Country & Town House - October 2019 by Country & Town House Magazine

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

OCTOBER 2019 £3.90

MEET THE COLBERTS Britain’s coolest pop art pairing

PAGES OF INTERIORS

ED VAIZEY

C&TH’s new culture minister

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CONTENTS O C T O B E R 2 019

COLUMNS 20 22

THE GOOD LIFE Your food waste is Alice B-B’s treasure THE RURBANIST Shoe designer Charlotte Olympia Dellal

UPFRONT 27 28 30 32 34 36 40 42 44 46 48

SURREALIST VISION Future of fashion BAUHAUS BOUNCE BACK Deutschland über alles STYLE NOTEBOOK Fashionable fauna MY STYLE Lisou’s Rene Macdonald THE GOLD DIGGER Jewellery news LUCIA LOVES Landscape designer Randle Siddeley BODY LANGUAGE There’s no place for plastic in Olivia Falcon’s makeup bag BRIGHT YOUNG THING Pallavi Sharda POWDER ROOM Tickled pink BODY & SOUL Brains not brawn WELL GROOMED Men’s style news

THE GUIDE 53 58 61 64 65 67 68 70 74

THE DIARY Girls’ only at new London gallery Boogie Wall THE EXHIBITIONIST Frieze frenzy takes over new columnist Ed Vaizey ON THE GRAPEVINE Fine art meets fine wine in Vik Muniz’s latest work GOOD READS A natural selection WHAT’S ON Secret city galleries THE OLYMPIAN Australian media mogul Kerry Packer ROAD TEST This Land Rover has had more than just a lick of paint SEEDER’S DIGEST A lasagne that has nothing to do with pasta CONVERSATIONS AT SCARFES BAR Charlotte Metcalf meets ‘the great offender’, artist Caroline Coon

FEATURES 76

POP DUO What do lobsters, yoni vases and Nietzsche’s toenails have in common? Charlotte and Philip Colbert, of course. Caiti Grove meets art’s most playful pair at their Spitalfields studio SISTER ACT Four female art insiders on the names to know and the exhibitions to catch this season. By Rosalyn Wikeley

8 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | October 2019

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See the film at polroger.co.uk

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FEATURES 86

SHIFTING SEASCAPES From down-atheel seaside town to Shoreditch-on-sea, Margate’s inexorable rise is gallery driven THE HILLES ARE ALIVE Everyone who’s anyone has been hosted at Hilles House. And with a new wedding business, its doors are more open than ever NEUTRAL GROUND Fashion tones it down for autumn

ON DESIGN 105 As the design shows descend on London,

Carole Annett packs these special interiors pages with everything you might need to navigate this season’s trends. A flick through her pick of the most fabulous fabrics, wallpapers and homeware, plus three covetable case studies, can’t fail to spark some ideas for your next project

FOOD & TRAVEL 145 ART OF REVIVAL Caiti Grove discovers

the creative side of Cambodia and Laos 150 THE HOTEL WIZARD Venetian views 152 THE WEEKENDER Los Cabos, Mexico 154 REAPING BENEFITS Cambodia’s got

class – these four hotels have it in spades THE BUCKET LIST Paloma Faith EAT PRAY LEARN Holiday enrichment GASTRO GOSSIP Tables to book CRISP PICKINGS Nathan Outlaw’s ultimate smoked cod’s roe dip 162 FORK & FIELD Sicily on steroids 163 HAPPY HOUR The best whisky to nurse 156 159 160 161

ON THE MOVE 165 PROPERTY OF THE MONTH 166 CAPITAL GAINS Super prime central

London is weathering Brexit uncertainty 168 MY HOUSE Butter Wakefield 169 FIVE OF THE BEST Old rectories

131

Gunter & Co

ON THE COVER Charlotte and Philip Colbert photographed in their Spitalfields studio. Art Director, Nicole Smallwood. Photographer, Nicky Emmerson Hair and make-up, Dani Guinsberg at Carol Hayes using Marc Jacobs beauty and Leonor Greyl haircare. Clothing, artists’ own

REGULARS 12 EDITOR’S LETTER 14 CONTRIBUTORS 164 STOCKISTS

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76 EDITOR’S PICKS

WEAR It’s 20 years since Dior started designing jewellery. I’ll have a Rose Dior Pop ring if anyone’s asking

EDITOR’S LETTER

sn’t the art world bonkers? There aren’t many industries that could get away with just not turning up to an important lunch and sending impersonators instead, but such was the ruse that artists Charlotte and Philip Colbert got away with at The Royal Academy, begging the question, just how serious is art? Caiti Grove meets the provocative pair at their lobster and vaginafilled Shoreditch studio for our cover interview and discovers why their works appeal to the everyman (p76). Frieze Art Fair has come to represent the apotheosis at which art, fashion and celebrity all collide for one big jamboree in October. Just as much a part of the social season as Goodwood and Glyndebourne, but a little

more rock ’n‘ roll, our new culture columnist Ed Vaizey (former Minister for Culture under David Cameron) reminisces about his visit to Frieze when his one-year-old son became part of an installation (p58). You see, the art world is mad. It’s not just art that gets its big public shout-out this month, but design too pulls in the crowds at London Design Festival, Decorex and Focus/19, which all take place from mid-September. As usual, our interiors editor Carole Annett brings you 40 pages of the best new designs, products, case studies and news to get you all fired up to take on a new interiors project; whether that’s scouring out the best upcycled and vintage furniture (p128) or sprucing up your bathroom, so it’s more spa sanctuary, less wash and go (p124). Wedding planning? How about tying the knot at the splendid Arts and Crafts home of Detmar Blow? You’d be joining esteemed company as his roll call of guests has included over the years Alexander McQueen (who used to stay when Detmar’s fashion editor wife Isabella Blow was alive) and Bryan Ferry. As well as this new incarnation as a wedding venue, he and his partner Martha Fiennes are planning to introduce salon-style art talks and sculpture installations. After all these big houses do have to earn their keep and if you can do it @countryandtown artistically, so much /countryandtownhousemagazine /countryandtownhouse the better (p91). n

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BUY My new style crush is Shiv from brilliant series Succession. I’ll be wearing these Dries van Noten trousers in homage DITCH Amazon and get down to your local bookshop on 5 October for Bookshop Day

BOOK Baby Reindeer did brilliantly at the Edinburgh Festival. Catch it now at London’s Bush Theatre

12 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | October 2019

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W W W .W I L L I A M A N D S O N . C O M

T H E P E R F E C T D E S T I N AT I O N F O R T O W N & C O U N T R Y L I V I N G

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BUMAT Turntables

CONTRIBUTORS

ED VAIZEY

What sparks design envy in you? Anyone who has had the chance to design their own home, especially if it is mainly steel and glass. If you could live in any building, what would it be? Anything designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Not only are his houses groundbreaking and unique, but they adapt perfectly to their settings. The most you’ve ever spent on an artwork is… About £1,500. I get prints from Counter Editions – it’s the best place to buy limited edition contemporary British artists. Which artist would you most like to sit next to at the bar? Stanley Spencer, to try and discover why his self portrait has such a hold over me.

THE ROTATING THREE SIXTY

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London

New York

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Paris

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What sparks design envy in you? The Engine House in Suffolk. Each room in this beautifully restored industrial building is curated with a mix of modern and vintage furniture. If you could live in any building, what would it be? A ramshackle villa on a remote Greek island. The most you’ve ever spent on an artwork is… I inherited a pair of nude charcoal drawings by Maggi Hambling from my late mother, and Tracey Emin gifted me an embroidered handkerchief that reads: ‘Be faithful to your dreams’. Which artist would you most like to sit next to at the bar? Picasso. We would discuss a mutual love of Breton tops and the latter part of his life on the French Riviera.

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PHOTOS: ALEXANDRA DAO; KATIE VANDYCK

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CONTRIBUTORS

CAROLE ANNETT

What sparks design envy in you? Scale and proportion – getting it right. If you could live in any building, what would it be? Apsley House, Number One London, so I can be the first person in Hyde Park each morning. The most you’ve ever spent on an artwork is… Several thousand (I inherited the money and wanted to buy something meaningful). It was a wire sculpture of a man’s torso by David Begbie. Which artist would you most like to sit next to at the bar? Tracey Emin – I’d love to hear her thoughts on Trump and Boris.

CAITI GROVE

What sparks design envy in you? Midcentury Scandinavian joinery. Artek’s heyday. Anything made Carl Hansen makes me swoon. If you could live in any building, what would it be? John Pawson’s minimalist Life House in Wales, I stayed there earlier this year. It has a contemplation chapel. You can watch sheep munch grass while lying in the bath. The most you have ever spent on an artwork is… £3,000 on a wooden wall sculpture by Carol Sinclair, who works with objects found on beaches and in her home Fenland. She is a friend, so I have to make sure it’s hung straight when she comes round. Which artist would you most like to sit next to at the bar? Paula Rego – her work about women’s rights and injustice is brilliant, so I’m sure she’d be similarly passionate in person.

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CO U NTRYA N DTOW N H O U S E .CO.U K

EDITOR Lucy Cleland EDITOR-AT-LARGE Alice B-B ASSOCIATE EDITOR Charlotte Metcalf MANAGING EDITOR Anastasia Bernhardt SUB EDITOR Belinda Bamber FEATURES ASSISTANT Clementina Jackson FASHION DIRECTOR Nicole Smallwood BEAUTY DIRECTOR Nathalie Eleni FASHION EDITOR Lucy Bond LUXURY EDITOR Lucia van der Post INTERIORS EDITOR Carole Annett JEWELLERY EDITOR Annabel Davidson EXECUTIVE FEATURES EDITOR Rosalyn Wikeley PROPERTY EDITOR Anna Tyzack MOTORING EDITOR Jeremy Taylor PROPERTY & MARKETING ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Gemma Cowley DIGITAL MANAGER Adam Dean ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Eleanor Selby LUXURY LIFESTYLE ADVERTISING MANAGER Ellie Rix ACCOUNT MANAGER Bianca Maraney CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Parm Bhamra JUNIOR PRODUCTION DESIGNER Samuel Thomas ONLINE EDITOR Rebecca Cox ONLINE WRITER Ellie Smith JUNIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Kerri Stolerman TECHNICAL MANAGER Hannah Johnson TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Mark Pearson DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY Wil Harris ACCOUNTS & CREDIT CONTROLLER Aimi Nicastro SALES & OFFICE MANAGER Daisy Orr-Ewing FINANCE DIRECTOR Jill Newey GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Tia Graham MANAGING DIRECTOR Jeremy Isaac CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Stephen Bayley, Simon de Burton, Fiona Duncan, Olivia Falcon, Daisy Finer, Lydia Gard, Avril Groom, Richard Hopton, Emma Love, Mary Lussiana, Anna Pasternak, Caroline Phillips, Holly Rubenstein, Marcus Scriven

The West London Young Shots Course Our Young Shots Course is the perfect introduction into the shooting, safety and etiquette of shotguns and rifles. The course is specially designed for those between 10 and 17 years of age and is the ideal activity for the school holidays DATES: 22nd October 2019 17th & 18th December 2019 18th February 2020

THE EDITOR editorial@countryandtownhouse.co.uk FASHION fashion@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ADVERTISING advertising@countryandtownhouse.co.uk PROPERTY ADVERTISING property@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ACCOUNTS accounts@countryandtownhouse.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk COUNTRY & TOWN HOUSE is a monthly magazine distributed to AB homes in Barnes, Battersea, Bayswater, Belgravia, Brook Green, Chelsea, Chiswick, Clapham, Coombe, Fulham, Holland Park, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Pimlico, South Kensington, Wandsworth and Wimbledon, as well as being available from leading country and London estate agents. It is also on sale at selected WHSmith, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s stores and independent newsagents nationwide. It has an estimated readership of 150,000. It is available on subscription in the UK for £29.99 per annum. To subscribe online, iPad, iPhone and android all for only £24.99 visit: exacteditions.com/read/countrytownhouse. For subscription enquiries, please call 020 7384 9011 or email subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk. It is published by Country & Town House Ltd, Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL (tel: 020 7384 9011). Registered number 576850 England and Wales. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd, West Midlands. Paper supplied by Gerald Judd. Distribution by Letterbox. Copyright © 2019 Country & Town House Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Materials are accepted on the understanding that no liability is incurred for safe custody. The publisher cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. Whilst every care is taken to ensure information is correct at time of going to press, it is subject to change, and C&TH Ltd. takes no responsibility for omissions or errors.

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COLUMN

THE GOOD LIFE

THIS MONTH I’LL BE

Salivating over Flora Soames’ launch collection of elegant fabric and wallpaper florasoames.com

Overexcited to see Phoebe Waller-Bridge in her one woman show Fleabag. delfont mackintosh.co.uk

Hosting 34@34 – a new series of wellness panel discussions while tucking into a healthy brunch. 34-restaurant. co.uk

WOOL JEANS Eco denim. bamford.com

ALL THE FEELINGS Right oil, right time. votary.co.uk

THE GREEK DREAM Aman wellness. aman.com

COMPOST GETS CLASSY Shove it all in hotbincomposting.com

NEW CYCLE Finally comes to west London. soul-cycle.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © JANE MCLEISH-KELSEY

this long? My first was Amanzoe – pillared and pedimented in the Peloponnese – a pretty nice way to pop my cherry. Villas and pavilions scattered across a hillside smothered in lavender and sentinel-like cypress with views across the shimmering sea to neighbouring Spetses and Hydra. I was there to explore the new wellness immersions, which can be dialled up or down to suit your needs; whether it’s weight management, detox or cleansing – all under the supervision of a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, combined with deep relaxation treatments using Aman’s new skincare products, (book in with therapist Nasia – best EVER massage). Other activities that made me feel pretty bloody great; yoga on a platform looking out across the hills, visiting a local organic farm run by Alice B-B on hot rot, cherry a Greek Dr Dolittle popping and sheep’s clothing and breakfast of the freshest eggs and honey from their hives. OMPOSTING. That one word conjures up a stinky, unhygienic A reminder that for all the spoiling swank, often it’s the bin full of foul food scraps in simplest things that make some old relative’s kitchen. Not for me us feel well. I’ve gone crashing thanks – I’ll just stick it all in a bin bag headlong into the Aman club and let the council deal with it. That’s – from virgin to junkie in just always been my ignorant, irresponsible three nights! take. Turns out, food waste in a plastic I HAD NO IDEA… it takes bag doesn’t get the oxygen needed two kilos of chemicals and to degrade. Instead, starved of oxygen, 8,000 litres of water to make it produces methane. Or, the bags just ONE pair of cotton denim jeans. of rubbish are incinerated, producing I have at least 20 pairs in my cupboard. carbon dioxide. Both are ‘greenhouse I’m furious with myself – I’ve never gases’. So, I’m doing a 180. Thankfully there’s an update on the smelly old bin. bothered to look beyond ‘needing’ the latest style. I’m also furious with I’m investing in The Hot Bin; the size the fashion industry; keep cladding of a wheelie, it reaches up to 60˚C and bottoms in denim and their bottom can mulch all garden and food waste – even bones. After 90 days you have your line stays peachy. But it’s not okay and there are alternatives; like very own organic compost. No wonder Bamford’s wool denim. Great The Hot Bin won product of the year pieces made without irrigation or at Chelsea Flower Show. I WAS A 44-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN… toxic pesticides – just the wool from grazing sheep. Until the day when all an Aman virgin. I know! I’m a travel clothes have to be labelled according writer. Since its first hotel opened in Phuket in 1988, Aman has transformed to toxicity, it’s our responsibility to unearth the backstory. n the travel industry. How did I last

LU XU RY & N ECESSIT Y

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INTERVIEW

THE RURBANIST

Shoe designer Charlotte Olympia Dellal starts each day by checking in on ‘her girls’ What item in your wardrobe do you wear the most?

At the moment my headscarves are my saving grace; I have less time to set my hair in ’40s waves, so a turban is more my aesthetic than just tying it up. Last book you read? The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux, a very clever and thrilling page-turner. Most valuable piece of advice you have received?

Happy mother equals happy children. But, on a fashion note, always better to be overdressed than underdressed. I live by that daily. What brings out the worst in you? Mess! It stresses me out to see things out of place but, ironically, I also very much enjoy tidying things up. Last song you listened to that made you dance?

I’m starting to introduce my boys to music I used to love, Nirvana being my favourite. I didn’t dance, but I sang every word out loud like I was 14 again. What would really improve your life? I need to learn how to delegate properly, it’s a work in progress. Signature dish and who are you cooking it for? My mother-in-law is Iranian and I learned how to cook a khoresh karafs (celery lamb stew). I enjoy cooking it for her because she is one of the best cooks I know. Last place you ‘discovered’? My shoes are

Where’s home to you? I recently moved to the

countryside just over an hour out of London and, believe it or not, I live on ‘Shoe Lane’. Where do you go to lose yourself? My mother is Brazilian, so I love going to Rio. I always switch off, recharge and feel 100 per cent myself again. Daily ritual? Checking on ‘my girls’ (chickens!) Liz Taylor, ZsaZsa Gabor, Mae West, Josephine Baker, Dita and Immodesty. Secret place in London for a good night out?

I love going to Mark’s Club for dinner and then ending up on the terrace drinking Negronis until we’re the last ones standing. Best thing a cabbie has ever said to you? That he was a cabbie by day and a magician by night (he proved it to me by showing me a magic trick). What never fails to bring a smile to your face?

Sometimes it is so chaotic at home with my four boys that, when I’m on the verge of going crazy, I step back and laugh at how fantastic it all is.

FROM ABOVE: Charlotte Olympia Dellal; Bejewelled Kitty D’Orsay shoes, £450; Charlotte travels to Florence frequently for work; page-turner; Negronis at Mark’s Club; Charlotte starts her day by checking in on her ‘girls’

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © ALEXANDRA LEESE; ©JOE WOODHOUSE

made just outside Florence but, unfortunately, I never have the time to enjoy the city itself. That said, recently I booked my return flight a day later accidentally; a wonderful mistake. n

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Colony Collection: Wallpaper, Print and Woven Fabrics

www.thibautdesign.com tel: 020 7737 6555

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Tiger Reserve Wallpaper. Curtains in Tiger Reserve. Cushions in Makena, Floral Gala, Timbuktu, Mombasa. Pasadena Chair in Grassmarket Check.

STYLE BEAUTY JEWELLERY PA RT I E S

UP FRONT

SURREALIST VISION A fashion fantasy of the future Set against the extraordinary backdrop of Cappadocia in Turkey – used as a location in Star Wars – Missoni’s A/W collection, shot by Mert & Marcus, looks to the future of the human race as perfect cyborgs with anthropomorphic features. Luckily for us mere mortals, the form-fitting dresses and graphic motifs will more than satisfy our alien desires. missoni.com

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UP FRONT

Lutz Morris x KPM Bag, £1,350 at MatchesFashion

Linda Farrow Sunglasses, £915

Robinson Pelham Earrings, £2,900 Madeleine Thompson Jumper, £298

16Arlington Trousers, £595 at Net-A-Porter

Rosetta Getty RE’20

Knitss Dress, £255

Acne Studios Trousers, £390

Marni Cuff, £540 at Farfetch

Wandler Boots, £490

S T Y L E

KLOTO Ring, £200

BAUHAUS BOUNCE BACK

Colville Jumper, £746 at MatchesFashion

Prada Tote bag, £1,760

Geometric shapes, sharp lines and pops of primary colours – the Bauhaus design revolution turns 100 this year, and fashion has paid its own tribute. Rosetta Getty took to the archives for her latest collection, taking influence from studies by the lesserknown female students of the Bauhaus school, while Marni and Prada’s accessories provide a subtle nod to the movement. Bold, minimal and functional (leather trousers aside), it’s a trend to adopt in your look as in life. n

Balenciaga Skirt, £975

Iris & Ink Pumps, £100 at The Outnet

SEE STOCKISTS FOR MORE DETAILS

The design movement’s centenary hails a retro revival

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PROMOTION

SEASONAL SHAPESHIFTING

Really Wild’s Autumn/Winter collection will see you through the tricky transition

he transitional season is well and truly upon us, but we’ve got a secret weapon up our sleeves for dressing for the unpredictability of autumn – and there’s not a dowdy fleece in sight. Step in Really Wild, the British fashion house whose timeless modern designs will not only see you through the seasons but from the grouse moors straight to the King’s Road. We find that the best businesses are often those that spring up to answer a problem. For Natalie Lake that was trying to find something to wear that would take her from country to town without having to change in between. And although her designs are always grounded in her love of the great British countryside, it’s the versatility, attention to detail and razor-sharp tailoring that keeps us coming Lamb’s Wool Rollneck Loden, back for everything from beautiful £155; Pleated Wrap Skirt Coco basics to statement pieces. Rose Check, £245; Lady Reiver Socks Heather Marl, £55; Italian This season, layer up beautiful Enamel Studded Belt, £149; merino pieces woven in Scotland, Wellington Boots, stylist’s own with creatively coloured cashmere roll-necks; lambs’ wool cable knits with the brand’s trademark tweeds, and top it off with a Liberty print to bring some personality to your winter wardrobe, or with a pair of beautifully crafted Spanish boots. New this year is a menswear collection with classic tailoring at its core complemented by cosy chunky knits and perfectly

Raglan Sleeve Long Coat Camel/Dove, £475; Cashmere-blend Rollneck Caffe Latte, £255; Baker Boy Hat Lime Green/Fawn, £75; Men’s Archer Jacket Ivy/Navy, £445; Collarless Fitted Waistcoat Ivy/Navy, £165; Tweed Trousers Ivy/Navy, £225; Classic Oxford Cotton Shirt Blue, £95; Belt, stylist’s own

Fur Hat Loden, £145; Trench Coat Fawn/Rose, £445

fitting fine cotton shirts. Taking home one of these pieces feels like joining an exclusive club, as all production Double Breasted Jacket, £375; Liberty runs are limited Silk Dress in Navy Spice Lillies, £395; Italian Enamel studded belt, £149; to retain exclusivity. Hereford Tweed Cap, £50; Toscana Check out the Shearling Scarf, £155 new collection at Really Wild’s newly refurbished Chelsea boutique, where you’ll find the celebration of the British outdoors continues. Styled up with House of Hackney wallpaper and Andrew Martin furniture to kick back on, it’s easy to spend hours here without realising. Drawing on wild landscapes and the great outdoors, it’s a slice of the countryside on Sloane Square. For a Really Wild British winter, make a visit to the new boutique to find classics that will slip into your Autumn/Winter wardrobe with ease. 53 Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AX reallywildclothing.com

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UP FRONT MICRO TREND

THE DARK SIDE

THE KOOPLES Édition Noire jacket, £458

KAREN MILLEN Skirt, £150

MARIA TASH Earring, £300 at Liberty London

LA IS COMING

After endless rumours and years of waiting, Reformation is launching its first European store – in Notting Hill. The LA brand was one of the first to champion sustainability in fashion with its limited-edition collections made from eco and deadstock fabrics and repurposed vintage pieces, without ever compromising on cool. Form an orderly queue, stylish eco-warriors. thereformation.com

F A S H I O N

N E W S

STYLE NOTEBOOK Black is back, says Clementina Jackson

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Jacket, £2,370

CHURCH’S Boots, £720

TAKE THREE

KITSCH KICKS

ETRO Choker, £215 at MatchesFashion

ART ATTACK

1 Aquazzura Bohemia boots, £1,550 2 The Attico Mara pumps, £831 at MatchesFashion 3 Wandler Lotte mule, £430

The fashion crowd’s favourite creative has finally turned his talents to something wearable – step forward Luke Edward Hall’s limited-edition ‘Fauna’ capsule for Kurt Geiger, a collection of characterful shoes and bags featuring his hand-drawn sketches of British wildlife. Make it a family affair with matching pieces for men and mini-mes, too. kurtgeiger.com

CHAPEAU DE CHANEL Annabel Lewis, owner of hiphaberdashery V V Rouleaux, is taking her talents crosscountry in a series of hat workshops. Combining fabrics from the Chanel supplier with couture flowers, feathers and trims, budding milliners will make a unique headpiece. Join the hat-off at Bowood in Wiltshire or London’s Durrants Hotel (18 and 19 October, respectively). vvrouleaux.com

SEE STOCKISTS FOR MORE DETAILS

Luke Edward Hall for Kurt Geiger Fauna bag, £119, and slippers, £159

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THE HOME OF COUNTRY CLOTHING

From felt to feather, leather to fur, British tweed to pure cashmere, The House of Bruar showcases the very best luxury natural fibre materials available in Great Britain. A feather brooch adds a vibrant dash of style to our classic leather band felt hat, matched beautifully with the flowing lines of our full-length pure new wool tweed coat. A sumptuous fox fur collar and elegant leather gloves complete this ensemble which demonstrates the quality and flair you’ll find throughout our new Autumn/Winter collection.

LEATHER BAND FELT HAT FEATHER BROOCH FOX FUR COLLAR FULL LENGTH TWEED COAT LEATHER GLOVES

TE31502 | £34.95 TK03195 | £24.95 TF91100 | £195 TS30085 | £225 TG12100 | £29.95

This ensemble is drawn from our Autumn/Winter catalogue. To order any item, please visit:

www.houseofbruar.com

Please call 01796 483 236 to request a copy of our mail order catalogue. The House of Bruar by Blair Atholl, Perthshire, PH18 5TW

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UP FRONT

Q & A

Rene Macdonald

MY STYLE

What event are you dressing up for? I’m

going to a black-tie event and I’ll be wearing my Lisou blue Sienna silk maxi dress, with some super high black peep toe shoe boots, a pink Rocio clutch and a jewelled headband. What do you find stressful about event dressing? I find the ‘smart casual’ dress code

really confusing. To me it’s a contradiction because being both is quite tricky. Wardrobe failsafes? In the winter, tailored trouser and a silk shirt with heeled boots. What’s your everyday uniform? In my line of work, every day is different. If I’m checking bolts of silk, it’ll be boyfriend jeans and a T-shirt, and if it’s a shoot day, I always wear my Spry jumpsuit – the multiple pockets allow me to be hands-free. Whose style do you really admire? My mother’s. Her ability to look stylish yet effortless has always made an impression on me. Under the radar labels? Pop Caven make super cool T-shirts with African influences, I recently bought some

for my sons and two for myself. I’m also a big fan of Sophie Harley’s jewellery. Power dressing... My full-length red Mongolian lambswool coat makes me feel like I can achieve anything. A strong colour is powerful, as is a bold print from La Double J. Lounge lizard... On a Sunday morning you’ll find me in boyfriend jeans, an old T-shirt of my son’s and an apron. I’m a huge advocate of cosy Sunday lunches. Finishing touches... A dab of Terre d’Hermès, a Chanel Boy bag, Gianvito Rossi stilettos (the ankle tie ones are surprisingly comfortable) and a beautiful pendant of a gold naked lady made for me by the talented sculptor Kate Viner. Country walk... Vanessa Bruno denim dungarees and Hunter chelsea boots. Style cheats... Invest in a great coat, it’s the one item that everyone sees repeatedly. My favourite is a beautiful Prada coat that my husband bought me years ago. lisou.co.uk n

1 Orelia headband, £45 2 Lisou Sienna dress, £695 3 Rocio clutch bag, £822 at Farfetch 4 Gianvito Rossi boots, £815 at LuisaViaRoma 5 Spry boiler suit, £175 6 Lisou Betty shirt, £250 7 Lisou Margaux coat, £795 8 La Double J trousers, £435 9 Pop Caven T-shirt, £50 10 Chanel Boy bag, £3,450 11 Hermès Terre d’Hermès EDT, £84 12 Hunter boots, £51

SEE STOCKISTS FOR MORE DETAILS

Rene Macdonald, creative director and founder of London-based fashion brand Lisou

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Amy BY APPOINTMENT TO HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF FOOTWEAR CROCKETT & JONES LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON

A full brogue Oxford, made in England using the finest cavalry calf. Featuring our lightweight cleated rubber sole MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Collection CROCKETTANDJONES.COM

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UP FRONT MESSIKA’S BIG MOVE

Bentley & Skinner Late Victorian diamond tiara, c.1890

New campaign, new face? How about three? Hyper cool Parisian jewellery house Messika has brought together a trio of mega talent. Models Kate Moss and Joan Smalls, and actress Sylvia Hoeks bust moves for the shots wearing the newest additions to Messika’s iconic Move line, including super oversized medallion styles on chains, pavéset with diamonds. messika.com

ROYAL HEADS If a royal visit didn’t require getting one’s tiara out, what would? Keep an eye out for the tiaras worn by characters in the Downton Abbey movie – three of them are period pieces from Bentley & Skinner. Similar pieces are available – just the thing to wear to a film premiere, perhaps? bentley-skinner.co.uk

Loquet London’s charmfilled locket and Charms for Change

Messika Lucky Move single hoop earring in 18kt gold and diamonds, £POA

J E W E L L E R Y

THE GOLD DIGGER

CHARITY CHARM Charms for Change is a new collection from Loquet London which sees a small group of exceptional women designing a charm each. Each month a new charm will launch, dedicated to a different cause. September’s charm, designed by Nadia Narain, is this adorable triangle, with proceeds going to End Youth Homelessness. loquetlondon.com

Making moves and deep dives. By Annabel Davidson Annoushka Hidden Reef drop earrings in coloured sapphires and 18kt gold, £9,900

THREE OF THE BEST

UNDER THE SEA

If there’s one thing jewellery designer Annoushka Ducas always nails, it’s her wonderful way of turning something she has seen into her muse, but in a refreshingly non-literal way. Rather than just spotting a tropical fish and making its likeness in gold and gemstones, she’ll take that fish, the coral and seaweed and rocks of its habitat, and run with it. Her new Hidden Reef collection is a case in point, a celebration of the colours and textures seen under the sea in the Philippines in jewellery form, and not a fish in sight. Orange and pink sapphires in various hues and sizes are set in warm yellow gold in an eight-piece collection ranging from oversized drop earrings and a giant open cuff to large hoops and a ring of multiple layers. The stones are all set in rustic, textured gold surrounds, giving the pieces a gorgeous, artisanal quality. annoushka.com

EMERALD JEWELS BUCCELLATI This ring is eyepopping, finger candy. £61,000. net-aporter.com

SUZANNE KALAN These pendants from her Fireworks range look even better layered. £POA. harrods.com

TOUCHING THE VOID

Ever wondered what things might look like from the inside of a gemstone? As part of London Design Festival 2019, VOID is an exhibition of giant photographic installations of the tiny inclusions found in emeralds and rubies, among other stones, created by Dan Tobin Smith in partnership with Gemfields. londondesignfestival.com

Box Side Shot Pink by Dan Tobin Smith

DAVID MORRIS The new Miss Daisy rings are a super sweet addition to the range. £7,900. davidmorris.com

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Fine Jewellery and Contemporary Silver 24 September / 6 October goldsmithsfair.co.uk #goldsmithsfair

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UP FRONT

L U X U R Y

LUCIA LOVES

LIFE’S LIT TLE LU XURIES

Lucia van der Post gets the lay of the landscape designer, Randle Siddeley

andle Siddeley (Lord Kenilworth, if we are being formal) never trained at any of the grand establishments that turn out landscape and garden designers with lots of letters after their name. Instead he grew up surrounded by creative designers – his father was interior designer John Siddeley and in his circle were masters of design such as David Hicks who, in Siddeley’s words, ‘left me with an understanding of proportion and of rooms within rooms which is what gardens are all about’. They left him too with a desire to spend his life in creative endeavour only, in his case, it was to the natural world that he turned. His childhood holidays were spent in Suffolk, where he was allowed a garden of his own and where there were ‘glorious herbaceous borders,’ (as he writes in a book on his work Garden: Randle Siddeley) ‘a wildflower garden, a walled garden and, my father’s pride and joy, a rose garden’. His first job came to him through an enormously rich

and distinguished MiddleEastern friend of his father but from there it grew fast by word of mouth. What informs all his work is a desire to work with the contours of the land. He believes in simplicity and structure: ‘It’s all about vertical and horizontal lines, but above all I never copy anything I have done before.’ As David Linley points out in the foreword to Siddeley’s book, ‘In a garden, it may take years before the vision of the designer becomes a reality’. In brief, a garden isn’t static – it changes all the time, from season to season, and a great garden or landscape designer has to be able to design for this ebb and flow. As Siddeley puts it, ‘When everything is in full flower or leaf, almost everything looks wonderful but the real test is in the depths of winter, when a garden is naked, without its foliage and its glories, does it still look good – that is the key question.’ Anybody who has a space, no matter how grand or small, that could do with some love, care and creative genius should start by buying the book, which gives a wonderful insight into just what truly creative thinking can do when combined with the glories of the natural world. randlesiddeley.co.uk n

HEAD GEAR In times gone by, Alexandre de Paris was one of the most sought-after coiffeuses in Paris. Now, we can buy into a little of that glamour at Fenwick, which is selling its range of hair accessories. Since hair bandeaux are one of the accessories du jour, it is good to know that here is now a reliable source. fenwick.co.uk

GOOD VINTAGE While it’s a huge pleasure to ramble round antique fairs, often we don’t have the time. Instead, browse Vinterior, which is filled with a terrific selection of vintage pieces – in particular mid-century design but also objects from earlier periods, such as a lovely oak refectory tables, big enough to seat the entire family for Christmas. vinterior.co

SIXTY YEARS YOUNG I’m a fan of Esther Fieldgrass’ EF Medispas, so I leapt at the offer to have my jawline firmed up and saggy neck and agerevealing décolletage attended to. It’s not without discomfort but the results make it seem like a doddle – jawline stronger, cheeks firmer, décolletage plumped with fillers. No wonder 60-year-olds look so sprightly these days. efmedispa.com

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When it comes to your health, you and your family deserve the very best A new preventative health programme from two worldrenowned names in healthcare and medical research. Combining access to an unrivalled network of international medical experts with world-class diagnostic and screening facilities, the Health and Wellness Plan from Mayo Clinic Healthcare in partnership with Oxford University Clinic ensures your total health and wellbeing is in the best possible hands. Developed for discerning individuals who expect and deserve the very best, we help you take a proactive approach to your health for a healthier, happier future.

