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L I V E

T H E

L I F E . . . L O V E

T H E

S T Y L E

& INTERIORS

WARM & COSY WARM THE NEW FARMHOUSE LOOK, FIRESIDE STYLE, SEASONAL FEASTS & TOASTY AUTUMN TRENDS

Decorating IDEAS

LUXURIOUS BEDS ELEGANT DESIGNS FOR DINING ROOMS HOW TO CREATE A LIGHTING SCHEME THE RETURN OF GINGHAM & CHECKS

BLOOMSBURY REVISITED!

The artisans crafting the look today

Escape to the COUNTRY ❖ RETURN TO THE FARMHOUSE ❖ FAMILY HOME ON THE COAST ❖ HISTORIC BARN CONVERSION ❖ RUSTIC TIMBER-FRAME RETREAT

THE HOME OF

modern country November 2021

18

INTERIORS & INSPIRATION 10 • NOVEMBER Things that make us happy 15 DESIGN NEWS What’s new in interiors this month 16 STYLE SOURCEBOOK Mid-century motifs 82 • STYLE TREND Cheerful checks in bright colours for an eccentric dive into the new nostalgia 87 • REFINED FARMHOUSE Bring a little luxe into country-style rooms 98 • DINING ROOM IDEAS Create a stylish space for gathering 106 • MAKE A HOUSE A HOME Counter chilly nights with a cosy, welcoming fireside spot 112 • FURNITURE BUYER’S GUIDE Show-stopping beds 114 • ROOM ELEMENTS Set the mood with well-planned lighting 118 ELEMENTS SOURCEBOOK Our pick of covetable table lamps 119 HOME TECH Smart home heating systems 121 KITCHEN PROJECT A modern scheme enhances a converted barn

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COUNTRY HOMES

144 RENOVATION GUIDE Planning a large building project >

18 • HAMPSHIRE COASTAL HOME A poky holiday house becomes a forever family home, with relaxed Hamptons style 32 • DEVON BARN CONVERSION Passed through the generations, this property has been updated with sound eco credentials

• ON THE COVER

44 • NORTH YORKSHIRE BARN CONVERSION Modern elements, neutral tones and light-filled spaces create chic country style 58 • CORNISH TIMBER LODGE Due to the creative talents of its interior-designer owners, this cosy country retreat is filled with practical and eclectic style PLUS GET-THE-LOOK IDEAS FOR EVERY HOME

44 COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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106

134

162 MY FAVOURITE VIEW Former rock chick Jo Wood gets away from it all and lives sustainably off-grid in rural Northamptonshire

GARDENS

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SEASONAL FOOD 126 • GATHER FOR AN AUTUMN FEAST Select seasonal goodies, from squash and blackberries to pumpkins and pears, to create these comforting dishes, perfect for when the nights draw in 132 IN A COUNTRY KITCHEN Our latest pantry additions

LIFESTYLE • ON THE COVER

SUBSCRIBE T O D AY

71 RURAL HOTSPOT A few reasons why we’d love to move to the charming town of Ilminster, deep in the Somerset countryside 74

• MY COUNTRY BUSINESS Inspired by the art of the Bloomsbury set, Jane McCall and Jane Howard create lampshades and ceramics in the hand-painted style beloved of the Charleston farmhouse residents

148 LIVE LIFE WELL Happy and inspiring ideas for fashion, eco, wellbeing and more

Subscribe to Country Homes & Interiors today from only £32.99! T&Cs apply.

See page 96 for details.

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

151 MY COUNTRY PASSION Sarah Grimwood on the joys of owning her own woodland as a place of peace and rejuvenation 152 A WEEKEND TRIP TO… The Alice Hawthorn, a revamped country pub with rooms to stay in North Yorkshire

134 A GARDEN OF CONTRASTS With glorious views of the surrounding Chilterns, this garden is a formal place of topiary and secret corners, softened with colourful seasonal planting 143 IN A COUNTRY GARDEN Floral designer Brigitte Girling shows us how to create a russet-hued display for autumn

JUST FOR YOU 96

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COUNTRY LIFE WITH US TAG US IN YOUR PHOTOS ON INSTAGRAM @COUNTRYHOMESMAG #COUNTRYSTYLE

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? GENERAL ENQUIRIES countryhomes@futurenet.com SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES 0330 333 1113 BACK ISSUES 01733 688964 or mags-uk.com ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Display 01527 834471 Classified 0330 390 7422 PRESS OFFICE 01225 442244 Country Homes & Interiors 0951-3019 is published monthly by Future Publishing Limited, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP, England. Distributed by MarketForce (UK), 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP (020 3787 9001).

Covers printed at Walstead Peterborough and text at Walstead Bicester Limited in the UK. We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation. All contents © 2021 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend and adapt all submissions.

