 8DG. Historic garden of rooms; famous peony border.

Open daily. Entry (garden only) adult £10.50, child £6. Tel: 01892 870307; penshurstplace.com 138 Period Living

Gardens

DECADES OF CHELSEA As we celebrate 30 years of Period Living, we look back over the highlights and changing face of gardening over the last three decades, as showcased at the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show Words and photographs Leigh Clapp

Photographs (1990 gardens) Alamy

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he world’s gardening catwalk for design, trends and plants, RHS Chelsea Flower Show draws our attention each year. It is known for new horticultural innovations and ideas, but there are also key styles and plants that have stood the test of time. There are often themes running through the show, but the main transformation over the decades has been one of working with, instead of against nature, and to appreciate gardens for both their beauty and their wider benefits.

Nineties show gardens In the early 1990s, the show gardens embraced the country-house style – a look inspired by the great

duo of English gardeners, Gertrude Jekyll and Vita Sackville-West. White gardens; red gardens; challenging vistas and belvederes; old-fashioned roses and herbaceous borders were reproduced from the manor houses of England. The show gardens were constructed with specific viewpoints, rather than to be immersed in as a journey – which is often the aim with the gardens today.

Horticultural themes of water, rock or wild gardens were also displayed, as were the first efforts at planting to benefit wildlife. Throughout the 1990s, sculptural gardens took over from the paved and cottage gardens of the 1980s. Mediterranean styles also became popular, and conceptual gardens that express a theme arrived on the scene.

A familiar name synonymous with elegant country garden design is Arabella Lennox-Boyd and her concept, An English Country Garden, Above: Robin Williams’ design for Help the Aged at the 1990 Chelsea Flower Show offered a more formal garden of rooms for quiet relaxation Above left: The 1990 bulb garden

by Pershore College of Horticulture was a carefully curated display of colour-themed areas

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displayed the quintessential confection of stylish neatly clipped yew hedging as a backdrop to prolific herbaceous borders. A Garden of Golden Memories, designed by the late Robin Williams, offered differing views and experiences within a garden of rooms for quiet relaxation. Planting was bold to offset any suggestion of hardness by virtue of the asymmetric formality of design.

Stuart Gibbs of Cotswold Gardeners designed his first show garden in 1990. A Cotswold Country Garden of the 1920s included a reproduction Georgian conservatory, illustrating the versatility of modern materials used sympathetically in a period setting. The garden had dry stone walls and a controlled stream providing a natural setting.

‘It was designed to look soft, calm and as if it had been there forever, with ferns growing naturally out of recycled old stone walls, ground covers filling cracks, and sedums threaded through. Wildflowers gave a country garden effect and there was a small vegetable garden. It was a Miss Marple type of garden, reflecting the period,’ Stuart recalls.

A Garden for Roses, designed by David Stevens, was created in conjunction with The Rose Society, 142 Period Living

with a mix of all kinds of roses, and was one of the first to use companion planting. Rhododendrons, roses, hostas, astilbes and nepeta cascaded down terraces. ‘We used a spectrum of plants that were in vogue and traditional, showing you how to use them, including hardy perennials and grasses.

‘Garden design has changed, trends are transient, but what stays the same is that people want a garden that is comfortable, with happy plants that thrive in their location, that is elegant, but for a sensible budget,’ says David.

New century, new directions Controversies about garden style being too traditional and unadventurous pastiches began to influence the show gardens, with a more minimalist style and widely spaced planting beginning to appear.

Heading into the 21st century, the designs became more daring but trends have also focused on wildflower and naturalistic gardens or landscapes. The series of Welcome to Yorkshire gardens from 2010 to 2019 reimagined a slice of the county with a range of vignettes, from the

Gardens moor and meadows to a stone bothy with cottage garden, and even – in 2019 – a canal, complete with lock keeper’s cottage.

Some gardens have looked back nostalgically, inspired by social history, using victory produce gardens, picturesque ruins, as well as rustic or reclaimed buildings. Chris Beardshaw celebrated the centenary of gardening at the historic Hidcote Manor in his 2007 show garden, with a confection of Arts and Crafts-style ‘jungle planting’, bountiful with flowers.

Taking inspiration from other countries has seen a variety of show gardens emulating the drier climate of the Mediterranean, which was demonstrated atmospherically in James Towillis’ 2010 L’Occitane Garden, with ribbons of lavender and gnarled olive trees set in gravel representing the agricultural landscape of Provence.

Gardens with a story or purpose to educate have also been evolving, from attracting wildlife, through health and wellbeing, to climate change concerns. Environmental issues had surfaced earlier, with concerns such as not using tropical hardwoods for furniture or stripping stone from limestone pavements, but this focus and awareness has been more pronounced towards the end of the 20th century and into the 21st century, with recycling, ecology and sustainability being at the forefront. The New Wild Garden in 2011 was Professor Nigel Dunnett’s first main avenue garden and brought together many of his pioneering ideas that are now mainstream to us all, including diverse planting and habitats for wildlife, sustainable materials and water catchment.