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UP FRONT

MIND & M ATT ER

R E V I E W

BODY LANGUAGE

CLEANSE One Ocean Beauty is a clean, cruelty free and sustainable brand with 100 per cent recyclable packaging. It utilises blue biotechnology (no harvesting) to replicate marine actives from algae and seaweed. one oceanbeauty.com

Olivia Falcon on how to clean up your beauty routine effort to stop hoarding and go for quality over quantity instead. So off I went to the Guerlain Perfume Boutique in Harrods’ new beauty hall, where I spent a fun few hours with Murillo, the chirpiest and most knowledgeable salesperson ever. He whirled me through the fragrance workshop where you can choose from 10 different coloured bottles and customise them with ribbon, cord and engraving (from £150). Guerlain’s digital fragrance finder, which works a bit like a posh matchmaking site, pinpoints the perfect perfume for your personality – for me it suggested the citrusy, sunny Aqua Allegoria Lemon Verde. While I was there I also grabbed one of the fabulous Refillable Rouge G lipsticks (£18 for the case, £26 for the refill), which sits perfectly alongside my new Jane Iredale rose gold refillable compact (£12) and bronzer (refills £32, janeiredale.co.uk). Finally, a shout out to the Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Ultimate supplement kit (£69.95, advancednutritionprogramme.com). These are daily bundles of vitamins which have really boosted the quality of my skin, packaged neatly in tear-off pods which are stashed in a modest paper sleeve. Not a bitter pill to swallow. n

FOLLOW @thinkdirty is a great resource for the conscious beauty shopper.

PROTECT Flo has a fresh take on tampons using plant based, biodegrabable, hypoallergenic materials such as organic cotton and bamboo. hereweflo.co

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

here we were, sailing through the blue waters of the Adriatic off the coast of Lastovo, the most remote Croatian isle, when my mother raised the alarm. There was a human turd bobbing along in the cove we’d been eyeing for a swim. We also spotted a flip-flop, an industrial plastic sack and two shampoo bottles, which we fished out. We left the turd. Lastovo is incredibly idyllic – the rest of its beautiful coastline was thankfully unspoilt – but as hard as I tried, I haven’t yet been able to flush the image of the turd, or the rest of the rubbish, out of my mind. Back home, I am resolved to be more mindful of the huge amount of wasteful packaging that comes with my beauty routine. So where to start? First up I’m swapping plastic liquid hand soap bottles for good old-fashioned bars. My current favourite is Claus Porto’s Deco Lime Basil bath soap (£20, libertylondon.com) which is particularly creamy and hydrating on skin and lasts forever. I’ve also traded in my plastic floss for Woobamboo’s brilliant Biodegradable Silk Dental Floss (£6.69, amazon.co.uk). My dressing table is groaning with glass perfume bottles. Glass is good, but I’m going to make a concerted

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Experience Vitamin C skin care at its most potent. Dr Sebagh Pure Vitamin C Powder Cream delivers a stabilised and highly concentrated dose of pharmaceutical grade Vitamin C which is only activated on contact with your skin. Mix with any Dr Sebagh serum, exfoliating mask or moisturiser for an instant and powerful brightening boost with antioxidant protection against external aggressors. It can also be applied directly on its own to help lighten brown spots. Available in-store and at drsebagh.com

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UP FRONT

Q & A

BRIGHT YOUNG THING

Prep is everything for actor Pallavi Sharda. By Nathalie Eleni

Has living in multiple countries changed your approach to acting?

TEAM Make up: @NathalieEleni_beauty Hair: @ChloeSandozHair Photo: @RVDS Styling: Helen Sykes Pallavi wears jacket by Malene Oddershede Bach and earrings by Sarah Zhuang

GET THE LOOK

I absolutely love that I get to work in so many territories, and meld into characters that come from such a variety of backgrounds. I’ve always been a spontaneous actor but this process has relaxed me even further and allowed me to go back to basic instinct. How do you prepare for roles? Read, re-read and then read again. The script is everything and reveals so much more the longer you spend with it. I try and make sure I’m in the best physical shape possible as the suppleness of body translates directly to the mind and just means I am totally free and able to bow down to whatever is necessary for the character. In heavy roles I like to write a detailed backstory, which I can rely on in the in-between moments. What are you working on now? I just wrapped my latest Australian show, Les Norton, in which I play the role of Georgie Burman, a casino manager in Sydney’s notorious Kings Cross district in 1985. She has been one of the most enjoyable characters of my career. I am currently shooting for the WB Studios live-action remake of Tom and Jerry.

How to recreate Pallavi’s purple haze

1 2 3 4 5

Prep your skin ahead of make-up application to create a perfectly smooth surface. Start with Dr Roebuck’s Byron 2-in-1 Mask + Scrub, a multitasking must have. £25. spacenk.com Make skin glow by injecting a burst of hydration and creating an even texture with Clé de Peau Multi Radiant Oil. £120. harrods.com

Add shimmering, golden highlights to the high points of your features with Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face. £26. harrods.com

For a stunning array of gem-like tones for eyes,choose the Shiseido Essential Eye Palette, in Cat Street Pop – flattering tones that add a little drama. £38. harrods.com Pucker up and add a frosting of Lipstick Queen Lipdulgence Lip Mousse in Royal Icing. £22. spacenk.com

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www.baobabcollection.com

Nirvana - Holy Limited edition by Baobab Collection Holy scented candle photographed in front of a painting by French artist Antoine Carbonne

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UP FRONT PRETTY IN PINK

NEW RELEASES

HOT OFF THE PRESS

As worn on model Maria Clara, right ILIA Beauty Liquid Light Serum Highlighter in Atomic. £38. spacenk.com

CLÉ DE PEAU Lipstick in Petal Delight. £50. harrods.com

DOLCE & GABBANA The Blush in No. 50. £48. harrods.com

B E A U T Y

Make-up: @nathalieeleni_beauty Model: Maria Clara Photo: @hawkmurphy

POWDER ROOM

1 Bursting with all your skins needs and more – Skinbetter SCIENCE AlphaRet® Overnight Face – has a new molecule, combining an AHA and retinoid in a gentle, non-irritating formulation. Skincare magic in a bottle. £101. getharley.com 2 Leonor Greyl Repigmenting Conditioner is enriched with colouring pigments for different hair tones to bring love and life back to your locks. £39. lookfantastic.com. 3 Velvytt Skin Treat – deliciously scented and indulgently rich, this multitasking beauty balm should be on every bedside table. £52. jalue.com

Hot pink is back with a bang, says Nathalie Eleni

NEW IN TOWN Face Place has launched an exclusive Face Place The Works treatment at Harvey Nichols. With lifting, detoxing, draining and sculpting on the menu, your face will be pampered to whole new levels. £220 for 100 minutes. harveynichols.com

SKIN CLINIC

STAND FIRM

BRIGHT EYES

Ultra Smart Pro-Collagen Eye Treatment Duo by Elemis is a wrinklesmoothing day and night eye duo. £145. elemis.com

TREAT YOURSELF

Bristol-based Wild Source Apothecary combines the power of aromatherapy and ritual. Take a few drops of the Miracle Oil and massage from the nose out the lymph nodes, slowly breath in geranium and ylang ylang to clear your mind. Combine with a rose quartz gua sha to stimulate circulation. Join the cult now. £36. wildsource.co.uk

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

1 111SKIN Nocturnal Eclipse Recovery Cream revitalises your skin while you sleep to help restore volume and radiance. £160. 111skin.co.uk 2 Help to lift and tone muscles with BeGlow TIA MAS, a microelectronic system for a natural face lift. £279. selfridges.com 3 Alphascience Tannic [CF] Anti-Ageing Serum’s repairing ingredients combined with a high concentration of Vitamin C help boost collagen to increase skin firmness. £88. efskin.com 44 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | October 2019

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L OL O OUURR PPE E OK O IKNI NGG FFO OR R Y YO RR F EF CETC T FFRRAAG A NNCCEE? ? GR A

Speak to a Fragrance Foundation Specialist in store wearing our pin to find the ideal fragrance for you.

Speak to a Fragrance Foundation Specialist in store wearing our pin FragranceFoundationUK to find the ideal fragrance FragranceFoundationUK @FragranceFDN_UK fragrancefoundationuk for you. www.fragrancefoundation.org.uk

fragrancefoundationuk

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FragranceFoundationUK

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UP FRONT W E L L N E S S

BODY & SOUL

Get the NASA treatment at SHA in Spain

Kick your grey matter into gear, says Camilla Hewitt

oodern life, from technology to how and where we live, offers a multitude of stimuli that competes in the brain for attention. Your brain is like a muscle, it can get fatigued just by being used. Constant interaction, decision making and absorbing information is likely to cause cognitive dysfunction, even if your body is well rested. An unhealthy diet can also threaten brain health. From digital detoxes to natural nootropics, there are so many lifestyle modifications we can make to maintain healthy brain function.

C H EC K I N

SHA WELLNESS CLINIC

Natalia Ramsden, founder of SOFOS Associates

TH E E XPERT

SOFOS ASSOCIATES

Wimpole Street, London W1

London’s first personal cognitive optimisation clinic, SOFOS Associates, is pushing boundaries of neuro-enhancement in high performance individuals. Studying all possible body and brain components, including brainwave patterns, stress and anxiety levels, lifestyle factors, nutritional health, use of nootropics and fitness, they put a tailored programme together to enhance clients’ cognitive ability so that they can truly excel. sofosassociates.com

BRAIN FOOD 1 Avocado Contains oleic acid, a type of fatty acid which builds and maintains brain cells. 2 Form Edge Supplement Improves memory and cognitive function, while reducing anxiety and early morning fatigue. £19. planetorganic.com

With Dr Bruno Ribeiro at the helm, SHA Wellness Clinic has introduced Brain Photobiomodulation treatments to its Cognitive Development Unit. Developed in conjunction with NASA and Harvard University, it is designed to treat neurological and psychological diseases, such as depression or anxiety, as well as improving memory, cognitive function and enhancing learning capabilities. The 45-minute non-invasive sessions see guests fitted with a soft helmet that sends low-intensity currents and infrared light to different areas of the brain. Brain Photobiomodulation also aims to treat neurodegenerative diseases, as well as those who have experienced brain trauma from accidents. Doubles from €330. Brain Photobiomodulation treatment from €200. shawellnessclinic.com The treatment uses lowintensity currents and infrared light

4 Pukka Wholistic Ashwagandha An adaptogenic herb that moderates response to stress. £16.95. ocado.com 5 MEDA Focus A CBD drink containing panax ginseng to aid cognitive performance and rosemary to help enhance memory. £33 for six. medahuman.com 6 Water A study from the Univerity of Barcelona shows being just two per cent dehydrated can impair brain function.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

3 Anthocyanins The purple, red and blue pigments in plants such as berries, plums, red cabbage and red onions have been associated with increased neuronal signalling and mediating memory function.

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IT’S NOT JUST A BED. It’s a playground, a workspace, your favourite place. The bed is the heart of the house. We would even argue that a bed is the most important piece of furniture in any home. This is why we’ve spent 70 years perfecting our beds. We put all of our experience, craftsmanship and innovation into making modern beds of high Norwegian quality. Just so you can get the bed of your dreams. You’re welcome.

VISIT US:

IT’S A JENSEN.

Design Centre East, Third Floor, Chelsea Harbour, London, SW10 0XF Harrods, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7XL

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UP FRONT

TIME TO CELEBRATE

TAG Heuer is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its classic Monaco timepiece with a series of limited edition launches, including this eye-catching racing red design, limited to 169 pieces. Monaco 1979-1989 Limited Edition, £5,350. tagheuer.co.uk

M E N ’ S

MODISH MOTORS

S T Y L E

WELL GROOMED Suits you, sir, says Matt Forbesdale

SPEAKERS’ CORNER

Your tunes are only as good as the speakers you play them on. If you’re serious about sound, seek out a set from Monitor Audio’s Gold series. Gold 200 in ebony, £2,899. monitoraudio.com

We’ve heard of matching accessories, but matching cars? Buy a limited edition Bentley from Jack Barclay and you’ll get a bespoke Huntsman Savile Row jacket too. Which model will you choose? ‘The Sportsman’ or ‘The Businessman’? jackbarclay.co.uk

MOOD INDIGO

Cool celebs can’t get enough of chic shirt brand Indigo Island, with its distinctive, colourful block-printed designs. Designers Torty Conner and Lulu Williams have now added eight new prints to the A/W collection. £75. indigoisland.co.uk CARTOON CARRIER Marni's fabrics and shoppers have been brought to life by hip cartoonist Bruno Bozzetto's fantastical creatures. PVC shopping bag, £230. marni.com

CUTTING EDGE Lauded for its exceptional customer experience and sharp cuts, Adam Grooming is opening two new London branches as well as expanding its own product range. adamgroomingatelier.com 48 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | October 2019

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baume-et-mercier.com

Baumatic In-house self-winding Steel 40mm

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PROMOTION

GET INTO BED WITH PENELOPE As Penelope Bedroom opens its first UK showroom on London’s Kings Road, sleeping has never felt so good

e are not asking you to take the title literally, of course, but you might find it becomes your catchphrase once you’ve succumbed to the soothing pleasures that Penelope offers in the bedroom. It’s not just the feeling of lying on soft, fluffy clouds, cocooned in feelgood material or bouncing around on handsprung mattresses that make an impression but the fact that all products are hand-made in Istanbul, in one of the most technologically advanced factory of its kind in Europe and one of just a few in the world. Penelope Bedroom is a premium bedding brand belonging to Maya Textile, which was founded over 26 years ago in 1993 in Turkey to produce high quality pillows, quilts, toppers and protectors, mattresses, as well as bedlinen and accessories. Such is its success that

The more rested we feel and good quality sleep we have, the more resilience we build to take on life’s daily travails

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FROM TOP LEFT: New to Kings Road is Penelope that offers the highest quality bedding, from pillow sets, mattresses, throws and duvets, at competitive prices

Penelope produces over 2.5m pillows and 3.6m duvets a year and over a thousand product ranges. That’s a lot of bedding. Supplying many of the world’s leading hotels and resorts, including The Ritz-Carlton, Jumeirah, Kempinski and Conrad International, to name but a few, you can now have five-star hotel luxury in the comfort of your own home with Penelope’s arrival onto Kings Road in London’s Chelsea. Enter the beautifully curated showroom or go online, and you will find a fantastic wide range to choose from. And, with their sleep experts at hand, Penelope will help you analyse your sleeping position, your sleep patterns and environment and guide you through their finest materials to ensure the perfect Penelope match. For those who prefer entirely natural fibres there is the highest quality down, feather, Woolmark virgin wool, natural cotton and bamboo, and for those who like something a little bit more high-tech, there’s Thermolite Tencel, nano-fibre, and many more.

And while you may not know all those terms, people are definitely getting wise to the fact that relaxation and sleep are becoming increasingly important to our hectic, modern lives. The more rested people feel and good quality sleep they get, the more resilience they build to take on life’s daily travails, and this is translating to how they want their bedrooms to feel – after all, they are the ultimate sanctuary and if we can’t get comfy and cosy there, we won’t feel it anywhere. We want materials that are sustainably sourced, breathable, enduring, well-priced, easy to wash and divinely comfortable, all the qualities that form the core of Penelope Bedroom. So if sleep and comfort are important to you, it might be time to cosy up to Penelope and invite her into your bedroom. 566 King’s Road, London SW6 2DY, 07444 158938; penelopebedroom.co.uk

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The best contemporary art from around the world Frieze London & Frieze Masters 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6 October 2019 Tickets at frieze.com

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PHOTO: DELPHINE DIALLO, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, 2016

ART CU LT U R E BOOKS PEOPLE

THE GUIDE

GIRL POWER Think women are under-represented in art? To address this imbalance, new all-female focused London gallery Boogie Wall launches this month with its inaugural exhibition Notre Dame/Our Lady. Expect controversy and creativity in spadefuls. 4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;27 October. boogie-wall.com

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THE GUIDE

EXHIBITION

ARTISTIC GIANTS AMONG US

Two giants of post-war British art will be examined as The Hepworth Wakefield brings together the early works of Alan Davie and David Hockney, whom it is said was majorly influenced after seeing Davie’s first retrospective at Wakefield Art Gallery in the late 1950s. The works will illuminate their parallel paths and a shared fascination with passion, love, sex and poetry. 19 Oct to 19 Jan. hepworthwakefield.org

DON’T MISS LITERARY FESTIVAL

E V E N T S

COUNTRY LIFE Wellness by the water. By Alex Bloom-Davis

Ground yourself with a weekend festival in Dorset

David Hockney Self Portrait (1954)

WELLBEING

NO RIPPLES ALLOWED

Head to Dorset for three days’ self care and a lungful of fresh air. At Wellbeing by the Lakes festival try guided meditation, a sound healing bath and perfect your lotus position. If, however, you’re not pretsel-shaped, just soaking in the 26 acres of Dorset countryside will be enough to quell any urban anxiety. 19 to 21 September. wellbeingbythelakes.co.uk My Last American Dollar, Keijaun Thomas

FESTIVAL

A FIERCE CITY

Sometimes artists’ voices struggle to be heard, but Fierce was set up to provide a platform to those who might otherwise be marginalised. Birmingham will be ablaze with vital new performances in out of the ordinary locations, performed by visionary artists from all over the world. Expect your preconceptions of what art is to be shattered. Powerful stuff. 15-20 October. wearefierce.org

Where would you find Jacob Rees-Mogg, General David Petraeus and Brian Cox all in one place? Cliveden’s sensational Literary Festival, of course, now in its third year. There can be no greater backdrop to discuss global power, politics, conflict and conspiracy than the house that was home to the Profumo Affair but is now under the auspices of its new lady owner and founder of the festival, Natalie Livingstone. 28–29 September. clivedenliterary festival.org PHOTOGRAPHY

Backstage Makes Front Page When ‘The Half’ is called over the loudspeaker backstage, it signals 35 minutes left before the performance starts. Simon Annand’s fascinating photographs portray this precious time when actors are assimilating their characters. It is a rare glimpse into this inbetween world that the audience never sees. Famous faces include Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench and Jude Law. See them in the flesh at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield. 7 Sept to 29 Feb. thelbt.org

PHOTOS: © DAVID HOCKNEY; PHOTO BY RICHARD SCHMIDT, COLLECTION BRADFORD MUSEUMS & GALLERIES, BRADFORD, UK.

The Power of Words

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Award-winning designers of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most luxurious British furniture DESIGN CENTRE, CHELSEA HARBOUR +44 (0)207 751 5537 D AV I D S O N LO N D O N . C O M

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THE GUIDE

DESIGN

RENOVATION LOCATION

Whether you’re working on a fixer-upper, or your home just needs a little refresh, get down to FOCUS/19 at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour for the latest collections and to quiz designers in person. 15–20 September. dcch.co.uk

DON’T MISS

E V E N T S

Frankenstein downloads an upgrade for the age of AI

Find Omexco’s high-end wall coverings at Decorex

Little Monsters FOCUS/19, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour

INTERIORS

DESIGN GEM

Europe’s leading event for interior design junkies, Decorex returns to Kensington Olympia. Catch our very own interiors editor, Carole Annett in conversation, as well as attending live workshops and heading upstairs to journey through the curated spaces designed by architect John Allsopp and a series of eminent designers, then on to the Fran Hicksondesigned bar for a well-deserved snifter. 6–9 October. decorex.com The past comes to life in Chelsea

FESTIVAL

REVISITING THE PAST

This month sees the launch of the inaugural Chelsea History Festival, which brings the past to life through a programme of world-class speakers and performers. Leading baritone, Roderick Williams, will perform The Lark Ascending, Max Hastings will discuss his new book and David Nott will talk about surgery in war zones. Not just for history buffs. 9–13 October. chelseahistoryfestival.com

Frankenstein is as relevant now as it was back in 1817, when Mary Shelley penned what would go on to become the world’s most famous gothic novel. The story of a scientist, who hubristically created a monster that would go on to kill, is eerily updated with Artificial Intelligence. The National Youth Theatre’s edgy adaptation feels prescient. 25 Oct to 30 Nov southwarkplayhouse. co.uk

SELF-HELP

Here To Help Why do we live like we do? We’re battered 24/7 by bad news; our cortisol levels are record high and mental illness pervades every strata of society. Well, now’s the time to fight back, says How To Academy, which is bringing How To Change Your Life to the Royal Geographical Society for one day only. Hear life-changing luminaries like Susie Orbach, Caitlin Moran and Jess Phillips on how we can all fight for a better future. 14 September. howtoacademy.com

PHOTOS: © HELEN MAYBANKS

TOWN LIFE

THEATRE

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Parenthèse. 4-seat sofa in velvet, designed by Sacha Lakic. Esquisse. Cocktail table, console and end tables, designed by Sacha Lakic. Exploration. Armchairs, designed by Philippe Bouix. Galapagos. Floor lamp, designed by Pierre Dubois & Aimé Cécil. European manufacture

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THE GUIDE Revolver Galleria, Focus, Frieze London 2018

C U L T U R E

THE EXHIBITIONIST

hen my son was one year old, he became a work of art. He took part in an ‘installation’, which involved him crawling around the floor among various objects. Nick Serota, then the grand head of Tate, the world’s leading contemporary art museum, looked on benignly. There may have been someone dressed up as a policeman involved as well. This momentous event took place at Frieze. My son was following a fine family tradition. When the artist Michael Landy destroyed all his possessions at the recently closed Debenhams on Oxford Street, I turned up and handed over my credit card for shredding. This led to some inconvenience, as it took me months to get a new one. London remains probably the greatest city in the world for contemporary art, better even than New York. This is in no small part down to Frieze, the enormous art show that takes over Regent’s Park every October, and where my son, a decade ago, had a crawl-on part. Frieze itself has been going for 17 years. Started by Matthew Slotover and Amanda Sharp, it emerged from the magazine of the same title, which launched in the nineties and rode the wave of Brit Art – Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst et al – to establish itself as the world’s leading global contemporary art brand. Stripped back, Frieze is no more than a trade show, a vast space to allow galleries to show their wares to punters. But it is much more than that. Frieze week dominates London, generating a host of events in and around the mother ship.

It brings in millions of pounds to the city, with restaurants, hotels, taxis and events companies all taking advantage of an event that attracts more than 60,000 of the global elite. Even the Financial Times prints a special supplement. The genius of Frieze is its style and capacity to reinvent – 160 galleries from 36 countries will attract not just professional collectors, but also art enthusiasts who want to visit what will be, for that week, the world’s largest contemporary art museum. Just a short walk up the road, Frieze Masters, started a decade after the original, caters to those whose taste stretches back as far as six millennia. Alongside is the Frieze Sculpture Park, with works by 20 international artists, curated by the world-renowned Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The tents that house the main shows are commissioned from architects (Annabelle Selldorf has built the tent for Frieze Masters this year), and there are wall-to-wall talks by people such as Tim Marlow and Norman Rosenthal. Despite the crowds, the viewing spaces are light and airy – all white, with high ceilings and spacious rooms for the galleries, and plenty of high-end restaurants and cafés offering places to rest weary feet and feed appetites beyond the visual. Frieze is a day out. It will set you back £60 to visit both sites (the sculpture park is free) but there is nowhere else on the planet that offers the breadth of works displayed in this pop-up art village – a combination of the Louvre, Tate and British Museum in one place. Take part in this great art installation. You know you want to. n

PHOTO: COURTESY OF LINDA NYLIND AND FRIEZE

Only at Frieze could a one-year-old become a work of art, says Ed Vaizey in his new column

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53 JERMYN STREET, LONDON | 118 HIGH STREET, ETON | 970 LEXINGTON AVENUE, NEW YORK NEWANDLINGWOOD.COM

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READER EVENT

NEW LIGHT ON OLD MASTERS

Join us for a glimpse into the resurgence of Old Master portraiture

ountry & Town House has teamed up with iconic Mayfair private members’ club 12 Hay Hill to host an evening of discussion and discovery with Nick Cox. A former fashion editor, Nick is the dashing art dealer behind Period Portraits – the Instagram account that has brought 17th and 18th-century portraits to a whole new demographic, featuring Old Masters paintings photographed in chic contemporary settings and selling them direct to clients. Travelling globally to source unusual pieces, Nick Cox has clients all over the world – 75 per cent of whom buy directly from his Instagram without seeing the picture in person. It’s this new openness and simplicity, so uncharacteristic for the art world, that has provoked a wave of interest in the Old Masters, and encouraged younger and newer buyers into the market. 12 Hay Hill will open its doors to C&TH readers for one night only as they are invited to join members for an exclusive evening in conversation with Nick Cox. Enjoy VIVIR cocktails and nibbles before sitting down to a discussion on the resurgence of Old Master portraiture, plus advice on how to incorporate such pieces into your own home. See you there! n

YOU’RE INVITED Join us on 8 October at 12 Hay Hill, from 6.30pm for cocktails before the talk. RSVP to: s.maniero @12hayhill.com. Limited tickets available.