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& INTERIORS 161 MARSH WALL, LONDON E14 9AP EMAIL countryhomes@futurenet.com To get in touch, our email format is firstname.lastname@futurenet.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, FUTURE HOMES Sarah Spiteri EDITOR Andréa Childs GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR Georgia Hibberdine GROUP CHIEF SUB-EDITOR/PRODUCTION EDITOR Sarah Farley EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, HOMES CONTENT Rhoda Parry HOUSES EDITOR Vivienne Ayers SHOPPING EDITOR Holly Phillips NEWS AND FEATURES EDITOR Thea Babington-Stitt CONTENT EDITOR Tara King ACTING CONTENT EDITOR Jacky Parker STYLE EDITOR Michela Colling CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sara Bird (Style) FOOD EDITOR Samuel Goldsmith GARDENS EDITOR Teresa Conway HEAD OF SUBS OPERATIONS Maxine Clarke CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Amy Hodge SENIOR SUB-EDITOR Linda Blakemore SENIOR SUB-EDITOR Catherine Law HEAD OF ART OPERATIONS Alison Walter DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Emma Jackson ART EDITORS Melanie Brown/Paula Jardine SENIOR DESIGNER Hannah Bennewitz FREELANCE DESIGNER Lara Evans EDITORIAL PRODUCTION MANAGER Nicola Tillman DIGITAL Brand Development Director Laura Crombie Video Producer Matt Gibbs Editor in Chief – Homes Audience Amy Cutmore Editor in Chief – eCommerce Lindsey Davis Digital Shopping Editor Tamara Kelly PRODUCTION Senior Production Manager Matt Eglinton Production Manager John Botten 0330 390 7509 Senior Ad Production Controller Barry Skinner 0330 390 6725 MARKETING Head of Marketing Sian Cupid 020 3148 6487 Deputy Head of Marketing Laura Timms 020 3148 6239 CIRCULATION Circulation Manager Katie Greenan ADVERTISING Commercial Director Rob Biagioni International/Luxury Account Manager Carole Bunce Regional Sales Director Katrina Hutchison 0161 601 3720 Sales Manager (Inserts) Canopy Media Michael Davie 07446 903582 Business Director Kim Milroy 07967 590362 Classified Senior Sales Executive Charlotte Beckett SYNDICATION Head of Brand Partnerships David Abbott INTERNATIONAL LICENSING Country Homes & Interiors is available for licensing and syndication.

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Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw 01225 442244 MANAGEMENT Senior Vice President, Womens, Homes & Country Sophie Wybrew-Bond Managing Director of Homes Jason Orme Managing Director of eCommerce Aaron Asadi Finance Director Magazines & Subscriptions Dan Jotcham SVP Global Operations & Marketforce Adrian Hughes

EDITOR’S LETTER

he five crumbling steps up to my front door are currently being replaced (thank goodness; I’ve been worried about our postman’s ankles). It’s not a big project but choosing the design (bullnose, to suit our Edwardian house), sourcing the stone (soft grey Yorkstone) and finding a builder to do the job (thanks, Stephen), has taken

T

Hot stuff!

Discover how to make the most of your fireside

time and brain space.

Which is why I’m always in awe of the dedication that’s been put into renovating and decorating the houses we choose to feature. I love reading the homeowners’ stories and this month’s are full of surprises, from the friends who designed a house together to the couple restoring the barn conversion they first lived in as newlyweds. Take a look, from page 18.

Now the days are getting darker and colder, we’re bringing you all you need to get cosy… From hearty seasonal suppers (page 126) and toasty fireside tips (page 106), to expert lighting ideas that will bring a warm glow to your home (page 114), it’s time to hunker down with a little comfort reading. I hope you enjoy the issue!

PHOTOGRAPH (FIRESIDE) DAN DUCHARS

Andréa x This month I’m... feeling playful Matching up Tree Families in a botanical card game, laurenceking.com Destressing with a Garden Birds jigsaw puzzle, rexlondon.com

Discovering hand-painted feathered friends. British bird nesting dolls, marmaladelion.co.uk COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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Things that make us happy...

NOVEMBER

Pondering the season’s wilderness adventures with cosy layers and a steaming cuppa...

Recycled wool blanket in Mackellar Tartan, £60, The Tartan Blanket Co

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

C O U N T R Y D AY S

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1 4 3

1 Escaping with the campfire-evoking scents of wood smoke and birch tar. No 07 The Lakehouse soy and coconut wax scented candle, £35, Swoon Worthy Scents 2 An inspirational journey through floral artistry. The Flower Hunter by Lucy Hunter (£30, Ryland Peters & Small) 3 Getting prepared for cosy nights by the log burner. Stoneware matchstick holder, £16, Hudson Home 4 Snug bugging in crumpled textures.

Linen bedding bundle in Rust with sheet, from £214, Bedfolk

Retreating to the hygge kitchen haven for crumble baking.

Retreat collection dipped half glaze plant pot, £40; Earth stoneware set in White and Grey, from £30 each; Franconia copper kettle, £180, all Amara

Indulgent, molton moments spent fireside...

Fireside set in Brass, £75; Linear log basket in Brass, £115; Fire screen in Brass, £65; Kindling bucket, £49, all Graham and Green

5 6 7

8 5 Invite countryside critters to hibernate indoors across sumptuous velvet designs. Briar cushion, £60, M.M Linen 6 Lighting that encapsulates nature’s beauty. The Blackened Pendant, £140, Nove at Lusophile 7 Gorgeously unique glazed stoneware featuring sprouting flowers. Silver Meadow No 2 large platter, £310, Francesca Kaye at The Shop Floor Project 8 Joyous button and bobbin details. Alice chair in Rust luxury velvet, £1,025, Arlo & Jacob COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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C O U N T R Y D AY S

A soft glow feast for the eyes with a sculptural, floating illusion.

