VE RY M A RO, VE R Y S AND ERSON . SA ND ER SO N.SA NDERSO NDESI GN G ROU P. COM @S AND ERSON1860
FABRIC - WALLPAPER
@wmorrisandco
morrisandco.sandersondesigngroup.com
08.21
contents
86 VOLUME 76 NUMBER 8. PHOTOGRAPH: JOSHUA MONAGHAN COVER STORIES ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN COLOUR
ARTIST IN HER STUDIO Chantal Joffe works surrounded by portraits of her sitters
ON THE COVER The hall of
23 SHOPPING Rémy Mishon’s
42 ON DECORATING Emma
60 THE LIST Belle Rice
a rustic holiday house in Spain (pages 116-123), photographed by Montse Garriga Grau
winning selection of square tiles
Burns’ advice on using paint effects
26 WISE BUYS Rémy Mishon’s
8 CONTRIBUTORS
illuminating pick of the best outdoor lighting for under £95
INSIDER
interviews the garden designer Charlotte Rowe and showcases three members of our essential guide to design professionals
12 FROM THE EDITOR
DECORATE 17 NOTEBOOK Gabby Deeming shows us what has caught her eye this month
29 STYLE STORY Gabby
45 NEWS Including the latest
63 OUTSIDE INTERESTS
design collaborations
Deeming’s schemes conjure up a mood of lazy late-summer days
Clare Foster’s garden diary; plus outdoor benches and garden tours
52 OUT & ABOUT Laura
37 DESIGN IDEAS Christabel
Normanton’s pick of interiors launches and furnishing best buys
Indian architects to plant hunters
57 SOURCEBOOK Laura
68 ART SCENE Exhibitions this
Normanton focuses on bathrooms
month, plus artworks to buy e
Chubb highlights inspiring details in a Victorian townhouse transformed by Todhunter Earle
66 BOOKS From contemporary
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 5
contents 08.21
PEOPLE 73 PROFILE Elizabeth Metcalfe meets Mexican interior designer Stephanie Barba Mendoza, whose own London house showcases her approach to colour and pattern
78 LIFESTYLE Curators and artistic matchmakers Peter Ting and Brian Kennedy share the stories behind their eclectic collections with Emily Tobin
86 ARTISTS IN THEIR STUDIO Emily Tobin visits Chantal Joffe at work in London
STORIES 90 A WONDER DOWN UNDER This Sydney Harbour newbuild has been anchored firmly in the Australian vernacular by Arent&Pyke. By Emma Love 6 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
P104
98 PATIENCE REWARDED
130 SLEEPING BEAUTIES
144 TASTE NOTES Blanche
Emma Milne-Watson has gradually breathed new life into a centuries-old rectory in Sussex, mixing classic and contemporary elements. By Claire Bingham
Continuing her series on growing bulbs, Clare Foster looks at some of the eye-catching lesser-known and under-appreciated summer bulbs, which deserve a space in our containers and borders
Vaughan’s tips for food lovers, including an ice cream recipe
108 TIME & TIDE After two years in this Cornish retreat, the owners knew they wanted stylish but robust interiors that would enhance the spectacular ocean views. By Elfreda Pownall
116 SPRUNG FROM THE EARTH Creating a rustic retreat from her Madrid design practice, Belén Domecq has used a palette of sandy and ochre tones to evoke a sense of the surrounding landscape. By Dominic Lutyens
124 FROM TROWEL TO TABLE From her smallholding in Somerset, Alison Jenkins is inspiring others to create beautiful as well as productive kitchen gardens. By Non Morris
132 TWICE UPON A TIME After creating an enchanting festival show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace, Alexandra Noble was commissioned to re-create the design in west London, complete with secret spaces, winding paths and magical, gossamerfine planting. By Jodie Jones
FOOD AND TRAVEL
148 IBIZA’S OTHER RHYTHMS Former resident Maya Boyd distils the authentic allure of the Spanish island beyond its party scene
150 LIFE ON THE LAGOON Matthew Bell visits the littleknown Venetian town of Chioggia
152 TRAVEL COMPASS Stylish European hotels
& FINALLY 85 SUBSCRIPTIONS How to subscribe to House & Garden in the UK and the US
137 QUITE A CATCH
153 STOCKISTS
Blanche Vaughan suggests simply delicious ways to cook with fish sourced from British waters
168 LAST WORD Sophie Dahl’s memories of seaside holidays m
ANSON SMART; PAUL MASSEY
P93
Duravit’s White Tulip by Starck, new to C.P. Hart
Visit our website for the latest product introductions 0345 600 1950 | www.cphart.co.uk
contributors MATTHEW BELL / WRITER
‘I had to pinch myself four years ago, when I realised I was living in Florence and making a living from putting one word after another,’ says Matthew. His mother grew up in Buenos Aires and met his English father in Paris, where they lived for some years before the family moved to Oxford, so exploring new places has always been second nature to Matthew. He spent his twenties working for various publications, including Tatler, but enjoys the autonomy of freelance work. This month, he writes about Chioggia (pages 150-151): ‘Wherever I went, people insisted on buying me a glass of wine, telling me a story or singing me Venetian sea shanties.’ If you could travel to anywhere in the world now, where would you want to be? ‘On the beach at Punta di Scario in Salina, an island north of Sicily. It somehow encapsulates everything that is magical about Italy.’
Moving from New York to London in 1978, Anne stopped working as the associate editor for Reader’s Digest Special Books and took on a new fulltime job – being a mother. Some 10 years later, with her daughters at school, Anne finally started reading the wine books that had lined her shelves for years. In 1990, she set up the bespoke wine wholesaler Bouquet Wines and also began studying for a Master of Wine qualification, which she was awarded in 1997. She has recommended northern Italian whites to pair with Blanche Vaughan’s fish recipes (from page 137), and says that working in wine combines all her loves, ‘Science, history, beautiful places and lovely food.’ What is your go-to glass of wine? ‘A Chambolle-Musigny, from a village in northern Burgundy where the wines smell and taste of raspberries and lovely fruits – they are magic.’
SEAN MYERS / PHOTOGRAPHER
We combine traditional handicraft expertise with modern design in our handwoven rugs Vandra Rugs Stockholm, Sweden, www.vandra-rugs.com Represented in the UK by Sinclair Till www.sinclairtill.co.uk
Sean’s work can be seen regularly in the pages of House & Garden. He describes his style as ‘considered, symmetrical and natural’, which is certainly true of the photographs of tiles he took for this month’s Shopping feature (from page 23). His father was an advertising photographer, who took Sean on as his second assistant when he left school. Five years and several assisting roles later, Sean decided to strike out on his own, starting in food photography before finding his calling in still life and interiors. He says one of his favourite things about his job is the interesting places it takes him, such as Jiyu Gakuen School Myonichikan in Tokyo – a former girls’ school designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1921. Who would be your dream dinner party guests? ‘Three photographers whose work I admire: William Eggleston, François Halard and Ansel Adams’ m
WORDS: CHRISTABEL CHUBB. PHOTOGRAPHS: AMBER GUINNESS (BELL); MIKI YAMANOUCHI (TUPKER); CHARLIE GRAY (MYERS)
ANNE TUPKER / MASTER OF WINE
Some furniture is made for the here and now. Some is built to stand the test of time. At Neptune, we believe that the best can do both. Because good design never grows old.
neptune.com
VOGUE HOUSE, HANOVER SQUARE, LONDON W1S 1JU (TEL: 020 7499 9080)
H AT TA B Y N G EDITOR DEPUTY EDITOR David Nicholls CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jenny Lister MANAGING EDITOR/CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Caroline Bullough PA TO THE EDITOR/FEATURES ASSISTANT Christabel Chubb DEPUTY FEATURES EDITOR Elizabeth Metcalfe DECORATION EDITOR Ruth Sleightholme ASSISTANT DECORATION EDITOR Rémy Mishon DECORATION COORDINATOR Bradley Palmer DEPUTY CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Sue Gilkes SENIOR SUB-EDITOR Sophie Devlin DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Joshua Monaghan ART EDITOR Eva Farrington PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Owen Gale CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: EDITOR-AT-LARGE Liz Elliot GARDEN EDITOR Clare Foster TRAVEL EDITOR Pamela Goodman FOOD EDITOR Blanche Vaughan CONSULTANT EDITOR Susan Crewe EDITOR-AT-LARGE (DECORATION) Gabby Deeming Lavinia Bolton, Sophie Dahl, Virginia Fraser, Matilda Goad, Fiona Golfar, Rita Konig, Nonie Niesewand, Elizabeth Rees-Jones, Aude de la Conté (France) DIGITAL EDITOR Emily Senior DEPUTY DIGITAL EDITOR Virginia Clark DIGITAL FEATURES WRITER Charlotte McCaughan-Hawes ASSOCIATE COMMERCE WRITER Arabella Bowes EDITOR, THE LIST Belle Rice EDITOR-AT-LARGE, THE LIST Charlotte Richmond DIGITAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Malcolm Attwells DIGITAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Helen Placito CREATIVE DIRECTOR, THE CALICO CLUB Emily Tobin ASSISTANT PRODUCER, THE CALICO CLUB Davey Hunter-Jones DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATION AND RIGHTS Harriet Wilson EDITORIAL BUSINESS MANAGER Florence Edwards SYNDICATION ENQUIRIES syndication@condenast.co.uk
E L E VAT E Y O U R OUTDOOR LIVING +44 (0)1455 825 403 w w w . c e n a o u t d o o r . c o . u k /s u m m e r
Copyright © 2021. House & Garden is published monthly by The Condé Nast Publications Ltd, Vogue House, Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU. Colour origination by williamslea. Printed in the UK by Walstead Roche. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. The title ‘House & Garden’ is registered at the US Patent Office and in Great Britain as a trademark. All merchandise prices are approximate. The Mail Order Protection Scheme does not cover items featured editorially. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Rates include delivery and digital editions. Full rates are £59.88 for one year in the UK, £109 for the rest of the world. To place your order, call +44 (0)1858 438819. Special offers and exclusive promotions are published in this issue or online at houseandgarden.co.uk. To manage your subscription, log onto magazineboutique.co.uk/solo. For subscription enquiries, email houseandgarden@ subscription.co.uk. US DISTRIBUTION: House & Garden, ISSN 0643-5759 (USPS 464550) is published monthly by Condé Nast, Vogue House, Hanover Square, London WIS 1JU, UK. US DISTRIBUTION: The US annual subscription price is $125. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container Inc, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256. US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to House & Garden, World Container Inc, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at Condé Nast Britain, Subscriptions Department, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Market Harborough LE16 9EF, UK. POST NOTE: All editorial enquiries and submissions to House & Garden that require replies must be accompanied by stamped, addressed envelopes. House & Garden is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice (ipso.co.uk/editors-code-of-practice) and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please see our Editorial Complaints Policy on the Contact Us page of our website or contact us at complaints@condenast.co.uk or by post to Complaints, Editorial Business Department, The Condé Nast Publications Ltd, Vogue House, Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit ipso.co.uk. The paper used for this publication is based on renewable wood fibre. The wood these fibres are derived from is sourced from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources. The producing mills are EMAS registered and operate according to the highest environmental and health and safety standards. This magazine is fully recyclable – please log on to recyclenow.com for your local recycling options for paper and board. HOUSE & GARDEN IS PUBLISHED BY THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS LTD
VOGUE HOUSE, HANOVER SQUARE, LONDON W1S 1JU (TEL: 020 7499 9080)
E M M A R E D M AY N E PUBLISHING DIRECTOR CHIEF BUSINE SS OFFICER , HOME PA TO THE PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Rosie Campion ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sophie Catto ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS EUROPE Christopher Daunt, Alexandra Bernard ADVERTISEMENT DIRECTORS Georgina Penney, Marina Connolly ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Lorna Clansey-Gramer, Nichole Mika, Olivia McHugh DIGITAL SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Sayna Blackshaw SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Olivia Capaldi ACCOUNT MANAGER Olivia Barnes HEAD OF SPECIAL PROJECTS Melinda Chandler ART DIRECTOR Joan Hecktermann ART EDITORS Richard Sanapo, Rebecca Gordon-Watkins SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Arta Ghanbari PROJECT COORDINATOR/COPYWRITER Christie Berry DESIGNER Freya Hill US OFFICE Nichole Mika (00 44 20 7152 3838; nichole.mika@condenast.co.uk) MIDDLE EAST Sudarshna Rathore (00 971 444 757 60; sudarshna@iasmedia.com) FAR EAST & ASIA PACIFIC Amy Lok (00 852 3910 6384; amy@asianimedia.com) INDIAN OFFICE Rachna Gulati (00 91 11 2373 0869; rachna.gulati@mediascope.in) GROUP PROPERTY DIRECTOR Fiona Forsyth EXECUTIVE EDITOR Laura Normanton CLASSIFIED DIRECTOR Shelagh Crofts SENIOR CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Lucy Hrynkiewicz-Sudnik SENIOR CLASSIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE Ellie Waite CLASSIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE Emily Repetti RESEARCH EXECUTIVE, MEDIA RESEARCH Lauren Hays Wheeler SENIOR DATA MANAGER Tim Westcott MARKETING MANAGER Ella Simpson CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Richard Kingerlee NEWSTRADE MARKETING MANAGER Olivia Streatfield SUBSCRIPTIONS DIRECTOR Patrick Foilleret CREATIVE DESIGN MANAGER Anthea Denning DIRECT MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGERS Brittany Mills, Lucy Rogers-Coltman SUBSCRIPTIONS & EVENTS ASSISTANT Emma Murphy ASSISTANT PROMOTIONS & MARKETING MANAGER Claudia Long COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Emily Hallie SOCIAL MEDIA & PUBLICITY EXECUTIVE Sophie McKeesick PR MANAGER Sophie Mitchell PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Sarah Jenson COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION MANAGER Xenia Dilnot SENIOR PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Dawn Crosby PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Lucy Zini COMMERCIAL, PAPER & DISPLAY PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Martin MacMillan CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Sabine Vandenbroucke HEAD OF FINANCE Daisy Tam HR DIRECTOR Hazel McIntyre CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER Simon Gresham Jones
M A N AG I N G D I R E C T O R ALBERT READ
WWW.JOSEPHINEHOME.CO.UK
Wallpaper background: ‘Aurora’, by Josef Frank, from Svenskt Tenn
FROM THE EDITOR
A
n early memory of mine is searching for tiny cowrie shells with my grandmother on the beach below the house owned by my grandparents on the North Cornish coast – there was a particular patch of pebbly sand where our patience would be rewarded. Another is being with my grandfather as he bought a little watercolour of children running into the waves, which would join the many other pictures by local artists or our family in this much-loved house. Like Sophie Dahl (who writes so vividly of time spent by the sea with both her grandmothers on the back page), these holidays and the house – from the Formica-topped kitchen table and the Thirties built-in joinery, to the scavenged finds collected along the way by various family members – are for me all vivid and formative memories. Sadly, the house was sold when my youngest was six months old but, when you read this, I will most likely be on the North Yorkshire coast building dams with my children’s paternal grandmother – our fourth year of doing this, an experience I hope will prove as formative in my children’s lives as it was in my husband’s. I can’t help, though, looking longingly at the Cornish house that is featured in this August issue on pages 108-115 and the surfers in the waves. My
grandparents’ house was from a different era – duvets being a modern concession – but the clifftop view was equally breathtaking. Just looking at the photographs, I can smell the salty air and feel the pull of nostalgia for a place I know so well – not to mention the icy thrill of catching a seemingly frighteningly big wave. One of the joys of holidaying by the sea is eating the freshest of fish. When I was a child, we’d go out in my father’s boat and bring home enough mackerel to feed several families for supper. This year, in Yorkshire, I am sure we’ll be eating lobster caught that day by a friendly local. And, when I head to the fish market, I’ll be armed with the delicious and relatively simple recipes devised by our food and drinks editor Blanche Vaughan (from page 137). Wherever you are holidaying this summer – be it a far-flung destination or close to home – I wish you the happiest of times. We all deserve it. And I hope the pages that follow provide some inspiration, light entertainment and escapism m
F O R M O R E D E C O R AT I O N I N S P I R AT I O N , V I S I T H O U S E A N D G A R D E N .C O.U K
12 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
DEAN HEARNE
F O L L O W U S O N T W I T T E R , FA C E B O O K , I N S TA G R A M A N D P I N T E R E S T, A N D
HANDMADE IN THE UK VIRTUAL HOME VISITS • SHOWROOMS NATIONWIDE Request a free brochure • 0800 389 6938 • harveyjones.com
MASTERS OF LIGHT CONTROL THE LIGHT IN YOUR R O O M AT T H E TO U C H O F A B U T TO N W I T H I N N O VAT I V E P O W E RV I E W ® SMART BLINDS, CUSTOM-MADE AND E X P E R T LY I N S TA L L E D .
S H U T T E R S • B L I N D S • C U R TA I N S
B O O K A C O N S U LTAT I O N : 0 8 0 0 6 8 8 8 11 8 O R V I S I T T H O M A S - S A N D E R S O N . C O . U K
The Re gent
drummonds-uk.com +44 (0)20 7376 4499
Shopping | Style Story | Design Ideas | On Decorating
DECORATE
Notebook RUTH SLEIGHTHOLME shows us what has caught her eye this month
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ‘Table Lamp Sicilia’ (yellow/black), €395 including shade, from Maison Sarah Lavoine. ‘Palisade Cabinet’ (natural ash), by Visser & Meijwaard, £8,700, from Mint. ‘Hand-Painted Chequerboard Tray’, by Tania Robinson, 20 x 30cm, £150, from Sascal Studio. Powder-coated metal, rattan and felt ‘Aya Lounge Chair’, €925; and ‘Aya Ottoman’, €450; both by Sep Verboom, from Livable. ‘Plate 111’ wool rug, by Gunta Stölzl, £4,650 for 310 x 200cm, from Christopher Farr e
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 17
DECORATE shopping
‘Arabesque #4’ carafe, €500, from Serena Confalonieri
‘Dionis Wall Light’, £980 including shade, from Studio Atkinson
‘The Windsor’ chair (ash), £1,176, from Wilkinson & Rivera ‘Harriet’ (from left: denim, cricket), by Leah O’Connell Design, linen, £289.20 a metre, from Tissus d’Hélène
‘Potager’ buffet plate (red), 29.5cm, €280, from Pinto e
18 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
JACQUES PƒPION
‘Midas Low Table’ (forest green), £3,825, from Jake Phipps
DECORATE shopping
‘Natural Oak Oxbow Armchair’ (cognac), by Namon Gaston, £3,900, from The New Craftsmen
‘Palopo Puruwat’ cushion (red/yellow), by Wicklewood and Mola Sasa, 50cm square, £195, from Wicklewood
‘The Dancers’ wallpaper (navy), 52cm wide, £168 a 9.5-metre roll, from Knowles & Christou ‘Brown Paper Stripe’ wallpaper (red), by Adam Bray, 52cm wide, £165 a 10-metre roll, from Hamilton Weston
‘Indivi Classic Sofa with Round Resting Unit’, by Anders Nørgaard, upholstered in ‘Napoli’ (golden beige), cotton/polyester, 80 x 306 x 152cm, £4,989 as seen, from BoConcept. For suppliers’ details, see Stockists page m 20 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
JONATHAN BOND; PIXELATE IMAGING
‘Brass Ripple Pendant’ light, £495, from Jonathan Adler Beech ‘Bamboo Mirror’ (red), by Robin Myerscough and Lascombe Hill, 84 x 56cm, £1,062, from Robin Myerscough Studio
5171 Arabetto
Whitelight Collection
Bring the earth into your home with our new 2021 Collection
caesarstone.co.uk
White brings with it a purity of both body and mind. It can be opulent or minimal but is always sophisticated. The sense of cleanliness that comes with white stone surfaces is welcome, affording us protection and turning homes into sanctuaries.