The last few years has seen the concept of greening even the smallest of spaces, often on different levels. Planting has varied from colourful

Clockwise from opposite: Chris Beardshaw’s 2007 show garden displayed his beautifully balanced, Arts and Crafts-style dense planting inspired by Hidcote; Mediterranean planting became a recurring theme, as here, with James Towillis’ 2010 L’Occitane Garden, which used lines of hummocky lavender to draw the eye towards the rustic refuge; in 2011, Bunny Guinness combined a traditional kitchen garden with a modern twist and demonstrated how you can combine elements of ornamental and productive planting for an aesthetic whole; Cleve West’s winning 2012 garden used strong topiary shapes, which though rarely seen at Chelsea, are a large part of our gardening heritage

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Left: Environmental awareness in garden design has been a major focus at Chelsea in the 21st century, with ecology and sustainability at the forefront.

Attracting wildlife was a theme in Adam Frost’s 2013 Sowing the Seeds of Change garden, focusing on harvest and habitat in a family kitchen garden. He combined edibles with a mix of planting, including irises and salvias, within a series of straight linear beds Below: The sense of movement and airiness with ornamental grasses and perennials was captured in Cleve West’s Paradise Garden in 2014, which shows the move to more naturalistic planting styles

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and effervescent combinations softening hard landscaping, to pared-back palettes of greens.

Last year saw the continuing interest in naturalistic planting, along with a focus on gardens for wellbeing – highlighting the benefits, in particular, of trees for both the health of the planet and for its residents. Green in colour and ethos pervaded the show.

Highlights for 2020 This year the show will focus on ways to combat climate change. Sourcing plants and materials from the UK, being more sustainable and selecting plants for wildlife and the environment are the themes that will guide the designs.

Timber is the building choice, single-use materials are avoided, and materials for hard landscaping are sustainable. While all the show gardens are built from scratch in just 19 days and dismantled in five, each has a future, with plants and hard landscaping reused, and sculptures sold.

Hugo Bugg and Charlotte Harris have designed an urban green space communal garden for M&G, which uses repurposed materials, permeable surfaces, harvests rainwater and has a palette of resilient plants. The Facebook Garden, Growing the Future, by Joe Perkins, champions the benefits of trees and woodland management, includes a rolling meadow and woodland planting, and celebrates

Gardens how gardens and a love of nature can bring people together. Tom Massey in the Yeo Valley Organic Garden also puts nature first, with organic growing, low-impact hard landscaping, along with bio-diverse planting. In the Great Pavilion, many of the growers have chosen to be peat-free, use biodegradable pots and biological pest controls.

The Amaffi Perfume Garden by Tamara Bridge and Kate Savill-Tague in the Urban category celebrates opulence, inspired by Art Deco design and luxury interiors, showcasing the beauty of scented romantic garden plants, such as roses and peonies, in a tapestry of jewel colours. ‘We are focusing on the idea of indoor to outdoor living and are using strong colours to create drama – rich teal wall panelling as a backdrop to planting of dark purples, oranges and gold,’ says Kate.

In the Artisan category, The Bicester Village Shopping Garden, designed by florist Nikki Tibbles, is a modern twist on an English country garden, using traditional elements, such as reclaimed bricks and Scottish pebbles, against flashes of colours and modern twists.

James Alexander-Sinclair, broadcaster, RHS Council member, judge and garden designer, agrees the show has evolved a lot in the past 30 years.

‘I first went to Chelsea in the late 1980s, when there were lots of rhododendrons and rock gardens. The Dutch wave of planting for nature hadn’t taken root, and it was more backward looking, quite Edwardian. Gardening was more a subjugation of nature rather than a co-operation with nature. Gardeners have changed and design has taken notice of that with plants being put together differently, more drifting and mimicking of nature. The range of plants is also wider, with some exciting and less well known, and with flowers that are at the right time of the year.’

Top: Emulating landscapes found in nature has become a theme in recent years, as here with Cleve West’s garden design in 2016, evoking Exmoor with large boulders contrasted with controlled wildness in the style of planting Above: The 2018 Welcome to Yorkshire garden by Mark Gregory exemplified why these have been favourite gardens over the years with visitors, transporting the viewer to the heart-warming country idyll of the Yorkshire Dales Left: Green in ethos and colour palette, Andy Sturgeon’s M&G Garden last year won Best in Show, and was inspired by the idea of ecological succession through changing communities of plants.