Wave LED long pendant light in Satin Gold, £299; Cross extending dining table in oak, £2,645; Profile chairs in oak by Case, £310 each, all Heal’s

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9 Conjuring autumn richness on walls with captivating illustrations. Autumn Blooms fine art print, from £40, Katie Cardew 10 A double basket pannier, hand-braided by artisans from natural river reed. Bicycle backie, £95, Toast 11 Stepping into cosy homes after bracing walks. Autumn leaf doormat, £36, Anthropologie 12 Pairing leafy lovelies with fun, shapely silhouettes. Stoneware ruffle plant pot, £38, Rose & Grey

Effortless silhouettes, infused with wild spirit, just ripe for outdoorsy excursions.

Lambswool cable funnel neck in Dark Natural, £295; Albermarle coat in Heather Green £445, both Really Wild

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14 15 16

13 Undulating, uneven bands of patterns across thick, hand-spun wool. High Atlas vintage Berber kilim, £495, Maroc Tribal 14 Keeping warm and cosy with a hand-knitted, woolly wonder! Wool bobble hat, £23, Kusan at Sea & Stream 15 Serving up delightful bites on shapely, organic platters with wood grain patterns. Original Home large teak cutting board, £39, Made 16 It’s time for wine and cheese board o’clock! Walnut wine rack, £55, The Conran Shop 12

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

Things that make us happy...

SHARING LAUGHTER AND ❝ MELTING MARSHMALLOW

MOMENTS AROUND THE BONFIRE BENEATH THE STARS

FEATURE HOLLY PHILLIPS

❞

Gathering around flickering flames for Bonfire Night celebrations with friendly faces!

Brass square lanterns, from £55 each; Striped Orange cushion, £66; Brass ice bucket, £52; Brass cocktail shaker, £48; Champagne coupes, £70, all The Layered Lounge

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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NEW & INTERESTING

DESIGN NEWS Walk on the wild side with natural rugs

Hito in Indian Green, £115m, Romo

Ochre has unrolled its striking Wild rug collection, hand-crafted in the fertile plains of the Eastern Ganga River basin. The weavers collaborate with local dyers and spinners to use the natural fibres from the abundant flora in the area.

Rug prices start at £1,200.

See the full spectrum of vibrant hues at ochre.net.

FOX FLOWERS LAUNCHES FAB FAUX OFFERINGS Take your pick from Fox Flowers’ captivating arrangements and stems that look stunning year round. An exciting and sustainable alternative to fresh flowers, these realistic blooms display myriad colours, textures and patterns to elevate any space. Designs include Skylight, Midsummer Dream and Poppy Citron; this array of blowsy delights with a vibrant Indian summer spirit is Full Bloom, £315. See the range at foxflowers.co.uk.

Sofas & Stuff unveils exclusive V&A fabric

FEATURE HOLLY PHILLIPS

Inspired by the museum’s archives, the V&A Brompton Collection features exotic birds, floral chintzes and botanical studies, and all the fabrics can be upholstered onto Sofa & Stuff’s bespoke furniture.

Shown is Whitby sofa in Botanical Collage, £2,525, sofasandstuff.com.

GET THE CURTAINS TWITCHING WITH ROMO’S NEW DRAPERY Update your home in a transformative flick with Romo’s gorgeous new curtaining. Contemporary and artistic, the Itami collection offers a variety of drapery possibilities to suit any interior, from rural nest to urban apartment. Featuring stylish weaves and stunning embroideries that take cues from nature’s beauty and diversity, the designs include wistful trees, painterly blossoms and dramatic patterns in a rich, vibrant palette. See them at romo.com.

A fanfare of glorious metallic leaves Inspired by its shapely namesake, David Hunt Lighting’s new Ginkgo collection is designed with a trio of frilly leaves radiating outwards in a fan formation. The wonderfully versatile and glamorous design is available as a table lamp or a wall light, with a delicately handpainted finish in either Cream and Gold for those who prefer a softer look, or a bolder Black and Gold for a more dramatic effect. Prices start at £174, from davidhuntlighting.co.uk.

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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STYLE SOURCEBOOK

Mid-century motifs (Top row from left) Circuit in Carbon, £176m, Schumacher. Neutra in Sunstone, £32m, Kai at Ashley Wilde.

Anni Check in Twilight, £128m, Imogen Heath (Middle row from left) Huari in Tabasco, £37m, Villa Nova. Varanasi in Navy, £175m, Stroheim at Turnell & Gigon.

Happy People in Beige and Red, £162m, Ottoline at The Fabric Collective (Bottom row from left) Oni in Indigo, £81m, Clarke & Clarke at Sanderson Design Group.

Pemba in Red, £45m, Jane Churchill. Djinn in Roux/Marine, £113.50m, Casamance 16

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

FEATURE JO BAILEY

FABRICS WITH GRAPHIC LINES AND SHAPES ARE ALL THE RAGE

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

H A M P S H I R E C O A S TA L H O M E

SOLENT VIEW Taking inspiration from New England, Georgina Copeland has created a stunning windswept family home with a little help from her friend...

Living room Stephanie had the corner sofa custom-made to optimise both the space available and the wrap-around views. Corner sofa designed by Dunning & Everard, upholstered in fabric by GP&J Baker. Walls in Slate I, Paint & Paper Library. Mirror, Porta Romana

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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Living room The blue partition wall emphasises the shape of the roof as well as placing a strong focus on the artwork. Wall painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball. Painting by Judy Buxton from Eastwood Fine Art. Table lamps, Porta Romana

H A M P S H I R E C O A S TA L H O M E

F

or as far back as Georgina Copeland can remember, she and interior designer Stephanie Dunning of Dunning & Everard (dunningandeverard.com) have been friends. Growing up in neighbouring villages, the two women both had fathers who were united in their passion for sailing. ‘She’s helped me with the interior design of every house I’ve ever owned, but this is the one I hope I’ll be living in forever,’ says Georgina. ‘Stephanie is seriously good at what she does. I love her innate style, our tastes very much coincide, but she’s capable of adapting to whatever somebody wants.’