AD Beatrice Rossetti - Photo Federico Cedrone
DECORATE shopping
Across the board
RÉMY MISHON sets out a winning selection of square tiles in varied patterns and colours, including hand-painted ceramic, glazed terracotta and cement designs 1
2
3
4
5
6
1 Handmade glazed terracotta ‘Obelisco’ (vintage sand, caramel ice and caffelatte), 16cm square, £7.40 each, from Elisa Passino. 2 Glazed porcelain stoneware ‘Star’, by Nathalie du Pasquier, 20cm square, €136 a square metre, from Mutina. 3 Terracotta ‘Radar’ (yellow), by Neisha Crosland, 20cm square, £21.60 each, from De Ferranti. 4 Cement ‘Handmade Azul Liotta Tiles’, 20cm square, £4.80 each, from Maitland & Poate. 5 Cement ‘Fringe Black’ (latte/liquirizia), by Paola Navone, 20cm square, £38 a square metre, from Bisazza. 6 Hand-painted glazed terracotta ‘Spot Tiles’, 14cm square, £16.80 each, from Feild e
PHOTOGRAPHS SEAN MYERS | ILLUSTRATIONS EMILY FACCINI
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 23
DECORATE shopping
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1 Handmade ceramic ‘Inca’ (sand), 15cm square, £210 a square metre, from Lapicida. 2 Handmade terracotta ‘Emerald Green Glazed Square Tiles’, 11cm square, £2.52 each, from Bert & May. 3 Hand-painted ‘Dyrham Dairy Ceramic’ (decor), 12.6cm square, £90.07 for set of nine; and (oak leaf corner), 12.6cm square, £133.39 for 28; both by Sarsen Stone Group, from Artisans of Devizes. 4 Hand-painted ceramic ‘Floreale’, 13cm square, £5.70 each, from Ara Design Studio. 5 Hand-painted ceramic ‘Floral Nude Tiles’, 9.5cm square, £40 each, from Liv & Dom. 6 Hand-painted ceramic ‘Ship’, ‘Bird’, ‘Rabbit Pie’, ‘Piglets’, ‘Circus’ and ‘Lion’; 15cm square, £10 each, from Maude Made. 7 Handmade ceramic ‘Hanley Tube Lined Tiles’ (d1 square), 13cm square, £15.75 each, from Balineum
24 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
DECORATE shopping
1 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1 Handmade terracotta ‘Lace Yellow and Blue’, 10.5cm square, 75p each, from Milagros. 2 ‘Yellow Encaustic Tiles’, 15cm square, £9.36 each, from Granby Workshop. 3 Handmade cement ‘Prairie Fleurie’ (pink), 20cm square, €138 a square metre, from Emery & Cie. 4 Glazed ceramic ‘Confetti Burst’, 13cm square, £8.94 each, from Claybrook. 5 Hand-painted ceramic ‘Blue Oranges’, 14cm square, £10 each, from Maxime Longden. 6 Porcelain ‘Helix Blue Decor’ (2, 3), 20cm square, £45.60 a square metre, from Mandarin Stone. 7 Glazed earthenware ‘Lion Tiles’, by Laura Carlin, 10cm square, £195 for set of six, from The New Craftsmen. 8 Cement ‘Stone’ (ivory/honey), by Claesson Koivisto Rune, 20cm square, €160 for 16, from Marrakech Design. For suppliers’ details, see Stockists page m
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 25
DECORATE shopping
1
2
3
wise buys OUTDOOR LIGHTS RÉMY MISHON shares her illuminating finds for under £95
4
6
26 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
1 Glass and steel ‘Zinc Thora Outdoor Box Wall Lantern’ (matt black), £30, from B&Q. 2 ‘Discus Brass Bulkhead Round Outdoor Light’ (plain brass), £48, from Brootzo. 3 Brass ‘Portreath Adjustable Pillar Light’ (bronze), £72, from Pooky. 4 Steel ‘Swan Neck Outdoor Light’ (carbon), by Garden Trading, £60, from Black By Design. 5 Galvanised steel ‘St Ives Eye Light’, £45, from Graham & Green. 6 ‘Southbank Outdoor Concrete Wall Light’, £55, from Rockett St George. 7 Tin ‘Moke Indoor/ Outdoor Wall Light’ (black), £90, from La Redoute. 8 Aluminium ‘Astro Mast Outdoor Wall Light’ (antique brass), £52.99, from Lighting Direct m
7
5
8
FOR SUPPLIERS’ DETAILS, SEE STOCKISTS PAGE
CELEBRATING 120 YEARS OF THE FINEST SLEEP
DISCOVER OUR COLLECTION AND FIND YOUR LOCAL VISPRING RETAILER
VISPRING.COM
OCTAVE SEATING SYSTEM— VINCENT VAN DUYSEN
VIRTUAL DESIGN CONSULTANCY AT MOLTENI.IT
Molteni@Home
MOLTENI&C | DADA FLAGSHIP STORES: LONDON SW3 2EP, 245-249 BROMPTON ROAD / LONDON WC2H 8JR, 199 SHAFTESBURY AVENUE
#MolteniGroup
DECORATE style story
PHOTOGRAPHS BILL BATTEN
Character studies
GABBY DEEMING explores the pleasing elegance of a few well-chosen pieces to conjure up a mood of lazy late-summer days
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 29
DECORATE style story
PREVIOUS PAGE
WALLS Walls painted in ‘Oval Room Blue’, £49.50 for 2.5 litres estate emulsion, from Farrow & Ball. Framed antique French botanical specimen prints, £1,200 for set of 12, from Adelphi Gallery. FURNITURE English 19th-century iron and marble console table, £4,200, from Hilary Batstone. ACCESSORIES Large antique French cast-iron urns, £4,000 a pair, from Maison Artefact. Papier-mâché leaves, $235 for set of 3, from Casa Gusto
THIS PAGE
WALLS Walls painted in ‘Card Room Green’, £49.50 for 2.5 litres estate emulsion, from Farrow & Ball. Bamboo and silk Qing dynasty threadwork scroll blinds, £3,800 for set of 4, from Foster & Gane. FLOOR Rush matting, £222 a square metre, from Rush Matters. FURNITURE Mahogany ‘Fawley Armchair’, £5,280 excluding fabric; upholstered in ‘Dutch Stripe’ (porcelain), by Jasper by Michael S Smith, hemp, £243.60 a metre; both from Jamb. 19th-century horsehair and mahogany sofa, £32,500 a pair, from Hawker Antiques. ‘Lacquer Cube’ resin table (green), £1,040; oak and rush ‘The Bulrush Daybed’, £3,358; both from Studio Atkinson. ‘CH44’ oak and papercord chair, by Hans J Wegner, £1,563, from Carl Hansen & Søn. ACCESSORIES ‘Bobbin Table Lamps’ (natural oak), by The London Workshop, £320 each, from The New Craftsmen. Woven paper ‘Wavy Lampshades’ (stone trim), by A Considered Space and Munro and Kerr, £225 each, from Munro and Kerr. ‘Giant Ceramic Clam Shell’ (blush pink interior), £190, from Matilda Goad. Earthenware planter (blue & white), £75, from Henry Holland. Willow ‘Oyster Tendle’ basket, by Hilary Burns, £430, from The New Craftsmen. Bolsters, ‘Acqua 20’, linen/hemp, £120 a metre, from Viola Lanari. Rectangular cushions, long (on sofa) in ‘Marmaris’ (blue with green); and short (on chair) in ‘Asaram’ (all green); both by Martyn LawrenceBullard, linen, £255.60 a metre, from Tissus d’Hélène e 30 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
DECORATE style story
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 31
DECORATE style story
WALLS Walls painted in ‘Card Room Green’, £49.50 for 2.5 litres estate emulsion, from Farrow & Ball. Curtains, ‘Kemble’ (celadon), cotton, £35 a metre, from Romo. ‘Fig’ and ‘Pomegranate’ papier-mâché medallions, $825 each, from Casa Gusto. FURNITURE Bronze and plywood ‘Octagonal Table’, £10,226, from Chelsea Textiles. Mango wood ‘Rosen Chairs’, £277 each, from Scumble Goosie; painted in ‘Provence’, £21.95 for 1 litre chalk paint, from Annie Sloan; upholstered in ‘Dart Stripe’ (blue), cotton linen, £46 a metre, from Colefax and Fowler. Chairs painted to order, from £200 each, by Annie Millar. ACCESSORIES Earthenware tableware: fruit bowl (green & white), £125; small bowls, £45 each; and side plates, £30 each; all from Henry Holland. Similar French enamel jug, £56, from RE. Plaster ‘Wobble Ceiling Light’, by Alexandra Robinson, £1,800, from The New Craftsmen e 32 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
BEDDING • CURTAINS • CUSHIONS mmlinen.com
Pictured: Julia bedding, available to purchase from August 2021
mmlinen.uk
DECORATE style story
34 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
DECORATE style story
Summer warmth invites a lighter touch when decorating: less is more. WALLS Walls painted in ‘French Blue’, £49.50 for 2.5 litres emulsion; and woodwork painted in ‘Mummy’, £41 for 1 litre water-based eggshell; both from Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. ‘F004’ MDF fretwork panels, from £55.36 for 100 x 50cm, from Jali. Oak ‘Bobbin Mirror’ (just seen), by Alfred Newall, £552 as seen, from The London Workshop; painted in ‘Bleu Turc’, £41 for 1 litre water-based eggshell, from Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. FURNITURE Brass, steel and leather ‘Richter Bed’, £5,615 for a king size, from Julian Chichester; with bed curtains in ‘Fleur’ (white), cotton, £94 a metre, from Colefax and Fowler. Early-19th-century oak hall chairs, £2,400 a pair, from Hawker Antiques. Early-20th-century rattan lounger, £2,600, from Hilary Batstone. ACCESSORIES ‘Celine’ cotton bed linen (blue), from £28 for an Oxford pillowcase, from Cologne & Cotton. Quilt, ‘Kemble’ (oxford blue), cotton, £35 a metre, from Romo. Tablecloth, ‘Dart Stripe’ (blue), cotton linen, £46 a metre, from Colefax and Fowler. Brass and leather ‘Parsons Table Lamp’ with trimmed card shade (cream), £1,400, from Studio Atkinson. ‘Hand-blown Glass Bumba Bedside Carafe and Glass Set’ (rose pink), £195, from Summerill & Bishop. Small earthenware bowl (brown & blue), £45, from Henry Holland. Cushion, ‘Asaram’ (all green), by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, linen, £255.60 a metre, from Tissus d’Hélène. For suppliers’ details, see Stockists page m HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 35
ANDSOTOBED.CO.UK | 0808 144 4343 Image shown: Josephine Upholstered Bed
DECORATE design ideas Design ideas
A VICTORIAN TOWNHOUSE
This house in west London has been thoughtfully reconfigured by Todhunter Earle Interiors to accommodate a family with young children, as well as their growing collection of antique ceramics and artworks. CHRISTABEL CHUBB highlights the key design elements and decorating decisions
PAUL MASSEY
KITCHEN
Originally in the central part of the house, the kitchen was repositioned at the front by Flower Michelin Architects, allowing natural light from the west-facing windows to flood into the room. Original features such as the chimneypiece were left untouched, respecting the house’s Victorian origins. Having open shelves rather than wall-mounted cabinets enhances the sense of width in quite a narrow room, and a seat built into the bay window helps to make the most of every bit of space. flowermichelin.com e HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 37
DECORATE design ideas
1 [1] MORNING ROOM
The opening between this room at the back of the house and the adjoining dining room (opposite) was enlarged, so more natural light can reach what could have been a dark space. This idea has been used throughout the house. As Laura King, the lead interior designer on the project, explains, ‘This creates a greater sense of space and flow, without making the rooms open plan.’ Walls in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Sand III’ provide a calm, pale background for a set of botanical prints and a David Seyfried sofa, covered in ‘Gonfaloniere’ linen in grass by John Stefanidis from Tissus d’Hélène. paintandpaperlibrary.com | davidseyfried.com johnstefanidisfabrics.com | tissusdhelene.co.uk [2] MORNING ROOM
On the other side of the room, a new internal window allows daylight to reach the stairs and landing, and frames a view of the wallpaper in the downstairs loo beyond. The fanlight above it gives the impression of a higher ceiling. Adjacent to this wall, double doors provide another entrance to this part of the house. [ 3 ] C L OA K R O O M
Panelling was added below Pierre Frey’s ‘Mojito’ wallpaper and painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Green Smoke’, as was the shelving on the back wall (seen in the mirror), which helps unify the space. A rattan-framed mirror from The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair makes the room appear to be larger than it is and provides decorative detail. There is no natural light, but ‘Swan Neck’ wall lamps from Pooky and a ‘Dodo Egg’ pendant by Beata Heuman provide a warm, atmospheric glow. pierrefrey.com | farrow-ball.com decorativefair.com | pooky.com | beataheuman.com e 38 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
2 3
DECORATE design ideas [4] DINING ROOM
PAUL MASSEY
This sits between the kitchen and morning room. The combination of concealed and exposed storage allows the owners to display pieces collected on their travels on shelves behind fluted glass doors, with space for small appliances in the cupboards below. The custom-built cabinetry does not reach the ceiling, which emphasises the height of the space and gives the space an airy feel. The rug helps to define this as a room in its own right and stops it feeling like a passageway between the adjoining rooms. The steel chandelier is from Howe. howelondon.com e
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 39
DECORATE design ideas
1 3
2 [ 1 ] D R AW I N G R O O M
Once again, an opening was enlarged – this time on the first floor – to create an L-shaped room, which now houses a formal sitting room and a large study. Timber panelling in a style consistent with the Victorian architecture of the room was used to make a feature of the opening itself, and other original period features, such as the skirting and cornicing, were restored by specialists. An eye-catching, mid-century-inspired ‘Wormhole 03’ brass floor lamp by Bronzetto is positioned in a corner beside a ‘Hartfield’ armchair and ottoman from Arlo & Jacob, providing an ideal spot to relax with a book. ilbronzetto.com | arloandjacob.com [2] STUDY
On one side of this east-facing room is a desk with a shelf above it, which were both custom built to fit the space with its distinctive angles. The walls are painted in ‘Tawny’ from Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, a timeless beige that was chosen for the way it works well in different lights. A rattan chair brings a natural, textured element to the scheme, while the owners’ decorative leather hippo adds a fun, quirky touch. edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk [3] INFORMAL SITTING ROOM
In this lower-ground room, which doubles as a spare room for guests, internal windows and a glazed door separate the space from the hallway. This brings as much natural light as possible into an area that would otherwise be quite dark. Walls in warm ‘Buff ’ and woodwork in ‘Milk White’, both from Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, contribute to the airy feel, and a sofa bed in a rich yellow brushed linen-cotton from Sofa.com can be converted easily for guests. edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk | sofa.com 40 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
DECORATE design ideas
4 [4] CHILDREN’S BEDROOM
5 6
Throughout the house, bespoke joinery was crucial for making the most of the space, with many of the pieces designed to be dual purpose. The boys’ bedroom has a custom-built desk and seating area with storage below for toys, all in Paper & Paint Library’s ‘Blue Blood’. ‘It’s very important to have a space for everything,’ says Todhunter Earle co-founder Kate Earle. A George Spencer Designs ‘Wide Straight Edge Braid’ was used to create the illusion of a higher ceiling. paintandpaperlibrary.com | georgespencer.com [ 5 ] P L AY R O O M
A tricky corner in this room on the lower-ground floor has been transformed into a reading nook with drawers underneath. Ideal for homework, the desk was made to fit the space and the wall is partly clad with cork covered in blue ‘Milano’ wool flannel from Clementine Oliver, for use as a pinboard. The wallpaper is from Trustworth Studios. clementineoliver.com | trustworth.com
PAUL MASSEY; ANNA STATHAKI
[6] MAIN BEDROOM
Ample storage here is provided by built-in wardrobes, which stop just short of the ceiling in order to make the walls of this bedroom feel taller. The cornicing is interrupted above the window to create space for a pole with full-length curtains. The wallpaper is Cole & Son’s ‘Hummingbirds’ and the bespoke chest is from Howe. The owners’ armchair from Kingcome Sofas has been re-covered in Namay Samay’s ‘Lerio’ in sterling. cole-and-son.com howelondon.com | kingcomesofas.co.uk | namaysamay.com m Todhunter Earle Interiors: todhunterearle.com. This project is featured in ‘Modern English: Todhunter Earle Interiors’ (Vendome Press, £50), published in September HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 41
DECORATE on decorating
Interior designer
EMMA BURNS on PAINT EFFECTS
T
he yellow library of the previous headquarters of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler on Brook Street, W1, was an iconic room. Famously created by Nancy Lancaster, it featured layers of glaze over stippled ‘buttah yellah’ paint that gave the walls a deep and exciting shimmer. I wanted to create a room as impressive and memorable at our new home on Pimlico Road, SW1, but our conference room is tiny in comparison and, when we arrived, felt a bit anonymous. The walls are now a beautiful stippled, deep bronzey green, with a high-shine varnish. The woodwork has been painted to look like birch and suddenly the room has come to life. This is the power of paint – and the effects that can be created with different techniques and finishes. Many people think paint effects are a dated idea. Certain ones are – I don’t think I’ve done much rag rolling in the past 25 years. When I was first working in the Eighties, barely a surface was left unembellished. It went out of fashion in the Nineties – probably because so much of it was done badly on television shows such as Changing Rooms. Suddenly, everyone thought they could rag roll without really understanding the proper process. Now though, I think people are getting tired of grey interiors and that whole airport vibe we’ve seen. They are seeking out things that are beautiful and luxurious, and finished by hand rather than mass produced. One of the wonderful things about decorative finishes and effects is that they are created from scratch. No one can buy it in a tin: it is just for you and that excites people. I notice, too, that we’re getting more requests for these finishes: marbling and malachite, tortoiseshell and bamboo. That Tony Duquette vibe is coming back and I think that exotica is wonderful. Two paint effects I particularly like are stippling and dragging – techniques that work well when used together. For me, stippling onto walls is one of the most glorious things, because you achieve a broken colour that is soft and subtle, with charm and life. This broken effect is created by partially removing the glaze (with a stippling brush), which has been painted over a base coat of coloured paint. This textured surface reflects and reacts to light differently to a wall painted in a solid colour – there is much more movement. So much depends on the choice of two colours. You might have a quite dramatic base coat – something that might frighten the horses or give a client a breakdown – until you stipple over it in the second colour, which might be much lighter. I stippled my bedroom a soft apricot pink in about 2002 and, every time I think I might redecorate, I can’t bear to change it as it is so lovely. It doesn’t shout, ‘Look at me! I’m a paint effect!’: it’s just marvellous in the background. 42 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
The purpose of dragging is to enhance the existing architectural details, creating highlights and lowlights. The brush can be dragged along the moulded sections of a door, for example, which allows you to see some bits more clearly and knock others into the background. It can be really lovely in panelled rooms and it can give more height to a room, because it adds a linear expression. Roger Banks-Pye, one of the former greats at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, was tremendous and exciting and brave with colour. He would try out the most wonderful finishes. I remember that, in one project, we had six regular panelled doors and he had painted them in a base coat, then added blue dots and dragged over them in off white. It looked as though the blue dots were the knots in the wood. It was so pretty and playful. And, in a way, that is a lot of what decorating is about – creating a happy atmosphere. This is all specialist work of course and requires a high level of skill. I work a lot with Mathew Bray and Matthew Collins (mathew brayandmatthewcollins.co.uk), who are great decorative artists. When you work with people regularly, you end up sharing the same references and vocabulary, which makes it an easy process. I would warn people away from trying to create paint effects themselves, unless you want a certain naive finish. If you wish to attempt a bit of DIY, try marbling, as it can look charming even if done poorly. This is an effect that can take being more rough and ready, and less refined – the way that Scandinavian painted furniture is lovely although not necessarily realistic looking. They might be seen as old fashioned by some, but such effects are all totally relevant today. At their best, they can be discreet, elegant and almost unnoticeable. A well-executed paint effect adds interest and life to a surface m Emma Burns is design director at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler: sibylcolefax.com
ALEXIS BRUCHON IS REPRESENTED BY ARTIST PARTNERS
ILLUSTRATION ALEXIS BRUCHON
SOFAS . BEDS . CHAIRS www.love-your-home.co.uk
loveyourhomeuk
WO N D E R is a page away
News | Out & About | Sourcebook | The List | Outside Interests | Books | Art
INSIDER
COURTESY OF FABRICUT
GLOBAL INFLUENCE Fabric brand S Harris has recently joined forces with the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG), a platform founded in New York in 2018 to tackle the lack of representation of black talent within the design industry. Together, they have created the Orejen collection, a range of fabrics, trimmings and wallcoverings. The designs are the work of the artist and BADG founder Malene Barnett and interior designers Rayman Boozer, Linda Hayslett, Erin Shakoor and Beth Diana Smith, who have looked to the textile traditions of East Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands for inspiration. ‘Part of the goal is to highlight the roots and trajectories of different cultures,’ explains Rayman. The 77-strong range provides a contemporary take on indigenous braiding, woodwork and beading, and features strong colours, bold patterns and motifs depicting everything from Zanzibar baskets to the dress traditions of the Asmat people of New Guinea. The collection is available now through Turnell & Gigon. Prices for trimmings start at £62.60 a metre. turnellandgigon.com | badguild.info e
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 45
INSIDER news
EDITED BY ELIZABETH METCALFE
INTRODUCING: Wilkinson & Rivera
‘The birth of our son made us realise that we had to find a way to blend our personal and professional lives,’ says Teresa Rivera, who co-founded furniture brand Wilkinson & Rivera with her husband Grant Wilkinson earlier this year. Based in Walthamstow, the couple craft chairs and stools that offer a playful, contemporary take on traditional designs – think wavybacked Windsor chairs and scallop-edged stools – and work mainly with English ash and oak. They both studied fine art at university, after which Teresa worked as an interior designer at Fran Hickman for three years, while Grant honed his woodworking skills at London-based globemakers Bellerby & Co. ‘I learned a lot from Fran, especially about attention to detail,’ says Teresa. ‘With our furniture, we want to create pieces that are beautiful, soft and tactile.’ Prices start at £240 for the ‘Sun Petal’ and ‘Penny Petal’ stools. wilkinson-rivera.com
BLANKET COVERAGE
As beautiful as they are functional, JW Anderson’s eye-catching wool and cashmere blankets are the fruits of a recent collaboration between designer Jonathan Anderson, ceramic artist Dame Magdalene Odundo and the American performance artist Shawanda Corbett. New works by each artist have been woven and knitted to create a collection of six blankets; seen here is ‘Playing Outside in School Clothes’, based on a design by Shawanda. Each of the blankets is being produced in a limited run and available to pre-order now for £1,290. jwanderson.com
Border lines
Outdoor art show The Garden of Earthly Delights: July 8–September 8 For this exhibition at her home in Chiswick, gallerist Joanna Bird has invited artisans to respond to her garden. The works on display will include baskets by Joe Hogan and ceramics by Florian Gadsby (right). Open 10am-6pm or by appointment. joannabird.com 46 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
Wallpaper borders may have been sidelined for a few decades, but Kate Hawkins, founder of the wallpaper company CommonRoom, is determined to change that. She has recently launched two versatile new designs. ‘We are excited to bring back borders – they have so much potential to transform a space,’ says Kate. The designs include a pretty pink bow motif by the artist Susie Green called ‘Ribbons Wrap You Up’ (above), as well as a charming ivy-inspired pattern, ‘Ivy Chaplet’ (below). Prices start at £60 for a 10-metre roll. commonroom.co e
EXCEPTIONAL OUTDOOR FURNITURE 01264 730 801 www.oxenwood.co.uk
INSIDER news
CRAFTED IN COLOMBIA
Textile and homeware brand Wicklewood has recently joined forces with Colombia-based Mola Sasa on a range of colourful cushions. Made from textiles crafted by Guna Dule indigenous women in Colombia, they feature bold appliqué designs depicting animals and abstract geometric patterns. ‘Each fabric is the very specific design of the artisan who works on it,’ explains Mola Sasa’s founder Yasmin Sabet. The cotton and linen cushions cost from £195 for the 50cm-square size. wicklewood.com | molasasa.com
A family affair A collaboration between London-based designer Joe Armitage and his designer grandmother Marthe, this floor lamp revives a 1952 design by Marthe’s late husband Edward. This new iteration by Joe, who was formerly the design director at lighting brand Tala and launched his own studio last year, is crafted from walnut and brass, and has a shade made from one of Marthe’s wallpapers. ‘It’s rare to be able to collaborate with a grandparent,’ says Joe. ‘She has always been a huge source of inspiration, so I feel lucky to have worked with her on this.’ The ‘Armitage Lamp’, £2,800, is sold via The New Craftsmen. Joe is now expanding the range to include a table lamp and chandelier. joearmitage.com | marthearmitage.co.uk | thenewcraftsmen.com
REGARDING HENRY
‘It all grew from me messing around at my kitchen table,’ says designer Henry Holland of his latest venture – a collection of handmade ceramic tableware. After his fashion label folded last March, Henry decided to enrol on a pottery course at a studio in Hackney. When lockdown called an end to classes, he started playing around with clay at home, experimenting with different techniques. ‘I was teaching myself on YouTube,’ says Henry, who discovered the Japanese art of nerikomi, in which coloured clays are stacked together to create patterns. ‘It can be very precise, but I’ve used the technique in a more organic way.’ Henry, cites the Memphis movement and art deco design as influences, and plans to expand the collection to include glassware and table linen. The pieces are available from Henry Holland Studio and Liberty, from £30 for a side plate. henryhollandstudio.com | liberty.com
LITTLE SHOP OF DELIGHTS
Those visiting Cornwall this summer should make a beeline for The Little Shop at Fowey Hall Hotel. Curated by House & Garden contributing editor Fiona Golfar, it brings together a charming array of pieces, including lampshades by Rosi de Ruig, ceramics by Cornwall-based potter Jennie Hale and handmade paper flowers by London-based Emmeli Kimhi. Keep an eye out, too, for the hotel’s bi-monthly outdoor market, organised by Fiona with Cathy St Germans of Farms to Feed Us, which offers crafted pieces, delicious food, music and produce. the-little-shop-fowey.myshopify.com | foweyhallhotel.co.uk m 48 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
‘summer’
by willow crossley
amykent.co.uk
OLD ALRES FORD, HAM P S HIRE
YO U C A N TA S T E W H E N I T ’ S G R O W N O N LY I N F R E S H S P R I N G W AT E R
Waitrose Fresh British Watercress. Selected stores. Subject to availability.