It looked like a realistic woodland, yet with dramatic burnt wood sculptural rocky outcrops

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Left: Despite many new plants being revealed at Chelsea every year, there are old favourites that have stood the test of time, as well as long forgotten varieties that after appearing in displays have subsequently experienced a revival in popularity, including (from top left): allium, lupin, geum, delphinium, rose, peony, dahlia, auricula, and iris

Plant power Plants are a major part of the Chelsea experience, both in the gardens, with perennial favourites appearing year after year, including alliums, lupins, geums, delphiniums and, of course roses, as well as under-cover displays.

Displays have also been influential in bringing back into fashion forgotten plants, such as old roses and auriculas.

Inside the Great Pavilion it is an assault on the senses - the fragrant medley of aromas and the sheer combination of colours of every hue.

In 2000, a new pavilion replaced the original large canvas marquee – which was cut up and turned into 7,000 handbags, jackets and aprons by the Old Chelsea Marquee Company.

The impeccable standards are always maintained in the displays, where visitors hunt out inspiration for the latest and most beautiful

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plants for their garden. Last year, for the first time, the RHS allowed the exhibitors to sell plants, albeit very discreetly, to help cover costs of putting on the displays. Only three of the original nurseries from 1913 are still exhibiting – McBean’s Orchids, Blackmore and Langdon, and Kelways Plants.

Blackmore and Langdon’s timeless displays of stately delphiniums and colourful begonias have been gracing the show since the beginning. Their popularity has been constant and unchanging over the years, as delphiniums in particular have never gone out of fashion.

‘Just going to show,’ says Simon Langdon, ‘that the traditional English favourites still hold their own in ever-changing times.’

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 19-23 May. For more details visit rhs.org.uk

LEADING LADY

Feature Melanie Griffiths Photographs (Osborne) English Heritage, (opera) © The Rakes Progress, Glyndebourne Productions Ltd, Alastair Muir, (Ellen Terry) Dame (Alice) Ellen Terry in her role as Beatrice, 1879, part of the Smallhythe collection, © National Trust Images/John Hammond, (Henry Moore) Henry Moore with three of his Upright Motives, c.1955, Barry Warner

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u oll p...

In honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday this month, Osborne – the Isle of Wight retreat built for her and Albert – will host The Great Victorian Show. Each day promises an extravaganza of arena action, hands-on fun and exiting sideshows for all the family. Marvel at fire shows and aerobatic stunts on horseback, laugh out loud at Punch and Judy, then take a spin on Victorian fairground rides. 26–28 May, adult £22.50, child £13.50. (english-heritage.org.uk)

Actress Ellen Terry was an A-list celebrity of the Victorian age, and appeared for over 20 years at London’s Lyceum Theatre, delighting audiences with portrayals of Shakespearean greats. Now, costumes and memorabilia relating to one of her most acclaimed roles, Much Ado About Nothing in 1882, are going on display for the first time at her Kent home – and refuge from the pressures of fame – Smallhythe Place. Wednesdays to Sundays, adult £9.25, child £4.65. (nationaltrust.org.uk)

MAY journal

OPERA SEASON Internationally renowned opera house Glyndebourne, set just outside Brighton, is running its 2020 festival from May to August. The programme of six operas includes a return of one of its greatest productions, Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, alongside its debut of Dialogues des Carmélites. Get dressed up and picnic in the lovely grounds during the 90-minute interval. Tickets from £15. (glyndebourne.com)

LITERARY HIGHLIGHTS

Meet awe-inspiring authors, join fascinating workshops, and sample culinary delights at Chiddingstone Castle’s literary festival in Kent.

It kicks off on 8 May, VE Day, with family events, including a talk from Michael Morpurgo on his many books set during WWI and II, before wartime songs and Lindy Hop dancing. Elsewhere, Aardman Animations will be offering clay modelling sessions of its new film Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon, there will be a Tiger Who Came to Tea party, and several authors will read from their latest books. On 9-10 May the adult days are packed with talks and readings from the likes of Maggie O’Farrell and Joanna Trollope. Adult £14, child £7. (chiddingstonecastle.org.uk)

Soak up culture, get out and about – there is plenty to keep you busy this month

THE MONUMENTS MAN From this spring, the work of 20th-century artist Henry Moore will be celebrated in a major solo exhibition at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Bruton, Somerset. Henry Moore. Opposition of Masses charts his early fascination with the Neolithic site of Stone Henge and continued exploration of the upright abstract form. Moore first encountered the prehistoric monuments as a young man in 1921, Fifty-two years later he returned and embarked on a series of lithographs on the subject. From here, a comprehensive body of work evolves and extends across all five gallery spaces, in addition to an open-air presentation of seminal works. 23 May – September. Entry free. (hauserwirth.com)

With rugged mountains on all sides and impressive waterways, this stunning area is a gem of the Welsh countryside. At its heart, the market towns of Bala and Llangollen give a taste of everything it has to offer Feature Holly Reaney

T

he Dee Valley is home to several quaint market towns on the southern border of the Snowdonia National Park, including Bala and Llangollen. Named after the river Dee that flows through Wales into England, the area is characterised by its waterways.