Moving from a smaller house in Hampshire, Georgina was attracted by the remarkable position of a rundown holiday house close to the village of Beaulieu in the New Forest. ‘We think the original house on the site was an estate worker’s cottage but it got knocked down and replaced in the sixties,’ says Georgina.

Inspired by the film Something’s Gotta Give, Stephanie and Georgina planned a renovation that would bring a completely new East Coast, Hamptons identity to the house. ‘The film was a great starting point,’ says Stephanie. ‘In such a maritime location, the clapboard feels appropriate.’

‘We both thought the house was very ugly and badly laid out, with lots of poky rooms. We wanted to extend out but reduce the number of bedrooms to make them bigger and give them en suites,’ says Stephanie. Her role took on not only interior design, but architecture too, working with structural engineers. ‘It’s hugely important to get the flow of your house right to make it logical and simple. It might seem easy but it’s difficult to achieve,’ Stephanie says. Embracing the ‘upside down’ format, she created a series of large rooms connected by doorways on the same side of the house to make an obvious progression through. ‘It felt right to put the main living areas on top because that’s where you get the fabulous views over the fields to the Isle of Wight,’ Stephanie observes. A hallway, boot room, cloakroom and laundry with neat joinery were created downstairs.

A long wide balcony was added and the upstairs ceiling was removed in a bid to create more volume and show off the simple beauty of the vaulted timber roof. The pale shades of the living areas strike a relaxed and breezy note while the north facing TV room takes on its own moody identity. Huge sofas and window seats invite guests to while away the hours watching the clouds from the sea drift past. ‘It’s a house created for laid-back and easy living. We have a big pool and in the summer the doors are flung open and the outside comes in,’ says Georgina. But winter brings a more dramatic experience. ‘It can be beautifully bleak. The house actually shakes when the gusts of wind hit it but as we’re on the south coast it’s fairly benign. With the fire in the big room and corner sofa it becomes more cosy when the weather is bad.’

The house has become a magnet for friends and family and Georgina is rarely without guests. ‘She’s created a great social scene with lots of dinners. It’s a fantastic party house,’ says Stephanie.

AT HOME WI TH Owner Georgina Copeland lives here with her two dogs and two cats. Her three-grown up children often come back to visit.

House A renovated holiday home that is now a large detached family house. Georgina moved in 15 years ago.

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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H A M P S H I R E C O A S TA L H O M E

Entrance hall The new flagstone floors are resilient under foot while the grey internal cladding and horn mirror strike a dramatic mood. Console table, Lantiques. Limestone tiles, Artisans of Devizes. Twin lamps, Porta Romana

Boot room Built-in cabinetry ensures the space is organised no matter how many guests are staying. Woodwork painted in Tarlatan, Paint & Paper Library

Kitchen Upholstered dining chairs and a window seat encourage relaxation.

Table and chairs, The English Joinery Company. Wall and cabinetry painted in Slate II, Paint & Paper Library. Dresser painted in Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

Kitchen Dark wood bobbin chairs and black granite work surfaces anchor this space. The chimney breast hides an extractor fan and additional shelving nooks.

Kitchen, John Lewis of Hungerford. Bobbin chairs, Julian Chichester. Walls painted in Slate II, Paint & Paper Library

TV room Rich claret tones animate the muted palette of this cosy space.

Sofa, Sofa.com. Custom made ottoman upholstered in Cornerstone Collection, Altfield. Walls painted in Down Pipe and Hardwick White, Farrow & Ball. Table lamps, Pooky

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

H A M P S H I R E C O A S TA L H O M E

ON OUR DOOR STEP Visit… ’The New Forest National park (newforestnpa.gov.uk) for cycling, horse riding and walking.

Beaulieu Palace House (beaulieu. co.uk) is a 13th-century house, originally part of an abbey, with an interesting Victorian gothic interior.’

Shop at… ’Stanwells (stanwells. com) a fantastic boutique on the high street. Also, Fairweathers Garden Centre (fairweathers.co.uk) in Beaulieu, which has a huge range of very high-quality plants.’

Go for a meal at… ’The Lime Wood Hotel (limewoodhotel. co.uk) where there is a fabulous Angela Hartnett restaurant. The East End Arms (eastendarms.co.uk) is owned by friends and is a great local pub with good food. ’

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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H A M P S H I R E C O A S TA L H O M E

Bedroom A combination of prints in varying gentle tones ensure that this scheme is restful yet interesting. Camelia wallpaper in Dove by Flora Roberts, Hamilton Weston. Bespoke headboard

by Dunning & Everard, upholstered in Floral Stripe, Titley & Marr

Bathroom This ornate print brings delicate contrast to the robust and practical wood cladding. Woodwork painted in Squid Ink, Paint & Paper Library.

Filigree wallpaper, Nile & York

Bedroom

FEATURE JULIET BENNING PHOTOGRAPHS POLLY ELTES

Antique mottled mirrors in the cabinetry gently reflect light.