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THE GUIDE

A R T

ON THE GRAPEVINE

Caiti Grove meets Brazilian artist Vik Muniz, whose latest body of work was inspired by time spent in Ruinart’s vineyard

‘T

he trickiest thing about art,’ says Vik Muniz, ‘is to produce things that interest both the museum director and the person who cleans it. It’s very easy to impress erudite people – it’s just names and a complex theory. You have to actually tell lay people how it’s made. To get both of these groups and then find out what works in the middle, takes more work.’ His past collaborations include working with a genetic biologist, a micro-photographer and with Guerlain, the parfumier ‘I’m a student, I’m interested in things that I have no idea about – like wine making... why not?!’ This year at Frieze, he will unveil his collaboration with Ruinart. Huge pictures of knobbly branches, they look like intricate line drawings, but are actually photographs of collaged bark collected from the champagne’s vineyards. ‘Picasso declared the French to be a nation of peasants – their rural tradition keeps things in perspective. They are so advanced technologically but think about food in a very traditional way, and advance those two things in parallel.’ A true urbanite, Muniz was 14 when he first saw a cow, and 30 before he learned the name of a tree. Growing up in São Paulo, his own parents’ first visit to a museum was to see his work. His change in fortune happened in the most bittersweet of circumstances. Working in advertising, Muniz designed billboards to catch the eye of passing drivers.

FROM ABOVE: Vik Muniz’s designs for Ruinart were made by collaging photographs of bark collected from Ruinart’s vineyards; Vik Muniz and Frédéric Panaïotis, Ruinart’s cellar master; and again, the pair photograph vines; Muniz working in his Rio studio; leaf in Reims

After winning an award for his work, a perspex trophy in his hands, he spotted a fight between two executives. He intervened to stop it, but as he was walked away, the victim pulled out a gun and tried to shoot his aggressor. Instead, he hit Muniz in the leg. Accepting wrongdoing, he offered the wounded Muniz money to avoid him pressing charges. With it, Muniz bought a ticket to New York and began his spectacular career on the proceeds. The documentary Wasteland follows his three-year project in Rio at the Jardim Gramacho, the biggest landfill in the world, to make pictures of litter-pickers out of the materials they work with every day. Discarded household waste arranged into huge images reminiscent of Biblical stories, they were then photographed and scaled down to reveal subtle details of the subjects’ expressions and the folds in their headdresses. The subjects of the work saw their images sold at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars, fortunes they were given to change their lives beyond recognition. A career that has explored sociological issues and the commercial world, he insists that ‘art doesn’t happen until there’s someone in front of it. Art is not done in the studio. It has to come to a place, to a museum. It’s an exchange. More than making art, I love to look at someone looking at the things I make’. n

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From left to right: ‘Amasura’ wallcovering (N9021034005), oasis, No.9 Thompson at Jim Thompson. ‘Caracalla’ high-back sofa, Ceccotti Collezioni. Draped fabric: ‘Selenic Chartreuse’ fabric, topaz, (120845), Harlequin. ‘Seasons’ fabric (236826), Morris & Co. ‘Crystal Palace’ paint, Sanderson. Paint on frame: ‘Newby Green’ paint, Sanderson. ‘Saint Baith’ wallcovering (FP/578003), Pierre Frey. Round ‘Mondrian’ chandelier, Bella Figura. ‘Alameda’ dining armchair, Baker. Draped fabric: ‘Alabastro’ fabric (AL-802), coral & green, Tania Vartan at Miles x Bookshop ‘Palermo’ wallcovering, Iksel – Decorative Arts. ‘Indigo Blue’ paint, Sanderson. ‘Hythe Tansu’ chest of drawers, Alexander Lamont at Miles x Bookshop. ‘Ivy’ table lamp, CTO Lighting at Fox Linton. ‘Pisara’ sculptural vase, Ceccotti Collezioni

CULTIVATING SUCCESS

‘Volta’ mirror, Arteriors

Calling all interiors aficionados. Focus/19 comes to Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour as part of London Design Festival this September

ome to Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour and celebrate the world’s greatest concentration of design talent at Focus/19. For six days, the famous interior design show will offer a dynamic programme of 130 events – the breadth and scale of which has never been seen before – as well as global names sharing their know-how, the latest launches at every turn, new showroom openings, and expertise and insight in abundance. For design enthusiasts and professionals alike it is a treasure trove of inspiration, all under one roof. Get set for meet the designer sessions, workshops, discovery tours and artisan demonstrations that dig even deeper into the stories behind the designs. On the main stage, international speakers share their creative vision. Exceptional products will be launched across the show,

with design collaborations particularly strong. This wealth of insider knowledge is extraordinary and, what’s more, it is a free resource for every visitor. Augmenting the work of 600 international brands in the showrooms, there will be a raft of Focus/19 guest pop-ups, adding another layer to the offering. Specially commissioned restaurants and bars showcase the latest collections, while courtesy transport will bring you to the event in style. Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is constantly evolving with exciting ‘Bloody Mary’ drinks trolley, expansion plans, events and experiences. Ceccotti Collezioni At Focus/19, creative seeds are sown, and design comes to life. Register today to secure a place and for your chance to win an exclusive prize, including an overnight stay at The Berkeley.

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PROMOTION

THE A-LIST

Abbott & Boyd / Altfield / Alton-Brooke / Art Rugs Gallery / Arte / Arteriors / Artisans of Devizes / Baker / Baker Lifestyle / Beaufort Collection / Bella Figura / Besselink & Jones / Brunschwig & Fils / C & C Milano / Ceccotti Collezioni / Chase Erwin / Christopher Hyde Lighting / Christopher Peacock / Cole & Son / Colefax and Fowler / Collier Webb / Colony / David Hunt Lighting / David Seyfried Ltd / Davidson / de Le Cuona / Decca / Dedar / Edelman Leather / Espresso Design / Flexform / Fox Linton / Frato / Gallotti&Radice / George Spencer Designs / Gladee Lighting / GMR Interiors / GP & J Baker / Harlequin / Holland & Sherry / Houlès / Iksel – Decorative Arts / Interdesign UK / J. Robert Scott / Jacaranda Carpets & Rugs / Jason D’Souza / Jean Monro / Jensen Beds / Jim Thompson / Julian Chichester / Kravet /Kvadrat at Home / Lacaze London / Lee Jofa / Lelièvre Paris / Lewis & Wood / Lincrusta / Lizzo / Marvic Textiles / McKinney & Co / McKinnon and Harris / Miles x Bookshop / Morris & Co / Mulberry Home / Nada Designs / The Nanz Company / Nina Campbell / Nobilis / Oficina Inglesa Furniture / Original BTC / Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam Ltd / Perrin & Rowe / Phillip Jeffries / Pierre Frey / Poliform / Porada / Porta Romana / Potterton Books / Romo / Rubelli/ Donghia / SA Baxter Design Studio & Foundry / Sacco Carpet / Samuel & Sons / Samuel Heath / Sanderson / Savoir Beds / Siberian Floors / Simpsons / Stark Carpet / Stark Scalamandre / StudioTex / Summit Furniture / Sutherland Perennials Studio / Tai Ping / th2 / Threads at GP & J Baker / Tim Page Carpets / Tissus d’Hélène / Topfloor By Esti / Tufenkian Artisan Carpets / Turnell & Gigon / Turnstyle Designs / Turri / Vaughan / Ventura/ Via Arkadia (Tiles) / Victoria + Albert Baths / Villeroy & Boch / Watts of Westminster / West One Bathrooms / Whistler Leather / Wired Custom Lighting / Wool Classics / Zimmer + Rohde / Zoffany FOCUS/19 GUEST POP-UPS: Alice Lily Interiors / Alternative Flooring / Amy Somerville / Andrew Martin / Barneby Gates / Baroncelli / Blithfield / Christopher Farr / Ecco Trading / Gaze Burvill / Gingerliy / Gosling / GvE & Co / Jennifer Manners / John Stefanidis / LF Trading / Ligne Roset / Little Greene / Nico / Oomph at Nina Campbell Pop-up / Paint & Paper Library / Pooky Lighting / Riviere/O&A London / Timney Fowler / Tollgård Pop-up PLUS OUTSIDE PARTICIPANTS: Designers Guild / Little Greene / Osborne & Little in Chelsea

WHAT’S ON

CONVERSATIONS IN DESIGN Get top-level insights from a stellar line-up of speakers including David Mlinaric, Collett-Zarzycki, Andrew Winch, Paolo Moschino, Luke Edward Hall, Susie Atkinson, Flora Soames, Natalia Miyar and Staffan Tollgård, plus many more. Book in advance at dcch.co.uk.

DEMONSTRATIONS & WORKSHOPS Get the inside track on methods, makers and materials. Watch demonstrations of hand-painted wallpaper and rug making, attend a masterclass on tile marbling or creative curtains, learn how to bring the outside in, discover the power of pattern or hear about the work of renowned florist Philippa Craddock.

FOCUS/19 GUEST POP-UPS Leading names, including Amy Somerville, Christopher Farr and Gosling, add to home-grown talent.

CURATED SPACES Designer collaborations including Suzy Hoodless and GP & J Baker, Kit Kemp and Blithfield, Hill House and Arteriors, plus Nina’s Apartment from Nina Campbell and oomph are a new way to bring products to life.

PERSONAL SHOPPING

The Personal Shopping Service at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour helps clients with any request, large or small. With so many decisions to make, it is easy to feel overwhelmed when working on a new interior project. Even if you are confident in your design choices, you may still need some friendly advice on narrowing down the options from someone who is familiar with all 120 showrooms. Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is a one-stop shop for all your decorating needs, and the team can help you navigate the showrooms, facilitate your requests and even organise international shipping. Don’t miss workshops and ‘shop the show’ sessions at Focus/19.

From left to right: ‘Siracusa’ fabric (15459/786), Ardecora at Zimmer + Rohde. ‘Rafora’ fabric (43030310), Casamance at Colony. ‘Ocelot’ fabric, ochre, Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam Ltd. ‘Bahk’ fabric (N005, ZF00-05), Zak + Fox at George Spencer Designs. ‘Voyager’ leather (V0Y04), finch, ‘Rambler’ leather (Ram04), seaweed and ‘Voyager’ leather (VOY01), moss green, all Edelman Leather. ‘Madeleine’ escutcheon, Collier Webb. ‘Palermo’ wallcovering, Iksel - Decorative Arts. ‘Simla’ carpet, Jacaranda Carpets & Rugs. ‘Jonah’ braid, kelp, Stroheim at Alton-Brooke. ‘Engineered Russian White Oak’, double black tint, Siberian Floors. ‘Horned Urchin’ doorknob, Collier Webb. ‘Haidsaun’ flooring, oak, Topfloor by Esti. ‘Fan 100’ tile, Via Arkadia (Tiles). ‘Caraway Green’ paint, Sanderson. ‘Teal’ paint, Zoffany. ‘Crystal Palace’ paint, Sanderson. (JT0137710041) fabric, Jim Thompson

NEW ARRIVALS This is your first chance to explore new showrooms including Collier Webb, David Hunt Lighting, Lincrusta, Morris & Co, th2 and Turri. ‘Stefania’ club chair, Rubelli Casa at Rubelli/Donghia

DON’T MISS THE ULTIMATE INTEROR DESIGN COLLECTIVE EVENT LOCATION

DATES

Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XE (Plus outside participants in Chelsea)

Trade Preview 15–17 September 2019 All Welcome 18–20 September 2019 Open 10am–6pm

www.dcch.co.uk

COURTESY TRANSPORT FREE ENTRY

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Call 020 7225 9166 or email enquiries@dcch.co.uk Be part of the design community @designcentrech #Focus19AtDCCH designcentrech

30/08/2019 15:35

THE GUIDE B O O K S

GOOD READS

Richard Hopton picks four books to help you reconnect with nature SURFACING KATHLEEN JAMIE

The Scottish poet’s new collection of essays ponders man’s place in the natural world through the arc of geological time, from the Digital Age to the Ice Age, exploring memory; historic, collective and personal. She draws inspiration from nature and from what archaeology tells us about the relationship of our primeval ancestors with the world in which they lived. The essays are acutely observed and sparely written, with an almost poetic compression and simplicity in places: ‘Big waves were driving ashore, leaving plumes of rainbow hanging in the air behind.’ The collection is dominated by two essays about trips Jamie made to archaeological digs, one in Alaska, the other on the Orcadian island of Westray. Inevitably, these visits provoked reflection on age-old, long-lost cycles of life, of abandonment and regeneration, over many centuries of human existence. Another essay, this time in a minor key, ruminates on a handful of broken shards of pottery collected in a field: ‘Now you

DARK SKIES Tiffany Francis This is a potpourri of a book, part natural history, part travelogue, part history and part ecological tract, spiced with a dose of autobiography. What it lacks in structure – and the book rambles like a walker without a map – it makes up in youthful enthusiasm and spontaneity. Francis clearly loves being out and about at night and we learn a lot about the world as it is between sunset and dawn. She is especially interesting on the evils of light pollution. This book will encourage you to forsake your armchair and your early night and venture out under the stars. Bloomsbury, £16.99

INVASIVE ALIENS Dan Eatherley Ring-necked parakeets, signal crayfish, grey squirrels and muntjac are all non-indigenous species which, having been deliberately imported, now thrive in this country. Nor is this invasion confined to the animal kingdom: in 2017, there were more than 1,500 types of non-native plant in the United Kingdom. This fascinating book tells the story of the movement of species, by natural or human agency, over the centuries. It is a complex and controversial subject, lucidly and humorously explained by Dan Eatherley. In 2019 the UK’s fastest invading species is the harlequin ladybird. Look out for her on a windowsill near you. William Collins, £16.99

have a handful, spanning centuries… Each is a glimpse of a life and a time… rising like mist from the empty field.’ The third lengthy essay is about her travels in Tibet in 1989, at the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre, in which she explores her younger self as it resurfaces in later life. In another essay she movingly considers her father’s decline and death and dissects how we remember our deceased loved ones, especially their voices and how quickly their sound and cadence fades from the memory. But it is from communion with nature that Jamie draws her deepest inspiration. There is a beautifully-written piece about watching an eagle soaring over a Scottish glen – the giant bird ‘moves as though the air were ice’. Then, quite suddenly, her attention is distracted, and she loses the eagle against the mountainside. Likewise, in the final essay, Jamie describes walking in a wood, its peace is timeless, bestowing perspective and calm: ‘They’ve been rooted here centuries already and seen it all.’ Sort Of Books, £12.99

A WILD CHILD’S GUIDE TO ENDANGERED ANIMALS Millie Marotta This charming and informative book is a guide to some of the world’s most endangered species for younger readers. The species, which occupy a variety of habitats – oceans, forests, deserts, tundra, grasslands and mountains – range from the well-known – giraffes and giant anteaters – to the downright obscure – the Devil’s Hole Pupfish from California’s Death Valley, or Finland’s Saimaa Ringed Seal. Each animal is described in a few lines of text highlighting its defining features and behavioural patterns. But the book’s appeal lies in Marotta’s wonderful, highly-stylised and eyecatching illustrations which are as much works of art as animal drawings. Particular Books, £20 n

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countryandtownhouse.co.uk ESTORICK COLLECTION OF MODERN ITALIAN ART

THE VIKTOR WYND MUSEUM OF CURIOSITIES

CANONBURY

HACKNEY

Half shop half gallery, this museum is nothing if not unique. The exhibitions, are surreal and otherworldly. You never quite know what you’re going to find on a visit here.

Set inside a Grade II-listed Georgian town house, The Estorick Collection is the only gallery in Britain dedicated to modern Italian art. It houses artworks by some of the most important Italian artists of the 20th century.

SECRET GALLERIES

Looking for a fresh art fix this season? These London galleries are off the typical tourist trail

LISSON GALLERY MARYLEBONE

THE CRYPT GALLERY

Nestled among the stylish boutiques of Marylebone is Lisson Gallery, specialising in contemporary art. Around since 1967, it’s not as large as the Tate or V&A but the exhibitions are creative, unique and beautifully curated.

EUSTON

This gallery is so secretive, you won’t find it above ground. The Crypt Gallery at St Pancras Church became a gallery in 2002. Before that, in 1822, it was used for coffin burials. Creepy and cultural.

LARGE GLASS ISLINGTON

Focussing on contemporary art through an alternative lens, Large Glass is a place to admire, buy and discuss art. Their events programme currently includes series of artists talks, as well as a host of diverse exhibitions. Thought provoking.

Scan this code with your phone camera to read the rest of the article

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Are you ready to conquer Join

the Gherkin? Use the discount code COUNTRY& TOWNHOUSE to get 25% off

The Gherkin Challenge Sunday 27 October Join #TeamNSPCC, sign up today nspcc.org.uk/gherkinchallenge

Â©NSPCC 2019. National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Registered charity England and Wales 216401 and Scotland SC037717. The people pictured are volunteers. Photography by Colin Baldwin. J20191116.

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THE GUIDE

S P O R T S

THE OLYMPIAN

As Sebastian Coe sits down to watch the Ashes, he remembers the man who turned the game on its head

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

ne of the constant challenges for every governing body of global sport is to maintain the interest of their fan base, particularly the younger ones. It means that your sport needs to remain forefont in their lives and, to achieve it, will certainly mean embracing innovative formats and taking the competitors with you on the journey. The risk of turning a Nelsonian eye t o these realities is that other sports which are prepared to change, steal a march with sponsors, broadcasters and, ultimately, risk losing control of their sport. Sometimes such change is fully recognised and accepted. But often, it becomes a collision of vested stakeholder interests. I am writing this column watching the Ashes so, appropriately, this month’s gamechanger is a man who in large part created the modern cricketing landscape that we are currently enjoying. Australian media

mogul, Kerry Packer, turned the world of cricket upside down over four decades ago, when his Channel Nine network failed to prise the rights to televise Australia’s national game from state broadcaster ABC. Packer believed that the broadcaster, along with the cricketing establishment, was stifling the need for the game to reach out to new fans. So he set out to persuade 30 or so international cricketers to commit themselves to a rival competition, the World Series, which he then ran headlong against the traditional Australian season. And he was ruthless in his pursuit. Tony Greig, who at the time was the England Test captain, and Ian Chappell, a former Australian captain, helped cajole renegade players to join the cause. It cost Greig the captaincy and began a period of internecine warfare in the game. Packer funded an aggressive PR campaign. The recruitment of Australian national treasure

Richie Benaud was particularly astute. The International Cricket Council initially side-stepped the fast bowling, which they saw as a purely Australian affair, but it soon became clear that Packer’s World Series Cricket was here to stay. A high-profile win in the High Court, which supported Packer’s assertion that the ICC should not be allowed to stand in the way of players plying their trade, confirmed his burgeoning control. There were twists and turns along the way before Packer’s vice-like grip of cricket was complete. The creation of the exciting one-day format, which specifically targeted women and children, was critical to his strategy. An accommodation was reached two years later, although few doubted the victory when Packer’s Channel Nine also captured the broadcast rights. There are still purists who hark back to the world of Bradman but few doubt the towering influence that Packer had on shaping today’s game. n

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C A R S

ROAD TEST

Can’t wait for the sensational new Land Rover Defender? The next coolest motor is a re-vamped classic, says Jeremy Taylor

VITA L STATS 1972 Bespoke Land Rover Series III PRICE £26,000+ ENGINE 2.25 litre petrol POWER 70 bhp 0-62MPH Keep dreaming! ECONOMY 18 mpg

TOWN

COUNTRY

The next generation Land Rover is set to be the most talked about car on the planet. The first new Defender since 1948 is another icon in the making – I know because I’ve already sat in it. The initial reveal of the hotly anticipated four-wheel drive has already taken place at Land Rover HQ in the West Midlands. Everyone present was sworn to secrecy and all I can urge you to do is place an order now to take delivery next year – but expect a long waiting list. Can’t wait, won’t wait? The next best option if you simply can’t hold on for the ultimate 4x4 is a restored classic. Bespoke Offroad near Chipping Norton restores old Land Rovers to spec. Parts are cheap and, with a little imagination, you can create the Land Rover of your dreams. I’m testing a 1972 Series III model. It started life as a Marine Blue hardtop but is now a cool convertible, complete with mohair hood, oversized BF Goodrich tyres and a polished mid-grey paint job. It’s a joy to drive around town, simple to park and has massive presence. The downside? Land Rovers are coveted by thieves too, so buy a good lock and fit a tracker unit. RATING: 4/5 HANDBAGS

The original Land Rover was designed to be unstoppable off-road, becoming the benchmark against which all other four-wheel drives were judged. Nowadays, a 1972 model is still up to the job but, with values increasing, few will venture deep into the mud. Just don’t expect much performance on-road. With optional overdrive fitted to the gearbox, a car like this will scuttle along at about 60mph flat out. Any more and you will be staring through the windscreen with gritted teeth. It’s obviously not a car for the motorway but around the countryside, the Series III makes you grin wildly with every change of that stick-in-a-bowl-of-porridge gearbox. Our bespoke test car has fold-down bench seats in the rear and two forward-facing seats up front. There’s also a ‘jump’ seat in the middle, which is where I learned to change gear as a child. Another lovely feature of driving a Land Rover like this is that other owners wave appreciatively. You feel part of a club – something that is missing from modern motoring. Bespoke Offroad can help find you a donor Land Rover, or they can set to work on your own. Just don’t leave it too long – James Bond will be driving an old Series III in the next 007 film, which is certain to add to their value. bespokeoffroad.com RATING: 4/5 WELLIES

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PHOTOS: REX FEATURES

If you can’t wait for the first new Defender in over 70 years, which launches in 2020, plump for a reconditioned classic instead

THE GUIDE

The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan sits handsomely outside The Dorchester

THE DRIVE

VITA L STATS Rolls-Royce Cullinan PRICE from £250,000

Elizabeth Taylor was the queen of diamonds – a Hollywood princess who became one half of the most famous love affair in the world. Showered in expensive jewellery by Richard Burton, the actress sparkled wherever the couple went. In London that was usually The Dorchester. It’s said the pair scratched ‘RB xxx ET’ on the wall of the pink marble bathroom of the Harlequin suite. Taylor wore many of her most coveted jewellery pieces entertaining London’s social elite at The Dorchester – including the 68-carat Taylor-Burton The Dorchester, favoured by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

ENGINE 6.75-litre V12 twin-turbo petrol POWER 563bhp 0-62MPH 5.2 seconds ECONOMY 18.8mpg

M UST-H AV E PHOTOS: REX FEATURES

MOTORBIKES BMW R NINET SCRAMBLER Quirky, stylish and simple to ride, BMW has stripped back the 1200cc R NineT to the bare minimum. It’s bound to turn heads. From £10,765. bmw-motorrad.co.uk

diamond. The stone set a record price when the couple bought it for more than $1 million in 1969. The couple liked to travel in style too and had they been alive today, there’s no doubt Burton would choose a new model of Rolls-Royce that could have been named especially for his sweetheart. The Cullinan took its moniker from the world’s largest diamond, weighing in at a staggering 3,106 carats. No other luxury four-wheel drive vehicle could glitter quite so brilliantly in the capital. To prove the point, I’ve brought the forecourt outside The Dorchester to a standstill by pulling up in the biggest Rolls-Royce ever built. The Cullinan is a showstopper. The outsize styling may not be everybody’s cup of Lapsang but for sheer presence, the world’s most prestigious car-maker has nailed the SUV market at first attempt. Surprisingly, the Cullinan is nimbler than it looks about town, thanks to four-wheel steering and excellent visibility. Air suspension can be raised via a simple button according to the terrain, while motorway driving is completely effortless. Inside, well, what would you expect? Backseat passengers sit higher in sumptuous, individual chairs, the centre cool box contains a cut-glass decanter, while the door frames deploy umbrellas. The split-opening tailgate hides a rear compartment that can be specified to the owner’s pastime. The Viewing Suite contains a cocktail table and leather-clad folding, rear-facing seats, perfect for watching the children on the rugger pitch. The passenger doors can be electrically closed if your concierge isn’t quite up to Dorchester standards. An illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy atop the bonnet completes the look. Back in The Bar at The Dorchester – the original drinking den of the stars – manager Giuliano Morandin is mixing a mean martini as I pore over the stats. Rolls-Royce is coy about its price list but with all the extras fitted to our car, the final price is considerably more than £300,000. The Cullinan will be a rare sight on British roads but if you can afford the diamonds, then here is the car to match. dorchestercollection.com RATING: 4/5 n

TRIUMPH STREET SCRAMBLER The new 900cc Street Scrambler is a lightweight urban machine for town and country riding. The matte green paint job is seriously cool – think Army retro classic with all mod cons. From £9,300. triumphmotor cycles.co.uk ROYAL ENFIELD INTERCEPTOR The most talked about bike of the moment. This Indian-built trad bike is 650cc of pure fun. The Enfield name is special – so is the price. From £5,499. royalenfield.co.uk

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THE GUIDE G A R D E N I N G

SPRING LASAGNE

SEEDER’S DIGEST

To get dense and flowery spring pot displays, try layering bulbs in what the Dutch call a ‘bulb lasagne’, layering them up one on top of the other. The largest and latest flowering bulbs go in deepest, moving to the smallest and earliest in the top layer. The emergent shoots of the lower layer bulbs just bend around anything they hit sitting over their heads and keep on growing. Done like this, you will need to plant the bulbs slightly further apart than you would in a pot with a single layer, so 1-1½” (2.5–4cm) apart is the right sort of spacing. The first layer can go as much as 11-12” (28-30cm) deep. Then cover them over with a couple of inches of potting compost, before you place the next layer of bulbs.

Come out smelling of roses with Sarah Raven’s top tips for planting bare roots BEAU MONDE You’re guaranteed good results with roses even in their first season. One of my favourites is the Rosa Belle Epoque, with its peach inner petals and plum-red reverse. From £12.95 for one bare root.

PUT DOWN ROOTS My top tips for planting bare-root roses:

1 2 3 4

5 6

The peach inner petals and the plum reverse of Rosa Belle Epoque

OCTOBER IN THE GARDEN »

Plant out hardy annuals sown inside and any biennials still not placed

Sow a few of the hardier halfhardy annuals such as snapdragons (antirrhinums) to store in cold frames (for large and early plants next year)

Plant tulips and peonies

Bring tender plants (pelargoniums), in out of the frost and begin to cut back and take cuttings

» »

Mulch dahlias Lift and store tender chrysanthemums

STA RTER KIT Cultivate healthy plants from the off

Bulb planting trays, from £7.50 for a set of three

‘Bulb lasagne’ for ongoing spring displays

Hide gloves, £17.95

20 per cent off for C&TH readers at Sarah Raven. Visit sarahraven.com and enter offer code CTH19. Terms and conditions: Offer ends 31 October 2019. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. See website for full T&Cs. All available at sarahraven.com

PHOTOS: © JONATHAN BUCKLEY

Soak the root in a bucket of water for a few hours. Dig a hole at least as deep and wide as a spade head. Fork the base of the hole over well to break up the soil and add a handful of allround fertiliser. Mound a small pile of soil, mixed with a little compost, in the centre of the hole to support the crown of the rose. Place the rose in the centre. Lay a bamboo cane across the top of the hole to ensure that the ‘union’ of the rose (i.e. the join between the root plant and the graft) is just below soil level. If it isn’t, dig the hole more deeply. This is crucial, otherwise you promote the formation of suckers. Fill in the hole with soil mixed with wellrotted manure and finally firm down with your heel, mulch well and water.