Bala, in Welsh, roughly translates to the outflow of a lake, and no wonder, since its key attraction is Llyn Tegid, the largest natural lake in Wales, famed for its fishing and water sports. However, you don’t need to be an angler or adrenaline junkie to enjoy the area’s beauty. Dotted with rolling hills, which

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are notably greener than the rockier north, it offers a whole host of heritage walks for all abilities. The most famous, and ambitious, follows the 26-mile path walked by 15-year-old Mary Jones, who in 1800 hiked barefoot across the mountains to Bala to purchase a Welsh-language bible, after having saved up her money for six years.

The neighbouring town of Llangollen is equally charming. A less well-known tourist destination, it is a hub of cafés and shops, and you can even take in the luscious views with a horse-drawn trip down the canal, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Photographs (landscape of Bala and Bala Lake) Getty Images, (steam train) Ben Nelson and Bala Lake Railway

Heritage weekend...

THE DEE VALLEY

Out and About

Saturday Enjoy a heritage steam train ride, then take a stroll along a lakeside steeped in myth and legend Bala is the natural place to start your adventures in the Dee Valley. It’s worth noting that the T3 TrawsCymru bus service (trawscymru.info) is free on the weekends, and calls at both Bala and Llangollen – making it easy to get around without worrying about parking. Although small, Bala high street, Stryd Fawr, is unusual in the fact that there is not a single empty shop. Call into Number 6, a treasure trove of antiques, and make sure you don’t miss Aran Hufen Ia, which sells some truly delicious ice-cream, made by hand on site.

From here, follow the signs towards Bala Lake, over the stone bridge and continuing on to the Bala Pen-y-bont Station. Here, the platform is decorated with vintage advertisements for companies such as ‘Spratt’s Mixed Bird Seed’ and ‘Allsopps Milk Stout’. The quaint steam trains, of which there are five in the fleet, were all built at the turn of the 19th century. The service departs daily from Bala at 11.40am, and tickets are issued by the guard on embarking, £8 per adult. The nine-mile line offers stunning views across the lake and towards the impressive mountains: see if you can spot the herons and buzzards that nest here.

On arriving in Llanuwchllyn at around 12:15pm, take a few moments to explore the vintage-inspired platform complete with antique vending machines and tools, then pop into the Heritage Centre and

learn about the north Wales slate quarries, a defining landmark of the area, and the railways that served them. Then head into the original station where the café is the perfect pit stop for lunch; sample a delicious homemade cake as you watch the trains.

Having refuelled, head back to Bala, this time on foot following the lakeside path. The walk is about six miles long but very leisurely and takes in stunning vistas of the lake, which has inspired many local legends. Scotland may have Nessie, but it’s nothing on Teggie, the monster that supposedly lurks in the depths of Llyn Tegid, trapped there after the ice-age. It’s reported to be over eight-feet-long

Opposite: Surrounded by mountains, Bala has stunning views Above: Llyn Tegid is the largest natural lake in Wales Below: Take a tour of the Dee Valley on a 19th-century steam train

Above: The train arrives in Llangollen next to the river Dee Below left: Take some time to explore the beautiful grounds of Palé Hall. Stroll over to the lake in the grounds, which is home to 60 fish – all called Alan!

Below right: Victorian engraving of the Ladies of Llangollen, dressed in their iconic top hats and riding coats, outside their home, Plas Newydd

Sunday Take in medieval to Victorian attractions and visit the home of two ladies who were ahead of their time Take the bus over to LLangollen (there is a bus stop opposite the The Bryntirion Inn near Palé Hall). This small town on the edge of the Berwyn mountains takes its name from the Welsh ‘Llan’, which refers to the church that was founded beside the river in the 6th century. There is plenty to do in the village, which is awash with history and personality. Enjoy a stroll along the Victoria Promenade, opened in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. In the 20th century it became a popular place to meander, following the river along its course, cascading beneath the bridge.

About a 10-minute walk from the town centre, you will find the black and white timber-clad exterior of Plas Newydd House and Gardens. Not

Photographs (Llangollen, Victorian etching, Castell Dinas Brân) Getty

and similar to a crocodile but with a long neck and a round head; keep your wits about you and see if you can catch a sighting. Another local tale reports that, on moonlit nights, walkers have seen the towers and buildings of a village through the water, which if you believe folklore is the sunken palace of King Tegid, an oppressive ruler whose land was magically flooded as a punishment for his poor treatment of his people. Occasionally the chapel’s bells are also heard to toll.