Cabinetry painted in Slate V, Paint & Paper Library. Odense three-seater sofa, Oka

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

IN THE WINTER MONTHS, ❝THE WIND CAN REALLY RATTLE THE HOUSE, MAKING IT ALL THE MORE COSY TO HUNKER DOWN INSIDE

❞

Bedroom Artwork and the rich saturated green of the wool fabric headboard ensure the bed is a strong central focal point.

Headboard in fabric by Colefax & Fowler. Table lamps, Oka. Throw, Dunning & Everard. Walls painted in Slate IV, Paint & Paper Library

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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GET THE LOOK

Be inspired by GEORGINA’S DINING AREA This button-back lovely is full of detail and understated style.

Studded dining chair in Beige, £379 for two, Hicks & Hicks

A beautiful fringe braid edge adds playful tactility.

Pardis cushion in Moghul Meadow Washed, £98, The Mews Fabrics & Furnishings

Reflect and refract light around.

Doric large glass candlestick, £120, Sweetpea & Willow

Transform your space with realistic wood texture.

Beadboard Panel wallpaper in Ivory Cream, £22 a roll, I Love Wallpaper

Choose lighting that commands attention, whether on or off!

Scallop lampshade in raffia with Cream trim, £180, Matilda Goad

FEATURE HOLLY PHILLIPS

Speedy favourites form an enchanting gallery on the wall.

Framed whippet portrait prints, £350 set of six, Oka

Add an everlasting Provenceinspired flourish on the tabletop.

Faux potted lavender bowl, £75, Perch & Parrow

Georgina’s style tip...

INTRODUCE ACCESSORIES IN TALL AND STAGGERED HEIGHTS TO CREATE AN INTERESTING SENSE OF SCALE

CH&I

MODERN Country CLASSIC

Dazzling lines encapsulate multiple storage spaces showcased behind glazed doors.

Newport china cabinet in White, £822, Maisons du Monde

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

DEVON BARN CONVERSION

Sitting area With large windows, raw materials and a real fire, the rustic feel is softened by squishy sofas and exquisite linens. Sofas in Dusty Rose and Espresso, Sofa.com.

Green bubble lamp, Pooky

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY Two decades after living here as newlyweds, Zoe and Geoff Sayers have brought this Devon barn conversion on the family farm into the 21st century

DEVON BARN CONVERSION

Kitchen-diner In this open-plan space, the kitchen needed to be both functional and beautiful.

Cabinetry from Howdens is dressed with brass accents.

Knobs, Wayland Hardware.

Cup handles, eBay; for similar try Ironmongery Experts

O AT HOME WITH Owners Zoe and Geoff Sayers, who moved to the barn in 2000. They now live in the main farmhouse and run the organic dairy farm. They have three children: Plum, 17, Charlie, 13, and Monty, 11.

House Ivy Cove is a rustic two-bedroom barn, first converted by Geoff’s mother.

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

riginally an animal shelter with a tin roof, this idyllic barn on the south Devon coast has served the Sayers family since the 1950s. It had become a camping place and a setting for big family parties, until Zoe Sayers’ motherin-law converted it in the 1990s. It became Zoe and her husband Geoff’s first home as a newly married couple when they moved back to the family farm 20 years ago.

‘It was really, really rustic,’ says Zoe. ‘There was no fitted kitchen and no bath, so I bought an old roll-top from a reclamation yard.’

The facilities may have been basic, but the barn made up for the lack of amenities by being perfectly placed in the landscape. Nestled against a bank, it has uninterrupted views down a short valley to the sea.

‘It’s deeply peaceful,’ says Zoe. ‘The building seems to have grown organically into the landscape.’ Both she and Geoff wanted to keep that sense of being close to the natural world when they began the barn’s renovation in early 2020, while updating the building in a more contemporary style. First, they secured planning permission to add a dormer window to the main bedroom upstairs, which makes the space feel lighter and more open. After much deliberation, Zoe decided on hardwood-framed windows and doors throughout as a durable answer to the salt-laden winter gales in this exposed location. Downstairs, she >

Sitting area The real fire provides a welcome focal point. Side table, Rockett St George.

Wall lights, Pooky. Floor lamp, Graham and Green.

Red striped decorative item, Oka. Walls, Slaked Lime, Little Greene

THERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF ❝ GOOD PARTIES HERE AND YOU CAN FEEL THE ENERGY OF THE PLACE. WE DIDN’T WANT TO LOSE THAT

❞

THE ELM FOR ❝ THE FLOORS WAS GROWN ON THE FARM AND THE GRANITE CUT FOR THE STEPS WAS FOUND IN THE SURROUNDING FIELDS

❞

Kitchen-diner Daughter Plum painted the kitchen chairs in Annie Sloan chalk paint. Zoe is still looking for her perfect kitchen table. Chairs, for similar, try Cult Furniture.

Table, for similar, try Wayfair.

Taps, The French House 36

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

DEVON BARN CONVERSION

Entrance hall The vaulted ceiling and roof-light enhance the feeling of airiness. Walls, Milan, Francesca’s Paints.

Tongue and groove and cupboards, Studio Green, Farrow & Ball.

Tiles, Mandarin Stone

converted an area previously used for storage into a striking entrance hall as well as a second bedroom, which opens onto those huge views.