YO U C A N TA S T E W H E N I T ’ S WA I T RO S E
S H O P I N S T O R E O R AT W A I T R O S E . C O M
INSIDER news
Out & about EDITED BY LAURA NORMANTON
N AT U R A L L I G H T New to Collier Webb is this ‘Alabaster Cep’ table lamp. The shade, stem and base are all made of alabaster, a translucent material that lends itself to soft lighting. The lamp comes in three sizes, the smallest of which can be either wired or cordless. From £1,490 for the wired mini version. collierwebb.com
Pierre Frey’s new ‘Calanques’ wallpaper caught my eye with its playful design, which is also available as a fabric and a rug. Seen here in the mediterranee colour, the wallpaper is 134cm wide and costs £178 a metre. pierrefrey.com
Laura at the Rimadesio flagship showroom in Wigmore Street, W1
GRAPHIC DESIGN
From Arte’s Samal collection, this new geometric ‘Cubic’ capiz shell wallcovering is available in three colourways: champagne cocktail, ever green and burnt sienna (as seen here). It costs £645 for a box of five 53 x 44cm tiles. 0800 500 3335; arte-international.com
Boxing clever
The ‘Luca’ ottoman by 2LG for Love Your Home would be ideal for storing blankets. It costs from £924 covered in fabric from the 2LG collection, such as this ‘Studio Rich Stain Resistant Velvet’ in persian blue. 01483 410007; love-your-home.co.uk e 52 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
PHOTOGRAPHS: JOSHUA MONAGHAN; MATT THOMPSON. LAURA IS WEARING A DRESS FROM WEEKEND MAX MARA (GB.WEEKENDMAXMARA.COM) AND ‘POMME’ BROGUES, £185, FROM ROGUE MATILDA (ROGUEMATILDA.COM). HAIR AND MAKE UP BY KEELEY WILSON (KEELEYWILSONMAKEUP@HOTMAIL.CO.UK)
MARINE SCENE
INSIDER news Shining example This Moroccan-inspired ‘Filagree’ lantern from The White Company would look good hanging above a garden table or grouped on a terrace. Designed to hold a tea light, the zinc-plated iron frame can be hung from a crook (sold separately). It costs £25. thewhitecompany.com
FIT FOR PURPOSE Neatsmith designs and builds bespoke storage. These walnut deco veneer wardrobes have ‘Reflex’ doors, with lacquered drawer fronts, glass shelves and rails, all lit by LEDs. A similar project would cost from £1,980 a metre. neatsmith.co.uk
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
This ‘Columbidae’ wallpaper featuring doves and pigeons roosting in fruit trees is one of the custom designs made by Adam Ellis. It costs £140 a square metre for a minimum order of three metres. adamellis.com
Animal magic Big cats march across Ardmore Collection’s ‘Leopard Walk’ wallpaper from Cole & Son. The design is sold in five colours including orange on linen, shown here, and costs £90 for a 10-metre roll. 020 7376 4628; cole-and-son.com
SHELF LIFE Tetbury-based Brownrigg has a constantly changing mix of antiques and decorative objects. Look out for pieces such as this 19th-century French bookcase in bleached walnut, one of a pair for £4,750. 01666 500887; brownrigg-interiors.co.uk 54 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
FLORAL FINERY
Rubelli’s ‘Contessa’ fabric, seen here in corallo, was inspired by a 17th-century Italian textile. It is a vibrant viscose/silk print available in a choice of five colours and costs £264 a metre. rubelli.com
PILE THEM HIGH These ‘Sabel’ cotton velvet cushions from MM Linen come in six hues, with a stonewash cotton reverse and tufted fringing. They measure 40 x 60cm and cost £55 each with a feather-filled pad. 01858 810023; uk.mmlinen.com
SET IN STONE Caesarstone’s latest quartz collection is weather and UV resistant, so it is ideal for outdoor kitchens and garden furniture. Seen here in ‘405 Midday’, one of three colour options, it is also scratch, mould and mildew resistant. It costs £600 a square metre. caesarstone.co.uk
ACCESS THE BEST INTERNATIONAL INTERIORS BRANDS AT DESIGN CENTRE, CHELSEA HARBOUR THE PERSONAL SHOPPING SERVICE WILL HELP YOU CREATE A BEAUTIFUL HOME, WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD Make an appointment: dcch.co.uk/personal-shopping
D BLACKMORE
Into the blue
Transylvanian company Mind The Gap designs and manufactures colourful furnishings influenced by its bohemian roots. Seen here is the bold ‘Villa Mural’ wallpaper in yellow (£175 for three 52 x 300cm rolls), with the large ‘Kipos’ pendant lamp (£304), the large ‘Seaside Trellis’ floor lampshade (£256) and the medium ‘Old Harbour’ table lampshade (£202). mindtheg.com m
120 INSPIRING SHOWROOMS • 600 INTERNATIONAL BRANDS • ACCESSORIES • BATHROOMS • BEDS • CARPETS, RUGS & FLOORING • CURTAIN POLES & FINIALS • FABRICS • FURNITURE • HARDWARE • KITCHENS • LIGHTING • OUTDOOR FURNITURE • PAINT • TILES • TRIMMINGS • LEATHER • WALLCOVERINGS
design centre LONDON
www.dcch.co.uk
PICKETT.CO.UK
10-12 BURLINGTON GARDENS, LONDON W1S 3EY 149 SLOANE STREET, LONDON SW1X 9BZ +44 (0) 20 7493 8939
INSIDER sourcebook Sourcebook
BATHROOMS
LAURA NORMANTON showcases a stylish selection of the latest fixtures, fittings and accessories to provide inspiration for your bathroom – from baths and basins to tiles and taps
MODERN CLASSIC
Designed by Terri Pecora for VitrA, the ‘Plural Monoblock Washbasin’ comes in four colours and can be viewed, among a wide range of other items, at the brand’s new 5,600-squarefoot showroom in Clerkenwell. This basin costs £1,693. london.vitra.co.uk
FEET FIRST With sturdy art-deco feet, the ‘Richmond’ is a double-ended freestanding bath that offers a slightly more masculine take on the traditional roll-top bath. It costs from £1,865.30. 01952 221100; vandabaths.com
COLOURING IN Alongside its own products, CP Hart stocks a selection of international brands and has stores across the country, including its flagship in Newnham Terrace, SE1, which is the largest bathroom showroom in the UK. On display are these ‘Shui 400mm Countertop Basins’, by Cielo, in a new glossy finish shown in anemone. They cost £784.80 each as seen. 0345 873 1100; cphart.co.uk
The scent of summer Deck your bathroom out with products in Jo Malone London’s best loved fragrance, English Pear & Freesia. This scent is now available in a limited-edition larger 500ml ‘Body & Hand Wash’ (£52) as well as the 250ml ‘Body & Hand Lotion’ (£42) and ‘Bath Oil’ (£48). jomalone.co.uk e HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 57
INSIDER sourcebook VANITY UNITS
These make good use of the space below a basin with cupboards, drawers, shelving or a rail for towels
SMART DUO The ‘Carter Double’ vanity unit from Porter, £2,994, is a practical choice with cupboards, drawers and a shelf below its Carrara marble top. porterbathroom.com
On the right lines I like the sheen on the ‘Zeze’ porcelain wall mosaics from Claybrook, which are influenced by traditional Japanese glazing techniques. Available in five colours including kaiyo, seen here, the tiles would add stylish detail to bathroom walls or a shower area. They cost £8.33 for a 29 x 30cm sheet or £99.96 a square metre. 020 7052 1555; claybrookstudio.co.uk
PERFECT CURVE Drummonds’ ‘Single Buttermere Vanity Basin’, £2,964, has a china basin on brass legs. The bow front of the basin is echoed in the towel rail below. drummonds-uk.com
SHOPPING CORNER: BRASSWARE 1
2
3
4
5
1 Made in Britain using traditional skills, the Hoxton collection from Perrin & Rowe offers a fresh take on modern luxury. The tall ‘3419’ single-lever basin mixer, shown in chrome and available in six other finishes, is perfect for high-sided washbasins and costs £756 as seen. perrinandrowe.co.uk 2 I like the timeless simplicity of the 1900 Classic range from Lefroy Brooks. The ‘Concealed Wall Bath Filler’ in the silver nickel finish costs £819. uk.lefroybrooks.com 3 The new ‘Icon-X’ collection from THG Paris has electronic control panels with a range of coloured lighting options. In chrome, this wall-mounted, electronic bath control costs £5,714. thg-paris.com 4 Inspired by the Bauhaus aesthetic, the ‘Landmark Pure’ collection of brassware from Samuel Heath is available in eight finishes, including unlacquered urban brass, as shown. This is part of a three-hole basin mixer that costs from £1,248 for the set. samuel-heath.com 5 Designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1968, the ‘HV1’ tap from Vola is still a bestseller. The deck-mounted single-lever basin mixer with a brushed gold PVD finish (physical vapour deposition) costs £818.40 as seen. en.vola.com m 58 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
G R E AT HOM E S M A DE G R E AT E R Award-winning residential construction and project management
Architects and Project Managers – Hackett Holland Ltd
Main Contractor – Markstone Construction UK Ltd
markstone.co.uk
House & Garden magazine would like to thank Markstone Construction for their collaboration on all exhibition and fair projects in 2019 and 2020
INSIDER The List
EDITED BY BELLE RICE
The List By House & Garden is our indispensable guide to design professionals. Take inspiration from this garden transformation and these products, selected from some of its standout members
OUTDOOR DINING
THE HEVENINGHAM COLLECTION
From the iron furniture specialist, this ‘Small Norsebury Table’ is shown in black steel with a Cabucca limestone top. It comes in a choice of colours and stone tops; from £4,225. heveningham.co.uk
BRAMBLECREST
CHARLOTTE ROWE
‘This traditional Somerset farmhouse was rundown and surrounded by a concrete farmyard and outbuildings in a poor state of repair. Our task was to transform the land into a beautiful garden linking the house with the surrounding fields. Most of the outbuildings were removed, but the owners wanted to keep the swimming pool. It was not in great condition and was oriented awkwardly and out of alignment with the farmhouse and the outbuildings. A key challenge was to help ease the pool into the space. Relining it with dark grey slate has made the water appear deep turquoise and has helped it to blend in with the garden and the countryside beyond. There is a tiny building next to it for the pool machinery; the larger one to its left has a fireplace and is used for summer dining. Beds of lavender add to the Provençal feel, while two wedge-shaped planting beds separate the pool from the lawn and discourage young visitors from running straight into the pool from the house. We kept planting simple: Buxus sempervirens balls for structure, interplanted with Rosa Winchester Cathedral, Russian sage, catmint (nepeta) and Verbena bonariensis. Beyond the pool, a ha-ha was created from an old waterway, so the garden flows into the borrowed landscape beyond. Particularly when there are cows in the field beyond the willow tree, it feels like one connected space. A new wall linking the outbuilding and the house creates the feel of a walled garden, protected from the south-westerly winds. A gravel parterre between the wall and lawn is planted with rosemary, lavender and santolina, and we added espaliered fruiting pear trees underplanted with Hakonechloa macra. For us, the architecture of a garden is important. This one appears to be mainly planting, but the correct placement of the pool and buildings in the landscape was core to our design. We like to create a sense of order in a space and one way of doing this is to introduce symmetry, using planting as the buffer between buildings and hard landscaping.’ charlotterowe.com | thelist.houseandgarden.com
60 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
OX E N W O O D
Specially made to fit your space, the company’s outdoor kitchens are designed around 1 metre-wide units made of solid oak and include Sub-Zero & Wolf gas grills; from £22,200. oxenwood.co.uk
Visit The List today to find a design professional near you. If you are a design professional and would like to join The List, call 020 7152 3639, or email olivia.capaldi@condenast.co.uk m
ANDREA JONES
The anatomy of a garden by designer
Part of its outdoor furniture range, the ‘Chedworth’ modular sofa and table set comes with a built-in ceramic firepit and two benches; from £4,492. bramblecrest.com
H&G partnership
IN FULL COLOUR A bold interiors scheme starts with the perfect paint colour, but choosing the right one can feel daunting. Farrow & Ball’s in-depth colour consultations are tailored to your needs so that you can choose the right paints for your project
T
he transformative power of paint is well known among interior designers. Choosing the right shades for different rooms throughout the house is a process that requires careful consideration of various elements including the amount of natural light, the architecture and how the space will be used. Achieving the right balance can be simplified by having an expert eye to help navigate the selection process and develop a palette which encourages us to make bolder choices. With this in mind, the colour expert Farrow & Ball offers in-depth consultations to take the stress out of choosing colour and creating striking interiors. Its consultancy service is a tailored experience in which its experts can provide advice specific to a particular project and desired look – whether for a small bedroom or your whole house. Consultations are available either through an at-home visit or a virtual session, during which you will go through Farrow & Ball’s impressive palette and walk through each room to discuss the best options and share advice on how to approach the space to achieve impact. Farrow & Ball’s paint is coveted all around the world, with a meticulously curated palette inspired by nature, cultural landmarks and period houses. It also collaborates with leading designers and creative thinkers to create new colours to suit a variety of styles and tastes. To fully realise the possibilities with paint, it is particularly helpful to have the brand’s colour experts at hand to narrow down ideas and pull a scheme together.
JAMES MERRELL
BOOK A CONSULTATION
FROM TOP The kitchen walls in a London house are painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Peignoir’ and the cabinets in ‘Railings’. In another project, ‘Inchyra Blue’ on the woodwork brings a hint of drama to the hall, and creates interest against the ‘Sulking Room Pink’ painted walls
Farrow & Ball’s colour experts are available to discuss your project and ideas, either in person through a home visit or via a virtual consultation online. During an at-home visit, one of its colour consultants will walk through each room and take in the space. The same expert advice and personal approach is available virtually thanks to the convenience of video and online communication. The hourly cost for tailored colour consultancy sessions is £195 for a home visit and £130 for online. To book your colour consultation and to find out more, visit farrow-ball.com/cc.
SOPHIA SPRING
PAUL MASSEY
OUR INDISPENSABLE ONLINE GUIDE TO THE DESIGN WORLD Featuring the best interior designers, architects, landscape gardeners and artisanal suppliers PAUL MASSEY
V I S I T U S AT
PAUL MASSEY
LUCAS ALLEN
the li s t .h ous ea ndga rd e n.c om
EVA NEMETH
EDITED BY CLARE FOSTER
Outside interests
INSIDER news
TOP ROW FROM LEFT Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ and a ‘Bishop’s Children’ dahlia grown from seed in the front garden. Deadheading peonies. Rudbeckia, silver-leaved Teucrium fruticans and pink Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’. BOTTOM ROW Sheepdog Willow. The vegetable garden. Gladiolus murielae
August garden diary At this time of year, we are eating fresh produce from the vegetable garden every day. The only downside is that, if you don’t keep up with the picking, the courgettes turn into marrows, the lettuces go to seed and the beans become overgrown and stringy. Plants that would normally carry on producing slow down and go to seed if you aren’t harvesting from them. So picking little and often when the vegetables are still small and tender is the best approach. The same goes for the flower borders. Sweet peas need picking regularly; if you leave the flowers on the plant, they will turn into seedpods almost before your eyes, triggering the plant into early dormancy. The way to keep them going longer is to tackle them once every week or 10 days, ensuring you pick every single bloom from as low down the stem as possible, watering the plants at the same time if the weather is dry. I’m also deadheading other perennials obsessively at this
time to keep everything going – penstemons, dahlias, heleniums, astrantia and many others benefit from the removal of dead flowerheads, enabling the plant to put its energy back into producing strong growth. This prolongs the flowering season well into autumn – as well as making the plants look neater. The other task I enjoy doing in August is taking cuttings from salvias, penstemons and pelargoniums, all of which are easy to propagate in this way. Take your cuttings from non-flowering shoots, as they will root more easily, and snip off a shoot about 10-15cm just above a bud. Trim off the lowest leaves and pinch out the growing tip, then dip the end of the cutting in hormone rooting powder before planting three or four around the edge of a 9cm pot, in multipurpose compost mixed with a little grit for drainage. Keep the cuttings protected in a greenhouse or coldframe over winter to plant out the following year.
THIS MONTH’S GARDEN TASKS • Cut back alchemilla and hardy geraniums to encourage more growth • Water flowers and vegetables if the weather is dry • Prune wisteria to keep it in shape • Collect seed from foxgloves and other early-summer perennials • Feed container plants with high-potash liquid fertiliser to prolong flowering • Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners to make new plants e HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 63
INSIDER news
The new kitchen garden With vegetable harvests in full flow this month, Alys Fowler’s latest book Eat What You Grow (Kyle Books, £22) is a timely addition to our bookshelves. Offering an interestingly different take on the subject from most of the other books about growing fruit or vegetables, Alys preaches the principles of polyculture – mixing a delightful jumble of edible plants in a way that mimics nature. She recommends plants that will ultimately contribute to different layers of the garden, from ground cover and edible flowers to tree or shrub canopy. In this way, as she explains, you can create ‘an undemanding edible garden that is both beautiful and productive’.
Strong and sturdy The hardwearing ‘Waxed Canvas and Leather Apron’, £99, from leather specialist Life of Riley, is ideal for gardening. Made from thick, ultraresistant coated canvas, it has crossed back straps and large pockets for tools, plus a handy chest pocket for your phone. lifeofrileyonline.co.uk
Sphere of interest This simple granite-look ‘Sphere Water Feature’, £150, is new from Cox & Cox this summer. Made from glassfibre concrete, the 40cm-diameter sphere includes LED lights and requires an indoor electrical source, but does not need to be connected to a water supply. coxandcox.co.uk
BEHIND THE GARDEN GATES
Sisley Garden Tours offers small, exclusive trips in the UK. In groups of no more than 22, you will visit some of the country’s most beautiful gardens, with the chance to meet owners and head gardeners. Tours in 2022 include Gems of Cornwall, Devon & the Isles of Scilly (May 11-18) and Cotswolds Exclusive & the Royal Garden at Highgrove (June 19-24). From £4,400 per person. sisley.co.uk 64 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
THREE OF A KIND
BENCHES
SITTING PRETTY Handmade ‘Wrought Iron Garden Bench’, £725 for the standard size (shown) and £845 for the large version. susiewatsondesigns.co.uk
TRADITION WITH A TWIST Made-to-order daybed in iroko and synthetic hemp rope, with a foam topper covered in fabric from the standard range, £1,500 including fabric. thedaybedcompany.co.uk
CONTEMPORARY CHIC ‘Saba New York Soleil Garden Sofa’, by Sergio Bicego for Saba, made of weatherproof woven rope on a tubular metal frame in white or black, £2,500. gomodern.co.uk
The hills are alive
SISLEY GARDEN TOURS; WILKINSON EYRE
RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey has just launched its new science hub. Described as ‘the home of gardening science’, RHS Hilltop showcases the world of horticultural science with exhibitions, educational facilities and four acres of garden space designed by Matt Keightley and AnnMarie Powell, all with the aim of creating a greener future. rhs.org.uk m
THE NICKEL COLLECTION www.forbesandlomax.com
INSIDER books
Words and pictures EDITED BY SOPHIE DEVLIN
CONTEMPORARY HOUSE INDIA by Rob Gregory (Thames & Hudson, £45)
A ROOM OF HER OWN BY ROBYN LEA (THAMES & HUDSON, £35)
This book offers a through-thekeyhole glimpse of the homes of 20 creative women. Curator Alice Stori Liechtenstein hosts an annual exhibition of contemporary design at her husband’s remote Austrian castle, during which cutting-edge creations mingle with ancient tapestries and family portraits. Designer JJ Martin of La DoubleJ fills her Milanese apartment with colour and pattern to unleash her creativity. And artist Claire Basler has painted uplifting murals throughout her chateau in the Auvergne. Intimate photographs and interviews reveal how each woman carries out her own philosophy of a life well lived. SD 66 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
The humble brick is celebrated in Romi Khosla Design Studios’ Brick House, set within New Delhi’s urban sprawl. Lead architect Martand Khosla notes the influence of Le Corbusier through the use of colour, and it is delightful to see how Martand’s contemporary design tackles what could be oppressive themes – material, legacy and culture. One house at a time, the reader can traverse the Indian subcontinent – from the streets of Delhi to the slopes of the Himalayas, the tropics of Goa to the rocky landscape of Khopoli. Architectural drawings offer insight into each studio’s approach. Some formal gestures find a common thread – the courtyard, the flow of spaces informed by multi-generational living. This book will leave you feeling confident that Indian architecture in the 2020s and beyond is in safe hands. Moreover, it is clear that the legacy of Le Corbusier, who believed that the experience of architecture matters above all else, lives on. Charu Gandhi
THE NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL GARDEN BY KATHRYN BRADLEY-HOLE (RIZZOLI, £45)
Now more than ever, it is essential that we garden responsibly. Focusing on ‘designs that engage with wildlife and nature’, this timely book showcases more than 30 thoughtful gardens around the world, created on environmentally friendly principles. From country retreats to city sanctuaries, they demonstrate how we can grow, plant and design in ecologically sensitive ways to support pollinators, butterflies, birds and other wildlife. All the more beautiful for working in harmony with nature, these inspiring contemporary gardens offer reassuring affirmation that style need not be sacrificed for sustainability. Sue Gilkes
THE PLANT HUNTER’S ATLAS BY AMBRA EDWARDS (GREENFINCH, £30)
The job of a plant collector ‘is to uncover the hidden beauties of the world’, wrote plant hunter Frank Kingdon-Ward in 1924. The intrepid botanists featured here include Joseph Banks, who gathered 30,000 specimens in Australia and New Zealand in the 1770s, and Maria Sibylla Merian, who sold most of her possessions to travel to Suriname in 1699. The plant collectors have found carnivorous Nepenthes rajah in Borneo, tea in China and, since 2018, two species of coffee growing wild in Sierra Leone. Woven throughout the book is an awareness of changing attitudes towards colonialist, Eurocentric narratives of ‘discovery’. SD m
EDMUND SUMNER
In the mid and late 20th century, Indian architecture was led by global luminaries – among them Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn and Charles Correa – whose buildings were impactful and long lasting. Contemporary House India considers two questions: what does today’s Indian home look like? And is there a collective ethos elastic enough to be relevant across this hugely diverse nation? Some of the case studies presented in this book are bold and experimental. In Navi Mumbai, Collage House by S+PS Architects (above right) promotes upcycling with its patchwork façade of reclaimed doors and windows. Robert Verrijt of Architecture Brio asks why a building has to be pretty. And why can it not collide with its surroundings? Nonetheless, with House on a Stream in Alibag (above left), the studio has created a beautiful structure in harmony with its setting. Other projects are more restrained – such as Spasm Design’s House of Secret Gardens in Ahmedabad.
Control of light and privacy in your home
Stylish and contemporary design to match any of your rooms
Unrivalled customer service and after care
10 YEAR THE SHUTTERCRAFT WARRANTY
www.shuttercraft.co.uk
Beautiful Traditional Timber Windows and Doors High quality windows and doors, made in the UK. Preserving the character of your home, while incorporating double glazing, where permitted. Trusted trader
01344 868 668
www.sashwindow.com
INSIDER art
Art scene
BUYING ART
EDITED BY EMILY TOBIN
Three works to consider adding to your collection
HORMAZD NARIELWALLA Featuring a series of collages by Hormazd Narielwalla, Diamond Dolls is a limited-edition artist’s book that celebrates David Bowie and examines themes of identity, adornment and transformation. It will form part of an exhibition of Hormazd’s work at Eagle Gallery, EC1. The book can also be viewed at JP Hackett, W1, and Essie Carpets, W1, on the same dates. July 15-August 15; emmahilleagle.com Pictured In three volumes, Diamond Dolls, 2021 (Concentric Editions and EMH Arts, £190) includes 38 collage images of David Bowie HEIDRUN RATHGEB
Threshold, woodcut, 26 x 20cm, edition of 10, £260 (unframed). oliverprojects.com
PAULA REGO This month, Tate Britain’s retrospective of Paula Rego opens. For over half a century, the artist has played a central role in redefining figurative art. Her work, which is vivid and uncompromising in its subject matter, often reflects feminism, coloured by folk themes from her native Portugal. July 7-October 24; tate.org.uk Pictured Love, 1995
68 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
KATE CORBETT-WINDER
Upper House Fields, oil and collage on board, 19 x 28cm, £1,250. longandryle.com
LAILA TARA H
That’s All, Folks!, natural pigment, watercolour, 24k gold, indigo dyed paper and hemp paper, 90 x 65cm, £3,250 (framed). lailatarah.com m
© HORMAZD NARIELWALLA, COURTESY EAGLE GALLERY/EMH ARTS, LONDON; THE JOYNER/GIUFFRIDA COLLECTION © MICHAEL ARMITAGE, PHOTOGRAPH © WHITE CUBE (THEO CHRISTELIS); PRIVATE COLLECTION, LONDON © PAULA REGO
MICHAEL ARMITAGE: PARADISE EDICT This summer, a decade after his graduation from the Royal Academy Schools, the Kenyan-born artist is exhibiting 15 of his large, dreamlike landscapes and allegorical paintings at the RA. His work questions social norms, religious ideology, politics and cultural clichés, and his paintings will be displayed alongside a selection of works by other East African artists that he has chosen. Until September 19; royalacademy.org.uk Pictured The Paradise Edict, 2019
The List Directory 2022 Are you a brilliant interior designer, architect, landscaper or supplier? Join The List by House & Garden, our global design directory, in print and online.