End your day at Palé Hall, in Llandderfel, a grand Victorian mansion set in acres of rolling fields and forest. With three different restaurants, there are plenty of choices for your evening meal, from Michelin-starred dining in the elegantly furnished Henry Robertson Dining Room, to a more casual affair at the Huntsman Bar, with its welcoming roaring fires and Victorian carved wooden bar.

The menu features Palé Hall’s own smoked salmon as well as locally sourced Welsh beef. Spend the night in one of the hotel’s recently renovated rooms, which perfectly celebrate the personality of the Victorian manor with antique furniture and bespoke decoration. Rooms start at £275 for bed and breakfast. (palehall.co.uk)

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Out and About This image: Follow a path to the top of the hill for stunning views and the relic of Castell Dinas Brân, a medieval castle Below: Enjoy a bite to eat on the riverside at The Corn Mill

Where to shop Llangollen has a large number of characterful independent shops. Harley’s Vintage Boutique is brimming with fashion and homeware – you won’t know what to look at first. If you’re a fan of antiques, then don’t miss Chapel Emporium. Located in a former church, the building is as impressive as the wide range of collectibles on offer, from fireplaces to Chesterfields. Plus, the forecourt is a hub of upcycled furniture just waiting to be explored. (thechapelemporium.co.uk)

carved Welsh oak panelling and intricate stainedglass windows. They also added a vast library that became the heart of their home, a space where they entertained the likes of Shelley, Bryon, Wordsworth, Walter Scott, the Duke of Wellington and Josiah Wedgwood, to name but a few. Later they also added a circular stone dairy and created an elegant parterre-style garden and adjoining rose garden, both of which are as impressive today as when first planted. Entry is £6 per adult. (llangollen.org.uk) The waterways are an icon of the Dee Valley and there is no better spot for lunch than The Corn Mill, which holds a prime position on the waterfront.

A renovated 14th-century watermill, it serves a diverse menu of local delicacies alongside pub classics. Outside, the restaurant’s decked area overhangs the rapid flowing river, while inside whitewashed stone walls and exposed beams offer a cosy atmosphere, with huge glass windows to take in the views. (brunningandprice.co.uk) Work off your lunch with a short walk to Castell Dinas Brân. The 20-minute journey follows a footpath up a hill to what appears to be a cluster of rocks, but is actually the ruins of a castle, likely built in the 1260s. It’s a feat of medieval engineering and its precarious position offers spectacular views across the valley – the ideal way to end your visit to this beautiful part of the country. to be confused with the National Trust property of the same name on Anglesey, this Georgian cottage holds the story of two fascinating women, Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby. Little known today but icons of the 19th-century, the ‘Ladies of Llangollen’ fled arranged marriages in Ireland to live together in the sanctuary of North Wales. Their relationship scandalised and fascinated their contemporaries; William Wordsworth even wrote a sonnet about their then unconventional relationship, To the Lady E.B and the Hon. Miss P. Despite relying on a state pension and a modest income from disapproving relatives, the couple renovated Plas Newydd, decorating in a Gothic style favouring elaborately Period Living 153

ARTISTIC FLAVOUR Newby Teas has collaborated with the Van Gogh Museum of Amsterdam to produce a trio of bespoke teas, the caddies all featuring one of the iconic masterpieces in the museum’s collection.

Available online, £28 each.

FOOD journal Events, eateries, edibles and kitchen essentials for keen home cooks

Café culture

CHEF’S CUT

May’s seasonal ingredient is chosen by Olivier Troalen, chef-proprietor at La Boheme in Lymm, Cheshire ASPARAGUS When you think of seasonal spring ingredients, asparagus immediately comes to mind. For just a few weeks of the year – from late April until June – the flavour of these young shoots is absolutely wonderful. Outside of this time window, you can get still find them, but the taste is just not the same.

Asparagus is one of the most versatile vegetables: it can be cooked in many ways, and goes with pretty much anything; just make sure you don’t overcook it. Asparagus loses its flavour to the water when boiled, so try steaming or roasting it instead or, for the best taste, griddle it with butter. In France, it is often used as an ingredient in fricassees, or served with poached eggs and hollandaise lightened with whipped cream, or cold with vinaigrette. As the weather gets warmer, also try popping it on the barbecue for a lightly charred, distinctive crunch.

Fresh restaurant La Boheme celebrates its 20th anniversary this year COOKING THE BOOKS: NEW RELEASES From macarons and madeleines, to tuiles and tartes, conjure up delicieux French fancies by following the step-bystep instructions in the new Pâtisserie at Home by Will Torrent (£16.99, Ryland Peters & Small). Having mastered the basics that make up French-style chic confections, such as choux pastry and Chantilly cream, delight guests with your displays of baking finesse.