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CHELSEA HARBOUR, GROUND FLOOR, DESIGN CENTRE EAST â&#x20AC;¢ 020 7352 9518 WWW.NINAC AMPBELL.COM

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PROMOTION

MAKE A STATEMENT Neptune’s autumn collection celebrates individuality

s the first signs of the change of seasons arrive, the nip in the air makes us want to stay at home and nest. Perfect timing for Neptune’s new autumn collection to land, which focuses on expressions of individuality. While trends can help to spark ideas, don’t forget to listen to your instinct and respect your own unique personal style. That’s the message behind Neptune’s new autumn collection, which has just launched online and across its 30 plus stores. The British designer and maker of kitchens, furniture, lighting and accessories is known for its commitment to timelessness, but it’s increasingly championing the notion of tailor-made interiors – and that’s certainly seen, heard and felt with its latest designs and seasonal story. ‘Our homes are happiest when they reflect our motivations, when they respond to what’s going on in your world and what you need from your home in response to that. Interior design should be inspirational and empathetic in equal measure, and our new collection encourages people to get personal – to get under the skin of what design looks like to them,’ says Fiona Strang, Marketing Director. Deep-thinking is certainly reflected in Neptune’s latest seasonal shade: Ink, a navy so saturated that it’s bordering on black. If your style is bold, a dramatic all-over application of this shade will allow you to do just that. But if a neutral palette is more your bag, Ink is a really handy accent colour, used to add contrast and shadow to a range of palettes. Contrast with Fox and Mustard to striking effect. However you use it, colour with conviction and confidence. To make a statement with scale, look no further than Neptune’s much-anticipated modular cabinetry debut

FROM TOP: Sketch seated V, £345; living room in Neptune’s A/W’19 collection; Isabelle scatter cushion in Chloe Denim, £103; Mini Eucalyptus Spray in Russet, £14; Long Island corner sofa, from £4,900

– Chawton. Built using a combination of tulipwood (painted in your chosen shade from Neptune’s edited colour palette) and oak, Chawton is made up of varying types of cabinet – from glazed to unglazed, single height to triple, sliding doors to drawers. Craftsmanship to one side, it’s most impressive trick is how it moulds to your home and way of doing things. It could be used to create a wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-floor bookcase in a sitting room, an alternative chest of drawers in the bedroom, a break-away from another run of kitchen cabinetry, a custom-made wine store for the dining room – the list is endless. It’s effectively a sheet of blank paper waiting for you to express whatever feels fitting. With Neptune, the fabrics and the finishes, the sizes and the styling, the colours and the cabinets are all yours for the taking, interpreting and personalising. And Ink and Chawton are just the beginning of your home’s series of statements… Explore the new autumn collection online or at your local Neptune store. For interiors inspiration at your fingertips, find them on Instagram @neptunehomeofficial. neptune.com

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The Chawton is a seriously handy multitasking unit that will help to organise all corners of your home

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THE GUIDE

Violence against women and her own abusive childhood have always informed Caroline Coon’s work. Now she’s getting the recognition she deserves, says Charlotte Metcalf Portrait by ALEXANDRA DAO

he Great Offender has finally arrived – punctually for our conversation at Scarfes but late for her deserved place in the established art world. Seventy-four-year-old Caroline Coon has painted every day since she was a child, but is only now being recognised as a significant artist. I have known Caroline for over 30 years and seen her figurative, colourfully exuberant, politically overt and sexually explicit canvases be largely ignored. Then last year her friend, the artist Duggie Fields, alerted two gallerists, Martin Green and James Lawler, to Caroline’s work, resulting in her 2018 show, The Great Offender, at The Gallery, Liverpool. The Scottish painter Peter Doig, an admirer of her paintings, was so astonished to discover this was her first solo show that he – with Parinaz Mogadassi – is bringing the exhibition to Tramps in London, opening to coincide with Frieze. Why, I ask Caroline, has she caused such offence? She laughs. ‘I never set out to offend, but I’ve remained single, earned my own money and decided not to have children. “Respectable” people tend to find this very offensive!’ If you think you’ve heard Caroline’s name Penthouse before, you have. In 1967, while studying art at or cottage? Central, she helped organise a demonstration Penthouse – you can look out supporting Mick Jagger when he was arrested over fields that for smoking marijuana. From there she founded are London’s parks. Release, the organisation that, to this day, fights to decriminalise drugs. Her iconic contribution Michelin stars to the 1960s was recognised in the V&A’s 2016 or pub? When I was young it was exhibition You Say You Want a Revolution: Records dangerous for and Rebels 1966-1970. Caroline is also known for women to go to pubs alone so a managing The Clash. Michelin-starred Brought up in Kent, she was sent to board restaurant. at local Legat Ballet School aged five. ‘One day Killer heels or I burst into tears while rehearsing for the brogues? I’ve Bluebird solo in Sleeping Beauty,’ remembers been wearing Church’s Caroline. ‘I confessed to Madame Legat that brogues for over I was being beaten at home. She wrote to my 50 years but parents asking them to stop. Immediately I’d go insane if I couldn’t wear my parents took me away and sent me to Sadler’s killer heels Wells in London. Very early I learnt the cost to occasionally. adults when they intervene to protect children.’ Wine or green Sadler’s Wells then became The Royal tea? Wine mixed with water, or Ballet School, and at ten she boarded at White a Bellini. Lodge. ‘I was among music, art, costume and

IN BRIEF

theatre design,’ says Caroline, ‘learning about Diaghilev, Nijinsky, Tchaikovsky, Alexandre Benois – it was an all-encompassing, holistic, artistic education. My dire, abusive home life contrasted with a nurturing ballet school environment with teachers who loved us.’ From 16, Caroline was supporting herself by waitressing, working in factories and nude ‘glamour’ modelling. She studied at night school for her art A-level and she was accepted at Northampton School of Art. ‘During my foundation course, I was taught classical draughtsmanship by Henry Bird. This gave me the skill to be a figurative painter. My childhood experience within the family was a microcosm of society’s injustice and oppression. My consciousness of feminism emerged as I started to understand the imbalance of power between my parents that led to the sadistic displacement onto their children. Decrying violence against women and children became one of the core motifs of my painting.’ As the Sixties faded, Caroline changed course. ‘When I saw “Hate and War” emblazoned across the back of Joe Strummer’s boiler suit, I realised that the hippy peace-and-love era was over,’ she says. ‘I began writing about the punk movement. It was my understanding of The Clash and what they represented that enabled me to step in as manager when, like The Sex Pistols, they were breaking up.’ It wasn’t till the 1980s that Caroline decided to risk painting full-time. ‘It was a struggle. My art wasn’t selling. I was broke,’ she explains of her decision to become a sex worker. ‘I didn’t ever again want to be diverted from painting daily by having a time-consuming “respectable” job.’ She kept a diary, which she published last year as a limited-edition book, Laid Bare DIARY 1983-1984. Some of her paintings informed by this experience, The Brothel Series, will be exhibited at Tramps. ‘I have always stood shoulder to shoulder with whores. Until we stop dividing women against each other as virgins or whores there will always be violence against women. To stop such violence, we have to change our sexist culture. My default position is still the beaten child and my life has partly come out of a real Grimm fairy tale. But the violence I suffered as a child has informed my art and the happy ending is: I’m alive to see progressive changes I’ve fought so hard for.’ Caroline’s obdurately ‘offensive’ feminist paintings may still shock, but now that they are appreciated by a globally recognised artist like Peter Doig they will inevitably be seen by a wider public. About time. The Great Offender opens at Tramps, 15f Micawber Street, London N1 on 29 September 2019. carolinecoon.com n

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Caroline Coons is finally getting the recognition she deserves as an artist

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POP DUO Charlotte and Philip Colbert’s work is bold, thought-provoking and performative. Caiti Grove meets the inventive pop art pair in their studio Art director NICOLE SMALLWOOD Photographer NICKY EMMERSON

ast year, the Royal Academy invited the Colberts to an artists’ lunch. After all, they are a young, fun, creative couple with the kind of fresh, striking work the distinguished members appreciate. One problem: they were double-booked. So what did they do? Just not turn up? Ghost London’s most prestigious art institution? ‘We sent impersonators,’ confesses Charlotte, laughing. ‘We told them: “Whatever happens, don’t talk. Just do things like we do – pose for photographs, mime impersonations. As long as you don’t say anything, we’ll be fine.” ’ The ruse worked. ‘They just thought we were really in character,’ adds Philip. ‘Talking was always going to be a disappointment anyway – and they were none the wiser.’ This is entirely in keeping with the Colberts’ irreverent style of art, which embraces the absurd, with more than a touch of cheeky parody of the art world’s traditions. On their first trip abroad while courting nine years ago, they made a pilgrimage to Friedrich Nietzsche’s house in Switzerland. ‘That was my attempt to try and err…’, Philip says in his light Scottish lilt of his seduction technique, a tiny golden pendant of Fallopian tubes hanging around his neck, ‘We looked for his toenails between the floor boards.’

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Charlotte Colbert with her husband Philip, who swaps his famed lobster suit for the C&TH shoot

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LEFT: Philip sits on his Lobster Chair (2015) in front of a more recent piece of his, Hunt Scene Starry Night (2019)

Now married for five years, they have settled in Spitalfields with their children. Not far away is their shared studio, opposite Shoreditch House. In Charlotte’s half of the space, giant slugs embrace by the doorway, their eye stalks leaning lovingly towards each other. Nearby, two assistants coil white clay into a 3D structure, occasionally blasting it with an industrial hairdryer. In the corner, a huge close-up photograph of a face, its features caught in different oxidised bronze frames, suddenly blinks. This is part of a project triggered by Charlotte’s travels to Korea, where she witnessed the reunion of a family, separated by war for 60 years, ‘at a hotel that looks like a David Lynch Marriott on acid,’ she recalls. Three days later, they were separated again, the husband and father forced back to North Korea.

Charlotte has also captured Sue Tilley on film, the famous subject of Benefits Supervisor Sleeping (1995) by Lucien Freud. They returned together to Freud’s old studio, where Sue posed (and slept) for the painter over many hours as a nude model. Twenty-five years later, Charlotte filmed her in the same position, sprawled naked on a sofa. Looking at Sue through Charlotte’s lens – each part of her body encased in a different rusty frame – the viewer scrutinises her naked body, neck crooked around the armrest of the sofa, left breast fallen across her body. Suddenly, she blinks. Instead of being just an image, analysed on the walls of a gallery – and occasionally derided as ‘Fat Sue’ – ‘she opens her eyes and confronts the audience that has appropriated her body for so long,’ says Charlotte, smiling broadly. ‘Sue loved it – she was moving from London to Hastings and hadn’t been back to Lucien Feud’s studio for 20 years – it kind of defined her whole relationship to London and that whole period of life’. A cone shape on a nearby plinth is a mass of breasts topped with a stork. Cast in plaster and covered in dusky pink flock, closer inspection reveals some nipples are missing, sewn up as after a mastectomy. Since the birth of their children, and her experience of hospital maternity units, Charlotte’s creative output has reflected her sense of life postpartum. On shelves nearby, pink ‘Yoni’ vases in the shape of vaginas sit in front of neatly stacked books, ready to be boxed and shipped to customers who purchased them through her website. On Philip’s side of the studio, a four-strong team works on two different paintings, while two graphic designers create digital works for an upcoming exhibition in Moscow. In the corner, a nine-foot canvas leans against the wall, a work from his first solo show, Hunt Paintings at the Saatchi Gallery. In it, a lobster in a suit clutches a shield borrowed from Captain America and fights a character with a face from a Basquiat picture. Beneath this is a collage of scenes from famous paintings, by the likes of Picasso, Bacon, and Degas. The details are so precise they could have been

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INSTEAD OF BEING JUST AN IMAGE, ANALYSED ON THE WALLS OF A GALLERY – AND OCCASIONALLY DERIDED AS ‘FAT SUE’ – ‘SHE OPENS HER EYES AND CONFRONTS THE AUDIENCE,’ SAYS CHARLOTTE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Charlotte Colbert, Malaska Family (2019) stands with pieces from her series of work concerning life postpartum; work under in the studio on Philip’s Hunt Scene X Study (2019); Philip’s iconic Lobster and Cactus Chair sculptures; offering a slice of affordable art, Philip’s six-inch Lobster’s are available to buy for around £200; Charlotte Colbert, Self Portrait (2017); Charlotte Colbert; the couple’s Shoreditch studio; Philip Colbert, Bacon Head Magenta (2019)

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LEFT: Charlotte with earthenware ceramic pieces she created to reflect on her personal experiences after giving birth RIGHT: Philip and Charlotte on the Cactus and Lobster chairs

digitally created – but no, these are oils, as in the original Reubens battle scenes that inspired the work. Like Yayoi Kusama’s yellow pumpkin and Ai Wei Wei’s large-scale sculptures, these huge canvases transcend cultural differences. They are democratic and open to the masses, amusing and bright for the art historian or the art novice alike, an aspect Philip enjoys. ‘Like [Van Gogh’s] sunflowers, the lobster already had an association to painting, historically,’ he says. ‘As well as Dalí, other artists glorified the lobster as a muse of surrealism. Many people, especially in Asia, don’t necessarily get that – but they resonate with the avatar and the fact that they love nature, and follow the world of the character. That’s why I like character art – it’s easy to lose engagement with

people who aren’t into the language of [classical] art.’ This cartoon lobster is also the avatar of Philip’s alter ego, a character who emerges on red carpets, when Philip dons suits worthy of a modern Shakespearean jester. Like Gilbert & George or Andy Warhol, he is – once in character – a work of art himself, and has appeared with his lobster band in leading galleries and Comme Des Garçons stores all over the world. For awards and art parties he and Charlotte live a surrealist fantasy, he in a fried egg suit, she clad in one of his early works, such as a ‘fish’ dress of shimmering sequins, with chips piled up around her feet. In this design nook of his career, Philip designed costumes for Rita Ora’s 2013 world tour, supervised a collaboration between the cartoon lobster and Christian Louboutin, designed a shark armchair with furniture brand Made, and a Snoopy watch with Rolex. Next to a rail of sequinned ‘Baked Beans Can’ dresses there’s a box of six-inch lobsters in suits, ready to be shipped. These have been sold through his most recent exhibition in South Korea, offering visitors a chance to own a piece of his art for only £200 or so. ‘There’s a more traditional mindset,’ says Philip, defending his commercial approach, ‘that to keep something valuable you need to keep away cheaper associations, because it’s the illusion of luxury that helps support a value of worth.’ It says a lot that ordinary people – not millionaires – shell out for the Colberts’ work. Why? Because bringing objects into your house that reflect who you are – and are judged by everyone from the Ocado driver to your mother-in-law. It has to connect deeply: and clearly the Colberts do just that. Philip’s solo show ‘Lobster Land’ runs at Multimedia Art Museum Moscow, 18 Sept to 17 Nov. Charlotte will exhibit at Dancing at the Edge of the World at Sara Zanin Gallery Rome, Jan 2020. colbertstudio.co.uk; philipcolbert.com n

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TEAM Art Director: Nicole Smallwood Photographer: Nicky Emmerson Hair and make-up: Dani Guinsberg at Carol Hayes using Marc Jacobs beauty and Leonor Greyl haircare Clothing, artists’ own LOCATION Charlotte and Philip Colbert’s studio in Spitalfields

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1 Sarah Graham, Helleborus Orientalis II, represented by Lyndsey Ingram 2 Marcia Kure, Of Saints and Vagabonds. The Series: Jagaban (2017) 3 Louise Bourgeois: The Eternal Thread at Long Museum, Shanghai 4 Emma Witter, Untitled (2018) Giclée Print on Hahnemule Bamboo Rag

Sister

PHOTOS: © EMMA WITTER, PHOTO BY MICHAEL JENNISON; © SARAH GRAHAM, COURTESY LYNDSEY INGRAM GALLERY; © MARCIA KURE, COURTESY PURDY HICKS GALLERY LONDON

Act

Rosalyn Wikeley asks four trailblazing women in the art world to divulge which artists and exhibitions inspire them to keep pushing the boundaries

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MARCIA KURE ARTIST

Kure’s art explores the limits of line. ‘Line marks boundaries and borders, shapes spaces, and keeps things in, out, or in-between. It contains and divides. It is the trail of my pencil and the path of movement of bodies, planes, ideas.’ She also interrogates the social conditions of women and the history of Africa’s relationship with the West, using visual elements from Disney cartoons, Japanese anime, manga and kawaii, medieval fashion, military outfits, and contemporary couture.

What are the challenges of navigating the art world as a woman? For years I struggled with the reality

LONDON BOUTIQUE GALLERY OWNER

New Yorker Lyndsey Ingram cut her art teeth in Sotheby’s London Print department before opening her own ‘small but perfectly formed gallery’ in 2016, specialising in Post-War Prints and Contemporary Art.

What are the challenges of navigating the art world as a woman? There has always been a bit of an old boy network, but again, that is probably true of most industries. And, like the rest of the world, it is changing. I think if we continue to believe in ourselves AND support our female friends and colleagues as much as we can, then a lot can change, and quickly. Who inspires you in the art world? Georgia O’Keefe – I recently visited her home and studio in New Mexico and I was blown away. Rosa Esman – a dear friend and colleague who was the first great print publisher in the early 1960s. Her friendships were reflected in the work she created with them: Lichtenstein, Warhol, Stella, Oldenburg. And the women artists I work with and represent – in knowing them and showing their work, I am always learning. Female artist to know about right now? There are so many women artists who are finally getting attention and are likely to have been overlooked up until now. Favourite exhibition you’ve seen this year? The Helen Frankenthaler show in Venice featuring these enormous abstract canvases set in a Venetian palazzo. Something about the ageing patina of the Venice architecture really resonated with the abstracted forms and colours of Frankenthaler’s work. Hottest art city or town? Marfa! [in Texas]. A town devoted to minimalism, thanks to Donald Judd, who lived and worked there for 20 years. I finally made the trip this summer… the ultimate art pilgrimage.

Hottest art city or town? Lagos, Nigeria. Marcia’s work is currently exhibited at Purdy Hicks Gallery. purdyhicks.com

PHOTOS: © PETE WOODHEAD; © CHIKA OKEKE AGULU

LYNDSEY INGRAM

of relocating from Nigeria to the US and had to confront an art world that has for so long catered to white artists. Change is slow, in spite of the great work of Okwui Enwezor and others like Koyo Kouoh and Bisi Silva. The world needs more black women scholars and curators, and art institutions must double their commitment to the work of women of all races. After all, we are almost half the population and are making first-rate and outstanding art! Who inspires you in the art world? Louise Bourgeois for her balance, tension, sexuality and exploration of the interior landscape. Toni Morrison, who captured memory, pain, trauma and life in America with such grace, courage and confidence. Colette Omogbai for her 1965 essay, Man Loves What is Sweet and Obvious. Female artist to know about right now? Bronwyn Katz. Favourite exhibition you’ve seen this year? El Anatsui: Triumphant Scale at Haus der Kunst. His ability to build splendid sculptures from small metallic fragments is otherworldly.

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MARLIES VERHOEVEN REIJTENBAGH & DAISY PEAT FOUNDERS OF GLOBAL ARTS CLUB, THE CULTIVIST

The pair previously managed Sotheby’s Preferred programme, but identified that while art was having an ‘astronomical rise in popularity’, people were increasingly time poor. So in 2015 they founded The Cultivist, the world’s first global arts club, offering privileged access.

What are the challenges of navigating the art world as a woman? Raising a family and keeping up with the evergrowing art world calendar can be daunting for both men and women. There are some incredibly strong women at the helm of institutions and organisations, and there has been increasing representation of women and artists of colour in exhibitions globally, but we would love to see more trustee boards diversify. Who inspires you in the art world? Agnes Gund, because she is unstoppable, even in her eighties, and has a knack for putting her finger on issues. Iwona Blazwick because, for 17 years as Director of the Whitechapel Gallery, she has championed female artists, making it a part of the museum’s programming. Thelma Golden is also brilliant in myriad ways. Female artist to know about right now? Genevieve Gaignard, Donna Huanca, Sadie Benning and Zanele Muholi. Favourite exhibition you’ve seen this year? Pablo Picasso at Fondation Beyeler presented works from Picasso’s early years, showing a side to the artist that you don’t often see. In Paris this autumn there will be a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition that has been 100 years in the making. Hottest art city or town? Delos, Greece, where Artist Antony Gormley installed 29 sculptures in and amongst the ancient ruins as part of his Sight exhibition,

PHOTOS: © PETE WOODHEAD; © CHIKA OKEKE AGULU

thecultivist.com

EMMA WITTER ARTIST

Artist in residence at Alexander McQueen’s Sarabande Foundation in London, Emma Witter has carved a unique identity creating botanical sculptures from bleached animal bones. Her big break came with a residency at Mark Hix’s gallery, under his Tramshed restaurant, where she washed, boiled and bleached the bones from the restaurant’s steak and chicken dishes for three months.

What are the challenges of navigating the art world as a woman? Everyone has their own experience – I’ve struggled with having false ‘interest’ in my work by men who want to spend time with me. Ultimately there needs to be a higher number of women represented by commercial galleries and exhibiting at solo shows with non-commercial galleries. There are several organisations to help women in the arts network and give each other a step up, like Marguerite or the Society of Women Artists. Who inspires you in the art world? Cathy Ward – an amazing artist, feminist, friend and mentor. Marine Tanguy – whose artist agency breaks the gallery model by educating their talent on art world business, rather than concealing. She promotes visual artists and specialises in talent management: accelerating careers. Female artist to know about right now? Clementine Keith-Roach, whose playful anthropomorphic pottery reminds me of Francis Upritchard, who I also love. Favourite exhibition you’ve seen this year? Jonah Pontzer had his first solo exhibition back in May, called Summer Body, which was a mixture of paintings and ink studies examining the proliferation of pornography, queer culture and fetish. The private view was like diving into a teenage 1970s American summer. Hottest art city or town? I’m keen to visit up-andcoming ‘outsider’ art cities like Detroit and Naples. Emma’s work is in Remember You Must Die from 18–22 September at Sarabande Foundation. emmawitter.co.uk n October 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 85

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Margate Festival

Margate: a seaside town whose ‘loveliest skies’ beguiledJMW Turner

The tide turned with the arrival of Turner Contemporary

Pie Days and Holidays a particpatory workshop with Sophie Herxheimer

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PHOTOS: © HEATHER TAIT; THANET DISTRICT COUNCIL;

Hannah Blackmore, Vacant: 55 Princess Margaret Avenue, exhibited at Seaside

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SHIFTING SEASCAPES

From down-at-heel seaside resort to artists’ haven, the tide’s turning in Margate, says Jenny Rowe

PHOTOS: © HEATHER TAIT; THANET DISTRICT COUNCIL; MARINE STUDIOS; ©TAI SHANI, PHOTO BY KEITH HUNTER

Turner Prize nominee Tai Shani, DC: Semiramis, Glasgow International 2018

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eside Margate’s beloved beach and built on the same plot as the former boarding house where its eponymous artist JMW Turner once stayed, Turner Contemporary symbolises the start of a new era for Margate. Instead of pulling the plug on the town’s distinct personality and starting a rash of gentrification, its opening in 2011 allowed Margate to remain grounded in its punchy past, while also looking to its future as one of the UK’s most close-knit creative destinations. One visit is enough to prove this. Unlike some London galleries, hostile silence does not loom in the exhibition spaces: they’re filled with a curious, excited, melting pot of visitors, thanks to an eclectic mix of pop-ups, workshops and live poetry readings that spring up in corridors and entice you through open doors. Plus, its recent exhibition, Seaside: Photographed, demonstrated that Turner Contemporary retains a certain interiority, even as it attracts national (and growing international) acclaim. Drawing on the rich tradition of seaside holiday photography, the exhibition elevated Margate’s seaside town identity into a trophy, defying anyone who might construe its story as one of decline and marginalisation. Often associated with cheap holidays and bad weather, other traditional British seaside towns lumped in the same bag have taken up the torch: Hastings Contemporary, a reformed neighbour on the southeast coast, breathed new life into the ailing Jerwood Gallery this July. Perhaps the uncertainty of recent times is the very reason why art has thrived here. Communities may have cracked in the ’60s October 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 87

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AUTUMN A RTS DATES

(mods and rockers) and ’80s (mods and skinheads), when gang violence in Margate hit the headlines, but it also generated a climate of freedom and self-expression. And of course inexpensive housing and inspiring views have always summoned artists to take up posts by the sea. After Turner, Margate’s artistic spirit was championed by former YBA, Tracey Emin. Born in Croydon in 1963, but brought up in Margate, she plans to bequeath her legacy to the town by transforming her working studio into a posthumous museum. Best known for her confessional artwork My Bed (1998), an installation portraying the state of her life after a break-up, Death Mask (2002), moulded from her own face, was exhibited at Turner Contemporary over the summer. Emin describes her home town as ‘hip’ and ‘better than Shoreditch, because it’s got the sea. It’s kind of rough, it’s gritty,’ she says, ‘it’s not a twee seaside town, it’s got a bit of guts to it.’ Art, after all, is rarely synonymous with fame and fortune. For most artists, it’s about more important values such as community and collaboration. Even before Turner Contemporary made its splash in the town, the tide had been turning in Margate. Marine Studios is this year celebrating ten years of providing a co-working space from from which many local artists, designers and organisations have been launched, including Dreamland, the Margate Mercury magazine, and feminist arts festival, POW! Thanet. In that decade it has seeded a grassroots arts movement that’s now in its prime. First and foremost a social and creative space for people to meet, show work, share ideas and research together, Marine Studios has launched kooky, collaborative projects such as Sophie Herxheimer’s Pie Days and Holidays. This collection of food stories, originating in Margate, culminated in the commission of 45m of printed murals on the seafront, that can be read as you walk from the train station to the town centre.

Elsewhere, Hantverk & Found, a seafood restaurant, also fused food and art by launching its own small gallery space to support local artists. This spring saw Carl Freedman Gallery open with a show by Billy Childish, and the new Joseph Wales Studio booked by artists well into 2020. Established show spaces include King Street Studio and Gallery (which also puts on public art classes), Margate Art, whose mainstay collection is Julian Samiloff – a painter, photographer, sculptor, ceramicist and psychotherapist who fell in love with Margate as child – and Lombard Street Gallery, which curates the local craft scene. All are individual and dedicated to supporting local people. With exhibition spaces growing in number, artists and the studio complexes in which they work are increasingly in demand. Luring talent to Margate, with affordable studio rents and inspiring speaker programmes, are Resort, Flat 38 and Bon Volks. This year saw the non-profit organisation Open School East move into town and the launch of the Young Associates Programme, a free, accredited, ten-month art and design course for young people aged 16 to 18, complementing the adult version that has already run for six years. Russell Tovey, an art collector and actor best known for The History Boys, Being Human and Him & Her, will guest curate an exhibition to mark the Turner Prize, which this year is presented at Turner Contemporary. Celebrating the prestigious prize ‘coming home’, Margate Festival has invited 500 artists and performers from Margate and Kent to produce 60 events on the theme of ‘NOW’. So if the British seaside continues to be a historical metaphor for the state of the nation, there are brighter times to come. Margate’s earlier ebb is surging back to shore with the full force of an unstoppable creative wave. n

MARGATE NOW FESTIVAL A programme of events and exhibitions, some of which continue beyond October, until the winner of the Turner Prize 2019 is announced in December and its exhibition leaves Margate on 12 January 2020. 28 Sept to 13 Oct. margatefestival.org TURNER PRIZE 2019 Presented to a British visual artist, with an accompanying exhibition at Turner Contemporary. 28 Sept to 12 Jan. turnercontem porary.org PUSHING PRINT This exhibition will explore printmaking in Thanet and is part of Marine Studios’ tenth anniversary programme. 4–31 October. marinestudios.co.uk ADVENTURES IN COMICS #6 This annual exhibition celebrates art from graphic novels. 1–30 November. marinestudios.co.uk

PHOTOS: REX FEATURES

Boy on Rocks, Margate Festival 2018

FORM EXPLORERS An exhibition of ceramics and paintings inspired by the shapes and patterns of land, sky, birds, songs and sea. 27 Sept to 8 Oct. piefactory margate.co.uk

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PROMOTION

TIMELESS CLASSICS

Elicyon draws on diverse inspiration, to create interiors true to their heritage

aving celebrated its fifth anniversary and moved into a new studio in Kensington, 2019 has been a milestone year for luxury interior design studio, Elicyon. Led by trained architect, Charu Gandhi, and formed of a supremely talented team of 20, Elicyon designs bespoke, turnkey interiors for both private clients and developers. The studio has a wealth of experience working across the central London market and also delivers interiors around the world, with a client base spreading from New York to Mumbai, Kuwait, Dubai and Shanghai. ‘I love to travel and often find inspiration in other countries. Something as simple as an exotic fabric or pattern, or the unusual way a building uses light and space, will strike me and go on to form an element of a project I’m working on,’

Chelsea Barracks bedroom

Elicyon show residence at Chelsea Barracks

says Charu. Incorporating global inspirations into a project, while celebrating British craftsmanship, has become a trademark. In London, Elicyon has recently completed projects in some of the capital’s most prestigious developments, including private residences in Clarges, Mayfair and select residences and amenity spaces within the iconic Chelsea Barracks. ‘Each Elicyon project Charu Gandhi is grounded in its location and so it was a complete joy to work on a project of such significance and to translate both its history and its present into the interiors,’ says Charu. The team drew references from the site’s past as the British Army Barracks, weaving in military detailing and materials inspired by infantry Private residence in Shanghai uniforms and artillery. ‘Blackened bronze accents feature throughout, which lends an unexpected industrial twist,’ Charu elaborates. Intricate rivet detailing in the joinery references the suspension structure of Chelsea Bridge, while the varying shades of blue in the living spaces and bedrooms are a nod to the Chelsea Pensioners’ navy undress uniform. ‘Storytelling lies at the heart of what we do,’ says Charu. ‘Each interior tells a narrative particular to that property and its current or future owner. We invest a lot of time really getting to know clients. We then marry these findings with the nuances of individual spaces to create truly unique homes.’ elicyon.com

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THE HILLES ARE ALIVE From William Morris and Isabella Blow to Alexander McQueen and Bryan Ferry, Hilles House has played host to Britain’s creative influencers for over a century, as Lucie Muir discovers

PHOTOS: © DAVID JENKINS

etmar Blow is on pothole patrol. Halfway up the treelined approach to Hilles, the magnificent Arts and Crafts house in which Blow resides, he stops to chat with the builders charged with filling in any rogue holes, and invites them to help themselves to a beer from the fridge. They politely decline. After all, it’s only 9.30am and they are wielding heavy power tools. The pothole inspection is all par for the course for Blow, who launched his luxury wedding venue business a year ago. Today, civil ceremonies are held beside the cavernous fireplace in the Big Hall, under the rather apt Beati Pacifici (‘blessed are the peacemakers’) coat of arms that dates to James I, while the reception is held in the grounds, inside the impressive Grand Palace yurt. From afar, the Mongolian-inspired yurt, handcrafted and exquisitely infused with Arts and Crafts details by local artisan William Templeman, rises majestically above the hill. For a house that

FROM ABOVE: Hilles House, near Stroud, is a unique Arts and Crafts creation; Detmar Blow; the grounds are as inspiring as the architecture

has seen its fair share of tragedy and heartache over the years, it is a welcome addition. Indeed, hosting wedding parties over the summer months has given Blow, and the family home his grandfather built over a century ago, a whole new lease of life. Detmar Jellings Blow, the grandfather after whom Blow is named, trained at the South Kensington School, now The Royal College of Art. In 1888, aged just 21, he won a Pugin travel scholarship to France. There, he met the intellectual thinker and art critic, John Ruskin, who advised him to give up formal education and train as an architect. So Blow promptly upped sticks to accompany Ruskin for six months around Europe, working along the way. The roving architect then met William Morris, a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, forging a lifelong friendship that would see Blow among the few to join his bedside vigil the night he died in 1896. In 1913, Detmar Jellings Blow purchased a small sheep farm for the grand sum of £1,000. Comprising 67 acres of land, October 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 91

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PHOTOS: © WILD FERN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

including the field upon which Hilles is built, it was part of an auction held by Knight, Frank & Rutley on Hanover Square. His grandson, who loves the criss-crossing nature of life’s synchronicities, notes that decades later his late wife, the fashion editor Isabella Blow, was working in Vogue House on the opposite side of the square. Blow senior was a Fabian and his back-to-nature principles were put into practice during the construction of Hilles. His eclectic circle of associates, including Morris, Augustus John and Rodin, no doubt influenced his Arts and Crafts aesthetic. As a result, elements of nature and light, together with natural materials like wood, stone and thatch, were blended seamlessly throughout the house and grounds. Today, Arts and Crafts gems can be seen at every turn, although the 40ft x 20ft original William Morris carpet from Clouds House, Wiltshire, purchased by Blow’s grandfather from a sale of Morris artefacts in 1926, is absent from the Big Hall today. Asked about this, Blow replies: ‘Oh, it’s having a little holiday in Homerton.’ In other words, it’s having a deep clean by specialists in East London. Other notable pieces can be found in the Long Room, which leads off the Big Hall, entered through a large arched doorway that’s discreetly crafted into the wood panelling. Here, Murano glass goblets, designed and commissioned by Jellings Blow, glint in the cabinet above the fireplace. A beautiful Mortlake tapestry, dating to 1680 and featuring a biblical scene, weighs heavy on one wall. A display case is brimming with curios, including a handwritten note from Blow senior to William Morris. This will have delighted the group of volunteers from Kelmscott Manor, Morris’ Cotswold retreat, who visited Hilles over the summer. As to his early memories of Hilles, the house’s current custodian points to the late ’70s. Following the death of his father, writer Jonathan Oliver Blow, his mother, luxury hotelier Helga de Silva Blow Perera, returned to her native Sri Lanka, leaving a teenage Blow and his siblings – fashion designer Selina and polymath Amaury – to fend for themselves during boarding school breaks. With no car and little supervision, the trio would often drive to the local shops on a lawnmower or play cowboys and indians all over the house. ‘Back then, Hilles felt isolated and romantic, we lived in our imaginations, rather like my young son Sasha does when he comes to stay,’ says Blow. Not that you have to be a ten-year-old boy to let your imagination run riot here. The house feels charged with a unique energy and its walls resonate with the spirit of those who lived here before. There are, of course, subtle and poignant reminders of the late Isabella Blow, who took up residence at the end of the ’80s.