SIGN UP BY 15 JULY to be included in our annual print edition, on sale with the December issue.
The List DIRECTORY 2022 Our global directory of design professionals
PUBLISHED WITH THE
DECEMBER 2021 ISSUE On sale: 4 November Visit thelist.houseandgarden.com
Our kitchens are guaranteed for 25 years. That’s a generation of memorable meals. Excludes: Kitchen appliances, taps, sinks, internal and external storage, bins, cabinet accessories, handles, under cabinet lighting, cabinet hanging baskets. See diy.com/customer-support/policies/terms and full guarantee T&C’s. This does not affect your legal rights.
FOLLOW US AT
ALL OUR FAVOURITE HOUSES, GARDENS AND RECIPES, PLUS CREATIVE IDEAS FOR OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING AND ESSENTIAL ESCAPISM
DISCOVER OUR FILMS Find design notes from stylish creatives, including Flora Soames, Matilda Goad and Beata Heuman
VISIT US ONLINE AT houseandgarden.co.uk
PHOTOGRAPHS: LUCAS ALLEN; SIMON BAJADA; TIM BEDDOW; SIMON BROWN; CRAIG FORDHAM; OWEN GALE; DEAN HEARNE; DAVIDE LOVATTI; PAUL MASSEY; NGOC MINH NGO; EVA NEMETH; NASSIMA ROTHACKER; SABINA RÜBER; MICHAEL SINCLAIR; YUKI SUGIURA; ALICIA TAYLOR; SIMON UPTON; SIMON WATSON; TARAN WILKHU; ELSA YOUNG
Profile | Lifestyle | Artists in their Studio
PEOPLE
THIS MONTH: An interior designer whose love of colour and detail informs her bold schemes; London-based curators and artistic matchmakers with an eye for new talent; and a figurative artist whose portraits offer a glimpse into private worlds
Interior designer Stephanie Barba Mendoza in the sitting room of her house in north London
PHOTOGRAPH JAKE CURTIS
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 73
PEOPLE profile
Designer
STEPHANIE BARBA MENDOZA ELIZABETH METCALFE meets the Mexican interior designer, whose own house in north London showcases her adventurous aesthetic and her playful yet elegant use of atmospheric colour and pattern
74 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
A
s her north London Victorian terrace makes clear, interior designer Stephanie Barba Mendoza is not one to shy away from colour. Take her jewel box of a sitting room, where a pink mohair sofa and palm-print screen are set against ‘Blue Gum’ walls – a punchy hue from Paint & Paper Library. ‘I love deeper shades for living areas, as they are so much more atmospheric,’ explains Stephanie. An antique chaise longue, reupholstered in a large-scale Robert Allen floral in warm blues and pinks, adds to the rich mix and references Stephanie’s native Mexico. ‘The fabric reminds me of my grandmother, because she used to have huge bird of paradise plants in her garden.’ Stephanie’s interest in art started in childhood and she went on to study architecture at the Ibero-American University in Mexico City in 2002. She spent a year there, but soon realised it was colour and details that really excited her. ‘I decided that I didn’t want to build skyscrapers,’ she says. ‘I managed to find a two-year interior design course at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara. I immediately loved it and gained the confidence to pursue it as a career.’ Having spent a happy gap year before university studying English in London, Stephanie decided to move back here in 2005, signing up to KLC’s year-long diploma course. ‘I wanted to learn about the interiors industry here.’ After completing it, she worked as a designer for various residential developers. Her big break was in 2010, when she landed a job with House & Garden Top 100 designer Martin Brudnizki. She quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a senior designer in 2012 and an associate in 2014. ‘Martin was a real mentor to me and gave me so much freedom,’ says Stephanie, who worked on private houses and high-profile commercial projects during her 10 years with him, including restaurants Sexy Fish and The Ivy, as well as Annabel’s private members’ club. In 2019, she launched her eponymous studio, focusing on residential projects worldwide: ‘I didn’t feel a great urge to leave Martin’s, but I did start to crave a new challenge.’ Based in Kensal Rise, she is currently working on a mid-century modern house in Miami, a house in Notting Hill and a Tudor-style newbuild in Antwerp. ‘My approach is detail-oriented,’ says the designer, who cites American decorator Elsie de Wolfe, French designer and artist Serge Roche and Italian architect Renzo Mongiardino as key influences. ‘I am led by the architecture, but for me it’s the details that make an interior work.’ The house needed little structural work, so Stephanie was able to invest her time – and budget – in aesthetic flourishes that would transform the space. A good example is the two chimneypieces in the sitting room, decorated with patterns she designed herself, which she commissioned Dominic Lewis and his team at The Finishers Company to create. One is rich and tortoiseshell-esque, while the other features a graphic chequerboard pattern, influenced by a 2019 collaboration between Gucci and French design studio Antoinette Poisson. The main bedroom, which occupies the converted loft, has a softer palette, with pale pink walls and a fantastic antique tapestry. ‘I want to create spaces that are layered and bold,’ says Stephanie. These are qualities she appreciates in her clients, too: ‘There’s nothing better than working with someone who trusts you and wants to be adventurous with you’ m Stephanie Barba Mendoza: barbamendoza.com
JAKE CURTIS
PEOPLE profile
OPPOSITE FROM TOP Hand-painted chimneypieces create rich focal points in the sitting room. A vintage screen was reupholstered in Braquenié’s ‘L’Exotique’ damask in terracotta. THIS PAGE Walls in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Blue Gum’ were the starting point for the scheme HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 75
H&G partnership
CREATIVE RESPONSE
House & Garden sets a brief for interior design company Janine Stone to devise schemes for different rooms. This month, we look at the studio’s transformation of a formerly neglected 18th-century orangery TEXT ARTA GHANBARI | PHOTOGRAPHS JANINE STONE
THE BRIEF Many historic houses and estates come with charming but often dilapidated outbuildings, which during and after the painstaking restoration of the main house can become overlooked and left neglected. These structures, be it a barn, an orangery or greenhouse, shed or guest house, can become a useful extension of the main living space to enjoy all year round – especially now that our homes have become the epicentre of our lives. With this thought in mind, we challenged the interior designers at Janine Stone with rescuing an 18th-century orangery, which belongs to an estate in Oxfordshire owned by a family who moved out of London in search of a more calm and tranquil setting.
THE RESPONSE One of the most important traits an interior designer can have is their ability to see the potential in unsightly buildings and rooms where others would feel daunted by the task at hand. In the case of this orangery, rather than letting it fall further into neglect, the designers at Janine Stone saw it as an opportunity to create a bright, idyllic garden retreat that the owners would be able to enjoy throughout the seasons and which would maximise on their outdoor space. When they were brought in to work on the project, the orangery was overgrown with climbing wisteria and green ivy. Seeing past all this, the team embarked on reinstating the dignity and elegance of the building, toning down the original Georgian features and transforming it into an informal, relaxed living space. Though it would have been easier to restore the architecture by sourcing new materials for the floors, walls and ceilings, Janine Stone and her team repurposed timber floorboards from the main house and had them waxed and polished by hand for an attractive finish with the natural character that only comes with aged timber. Similarly for the ceilings, the original roof joists were restored and left on display, with a light coat of white paint so that the distress on the beams could still show through – creating a lighter, more contemporary look. In the room below, an equally light and considered arrangement of seating and tables is ideally positioned
ABOVE Company founders Janine and Gideon Stone. OPPOSITE The Georgian beams have been painted and distressed for a lighter, more contemporary effect. Calm, neutral upholstery and large sash windows with mahogany shutters add to the feeling of a tranquil, tropical villa
for entertaining. The decoration conjures images of chic, characterful villas in the tropics, where you can leave life’s stresses behind. We can easily imagine the massive sash windows left open on balmy days, allowing sunlight to pour in and illuminate the space. This has been achieved with the studio’s choice of materials and objects inspired by far-flung destinations, including the mahogany shutters from the West Indies. A faux-malachite Italianate console table imitates the precious gemstone that comes from countries such as Australia and Zambia, with a gilt-bronze ostrich-egg lamp perched on top. This is a clever reference to the Victorian pastime of ‘birdnesting’ – collecting all sorts of birds’ nests and eggs. These details are complemented by an organic, calming palette on the upholstery and rug. The tricky balancing act of sourcing the right mixture of new and antique furniture is crucial when decorating a historic interior. In the case of this orangery, the team at Janine Stone has achieved a great success – taking the edge off the formality of the Georgian features and creating a comfortable space in which one can feel free.
TO LEARN MORE Visit houseandgarden.co.uk/article/janine-stone-countrydrawing-room. Janine Stone is an award-winning interior architecture and project management company specialising in luxury residential and commercial projects. To find out more, call 020 7349 8888 or visit janinestone.com.
PEOPLE lifestyle
78 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
Lifestyle
OBJECT LESSONS PETER TING and BRIAN KENNEDY are curators and artistic matchmakers, who believe the pieces we surround ourselves with should be chosen not for their value, but for the stories that they can tell us TEXT EMILY TOBIN
P
PHOTOGRAPHS DEAN HEARNE
eter Ting is a very difficult person to label. He is a gallerist, a ceramicist, a curator and a designer, but really – more than anything else – he is a connector of people. ‘I love people,’ he says. ‘So why not make the introduction?’ He is skilled at drawing out a story and, in doing so, identifying a common interest that might unite two future friends or collaborators. Similarly, his husband Brian Kennedy, also a curator, has a keen eye for spotting new talent, whose work will often find its way into his exhibitions. Together they are an indomitable, generous force in the world of craft and applied arts. Their flat in south-east London showcases their shared passion for people and objects. They bought it off-plan 10 years ago and were able to persuade the developers to change the entire layout. ‘Brian and I were in complete agreement as to how it should look,’ says Peter. ‘We often say we are one coin. Each side is different, but we always come to the same – or at least to a similar – conclusion.’ Of course, the magic really happened when they moved all their belongings into the flat. ‘We are both collectors,’ says Peter. ‘If we see an object we love and we can afford to buy it, like a friend, it has to come into our life.’ As such, the flat is filled with work by a wonderful array of makers. The sitting room wall is lined with a lino-printed paper by Marthe Armitage and nearby is a vivid green abstract by Jeremy Moon, which Peter sold his car to buy. Mounted on another wall is a sculpture made from chickenfeet bones, pigs’ teeth and copper wire by Emma Witter. And a forest of miniature trees, as fine as needles, by the artist Ross Neil hangs above the bed. ‘Once or twice a year, we move the objects around; we rehang pictures, we put things away and we bring other things out,’ explains Peter. ‘Changing a room is not something we fear.’ This constant shifting is to be expected from a pair of curators, but Peter also attributes it to Brian’s nomadic childhood. His father was a member of the Gardaí in Ireland, a job that meant his family moved a lot. ‘They always knew they’d have to take their curtains down and have their favourite toy with them and be ready to go,’ e
OPPOSITE Peter and Brian in their London flat. ANTICLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Objects are displayed on shelves in the study and hall. A Jeremy Moon painting in the sitting room. Model trees by Ross Neil in the bedroom. Hylton Nel, Morgan Hall and Felicity Aylieff ceramics in the sitting room
PEOPLE lifestyle
‘I will NEVER BE RICH in money terms, but I AM RICH in terms of LIFE and the OBJECTS I choose to live with’ says Peter. He attributes his own interest in curating to childhood visits to a relative in Hong Kong, who collected ceramics: ‘He had a Chinese cabinet filled with beautiful things. In spring and summer, he displayed blue and white objects, and, in autumn and winter, he displayed oxblood-glazed porcelain. It was only later I understood that this was called curation.’ Peter’s first experience of working directly with clay was while he was still at school and he was instantly hooked. This early interest propelled him to study for an MA in both studio and industrial ceramic design, before going on to roles at Thomas Goode, in Stoke-on-Trent, and Asprey. In 2016, he collaborated with the writer Ying Jian to launch Ting-Ying Gallery, of which Brian is the creative director. The gallery will be exhibiting at the inaugural Eye of the Collector fair in London this September. Ultimately, everything Peter and Brian do goes back to the object and the person who made it. ‘It’s important to remember that even something you consider to be ugly was designed by someone,’ says Peter. ‘There is nothing in our life that is not designed. Someone somewhere has thought about it. Whether it is a good thought or a bad thought is up to you to decide, but everything has human contact within it.’ And, of course, objects are receptacles e 80 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
FROM FAR LEFT At the Haggerston studio of ceramicist Cristina Vezzini and glassblower Stan Chen. Fulham-based sculptor Emma Witter. ANTICLOCKWISE FROM BELOW Peter at Cockpit Arts, WC1, with CEO Annie Warburton and weaver Jacob Monk. The studio space is also home to ceramicist Tessa Eastman, bag maker Justin Oh and textile artist Ekta Kaul
Learn ‘How to’ become your own decorator with House & Garden
o h w towith
House & Garden is proud to present a series of online design masterclasses. Sign up now for 90 minutes of expert advice from the very best names in interior design
PAUL MASSEY
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK/TOPIC/COURSES EACH SERIES COSTS £49, INCLUDING 90 MINUTES OF VIDEOS AND A DOWNLOADABLE WORKBOOK
PEOPLE lifestyle for our memories and our stories. ‘I have a set of clothes hangers that remind me of my mother. They are cheap, metal, with plastic covers,’ he says. ‘She brought them with her to the UK. They are not beautiful, but they are well designed and the memory they hold is so specific to me. The sight of them may leave someone else cold but that, too, is a reaction. Every object exudes its presence.’ Peter is quick to point out that none of this is about accruing monetary value. ‘You marry someone because you love them, not because they are worth a certain amount,’ he says. ‘It’s the same with an object – buy it because you love it.’ Similarly, he is not in pursuit of perfection: ‘The mark of the maker is so important. It tells the story of how something was formed.’ In fact, he collects things that have been repaired, whether it is an English bone-china breakfast cup that has been riveted, or a Japanese bowl mended using the kintsugi technique of applying powdered gold to the broken area. To Peter, both not only carry the weight of history, but also display the love of their owners, who could not bear to throw them away and carefully repaired them instead. This spring, Peter and Brian worked alongside designer and curator Shiro Muchiri to put on an exhibition celebrating innovative craftsmanship at Shiro’s gallery on Welbeck Street, W1. Brian sums up their intentions, ‘To illustrate that now, more than ever, the process of creation is undeniably a deep-rooted, unifying force.’ It is an idea that was shown in action by the diverse selection of work, with contributions from makers across the globe. e
82 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
ABOVE Peter at SoShiro, the Marylebone gallery founded by the designer and curator Shiro Muchiri. The digitally printed vase on the left is by Andrea Salvatori from Madeinbritaly, a gallery for contemporary applied arts in west London. BELOW FROM LEFT Peter, Shiro and Brian examining an object created by Helen O’Shea, who works with waste plastic. Also on display at SoShiro is a vase by Renzi e Reale
Great Sleep Starts Here Europe’s leading bed brand, Treca Paris, has a global reputation for creating beautiful luxurious beds. Partnering their premium French craftsmanship with Pierre Frey fabrics, alongside world leading adjustable options, Treca provides a multitude of bespoke beds for you to choose from that reliably cater to today’s lifestyle requirements. The comprehensive selection is available exclusively at Westend Bed Company. Trade enquiries welcome
215 Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen, London, SW14 8QT Tel: 020 7723 2925
www.westendbedcompany.com
PEOPLE lifestyle Supporting emerging artists and makers is a central part of what Peter and Brian do. Peter is a trustee of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), a charity that supports British craftsmanship. As he explains, ‘They hold technical and design assets in their hands. Whether it’s how to cut leather or how to wedge clay, they have skills that need to be passed on to future generations. They have a specific vision and have chosen to dedicate their lives to it. That simple fact must be celebrated. ‘I will never be rich in money terms,’ he continues. ‘But I am rich in terms of life and the objects I choose to live with. Every morning, I wake up and see something that sparks a memory. I think about the day I bought it, the person who gave it to me or the hand that made it. Objects are my life and while they may only be stuff, the right combination of stuff can make you really happy’ m Ting-Ying Gallery: ting-ying.com
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Peter at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour with associate director of exhibitions Simone du Bois; his Ting-Ying gallery was involved in the Artefact craft fair at DCCH in June. He is a trustee of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, a charity that supports British craft, and is seen here with QEST ambassador Jay Blades and its CEO Deborah Pocock. Peter and Brian at Postcard Teas, a specialist tea shop that also sells fine ceramics, with its founder Timothy d’Offay
84 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
ONE YEAR OF HOUSE & GARDEN * FOR ONLY £28 + FREE HOME DELIVERY + INSTANT ACCESS TO DIGITAL EDITIONS + FREE GIFT*
FREE GIFT RRP £21.50*
THE EDIT OUTDOOR LIGHTING
PATTERNED TILES UNUSUAL SUMMER BULBS
Plus
A kitchen garden in Somerset and cooking with British fish
RECEIVE A FREE GIFT FROM SEOULISTA BEAUTY®, RRP £21.50*
PASSPORT to PARADISE
Heavenly homes in Spain, Australia and the English countryside
Indulge hardworking hands with a pack of three nourishing ‘Rosy Hands Instant Manicure’™ treatments from the award-winning beauty brand Seoulista Beauty®. Infused with a powerful blend of antioxidants, beeswax and Bulgarian rose oil, the 30-minute treatments will help to heal, protect, moisturise and scent skin, nails and cuticles. Use weekly for silky soft hands. seoulistabeauty.com | @seoulista_beauty
TWO EASY WAYS TO SUB SCRIBE
CALL 01858 438819
AND QUOTE REF CHG20731 OR VISIT MAGAZINEB OUTIQUE.CO.UK/HOUSE&GARDEN/CHG20731 For exclusive US offers, visit magazineboutique.co.uk/house&garden/CHG19550 or call 888 737 9456 (ref: CHG19550). For exclusive international offers, email houseandgarden @subscription.co.uk or call 00 44 1858 438815. *This offer is limited to subscribers at UK addresses only until 06/08/2021 and is subject to availability. The free gift will be sent to the payer. You can cancel at any time and receive a full refund on any issues yet to be mailed. Subscriptions will begin with the first available issue. Direct debit subscriptions will automatically renew at the same discounted rate. You will be notified in advance if the price is to increase thereafter. A full-rate one-year subscription to House & Garden currently costs £59.88.
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 85
Artists in their studio
CHANTAL JOFFE
EMILY TOBIN visits the London studio of the award-winning figurative artist, where she works surrounded by paint and portraits large and small PHOTOGRAPHS JOSHUA MONAGHAN
When Chantal Joffe was looking for her current studio, her remit was clear. ‘I needed somewhere with high ceilings, where I could make big work,’ says the artist, who moved into the complex of studios in north London not long after her daughter, who is now 16, was born. She has inhabited the current space for the last six years, having moved from another studio in the same building. It is a direct embodiment of her life and work. Stacked against the walls are paintings of her sitters, each of which offers an engrossing and often intimate glimpse into a private world. A redhead lies sprawled in someone’s lap; the bridge of a blonde girl’s nose is denoted by an economical streak of pink; a woman gives a sideways glance from beneath a green hat. Postcards and photos are tacked to the wall, alongside notes scrawled in paint – Manet, little girls, fiat, blue suit, squeezy mayo, my stringbean – that weave round the studio in an intriguing series of scribbles. Palettes are slicked with glistening heaps of paint, and there are piles of CDs and books.