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Fifty years ago, William Tulberg first tried his hand at making a wholegrain mustard, inspired by a recipe he found while reading the 17th-century diary of John Evelyn. So Tracklemeats was born, and today continues to handcraft small batches of the condiment to the traditional recipe. Now under the guidance of William’s son, Guy, the Wiltshire company celebrates its half centenary this year, and to mark the occasion has launched a keepsake glazed stoneware jar of its Robust wholegrain mustard, £6.95 for 280g, which – in the spirit of times past – can then be reused as a handy container for all manner of pantry essentials.

a

Street, Edinburgh, is one of four owned and run in the Scottish city by bakers Rachel Morgan and Emily Cuddeford, known for their signature slow fermentation sourdough loaves, as well as pastries and doughnuts.

FOOD: Once you’re tempted into the shop by the aroma of freshly baked delights, stop at the Kitchen Table for an all-day breakfast, lunch, pastry or bun – especially one of the popular lemon and cardamom sugar vegan range. Keen to eliminate food waste, the ingenious bakers have also invented the croissant loaf and make caramel sauce with whey leftover from homemade ricotta cheese.

OPEN: Daily, 9.30am–4.30pm

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Feature Rachel Crow. Image (asparagus) Getty

WHAT: Twelve Triangles Bakery on Duke

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Put on a great show of cooking inspired by these recipes from Circus Sauce, the travelling restaurant of the wonderfully nostalgic, vaudevillian-style Giffords Circus Period Living 157

TROUT CURED IN CABBAGE, GIN AND JUNIPER WITH RYE CRACKERS CAULIFLOWER, ROMANESCO, RAISIN & ALMOND SALAD This is a lovely recipe.

The raisin dressing adds a wonderful sweetness and cuts through the bitterness of the chicory and the almonds ever so well.

SERVES 4 O 1 cauliflower O 1 head romanesco broccoli O Olive oil, for drizzling O 2 heads chicory, leaves, separated O 1 shallot, thinly sliced into rings O 50g flaked almonds, toasted O Sea salt and black pepper FOR THE PURÉE O Knob of butter O 100ml double cream FOR THE DRESSING O 75g raisins O 1 tsp Dijon mustard O 1 tbsp dark brown sugar O 50ml rapeseed oil O 1 tbsp cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 1. Begin by breaking the cauliflower and romanesco into florets: you want different-sized florets to keep the salad interesting.

Save any stalks for the purée. Cook half of the florets in salted boiling water for 4–5 minutes, then

drain well. Toss the rest of the florets on a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt, and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, until a dark golden colour.

2. Slice the cauliflower stalks thinly with a sharp knife and sweat down in a saucepan with a knob of butter, and some salt and pepper. Pour in the cream, bring to the boil and blitz in a food processor to a smooth purée. Leave to the side until needed.

3. For the dressing, soak the raisins in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain and put into a mixing bowl with the mustard, sugar, rapeseed oil and cider vinegar. Mix well.

4. Toss the chicory, shallot, cauliflower and romanesco together in a mixing bowl and season with a little salt and pepper. Smear the purée onto a serving plate and top with the salad.

Drizzle over the dressing and finish with a scattering of toasted almonds.

THE SHOW GOES ON This year celebrating its 20th anniversary, the 1930sstyle Giffords Circus was founded by the late Nell Gifford and her husband Toti – a miniature, traditional village green circus that tours England throughout spring and summer, in the words of Nell: ‘bursting at the seams, packed, rowdy, tiny, a little band of performers who live nomadically, performing daily, engrossed in the serious business of making magic.’

Each evening, after the final show of the day, Circus Sauce serves up a dinner using locally sourced, fresh ingredients, on candle-lit oak tables, in a tent lined with circus tapestries. The kitchen, housed in two showman’s wagons, follows the circus as it makes its slow journey through the English countryside (giffordscircus.com).

A lovely alternative to smoked salmon, using ingredients that you can find in close proximity to your home – if you happen to have an allotment and live near a river. The flavour is sweet and salty with a strong aromatic tinge from the gin and juniper.

SERVES 8–10 O 200g fine sea salt O 100g dark brown sugar O 4 juniper berries O 1 tsp black peppercorns O 50ml gin

O 1 small red cabbage, roughly chopped O 2 x 1kg sides of brown river trout, scaled, filleted and pin-boned O Crème fraîche and lemon halves to serve FOR THE RYE CRACKERS O 250g rye flour O 250g wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting O 1 tsp salt O 275ml whole milk O 2 egg yolks O 100g mixed seeds

1. In a food processor, blend the salt, sugar, juniper berries, peppercorns, gin

and red cabbage to a paste.

Lay one of the sides of trout skin-side down in a deep tray or sealable food container. Smother the flesh side with the paste, then pop the other side on top, skin side up, cover and place in the fridge. Move the fish around every 12 hours, checking its firmness.