FROM TOP LEFT: The Big Hall leads into the Long Room, which features Murano goblets designed by Blow’s architect grandfather; Hilles House is full of secret corners; and stunning pieces of art, like the 1680 Mortlake tapestry; the Long Room is filled with curios from across the centuries

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PHOTOS: © WILD FERN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

‘Issie brought huge creative energy and vision to the house,’ says Blow. During the ‘Issie renaissance’, as he likes to call it, Alexander McQueen, whom Isabella discovered during his graduation show at Central Saint Martins in 1992, would come here to unwind. ‘Lee loved nature, going on walks and sketching birds,’ he notes. During his visits, McQueen would reside in the Primavera guest room – once the bedroom of Blow’s grandparents. The sunlit room takes its name from the stunning Edward Burne-Jones/William Morris tapestry featuring Botticelli’s Primavera, which covers an entire wall. Other prominent visitors during this time included milliner Philip Treacy and Roxy Music frontman, Bryan Ferry. Then came the art world glitterati – gallerists Stuart Shave and Max Wigram and artists Mat Collishaw, Tim Noble and Sue Webster, many of whom were introduced to Hilles by Blow’s close friend, Gregor Muir – Director of Collection, International Art, at Tate. According to Blow, a former gallerist himself, many of the best ‘art parties’ would take place in the aforementioned Long Room. After dark, the lights were dimmed and celebrated guests would take to DJ-ing on the well-worn record player. ‘Nothing beats waking up at Hilles, slightly singed from the night before and peering out from behind those heavy tapestries onto the heavenly valley below,’ says Muir. These days, Hilles is home to Blow’s partner, the artist and filmmaker Martha Fiennes – albeit a landing stage between her London residence and frequent work trips across the pond. She’s currently roaming the top-floor Gazebo or ‘turret room’, an architectural eccentricity added by Blow’s grandfather that plays on the seigneurial idea of being able to survey the surrounding estate from above. Indeed, it’s the perfect spot from which to look down onto the garden below, which in July is bursting with colour. Walking slowly with a laptop outstretched in front of her, Fiennes

Civil ceremonies take place in the Big Hall

resembles a modern-day dowser, in search of a good internet signal rather than spring water. I wonder if the 17th-century solid pewter plates and chainmail suit of armour, which line the stairwell below, could have anything to do with the intermittent signal. ‘If you are a creative person, you are sensitive to lots of things and you are certainly sensitive to form and light and place at Hilles,’ says Fiennes. ‘These three Arts and Crafts fundamentals are very potent here. Each room receives light from the order of one’s movements, so the house is super-special to me – you are always seeing new angles and illuminated spaces.’ Of course, the rooms are draughty, especially during the winter months, which explains the small army of portable electric heaters dotted about the place. The original single-pane Crittall windows are hardly conducive to keeping the heat in. No wonder Fiennes affectionately calls the house ‘Wuthering Hilles’. ‘Such is the wind high up on the hill here in winter, it feels like you are on a galleon at sea,’ she says. ‘And just when you think you can’t stand it a minute longer, you wake up the next day to see this incredible mist, with deer nibbling apples from the trees, and all is forgiven.’ With its drystone walls, oriel windows and yew hedges, the house must have looked especially striking last November, on the night her younger brother, composer Magnus Fiennes, hosted his 50th birthday party here. As part of the festivities, a huge wicker man burned on the front lawn, while local Gucci illustrator, Alex Merry, pranced around it with her group of pagan dancers. Back in the cosy kitchen, Blow reverts to wedding mode. There have been ten weddings so far this year, and plans are afoot to host a series of salon-style art talks and sculpture installations in 2020. Clearly excited about Hilles’ latest chapter he notes: ‘I’m thrilled to be giving local employment to the hotels, caterers, florists and pubs in nearby Painswick and Stroud. I have my grandfather’s name, which is something I feel very strongly about, and I try my best to live out his utopian values. It’s as if history is repeating itself – it’s all about sharing the cake with everybody, so to speak.’ And he couldn’t care less what anyone thinks about his latest vocation for hosting weddings. ‘When I last saw my good friend Bryan [Ferry], the first thing he said to me was, “So, I hear you’re now a vicar,” ’ Blow recalls, hooting with laughter. ‘Don’t worry,’ he says, ‘I’m not about to join the clergy just yet.’ hilleshouse.co.uk n

‘WHEN I LAST SAW MY GOOD FRIEND BRYAN [FERRY], THE FIRST THING HE SAID TO ME WAS, “SO, I HEAR YOU’RE NOW A VICAR,”’ BLOW RECALLS, HOOTING WITH LAUGHTER

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PROMOTION

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL Life Kitchens design with living in mind

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Seamless will satiate minimalist tastes; Timeless is a classic design that will stand the test of time; for something extra special, the Decadent look doesn’t skimp on the trimmings; try the Refined style for an elegant interior; Hidden would suit a small urban space that needs clever storage

t can often be hard to imagine how a new kitchen might fit within your home: whether you really do want a huge island for chopping vegetables, or floor-to-ceiling cabinets lining an entire wall. Well, at Life Kitchens you don’t have to try and paint a visual picture in your head. This young gun company – which opened its flagship showroom under the railway arches in Waterloo last year – is shaking up the traditional retail market with its 4D virtual reality headsets, so that customers can experiment with materials and colours and ‘walk around’ what a future kitchen could look like in real time. It is the ultimate try before you buy, and far more immersive than leafing through a catalogue or poring over plans – yet this is the only kitchen brand in London to currently offer the pioneering, gamechanging technology. The showroom too, is not what you might expect. More like a swish, sprawling apartment than a sterile environment, it has

a vaulted brick ceiling and breakout spaces, a ‘gin’ room and a well stocked bar. Dream kitchen almost chosen, kick off your shoes, pull up a chair and order a latte (or an espresso martini) as the results are projected onto a screen to be discussed. Founder Oli Stephenson knows a thing or two about kitchen design (he is the fifth generation of a major supplier to the UK kitchen furniture market) and has handpicked an expert team who will guide you through the entire process, from ironing out the concept to project management and after-care. Storage and special practicalities are carefully considered, and customers can expect meticulous attention to detail at every stage. An installation manager is appointed to ensure the project runs like clockwork. This includes carrying out an in-depth survey to ensure that the space meets building regulations and health and safety requirements, and that all

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electrical and plumbing services are in check. Most important of all, these are kitchens that are made ‘for living’ and are designed to consider the individual’s way of life. What’s in the showroom is there to inspire: peer in the cupboards, knock on work surfaces and try the handles so you know what works for you. There’s something to suit all tastes, from the super-fresh Refined collection, which contrasts pastel shades with striking industrial hardware, to the classic shakerstyle Decadent range, perfect for country kitchens. Minimalist Seamless has unfussy lines and handle-less cabinets while earthy Opulent pairs warm woodgrain doors with stone-finish work surfaces for an organic rough luxe finish. Meanwhile, Modern Classic blends simple cabinets with contemporary styling and Eclectic is all about creating character through mixing and matching patterns and palettes.

Of course, style and substance are not mutually exclusive. Working with some of the most skilful craftsmen in the business, Life Kitchens draws on decades of experience to completely personalise and adapt each look – from adding a splashback with concealed down-lighting to unusual textures such as smoky glazed cabinets. Perhaps you want to introduce exposed shelving to showcase a selection of favourite plates, and keep them within easy reach, or style the trim of the doors in an eye-popping shade (seriously cool paint colours range from Truffle Brown to Saffron Yellow and Spearmint Green). After all, a kitchen is one of the biggest investments you make, so it’s important to ensure that it not only looks great but makes sense for how you live your life too. Life Kitchens, Railway Arch 213, Newnham Terrace, Hercules Road, Lambeth, London, SE1 7DR. life-kitchens.co.uk

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NEUTRAL GROUND You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always have to pick sides Fashion director URSULA LAKE Photographer GREG SORENSEN

Trench and trousers, Roksanda. Mules, Rupert Sanderson RIGHT: Cami top and skirt, Victoria Beckham

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Trench with faux fur detail, Huishan Zhang

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Dress, Marni. Shoes, Rupert Sanderson

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Trench coat, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi. Shoes, Manolo Blahnik

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Jacket and skirt, Dolce & Gabbana TEAM Make-up: Cynthia Sobek at Art Department Hair: Leonardo at See Model: Lola at Women 360 STOCKISTS: PAGE 164

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VISIT THE NEW DEPARTMENT, THIRD FLOOR

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MARC WOOD STUDIO

NEXT LEVEL DESIGN R E G I S T E R T O D AY AT DECOREX.COM/REGISTER

O C TO B E R 6 - 9 | O LY M P I A LO N D O N | D E C O R E X . C O M

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ONDESIGN INTERIORS FOCUS | Edited by CAROLE ANNETT

OVER 40 PAGES OF INSPIRATION

Natural oak Theatre chair and burr poplar veneer writing desk, both by Rose Uniacke, on display in the Pimlico Road showroom. roseuniacke.com

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ART, DESIGN, TRENDS AND MUCH MORE... 28/08/2019 14:30

ON DESIGN

Contents 108 DESIGN NOTES

Ideas and inspiration

114 FRESH PRINTS

Fabrics to fawn over

116 MY TYPE

Kitchen Craft

ON PAPER Wacky wallpapers

Gunter & Co

118 THE X-FACTOR

Standout kitchens

120 DOMESTIC BLISS

Kitchen trends

EDITOR ’ S LET TER

124 SPLASH PROOF

Bathing beauties

126 TAKE A SEAT

How to choose a chair

128 LOST AND FOUND

Sara Covelli and Janie Tennant on upcycling

131 MAXIMUM

IMPACT Three projects to pluck ideas from

138 BEST IN CLASS

Yacht design that breaks boundaries. By Lydia Gard

140 DESIGN Q&A

Caryn Hibbert

142 DESIGN BY

NUMBERS Unravelling a Riviere rug

Fran Hickman is designing a showcase space at Decorex this year

Armani/Casa

Focus/19 at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour

f you’re after cutting edge, it’s hard to put a finger on exactly what style of furniture to go for this season. As Gucci’s makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver recently noted, as he sent each model down the runway with a different look: ‘We are, at this moment, where we can celebrate difference rather than sticking to a trend.’ On page 116 our pick of new wallpaper designs run the gamut, from Kirath Ghundoo’s choppy Riad to the ethereal beauty of Les Arbres Fantômes by Valérie Morien for Zuber. Mid-century modern appears to be entrenched and shows no sign of dissipating, while strong colour features in both a new Smeg kitchen tap and Farrow & Ball paint range made in collaboration with the Natural History Museum. At the other end of the colour chart, natural shades, organic materials and sustainability is part of a wider societal conversation. With this in mind, Sara Covelli and Janie Tennant, founders of Covelli Tennant, which specialises in the restoration of antique furniture, offer expert advice on turning junk shop and auction finds into coveted pieces (p128). And, if sourcing doesn’t turn you on (through lack of time or desire), on page 129 are companies prepared to track down, restore and, even, lend. Sara and Janie met while working at an auction house, which by coincidence is where interior designer Alidad honed his eye. His charming day bed design for a country bedroom features on page 131. Henriette von Stockhausen invites us into her house on page 134 and Gunter & Co’s modern eclectic look features on page 132. Autumn means showtime with events across London, particularly King’s Cross, Clerkenwell, Olympia and Chelsea. Fran Hickman, who created the interiors for Gwynnie’s Goop store and Emilia Wickstead’s flagship showroom, is the chosen designer for the coveted Decorex bar area and a packed programme of events awaits at Focus/19 at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. I am hosting a couple of talks there, including one with Nina Campbell in her showroom on 18 September at 10.30am (dcch.co.uk). Come and join us. n

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Bespoke lighting

MADE IN THE COTSWOLDS

www.davidhuntlighting.co.uk

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ON DESIGN | NEWS

DESIGN NOTES

What is setting Carole Annett’s interiors pulse racing this month?

NATURE’S WAY

Farrow & Ball’s 16 new colours are inspired by nature, created in a joint project with the Natural History Museum. £46.50 for 2.5 litres emulsion. farrow-ball.com

ALL AGLOW A shade lined with gold gives a richer glow than the usual off-white inner. Umbra table light, £252. davidhuntlighting.co.uk

CELESTIAL STYLE

COUNTRY LIFE Sage pitcher jug. Fill with elderflower cordial, milk or flowers, £12. dibor.co.uk

SOUVENIR SHOP Shyrdaks are hand-stitched felt floor coverings, traditionally woven by women in Kyrgyzstan to cover the floor of a yurt. £1,400. feltrugs.co.uk

CHIC SEAT For fashionable bottoms – Ofelia chair upholstered in Odaware (£350 a metre) by Armani/Casa, at Rubelli. rubelli. com; armani.com

SUSTAINING SLEEP

PHOTO: ASTRID TEMPLIER

Brass plated Orion coffee table, £379. atkinandthyme.co.uk

Dreams will be all the sweeter knowing that the frame of Jensen’s Superior Continental bed is sourced from sustainable forestry. From £5,848. jensen-beds.com

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RICH PICKINGS

LIGHT UP MY LIFE Table lamps with purpose

The Tecla light by Villaverde, in alabaster and brass, reminds me of a precious brooch. There are 24 different finish options, £785. villaverdeltd.com

GOOD GUY Chair upholstered in olive sacking, £80 p/m, and cushion in Setterfield stripe, £210 p/m, both Guy Goodfellow Collection. Vintage rug from a selection at Loaf Lifestyle (loaflifestyle.co.uk). guygoodfellowcollection.com

MUSEUM PIECE Zelda is one of 12 designs based on patterns found in the archives of the V&A. £480 at Flair Rugs. flairrugs.com DREAMY DUO Leather supremo Bill Amberg has joined forces with Savoir Beds to launch two designs, Sky and Ocean. From £18,500. savoirbeds.com

1 Arum table lamp with marble base, £369. anartfullife.co.uk 2 Revolve table lamp, brass and matt green, £925. bertfrank.co.uk

PHOTO: ASTRID TEMPLIER

3 Anna table lamp by Paolo Tiche, £362 (ex VAT). depadova.com 4 Laura ceramic lamp base, £300. kdloves.com 5 Type 80 rose table lamp by, £199. anglepoise.com 6 Knot table lamp, £99. furniturevillage.co.uk

LIGHT MY MOJO Beauty writer Jo Glanville Blackburn’s Somerset-made soy wax and rapeseed candle, £65. jogbliving.com October 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 109

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ON DESIGN | NEWS

JOIN THE CLUB

A desk set is de rigueur for the jet set. Malachite-style porcelain candle £110, pen pot, £85, pen tray, £175, round box, £140, all by L’Objet. padlifestyle.com

SUNSHINE OVERHEAD Eight-bulb Halo chandelier, £395, with 16cm buttercup velvet empire shades, £28 each, by Pooky. pooky.com

BLANKET VISION One-of-a-kind vintage wool blanket overprinted with dynamic prints by textile designer Tamasyn Gambell. From £150. tamasyngambell.com WATCH THE BIRDIE Sculptor and artist Margit Wittig’s triptych metal screen features Matisse-like birds in flight. POA. margit wittig.com

KISSING CHAIR Curl up by yourself or find someone to flirt with on the Prado sofa. From £3,885. ligne-roset.com 110 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | October 2019

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BEST OF BOTH WORLDS ooking to buy a new home close to London? Somewhere where you don’t have to compromise on lifestyle quality or transport links? Whether you’re a first-time buyer, young family or looking to downsize after the kids have flown the nest, St Albans’ award-winning Gabriel Square development offers the best of both worlds. The area is widely believed to be one of the best places to buy property outside of London, particularly for commuters – from St Albans station, you can easily hop on a train to St Pancras in just 20 minutes. Yet it also offers an array of suburban benefits: green spaces, waterways and wildlife-filled parks. The prestigious development includes 52 three and fourbed townhouses and 28 one, two and three-bed apartments, arranged around a garden square. Interior designed by leading architects Conran and Partners, all homes have a modernist feel, with natural materials and tactile surfaces used to create

a soothing scheme. Properties benefit from underfloor heating, engineered oak flooring and Control4 smart technology. The Poggenpohl kitchens are kitted out with Neff appliances and Corian worktops, while bathrooms house Laufen basins and wall-hung WCs with concealed cisterns. Outdoor facilities are equally impressive, with a communal garden featuring three specially commissioned sculptures by triple RHS Chelsea Flower Show winner David Harber. ‘Our ethos is to make sure we are connecting our buildings with the local area and its people,’ says James Moody, managing director of developers Meyer Homes. ‘Our collaboration with David Harber at Gabriel Square has achieved just that – there are a lot of cultural values that we share with a garden and the sense of home.’ This is reflected, too, in the works from Double Decker art studio, found in the development’s show homes, and inspired by the natural stone of the city’s iconic

PHOTOS: EMANUELIS STASAITIS; LUKE HAYES

An award-winning development in leafy St Albans, Gabriel Square offers luxury living just 20 minutes from the city

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PROMOTION

SAVE THE DATE Gabriel Square invites C&TH readers to explore the award-winning townhouses in the heart of St Albans. Join us for an exclusive art and design event with insights from triple RHS Chelsea Flower Show winner, sculptor David Harber and the home design team from John Lewis & Partners, who will be giving advice on the latest interior design trends and tips and tricks on designing your home. Explore the latest show home styled by John Lewis & Partners along with a wine tasting experience from Waitrose & Partners. Thursday 10 October 2019 6.30–8.30pm

cathedral and the expansive open spaces of the surrounding landscape. Residents at Gabriel Square also benefit from manicured lawns with play areas for children, and enclosed paved courtyards with garden tables, chairs and benches for picnics. Inspired by the layouts of grand Georgian and Victorian garden squares, the outside space is designed to be a place where people can meet and interact, encouraging a sense of community. The development’s location also offers a perfect balance of country and town life: while Gabriel Square allows quiet living surroundings, the vibrant and historic city centre of St Albans is just a ten-minute walk away, featuring a wide selection of fine dining restaurants, cafés and boutique shops alongside its famous cathedral. All this has led the housing development to win a number of awards, including Home of the Year at The Sunday Times British Home Awards 2017 and Best Out of London Home at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2018. Its design features have also been praised: in 2017 Gabriel Square won gold for Best Interior Design and silver for Best House at the national WhatHouse? Awards. Although the majority of apartments at Gabriel Square have been sold, there are still a limited number of duplexes, townhouses and apartments for sale, starting at £595,000. If you’re interested in buying a house in the Gabriel Square development, call 01727 226 881 or contact info@gabrielsquare.com. gabrielsquare.com

72 Gabriel Square, St Albans, AL1 3AS

PHOTOS: EMANUELIS STASAITIS; LUKE HAYES

RSVP: rsvp@bridginglondon.com

FROM TOP LEFT: Gabriel Square Town house: kitchen; master bedroom; master bathroom; main garden square

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ON DESIGN | SHOPPING

FRESH PRINTS

What well-dressed houses are wearing this season

1 COLEFAX AND FOWLER Floriana, navy, £110 p/m. colefax.com 2 TOTTY LOWTHER Pomegranate linen, £130 p/m. lewisandwood.co.uk 3 ROMO Orly collection, from £63 p/m. romo.com 4 BAKER LIFESTYLE Viva, spice, £98p/m. gpjbaker.com 5 DESIGNERS GUILD Fitzrovia, ochre, £95 p/m. designersguild.com 6 GEORGE SPENCER DESIGNS Como silk collection, £290 p/m. georgespencer.com 7 MORRIS & CO Newill, £59 (outside canopy) and Ruskin sea pink, £59 (inside), from the Melsetter collection. stylelibrary.com; morrisandco.com 8 FLORA SOAMES Cornucopia fabric, saffron and indigo, £292 p/m. florasoames.com 9 NEISHA CROSLAND Puzzle, lemon, screen-printed linen for Christopher Farr, £120 p/m. christopherfarrcloth.com 10 OSBORNE & LITTLE Coniston, green, £48 p/m, and Sketchbook, £115 p/m. osborneandlittle.com 11 DONGHIA Horses fabric, Circus collection, £162 p/m. rubelli.com

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ON DESIGN | SHOPPING

MY TYPE ON PAPER

Fall in love with the latest wallpaper designs and live happily ever after

1 Scrolling acanthus in Ruskin pink by SOANE, £320 a roll. soane.co.uk 2 Avalon, mono stripe, by HOUSE OF HACKNEY, £185 per roll. houseofhackney.com 3 Riad by KIRATH GHUNDOO, £110 per roll. kirathghundoo.com 4 Archway House by HAMILTON WESTON, £146 per roll. hamiltonweston.com 5 Marbleized by BEATA HEUMAN, £70 plus VAT (beataheuman.com) in a scheme by ALICE LEIGH (aliceleigh.co.uk). 6 Cecily red/copper wallpaper by JANE CHURCHILL at Colefax & Fowler, £79 a roll. janechurchill.com 7 Cloisters by NINA CAMPBELL at Osborne & Little, £69 per roll. osborneandlittle.com 8 VALÉRIE MORIEN III Arbres Fantômes at Zuber, from £455 per 54.2 x 300cm drop. zuber.fr 9 Elysian Palms by WITCH & WATCHMAN, £240 per roll. witchandwatchman.co.uk

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Chimneypieces | Lighting | Furniture 020 7730 2122 | jamb.co.uk

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ON DESIGN | KITCHENS

THE X-FAC TOR Make your kitchen stand out from the crowd

THOU SHALT NOT WILT Sub-Zero’s PRO 36 uses NASAdeveloped technology to filter out the air that hastens spoilage. 91cm, from £18,000 (plus VAT). subzero-wolf.co.uk

BIG LICK Cheetah print plate, £6. kitchencraft.co.uk

ORIENTAL TAKEAWAY Arianne green terrazzo dining table by Matthew Long, handmade in Vietnam using recycled (Heineken) beer bottles, £895. Fuji wooden serve ware, from £20, all Habitat. habitat.co.uk

TURN TO COLOUR Smeg’s retro tap comes in seven colours – red, pastel blue, pastel green, white, chrome, cream and black. £379.99. smeguk.com

EAT LIKE A QUEEN Paragon cutlery by Royal Warrant holders, Grant Macdonald London, from £335 per piece. grantmacdonald.com

SIDE SHOW Antique reclaimed Spanish tiles by Maitland & Poate. From £125 per sq/m (plus VAT). maitlandandpoate.com

HALF AND HALF Cereal bowl, £26. richardbrendon.com

ICE BLOCK Big Chill fridge, classic American design with modern technical performance, £2,995. bigchill.com

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Artistry in Craftsmanship

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ON DESIGN | KITCHENS

DOMESTIC B LISS

Fresh thinking in the kitchen with brass accents, ladders and a handy herb garden

A LEG UP

Ladders are useful in a room with high ceilings, especially when space is tight. Bespoke rusticfinish cabinets painted in Farrow & Ball Green Smoke by Blakes London. blakeslondon.com

CABINET MEETING

A Martin Moore design with cabinetry mirroring the roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture. Cupboards in the island provide storage in an open plan setting. martinmoore.com

GARDEN ENVY

The Delancey bamboo island incorporates a herb garden. Bamboo naturally resists bacteria, making it ideal for a kitchen environment. lanserring.com

BOLD AS BRASS

A Meraki Design combining deep blue, brass accents and subway-style tiling. Kitchen cabinets by Plain English with table by Tom Dixon. merakidesign.co.uk

MIRROR, MIRROR

Smallboneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hand painted Macassar dresser with mirrored back, metal baskets, a curved front drawer plus wine and plate racks. smallbone.co.uk

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MADE

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Introducing the innovatiove Crackle Collection by ANN SACKS and Kohler WasteLAB. The body of the tile is made from 100% recycled material and the glaze contains between 37% and 99.7% recycled content.

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L O N D O N

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ON DESIGN | BATHROOMS

SPL A SH PROOF

Emma Scott, principal designer at C.P. Hart, offers expertise on creating a beautiful bathroom Go big on a main feature. Luxuriant bath or a quick shower? Whatever your lifestyle, choose a show-stopping focal point. Be bold. Industrial style is currently popular, including Crittal-style shower screens and accent finishes – matte black, aged brass or brushed gold. Bring art into the space. It’s not just about functionality – add prints, paintings or photography to create a harmonious ambience. Revive existing period features. Be sympathetic to original features and rather than hiding them, make a feature – fireplaces are transformed with a lick of paint. Think spa, not bathroom. Mini spas are all the rage – a bespoke shower turned steam room, massage jets and chromotherapy lighting. Tech it out. Upgrade your bathroom with built-in tech features such as a TV disguised as a mirror or an ‘intelligent’ toilet – the TOTO range has a temperature-controlled seat, front and rear cleanse modes and even air-drying!

1 MIRA DÉCOR Dual outlet electric shower, £330. mirashowers.co.uk 2 DRENCH Victoria shower screen, at C.P. Hart, from £1,653. cphart.co.uk 3 TINSA round laundry basket, £160, kalinko.com 4 JEAN-MARIE MASSAUD FOR AXOR Edge single lever basin mixer with polished gold finish, at West One Bathrooms, from £1,624. westonebathrooms.com 5 LYON BETON Concrete ‘cloud’ loo paper shelf, £125. thegiftedfew.com 6 BISQUE Balmoral radiator can be colour-matched to your bathroom, from £1,528. bisque.co.uk 7 VICTORIA AND ALBERT Taizu, a 1,500mm spa-style bath by Hong Kong-based architect, interior and product designer Steve Leung, from £4,800. vandabaths.com

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ON DESIGN | CHAIRS

TAKE A SEAT

Emily Todhunter, of Todhunter Earle, offers advice on choosing chairs

‘W

e quite often find that in addition to traditional armchairs, we have space for a couple of occasional chairs. They may have to be light and easy to move, so have a timber frame, possibly painted and gilded, but they ought not to look too upright. They sometimes need to do another job as well – to set the scene, inject a style, a very important element of a room. Accent chairs, such as our Oliver chair (3), can be room changers and they’re not always easy to find. When it comes to hallway chairs, these are traditionally upright, often flanking a console table. We like them to have character as they are often part of the first impression of a house. They may need to double up as the extra dining chair or for playing cards – it’s good to have furniture that is flexible. Bedroom chairs ought to be more than something to leave your clothes on. If our clients have quietly read a book on their bedroom chair... or read to their children, or just relaxed for a peaceful moment, then we are doing something right.’ todhunterearle.com

1 OBJET Chair, satin-finish brass frame and star fabric, from £4,450. maisonarabella.com 2 ROSE UNIACKE Petersham armchair upholstered in Java RU cotton velvet, £5,460. roseuniacke.com 3 TIM GOSLING FOR TODHUNTER EARLE Oliver armchair, £4,200. tgosling.com 4 TIMOTHY OULTON Cabana Yeti chair, £2,425. timothyoulton.com 5 ROSS LOVEGROVE FOR NATUZZI Ergo chaise, £POA. natuzzi.co.uk 6 LOUISE BRADLEY Café chairs, £1,895 each. louisebradley.co.uk

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ON DESIGN | UPCYCLING

LOST AND FOUND

There’s something romantic about finding and doing up your own furniture but to avoid pitfalls, listen to the experts

ara Covelli and Janie Tennant met working in the textile departments of Sotheby’s and Bonham’s auctioneers. They bonded over their shared love of antique textiles and founded Covelli Tennant, a London and Suffolk-based business specialising in sourcing and reupholstering old sofas and chairs. Here are their top ten tips for buying second hand.

Find your favourite suppliers. We recommend fairs like Kempton and Newark, plus l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue as well as Le Jas des Roberts in the south of France. Always barter or ask for a trade price. Follow dealers such as Howard Byrom (@societique) and Starched & Crumpled (@starchedandcrumpled). Visit auction houses like Tennants in Yorkshire, but bear in mind buyers’ premium and VAT above hammer price.

Sara Covelli and Janie Tennant founded Covelli Tenant through their shared love of antique textiles

2 3

Find a good upholsterer/restorer. They are worth their weight in gold. Don’t be scared of buying in bad condition as long as the price is right but be prepared to spend. We bought a sofa for 99p and spent £1,000 doing it up.