It is, as Chantal says, ‘a magical place’. She is currently working on a series of paintings of her mother, Daryll, in an ongoing project that began over 30 years ago. ‘These paintings are about trying to imagine a way back to childhood,’ she explains. ‘The archetype of a mum is so complicated and loaded. They are the touchstone for everything – everything is coloured by what they like, what they don’t like. In a way, one’s mum is the person that they themselves can see least.’ As Olivia Laing writes in her essay on Chantal’s current exhibition being held at Victoria Miro gallery: ‘What’s remarkable about Joffe’s picture [Story] is that she’s managed to plug into a universal current, to capture and convey not just her own childhood, but mine, and perhaps yours too.’ And this is true of so much of Chantal’s work. Through the intensity of her gaze she somehow presses pause on time and captures the slippery, shifting, impermanent nature of each and every one of us m ‘Story’ is at Victoria Miro, N1, until July 31: victoria-miro.com
ABOVE Chantal with portraits painted this year of herself with her sister Natasha, and Natasha with her daughter Vita. OPPOSITE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT On the chest beside Chantal’s desk are a group of painted clay heads and wax heads made by her. Self-Portrait in Glasses Looking Over my Shoulder, 2021, is an oil-on-panel work in progress. Notes are scrawled in paint on the walls. Portraits of sitters including La JJ and ‘Simona’s daughter’ 86 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
PEOPLE artist
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 87
HOUSE S / GARDENS / DECORATION / ART F O O D / T R AV E L / P E O P L E / I N S P I R AT I O N
TAKE A PEEK INSIDE T H E S E P T E M B E R I S S U E, ON SALE AUGUST 5
NGOC MINH NGO
Including a summer house in the Hamptons, beautiful gardens in London and South Africa, and Mexican recipes by Thomasina Miers
Stories A collection of Australian ceramics complements a still life by Eric Rimmington in the kitchen of a harbourside house in Sydney. From page 90
ANSON SMART
THIS MONTH: Country houses in Sussex and Spain, and by the sea in Cornwall and Sydney; gardens in London and Somerset; and unusual bulbs for a summer show
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 89
a wonder down under Interiors studio Arent&Pyke has anchored this Sydney Harbour newbuild firmly in the Australian vernacular with indigenous art, native hardwoods and a palette of outback-inspired tones, to create comfortable and compelling interiors
TEXT EMMA LOVE PHOTOGRAPHS ANSON SMART
90 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
TERRACE This open seating area at the back of the house offers impressive waterside views. The decking is made of blackbutt timber and the furniture is a mix of mid-century designs by Thonet and contemporary pieces from Italian brand Paola Lenti HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 91
The designers have combined natural and understated grey-green hues with native hardwoods and dolomite stone
SITTING AREA The ‘Fat Tulip Sofa’ and ‘Molloy Coffee Table’, designed by Adam Goodrum for Nau, are on a rug from Cadrys. Artworks by Joshua Yeldham hang on the wall. KITCHEN An island made of dolomite stone and smoked oak is teamed with ‘Form Barstools’ from Normann Copenhagen. The wall light is Le Corbusier’s ‘Lampe de Marseille’ from Nemo
92 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 93
DINING AREA The plywood ceiling and polished-concrete floor run throughout the ground floor of the house. In the dining area, a dark red ‘Preston’ sideboard from Jardan serves as a focal point. The vintage dining chairs are from the owners’ existing furniture collection. LIBRARY This sunken area – ‘the cosiest part of the house’ – has an eye-catching ‘Serie Up 2000’ armchair and footstool by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia and shelving by Vitsœ displaying books and glassware. Isamu Noguchi’s sculptural Japanese paper ‘Akari E Pendant’ light from Vitra illuminates a large grid of framed pages from Thirties wine catalogues
94 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 95
W
hen Sarah-Jane Pyke first walked round this three-bedroom newbuild in a quiet part of Sydney Harbour, she could immediately see the potential – even though the ground-floor slab had only just been laid and the brickwork for the exterior walls was still under construction. ‘The site is unusual because, at the back, there’s no barrier between the house and the waterfront, so the two feel very connected,’ explains Sarah-Jane, the co-founder of the design practice Arent&Pyke, which is based in the Surry Hills area of the Australian city. ‘There was a pair of big, old, beautiful trees – a eucalyptus and a jacaranda – which framed the views and really set the tone for the interior.’ Equally unusually, the street level at the front of the house is higher than the waterside terrace at the back, so the entrance is upstairs, between the study and the smallest bedroom. An enormous skylight above the staircase brings in natural light. From the top, there are sweeping views down to the open-plan sitting and dining areas and the kitchen on the ground floor – and to the harbour beyond. In 2018, the owners, who tore down a previous property on the plot to build this one, had ‘reached that point where they needed to think about materials and finishes’, says Sarah-Jane. ‘They knew they had the right number of rooms, but they were starting to feel a bit lost about how they were going to live in the house. There were lots of discussions around the flow of the spaces and where they would watch television and entertain.’ For the owners, a couple with a young daughter, it was important to keep the interiors low maintenance. ‘We asked for something relaxed and not too precious,’ explains the wife. Sarah-Jane took the laid-back atmosphere of the inner harbour and its traditional buildings as her starting point: ‘We wanted to stay with an Australian vernacular in terms of the materials and palette.’ The owners had already decided on the polished concrete floor and plywood ceiling that runs throughout the lower level. ‘This made me feel like we had to warm everything up in between,’ says Sarah-Jane. To achieve this, Arent&Pyke added a gas fireplace with a white-glazed brick surround to separate the sitting and dining zones within the long space. The designers also chose natural and understated grey-green hues typical of the bush for pieces such as the abstract wool rug from local supplier Cadrys, and native hardwoods – tallow-wood for the doors and smokedoak timber paired with dolomite stone for the kitchen island and units. ‘We wanted a material that was robust and strong, but not highly detailed in a decorative way; the timber has a deep richness that carries the whole room,’ says Sarah-Jane. ‘It’s our favourite space,’ the owner adds. ‘It’s functional and beautiful – definitely the hub of the house.’ As is often the case, the other major aesthetic drivers were the owners’ art collection and a few key pieces of furniture. Most of their possessions were in storage, but they were able to show Sarah-Jane two paintings of mythical landscapes by the Australian artist and film-maker Joshua Yeldham. These found a home above the sofa in the main sitting area. They also showed her photographs of their ‘Serie Up 2000’ armchair by B&B Italia. This has been taken out of storage and now anchors the sunken library – a space tucked into the front of the house at the end of the dining area with a skylight
96 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
‘Knowing that the owners had chosen furniture so bold and sculptural was a little insight into their personality’ MAIN BEDROOM The artwork is by Emma Walker. Cecilie Manz designed the ‘Caravaggio Read’ wall lights for Fritz Hansen. The ‘Harlosh Bedside Table’ is from Pinch. EN-SUITE BATHROOM Sea-green floor tiles complement the terrazzo on the walls and counter, and a ‘Centro Duo 2’ bath from Kaldewei. CLOAKROOM On the walls, ‘Really Russet’ paint by Taubmans picks up on the warm terrazzo below. The ‘Lavamani’ sink is by Falper from Rogerseller
above but no views. ‘Knowing that the owners had chosen furniture so bold and sculptural was a little insight into their personality and the way that they would allow us to shape the interior,’ explains Sarah-Jane. ‘We decided to make the library the cosiest part of the house – somewhere they would want to retreat to in the evening – so that it didn’t feel forgotten.’ One wall is lined with open shelving by Vitsœ that houses the family’s books, colourful glassware and treasured objects. On another wall, there is a gallery of framed pages taken from Thirties French wine catalogues that the owners had never had the space to display before. A custom sofa in tallow-wood and leather was built in for watching television, while a circular Thonet table is used for crafts, board games and homework. What knits each space together are the refined nuances of colour and texture, from the bolt of rich rust-red paint in the cloakroom – ‘Really Russet’ by Taubmans, reminiscent of the Australian desert – to the terrazzo in all three bathrooms. ‘As a studio, we see the home as a place for joy and connection, as well as somewhere to reflect,’ says Sarah-Jane. ‘We like allowing beautiful materials to shine. For us, the right balance of colour and light can make a space sing.’ Happily, the owners agree. ‘We love the light,’ says the wife. ‘And also the fact that the interior doesn’t take itself too seriously’ m Arent&Pyke: arentpyke.com
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 97
VERANDA Added to the back of the house a few years ago with the aim of making it appear more streamlined and symmetrical, this handsome structure has a panelled ceiling and pillars in ‘Down Pipe’ by Farrow & Ball, providing a strong backdrop for cane furniture from Hadeda. SITTING ROOM Sofas from I Gigi in Hove, upholstered in Pierre Frey’s ‘Craft’ linen in pétale, face each other across a pair of vintage coffee tables. An artwork by Peter William Ibbetson hangs above the chimneypiece, with an antique Indian wooden horse sculpture beside it
TEXT CLAIRE BINGHAM | PHOTOGRAPHS PAUL MASSEY
PATIENCE REWARDED
Never one to rush things, Emma Milne-Watson has gradually breathed new life into a centuries-old rectory in Sussex, respecting its history while creating a distinctive home for her family by effortlessly mixing classic and contemporary elements
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 99
KITCHEN (both pages) Mixing traditional and modern elements, Emma has teamed Bulthaup units and Carrara marble worktops with a refectory table from Maison Artefact and oak flooring salvaged from a French chateau. Vintage wall lights from Retrouvius and pendants from Hector Finch complement a convex mirror from Ardingly Antiques Market, where Emma also found the wooden potato sieves displayed above the fireplace. The antique Swedish bench seat is covered in a linen by de Le Cuona
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 101
W
hen we speak of character in terms of interiors, it generally links to personal objects that mean something to the homeowner, and it is often the result of taking one’s time to make considered decisions about decorating schemes and all the individual pieces within them. Emma Milne-Watson has a talent for bringing out the innate beauty of rooms and appreciates the distinctive ambience that develops after living in a property for a while. Much more than straightforward decoration, the furniture, textiles and lighting she thoughtfully selects – in her own home as well as for those of clients – feel contemporary, yet timeless. Emma likes materials to look as though they have been there for years and is not someone who will settle for quick, easy solutions. ‘I am not into rushing,’ she says. ‘It is about living somewhere and adding to it gradually. Sometimes it takes time to find just the right thing.’ For her, homes are all about layering; decoration is a labour of love. The story of Emma’s own house started 10 years ago, when she moved with her husband and two children from north London, where they had lived for five years, to Sussex for a quieter, more rural life. Her husband was originally from the area and the couple were keen for their children to experience growing up with space and nature. As a former fashion editor who spent most of her childhood in London – with an interlude in West Sussex in her teens before she returned to the city aged 17 – this was a big step. She admits feeling a slight reluctance, but any hesitation was quashed when she saw the former rectory for the first time. She paints an idyllic picture: ‘The owner came across the field with his three dogs, carrying logs in his arms, and there was a fire burning in the sitting room, which had a pretty pale pink sofa. It was love at first sight.’ Emma’s gift for styling, affinity for interiors and burgeoning love of the countryside make her house spirited as well as beautiful. Its interesting layout is far from a symmetrical dolls’ house format. Constant renovation over the centuries has kept it young, its dignified 17th-century proportions – combined with various architectural add-ons from then until the present day – giving the property a labyrinthine feel. ‘It winds its way round in a charming fashion,’ she says. A refurbished 17th-century coach house, which once sat alongside the house is now attached via a corridor. A new veranda, which was added a few years ago at the back, looking out over the walled garden, helps to streamline the different architectural styles. ‘The house has many levels, creating an element of the unexpected,’ she says of the airy rooms, which are laid out in a surprisingly modern way. To live in an old building means treading a little more softly within its walls. True to her guiding principles, Emma did not hurry, initially keeping everything bare-boned and painted in Little Greene’s off-white ‘Slaked Lime’ for eight years, while she focused on the garden. She was also careful not to over-restore. ‘Everything was in quite good condition, so we were able to be sympathetic to the building’s age,’ she says. ‘We didn’t want to be one of those families who moved from London to overwrite original features thoughtlessly. In the kitchen, we installed three full-height windows overlooking the garden in a wall that previously had had just one small circular window. Adding the veranda at the back has helped the higgledy-piggledy window and door heights to look more symmetrical. But the rest of the structure is as it was.’ The house presents a quiet and demure front but, once inside, it feels both charmingly period (a mix of romantic French country style with Swedish Gustavian pieces) and wonderfully modern, 102 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
DINING ROOM A ‘Mirror Ball Pendant’ by Tom Dixon creates a focal point above an antique table found by Emma on a buying trip to Sweden and Gustavian chairs from Maison Artefact. The rug is by Luke Irwin. EXTERIOR Dating back to the 17th century, the rectory has tiled exterior walls typical of old Sussex buildings. LAUNDRY ROOM (opposite top right) A double Belfast sink and marble worktops are practical choices for this hard-working space. PANTRY (bottom left) The vintage shop counter and glazed wall cabinets designed by Emma hold her collection of glassware
without a hint of stuffiness. ‘I inherited my love of Swedish interiors and Gustavian furniture from my mother,’ Emma explains. She has a 20-year archive of pages torn from magazines that she has gathered as style references: ‘I never throw any away. I have tear sheets from the Eighties, which my mother passed on to me.’ When Emma moved to the house, she had an image of a French chateau with shutters and tall ceilings. ‘It’s not a chateau, of course,’ she concedes. ‘But I tried to bring a little bit of all the different architecture and styles that I like into it.’ In the vaulted kitchen, sleek Bulthaup cabinets topped with pale Carrara marble and a matching island on metal legs are next to a weathered refectory table repurposed from an old oak door. Wooden herringbone parquet –originally from a chateau and sourced by Emma from a French reclamation yard – leads through to a floor of worn terracotta tiles in the enviably well-organised pantry. The equivalent of a walk-in wardrobe for the kitchen, it has everything needed for cooking and eating in one room. Emma designed its glazed floorto-ceiling wall cabinets to display her collection of glassware. The most contemporary part of the renovation is the coach house, built carefully from the outside in so as not to disturb the heritage
MAIN BEDROOM Emma created a bed canopy using an antique piece of carved wood and de Le Cuona’s ‘Linen Shade’ in cloud, above a headboard in ‘Odessa’ linen mix in blue by Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam. The chartreuse velvet throw is from Niki Jones, and the armchair is upholstered in ‘Wicker’ linen by Fermoie. BATHROOM A bateau bath from Albion makes the most of the view. COACH HOUSE (right) The entrance to the loo is clad in brass. A four-poster from The White Company was chosen for the bedroom
rat-trap brickwork or footings. ‘I added the ceiling beams, as I was trying to do more of a mid-century Belgian thing in this space,’ explains Emma, who works from home, dividing her time between interiors and a new creative venture – jewellery design. She started this in lockdown and now sells a range of handmade beaded pieces through Cutter Brooks. Explaining her progression from working in fashion magazines to interior styling and design, she says, ‘I get huge joy from the curating and styling of rooms.’ She describes her aesthetic as ‘classic with splashes of boldness’ and, not one to follow trends, she avoids buying furniture on a whim: ‘I prefer a more enduring style – I like a home to look and feel comfortable, decorated with items that have been chosen to last.’ As if to reinforce this point, the pieces that have been in the house since day one are the two elegant sofas in the sitting room, upholstered in a pretty pale pink linen from Pierre Frey, and selected specially by Emma to recreate the effect of the one that made such a memorable first impression m Emma Milne-Watson: @emmamilnewatson HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 105
COACH HOUSE In the family room, a floor lamp from Lee Wright Antiques and a ‘Black Tray Table’ by Hay pick up on the metal-framed doors by Fabco. Cushions in Rose Uniacke fabrics brighten a sofa by Emma, in ‘Washed Linen’ in sand from The Cloth Shop. The vintage marble coffee table is from AU Bespoke; the engineered oak boards are from The New & Reclaimed Flooring Co. SEATING AREA An oak table and benches made by Benchmark are set up in the shade of a magnolia
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 107
TIME
Having lived in this house in Cornwall for two years, the owners of the coastal retreat knew exactly what they wanted from its redecoration – stylish but robust and family-friendly interiors, which would enhance the spectacular ocean views TEXT ELFREDA POWNALL | PHOTOGRAPHS PAUL MASSEY | LOCATIONS EDITOR DAVID NICHOLLS
& TIDE 108 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
BEACH The owners were first drawn to the house because of its impressive, panoramic coastal views. SITTING AREA The ‘Groundpiece’ sofas at this end of the open-plan space are from Flexform. In the centre of the room, the owners’ wooden coffee table is paired with a ‘Coffee Bean’ polished scagliola table by McCollin Bryan. The ‘Santa Monica’ swivel armchairs are from Poliform
SNUG The owners’ painting of a swimming pool set the tone for the design of this family sitting room. The hand-knotted silk rug was commissioned from Tai Ping. Another ‘Groundpiece’ sofa from Flexform and a smaller blue velvet-upholstered sofa by Roche Bobois make this a comfortable place to gather. SWIMMING POOL The aptly named ‘Poolside’ sofa and ottomans are from Sutherland Furniture
110 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
O n a pearly, still dawn, when an aquamarine sea merges with the sky and miles of wet sand glitter, the view from this Cornish house is breathtaking – and in a tempest, it is terrific. This vista was all-important when the owners commissioned the team from the interiors studio Th2designs to make the house, which was designed by architects McLean Quinlan, work for their large family, as well as for the numerous friends and relations eager to fill its many bedrooms. Gail Taylor, the founder of Th2designs, chose a palette of blue, sand and driftwood shades for the decoration. More significantly, she and Charlotte Mackenzie, who was senior designer on the project, were very careful not to detract from the panoramic sweep outside, dressing most of the windows with Roman blinds in discreet fabrics and only adding the occasional pair of plain curtains in a bedroom. The house is built into the hillside and the main entrance at the top of the house opens to reveal an instant vista of the sea through a window in the wall opposite the front door. A corridor leads off from the hallway to the bedrooms on this floor, the wooden floorboards softened with runners. There is another entrance on the sea-facing side of the house, where a sturdy oak door opens to a path that winds past the pool – through the garden, bright with drifts of agapanthus – and leads directly to the beach. This back entrance has a bench long enough for a whole gang of swimmers or surfers to sit and shake off the sand, and there is a boot room nearby to stow flip-flops and towels. A sturdy rug on the slate floor can stand up to all the coming and going. ‘None of the finishes is precious. This house has to stand up to sandy feet and be a place where you can put your feet up on the sofas,’ says Gail. The sofas in question, Flexform’s
MAIN ENTRANCE The front door at the top of the house opens into this hallway. BEACH ENTRANCE A rug from Tim Page Carpets tones with cushions in ‘Hamble’ by Fermoie and ‘Macita’ by Nile & York
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 111
The interior designers chose a palette of BLUE, SAND and DRIFTWOOD shades for the decoration and were very careful not to detract from the PANORAMIC SWEEP outside
KITCHEN Units designed by architects McLean Quinlan and made by a local joiner have been teamed with polished concrete worktops. A mirror above the cooker reflects the sky, bringing more light into the room. The ‘Bombo Stools’, by Stefano Giovannoni for Magis, are from Herman Miller. DINING AREA The oak trestle table is a bespoke piece and the ponyskin-covered dining chairs are from Ligne Roset
112 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
CHILDREN’S ROOMS Th2designs reconfigured the owners’ son’s room and designed a new bedside table. The younger children sleep in cabin-style bunk beds. Both rooms have rugs from Tim Page Carpets
114 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
sectional ‘Groundpiece’ design, are in the main sitting room on the upper floor. ‘It’s the owners’ favourite sofa – we’ve used it in previous projects with them,’ explains Charlotte. Facing the sofas at one end of this long, bright room is a pair of ‘Santa Monica’ armchairs from Poliform, which can swivel round as the action moves to the dining area – in the centre of the room – or to the kitchen, with its polished concrete worktop, at the far end. The Th2designs team has reprised the polished concrete look in a tubby scagliola coffee table, which sits beside the owners’ existing wooden one between the sofas. The family lived in the house for a couple of years before calling in the interior designers, so they knew exactly what worked for them and what did not. ‘The owners wanted us to make it more comfortable. It was a beautiful statement house,’ says Gail. ‘But it wasn’t homely.’ In the sitting room, a stone wall around the fireplace felt too cold, so it was plastered over and painted a warm white to soften the space and reflect the sky. A pair of wall lights was added, too, which now cast a warm golden glow in the evening. Through a door behind the sofa on the seaward side is the snug, with a wall of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a large television. Here, the modular sofa, also by Flexform, and a pair of huge wooden tables allow for lots of relaxed, feet-up lounging. The designers took the colours for this room from a large painting of a swimming pool that hangs above the sofa. The silk carpet, woven specially for the space by Tai Ping, graduates from subtle sand-like tones at its centre to midnight blue at the edges. The designers felt that the carpet that was previously in this room, which had a pattern of watery ripples, would be better suited to a different space. After having it cut down, they have reused it to great effect in a spare room, where it sits under a four-poster bed and adds a soft, marine feel to the scheme. ‘No matter what the budget is, we don’t like waste,’ says Gail emphatically. The other spare rooms, used as bedrooms for guests, have views of the sea and pitched ceilings. In some of them, the designers have wallpapered the tall wall behind the bed to emphasise the height and shape of the rooms. The children’s bedrooms face the other way, towards the hillside. In one of them, jolly bunks with their own staircases make a fun space reminiscent of boat cabins. The house originally had a sunken bed in one of the bedrooms but, by the time Th2designs arrived, the novelty had worn off. So they filled in the hole, painted the panelling behind the bed in navy and added a strong abstract patterned rug to create an elegantly masculine bedroom. The same feel is evident in the study, with its seagrass walls, where cables, paperwork and a printer are all artfully concealed within bespoke storage. Here, as elsewhere in the house, a neat, tailored ambiance prevails and hundreds of unseen details – from the filling used in cushions to the height of the sockets – create harmony. ‘The linens on the sofa and the cushions soften any hard lines, but it is symmetry and precision that help a house to flow,’ says Gail. ‘They are very calming, although of course they are nothing without a sense of comfort.’ She and her team have made this a supremely comfortable, practical and elegant house, which complements, but never upstages, the ever-changing sea m Th2designs: th2designs.co.uk
‘The owners wanted us to make it more COMFORTABLE. It was a BEAUTIFUL STATEMENT house, but it wasn’t HOMELY’
SPARE ROOM The designers used ‘Eastwood’ wood-effect wallpaper from Thibaut on the wall behind the bespoke four-poster bed to emphasise the height of the pitched ceiling. The lamp is from Visual Comfort and the bedside table is from Chelsea Textiles. Cushions in de Le Cuona fabrics bring a hint of colour to the otherwise neutral scheme, in which the main focus is the sea view framed by the windows
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 115
Sprung from the earth TEXT DOMINIC LUTYENS PHOTOGRAPHS MONTSE GARRIGA GRAU
Creating a rustic retreat from her busy Madrid design practice, Belén Domecq has used natural materials, traditional textures and a palette of sandy and ochre tones to evoke a sense of the surrounding landscape
116 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
The two new wings added at the rear of the original cowshed enclose part of the garden created by the landscape architect Jesús Ibáñez. Heat-tolerant plants including santolina, rock rose, artemisia, thyme and rosemary fill large curving beds, edged with rusted steel, which stand out among the wide gravelled area
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 117
ENTRANCE HALL A 16th-century Belgian tapestry hangs above an antique French table in this new structure adjacent to the old part of the house. The doorway to the sitting room is framed by terracotta urns, with a locally sourced hunting trophy above. SITTING ROOM Original beams and reclaimed doors are among the rustic elements. The furniture includes armchairs from Antrazita, a Forties grass-seat chair by George Nakashima and an 18th-century bureau; the painting is by Mercedes Rodríguez Parrizas
I
nterior designer Belén Domecq’s holiday home in open countryside near Toledo, south-west of Madrid, gives the impression of having sprung from the earth. In fact, this was one of her professed aims when enlarging the long-abandoned cowshed to create a rustic bolthole to be enjoyed by family and friends. Now a U-shaped, singlestorey building augmented by two wings, the house feels like a modern-day ranch, yet it also nods to traditional farmhouses thanks to Belén’s extensive use of local, natural materials. A scion of Spain’s illustrious wine- and sherryproducing Domecq family, she came across the plot because her sister has a house nearby. ‘I could see its potential as the perfect country house, with views of trees and cows,’ recalls Belén, who often stays here with husband Álvaro and their children Bianca, 20, Álvaro, 17, and Peter, 10. ‘The cows belong to a farm about 10 kilometres away and roam freely. ‘I work very hard and I need to escape at weekends,’ continues Belén, who established her Madrid-based practice, Grupo Cosmic, in 1999. ‘We design houses all over Spain – Marbella, Valladolid, San Sebastián – and also in London.’ Her projects typically respond closely to their context and this country retreat is no exception. ‘I wanted to copy the colours of the surrounding earth. Working with local builders, I used materials found in nearby villages, including granite supplied by a quarry. Instead of paints, I coated the external walls with a mix of lime and chalk gathered from the soil here.’ The core of the house is old. It was once a sizeable cowshed and its roof has weathered tiles with a soft golden hue that, when lit by the sun, echo the colour of the local earth. It was last occupied 100 years ago and once provided accommodation for cowherds as well as cows. That building now forms part of the kitchen which has a rustic vibe, with open shelves, forest-green kitchen units and straw baskets laden with fruit. ‘The cowherds slept on platforms on either side of the huge fireplace where they cooked their food,’ explains Belén. ‘We love sitting here now for an aperitivo.’ An adjacent farm structure at the front of the house was extended to create an airy new main entrance, which features an unapologetically modern floor-to-ceiling grid of black-framed windows with views of the rolling, wooded countryside. Two new wings have been added to the rear of the original structure, both decorated in a traditional style and blending seamlessly with the older part of the house. One of the wings