Depending on the thickness of the fish, it should be ready in about 2 days: you want it to be firm to the touch, without any wobble – if you are unsure, leave it a bit longer.

2. When the fish is ready, rinse off the paste under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper, ready for slicing. The trout will keep in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks.

3. For the rye crackers, whack both flours and the salt into an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on a medium speed. In a jug or bowl, whisk the milk and 1 of the egg yolks together, then slowly add to the mixer and keep mixing until you have a firm dough. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 160°C and line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment.

Roll out the dough into long, thin strips, ideally using a pasta machine, or a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Cut the crackers into your desired shape – the larger the better, we find. Lay them out on the baking trays and brush with the remaining egg yolk before sprinkling the seeds over and baking for 10–15 minutes, until crisp and golden.

5. To serve, slice the trout with a long, thin carving knife, then serve with crème fraîche, lemon halves and, of course, the rye crackers.

POUSSINS ROASTED IN BEER, HONEY, THYME AND BUTTER Poussins, or French hens, are slightly sweet and can take on a lot of flavour. You can roast them whole, or in half, but here it works best if they are spatchcocked.

Ask your butcher to do this – or send a knife down either side of the spine, remove it, then take out the wishbone and any other cartilage and flatten the birds. This recipe has bitterness from the beer, sweetness from the honey, richness from the butter and aromatic flavour from the thyme.

SERVES 4 O 50ml red wine vinegar O 100ml honey O 2 star anise O 2 bay leaves O 1 bunch of thyme O 4 poussins, spatchcocked O Olive oil, for frying O 1 whole garlic bulb, cut in half across the equator O 100g soft butter O 330ml golden ale

500ml chicken stock O Sea salt and black pepper O

1. Put the vinegar, honey, star anise, bay leaves and half of the thyme in a frying pan over a high heat and bring to the boil, stirring well. Pour the liquid over the poussins in a couple of large dishes and leave them to marinate in the fridge for as long as possible – ideally leave overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lift the poussins out of the marinade, reserving it for later, and pat them dry. Season well with salt and pepper. Get a frying pan nice and hot over medium– high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and lower in the poussins with a satisfying sizzle. Once they have taken on a nice golden colour, place the garlic bulb halves, cut side up in a roasting tray and perch the poussins on

top. Smear the soft butter over the poussins, then scatter over the remaining thyme and roast the poussins for about 20–25 minutes, until the birds are firm to the touch and the roasting juices run clear when you pierce the meat with a sharp knife.

3. Move the poussins to a wire rack to rest and put the roasting tray on the stove over a medium heat.

Pour the reserved marinade into the tin and cook for 5–10 minutes until reduced to a syrup. Pour in the golden ale and cook again until it bubbles and has reduced slightly more.

Finally, add the stock and reduce a little further to make a jus.

5. Serve the poussins with the jus, roasted garlic, hasselback potatoes and some red cabbage.

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ELDERFLOWER AND BERRY TRIFLE If you are pushed for time, you could use sponge fingers for this recipe instead of making cake – but it really is so much better with cake. This is a good dessert to make when you get back from picking your own at a fruit farm on a slow, late-spring day.

SERVES 6 O 500ml double cream O Fresh berries and sprigs of mint, to serve FOR THE CUSTARD O 280ml milk O 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped O 4 egg yolks O 60g caster sugar O 25g plain flour O 2 tsp cornflour

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FOR THE SPONGE CAKE O 125g caster sugar O 4 eggs O 125g plain flour O 25g butter, melted FOR THE TUILES O 50g butter, melted O 50g icing sugar O 50g egg whites (1–2 egg whites) O 50g plain flour O 50g flaked almonds FOR THE JELLY O 6 gelatine leaves O 400ml diluted elderflower cordial (about 1:4 ratio) O 300g mixed berries, such as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries O A few unsprayed elderflowers (optional) and mint leaves

1. First make the custard. In a saucepan, bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla

seeds and pod, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10–15 minutes.

Remove the vanilla pod. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale before mixing in both flours, then pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly.

Pour the custard back into the saucepan, place over high heat and cook until it thickens, stirring constantly and using a spatula to really get into the corners of the pan. Once thickened, pour the custard into a bowl or container then press a sheet of clingfilm onto the surface to stop a skin forming and leave to cool in the fridge.

2. Next up, the sponge cake. Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a baking tray (about 30 x 20cm) with baking parchment. Whisk the caster sugar and eggs in a metal or glass bowl over a pan of simmering water until very light and fluffy, then remove from the heat.

Gradually sift in the flour, mixing well to avoid lumps, then stir in the melted butter. Spread onto the baking tray and bake for 10 minutes until light brown.

Leave to cool on a wire rack before cutting it up into 2cm squares.