A simple fireplace ensures the living room is cosy and inviting on wild winter nights, but the barn also has state-of-the-art electric heating. ‘Electricity is the cleanest energy source,’ says Zoe. ‘We have wind turbines and solar panels on the farm, so we’re energy neutral now. We’re very proud of that.’

Zoe and Geoff’s commitment to sound ecological decisions didn’t end there. ‘I really hate light pollution,’ says Zoe, who worries about the impact of additional light on local wildlife. Getting the right balance for the barn wasn’t easy, but she and interior designer Siobhan Hayles chose a system of layered lighting, starting with low-level wall lights on sensors. Like all their contractors, Siobhan lives locally.

‘I absolutely loved working with Siobhan; it was very collaborative,’ says Zoe. ‘Geoff and I wanted to chime with the building and Siobhan really heard that.’

Although Zoe project-managed the renovation, the whole family was involved. ‘Everyone chipped in with the work,’ says Zoe, whose sons, Charlie and Monty, spent school holidays working on the renovation.

Tackling such a sensitive build would be tricky at the best of times. Doing it during the on/off restrictions of 2020 presented Zoe with all kinds of challenges, > 38

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DEVON BARN CONVERSION

Main bedroom Zoe’s creativity features strongly in this room, with a freestanding headboard finished in Venetian plaster

by Earthcoat. Bed, Loaf.

Curtains, Stockholm stripe in Dove and Winter, Vanessa Arbuthnott

MY STYLE IS ECLECTIC, VINTAGE AND QUIETLY ❝ LUXURIOUS – WITH A TOUCH OF THE ECCENTRIC ❞

Main en suite

Cloakroom

This space is finished throughout in pigmented microcement to create a Mediterranean feel. Plaster, Earthcoat. Woodwork, Secret Room, Earthborn Paints. Taps and washbasins, Victorian Plumbing

Zoe credits her designer, Siobhan Hayles, with creating a sense of drama in this tiny room. Basin, Victorian Plumbing.

Tongue and groove, Studio Green, Farrow & Ball.

Wallpaper, Limerence Fern, House of Hackney

ON OUR DOORSTEP Visit… ‘Totnes market on Saturdays for all the foodie stalls. There are so many delicious treats and it’s a great place to spend the morning.’

Shop at… ‘Ben’s Farm Shop (bensfarmshop.co.uk), Yealmpton.

It’s a proper independent farm shop selling vegetables and meat; good raw ingredients that are locally produced and organic.’

Go for a meal at … ‘The Hairy Barista (01803 867773) is always our café and snack stop in Totnes. It’s a tiny place, but we love the “build your own drinks” menu.’

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particularly when it came to finding materials. ‘The project went very slowly, due to Covid, but that actually played into our hands, as we had time to make well-considered design decisions.’ These choices really add to the sense of the barn being rooted in the landscape as the front steps are cut from granite found in the surrounding fields and the richly toned elm used for the upstairs floors was grown on the farm. The cedarwood used for the entrance gates and as wall cladding in the main bedroom came from nearby Dartington.

The biggest delays Zoe faced were waiting for the glass factory to reopen and some of the soft furnishings to be delivered, but the need to source things creatively has proven to be an unexpected silver lining.

Although much of the furniture is new, some has been repurposed. ‘I’m still looking for the ultimate kitchen table,’ says Zoe, whose style is eclectic, vintage and quietly luxurious. ‘We wanted eccentric. There have been lots of good parties here and you can feel the energy of the place. We didn’t want to lose that.’

Open beams, slate floors and a neutral palette create the perfect backdrop for the rich textures and jewel-like colours of the furnishings. ‘I’m really proud of the end result. It’s cosy, but still very natural,’ says Zoe. To enquire about renting Ivy Cove, visit uniquehomestays.com

FEATURE ALEXANDRA PRATT PHOTOGRAPHS SIMON BURT

DEVON BARN CONVERSION

GET THE LOOK

Be inspired by ZOE’S SITTING AREA Cast a warm glow with a retro fusion, dome design.

Arc floor lamp, £219, Barker & Stonehouse

Create the illusion of more space with this Scandiindustrial design.

Fulbrook window mirror, £185, Graham & Green

Add subtle colour contrast with a warm beige feature wall.

Slaked Lime Deep absolute matt emulsion, £48.50 for 2.5ltr, Little Greene

Create interest with animal-inspired patterns.

Zebra cushion cover, £67.50, Chhatwal & Jonsson at Royal Design

Choose an eco design with a modern-minimalist finish.

Contura i7 stove, from £1,895, Contura

Zoe’s style tip...

CREATE A COSY RUSTIC SCHEME WITH A FOCAL POINT FIRE, RAW MATERIALS AND SINK-INTO FURNITURE

FEATURE HOLLY PHILLIPS

Sweeping lines create a plush place to curl up.

Beautiful large threeseater sofa in Rose Pink velvet, £1,695, Rockett St George

CH&I

MODERN Country CLASSIC

Welcome natural tactility with braided, organic materials underfoot.

Jute medium border rug in Grey, £110, Rug Guru

An aged-brass frame mingles with smoked tinted and mirrored glass shelves.

Ulupna side table, £240, AM.PM at La Redoute

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WORTH THE WAIT Rebecca and Mark Outerbridge spent three years modernising their barn conversion, while enhancing its existing features

NORTH YORKSHIRE BARN CONVERSION

Exterior When the barn was reconfigured, Rebecca moved the entrance to the back, which has magnificent views across the river and offers greater privacy

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AT HOME WITH Owners Rebecca Outerbridge lives here with her husband Mark and black labrador Betsie. Rebecca works in finance and Mark is a managing director.