Size matters. If you buy a fiveseater sofa, bear in mind it will require a large amount of fabric. Will it get through the front door and fit the space? Shipping also increases the price. Always check the dimensions when buying online – we once took delivery of a full-size zinc château window surround thinking it would make a cloakroom mirror.

Look for interesting shapes. Seek out 1930s shell chairs, elaborate Victorian salon settees, curved Italian 1950s sofas. Buy what appeals to you.

Quality matters. Upcycling a sideboard made of chipboard is always going to look like an upcycled sideboard made of chipboard. Be discerning – open drawers and cupboard doors checking for quality. Check on the back legs of a sofa for any interesting maker’s marks.

Go for age. Synthetics such as foam were introduced in the 1920s, which helps to date a piece but can be toxic and require complete reupholstery. Victorian and Edwardian furniture was built to last and is well worth revamping.

Style. The more elaborate your purchase, the more expensive it will be to upcycle, i.e. a buttoned chair is more work than a plain one. And paint stripping takes hours. We often pay for a professional to do this as older paints can contain toxic materials.

Fabric. Choose carefully. We like a mix of antique and contemporary textiles. If you only have a small amount of a favourite old textile you could supplement it with upholsterer’s hessian, which can look chic and is much cheaper. Buy what you love. Not everything requires work. Think before stripping away that original blue paint finish just because it doesn’t match your kitchen – it will lose value making it harder to resell. Don’t ‘chuck out your chintz’. Original Laura Ashley floral fabric is very sought after and bang up to date. Feel smug. You are being green and saving the planet. Re-using, repurposing and restoring older pieces is what we should aim for in our throwaway society. covellitennant.com @ covellitennant

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SALVAGE SOLUTIONS If you don’t have the time, or inclination, to find your own treasure, there are other ways to buy and borrow second hand MID-CENTURY MAGIC Sandrine Zhang Ferron founded online design marketplace Vinterior in 2015, aimed at vintage lovers who don’t have time to source their own. Her users have a passion for mid to late-20th century design. As she says, ‘Postmodern design, in particular, looks unbelievable in a super modern setting.’ Pair of walnut stools with plasticised and printed fabric by Ico Parisi, £2,215. vinterior.co

HARTH & HOME Harth is a furniture, accessories and art rental platform for borrowing new, nearly new, pre-loved and vintage pieces directly from brands, makers, galleries and dealers. You can also rent out your own design-led items to other users. Harth aims to tackle overproduction and provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to ownership or storage. Jokulsarlon print by Paddy Scott, from £28 a month; Embrace chair by Carl Hansen, from £52.50 a month; Flash table by Tom Dixon, from £14 a month. harth.space

DAIRY DELIGHTS Founder Emma Kennedy visits local auction houses, bringing finds back to her studio, an old Sussex dairy. She draws on her decorative painting background to enhance the charm of each piece using traditional techniques and often vibrant colour. She works with interior designers sourcing to order. Mid-century sideboard, painted and gilded to order, from £550. vintagereclamation.co.uk

A LOT TO LIKE

SOUGHT-AFTER SALVAGE Adam Hills and Maria Speake met while studying at Glasgow School of Art. They founded Retrouvius over 25 years ago and it remains one of the most recognised and loved salvage companies in the interiors world. Maria is also a much sought-after interior designer. Curved bar door handles, £95 each (plus VAT). retrouvius.com

LOT is a new way of buying preowned designer furniture from other designlovers. Furniture is assessed by experts for quality, authenticity and value, and clients keep their items until they are sold. LOT organises delivery. Re-upholstering can be arranged. Chandelier originally commissioned by Dolce and Gabbana’s head office, bought from Birgit Israel. £1,200. lot.co.uk n

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CASE STUDY | ON DESIGN

MAXIMUM IMPACT

Whether you want to enliven a dull corner, rip out the kitchen or go the whole hog with a floor-to-ceiling restoration of your home, these three playful projects show you’re limited only by your own ambition

ALIDAD

MATERIAL WORLD An explosion of pattern and an expert eye create a magical den for daydreaming

‘M

This cosy corner uses 360-degree pattern

y client wanted me to create a space that was multifunctional and cosy, so one could nap, meditate, read or simply sit and take in the wonderful view,’ explains interior designer Alidad of this daybed, created for a guest room in a house that nestles into a rugged landscape. It is typical of his style and attention to detail, which over the last 30 years has garnered a loyal international clientele, that this bedroom corner – a relatively small space in a substantial project – gets the maximum Alidad treatment. An idyllic childhood in Persia, as well as a role working with Islamic art and textiles at Sotheby’s – he was their youngest director but realised he enjoyed styling exhibitions more than the objects themselves – gave Alidad a deep appreciation for history, colour and pattern. It’s little wonder that his finished projects, as here, look like they have evolved over generations. Alidad chose two harmonious fabrics, both interpretations of heritage designs: Hodsoll McKenzie’s Indian Iris, twinned with Tajmahal from Pierre Frey’s Braquenié collection on the headboard and cushion. ‘The ceiling was very low in this area, so by putting the fabric there as well as the walls I was able to create a very cosy, womb-like space,’ he explains. Shutters, both inside and out, provide total blackout at night. Once folded back they frame uninterrupted mountain views. A wall light from Vaughan offers visual balance, transforming the corner from afterthought to elegant alcove. alidad.com

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The lighting moves to fit the client’s rotating art collection; vertical pillow bands make a white headboard practical; the bathroom has lots of little bespoke touches

The key to this grand restoration project was not to take itself too seriously. Irene Gunter injected a real sense of fun into a family home, while respecting the building’s traditional proportions

GUNTER & CO

hen interior designer Irene Gunter was tasked with breathing new life into a Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse in Chelsea, maintaining its original character was a priority. ‘There’s wisteria growing across the front of the house so it has a charming countryside cottage feel that we wanted to keep as much as possible,’ she explains. In the living room that meant restoring the fireplace and enhancing the uneven surface of the walls. ‘We tried to add to the building rather than strip it back unnecessarily, so we worked with a specialist company to develop a polished plaster effect that would create an impression of depth.’ Grey herringbone oak boards from Havwoods were laid across all rooms

on the ground floor for continuity and a Flos Running Magnet track lighting system was installed, so the owner can move lights around when rotating his art collection. Playful details are typical of Gunter’s aesthetic, such as reupholstering a pair of vintage armchairs from Kempton Antiques Market in a surrealistic Timorous Beasties animal print fabric, together with a ‘hedgehog’ table lamp by Porta Romana. ‘The client gave us a lot of freedom to have fun with the look, rather than take it too seriously,’ confirms the designer, who set up her Gunter & Co practice in Chelsea five years ago. Her sophisticated-with-a-twist approach is also in evidence in

PHOTOS: © MARK BOLTON

GEORGIAN BEAUTY

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PHOTOS: © MARK BOLTON

CASE STUDY | ON DESIGN

the bedroom of the client’s teenage daughter. Here, smart vintage bedside tables and mid-century lamps have been paired with cushions in William Morris fabric and a series of quirky animal prints by American photographer Sharon Montrose, displayed in oval frames above the bed. ‘On their own, the bedside tables might look disproportionate for the size of the room, so we added a sense of grandeur by wrapping the headboard around them,’ she explains. ‘To make the white colour choice more practical, we took an idea that was popular in Mediterranean houses in the 1960s and combined Holland & Sherry fabrics to make vertical pillow bands.’ At the rear of the house, a wing extension was added and given the

same architectural detailing as the rest of the property. ‘Rather than attach a jarring glass box onto the back, I prefer to be more sympathetic,’ she says. One room in this new-build element is the family bathroom, which is based around wood-panelled tongue and groove walls, inspired by The Hamptons. ‘It’s such an easygoing style to live with and practically teenage-proof – any scuff marks can just be wiped off with a cloth,’ adds Gunter, who tested out the look in her own home first. Bespoke features include the drawer unit made by Rochford Art, painted red to match the Hermès fabric used in the blind; Catalano’s classic Canova Royal vanity stand, originally in chrome but refinished

in brass, and the stencilled pattern on the side of the freestanding bath, from Hurlingham The Bath Company. Looking back, it seems Gunter was always destined for a career in design. As a child, she spent hours rebuilding her Lego houses and moving her bedroom furniture (‘my parents would often hear the screech of cupboards across the floor,’ she recalls), but it wasn’t until after a spell working in the European Parliament that she switched careers and went to study at the Inchbald School of Design. The rest is interiors history. ‘I like creating spaces that are luxurious and comfortable, but also put a smile on someone’s face: that’s what I strive to do in all my designs,’ she concludes. gunterandco.com

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ON DESIGN | CASE STUDY

Poured concrete surfaces cleverly smarten up Magnet cabinets

HOME ECONOMICS Having lived on site during major renovations to her house a few years ago, Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors recognised that further change would be beneficial to her growing family

VSP INTERIORS

hen you have emerged from the rigours of a house revamp, including plumbing, rewiring and decorating, most of it in your own hands, there is inevitably a strong temptation to hang up your hard hat and live with the results of your labour forever. Not so Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors, who recently completed phase two of her home, a converted carriage house and stables near Dorchester. ‘When we first moved seven years ago, the property housed more scurrying creatures than humans, but we made it habitable within 12 weeks and started creating a family home.’ With three children, she had contentedly lived with the ground floor divided into separate rooms, including a kitchen. Perfect for a young family’s needs – eating, laundry and the odd

tricycle rampage. But with the advent of teenagers it was time for a rethink. ‘We took out three walls, which lost a utility room and downstairs bathroom, to make one big space.’ There was no need to change the kitchen units that she’d put in first time around. ‘I chose simple white cupboards from Magnet and added an unpolished concrete worktop,’ she explains, before adding, with a smile, ‘we had to pipe wet concrete through the kitchen window into wooden frames lined with bin bags’. Once the structural changes were complete, Henriette used her decorating expertise to bring warmth and comfort to the new area. ‘I painted the walls in Farrow & Ball Studio Green, to give definition and because it’s an excellent backdrop for art, which I love.’ She also created defined areas. ‘I have a large table in here for friends and family entertainment. I am a keen cook and enjoy chatting with everyone nearby.’ The kitchen floor was her next focus. Originally a plain concrete finish, Henriette added painted grey chequerboards.

‘It needed something to keep the floor from looking too bland and uninteresting,’ she explains. Other pieces in the room stayed as they were, including StchuMoon lights over the island, from Catellani & Smith, a moving-in gift from her husband. Henriette is half-Austrian, half-German and her grandmother lived in a wing of Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna when her great-grandfather was Minister of Education. So she inherited some imposing furniture, but none quite right for this room. The Robert Kime chest was found at auction, where she often sources pieces for clients, and she topped it with marble to make it more practical as a drinks bar. Two Porta Romana lamps sit at each end, with Rosi de Ruig shades for a touch of colour. ‘The painting I bought in New York about twenty years ago and never had enough space to hang as it is vast. It makes me happy to see it shine to maximum impact against dark green walls’, she says. Now she really can hang up her hard hat and concentrate on her clients’ projects. Job done. vspinteriors.com n

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Henriette topped this Robert Kime chest with marble, making it into a unique drinks bar

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BATHING BEAUTIES

By championing new ideas and securing designer collaborations, C.P. Hart is at the forefront of bathroom design

t’s probably safe to say that when deciding on a new bathroom, the majority of people like to look at the widest and newest selection of basins, taps and tubs possible before making up their mind. This is where bathroom designer and retailer C.P. Hart comes in. Thanks to the company’s close collaborations with product designers, most of the world’s leading manufacturers choose C.P. Hart to reveal their new designs in Britain – many of them exclusively. Not only that, but by sourcing products directly from Europe and adapting them so that they are compatible with UK standards, the retailer has been responsible for launching some of the most talked-about ranges by luminaries such as Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio and Marcel Wanders, as well as introducing fresh design talent. The flagship showroom under the arches in Waterloo is equally unique. A state-of-the-art hub for architects, residential developers, hoteliers and interior designers (clients include the

likes of Kit Kemp and Tomasz Starzewski), it houses an exhibition gallery of the latest prototypes and trends, a café bar and a samples and materials library. C.P. Hart offers a design service that will guide customers through the entire bathroom buying process, producing bespoke drawings and elevations that help visualise the final layout and proposing clever solutions, especially when space is tight. All products have been vigorously tested by one of the in-house team to ensure that safety standards are met and the retailer has an Approved Installer Service, a nationwide network of accredited installers, each recommended for the quality of their work but also to minimise the inevitable disruption that comes with fitting a new bathroom. In all 15 of the C.P. Hart showrooms, clients can observe products first-hand – which is especially useful with relatively new concepts such as washlets from Toto or wellness rooms from Effegibi – and browse the current palette of bath and basin

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PROMOTION

colours. This year, C.P. Hart has also introduced its own collections of modern brassware: there’s the award-winning SO, which comes in eight customisable metallic finishes; the elegant Spillo series of slender taps, basins, bath mixers and shower fittings produced at a dedicated manufacturing plant in Italy; and Mast, made from low lead brass, which combines clean lines with an eco-friendly cartridge that controls water usage. There is a new range of contemporary porcelain tiles to inspire too, from the non-enamelled Boeri in a trio of neutral colours to brick-shaped, glazed ceramic Renna in vibrant shades, which has a decadent, glossy finish. The Rossi blends the elegance and opulence of natural Onyx with the practicality of porcelain, while The Elia is a sophisticated blend of light grey shades and dark grey veining. ‘Porcelain tiles are fantastic and a genuine alternative to real stone,’ says Yousef Mansuri, head of design at C.P. Hart. ‘As ink-jet technology has improved over the last ten years, manufacturers have begun to create some of the most beautiful and realistic stone lookalikes. A strong non-porous surface with a reduced weight, a porcelain tile wall or floor is incredibly easy to maintain, and will stay looking clean and smooth for years.’ It’s not just the innovative products and immersive showrooms that set C.P. Hart apart though – it’s the knowledge of the company’s consultants, who make the experience of choosing a bathroom as informative, easy and fun as it can possibly be. ‘Whether you are installing a micro lavatory or a suite of luxurious bathrooms, expertise and attention to detail are vital. Many of our customers are repeat customers and that’s because they know guidance and design flair are vital,’ Mansuri concludes. cphart.co.uk

FROM TOP LEFT: C.P. Hart Exclusive Rossi Tiles, available in a Natural or Polished finish; C.P. Hart flagship showroom, located under the arches in Waterloo; Fima ‘So’ in Brushed Brass; Design Moodboard displaying Dornbracht Meta in Dark Platinum Matt and C.P. Hart Exclusive tiles

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BEST IN CL ASS Outstanding boat design that has caught the eye of Lydia Gard

Andrew Winch designed the 80m Excellence to be ‘extraordinary’

Nomad bucks the usual design trends

the Amels in-house team. Neutral satin-finish sycamore with chrome and leather sets the tone, while quirky furnishings are homely for the owner’s young family. Design addicts will clock the Hervé Van der Straeten bronze lamps, custom silk rugs by Tai Ping, and accents from Holly Hunt, Hellman-Chang, Bright and Troscan. The RWD interiors for two Feadship superyachts, 96m Faith and 73m Hasna, both triumphed at the World Superyacht Awards last year. RWD’s latest project, in collaboration with Benetti, is the newly-launched, flagship gigayacht IJE, named after owner James Packer’s three children, Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle. Mauro Izzo and the Benetti team logged 500,000 work hours on the 108m yacht’s interior design, and rumour has it the effort has paid off. At 77m, GO is undeniably one of the finest megayachts in the world.

PHOTOS: © MARK BOLTON; © TOM VAN OOSSANEN; © GUILLAUME PLISSON

hen Andrew Winch was retained to design the 80m Excellence yacht, the brief from Herb Chambers was for it to be ‘extraordinary’, reflecting the owner’s passion for his car collection. ‘Silver weave fabric and curved leather panels nod towards the dashboards of the most luxurious sports cars in his collection,’ says Winch. ‘The inspiration for the vanity units in the statement day heads comes from the curve of the seats in the outstanding Ferrari Daytona,’ he adds. Having worked with engineers Abeking and Rasmussen before, the result is a bar-raising feat of design and innovation. Launched in July, the latest Amels Limited Editions 180, Nomad, breaks the mould. Her owner wanted to bring personality to its 55m, and brought Californian firm Bonesteel Trout Hall to create customised interiors alongside

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YACHTS | ON DESIGN

It took 500,000 hours to create the interior of IJE

Designed by H2 and built by Turquoise Yachts, her owner’s brief was to create a rich and sumptuous interior, with intricate detailing and a high level of craftsmanship. Turquoise’s concept of ‘water in motion’ drew on the hull’s colour and was picked up across everything from fabrics, artwork and leathers to the Amazonite marble and thick slabs of turquoise onyx: it’s a right royal showstopper. When Oyster Yacht’s new owner refitted his 27m sailing yacht Lush recently, the brief was for a modern twist to a classical look. With intricate elements like ebony inlay in burr

walnut, and dark oak throughout, the result has instant impact. The most striking addition is the saloon’s backlit bar, made of cross-cut tiger onyx. Vitters-built 33m sailing sloop Ribelle has a restrained palette within a meticulously-created design by Rémi Tessier that showcases its exceptional artisanal elements. Gleaming copper bands, for example, cover carbon frames, to counter the darkly tinted glass. The built-in furniture has strong architectural lines and gorgeous organic curves, but the masterstroke is the reversed layout of the master suite. n

PHOTOS: © MARK BOLTON; © TOM VAN OOSSANEN; © GUILLAUME PLISSON

ABOVE & BELOW: GO uses touches of turquoise to tie the project together

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ON DESIGN | Q&A

CARYN HIB B ERT

Founder and creative director of country house destination, Thyme

LIT T L E BL ACK BOOK

Caryn Hibbert

Most recent find? I simply love Maison Charles vintage lights. Watkins & Adams sourced some brilliant ones for the Ox Barn with brass horse heads – perfect, Maison Charles as horses used to be kept vintage light there. And now I’ve got my eye on a light with a beautiful corn cob in brass. House warming present? My favourite thing to give is a freshly home-baked loaf of sourdough and a baker’s dozen of eggs from the farm. Unsung design hero? All of the artisans and craftsmen who helped in the restoration of Thyme: dry stone wallers, stone masons, blacksmiths, carpenters and specialist plasterers. All those who create with love and care, contributing in small ways, the sum of which has created something rather wonderful.

Whose home would you most like to have a nose around? Can I

What should never have seen the light of day?

have two? I can’t pick between Jasper Conran and David Attenborough.

ART Chris Levine. chrislevine.com LITTLE LUXURIES Castle Brook sparkling wine. castlebrookvineyard.co.uk

Single-use plastics. Where do you find inspiration? Day dreaming

Which designers do you have your eye on? I love Richard

Thyme

in our water meadows, surrounded by wild flowers and bird song, or on the plains of Africa with Nomad Tanzania, quietly watching elephants graze – it stole my heart from the first moment.

PLATES Alix D. Reynis. alixdreynis.com

Quinn’s bold use of pattern. What do you collect? Seed pods and garden sculptures. What’s beside your bed? Richard Quinn

What’s the last piece of art you bought? Two paintings

by Laura Sednaoui from her recent show at Asthall Manor. They are bright and cheerful and give any room, new or old, a happy feeling.

My phone and a copy of Wild Land by Peter and Beverly Pickford (pictured left). How can we live more self-sufficiently? By

eating locally, seasonally and respectfully, and buying with care – and in doing so supporting artisans with honest and inspiring stories.

GLASSWARE Murano. originalmurano glass.com

GIFTS Bertioli by Thyme. thyme.co.uk

What are you currently working on? Our new retail

Tanzania is endlessly inspiring

space at Thyme. I’m so excited to be working with my children, Charlie and Milly, and it will be a wonderful way for people to have a little bit of Thyme at home. thyme.co.uk n

TILES Bert & May. bertandmay.com

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FOR THE VERY BEST OF COUNTRY & TOWN

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ONDESIGN INTERIORS FOCUS | Edited by CAROLE ANNETT

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Natural oak Theatre chair and burr poplar veneer writing desk, both by Rose Uniacke, on display in the Pimlico Road showroom. roseuniacke.com

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ON DESIGN | THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

DESIGN BY NUMBERS Speaking figuratively about Riviereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Orissa rug

150

8 MONTHS TO MAKE EACH ONE

KNOTS PER SQ/INCH

used: NEW ZEALAND 2 Materials wool and raw hand-spun Indian silk

20 2

pieces made DAYS TO DYE EACH RUG

WEAVERS TO HANDMAKE IN JAIPUR

45kg

OF MATERIAL USED PER RUG

275x365 x cm x365

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Ironically, ‘je ne ne sais saisquoi’ quoi’ Ironically, there there is is aa certain certain ‘je to to our our wines. wines.

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The smaller, lesser-known African Forest Elephant has lost more than 60% of its entire population within less than two decades. They are suffering a fate far worse than their savannah elephant cousins.

Help us get boots on the ground The African Forest Elephant Foundation (AFEF) is fundraising for rangers and eco-guards that protect the Central African rainforests and the elephants that call it home. AFEF aims to provide new high quality boots and five pairs of durable socks to 500 rangers and eco-guards across Central Africa who work tirelessly out in the field to protect forest elephants and their habitat.

Visit our website to donate: www.forestelephants.org/bootsontheground

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EAT DRINK ESCAPE

FOOD & TRAVEL C A M B O D I A

L A O S

ART OF REVIVAL Caiti Grove learns traditional textile techniques in Laos, and discovers a creative renaissance in Cambodia

Social enterprise Ock Pop Tok in Luang Prabang, Laos, employs 78 local women to produce beautiful clothing, rugs and soft furnishings

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reaking up a sappan tree is hard work. I position the machete’s curve close to the edge of the timber and then hammer the side with a block of harder, darker ebony. Just as it’s becoming addictive BOOK IT – voilà – a bit breaks off. Success is sweet. Cox & Kings offers This is Ock Pop Tok, a social enterprise in Luang a ten-night trip to Cambodia and Prabang, Laos, where women learn traditional textile Laos from £3,395 craft skills and visitors get a few hours’ training in per person (based handicrafts. Set up in 2000 by Englishwoman Joanna on two people sharing). The trip Smith and Laotian Veomanee Douangdala, they now includes flights, employ 78 women to make rugs, clothes and furnishings. transfers, guiding Behind me, a line of aluminium pots bubble with water, and some meals. coxandkings.co.uk not for cooking but dyeing, as each cooks a single ingredient to create a different colour. One is waiting for the shards The trip includes three nights of wood to turn the water plum and, with it, napkins and at Belmond silk table runners. Lemongrass is for light yellow, boiled La Résidence teak makes pink and jackfruit a golden yellow. In a bowl, d’Angkor and three nights at Belmond pummelled indigo leaves turn the fabrics to turquoise. The La Résidence Phou same leaves are fermented in a vat for a week, producing navy. Vao, both on The room we’re working in is open on three sides, the a B&B basis. belmond.com roof held up by entire tree trunks. To the right, in a little garden strung with washing lines, my group hangs their finished work to dry, before retreating to a treehouse to eat spicy green papaya salad. Before us, the Mekong river slips past and fishermen in conicalshaped hats wait patiently in narrow long-tail boats for their next catch. More than the ‘bear’ necessities Downriver, the Kuang Si Falls at Belmond La Résidence Phou Vao cascade into pools, where visitors

swim in crystal waters overhung by trailing trees. Nearby, little moon bears play in a fenced compound – the size and temperament of a group of three-year-olds, they scramble around on a huge wooden climbing frame. On the ground, six-foot-tall adult bears lounge starshaped, their bellies to the sky. Up in the mountains, guests at Belmond La Résidence Phou Vao are relaxing – much like the bears – next to the forest-backed pool. The décor here is Jay Gatsby meets Marguerite Duras – a French colonial wilderness of whitewashed walls, wooden shutters, dark rosewood furniture and swirling teak fans. Palm trees and enormous lobster claw plants (heliconia rostrata) surround the poolside restaurant, which serves French cuisine with Laotian details (lighter flavours than Gallic cooking, with much more spice and colour – delicious). Monks in Luang Prabang have to wait for the dawn echo of the gong before collecting their food alms. Committed to the religious life as young as six, they’re barefoot and swathed in orange robes as they file under the temple’s golden stupa arch to meet the village faithful, shoes set aside, who wait with containers of freshly-cooked sticky rice that they place in metal bowls hung from the monks’ necks. Cicadas and crickets purr in the trees as the day warms. There’s even a little rice paddy field where hotel guests can don traditional blue outfits – smart crossover jackets and those conical hats. Barefoot in the squelchy mud (easier than wellies), we plant new seeds and replant developed ones, crushing the husks of harvested grain in a big wooden mill. Just a 90-minute plane ride south, Siem Reap is home to Cambodia’s crown jewel, Angkor Wat. The largest shrine in

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS AND BATIA SAREM GALLERY; © ROUNRY

Home, Lost and Found exhibition in 2018 at Batia Sarem Gallery

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FOOD & TRAVEL

The art scene is thriving at Cambodia’s Batia Sarem Gallery

the world, it was built as a Hindu temple to the god Vishnu but became Buddhist post-conquest, at the end of the 12th century. Around it, the city bustles with reckless Vespas, often loaded with children or live chickens in baskets, while open vans rattle with bottles destined for a bar. On the banks of the Siem Reap River, Belmond La Résidence d’Angkor is a shady nook of draped bougainvillea and palm trees that soar up to first-floor teak terraces. Cream canvas umbrellas surround a saltwater swimming pool that’s fringed with frangipani flowers and blissed-out tourists – who find themselves endlessly postponing their temple-visiting plans until tomorrow. In the teak bar guests drink Kampot Pepper Martinis under the gaze of portraits by local artist Christian Develter. Inspired by the facial tattoos of Chin women from Myanmar, their glassy skin is etched with pink, or with white lines over a blue complexion. Last December, Yves Zlotowski and Lyvann Loeuk opened Batia Sarem here, the Cambodian outpost of two contemporary art galleries in Saint Germain des Prés, Paris – a well-heeled area where seven-euro coffees are standard and the church fête raffle receives a Louis Vuitton handbag every year. Chickens on motorbikes aside, does Siem Reap shares similarities with its Parisian counterpart? ‘It is open to the world,’ Yves tells me. ‘The city has a special atmosphere. It is green, not too busy and laid-back.’ These white gallery walls might feel uncharted territory, but they’re fed by the city’s culture. ‘We want more Cambodians to visit and ... and the salt water one at hear reactions to their contemporary artists,’ he says. Belmond’s Angkor Watt outpost Across town, artist Lim Muy Theam also promotes Cambodian culture, but with traditional crafts and long-lost skills. Having fled the country as a child, following the terror of the Khmer Rouge regime and Vietnam’s 1978 invasion, he arrived in France in 1980, aged 11, and went on to study painting at the Fine Art School in Paris. On return to his native Cambodia, Lim visited temples and private homes to find hidden ceramics and squirrelledaway art – bits of buried history that the Khmer Rouge had neglected to destroy. He’s filled Theam House with his finds, using them to educate both visitors and locals, and now trains artisan apprentices to create lacquer work and carved wooden sculptures that are sold from his shop. Galleries like these will help rebuild Cambodia’s artistic heritage, almost deleted during the decades of war. Both here and in Laos, artists and craftsmen want to relearn the skills of the past as well as embrace new techniques and outlooks for the future. They are poised to bloom – and every visitor should witness this brave creative renaissance. n

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS AND BATIA SAREM GALLERY; © ROUNRY

GUESTS DRINK KAMPOT PEPPER MARTINIS UNDER THE GAZE OF PORTRAITS – BY LOCAL ARTIST CHRISTIAN DEVELTER – INSPIRED BY THE FACIAL TATTOOS OF CHIN WOMEN FROM MYANMAR

Christian Develter’s work is inspired by Chin tattoo art

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PROMOTION

GREAT ESCAPES For holiday villas that boast serious art and design credentials, The Thinking Traveller is the only name you need to know

n order to switch off completely, a holiday needs to help you to escape from reality for a week or two. Atmosphere is everything when it comes to leaving behind the hum-drum of the daily grind, which is why we’re always after something a little extra when it comes to accommodation. Step in The Thinking Traveller, whose collection of contemporary design villas is just the ticket. From slick minimalist buildings, engineered in glass and steel, to quirky Italian Baroque palazzos filled with modern art, there’s something to tickle all tastes. Each property is hand selected by its expert team. Believe us when we say that they’re incredibly picky – only accepting one per cent of villas that approach them. Not only does that mean complete peace of mind when it comes to quality, but also guests benefit from The Thinking Traveller’s longstanding relationships with its property owners, as no other travel company has 100 per cent exclusive access to its villas. The team – whether at HQ or on-the-ground – know their properties inside out, regularly visiting regions and villas so that the advice, tips and secret spots they offer are bang up to date. Its network of experienced Local Concierges are on hand 24/7 for guests’ convenience. They know their areas like the back of their hands, meaning you can avoid the tourist traps and go off piste to live like a local. It’s like having a human guidebook in your pocket. And this doesn’t end with just superb local knowledge. Think Experiences also offers a series of unique and transformational expeditions, whether it’s something as simple as having a case of wine from the local vineyard awaiting your arrival, to chartering helicopter flights or a guided archaeological tour with a PHD-qualified guide. So whether your personal preference is for striking modern architecture, a cosy traditional trulli, or easy breezy summer beach house, make The Thinking Traveller your personal guide to the Mediterranean. Its expert knowledge, insider encyclopedia and stunningly unique properties make it the first choice for discerning travellers.