3. For the tuiles, increase the oven temperature to 170°C and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Blend the melted butter, icing sugar, egg whites and flour in a food processor until smooth, then pour into a container and chill for 30 minutes. Spread the mixture onto the baking tray in tear shapes a few millimetres thick using a palette knife. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake for 10 minutes until golden.

Carefully remove from the tray and leave the tuiles to cool on a wire rack.

4. For the jelly, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 10 minutes. Warm the cordial in a saucepan over a low heat, then whisk in the squeezed-out gelatine leaves until fully dissolved.

Pour into 1 large bowl or 6 small ones, then float in a mix of berries, elderflowers, a few mint leaves and a few squares of the sponge cake.

Leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.

5. Whip the double cream to soft peaks. Gently fold half the cream through the custard. Whip the other half of the cream to stiff peaks and spoon into a piping bag.

Pour the custard on top of the jelly, then pipe rosettes of cream all over and finish with the tuiles, berries and mint.

Recipes

QUEEN OF PUDDINGS If you’ve ever had the joy of reading The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Kt. Opened, published in 1699, you’ll find the first printed version of this recipe. There have been many variations since, of course, but it’s generally based around bread soaked in milk with jam and meringue – and this is how we do it a few centuries later. After years of serving this in the restaurant, someone only recently pointed out that it looks quite like a crown fit for a queen.

SERVES 6 O 500ml whole milk O 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped O 4 egg yolks O 60g caster sugar O 25g plain flour O 2 tsp cornflour O 100g panko breadcrumbs O Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon FOR THE FRUIT JELLY O 300g mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries) O 4 leaves gelatine O 75g caster sugar O A few strips of lemon zest FOR THE MERINGUE O 130g caster sugar O squeeze of lemon juice O 4 egg whites, at room temperature O ½ tsp cream of tartar

1. Lightly grease a 20cm springform cake tin and place on a baking tray. In a saucepan, bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla seeds. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar by hand until pale, then mix in the flours. Pour in the hot milk, mixing well all the time, then return to the saucepan. Place over a high heat and cook until it starts to thicken, stirring constantly using a spatula to really get into the corners of the saucepan. When the custard has thickened slightly and is almost boiling, take it off the heat and pour into a separate bowl. Stir in the lemon zest, breadcrumbs and juice, then leave to sit for 10 minutes before pouring into the cake tin. Smooth the surface, then set in the fridge for at least 1 hour until cool.

2. For the fruit jelly, hull and halve the strawberries,

then wash all the berries.

Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes. Put the sugar in a medium saucepan with 200ml water and the lemon zest. Bring to the boil, then add all the berries to the syrup and remove from the heat. Leave to cool slightly then add the squeezed-out gelatine and stir until dissolved. Pour the berry-jelly liquor into the cake tin over the set custard base. Return to the fridge for 1 hour, or until completely set.

3. For the meringue, put the caster sugar into a saucepan with 100ml water and a squeeze of lemon juice to stop the sugar crystallising.

Place over medium heat and bring to 121°C, using a cooking thermometer. Use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. With the mixer running slowly, start adding the hot sugar syrup – the

meringue should puff up and stiffen like marshmallow.

When all the sugar syrup has been incorporated, keep whisking until the meringue has cooled to room temperature. Scrape into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe over the top of the dessert, then blowtorch or very briefly grill until golden.

This is an edited extract from Giffords Circus Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Magical Circus Restaurant by Nell Gifford & Ols Halas, with photography by David Loftus (Quadrille, £27)

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Zara Home 0800 026 0091 zarahome.com Period Living 163

In the Picture

Angel of the battlefields

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hink of Florence Nightingale and we think of her as depicted here, doing her nighttime ward rounds in the battlefield hospitals of the Crimea, bringing succour to the wounded. However, so many more of her remarkable achievements have left a lasting legacy on healthcare as a whole.

Did you know, for instance, that she not only nursed in the Crimean War, but had set up the whole idea of military hospitals, revolutionising the care given to injured soldiers in a way that prepared the ground for our modern-day military hospitals?

Or that after the Crimean War, she radically reshaped hospital nursing with her book Notes on Nursing: What it is and what it is not, published in 1859? And that she set up the first School of Nursing in the UK, at St Thomas’ Hospital in London?

So, while she was every bit the caring, empathic nurse, she was also a radical campaigner for advances in medicine, and a fine role model for nurses and the medical profession as a whole – all the while battling her own illness from the lingering effects of ‘Crimean fever’ and depression.

You can see her famous lamp and learn more about her life and work in Nightingale in 200 Objects, People and Places*, running until 7 March 2021, at the Florence Nightingale Museum, St Thomas’ Hospital, to mark the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

178 Period Living

Words Karen Darlow Image Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) from The Year 1910 Illustrated / Getty Images * For more details of the exhibition visit florence-nightingale.co.uk

An exhibition to mark the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth remembers that there was much more to this lady than a lamp