House An 18th-century, fivebedroom barn that was first converted in the 1980s. It sits in 13 acres.

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hen Rebecca and Mark Outerbridge bought their 18th-century barn conversion in North Yorkshire in 2017, they took a pragmatic view.

On one hand they loved it and it was perfectly liveable; on the other they felt it had the potential to be a project they could ‘get their teeth into’.

‘The original conversion was carried out about thirty years ago,’ says Rebecca. ‘The rooms were good sizes but small windows meant we lacked natural light and views of the outside.’ Soon after moving in, they embarked on the planning process for their biggest renovation project to date.

They started by reworking the layout and extending into the double-height garage, which they felt was wasted space. It made sense to create a connecting box to link the main house to the garage, knock down a couple of walls in the kitchen and take out the utility room and cloakroom, transforming the area into spacious, bright open-plan living. ‘It was great to see our ideas coming to life in the plans,’ says Rebecca.

‘In addition to a new living area, extending into the garage allowed us to create a new rear entrance, boot room and cloakroom at the back of the barn with a new guest bedroom suite upstairs.’

While the planning process was underway, the couple started work on the existing barn. To >

NORTH YORKSHIRE BARN CONVERSION

Kitchen The original ceiling beams enhance the country feel.

Kitchen cabinets and island, The Main Company; painted in North Brink Grey and Pompeian Ash, Little Greene.

Cabinet handles and knobs, Buster & Punch COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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Dining area Rebecca was keen for the dining area to be in this part of the house to make the most of the views. Benches and table, The Main Company, stained in keeping with the other wood in the barn. Sheepskin rugs, Dunelm 48

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

NORTH YORKSHIRE BARN CONVERSION

Living/dining area By removing a few walls and joining two buildings together, Rebecca and the team at The Main Company created a wonderful open-plan space.

Flooring, Terzetto. Pendant lights, Glow Lighting

increase light throughout, they put roof windows into all the bedrooms and updated the colour scheme.

‘The previous owners had opted for a richer palette of yellows and creams with honey coloured woodwork,’ says Rebecca. ‘We wanted to maintain the neutral feel but feature more modern neutrals with grey/green undertones that bring the beautiful shades of the outside into our home.’

For a consistent flow throughout the house, all the walls in the original barn were painted in Little Greene’s Pale Portland Stone and all the woodwork in Portland Stone. The oak staircase and doors were stripped back and stained using darker, more rustic tones and oak flooring replaced throughout to match.

With outline plans approved for the extension, the couple then worked closely with designer Alex Main from local bespoke kitchens and furniture specialists The Main Company to discuss their ideas for the interior. Alex designed a modern take on a Shaker-style kitchen. Handmade by The Main Company, the cabinetry was painted in Little Greene’s North Brink Grey and the island in darker Pompeian Ash. Contemporary smoked bronze handles were added to give it a modern feel and a bright white worktop reflects the light and lifts the scheme. The original exposed brick and beams were retained, reclaimed brick slips were used to provide contrast > COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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NORTH YORKSHIRE BARN CONVERSION

Guest bedroom Rebecca had her old bed frame stripped back and repainted by The Main Company to blend in with the neutral surroundings. She also had the bedside units and a set of drawers made to match. Bed frame, side table and chest painted in Little Greene’s French Grey Mid

Main bedroom The side table topped with a concrete lamp gives a cool, modern finish.

Side table, The Main Company; painted in Portland Stone, Little Greene. Table lamp, Rose & Grey

WE WANTED TO MARRY THE BARN’S EXPOSED BEAMS ❝AND BRICKWORK WITH NEW, MODERN ELEMENTS ❞ Boot room The boot room was an addition at the new entrance to the house. The oak unit was made by The Main Company and painted in Pompeian Ash, Little Greene

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Guest suite bathroom Rebecca added tongue and groove panelling for a country feel, while the freestanding bath gives it a modern lift. Bath, basin mixer taps and freestanding bath shower mixer, all ISO range, Abacus Bathrooms

Main bedroom en suite An exposed, vintage-style shower adds a touch of industrial chic. Taps and shower (seen in mirror), tiles, all Fired Earth. Countertop basin, Villeroy & Boch. Bathroom cabinet, The Bathroom Furniture Company 52

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

and consistency with the exposed brickwork of the new living area and bespoke oak shelving added to complement the look. The flooring is a continuation of the boot room and living area with large natural limestone tiles used to give a sense of space.

Rebecca opted for finishes that worked seamlessly with the traditional aspects of the kitchen. ‘Alex gave us some great ideas. I love how the breakfast bar defines the space between the kitchen and living area and how well it ties together the character of the old beams with the new modern features,’ says Rebecca. ‘It created a lovely flow and married up the old barn and the new.’

The living space is neutral and calm with a pop of mustard to lift it. The large sliding doors, combined with the roof windows, flood the whole area with natural light, making it the perfect place to spend time all year round. ‘I love the wood burner, it gives off so much heat,’ says Rebecca, ‘and the large window means you get the full impact of the flames, which is lovely to look at when it’s cold and dark outside.’