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WO R K S O F A R T Art and design take centre stage at these four fabulous rental villas, which look more like they walked out of the pages of an architectural magazine than your holiday photo album

Palazzo Gorgoni, Puglia

Casa Vera, Sicily

The contemporary design of this spectacular Sicilian casa belies a subtle artistic soul, where chiaroscuro effects evolve to the rhythms of the sun’s passing and proportions evoke Leonardo da Vinci’s golden ratio. Cool, soothing concrete grey runs both inside and out, a perfect foil to the vibrant colours of the surrounding countryside, the dark cobalt pool and the shimmering sea on the horizon.

Here’s how to restore a late 18th-century palazzo with panache: have fun, put your passion into it and embrace its original character. This is exactly what the owner of Palazzo Gorgoni has done, resulting in a grand-dame of a building that charms, delights and pampers. Even after a week in residence, guests will find themselves chuckling and cooing at the wonder of it all.

Cala d’Istria, Corsica

If Bond villains went on holiday, Cala d’Istria is exactly the sort of slick space they would look to retreat to. Spacious, elegant and with spectacular sea views, it’s bound to leave your enemies (and friends) green with envy. Best of all is the easy access on foot to a stretch of sandy beach. An extremely desirable home from home.

Alati Cove, Paxos, the Ionian Islands

This architecturally striking villa has been designed to quietly blend into its idyllic island location. Add to that imaginatively designed interiors, ingeniously conceived outdoor areas and a unique pool area, with direct access to a secluded pebbly beach and the Ionian Sea beyond and you’ve OFFER: For a limited period, secure your villa(s) for set the perfect setting, 2020/21 with an initial cocoon-like setting for 10 per cent deposit, followed a fully relaxing holiday. by a further 20 per cent deposit payable by 1 Dec 2019. Not valid for online bookings. Conditions apply.

+44 (0)20 7377 8518 thethinkingtraveller.com

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FOOD & TRAVEL

TEN REASONS WHY I LOVE... LOVE STORY

The secret of a successful romantic interlude in Venice is to get lost. Leave behind the crowds at San Marco and wander a long quiet canals and dusty squares, refuelling in neighbourhood osterie. Then back to your hotel, where, if the spell is not to be broken, atmosphere is everything. Always try for a room with a view: book well in advance for high season, or consider a winter break: the crowds disperse, prices are low, and that perfect room with a view is far more likely to be yours.

T R A V E L

LOCANDA CIPRIANI, Torcello, Italy

1 2

It’s the most romantic hotel I know...

... Especially when the tourists have gone home and only nine full-time residents are left on the island…

N E W S

THE HOTEL WIZARD Fiona Duncan gets lost in the Floating City

... Which is the cradle of the Venetian civilisation, where the city first began…

... But now with just two enigmatic, beautiful churches to show for its once glorious past.

In the basilica you can climb the campanile for a wonderful view of the lagoon…

... And let the Madonna’s coal black eyes, in the great mosaic above the basilica’s altar, pierce you with her gaze.

The feel, in the Locanda’s restaurant, of a rustic inn combined with a sophisticated restaurant, with splendid, traditionally dressed waiters and the finest Venetian food.

A ROOM WITH A VIEW 1 La Residenza There’s a legendary smell of cats (or is it cabbage?) in the entrance and bedrooms are standard, but the beautiful stucco hall makes a memorable setting for breakfast, with views on to charming Campo Bandiera e Moro (venicelaresidenza.com). 2 Bucintoro Every room has a lagoon view and is flooded with Venetian light. Corner rooms, with windows on to both St Mark’s Basin and the Doge’s Palace, are the most sought after (hotelbucintoro.com). 3 American-Dinesen Set in a peaceful backwater, try for one of the nine canal bedrooms, especially numbers 14 and 23 (hotelamerican.it).

The large garden with its pergolas and lawns.

The five charming, white painted, antique furnished first-floor bedrooms, where Ernest Hemingway wrote Across the River and Into the Trees.

The nightingales that sing in the hedges on the way to the vaporetto that will take you back to Venice.

CHECK OUT Great to see EatDrinkSleep, a small, family-owned business with two inns (Gurnard’s Head and Old Coastguard) in Cornwall and another in Wales (Felin Fach Griffin) win the prestigious Restaurant Wine List of the Year Award. Richly deserved. eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Doubles from €240. locandacipriani.com

ON TH E T R AV EL R A DA R PLUG IN I’ve been tuning in to fellow Country & Town House columnist Holly Rubenstein’s new podcast, The Travel Diaries. Each week, Holly chats to guests (from Sir Richard Branson to Sir Ranulph Fiennes) about the travel experiences that have shaped their lives. Wanderlust guaranteed. Available on all podcast platforms now.

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PROMOTION

COUNTRY FILES Le Chameau presents the first in a series of insider’s weekend guides. First up, Cornwall

Make the most of empty beaches

ornwall’s beauty is no secret. But come autumn, back to school means that the packed beaches thin out and you can enjoy it all to yourself. Padstow, St Ives and the Eden Project are all worthy of their fame, but we find that these off-the-beaten-track alternatives show a secret side to Cornwall that will keep you coming back for more.

CAFÉ SOCIETY Coombeshead Farm

SLOW SUNDAYS Tom Adams is living out our rural fantasy, swapping life at his London barbecue, Pitt Cue for 66 acres of Cornish meadows near Launceston, where he dishes up produce from his farm. The bread at the on-site bakery has become something of a cult and must be pre-ordered. Even better, you can take a slow baking Sunday course and learn the secrets of their country sourdough, from the starter to proving, shaping and baking. The perfect rainy-day activity. £125 per person. coombesheadfarm.co.uk Trés bonne Trevibban

There are beach cafés and then there are beach cafés. The Hidden Hut on Porthcurnick beach definitely falls into the latter, where you can tuck into barbecued mackerel caught that day. Bring thick woolly jumpers and wine for one of the ‘feasts nights’ – all the atmosphere of holding your own evening beach barbecue, without the faff. hiddenhut.co.uk

RAISE A GLASS Slow Sunday baking Make for the Minack

Cornish sparkling wine is giving Champagne a run for its money. Now it’s harvest time, the vineyards will be hubs of activity. Everyone else will be at Camel Valley, so you should go to Trevibban Mill, just a few miles inland of Padstow. This spot is best enjoyed with a glass of its Harlyn white (named after a local beach), in its wildflower meadow wine terrace. trevibbanmill.com

SEA STAGE Rowena Cade was a little eccentric perhaps, but way ahead of her time. In the early 19th century, she put on open-air productions of Shakespeare, later converting a rocky outcrop at the bottom her garden into a Roman amphitheatre-style stage overlooking the Atlantic. A night at the Minack Theatre is likely to be one of the most unforgettable. minack.com

Wherever you go and whatever the weather, always be prepared by keeping a pair of Le Chameau in the boot of the car. When you know. Le Chameau. lechameau.com

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FOOD & TRAVEL Avoid peak season to enjoy Baja California’s wild side... and we don’t mean Spring Break

THE ESSENTIALS

STAY Nobu Los Cabos is both luxurious and far enough away from the madding crowd that you can truly switch off. Designed with simplicity in mind, it achieves the perfect equilibrium of Japanese and Mexican craft traditions. loscabos.nobuhotels.com

T H E

W E E K E N D E R

LOS CABOS

Stock-up on souvenirs at Cabo San Lucas

Swap tourists for turtles to see the authentic side of this vibrant Mexican hub, says Hannah Berry George

s the summer draws to a close in the UK, the season is soon beginning in Los Cabos – and though the touristy side to this part of the world remains, there is also enough natural beauty to make David Attenborough proud. While away your days in a private cabaña at the new Nobu Los Cabos, where you can enjoy the beach, whale watching and even the odd turtle, depending on the time of year. Then sip on some of the finest tequilas this good country has to offer, before you work on your par at two of the world’s top golf courses (one designed by Tiger Woods) –

Lands End Cabo San Lucas

available only to those who are fortunate enough to own a pad on Diamante Cabo San Lucas, and Nobu Los Cabos guests. Outside of the hotel, relish all that this aquatic haven has to offer – from the waterfalls of Sierra de la Laguna to the second largest reef in the world at Cabo Pulmo. Take in the cactus-laden scapes as far as the eye can see, then slip out of your wetsuit and into something a little more comfortable to soak up the art district and old town of San José del Cabo, all before heading back to your plush Nobu suite, equipped with its very own butler. n

EAT Los Tamarindos is an organic farm and restaurant where you can learn to cook beautiful Mexican-Mediterranean fusion (lostamarindos.mx).For modern Mexican, try La Lupita (pictured above) (lalupitatym.com). BUY For leather goods head to the town of Miraflores. There are markets inland at Cabo San Lucas, where you can barter your way to a bargain on all sorts of brightly-coloured Mexican paraphernalia.

DO Book yourself in for a tequila tasting with N ēstor Can Jones. (Nota bene: if the tequila is good, there’s no need for salt.) If you want to celeb spot, then stake out the One&Only Palmilla (pictured above) – where John Travolta had his surprise 50th birthday.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

BOOK IT The main season runs from October to May and is popular with American tourists, so best avoid Spring Break, Sammy Hagar’s (of Van Halen) birthday, and the Christmas and New Year periods if you wish to avoid the crowds. Doubles at Nobu Los Cabos from £350. nobuhotels.com.

SEE Situated along the sea, Los Cabos is great for surfing, whale watching (from mid-January to mid-March) and, if you’re lucky, seeing turtles come on land to lay eggs. But for true diveheads, Cabo Pulmo is the place to be, with the second biggest reef in the world. San José provides an old-town escape, with a solid art scene.

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CAMBODIA

REAPING BENEFITS

From civil unrest to tourism honeypot, Cambodia’s hotels have seriously upped their game, says Mary Lussiana

Six Senses Krabey Island

Alila Villas Koh Russey

In the Koh Rong archipelago, just minutes from the Cambodian mainland, Alila Villas Koh Russey, sits on a magnificent 1.2km stretch of golden beach, from which you can safely swim. Its design is inspired by the traditional checked Khmer Krama garment, with cubic villas built in gunmetal grey with flat roofs and slick vertical lines. Hardwood floors, dark volcanic stone and steel are softened by the woven silk fabrics and the

ikat cushions which decorate the rooms. The beachfront villas have their own pools, while a huge swimming pool, which from above mimics the outline of Angkor Wat, serves the pavilions. Food fuses French dining with local ingredients in poolside Horizon, while the thatched Beach Shack offers authentic Khmer dishes and Asian favourites, from satay to spring rolls. alilahotels.com

This magical, magical place is found just off Cambodia’s mainland in the Koh Rong archipelago. There are 40 villas, each with their own pool, and spacious interiors with huge bathrooms with freestanding tubs and generous rain showers and bedrooms with Six Senses trademark billowing, muslinclad beds and views out to that unique Cambodian sunset. The food is worth the journey alone. Tree serves Khmer dishes with a modern twist such as the traditional Amok re-fashioned with local mud crab and a scattering of Khmer spices and Aha with its delicious sashimi of cobia with spicy koh kong sauce, ginger and lime leaves, perched above the 27m-long swimming pool. Wellness, a pillar of the Six Senses group, is well represented here in the spa – in fact, you may never want to leave this island. sixsenses.com

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FOOD & TRAVEL

Rosewood Phnom Penh

Shinta Mani Wild

Marking a new departure for Cambodia, Shinta Mani Wild opens up the country’s interior with its Bill Bensley designed – and owned – tented camp nestled in the Cardamom Mountains. Fifteen vast tents are dotted along the edge of the thundering Tmor Rung River, some within sight of the ‘Raging Sisters’ waterfalls. They are so far apart from each other that a bath tub sits on the edge of the open deck. Bold and brilliant fabrics jostle with antique treasures that Bensley has collected over the years supporting the theme of colonial-style glamour referencing Jackie Kennedy’s visit to Cambodia in 1967 as a guest of King Sihanouk. The adventurous can zip-line in to the camp, fly-fish or hop on a motorbike with the Wildlife Alliance to patrol for poachers. This is an authentic Cambodia that delves deep in a way that other resorts don’t reach. bensleycollection.com

Immediately a landmark on the Phnom Penh skyline, the Rosewood is housed on the top 14 floors of the Vattanac Capital Tower, with its Sky Bar, Sora, overlooking the Mekong River the goto place for sundowners. With rooms designed by Melbourne’s BAR Studio and restaurants courtesy of Tokyo-based Bond Design Studio,, art proliferates here brought together by SV Design, blending contemporary aesthetics with aspects of Cambodian culture, in pieces such as woven baskets, ceramic sculptures, metal artefacts and lacquer. Among the five restaurants French-influenced Cambodian cuisine is represented alongside the Japanese izakaya-style in Iza Restaurant. The spa, fitness centre, cigar and whisky lounge and 175 guestrooms furnished with dark wood, brass, mosaics and ikatpatterned carpets complete the picture as custom-made tuk-tuks do the experience. rosewoodhotels.com

BOOK IT: Wix Squared offers three nights at Shinta Mani Wild (all inclusive), three

nights at Alila Koh Russey, two nights at Six Senses Krabey Island and two nights at the Rosewood Phnom Penh, from £4,550pp, including transfers, a private morning street food tour and private afternoon architectural tour in Phnom Penh. Flights not included. 020 3808 6383. wixsquared.com n October 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 155

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FOOD & TRAVEL

Q & A

THE BUCKET LIST

Paloma Faith is a Londoner through and through, finds Holly Rubenstein Childhood memories in Ravello, Italy

What destination most reminds you of childhood holidays? Ravello on the Amalfi Coast.

I’m very nostalgic about it. I used to go there every summer because my aunt married a man from there. I have friends who I grew up with playing on the beach, and we text each other every year to see who is going.

Paloma Faith

You’ve spent your career touring the world. Which performance location was the most memorable?

What is your favourite city?

For me, Glasgow audiences are the most memorable. They really know how to have a good time in Scotland, and they give a lot back which is very tangible for me as the performer. I feel very European, and when I’m in Glasgow I feel that I’m in a very European place.

London – I’m a Londoner through and through. But to visit, it’s Lisbon. The food is incredible, lots of seafood, good wine and they certainly know what to do with cod and potatoes. The fact that you can go to the beach one day and have a full city experience the next – culturally it’s got a lot to offer.

Lisbon makes for a fantastic city break

When you need to unwind, where do you escape to? I have a

If you had to recommend one destination for someone to visit, which would it be? Tokyo, Japan. It was

one of the most memorable trips I’ve ever done. It’s brilliant if you’re a bit of a culture vulture, like me. I like modern culture, and they’re always on the edge of it through their fashion and music – they really invest in subculture.

Burano, Venice

real fondness for Italy and, in the summer months, it’s my go to. I speak the language, I love the food and I’m never disappointed anywhere (apart from, maybe, Rimini). Florence, Venice, Rome, Amalfi Coast, Sardinia, Puglia – they’re all amazing.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Paloma would recommend a trip to Tokyo to anyone

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WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST? I’D LOVE TO SEE MORE OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA. I’D LIKE TO GO TO COSTA RICA, PUERTO RICO, ARGENTINA, BRAZIL… The Bowery in New York understands the spirit of the city

How about the best hotel you’ve stayed in? The Bowery in New York embodies the

spirit of the city. I always meet people in the bar downstairs and have interesting conversations. Plus, it has nice beds and nice sheets, which are the key to everything. The other one is a really cute little hotel called Bourg Tibourg in Paris. There’s no room to swing a cat in the rooms, but I find it evocative and it makes me feel creative. It’s a good writers’ hotel. Ghana, a place where wealth and poverty are polarised Brazil is on Paloma’s bucket list

What is your idea of travel hell? An 18 to 30s holiday to

Magaluf. I went on one to Ibiza which was pretty bad. I was about 18, and went to the travel agent with my friends and said I have £150 and I want to go away for a week and be by the sea. We were staying above a 24-hour off-licence in the middle of San Antonio, which is my absolute worst nightmare. Honestly, I’ve never been back since and so many people tell me they love Ibiza because of the posh, yuppie bit, but I still refuse to go. Where do you always eat well? If you haven’t

You can taste the sun in tomatoes from Italy

eaten a tomato fresh off the plant from Italy then you haven’t lived. You can taste the sun and their soil in everything, and that’s why they have the luxury of not having to overcomplicate their cooking.

Where did you learn something new about yourself? The destination that was most

life-changing was when I spent three weeks travelling in Ghana. It’s a place where poverty and wealth are polarised. I found it both harrowing and optimistic.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Old Hollywood glamour at Madonna Inn in California

Tell us about your hidden gem? Madonna

Inn in San Luis Obispo, California. It very much appeals to me and my taste. The longing that I have for old Hollywood in all of its crazy eccentricity is encapsulated in that hotel.

London is Paloma’s greatest love

Country or town house? Town house. I was born in London and that’s everything I know. I love everything about it. I like the cultural melting pot. I like contact with human beings and need stimulation all the time – I’m not very good at silence or peace. I like the din and the sirens and the grit.

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FOOD & TRAVEL C O U R S E S

EAT PLAY LEARN

Slowing down and a change of scenery can help get creative juices flowing. Book your spot on one of these creative escapes

FOOD AND PHOTOGRAPHY IN SICILY

Join photographer, visual storyteller and author Marte Marie Forsberg for a full immersion experience in the land of lemons, where you’ll learn to cook Sicilian specialities, plus the ins and outs of camerawork, food styling and photo-editing. A week in the idyllic surroundings of Rocca delle Tre Contrade, a villa perched on Sicily’s east coast with views of Mount Etna and the sparkling Ionian, will spark creativity aplenty for budding photographers and keen gastronomes – as will talks from author Helena Attlee (The Land Where Lemons Grow), limoncello-making workshops, wine tasting tours and curated excursions. BOOK IT: 1-8 February 2020. From € 5,200 pp, including all meals, accommodation and transfers. 020 7377 8518; thethinkingtraveller. com/marieforsberg

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

PAINTING IN NEPAL

Artists both experienced and new can expect to find endless inspiration on this small group tour of some of the most beautiful towns, villages and ancient cities of Nepal. Led by accomplished artist Susanna Bailey, renowned for her landscapes in watercolour, the group will spend just under two weeks immersing themselves in the country’s striking scenery and painting in its wonderful surroundings. BOOK IT: 3-15 November 2019. prices From £2,675 pp. mountainkingdoms.com

WRITING IN LESBOS

You might have writer’s block at home, but a quiet stint on the magical island of Lesbos can do wonders for the soul – and your work. Skala Eressos, the spiritual home of the writer’s muse Sappho, provides the perfect backdrop for this annual writing residency run by two enigmatic South African authors. Ideal for writers who have a work in progress or just need dedicated time to totally immerse in a creative environment. BOOK IT: 18-28 June 2020. From € 2,800 single occupancy. thewritingroom.co.za October 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 159

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FOOD & TRAVEL

SIMON SAYS

Providing yet another excuse to decamp to the Lake District this autumn is the news that Simon Rogan is opening a new restaurant, Henrock, at Linthwaite House. Expect sweeping views across Lake Windermere and seasonal ingredients elevated with a touch of Rogan’s Michelin-starred magic. henrock.co.uk

CLUB CUISINE

Hot new hangout alert: Annabel’s launches a restaurant on the club’s third floor. Matteo’s is set to be characteristically opulent, with Martin Brudnizki interiors, flamboyant Italian dishes and the largest selection of Dom Pérignon in any restaurant globally. See you there! annabels.co.uk

THIS MON TH BUY Coravin preserves precious wine, meaning you don’t have to finish the bottle in one sitting. An oenophile’s essential. £279. coravin.co.uk

N E W S

GASTRO GOSSIP

DRINK Bone broth for a boost of collagen, amino acids and minerals – antiageing and tasty AF. From £5.99. boneandbroth.com LEARN To bake Bread Ahead’s legendary doughnuts. breadahead.com

The five places to be seen this autumn. By Clementina Jackson PLANET OVER PROFIT

Is the state of the earth driving you to the pub? Make sure you’re headed to The Green Vic in Shoreditch, where everything you buy and use has a positive environmental and social impact. We’ll cheers to that! betterworld.love A LEGEND RETURNS Remember Julie’s, the restaurant which played host to many a glitzy party back in the day? The Holland Park legend is back, set to reopen in its 50th year following extensive refurbishment and complete with Michelin-starred chef Shay Cooper. May the good old days live on… juliesrestaurant.com

SIP Fortnum’s Sparkling Tea is the champagne of the booze-free. £16.95. fortnum andmason.com

GUILT-FREE GRUB Doug McMaster was light years ahead of the zerowaste food trend when he opened Silo in Brighton – so dedicated to the cause that the restaurant operates without a bin. Londoners can now get a taste of the action as the chef ups sticks to Hackney this month, coinciding with the release of his first book. silolondon.com 160 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | October 2019

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FOOD & TRAVEL

R E C I P E

CRISP PICKINGS

FOODIE TA L ES

Nathan Outlaw’s fishy dip is an elegantly salty pre-supper snack

SMOKED COD’S ROE DIP WITH SOURDOUGH CRISPS

his dip is simple to make and so moreish – my son would eat the whole lot in one go if I turned my back. You want to buy good-quality smoked cod’s roe that isn’t too large and has a good, firm texture.

RECIPE EXTRACTED FROM RESTAURANT BY NATHAN OUTLAW, OUT NOW (BLOOMSBURY ABSOLUTE, £45)

METHOD

INGREDIENTS SERVES 10 AS A STARTER OR LIGHT SNACK FOR THE COD’S ROE DIP » 500ml light olive oil » 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled) » 100g good-quality crustless bread » 100ml milk » 400g smoked cod’s roe, rinsed and membrane removed » 40g Dijon mustard » Juice of 2 lemons » Smoked paprika to sprinkle » Mixed dried seaweed to sprinkle » Cornish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR THE SOURDOUGH CRISPS » ½ large sourdough loaf (two days old) » Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan over a medium heat until the oil starts to bubble around the cloves. Turn the heat down and cook for 20 minutes until the garlic is soft. Leave to infuse and cool. Break the bread into chunks and place in a bowl. Pour on the milk and set aside to soak. Once the oil is cold, remove and peel the garlic cloves, reserving the leftover oil. Put the smoked cod’s roe, mustard, lemon juice and garlic into a blender. Squeeze the bread to remove excess milk, add it to the blender and blitz for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly add most of the garlic-infused oil until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise; save a little garlic oil for serving. Season and blend for 20 seconds before refrigerating. Preheat oven to 200°C, slice the sourdough as thinly as possible and lay out on a large baking tray. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season. Bake for 10–15 minutes until crisp. They may crisp at different times, so take them out individually as they’re ready and place on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle the dip with smoked paprika and seaweed. Finish with a drizzle of garlic oil. Serve with the sourdough crisps. n

THE MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF CAN’T COOK WITHOUT MUSIC Food philosophy? Buy the very best ingredients you can afford then do as little as possible to them. Good quality ingredients should speak for themselves, they don’t need dressing up or messing about with. First dish you learned to cook? Cornflake cakes with my Mum. Professionally, probably gammon, egg and chips in a pub kitchen when I was 14. Most vivid childhood food memory? We were allowed to choose our own dinner for birthdays and mine was – and still is – toad-in-the-hole and trifle. Biggest mistake? When I first had my own kitchen I tried to do too much myself. I’ve since learned to delegate. Most memorable meal out? Henne Kirkeby Kro in Denmark. I instantly found it was the most relaxed, unique place where the character of the chef, Paul Cunningham, is in every dish. When you’re not in the kitchen, where are you? In my garden. I have a large plot which I’m trying to convert into a vegetable garden. Rules of your kitchen? We have to have music on all the time, even during service. Everyone has a turn of having their choice on, that way no-one can moan. What’s in your fridge right now? My daughter is into jellies for some reason, so the fridge is full of her experiments with different flavours, colours and moulds. Least favourite ingredient? Sea urchin. Who would you most like to take out for dinner? I’d like to take all my guys out for a real Henry VIII style banquet complete with spit roast meats and massive bowls of everything else. Oh, and a few barrels of good beer!

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FOOD & TRAVEL R E V I E W S

FORK & FIELD

Clementina Jackson finds a cool new country classic, while Anastasia Bernhardt gets a bit silly at a central Sicilian

TOWN

CIRCOLO POPOLARE, W1

COUNTRY

THE FARMERS ARMS, Devon

In an inspiring success story of small-town regeneration, Woolsery is firmly back on the map – and it’s all thanks to The Farmers Arms, the local pub restored to its former glory (and some) in a passion project by multi-millionaire British tech entrepreneur Michael Birch. The Grade II-listed building at the centre of the community had fallen into disarray when Birch swooped in with his team and, after some years of careful refurbishing, clever tweaks and modern touches, it reopened to quiet acclaim. Ian Webber came to whip the kitchen into shape with a menu that belies his Michelinstarred past at nearby Gidleigh Park – the food is excellent and achingly cool, featuring mostly local produce from Birch’s farm that’s elevated by the likes of smoked eel and seaweed, but still competitively priced. The locals love it and therein lies its success thus far, but the Soho House-esque allure is starting to spread and soon will come the day trippers, so get there while you still can. Mains from £19. woolsery.com

Thank god dining out has got its sense of humour back. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally on board with sourcing ingredients within a few miles to support local producers and seasonality just makes plain good sense, but when did it all get so hand-wringingly worthy? If I’m honest, all I really want to do is stuff my face with burrata, a giant chocolate fudge sundae and get a bit silly on bellinis without anyone interrupting to explain the culinary significance. Clearly it’s not just me who feels that way, judging by the snaking queues for Circolo Popolare at weekends. Where its big sister restaurant Gloria is very much cosy trattoria, Big Mamma Group’s latest opening is a Sicilian fiesta on steroids: gut-busting plates of pasta are piled onto kitsch ceramics, crispy pizzas land next to obscene rum-filled strawberry punch bowls. It’s big, it’s silly and I can’t help but wonder how to sneak one of the 20,000 spirit bottles lining the walls into my bag as a souvenir. But maybe that’s just the limoncello talking... Meal for two, around £90. bigmammagroup.com

NEW TO TOWN THREE INSTANT CLASSICS

LEVAN, SE15 Prepare to not be able to shut up about this Peckham restaurant once you’ve greedily made your way through its brilliant, contemporary European menu. Such wonders as comté fries with saffron aioli, burrata with pickled peach, and squid with friggitelli peppers sing out to be chosen. levanlondon.co.uk

BOB BOB CITÉ, EC3 Éric Chavot brings his signature French cooking and unabashed glamour to the Leadenhall building. Good times are guaranteed – the city’s new after-hours mecca comes complete with a revamped ‘press for champagne’ button, oysters by the dozen and slick (read flashy) futuristic-aeronautical interiors. It may be the humblest thing on the menu but don’t pass on the onion soup. bobbobcite.com

THE SEA THE SEA, SW1 This Chelsea fishmonger doubles up as a hip seafood bar by night, serving up small plates with a feisty Japanese-Portuguese twist. Limited kitchen equipment means the quality of fish shines through – everything is either raw or cured (torched at most). theseathesea.net

R E S T A U R A N T

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FOOD & DRINK D R I N K

HAPPY HOUR

A DR IN K W ITH...

Alice Lascelles settles down by the hearth

fudge-y rum with a square of dark chocolate. £63.45 for 70cl. thewhiskyexchange.com

COMPASS BOX AFFINITY

’T

is the season of bonfires, rain-lashed firework displays and freezing pheasant shoots – time, in other words, to fill up that hip flask. Scotch whisky is unsurpassed when it comes to liquid central heating. But a nip of cognac, calvados and even rum can be very good too...

FOURSQUARE EMPERY RUM

Rum isn’t just for swilling in summer cocktails – it’s a spirit for the fireside, too. Empery is the latest addition to the Exceptional Cask series, an outstanding series of limited-edition sipping rums from Barbados’ Foursquare Distillery. Savour this fruity,

I’m tipping Calvados as a spirituous trend for 2020 – get a taste of what’s to come with this delicious, honeyed hybrid of Scotch whisky and Calvados from maverick whisky blenders Compass Box. Like boozy apple crumble. £99.95 for 70cl. masterofmalt.com

FRAPIN 15YO GRANDE CHAMPAGNE COGNAC

This classy cognac is made using grapes from Frapin’s own vineyard in the heart of Grande Champagne. Bottled at cask-strength, it’s rich and complex, but it has a touch of pretty florality too, that’s a hallmark of this family-owned cognac house. £113 for 70cl. hedonism.co.uk

MARK HIX, CHEF

What are you drinking? Devon Minnow – an English white wine that The PIG hotel’s Robin Hutson created for our restaurants.

2 3

Who are you drinking it with? Anyone who fancies a glass.

Signature cocktail recipe? The Dirty Black Cow – a Martini made with Black Cow vodka from Dorset that’s distilled from whey.

What do you drink when you’re fishing? When we were in the Bahamas we mixed margaritas at night and froze them in big flasks – so they were just right in time for elevenses.

5 6

What drinks would we find in your fridge? Green tea kombucha.

If you could buy a drink for one person, alive or dead, who would it be? I’d buy George Best a stiff Negroni.

Most memorable drink? Drinking wine at a bullfight, with Rioja’s famous winemaker Álvaro Palacios.

Favourite hangover cure? Chicken feet in Chinatown.