118 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 119
120 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
KITCHEN (opposite top left) Open shelving and chairs and units painted forest green create a rustic feel. FAMILY ROOM (top right) A dresser in reclaimed wood by Belén’s studio is the backdrop for a lampshade from Tangier and a colourful tablecloth from Marrakech. KITCHEN (opposite bottom) The family often enjoys an aperitivo on the platforms on either side of the original fireplace, where cowherds once slept. DINING ROOM A wooden table and cane chairs stand on an antique Alcaraz rug in this gallery space. The still-life painting and Talavera dish on the wall are both 18th century
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 121
SPARE ROOM (left) A rush lampshade bought by Belén in Morocco hangs above a table covered in Etro fabric. BATHROOM (bottom left) An antique chinoiserie screen and a gleaming copper bath stand out against the muted palette. MAIN BEDROOM Housed in a new wing, this has an earthy, textured scheme, which includes a zebra-print cowhide rug, a 17th-century chest and a Seventies metal-framed chair with a cowhide sling. SWIMMING POOL Mauve Verbena bonariensis sets off the rural views
contains the sitting room and the main bedroom, while the other one houses the rooms used by the couple’s children and by guests. Wedged between the wings is another addition – a gallery with a dining table and full-length windows that overlook the garden. Just outside this is an informal pergola that provides shade over another dining area. Ceramic roof tiles repurposed as wall sconces have been coated with the lime-chalk concoction also used on the walls, so they are camouflaged against their backdrop. ‘There’s a tradition of this in southern Spain,’ explains Belén. While the house feels integrated into the landscape, untamed nature is at one remove. Between the wings, in a walled space beyond the pergola, is a stylised garden – a civilised buffer between house and unspoilt country, designed by landscape architect Jesús Ibáñez. Here, he has corralled indigenous plants within steeledged beds, separating them from wide, river-gravel strewn paths. Four impressively gnarled, 400-year-old olive trees have been retained, while the garden also evokes an ancient Roman villa, thanks to several cypresses. To one side, there is a new swimming pool. ‘It’s designed to resemble the water tanks livestock drink from, which I’ve seen in Tangier,’ says Belén, whose frequent visits to Morocco have also influenced design details in the house. Likewise, with its mix of elegant antiques and homespun furniture, the interior oscillates between formality and informality. The main entrance feels grand with its 16th-century Belgian tapestry, antique French table and hunting trophies looming large on one wall. Yet a rush mat and plants in earthenware pots create a relaxed feel. This hall leads to a sitting room in the old part of the house. Here, panelled-wood doors and ruggedly uneven original beams provide a backdrop to Vico Magistretti’s sleek Seventies ‘Atollo’ lamp, alongside traditional Moroccan copper pots – all unified by a soothingly muted palette. The original windows have been retained, providing a visual link to the adjoining hallway. Belén’s desire to take it easy when not working is abundantly satisfied by the main bedroom, in which her taste for relaxed eclecticism is most apparent. Here she has teamed a mid-century Finn Juhl chair and a handsome 17th-century chest (in the dark wood that is traditionally popular in Spain) with a capacious Seventies armchair. The en-suite bathroom has a roll-top copper bath and a decorative chinoiserie screen. Summing up how restorative her rural haven is, Belén says, ‘My husband and I can happily spend hours in here, taking baths and listening to music’ m Belén Domecq-Grupo Cosmic: belendomecq.com 122 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 123
FROM TROWEL TO TABLE For garden designer Alison Jenkins, our green spaces should be beautiful, fruitful and sustainable, and her Somerset smallholding is the perfect example, with abundant beds of vegetables, herbs and edible flowers TEXT NON MORRIS | PHOTOGRAPHS EVA NEMETH
ABOVE Alison tending to one of the raised beds in her kitchen garden, which has views out to the rolling Somerset countryside beyond. This enviable space is at the heart of her burgeoning practice as an edible-garden specialist
124 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
ABOVE Tropaeolum tuberosum, a climbing nasturtium grown for its tubers, scrambles up a teepee at the centre of four raised beds bright with self-seeded marigolds. The cedar-framed greenhouse plays a major role in providing fresh produce
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 125
TOP A mown-grass path leads from Alison’s kitchen to the edible garden, which is lightly framed with rusted estate fencing. ABOVE The brick cold frame along one side of the hard-working greenhouse is invaluable for hardening off tender plants
126 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ABOVE A brassica tunnel made from hazel hoops is covered with black netting. Twiggy, the family’s Irish terrier. A raised bed has low hurdle fences to support broad beans. Self-seeded Stipa tenuissima and Verbena bonariensis
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 127
T
he entrance to garden designer Alison not overshadowed.’ She describes the tantalising garden Jenkins’s inspirational edible garden she is developing for a chef as ‘mixing edibles and ornais via a delightful archway of hazel and mentals with a multi-layered approach that is based on willow. This began as a simple A-frame permaculture principles. There will be an upper layer of and the lovely gothic hoops at its base fruit trees, a mid layer of perennials, such as fennel, rhuwere an improvised addition to make it barb and Solomon’s Seal (it can be eaten like asparagus), stronger. The resultant structure is a and oregano and alpine strawberries as ground cover’. beautiful and welcoming invitation to enter the garden. Alison’s aim is to create gardens that are good looking It functions as a robust support for beans or climbing as well as productive year-round. She chooses flowering squash in summer and becomes an enduring sculptural plants, ideally edible ones, that are attractive and will presence when the garden is at its quietest in winter. happily self-seed. Borage and the wonderful deep-orange This kind of uplifting yet practical aesthetic underpins marigold ‘Indian Prince’ are favourites. She also ensures every element of Alison’s seductive two-acre smallholding, there is always something to follow the beans and the peas, which sits at the edge of a honey-coloured Somerset village such as the elegant vine Cobaea scandens, or glamorous looking out onto glorious, undulating English countryside. Dolichos lablab ‘Ruby Moon’, which has pale mauve beanA mown-grass path takes you from her airy kitchen, past like flowers and glossy rich purple pods. Both will tumble a stretch of orchard and wildflower meadow, to the edible down their hazel supports well into the autumn. Winter garden. Here, framed with rusted estate fencing and danstructure is provided by the Japanese wineberry Rubus cing with blonde self-seeding Stipa tenuissima and dusky phoenicolasius, trained in loops – ‘as you would roses’ – spires of Verbascum ‘Violetta’, is the beating heart of her behind the stone seat in a corner of the garden: ‘It has burgeoning practice as an edible-garden specialist, as red fuzzy stems and the fruit is like raspberries dipped in both a designer and a tutor. She runs a programme of workhoney.’ Perhaps her favourite plant is Phacelia tanacetifolia, shops, sharing her knowledge grown as a green manure crop with like-minded enthusiasts. after potatoes: ‘It feeds the soil ‘I believe it is possible to create all winter, feeds the bees when ‘ I B E L I E V E I T I S gardens that are not only beauit blooms the following May and tiful and ecological but also put gives you flowers for cutting.’ POSSIBLE TO food on the table,’ says Alison. Alison is keen to encourage C R E AT E GA R D E N S Her recommendations for makgrowing your own in even the ing a handsome edible garden smallest garden and has been T H A T A R E N O T – after keeping things simple if experimenting with galvanised you are a novice and growing cattle troughs, planting them ON LY B E AU T I F U L things you like to eat – is to pay with classic lettuces and herbs, attention to detail and be conAND ECOLOGICAL followed by asparagus peas: sistent with the materials you ‘These have red flowers followed B U T P U T F O O D O N use. ‘I’ve found bamboo sticks, by angular pods, which you can green plastic netting and multieat when they’re about 3cm long T H E T A B L E T O O ’ coloured string in the grandest – they look gorgeous spilling gardens, in both the ornamental over the front of the trough.’ and vegetable areas. A mix of hazel, willow and just one Another of her clever ideas is to sow parsley and coriander colour of string makes a big difference,’ she says. To protect in galvanised buckets (she recommends the fern-like crops, Alison suggests black netting rather than green coriander ‘Confetti’ as the prettiest variety) to stand at – ‘it almost disappears’ – and uses ‘Soft Butterfly Netting’ the kitchen door, ready to pick when she is cooking. from Gardening-Naturally (gardening-naturally.com). An infectious sense of wonder pervades everything She is also keen on Twool’s undyed ‘Naked Twine’ (twool. she does. If she invites a visitor to taste the delectable co.uk), made in the UK from the wool of Dartmoor nectar at the base of the magenta flowers of the Salvia sheep, choosing it over natural jute from Bangladesh. ‘Cerro Potosi’ – reminding them, of course, that this is Making beautiful, sustainable structures – and learning a brilliantly tough and long-flowering plant – she will how to use naturally strong willow ties to secure them – laugh as if she, too, is tasting it for the first time. is a skill that will be covered in future workshops. In her A talented and successful garden designer, Alison is garden, key shapes are sturdy A-frames to support the excited about her new path as an edible garden specialist: delicious climbing squash ‘Black Futsu’ and plump tee‘As a tutor, I feel energised by bringing a small group of pees for climbing peas, or the tiny lantern-like squash people together to learn and bounce ideas off each other, ‘Jack be Little’. There are also handsome brassica tunnels and empowering them with the knowledge and inspiration made from hoops of hazel, covered with black netting to create their own spaces. As a designer, I like to act as a held firm with neat hazel pegs, as well as clever hazel guiding hand for clients. Sometimes, just a conversation wreaths, to raise ripening pumpkins from the ground, can be enough to set someone off in a new direction they and compact hurdle fences to support broad beans. hadn’t considered.’ This generous and knowledgeable Alison is constantly experimenting. Planting courgettes approach will surely be much in demand m in an old terracotta chimneypot has been a great success: ‘They liked the depth of manure and, being elevated, were Alison Jenkins Edible Garden Design: alisonjenkins.co.uk
128 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
ABOVE Alison uses strong natural willow ties to secure the hazel poles of this A-frame structure, which is strong enough to support a climbing squash such as ‘Black Futsu’, perhaps combined with an annual climber such as Cobaea scandens
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 129
Sleeping beauties Continuing her series on growing bulbs, Clare Foster looks at some of the eye-catching lesser-known and under-appreciated summer bulbs, which deserve a space in our containers and borders
A
PHOTOGRAPHS sabina RŸber
is a South African plant. Most forms are not hardy so are treated as gapanthus, gladioli and dahlias are indoor plants, popular for forcing at Christmas for their trumpet all well established in the lexicon of blooms. However, a new line of hippeastrums, the Sonatini Group, summer gardens, but there are more has been bred for hardiness. Shorter than most indoor versions, unusual bulbs and tubers that can be they grow to about 50cm tall, and have smaller flowers and bulbs. overlooked at this time of year. It is Named cultivars include ‘Pink Rascal’, ‘White Rascal’ and ‘Orange interesting to experiment with these Rascal’, and I have just ordered ‘Marrakech’, which is a lemonylesser-known bulbs, planting them in green. All produce at least two stems per bulb, with three or four early spring to flower in the summer, flowers per stem, blooming in June, July and into August. perhaps in a pot, so you can single out A smaller relative of the hippeastrum is the Argentine rain lily, and appreciate their exotic blooms. Habranthus robustus (10-50cm). Flowering towards the end of Many of these summer bulbs are summer, it has pretty lily-like flowers in pale pink with a yellow from South Africa, where they grow wild in the bulb-rich Western throat, emerging through narrow, grass-like foliage. There are other Cape. They were introduced to Europe in the 17th century, when species, too, but this one is the most hardy for the UK climate, they were sent back to botanic gardens and distributed around the although, like many other summer bulbs, it will probably need hothouses of the rich. Today, it is the hardiest of these bulbs that winter protection if the weather is particularly cold. are grown in British gardens. Some are borderline hardy but their Also from South America, Bessera elegans is a delightful little beauty makes them worth the gamble and, if planted in pots, they creature with fuchsia-esque flowers that hang like lanterns from can be brought indoors over winter. One of the most popular of the wiry stems. I grew this last year in a pot and, for months, nothing South African bulbs is the exotic-looking eucomis, known as the happened apart from a show of chive-like leaves. Then suddenly, pineapple lily because of its topmost leafy bracts. Flowering in towards the end of summer, buds appeared, opening into red late July and August, its showy, cylindrical flower spikes sit on top flowers striped red and cream underneath. If you grow them in a of thick stems surrounded by broad, strap-like leaves. It is cerpot, bring them inside to let the compost dry out over winter, then tainly not delicate in stature and, as they are so different from re-pot them in spring to bloom again in August and September. many of our other summer herbaceous plants, they can be difficult Finally, two bulbs from North America that flower in June: to integrate into a border. However, in pots, they create strong triteleia and dichelostemma. Triteleia laxa grows wild in the wellarchitectural interest. With spikes of starry, outward-facing flowdrained pasturelands of California. With multi-branching flower ers, E. autumnalis (50cm) provides greeny-white sparkle in late heads similar to miniature agapanthus, each stalk holds a trumpetsummer. E. bicolor is of a similar height, with wavy-edged leaves, like flower and grows 10-50cm tall. ‘Foxy’ has pale blue flower burgundy-spotted stems and pistachio-green flowers edged in the heads striped violet blue. Fully hardy, they can be grown in a rocksame burgundy as the stem markings. Growing to around a metre, ery, on the edge of a border or in pots, in full sun and well-drained E. comosa is taller and more statuesque, with dark stems to set off soil. Also from California and requiring purple-centered white blooms, while its similar conditions are two very different cultivar ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ (also about species of dichelostemma. D. congestum 1 metre tall) has glamorous dark purple (50-100cm) has clusters of lilac flowers foliage and dusky pink flower spikes. on wiry stems, a bit like an allium. D. idaWith a more willowy and graceful form Planted in spring for late-summer displays, maia (10-50cm) has green-tipped crimson, than the pineapple lily, galtonia is not as all these bulbs should be grown in an open, tubular flowers that shoot out from the widely grown in the UK, but it is hardy and sunny spot in well-drained soil. Give the top of the stem at odd angles – hence its easy to cultivate. Two species are available, more tender species from South Africa name, the Californian firecracker. growing to about a metre: G. candicans has and South America a thick mulch in Finally, a wild card – the climber Gloriosa white bell-like flowers held in loose spires autumn before the first frosts, using superba. This can be grown from tubers as on tall stems; and G. candicans ‘Viridiflora’ coarse compost or straw. In pots, use two an annual in the UK, started off in a pot is a beauty with elegant pale green flowers. parts loam-based compost with one part inside in early spring and planted out after Another geographical hotspot for bulbs horticultural grit and follow the specific the last frosts. The blooms have slightly is South America, where the hippeastrum instructions on how deep to plant the bulbs. crimped petals in yellow and red, and the is the queen. These are often known as The neck of hippeastrum bulbs should be plant grows swiftly, twining round a pergola amaryllis in the West, which is botanically above the surface of the compost. Buy or archway in a swathe of bright colour m incorrect, as the true Amaryllis belladonna bulbs from Avon Bulbs (avonbulbs.co.uk).
C U LT I VAT I N G U N U S UA L B U L B S
OPPOSITE TOP ROW FROM LEFT Striped blooms of Triteleia laxa ‘Foxy’. Eucomis bicolor, the pineapple lily. The lantern-like flowers of Bessera elegans. MIDDLE ROW Galtonia candicans ‘Viridiflora’ is reliably hardy and deserves to be better known. Habranthus robustus. Eucomis comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy’. BOTTOM ROW Gloriosa superba ‘Sparkling Striped’. Hippeastrum (Sonatini Group) ‘White Rascal’. Dichelostemma ida-maia, the Californian firecracker 130 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
CREATIVE BULB PLANTING
PA RT N 0 .6
THIS PAGE Pretty Astrantia major ‘Large White’, here tinged with pink, has distinctive pin-cushion flowerheads. OPPOSITE Viewed from upstairs, the meandering gravel path edged with setts frames an ephemeral froth of annual, biennial and perennial umbellifers including Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’, Chaerophyllum hirsutum ‘Roseum’ and Myrrhis odorata
twice upon a time TEXT JODIE JONES | PHOTOGRAPHS RACHEL WARNE
After creating an enchanting festival show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace, Alexandra Noble was commissioned to re-create the design in west London, complete with secret spaces, winding paths and magical, gossamer-fine planting
132 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
t
hree years ago, Alexandra Noble designed a garden of strikingly airy simplicity for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. Visitors were delighted by the Health and Wellbeing Garden’s winding meditation path and ethereal planting of pale umbels and voted it People’s Choice in its category. One person went further by commissioning Alexandra to create a version for her west London garden. ‘Her heart is in the countryside and she wanted to feel in contact with nature,’ says Alexandra of the owner of the Chiswick house. ‘The show garden’s atmosphere spoke to her. By chance, her own garden – at just 8 metres by 8 metres – was the same size. So she could visualise something similar in her own space.’ Today, that vision has become a reality of almost otherworldly prettiness, filled with clouds of Cenolophium denudatum, Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’ and Chaerophyllum hirsutum ‘Roseum’. A pale gravel path edged with porphyry setts meanders through the space, passing a table and chairs, and a wooden armchair tucked away in a corner for quiet contemplation. Mixed native hedges run down each side of the garden and the end wall is covered in a fan-trained fig with fragrant shrub roses below. ‘That fig was already in the garden,’ says Alexandra. ‘But it was growing against an unremarkable fence on one side and I thought it deserved to be centre stage.’ Moving it also allowed her to plant a hedgerow in a tapestry mix, including hazel, hawthorn and field maple. This has not only hidden the fence, but also created habitats for wildlife and introduced masses of seasonal interest, from spring blossom to autumn berries. ‘People worry that a hedge will take up too much space in a small garden. But, if anything, it makes it feel bigger, by adding depth while blurring the boundaries.’ Although Alexandra is known for her ephemeral borders, she has an authoritative command of structural planting and spatial organisation, honed during six years studying architecture at the University of Bath. ‘I love the counterpoint between beautiful, simple architecture and effervescent, feminine planting,’ she says. ‘I’ve always had a strong visual sense and a love of gardening was passed on to me by my grandparents, who pointed out flowers and encouraged me to rub a fragrant leaf. I just didn’t realise those could come together in a career, until I got a work placement with a landscape firm between my fifth and sixth years at university.’ Alexandra began a shift towards landscape architecture, before her artistic instincts led her to apply for a job with garden designer Luciano Giubbilei. ‘Everything came together there and I knew I’d found my vocation,’ she says. When she designed her Health and Wellbeing Garden at Hampton Court, she had been running her own practice for just a year, but already had a reputation as a talented newcomer who could handle the practicalities of budgets and construction while creating gardens touched with whimsy. ‘I’m enthralled by the changing of the seasons,’ she says. ‘This garden dies right down in the winter, with just a touch of structure provided by Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii, Daphne ‘Eternal Fragrance’, Hebe rakaiensis, Polystichum setiferum and Libertia grandiflora in the main beds.’ It takes a brave client to embrace such a radical reflection of the passing year and Alexandra has been delighted to see how the Chiswick garden has stayed true to her original concept: ‘When you design a garden, you hand it over to the owners. It acquires a life of its own with the passage of time and the hand of the person who gardens it. Here, I was very fortunate that our visions were perfectly aligned’ m Alexandra Noble Design: alexandranoble.com 134 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
ABOVE Alexandra against a backdrop of Angelica archangelica in the Chiswick garden she created. BELOW Long-flowering blue Geranium ‘Rozanne’ adds a jewel-like sparkle to the surrounding mass of fresh white and green
ABOVE FROM LEFT Lacy umbellifers, including Ammi majus, bring an ethereal lightness to the planting scheme. Alexandra’s particular favourite, Mathiasella bupleuroides, flushes pink in autumn and dries well for cut-flower arrangements. BELOW FROM LEFT Low-growing Erigeron karvinskianus is a pretty confection of dainty white and pink daisies that self-seeds with abandon. Alexandra in the seating area by the fan-trained fig, screened by towering Valeriana officinalis
Recipes | Taste Notes | Ibiza | Veneto
FOOD & TRAVEL
FOOD & DRINKS EDITOR BLANCHE VAUGHAN
FOOD STYLING: ROSIE RAMSDEN. PROP STYLING: TABITHA HAWKINS
PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREW MONTGOMERY
Recipes by Blanche Vaughan
WINE NOTES ANNE TUPKER MW
QUITE A CATCH
Our UK waters have plentiful supplies of superb fish, which are often overlooked in favour of foreign imports. Choosing from local sources is crucial in supporting our fishing industry. I like to buy from a fishmonger, so I can talk to them about where the catch comes from. Cooking whole fish for large numbers can be expensive, but these recipes cover the extravagant to the thrifty, with the simplest preparations to bring out the best from the fish e
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 137
FOOD & TRAVEL recipes For the base 2tbsp olive oil 150g smoked bacon lardons 2 medium leeks, finely chopped Small bunch thyme, chopped 700g waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed 600g tinned sweetcorn 1.5 litres fish stock or shellfish stock 300ml cream 1 large lemon, juice For the fish 650g skinless white fish (such as UK-landed hake, coley or pollock) 270g skinless smoked haddock 6 langoustines, split down the middle, or 12 large crayfish, peeled 20g parsley, finely chopped
FISH CHOWDER
Chowder is good for entertaining (the preparation is mainly done in advance). Try experimenting with different fish. Use a combination of smoked and white fish and some sort of crustacean – crayfish are a cheaper alternative to Scottish langoustines. Serves 6 1 Heat the oil in a large pot or casserole and fry the lardons until completely crisp. Remove and set aside. Add the leeks, with a generous pinch of salt, and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until soft and sweet. 2 Return the lardons to the pot. Add the thyme and potatoes, and fry for a minute, before adding the sweetcorn, stock and cream.
138 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
Bring to the boil, season to taste and add the lemon juice. Simmer until the potatoes are soft. 3 Cut the white fish and smoked haddock into bite-sized pieces. Bring the pot to the boil before adding all the fish, then reduce the heat immediately and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chopped parsley before serving.
FOOD & TRAVEL recipes 6 whole mackerel, gutted and cleaned For the sauce 60g coriander 50g parsley 10g mint 80g preserved lemons 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 large green chilli, stalk removed 1tbsp cider vinegar 1tsp honey 6tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Lemon juice, to taste To serve New potatoes and/or roasted carrots
MACKEREL, GREEN SAUCE AND PRESERVED LEMONS
This spicy, bright-flavoured green sauce is a great foil for oily fish. The whole fish are delicious cooked on a barbecue, too, and you could substitute the mackerel for sardines (although you will need three or four per serving). Serves 6 1 Heat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/mark 6. Line an oven tray with foil. Season the mackerel with salt and freshly ground black pepper inside and out, and lay on the foil. Roast for 15-20 minutes. 2 Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pick the leaves from the herbs and discard the stalks. Halve the preserved lemons, then scoop out and discard the fleshy insides. Put all the sauce ingredients (except the lemon juice) in a food processor, add a splash of water and blitz until combined. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
3 Serve the mackerel with plenty of sauce on the side and boiled new potatoes and/or roasted carrots. WINE NOTES The smoky, melon and quince flavours found in Greco di Tufo, Loggia della Serra, Terradora di Paolo 2019 would marry perfectly with the richness of both the fish chowder and the mackerel (£16.60; tanners-wines.co.uk). Planeta’s soft, rich, peachy La Segreta Bianco 2019 would also make a winning partner for either dish (£12.95; greatwine.co.uk). e
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 139
FOOD & TRAVEL recipes For the fishcakes 500g sweet potatoes 500g floury potatoes 350g firm white fish (such as coley, hake or haddock) 2tbsp fish sauce 1 red chilli, finely chopped 30g coriander, finely chopped 30g ginger, peeled and finely chopped 3 limes, zest, plus 2tbsp juice For the breadcrumb crust 100g white flour 2 eggs, beaten 200g breadcrumbs (I use either panko or homemade white crumbs) 3tbsp vegetable oil To serve Green salad
FISHCAKES WITH CHILLI, GINGER AND LIME
I serve these with a salad dressed with sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar. This recipe makes enough for three fishcakes per person, but they are also suitable for freezing – do it after they have been coated in breadcrumbs but before they are cooked. Serves 6 1 Peel both types of potato and cut into small cubes. Put them in a pot, cover with water and add 1tbsp salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until they are completely soft. Drain the cooked potatoes well and squeeze through a sieve or potato ricer to make a smooth purée 2 Cut the fish into small chunks and mix with the other fishcake ingredients, then stir through the potato. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate for one hour until cold. Heat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/mark 5.