Hooked: Adventures in Angling and Eating by Mark Hix (Mitchell Beazley, £20)

IN OR OUT? GOING OUT STAYING IN

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

GRACE KOSHU KAYAGATAKE

This Japanese white wine is made from koshu, a native grape variety with elegant pinot grigio/sauvignon blanc characters. Expect notes of honeydew melon and citrus, and an appetising, salty finish. £21.99 for 75cl. selfridges.com

THE BERKELEY BAR

The new counterpoint to The Berkeley’s famous Blue Bar is sleeker, smaller and awash with luxe libations: cult super-Tuscans, rare single malts and sparkling prestige cuvées. With its half-moon marble bar, fireplace and secret Snug, it’s just the spot for a nightcap – or a wicked tête-à-tête. the-berkeley.co.uk October 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 163

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LISOU lisou.co.uk LUTZ MORRIS X KPM at matchesfashion.com MADELEINE THOMPSON at selfridges.com MANOLO BLAHNIK manoloblahnik.com MARIA TASH at libertylondon.com MARNI marni.com ORELIA orelia.co.uk POP CAVEN popcaven.com PRADA prada.com PREEN BY THORNTON BREGAZZI preenbythornton bregazzi.com

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ROSETTA GETTY rosettagetty.com RUPERT SANDERSON rupertsanderson.com SPRY WORKWEAR spryworkwear.com THE KOOPLES thekooples.co.uk VICTORIA BECKHAM victoriabeckham.com WANDLER wandler.com

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EDITED BY A N NA T Y Z ACK

PROPERTY

HOUSE OF THE MONTH Sell it to us in a sentence… A one-of-a-kind artist’s studio home with spectacular internal glazing that fills the property with natural light. Who is behind the design and how would you describe its aesthetic? High-end home refurbishment specialists Rodić Davidson Architects were brought in to design the striking gallery-style space. What was the inspiration behind the building? In keeping with the history of the street, 66 Glebe Place feels like an art gallery from the moment you walk in, with an abundance of light and large, polished concrete walls which scream out to be hung with artworks, while the pyramid glass ceiling that pokes out of the roof terrace is inspired by the Louvre. Most unusual feature? The fully-glazed walkway between the master and guest bedrooms on the first floor. Does it have any juicy history? Glebe Place is brimming with blue plaques citing former residents including Augustus John, Sir William Rothenstein, Winifred Nicholson, Baron de Meyer, George Price Boyce and Giovanni Fontana.

Glebe Place, Chelsea Price: £5.15m 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms 1,731 sq/ft

What about the gadgets? There’s a home management system which controls everything centrally, from temperature and mood lighting to the fireplaces. Who would like living here? A young professional or couple who want a real statement address, or an older couple looking to downsize and who want a prominent base in London. … So what’s the downside? If you don’t like open-plan then this may not be for you, but controlled blinds and sliding Crittal doors do allow you to close off sections as and when you want a bit of privacy. 020 7225 0277; russellsimpson.co.uk n

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C E N T R A L

L O N D O N

CAPITAL GAINS Despite uncertainty, London’s super-prime market is proving resilient, finds Anna Tyzack

Notting Hill’s super-prime market is weathering Brexit uncertainty

Despite this, the market is surprisingly robust. Figures from Knight Frank suggest that the number of offers made this spring was the highest quarterly figure for more than a decade. ‘There was a significant slowdown between November and March but, once the Brexit date moved, the market picked up and has been healthy ever since,’ Bailey says. Super-prime property finder Hannah Ackroyd, of Ackroyd & Co, insists that every house she’s bought for clients this year has been a highly competitive process, a claim backed up by Hyman, who maintains that, when a property is correctly priced, there’ll be multiple offers within 48 hours. ‘Quality, well-priced properties are selling in a flash due to low stock levels and pent-up demand,’ Ackroyd explains. ‘It’s properties with a key failing or incorrect price that are sitting.’

rom the number of cranes towering above London’s skyline, you’d never guess the city is in political limbo. There are super-prime developments going up in Notting Hill, Westminster and Knightsbridge. In Mayfair, the former American Embassy is in the process of being transformed into Four Seasons residences, while in Chelsea the first phase of the Chelsea Barracks development is complete. Across the river there are luxury penthouses launching in the Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms developments. Who though, in the current uncertainty, is going to invest in luxury property in London? The capital’s property market is lagging far behind other European cities – indeed, Knight Frank’s latest Prime Global Cities Index suggests prices are down 4.9 per cent since last year, while Liam Bailey, head of research for Knight Frank, concedes that sellers in certain parts of the capital have been accepting price reductions of up to 25 per cent. James Hyman, head of residential for Cluttons, maintains that prices are now 15 to 20 per cent off their 2015 highs.

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PROPERTY There’s no doubt, however, that many investors are still waiting on the sidelines. Research by Knight Frank indicates there’s £45bn waiting to be invested in London’s property market – double that of 2017. This autumn could see more buyers taking the plunge: over the past month, the number of new applicants was 17 per cent above the five-year average for London, according to Knight Frank, while Hyman has noted more owner-occupiers looking to invest in London’s corrected market. A lateral apartment in Sir John Lyon House, with views over the Thames, Tate Modern and Millennium Bridge, is currently attracting high levels of interest, for example. Its £4.95m asking price is a comparative bargain compared to other properties of its size, Hyman says. While the politicians are unsure how Brexit will play out, Ackroyd views the uncertainty as an opportunity. Her Asian clients in particular are keen to buy pre-Brexit, fearing that prices will rise again once there is clarity. There are rules to purchasing in the current buyers’ market, she says, the first of which is to ensure the price is in line with the corrected market. After that, ‘Firm negotiations are required and it is critical to present yourself as fully committed. Buy on the best garden squares with south- or west-facing gardens or terraces.’ Ayckroyd recommends Notting Hill as a safe haven for investment; high-level transactions have been taking place this year and the area is desirable for both domestic and international buyers. ‘There’s a fantastic buzz of restaurants and shops, as well as good tube links,’ she adds. Mayfair has always been popular with superprime buyers and there’s an influx of luxury schemes, such as No 1 Grosvenor Square (44 residences, from £8m) and Dorchester

Belmond Cadogan’s arrival in Chelsea marks renewed interest in the area

Collection’s Mayfair Park Residences, which have been achieving record prices. Bayswater is an up-and-coming destination, due to the redevelopment of Whiteleys shopping centre, while Marylebone is another neighbourhood with a healthy super-prime market, according to Bailey. However, he’s convinced Chelsea is the standout destination to invest in this autumn. ‘It’s seen some of the biggest price falls and is now offering interesting value compared to Islington and areas east of the City, he explains. Evidence can be found in the huge regeneration taking place in Chelsea’s Pavilion Road, London’s longest mews, now transformed into a pedestrianised shopping street; in the Parisian hotel, Costes, opening early next year off Sloane Square and the new Belmond Cadogan on Sloane Street; plus the several boutique retail and residential developments around the King’s Road – 100 Sydney Street, for example, which is on the market with John D Wood. While Bailey does not expect prices to climb during Brexit uncertainty, he believes that the lack of quality property coming to the market this autumn will ensure continued activity. ‘There’s been a slowdown in new developments due to Brexit; if demand picks up once we have clarity, the supply problem will deepen.’ What, though, if the market crashes after Brexit? Bailey warns buyers against waiting for someone to call the bottom of the market. ‘Remember, in the last property price recession, the best time to buy was the day after Lehman Brothers crashed,’ he says. ‘You can try to time the market to perfection, or you can take the view that now is a really interesting time to buy.’ n

SU PER-PR IM E SU PER H EROES

NO 1 PALACE ST Opposite Buckingham Palace and beside St James’ Park, this new development of 72 apartments occupies the former Palace Hotel, which was once an overflow for royal guests. northacre.com

CLARGES, MAYFAIR A super-prime development overlooking Green Park, these 34 luxury residences, were designed by Squire & Partners to complement the surrounding Piccadilly architecture. Each apartment has access to a 24-hour concierge. knightfrank.co.uk

TWENTY GROSVENOR SQUARE The world’s first stand-alone Four Seasons Residence offers five-star hotel amenities, such as a wine cellar, spa, pool, cinema and library. The 37 apartments have up to five bedrooms. finchatton.co.uk THE PENINSULA, HYDE PARK CORNER The new Peninsula hotel, by Wellington Arch, will have 24 residential apartments managed by the hotel. Each will have access to a private spa and leisure facilities as well as to the hotel amenities, which include shops, restaurants, ballroom and bars. Expected completion, 2021. peninsularresidencies.com

LEINSTER SQUARE, BAYSWATER A development of eight lateral apartments, two penthouses and five maisonettes, behind an exquisite listed stucco façade. bandaproperty.co.uk

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PROPERTY

H O U S E

S E C R E T S

Butter Wakefield

BUTTER WAKEFIELD

HOM ES SW EET HOM ES THE STARTER HOME

The garden designer has lived in the same home since the ’90s What was the first house you owned? I grew up on a small farm in

Maryland in the States but the first property I bought is the house I live in now in West London off the Goldhawk Road. We bought it in 1992 and postdivorce, I have lived here on my own since 2011 with our four children. Best thing about it? It’s full of sunshine all day. … and the worst? I’d like to increase the width of the house by two metres.

Goldhawk Road, W12, £1.695m A five-bedroom house off Goldhawk Road, a short distance from Ravenscourt Park Tube, meticulously renovated to feature a spacious double reception room with wood burner, modern kitchen and dining room, and a playroom and utility room in the basement and bifolding doors open on to a pretty garden. savills.com

What do you love most about it?

As a garden designer, I adore the west facing garden; we inherited a beautiful old apple and pear tree together with a huge Magnolia grandiflora. Favourite room? The children would all say the conservatory, as it is right off the kitchen and there is a huge telly there. It acts like the hub of the house.

THE DREAM HOME

What will you compromise on?

So long as the main reception rooms have good proportions, I can live with almost anything else.

Where would you like to buy a second home? We have summered

for the last 23 years on a very special spot on Cape Cod and have always dreamt of owning a little house there. What do you look for when you’re house hunting? A west-facing garden

with the kitchen opening on to it.

Describe your style...

Butter’s colourful West London home

A mix of old and new, with a lot of colour and pattern and a dose of black and white.

Where do you see yourself living in the future? I would like to stay in

Most extravagant purchase? A beautiful pair of antique mauve

my current house forever. I have raised the children here and it holds so many family memories.

coloured glass lamps with gilt vines and leaves which twine up the bases. It cost the earth to ship them back to the UK from the States.

Cape Cod, USA, $2.995m The ultimate Cape Cod beach overlooking Nantucket Sound with spacious living areas, soaring ceilings and a sprawling deck for sundowners and barbecues. There are three bedrooms, a garden and the beach is a short walk away. sothebyshomes.com THE FOREVER HOME

How successful has your property investment been? We bought our house

back in 1992 for under £500,000, so I think I should realise a reasonably healthy return should I ever decide to sell up. Whose house would you most like to see inside? I am full of admiration for Veere

Black and white grounds pops of colour

Grenney’s creative vim and vigour, and would adore to see the inside of his London home. Any advice for a first-time buyer? Get a feel for the neighbourhood. Even ring the odd doorbell or two. Friendly neighbours make such a huge difference to your happiness.

Sloane Square, SW3, £3.5m A charming mews house on Holbein Mews just next to Sloane Square and a short walk from the Thames. The house has over 2,000sq/ft of accommodation including open-plan living spaces, three bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a tiny garden by the front door. chattertonrees.co.uk

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PROPERTY

F I V E

O F

T H E

B E S T

OLD RECTORIES

With their elegant entertaining spaces, generous floorplans and pretty positions next to the church, former rectories and vicarages make ideal family homes, says Anna Tyzack SOMERSET, £1.25m

Tucked away in the historic village of Clandown, four miles from Babington House, this handsome former vicarage has formal lawns, a walled garden and woodland. There is an abundance of entertaining space, with a majestic drawing room, impressive dining room, sitting room, kitchen and billiards rooms. A grand staircase leads up to four double bedrooms and there are further bedrooms in the former servants’ quarters. Bath is a short drive and the market town of Radstock is just a mile away. savills.co.uk

ESSEX, £2.3m

This beautiful former rectory home is on the outskirts of Bulphan near West Horndon with picturesque rural views and gardens extending to 1.8 acres. The house, which has Tudor origins and Georgian and Victorian additions, has four reception rooms and seven bedrooms. There is also a games room in the cellar and a cinema room with library. Surrounding the house are established grounds with swimming pool, tennis court, triple garage and fourbedroom coach house. fineandcountry.co.uk

DORSET, £1.15m A mellow brick Georgian former rectory with coach house in fine gardens behind the parish church. It was built in 1726, with a Victorian façade added around 1850, and has recently undergone comprehensive restoration. The reception rooms feature flagstone and timber floors, fireplaces, and sash windows with working shutters. There are five bedrooms and large gardens with borders and a wild garden extending to 1.24 acres. In the original coach house are three stalls, a tack room, garages and storage. knightfrank.com

LONDON, £8.5m Set within 1.25 acres, St John’s Wood House is an historic Grade II-listed former rectory for St Stephen’s Church. It has been carefully restored by the current owners to become an enviable Dulwich family house with five large reception rooms, a lower-ground floor with cinema, games room, utility and wine cellar and eight bedrooms upstairs. Surrounding the house are peaceful gardens with indoor swimming pool and triple garage. The shops, restaurants and renowned schools of Dulwich are a short walk away. knightfrank.com

CORNWALL, £795,000 A Victorian former vicarage in generous gardens and grounds in the pretty hamlet of Treverbyn near St Austell. A sweeping drive leads to the house, which is situated in a secluded position close to the church and local school. There is a grand reception hall, two further reception rooms, kitchen, utility and five bedrooms plus a garden room/ workshop. The Eden Project is close by as are the beaches of south Cornwall and the airport at Newquay. stags.co.uk

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Wonderful family home on to idyllic communal garden.

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Lansdowne Crescent, Notting Hill W11 The house offers wonderful light, grand proportions, excellent entertaining space and direct access into the enchanting communal garden. A well-equipped open plan kitchen/ dining room overlooking the private garden and communal garden. Grade II listed. • • • •

Caroline Foord looks forward to helping you. caroline.foord@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5451

Exceptional high ceilings One the most desirable locations in Notting Hill Private garden with direct access to communal garden Approximately 4049 sq ft

Guide price

£7,250,000

Freehold knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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A superb low build house close to Kensington Gardens.

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2 Canning Place, Kensington W8 Canning Place is located at the southern end of De Vere Gardens south of Kensington Gardens, ideally located for access to both South Kensington & Kensington High Street. There's also an excellent selection of local shops just around the corner on Gloucester Road. • • • •

Tom Tangney looks forward to helping you. tom.tangney@knightfrank.com 020 3589 2698

Grade II listed house arranged over only four floors Smallbone kitchen Private garden Approximately 2,742 sq ft (254 sq m)

Guide price

£6,500,000

Freehold knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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Prime properties for sale in Chelsea. Cathcart Road, Chelsea SW10

Devonshire Mews, Chelsea SW10

This is an elegant family house, offering spacious entertaining and accommodation throughout. • • •

Benefits from period features Generous garden Grand double reception room

An excellent duplex apartment in one of West Chelsea's best and most discreet modern portered apartment blocks. 5

• • •

Beautiful penthouse Wrap-around balcony Panoramic views of Chelsea

Guide price £4,250,000

james.pace@knightfrank.com

+44 20 7349 4302

james.pace@knightfrank.com

A low-built freehold house in excellent condition arranged over four floors.

A fabulously presented west-facing three bedroom flat on the third floor of a secure gated development. An abundance of natural light West-facing apartment In a secure gated development

+44 20 7349 4302

Chelsea Park Gardens, Chelsea SW3

Painters Yard, Chelsea SW3

• • •

Large open plan reception room Contains an impressive master bedroom Benefits from a media room

Guide price £7,750,000

Guide price £5,250,000 james.pace@knightfrank.com

Guide price £4,750,000

• • •

+44 20 7349 4302

james.pace@knightfrank.com

+44 20 7349 4302

knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly. All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent and the deposit, an administration fee of £288 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property (if not an AST). (All fees shown are inclusive of VAT.) If the landlord agrees to you having a pet, you may be required to pay a higher deposit (if not an AST) or higher weekly rent (if an AST). Please ask us for more information about other fees that will apply or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk/tenantfees.

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Connecting people and property perfectly. Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill W11 An architecturally designed maisonette, immaculately presented with a beautiful east-facing garden.

• • • •

Elegant period features with modern style Exceptional high ceilings Abundance of natural light Approximately 1914 sq ft

Chelsea Whelan looks forward to helping you.

chelsea.whelan@knightfrank.com

Guide price £3,300,000 Share of Freehold

020 8166 5451

Queensdale Road, Notting Hill W11 A beautiful and well proportioned Victorian terraced house benefiting from a private garden.

• • • •

Prime Holland Park location Large mature garden, 49 ft sq Perfect family home with lateral feel Approximately 2587 sq ft

Chelsea Whelan looks forward to helping you.

chelsea.whelan@knightfrank.com

Guide price £3,750,000 Freehold

020 8166 5451

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A fantastic Grade II listed lateral apartment.

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2 Holland Park, Holland Park W11 Holland Park is one of the most desirable and exclusive roads in London and has easy access to the City, along with good road links and easy access to the many restaurants and shops of Holland Park Avenue and Notting Hill. • • • •

Michael Sands looks forward to helping you. michael.sands@knightfrank.com 020 3589 2698

Master bedroom with en suite and dressing room Further double bedroom with en suite Occupies all of the first floor Approximately 1,768 sq ft (164 sq m)

Guide price

£3,500,000

Leasehold: approximately 986 years remaining knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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Connecting people and property perfectly. Ifield Road, Chelsea SW10

Farrier Walk, Chelsea SW10

dress

A beautifully presented town house in Chelsea's exclusive Farrier Walk. Asking price £3,350,000

Fernshaw Road, Chelsea SW10

1 A beautifully presented duplex apartment, set on a desirable tree lined street in West Chelsea. 2

Asking price £1,650,000

Asking price £2,900,000

Elm Park Gardens, Chelsea SW10

Lots Road, Chelsea SW10

This spacious family home has been refurbished to create a fantastic and flexible space.

ddress

A rare and unique house overlooking the Thames in Chelsea. Guide price £2,450,000

Kings House, Chelsea SW10

1 A delightful top floor two bedroom apartment in the heart of Chelsea.

This stylish lower ground floor flat has been tastefully refurbished and finished to a high standard throughout.

Guide price £1,499,950

Guide price £1,295,000

Call the team on 020 3641 6172, we'd love to help you. knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly. All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent and the deposit, an administration fee of £288 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property (if not an AST). (All fees shown are inclusive of VAT.) If the landlord agrees to you having a pet, you may be required to pay a higher deposit (if not an AST) or higher weekly rent (if an AST). Please ask us for more information about other fees that will apply or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk/tenantfees.

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Exquisite apartment with contemporary design

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2-3

Balmoral House, Southwark SE1 This magnificent property is within the One Tower Bridge development offering luxury living with the finest technology. • • •

Daniel Woods looks forward to helping you. daniel.woods@knightfrank.com 020 3641 9299

Residents' only private spa and gym Balcony and terrace Approximately 1,433 sq ft

Guide price

£2,780,000 knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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A beautiful house located on a desirable mews.

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Leinster Mews, Hyde Park W2 A fantastic four bedroom house with garage in one of Bayswater's highly desirable mews locations moments from the open spaces of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. • • • •

Tim Perks looks forward to helping you. tim.perks@knightfrank.com 020 3641 1708

Completely remodelled and refurbished throughout Great transport links across London Benefitting from a terrace Approximately 1,935 sq ft (179 sq m)

£2,750,000

Freehold knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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Exceptional show home available to view.

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3-4

2-5

Ghyll House Farm, Copsale RH13 Wavensmere Homes presents six bespoke crafted detached homes, with spectacular panoramic view overlooking the rolling hills of the Sussex South Downs. • Each home is meticulously crafted with cutting edge technology • Master bedrooms with en suite and dressing room • Underfloor heating throughout • Approximately 3,056 to 3,907 sq ft

Our new homes expert Cameron Shields, looks forward to helping you. cameron.shields@knightfrank.com 01483 564660

Guide price

£1,450,000 - £2,000,000

Freehold knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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A period property with original features.

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Egerton Drive, Greenwich SE10 Egerton Drive is situated within the ever-popular Ashburnham Triangle conservation area. All the shops, bars and restaurants of Greenwich are nearby, as are the open spaces and historic buildings at Greenwich's Royal Park.

Mark Ruffell looks forward to helping you. mark.ruffell@knightfrank.com 020 3967 8567

• Period features • Mature garden with a westerly aspect • Grade II listed property • Approximately 2,000 sq ft Guide price

£1,999,950 knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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A stylish apartment located near Hyde Park.

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Westbourne Terrace, Paddington W2 Westbourne Terrace is within close proximity of Hyde Park. Local transport links include Paddington mainline (Network Rail and Heathrow Express) and underground (District, Circle, Bakerloo, and Hammersmith & City lines) station. • • •

Tim Perks looks forward to helping you. tim.perks@knightfrank.com 020 3641 1708

White stucco fronted building Bright split level apartment Approximately 1,245 sq ft (115.7 sq m)

Guide price

£1,550,000

Share of freehold knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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Homes for sale in SE1 The Circle, Shad Thames SE1 Situated on the third floor of this award-winning Piers Gough development and finished to an extremely high standard. • • •

Balcony Secure parking space Approximately 528 sq ft

Daniel Woods looks forward to helping you. daniel.woods@knightfrank.com 020 3641 9299

Guide price £580,000

Hop Studios, Bermondsey SE1 A redevelopment of a landmark building dating back to 1887 that performed many functions over the years. • • •

Conversion Original features Approximately 1,250 sq ft

2-3

Daniel Woods looks forward to helping you. daniel.woods@knightfrank.com 020 3641 9299

Guide price £1,000,000

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Homes for sale in South East London. Building 36, Royal Arsenal Riverside SE18 A characterful, large split level conversion apartment with river views from the Juliet balcony. • • •

Porter / Concierge Communal Garden Parking

Mark Ruffell looks forward to helping you. mark.ruffell@knightfrank.com 020 3967 8567

Guide price £495,000

Wick Tower, Woolwich SE18 A beautiful, well-proportioned fourth floor apartment with a private, west-facing roof terrace. • • •

Grade II listed Purpose Built Close to public transport links

Mark Ruffell looks forward to helping you. mark.ruffell@knightfrank.com 020 3967 8567

Guide price £475,000

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Computer Generated Images

020 8481 7500 | OCTAGON.CO.UK

SUPERIOR HOMES FOR ASPIR ING LIFESTYLES

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Designed and built by premier luxury housebuilder Octagon, Broadoaks Park is soon to launch its magnificent mix of family homes set in approximately 25 acres of green space. Connecting city and country lifestyles, this unique and exclusive development will offer a range of beautiful homes, from stylish 2 bedroom apartments to spacious detached family houses. Centred around a Grade II Listed mansion alongside original lodges, a coach house and ornamental gardens, Broadoaks Park offers a blend of heritage and modernity to create a one-of-a-kind community. Guide Prices in phase one for apartments and houses range from ÂŁ625,000 - ÂŁ1,850,000.

R E G I S T E R YO U R I N T E R E S T T O DAY B R O A D O A K S PA R K . C O . U K

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Glisson Road, Cambridge – Station 0.5 Miles £950,000 A unique and very special opportunity to acquire an absolutely stunning, sympathetically restored and converted Victorian town house of individual style and panache, occupying an outstanding position within a highly sought after and most desirable residential area just a short walk from the station, botanic gardens and city centre. Accommodation comprising: Reception hall, cloakroom, luxuriously appointed open plan kitchen and living area. First floor: 4 bedrooms (2 with en suite shower rooms), bathroom. Outside: Walled courtyard style garden. EER:D Contact: Martin Walshe | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | martin.walshe@cheffins.co.uk

Rock Road, Cambridge – Station 1 Mile £1,100,000 An immaculately presented and newly renovated/extended detached house finished to the highest specification, providing elegant and spacious accommodation, located in this most eagerly sought after south city location so convenient for access to a variety of local amenities and city centre. Accommodation comprising: Reception hall, cloakroom, shower/utility room, kitchen/living/dining room. First floor: 3 bedrooms, bathroom. Second floor: Bedroom and en suite shower room. Outside: Enclosed rear garden, garage, driveway parking. EER:C Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

cheffins.co.uk 01223 214214

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Wimbish â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Station 6.5 Miles ÂŁ2,650,000 A fine Grade II Listed former vicarage with extensive accommodation arranged over three floors extending to around 5,987 sq. ft. with the added benefit of a self-contained annexe, set in a tucked-away location in grounds of approximately 3.3 acres with views over the parish church and surrounding countryside. Accommodation comprising: reception hall, high quality kitchen/breakfast room, dining room, drawing room, music room, utility room, cloakroom. First floor: 3 bedrooms, all with en suites. Second floor: 4 bedrooms, bathroom, further kitchen. Outside: quadruple garage, landscaped gardens, paddock, covered swimming pool. Contact: Bruce King | Saffron Walden Office: 01799 523656 | bruce.king@cheffins.co.uk

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01223 214214 cheffins.co.uk

27/08/2019 17:54

LEAWOOD HALL

Holloway, Derbyshire

A fine, well presented Grade II* listed Arts and Crafts family house in a quiet situation on the edge of the village and set in approximately 8 acres. 4 reception rooms, games room, 5/6 bedrooms, 5 bath/shower rooms. Annexe with 2 bedrooms. Large garage. Beautiful gardens. Grazing land and wild flower meadow. Freehold Guide price: On application.

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Fryerning Essex Leaden Roding, Dunmow CM6 Fryerning Essex Guide price £860,000 Guide Price £3,850,000 Guide Price £3,850,000

A converted, single storey barn with additional 2,000 striking five double bedroom, reception Grade II AAstriking five double bedroom, fourfour reception Grade II sqft detached barn with large entertainment area, two listed period property thought to date backback 500 years. listed period property thought to date 500 years. further rooms and shower room. This magnificent barn This charming residence is originally thought to be 3 This is originally thought is set in acharming courtyard residence development with secure gated to be 3 cottages, now providing a fantastic flow of interesting cottages, now providing a fantastic flow of interesting entrance, under floor heating and double glazing. Offering and family living space overover two two floors. The andextensive extensive family living floors. spacious accommodation with a space contemporary edge but The 7.5 acre plot comprises formal grounds mixed 7.5 acre plot comprises formal grounds mixed retaining character with exposed timbers, vaulted ceilings sympathetically with paddocks (benefitting from a andsympathetically stone and oak floors. The accommodation comprises with paddocks (benefitting from a second separate access), ponds and a substantial lake. a huge openseparate plan lounge/dining room, comprehensively second access), ponds and a substantial lake. Numerous outbuildings, tennis court, double garage fitted dual aspect kitchen/breakfast room and two double Numerous outbuildings, tennis court, double garage and detached one bedroom bedrooms with en-suites. Thereannexe. is also a Equestrian 1/3 acre garden and detached one bedroom annexe. Equestrian potential. EPCfarmland. Exempt with views over EPC C.

potential. EPC Exempt

Country && Village ce 01371 Country VillageOffi Oﬃce 01245859444 397475

Country & Village Oﬃce 01245 397475

Fryerning Essex CM4 Stock, Ingatestone Guide GuidePrice price £3,850,000 £1,500,000

Fryerning Essex A striking four bedroom detached house situated on a mature A ﬁve double bedroom, four reception Grade II landscaped plot of approximately an acre with Guide Price £3,850,000 listed period property thought to date back 500a years. garage, adjoining cart lodge and a detached This charming residence is originally thoughtbarn to be 3

A striking five double bedroom, four reception Grade II workshop. Theproviding main house accommodation comprising: cottages, now a fantastic flow of interesting listedand period property thought to date back 500 years. Entrance hallway, main reception with two a feature brick extensive family living space over floors. The This charming residence is originally thought to be built fi replace and a wood burning stove, reception 7.5 acre plot comprises formal grounds mixed 3 with cottages, nowceiling providing apaddocks fantastic flow of interesting a vaulted and French doors, kitchen with sympathetically with (benefitting fromsolid a oak fi tted units featuring an Aga, utility room with rear and extensive family living space over two floors. The second separate access), ponds and a substantial lake. access, and a tennis further reception. 4 double 7.5 acre plotcloakroom comprises formal grounds mixed Numerous outbuildings, court, double garage bedrooms, the master benefi(benefitting tting from anfrom en-suite sympathetically with paddocks a and and detached one bedroom annexe. Equestrian a family bathroom. Theponds gardens surround the property potential. EPCaccess), Exempt second separate and a substantial lake. and are accessed via tennis electriccourt, gates. double EPC: C garage Numerous outbuildings, and detached bedroom annexe. Equestrian Countryone Village Offi ce 01245 397475 Country &&Village Office 01245 397475 potential. EPC Exempt

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hamptons.co.uk

Etchingham, East Sussex

This outstanding detached house is located off a quiet country semi-rural lane between the villages of Hurst Green and Etchingham. The property has recently been completed to an exceptional standard and now provides a spacious, beautifully presented family home, over 5,000 sq. ft. EPC: B

£1,950,000 Freehold • • • • • •

5 bedrooms Garden Private parking Very good decoration Approximately 5,115 sq. ft. Land area 0.98 acres

Hamptons Tunbridge Wells Sales. 01892 640 374 | tunbridgewells@hamptons-int.com

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hamptons.co.uk

Aldworth, Berkshire Guide Price ÂŁ1,095,000 Freehold A charming and characterful three bedroom period cottage with wonderful gardens, three bay garage with room over and additional parking. Accessible for Berkshire and Oxfordshire schools and excellent rail links to London Paddington. Hamptons Newbury 01635 224 215 newbury@hamptons-int.com EPC: E

Wallingford, Oxfordshire Asking Price ÂŁ5,000,000 Freehold A distinguished, part-moated Grade II listed Manor House and cottage portraying the best of Tudor and Georgian architecture. Includes six bedrooms in the main house, and a tennis court on almost 5 acres of grounds. Hamptons Henley 01491 260 182 henley@hamptons-int.com EPC: Cottage E

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South Devon, Maidencombe

Richard Speedy Exeter Office | 01392 215 631

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

60 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.

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TOM FAULKNER

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Country & Town House - October 2019

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