140 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
3 Line a baking tray with baking paper. Assemble three large flat bowls, with one containing flour, one beaten eggs and one breadcrumbs. Take half a handful of the fish mixture (weighing about 70g) and form into a ball, then squash gently to form a cake. First dust with the flour, then coat with egg and finally with the breadcrumbs. Lay on the lined baking tray. Repeat until you have used all the mixture, making 18 small fishcakes. 4 Drizzle the oil over the top of the fishcakes and bake them for 20 minutes, until crisp and golden.
FOOD & TRAVEL recipes 3tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 40g ginger, peeled and chopped 2-3 red chillies, chopped 300g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 3tsp ground cumin 3tsp ground coriander 2tsp ground turmeric 2tsp ground cinnamon 400ml tin tomatoes 400ml tin coconut milk 900g monkfish fillet, cut into large chunks To serve 600g basmati rice, rinsed and soaked in water for 20 minutes 20g coriander, chopped Lime wedges
MADAGASCAN CURRY WITH MONKFISH
I first ate this curry in Madagascar, where they served it with a whole crab, which we dismantled at the table. This version can mostly be made in advance. Monkfish is firm enough to hold its shape while absorbing all the lovely flavours. Serves 6 1 In a large pot, heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies, with a large pinch of salt, until soft and slightly coloured. 2 Add the sweet potatoes and fry for a minute, before adding the spices and 1tsp freshly ground black pepper. The mixture will dry out with the spices, so cook for a minute, stirring all the time and then add the tomatoes and three-quarters of the coconut milk (save the rest for the rice). Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer until the potatoes are soft. Check the seasoning. 3 To make the rice, put it in a medium saucepan with a lid and pour over the remaining coconut milk, adding water to cover it by about 2cm. With the lid on, bring to the boil (about 2-3 minutes),
then turn down the heat and cook for 10-12 minutes until the rice is soft. Leave with the lid on to steam while you cook the fish. 4 Season the monkfish. Bring the curry mixture to the boil before adding the fish to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave for a few minutes before serving sprinkled with coriander, with the coconut rice and the lime wedges on the side. WINE NOTES The guava, peaches, herbs and acidity of Nunzio Ghiraldi’s Lugana 2019 counterbalance the bold flavours of the fishcakes and curry (£16.20; theatreofwine.com); the ripe stone fruit of La Monacesca’s Verdicchio di Matelica 2019 would also temper the spices (£13.99; cadmanfinewines.co.uk). e HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 141
FOOD & TRAVEL recipes 1tbsp olive oil 4 plaice fillets (ask for skin-on double fillets for ease of cooking) For the sauce 40g butter 2tbsp capers, dried on kitchen towel ½ lemon, juice 20g parsley, finely chopped
PLAICE WITH FRIED CAPERS AND BROWN BUTTER
Simple, classic and quick to make, this works well with any number of varieties of white fish. At other times of the year, I use whole lemon sole, or you could use fillets of John Dory, or even gurnard. Serve with samphire or spinach alongside potatoes or chips. Serves 2 1 Heat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/mark 5. Oil the plaice fillets on both sides and place on a baking tray, skin side down. Season well. Bake for 10-12 minutes. To test if the fish is cooked through, insert a skewer through the thickest part of the flesh – it should meet no resistance.
142 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
2 While the fish is cooking, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter. When it has melted, add the capers and fry until the butter starts to foam and smells nutty, and the capers brown slightly. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, then remove from the heat. Serve the fish with the sauce spooned over the top.
FOOD & TRAVEL recipes 400g dried spaghetti 400g crab meat ½ clove garlic, crushed 4tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve ½tsp chilli flakes 20g parsley, chopped (or fennel herb if available) 1 lemon, zest and juice
CRAB SPAGHETTI
Brown crab is abundant in UK waters and most of our catch is exported to Europe. I always buy the hand-picked white meat (not the pasteurised variety), as it has the freshest flavour. Try to find unwaxed Italian lemons, as they have the best-tasting zest. Serves 4 1 Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions in plenty of well salted, boiling water. 2 Mix the crab with all the other ingredients and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. The crab mixture should be highly flavoured before it is mixed with the spaghetti. 3 Drain the cooked pasta and mix with the crab mixture and more seasoning to taste. Dress with olive oil to serve.
WINE NOTES Saladini Pilastri’s Falerio 2019 combines apple and pear with citrus notes and would complement either the tangy nuttiness of the plaice with fried capers or the lemony freshness of the crab spaghetti (£11; theatreofwine.com). A richer alternative, offering hints of apricot, honey and camomile, is Stefano Inama’s Soave Classico 2020, which would provide another fine pairing (£15.99; majestic.co.uk) m
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 143
FOOD & TRAVEL news
BLANCHE VAUGHAN shares her news and tips for food lovers
The Jacksons, a fashion and homeware boutique in All Saints Road, W11, has the perfect mats on which to serve my fish recipes on the previous pages. These quirky ‘Crab Placemats’ are crafted from jute by female artisans in Bangladesh. Available in three colours, they cost £38 each. thejacksons.co.uk
D OW N O N T H E FA R M Coombe Farm Organic sells organic beef, lamb, pork and chicken – which you can buy as butchered cuts or in meat boxes – plus sustainably caught fish. It also celebrates often-discarded by-products; these undervalued cuts, such as pork cheek, provide vital ingredients for cooks and are full of nutritional benefits. Bone broths, offal and fish stock are all available to order online, or direct from the farm in Somerset. coombefarmorganic.co.uk
Toasted fig leaf and blackcurrant ripple ice cream Our fig tree does not produce ripe fruit until late September. In the meantime, I make the most of its leaves; this is one of my favourite ways to cook with them. Serves 6-8 10 fig leaves 350g full-fat milk 650g double cream 175g caster sugar 4 egg yolks For the ripple 125g blackcurrants 50g caster sugar
1 Heat your grill to the highest setting. Lay the fig leaves out flat on a baking tray (you may need to do this in batches) and place them on the highest rack under the grill, leaving the door slightly ajar. Watch carefully as they start to shrivel and colour. Turn them once or move them around, so that they brown evenly. 2 Put the toasted leaves in a large saucepan with the milk, cream and 175g sugar, and heat until the cream starts to bubble. Remove from the heat, leave to steep for 30 minutes and remove the leaves. 3 Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl and slowly pour the heated cream in a steady stream onto the yolks, whisking all the time. Return the mixture to the pan and cook very gently, stirring, until it thickens slightly. Pour into a shallow container to cool. 4 Meanwhile, heat the blackcurrants and sugar gently in a small saucepan, until the sugar dissolves and the fruit juices seep out. Reserve a few currants and push the rest through a sieve. Chill. 5 Churn the cooled custard mixture in an ice-cream maker to a soft consistency, then spoon into a container and (briefly) stir the ripple and blackcurrants in streaks through it. Freeze until solid.
144 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
SWEET SPOONS These exquisite handmade gelato spoons in Murano glass by Yali Glass are cool to the touch – ideal for eating any frozen dessert. Shown in six colours, they cost £30 each from Mouki Mou. moukimou.com m
MAIN PHOTOGRAPH: ANDREW MONTGOMERY, FROM ROOT, STEM, LEAF, FLOWER BY GILL MELLER (QUADRILLE, £27). ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS: ENRICO FIORESE; CHLOE HARDWICK
Taste notes
C OA S TA L C OA S T E R S
H&G Partnership
The sights of Switzerland Wide open landscapes, dramatic mountains, vibrant cities, charming old towns, ground-breaking architecture and design, a UNESCO-listed capital, pretty swimming lakes, scenic hikes and some of the best views around – Switzerland is a breath of fresh air. Rubbing shoulders with France, Germany, Italy and Liechtenstein, this culturally diverse landlocked country offers so much beyond its world-class ski resorts. We look at five cities at the forefront of Swiss culture, nature and sense of adventure in equal measure, and the best places to stay in each for a rejuvenating holiday
SILVANO ZEITER
LUGANO
WHAT TO SEE Equal parts Swiss and Italian, Lugano’s sun-drenched, terracotta-roofed and pastel-coloured historic centre is Mediterranean in spirit, and heavily influenced by Italy’s neighbouring Lombardy region. This interesting fusion of cultures is reflected not only in the architecture – its pretty main square, Piazza della Riforma, is no exception – but also its cuisine, wine, and hospitality. Set on the lake and backed by tree-covered mountains that form part of the western Alps, Lugano offers history and culture with plenty of activities and excursions nearby: scenic walks through olive groves, visiting Merlot vineyards perched high above the town, and scenic mountain hikes rewarded by breathtaking panoramas over Lake Lugano and the Alps. WHERE TO STAY Hotel Splendide Royal is Lugano’s most prestigious address with celebrities and politicians checking in on the regular. For a more casual stay, the contemporary The View Lugano draws a stylish crowd.
H&G Partnership
BERN
WHAT TO SEE Switzerland’s capital draws visitors to its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site dotted with well-preserved medieval architecture dating back to the 12th century. As the home of the Swiss Parliament, Bern is the meeting point for diplomats and politicians. Lesser known is the Green Belt that surrounds the city: a verdant swathe of organic farms and sustainable agriculture that is best explored via an e-bike tour, stopping along the way to taste locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. WHERE TO STAY The Bellevue Palace Bern (pictured above) offers classical charm, while The Bristol has colourful and modern interiors full of references to British design.
WHAT TO SEE The cultural beacon of Switzerland, Zurich is a vibrant city with a constant programme of exhibitions, performances and events that bring together a creative crowd. The impressive Kunsthaus Zurich is at the heart of its thriving arts scene – the new limestone-clad extension designed by the architect David Chipperfield is a must-see in its own right. A handful of galleries and institutions surrounds this cultural hub, including the city’s Museum of Design. Architecture enthusiasts should also plan a visit to Pavillon Le Corbusier, dedicated to the Swiss visionary’s work. WHERE TO STAY The deeply comfortable Baur au Lac and The Dolder Grand will serve as the ideal home from home after a day’s sightseeing, while 25hours Hotel Langstrasse is the hip, urban option for a younger clientele.
STEFANO CANDITO; JASMIN FREI; JAN GEERK; ANDRE MEIER; MARK NIEDERMANN
ZURICH
H&G Partnership GENEVA
WHAT TO SEE A top contender as Switzerland’s sleekest and smartest city, Geneva is also an important financial hub, drawing a constant stream of visitors from abroad who add to its cosmopolitan charm. As the host for a number of international affairs conferences and housing the European headquarters of the United Nations, it has are a number of impressive buildings worth visiting alongside the pretty, lakeside old town with its maze of quaint streets and alleyways lined with chic cafés, bars and restaurants. Head to Café Restaurant du Parc des Bastions to relax in its peaceful gardens or the cool Brooklyn-style bar Bottle Brothers for cocktails. WHERE TO STAY Enjoy a taste of luxury at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in a historic building on the shores of Lake Geneva. Or for a boutique experience, book into discreet Eastwest Hotel and take in the city views.
BASEL
TO LEARN MORE For ideas and inspiration for your trip, and to enter a competition to win a luxurious trip to Switzerland, go to myswitzerland.com/cities. You can also find a guide to iconic hotels and properties to stay in part of the Swiss Historic Hotels, each with a captivating story of its own – from Alpine retreats to country inns surrounded by lush forest. Visit the ‘Swiss Sanctuary’ show garden designed by Lily Gomm at RHS Chelsea Flower Show September 21-26. In next month’s issue of House & Garden, out on August 5, we will continue this guide with five more Swiss cities to visit.
WHAT TO SEE Uniquely positioned at the intersection between Switzerland, France and Germany, Basel represents a meeting of these three cultures. A local dialect of German is spoken, and the influence of the city’s European neighbours can be seen in the architecture, the arts scene and food. The River Rhine divides the new and old parts of the town, each of which offers its own version of the city. The old town’s hilly cobbled lanes, lined with craft boutiques, galleries, bakeries and traditional eateries are contrasted with the high-rise buildings and buzzy nightlife across the river to the east. In the warmer months, the river is popular with swimmers – many locals stash their clothes and belongings in a waterproof swim bag, known as a wickelfisch, and float on. WHERE TO STAY The imposing Les Trois Rois on the western bank of the Rhine takes guests back in time with old-school hospitality and equally impressive views across the river. Further along the river, Hotel Krafft Basel is a boutique fixture with contemporary interiors under a historic shell.
FOOD & TRAVEL Balearics
IBIZA’S OTHER RHYTHMS
I
t is early morning. Dawn has broken far east across the sea and sunshine slithers like lava between the cracks and crevices of Dalt Vila, Ibiza’s ancient walled capital and the finest fortified citadel in the Mediterranean. We have bought coffee and snacks from the convent on Carrer de Sant Ciriac, where the nuns have a side hustle serving small, savoury empanadas through a hatch in the wall. Nearby, the ancient plaza is stirring into life. Tables and chairs clatter across the cobbles. Espresso machines whistle into action. Black-clad matriarchs haul baskets of local oranges onto café tables for juicing. In the harbour, the first ferry leaves, bound for the island of Formentera. The boat kicks up a frothy wake into which seagulls furiously dip and dive. The early bird catches the fish. Dalt Vila was first settled in 654 BC by the Phoenicians, bringing wealth, culture and olives to these far-flung, pine-clad islands. A series of successive occupations – Carthaginian, Arab, Greek, Roman – has left upon Ibiza an exotic imprint of design and tradition that defines it to this day. Both locals and visitors alike tend to think of Ibiza in terms of north and south. The south is home to Ibiza Town, the charming modern-day capital that incorporates the old quarter of Dalt Vila, with leafy boulevards of boutiques and cafés. The south also has sandy beaches dotted with chi-chi hangouts, such as El Chiringuito, and clifftop hamlets, such as Es Cubells, where the fortified church is a reminder that pirates from North Africa’s Barbary Coast were once frequent visitors. Just below Es Cubells, tucked into a tiny fisherman’s cove, is the seafood restaurant of Ses Boques. Opened in 1974, it is the sole occupant of this tiny beach, where the sea laps just metres away from wooden tables in the sand. The founder, Joan Ribas, still mans the stove, whipping up paella, salt-baked fish and a much loved lobster stew. His wife, Lourdes, makes the lemon cake. After lunch, there are lazy swims to be had along the rocky shore, in water kept luminous by protected posidonia seagrass meadows, and pretty fishermen’s huts to discover. Just west of Es Cubells, the mystical rocky island of Es Vedra is said to be the birthplace of Homer’s sirens in The Odyssey. Inland, Ibiza’s instantly recognisable fincas are Moorish by design. White, cuboid, with flat roofs, thick adobe walls and tiny windows,
these farmhouses were designed to repel heat in the scorching summer months and preserve it in winter. One such finca, over 300 years old, is home to Casa Maca, a boutique hotel of bountiful appeal. Overlooking both Dalt Vila and the sea from a hilltop site, Casa Maca’s buildings are low-slung, with whitewashed walls, almond-hued stonework and pretty balconies from which to take in the splendour of the view. Rooms are quietly luxurious with concrete floors and earthy textiles, and there is a vintage Airstreamturned-cocktail bar among the olive trees. When dining outdoors on the fig-shaded terrace, it is easy for a late lunch to turn into supper. The northern part of the island was at the heart of Ibiza’s fabled hippie movement, a free-wheeling period in the Sixties and Seventies when Ibiza was a stop-off on the route linking Marrakech, Goa and Kabul. Santa Gertrudis is considered the gateway to the north, a charming and cosmopolitan village. Its sun-dappled square is lined with excellent restaurants and some of Ibiza’s best shops. Numero 74 L’Atelier is the best of both, with a colourful organic café alongside a store selling rustic-luxe homewares, pretty kaftans and children’s clothing. The airy space has a busy schedule of classes and workshops, such as ceramics and weaving. Further north, San Juan still dances to a distinctly bohemian beat, particularly on Sundays, when the weekly market fills the main square with live music, and craft and vintage stalls. Those in the know make a beeline for The Giri Café on market day. In its Moroccan-inspired kitchen garden, Ibiza’s demi-monde catch up over green papaya and seaweed salad, or simply a chilled glass of hierbas, the aniseedy local digestif infused with mountain herbs. A few hundred metres outside buzzy San Juan, there is a sudden drop in tempo. Settled in deepest farmland, the luxurious eco-hotel Finca Can Martí offers instant respite from the bustle of market day. A clutch of sugar-cube casitas, some over 400 years old, surround a freshwater pool lined with bamboo day beds. There is yoga on the wooden deck and massages in the shade of lazy palms. A few donkeys shuffle softly behind a rough-hewn wooden gate, kicking up dust with their hooves. As lo-fi as Ibiza gets, Can Martí is worlds apart from the sociable hustle of the south. And as stillness cloaks the juniper-scented valley and incense smoulders from the tiled hammam, Ibiza’s exotic allure is distilled to perfection.
Ways and Means Casa Maca has doubles from £160, B&B (casamaca.com), and Can Martí has doubles from €221, B&B (canmarti.com). Main courses at The Giri Café cost from £11 (cafe.thegiri.com). British Airways (ba.com) flies to Ibiza from London Heathrow from £145 m 148 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGES; LUANA FAILLA; MAURITIUS IMAGES/ALAMY; ANA LUI; GEOFF FENNEY; STOCKSY
Former resident MAYA BOYD distils the authentic allure of the Spanish island beyond its party scene – from fortified churches overlooking unspoilt beaches to the rustic fincas housing one-of-a-kind hotels
OPPOSITE Es Vedra island. TOP ROW FROM LEFT The pool at Finca Can Martí. The ancient capital, Dalt Vila, is now the old quarter of Ibiza Town. Padrón peppers at Ses Boques. MIDDLE ROW A suite at Can Martí. The view from Casa Maca. A quiet street in Dalt Vila. BOTTOM ROW The tranquil garden at Can Martí. Transport in Ibiza Town. The Giri Café
LIFE ON THE LAGOON
T
he next time you see a painting of Venice, take a closer look. If it is one of those quiet 19th-century scenes of a canal with a bridge, or perhaps an Edward Seago, it may not be Venice at all, but Chioggia. Where? You may well ask. Chioggia (pronounced ‘Kee-Odger’) is one of the best-kept secrets of the Venetian lagoon, an island city attached to the mainland by two bridges. It has its own duomo, a towering campanile and a daily fish market to rival that of the Rialto; it even has a copy of the Rialto Bridge. It looks so like Venice that, in the 19th century, impoverished artists would lodge here and paint Venetian scenes. But Chioggia is not Venice. It is a smaller and less polished world of its own. Luca Guadagnino, the director of Call Me By Your Name, loves it so much he made his first TV series, We Are Who We Are, there last year. But when I ask a Venetian resident what he thinks of it, he replies that Venetians do not think of Chioggia at all. Spending a few days there just before Easter, I encountered some friendly fishermen and priests, and I was reminded of Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood, which is set in a small town full of stories and superstitions. In more normal times, Chioggia is a gastronomic destination, being the most important fishing port in Italy. Jan Morris once wrote that Chioggia ‘lives, dreams, talks and eats fish’, and its fish market stands right in the centre, entered via an outlandish carved stone portico. Inside, it is a riot of colour and noise – with skate, bream and mullet jostling against eels, octopus and clams. Unable to buy anything to take home and cook as I am staying in a hotel, I leave and gaze at the menus of restaurants, closed at the time of my visit due to the pandemic, offering dishes such as tagliolini alla granseola (spaghetti with spider crab) and ravioli ripieno di branzino (seabass-stuffed ravioli). No matter. There is plenty to see, even when the restaurants are shut. Chioggia has three canals and 10 notable churches, one of which, San Domenico, has a Tintoretto. At the duomo, I find myself gazing upon the grizzly remains of two saints – the vertebrae of San Felice and the skull of San Fortunato. From nowhere, a youth called Giovanni appears to tell me the sorrowful story of these 4th-century Christian martyrs and the subsequent squabbles over their bones. He tells me how Chioggia took its original name, Clodia, from its legendary founder, Clodio, a Trojan exile determined to build a new Troy. Until quite recently, Chioggian fishing boats sported red sails, a homage to the blood spilt in the 150 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
Trojan War. Red Sails at Chioggia, a seascape by JMW Turner painted during his stay here in around 1840, shows the sails of these fishing boats as splashes of vivid scarlet. Even the local radicchio that grows on the salt flats nearby is a deep red. As Giovanni tells me about the town’s history, a picture emerges of a proud and insular people, whose glory days were in the 13th century. Rich from salt-panning, they were raided and conquered by the Genoese in 1379, then recaptured by Venice and taxed into submission. We walk out into the blinding light and onto the buzzing main street. All that is best about Italian life is here: strong coffee, ice cream, chic old ladies and beeping motorinos. Running in parallel is the Canal Vena, Chioggia’s most picturesque waterway, where Giovanni points out a palazzo in a state of perfect dereliction. It is covered in ‘For Sale’ signs, but nobody will ever touch it, he says, ‘because it’s the house of the witches’. He tells me Chioggians have always been fond of a drink and many a fisherman would topple into the canal on his way home; his body would then be swept out into the lagoon, never to be seen again. According to local legend, when he did not turn up to work the next day, his wife would be branded a witch and dispatched to this forlorn-looking prison. I bid farewell to Giovanni and carry on along the Canal Vena, passing two more exquisite palazzos. One is boarded up; the other, the Palazzo Grassi, is now home to the Museum of Adriatic Zoology. Beyond is the Ponte Vigo, designed to look like the Rialto Bridge and therefore much painted by artists. By lunchtime, the main street is deserted, with everyone having returned home for lunch in true Italian fashion. I think about catching the traghetto to Venice, which in ordinary times would be an irresistible temptation. But the journey is longer than I had thought, involving a change of boat and a bus across the Lido. By dusk, life has returned and I fall in with some locals who tell me their life stories. By the time they are pouring wine and singing sea shanties, I begin to wonder if Venice was ever so welcoming to its visitors. Chioggia may not rival Venice’s grandeur or glamour but, as those painters of earlier centuries found, the illusion of Venice is quite captivating enough. Ways and means Hotel Grande, overlooking the lagoon, has doubles from €65 (hotelgrandeitalia.com). El Gato, on Corso del Popolo, is a good local restaurant specialising in fresh fish and pasta dishes (ristoranteachioggia.it) m
ALAMY STOCK PHOTO/CRISTINA FUMI/ISAAC74/IVOHA; ISTOCK/LAUZ83/RP IMAGES; STOCKSY
MATTHEW BELL visits the Venetian town of Chioggia and discovers a hidden world of picturesque canals, historic churches and first-class seafood to rival its famous neighbour
FOOD & TRAVEL Italy TOP ROW FROM LEFT The church of San Domenico is located on a small island. Frescoes in the 17th-century duomo. Motorinos are a popular mode of transport. BOTTOM ROW FROM LEFT An archway frames a view of colourful houses in the old town. As one of Italy’s main fishing ports, Chioggia is known for its daily fish market. The Canal Vena is the town’s most scenic waterway
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 151
FOOD & TRAVEL compass
FROM LEFT The Mandarin Oriental Milan’s Fornasetti Suite. The Duomo private dining room also features Fornasetti designs
HOTEL STARS
LAURA NORMANTON recommends stylish places to stay in Europe – from London to the Algarve
L
coastal gem
city staycation
Active Algarve
Built into a hillside on Croatia’s southern coast, Hotel Excelsior has spectacular views of the Adriatic and Dubrovnik’s Old Town. The 158 rooms and suites have a welcoming feel, with a palette of blues and warm neutrals inspired by the colours of the sea and the medieval city walls in the sun. The hotel has a stone terrace with sunbeds and steps into the water for swimming, while the vast wellness and spa area has an indoor pool, Finnish sauna, Roman bath and gym. Its three restaurants include Prora, with romantic waterside tables, and the Abakus piano bar is ideal for sunset cocktails. From €279 for a Classic room, B&B. adriaticluxuryhotels.com
Mayfair’s historic Brown’s Hotel is an ideal base for enjoying London’s many pleasures – from museums and galleries, to shops and restaurants. Hire a Pashley bicycle from the hotel and you will be provided with a bike safari map and a hamper for a picnic in Green Park, St James’s Park or Hyde Park; there is even the option of having a Brown’s butler serve you. Or attend one of the Summer Sensations masterclasses, such as flower arranging with Ellie Hartley. The 115 spacious rooms and suites, designed by Olga Polizzi, feature richly colourful fabrics, dramatic wallpaper and marble-clad bathrooms. Rooms cost from £485, B&B.* roccofortehotels.com
Skeleton Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams is hosting an Active Living programme at Four Seasons Fairways in Quinta do Lago, on November 21-28. Guests can join Amy for daily classes in the resort, as well as bike rides and activities in the local area, including a kayak safari on the Ria Formosa nature reserve. With mild daytime temperatures year round and activities tailored to suit all ages and abilities, this is a great opportunity to get fitter. You will also be able to explore the beaches and golf courses outside the Portuguese resort. The Active Living Week costs from £725 a person for seven nights in a villa, B&B.* fourseasonsfairways.com m
152 AUGUST 2021 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK
*PRICES BASED ON TWO SHARING. PHOTOGRAPHS: GEORGE APOSTOLIDIS; © HOTEL PHOTOGRAPHY
ocated in the Montenapoleone district, Mandarin Oriental Milan is a stone’s throw from La Scala opera house, the Duomo and the Italian city’s fashion boutiques, but the discreet entrance on a side street will ensure you feel a world away from the hubbub. Its luxurious and elegant design has been influenced by the style of 18th- and 19th-century Milanese residences, with two leafy internal courtyards. Against a background of pastel walls, Oriental-inspired silk fabrics and gong-shaped door knobs give a nod to the hotel group’s East Asian heritage. The concierge service, available via Whatsapp, can arrange tickets for Milan’s artistic treasures, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, and make restaurant reservations. Should you not feel like venturing out, the hotel’s spa has a treatment programme blending Eastern and Western therapies and twoMichelin-starred Seta offers a contemporary take on classic Italian dishes. Rooms from €520. mandarinoriental.com
Stockists
Merchandise from these companies is featured editorially in this issue*
Vogue House, Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU (Tel: 020 7499 9080)
P U B L I S H E D B Y C O N D É NA S T CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER R O G E R LY N C H GLOBAL CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER & PRESIDENT, US REVENUE Pamela Drucker Mann GLOBAL CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Anna Wintour PRESIDENT, CONDÉ NAST ENTERTAINMENT Agnes Chu CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Jackie Marks CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Deirdre Findlay CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Stan Duncan CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Danielle Carrig CHIEF OF STAFF Samantha Morgan CHIEF PRODUCT & TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Sanjay Bhakta CHIEF DATA OFFICER Karthic Bala CHIEF CLIENT OFFICER Jamie Jouning CHIEF CONTENT OPERATIONS OFFICER Christiane Mack
C H A I R M A N O F T H E B OA R D J O NAT H A N N E W H O U S E
*STOCKISTS’ INFORMATION IS CHECKED AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS, BUT HOUSE & GARDEN CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT PRICES WILL NOT CHANGE OR THAT ITEMS WILL BE IN STOCK AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION
WO R L DW I D E E D I T I O N S FRANCE AD, AD Collector, GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Vogue Collections, Vogue Hommes GERMANY AD, Glamour, GQ, GQ Style, Vogue INDIA AD, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ, Vogue ITALY AD, Condé Nast Traveller, Experience Is, GQ, La Cucina Italiana, L’Uomo Vogue, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired JAPAN GQ, Rumor Me, Vogue, Vogue Girl, Vogue Wedding, Wired MEXICO AND LATIN AMERICA AD Mexico and Latin America, Condé Nast College Américas, Glamour Mexico and Latin America, GQ Mexico and Latin America, Vogue Mexico and Latin America SPAIN AD, Condé Nast College Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, Glamour, GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Vogue Niños, Vogue Novias TAIWAN GQ, Vogue UNITED KINGDOM London: HQ, Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design, Vogue Business BRITAIN Condé Nast Johansens, Condé Nast Traveller, Glamour, GQ, GQ Style, House & Garden, Tatler, The World of Interiors, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired UNITED STATES Allure, Architectural Digest, Ars Technica, basically, Bon Appétit, Clever, Condé Nast Traveler, epicurious, Glamour, GQ, GQ Style, healthyish, HIVE, La Cucina Italiana, LOVE, Pitchfork, Self, Teen Vogue, them., The New Yorker, The Scene, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired
PUBLISHED UNDER JOINT VENTURE BRAZIL Casa Vogue, Glamour, GQ, Vogue RUSSIA AD, Glamour, Glamour Style Book, GQ, GQ Style, Tatler, Vogue
PUBLISHED UNDER LICENCE O R C O P Y R I G H T C O O P E R AT I O N AUSTRALIA GQ, Vogue, Vogue Living BULGARIA Glamour CHINA AD, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, GQ Lab, GQ Style, Vogue, Vogue Café Beijing, Vogue Film, Vogue Me, Vogue Business in China CZECH REPUBLIC AND SLOVAKIA Vogue GERMANY GQ Bar Berlin GREECE Vogue HONG KONG Vogue, Vogue Man HUNGARY Glamour KOREA Allure, GQ, Vogue, Wired MALAYSIA Vogue Lounge Kuala Lumpur MIDDLE EAST AD, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ, Vogue, Vogue Café Riyadh, Wired POLAND Glamour, Vogue PORTUGAL GQ, Vogue, Vogue Café Porto ROMANIA Glamour RUSSIA Vogue Café Moscow SCANDINAVIA Vogue SERBIA La Cucina Italiana SINGAPORE Vogue SOUTH AFRICA Glamour, GQ, GQ Style, House & Garden THAILAND GQ, Vogue THE NETHERLANDS Glamour, Vogue, Vogue Living, Vogue Man, Vogue The Book TURKEY GQ, Vogue, Vogue Restaurant Istanbul UKRAINE Vogue, Vogue Man CONDÉ NAST IS A GLOBAL MEDIA COMPANY PRODUCING PREMIUM CONTENT WITH A FOOTPRINT OF MORE THAN 1 BILLION CONSUMERS IN 32 MARKETS CONDENAST.COM
a | ADELPHI GALLERY adelphigallery.com ANNIE MILLAR 07836 527804; anniemillar.co.uk ANNIE SLOAN 01865 770061; anniesloan.com ARA DESIGN STUDIO 01844 213782; aradesignstudio.co.uk ARTISANS OF DEVIZES 01380 720007; artisansofdevizes.com b | B&Q diy.com BALINEUM 020 7431 9364; balineum.co.uk BERT & MAY 020 3744 0776; bertandmay.com BISAZZA 020 7584 8837; bisazza.com BLACK BY DESIGN 01889 502716; black-by-design.co.uk BOCONCEPT boconcept.com BROOTZO brootzo.uk c | CARL HANSEN & SØN carlhansen.com CASA GUSTO getthegusto.com CHELSEA TEXTILES 020 7584 5544; chelseatextiles.com CHRISTOPHER FARR CLOTH 020 7349 0888; christopherfarrcloth.com CLAYBROOK 020 7052 1555; claybrookstudio.co.uk COLEFAX AND FOWLER 020 8874 6484; colefax.com COLOGNE & COTTON 0845 262 2212; cologneandcotton.com d | DE FERRANTI 020 7384 4424; deferranti.com e | EDWARD BULMER NATURAL PAINT 01544 388535; edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk ELISA PASSINO elisapassino.com EMERY & CIE emeryetcie.com f | FARROW & BALL 01202 876141; farrow-ball.com FEILD feild.works
FOSTER & GANE fosterandgane.com g | GRAHAM & GREEN 0845 130 6622; grahamandgreen.co.uk GRANBY WORKSHOP 0151 727 5508; granbyworkshop.co.uk h | HAMILTON WESTON hamiltonweston.com HAWKER ANTIQUES 020 7730 2122; hawkerantiques.com HENRY HOLLAND henryhollandstudio.com HILARY BATSTONE 020 7730 5335; hilarybatstone.com j | JAKE PHIPPS 01748 826394; jakephipps.com JALI 01227 833333; jali.co.uk JAMB 020 7730 2122; jamb.co.uk JONATHAN ADLER 020 7589 9563; uk.jonathanadler.com JULIAN CHICHESTER 020 7622 2928; julianchichester.com k | KNOWLES & CHRISTOU 020 7352 7000; knowles-christou.com l | LAPICIDA 020 3012 1000; lapicida.com LA REDOUTE laredoute.co.uk LIGHTING DIRECT lighting-direct.co.uk LIV & DOM livanddom.com LIVABLE livable.world THE LONDON WORKSHOP 07766 397676; thelondonworkshop.com m | MAISON ARTEFACT 020 7381 2500; maisonartefact.com MAISON SARAH LAVOINE maisonsarahlavoine.com MAITLAND & POATE 020 3983 3631; maitlandandpoate.com MANDARIN STONE 01600 715444; mandarinstone.com
MARRAKECH DESIGN marrakechdesign.se MATILDA GOAD matildagoad.com MAUDE MADE maudesmith.com MAXIME LONGDEN maximelongden.com MILAGROS 020 7613 0876; milagros.co.uk MINT 020 7225 2228; mintshop.co.uk MOLA SASA molasasa.com MUNRO & KERR munroandkerr.co.uk MUTINA mutina.it n | THE NEW CRAFTSMEN 020 7148 3190; thenewcraftsmen.com p | PINTO pintoparis.com POOKY 020 7351 3003; pooky.com r | RE 01434 634567; re-foundobjects.com ROBIN MYERSCOUGH STUDIO robinmyerscough.co.uk ROCKETT ST GEORGE 01444 253391; rockettstgeorge.co.uk ROMO 0845 644 4400; romo.com RUSH MATTERS 01234 376419; rushmatters.co.uk s | SASCAL STUDIO sascalstudio.com SCUMBLE GOOSIE 01453 731305; scumblegoosie.co.uk SERENA CONFALONIERI serenaconfalonieri.com STUDIO ATKINSON 020 7384 0700; susieatkinson.com SUMMERILL & BISHOP 020 7221 4566; summerillandbishop.com t | TISSUS D’HÉLÈNE 020 7352 9977; tissusdhelene.co.uk v | VIOLA LANARI 07774 084103; violalanari.com w | WILKINSON & RIVERA wilkinson-rivera.com
Below are The List members who have appeared in this issue. Go to houseandgarden.co.uk/the-list to see their complete profiles ADAM ELLIS | ARLO & JACOB | BERT & MAY | CAESARSTONE COLLIER WEBB | COMMONROOM | CP HART | DRUMMONDS EDWARD BULMER NATURAL PAINT | FEILD | FERMOIE | HADEDA HOWE AT 36 BOURNE STREET | JAMB | KINGCOME SOFAS LAPICIDA | LOVE YOUR HOME | LUKE IRWIN | MAITLAND & POATE MIND THE GAP | NEATSMITH | PAOLO MOSCHINO FOR NICHOLAS HASLAM | PERRIN & ROWE | POLIFORM | PORTER SIBYL COLEFAX & JOHN FOWLER | SUSIE ATKINSON | TH2DESIGNS TODHUNTER EARLE INTERIORS | THE WHITE COMPANY m
HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.UK AUGUST 2021 153
B R I TA I N | P R O P E R T Y
COAST TO COAST From Cornish cottages to Scottish mansions, there’s no end of options when it comes to finding the perfect beachside property
THE BOATHOUSE, CORNWALL
The village of St Mawes is one of Cornwall’s most desirable holiday spots, and this contemporary four-bedroom home occupies a prime location close to the water’s edge. With its own boathouse and slipway access, it’s perfect for keen sailors. Offers over £3.25 million. Savills: 01872 243201
W
ho wouldn’t want to spend the summer at the seaside – or any other time of year, for that matter? Owning a home on the coast has never been so popular, as people seek a more relaxed lifestyle away from the capital. ‘While the pandemic-induced exodus to the countryside has been well documented, it is in fact the UK’s prime coastal areas which are proving the biggest pull for those fleeing the city,’ says Philip Harvey, of the buying
agents Property Vision. ‘The spike in demand for the best seaside properties has been driven by a renewed focus on well-being and work-life balance, heightened during recent lockdowns. Health benefits, more space and the romance of lazy summer days by the water are all key factors, with many buyers turning their favourite holiday destinations into primary residences to enjoy the natural calm of the water all year round.’ Cornwall, unsurprisingly, is a particularly popular destination, with its pretty fishing villages and miles of breathtaking coastline. ‘The property market in Cornwall is positively booming,’ says Ian Lillicrap of
Lillicrap Chilcott. The Cornish estate agency has a number of beautiful properties for sale, including a four-bedroom house near Truro, which has large gardens that lead directly down to the sea, along with 220 feet of water frontage and a private slipway. Originally a period cottage, Carrick Court was enlarged in the 1960s and reconfigured in order to make the most of its fantastic setting – the crescent-shape layout allows panoramic views across the Carrick Roads estuary. This corner of Cornwall provides some of the best sailing in the country, with lots of creeks, inlets, beaches and waterside villages to explore.
OLD TOWN HALL, WEST SUSSEX
Dating back to 1694, this recently restored property is located in the heart of Bosham, situated close to Chichester and Goodwood. The gardens have been designed to make the most of the expansive views across the water. £4.5 million. Knight Frank: 020 7861 1093
BRITONS SLIP, CORNWALL
Enjoy some of the best sea views in Falmouth – this five-bedroom house is set right on the harbour, with its own private pontoon. Other features include a heated indoor swimming pool, a charming courtyard garden, and a separate studio or store room. £2.5 million. Jonathan Cunliffe: 01326 617447
ARISAIG HOUSE, INVERNESS-SHIRE
Escape to the Highlands and this grand Scottish estate, comprising a 14-bedroom Victorian mansion and five additional properties. There’s a walled garden and woodland, and the sea is close by, with access via a private jetty. Offers over £2.25 million. Savills: 0141 222 5875
THE CLIFF HOUSE, KENT
Sitting on the edge of the white cliffs of Dover, The Cliff House occupies a beautiful yet secluded position on 11.4 acres, and is surrounded by National Trust land. As well as the five-bedroom main house, there’s an annexe, two additional properties and, best of all, a historic former lighthouse. £4.25 million. Knight Frank: 020 7861 1093
MARINE PARADE, EAST SUSSEX
In the heart of vibrant Brighton, this Grade II-listed townhouse is part of an elegant Regency terrace, close to the Royal Pavilion and with fantastic sea views. The main bedroom suite has a copper bathtub looking out over the water, and there’s also a self-contained apartment. Offers over £2.25 million. Winkworth: 01273 772175
For those who want to live even closer to the water, Britons Slip – a Grade II-listed historic property in the heart of Falmouth – could be the one. It sits right on Falmouth’s inner harbour, surrounded by water on three sides, with a private slipway and pontoon. Inside, the interiors are comfortable and contemporary, with a large open-plan living area, a self-contained, two-bedroom apartment and an indoor swimming pool. If you like the sea, but need better access to London, then the Kent and Sussex coasts have a lot to recommend them, with chalk , plenty of beaches and good train and road connections to the capital. Knight Frank is selling a 17th-century house in the picturesque village of Bosham in West Sussex, with spectacular views across the creek towards Chichester Harbour. The property comes with a mooring, so its owners will be able to set sail at once, in search of fresh adventures and new horizons.
RAITHWAITE VILLAGE, NORTH YORKSHIRE
CARRICK COURT, CORNWALL
Overlooking a pretty estuary, just four miles from Truro, this 4,000-square-foot home has been stylishly refurbished, and has plenty of balconies and terraces to take advantage of the views. The mature gardens span 1.2 acres and lead down to the water’s edge. £4 million. Lillicrap Chilcott: 01872 273473
PHOTO: NEPTUNE
Close to Sandsend beach and the seaside town of Whitby, this development comprises a mix of cottages, lodges and villas, with interiors designed by Neptune. As an added bonus, each property sale includes a £10,000 Neptune voucher, to help put the finishing touches to your new home. From £350,000. Raithwaite Village: 01947 602626
OW N THI S ST I VES WO R K O F ART AT S O M EO NE EL S E’S E XP ENS E
Two an d th re e- be dro om hol id ay v il la s for sa le ne a r th e C o r n is h ha rb ou rs id e t ow n f am ou s fo r i t s b e ac h e s, un iq u e l ig h t a nd a r t . Awa rd - w i nn i n g re s ta ur a nt , in doo r i nf ini ty p ool , s p a a n d g y m. Ou td o or p oo l , su n t err ac es a nd a l fre sc o di nin g co mi n g soon . E njoy a 4 . 5 % g ua ra nt ee d re t urn an d s t ay for six wee k s a yea r. F ul ly m a n a g ed by t h e re s or t fo r h as s l e -free ow ner sh ip. UNASTIVES.CO.UK
CONDENASTJOHANSENS.COM WHATLEY MANOR HOTEL & SPA , ENGLAND
B R I TA I N | P R O P E R T Y
NOTEBOOK A round-up of the latest property news, at home and abroad
LUXURY AND LEISURE
Boasting one of London’s smartest addresses, No. 1 Grosvenor Square occupies a prime spot in the heart of Mayfair, on the site of the former US embassy. Behind the period façade lie 44 elegant apartments, with high ceilings and generously sized balconies. The wellness facilities are outstanding and occupy an entire floor of the development, with a 25-metre swimming pool, a gym and private training studio, a spa and a sauna, as well as a host of leading experts on hand to offer personal training, physiotherapy and medispa treatments. There’s also plenty of access to the great outdoors, with the green spaces of Grosvenor Square and Hyde Park on the doorstep. For more information, visit 1gsq.com THE FIVE-STAR LIFESTYLE
Dubai is known for its cutting-edge architecture, and one of its latest additions will be home to a new outpost of the Dorchester Collection. The two distinctive towers will accommodate a hotel in one side, and 39 ultra-high-end apartments in the other. Designed by the award-winning architects Foster and Partners, and created by Omniyat, one of the Middle East’s most innovative property developers, The Residences includes a sky garden, a rooftop swimming pool and a spa, while residents can also enjoy the Dorchester Collection’s exceptional service. For more information, visit www.omniyat.com
A STYLISH SERVICE
David Shilling truly is a man of many hats. Having started out as a milliner in the late 1970s, producing one-of-a-kind headgear for the fashion set, Shilling has turned his hand to creating remarkable residences in the UK and internationally. Covering all aspects of a project, from the architectural works to the interior design and even the landscaping, his aim is to provide an all-in-one service, collaborating closely with the client to help them to achieve a property that feels like home. For more information, visit shilling.space
GOOD CONNECTIONS
Surrounded by open countryside and steeped in culture, Cambridge has long been a popular place to live – especially with its good rail connections to London. Knights Park forms part of Eddington, a new mixed-use development to the north-west of the city, with homes ranging from apartments to a collection of detached family homes called The Villas. These five-bedroom houses are well proportioned, extremely energy efficient, and just a short walk – or bike ride – from the many attractions of this beautiful and ancient university town. For more information, visit www.knightspark-eddington.co.uk
LAST WORD
Sophie
Dahl M
y paternal grandmother, Violet, was born at home in Leeds in 1913, to a pair of Glaswegian Presbyterian evangelicals, both earlier widowed in the Gorbals. As a young woman, to their dismay, she ran off to London, where she became an actress and chorus dancer. Soon after her arrival, she married a vaudeville-performing war veteran; he was an East Ender with four children and was 23 years her senior. She loathed the name Violet and instead was known to everyone as Laney. I called her Gee-Gee and I spent a portion of every school holiday and many weekends with her, by the seaside in West Sussex, where she lived in the autumn of a busy life. Gee-Gee lived in a white Arts and Crafts house. A wooden gate in her garden led onto a shingled beach, where together we found wishing stones and, on Friday mornings, bought fish from the fishermen. Wearing a flower-embossed bathing cap on her marcelled hair, with lips and nails painted coral pink, Gee-Gee swam daily until November, taking a brief winter hiatus until March. She was 5ft tall, most of it leg, and she often wore driving gloves and a chiffon scarf, like Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief. Gee-Gee made her own dresses and she slept with two eiderdowns, an electric blanket and not one, but two hot-water bottles. A fantastic yet shy painter, she had a studio above the garage that smelt compellingly of petrol, Yardley face powder, turps and the Oscar de la Renta scent she wore. Her house sang with her oil paintings, with chinoiserie and with vintage Wedgwood pots full of Cadbury’s Eclairs. She had William Morris print sofas and Murano glass ashtrays. Because of her, I grew up with an enduring love for all things Arts and Crafts and the Sussex coastline, and – unafraid of water – for swimming with joy and purple thighs in frigid climes the world over. It is lucky that cold water doesn’t faze me, because I certainly grew up swimming in a lot of it. In hot water, too, but that’s another story. My maternal grandmother also spent the last 30 years of her life by the sea, looking out on wind-whipped sea
grass and a twinkling harbour on the East Coast of America. I spent the other half of my holidays there. She also didn’t like the name she was given – Patsy-Louise – and changed it, in her twenties, to the more regal Patricia. She would stretch out the syllables in a whiskeyed twang when she called anyone. ‘Tell them it’s Pa-tri-ci-aaa on the phone,’ she would say, laughing, as if her very name delighted her. I called her Mor-Mor. Mor-Mor was born in a coal mining camp in Kentucky, to Appalachian settlers of French and Irish descent, and she too hankered for a life that was unfettered and far away. She won a drama scholarship to Northwestern University and went on to become a supremely talented actress, winning an Oscar for her performance in Martin Ritt’s Western Hud. Born of mountains and blue grass, she ended up in an 18th-century whaling captain’s house with a defiantly red front door and a porch out the back, where as teenagers we would smoke long into the night. Mor-Mor woke up before the sun and sat at her kitchen table drinking strong coffee, waiting for a stream of grandchildren to come downstairs and have their asses kicked by her at Scrabble. She didn’t do swimming, but she did living by the sea exceptionally well. She delighted in the sea glass and shells we found for her on the beach and she promenaded up and down the street where she lived, admiring children, roses and dogs, calling everyone in her path ‘Darling’, or ‘Divine One’. She’d had three cerebral aneurysms at 39, and walked with a limp, but carried herself like she meant it. She brimmed with life. Together we’d start the slow walk into town, past the enormous pagoda tree, brought over as a seedling in a pot by a captain in 1837. A nod, next, to the widows’ walks, those railed wooden platforms atop a house, where anxious wives of sailors would stand, searching the horizon for a long-awaited ship. We’d stop for ice cream and eat it on the dock, watching the boats go back and forth until the apricot sky darkened. These two different but somehow similarly singular women live in me, and so does the very fabric of the places they lived. Whenever I think of holidays, I think of salty air, chill seas, wildness and a gift for living. And love m
MATT EASTON
O N S E A S I D E H O L I D AY S
WWW.WARNER-HOUSE.COM