Having lived in the barn during the building work, the couple have no plans to move or do any other work right now. ‘I’m so pleased we lived in the barn for a few years and got to know what works for us and doesn’t,’ says Rebecca. ‘It’s meant we’ve ended up with a unique home that’s perfect for us. It’s light, clean and modern but still has so much character and charm.’ >

NORTH YORKSHIRE BARN CONVERSION

Guest bedroom Neutral colours create a relaxing, calm atmosphere for guests. Cushions and throws, both Susie Watson Designs.

Headboards, Hypnos. Pendant light, Jim Lawrence

I DON’T TEND TO USE ❝ MUCH COLOUR. I WANTED TO KEEP THE ROOMS NEUTRAL TO CREATE A FEELING OF LIGHT

❞

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NORTH YORKSHIRE BARN CONVERSION

Visit... ‘A trip to Home Farm on the Beningbrough Hall Estate (homefarm beningbrough.co.uk), close to the historic city of York, is the perfect day out. We love walking Betsie along the banks of the River Ouse and refuelling at Home Farm’s wonderful café.’

Shop at... ‘The Main Company (maincompany.com) is a great local business that creates bespoke kitchens, reclaimed wood flooring and handmade furniture. I also love Aberford Interiors (aberfordinteriors. co.uk). They stock major paint brands, a wide selection of homeware and a few carefully selected antiques.’

Go for a meal at... ‘Take a passenger ferry (nunmonkton ferryboat.org) from Beningbrough to Nun Monkton across the River Ouse and have lunch at The Alice Hawthorn Inn (thealicehawthorn.com). It’s a beautiful pub, and the food is fabulous.’

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FEATURE ANNA PATTENDEN STYLIST HANNAH ALI PHOTOGRAPHS JEREMY PHILLIPS

ON OUR DOORSTEP

GET THE LOOK

Be inspired by REBECCA’S KITCHEN Create a focal point with a duo of airy, transparent domes.

Walcot glass pendant light in Antiqued Brass, £173.90, Jim Lawrence A contemporary tick-tock with classic Roman numerals.

Clocksmith large wall clock, £195, Thomas Kent at John Lewis & Partners

Display this shapely, carved beauty when not in use.

Large acacia wood cutting board, £39.95, The Little Hygge Co

Let cabinetry become the main attraction with a muted yet fresh green.

Ferris Wheel gloss lacquer, £32 for 1ltr, Graham & Brown

Rebecca’s style tip...

NATURAL MATERIALS AND CALM GREENS MARRY WITH SLEEK, FINISHES TO PRESENT A CHIC COUNTRY SCHEME

CH&I

MODERN Country CLASSIC

FEATURE HOLLY PHILLIPS

Choose smart hardware for a luxe finishing touch.

Pull bar in Smoked Bronze, from £66, Buster + Punch

Brighten up the counter with a fresh bouquet in a curvaceous vessel.

Flower flared bouquet vase, £28, LSA International

Get the stew and dumplings simmering, then serve straight to the table.

Cast iron 4.2ltr casserole dish in Grey, £32, Habitat

Pull up to the tea-and-talk island on a comfy moulded seat.

Weathered oak counter stool, £225, Cox & Cox

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Living area Stacey cleverly transformed this zone with bespoke seating so all guests can relax together in comfort.

Bespoke sofa, Amadeus.

Throws, Dunelm. Rug, Benuta. Both occasional tables, Coach House. Wall prints, Trowbridge Gallery

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

CORNISH TIMBER LODGE

NATURE TRAIL Interior designers Stacey and Guy Sibley have created a cosy retreat to escape to, surrounded by the wildlife of Bodmin Moor

Exterior

Kitchen

Doors in the village are painted in uniform colours to maintain the smart appearance

Keen to include extra storage and more work surface, the couple added a freestanding unit which they use as an island. Unit, Ikea

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AT HOME WITH Owners Stacey and Guy Sibley are interior designers who have their own design studio, Beau Sala (beausala.com).

House Three-bedroom modern wood-built retreat, bought in November 2020.

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hen looking for a country haven to retreat to, interior designers Stacey and Guy Sibley didn’t have to venture too far from home. ‘We are lucky to be based in Cornwall but the coastal areas can get busy in summer. We wanted somewhere that would be an investment but also a place we could escape to with friends and family, far from the crowds,’ explains Stacey.

The couple admit to being avid ‘Rightmove-rs’.

‘We’ve been incredibly lucky each time we’ve moved.

Because we’ve always got one eye on the market, whenever we’ve actually gone to a viewing we’ve ended up buying that house. This one was no different,’ says Stacey. ‘We’d been looking for a long while and fell in love with it because it was a wooden cabin in a great location. With three double bedrooms, it’s actually bigger than our main home.’

The timber house was built around 10 years ago as part of a small holiday village and barely anything had been done during that time, so its white walls were a welcome blank canvas for a pair of designers.

‘We set out to give it a modern country look that’s a little eclectic and with a relaxed feel,’ says Stacey. ‘What was really important was to create a space that worked all year round. Some holiday places only look great in the summer but we wanted ours to be cosy and >

CORNISH TIMBER LODGE

Dining area Having a house that slept six but only seated four didn’t make sense, so dining chairs were replaced with benches that tuck away when not in use. Table and benches, Garden Trading

Bathroom Upstairs, replacing a plastic bath panel and painting the floor grey has changed the feel of this space. Floor in Rust-Oleum chalk floor paint in Winter Grey. Stool, Ikea

Wet room To hide stains, the couple painted the floor tiles. Shower screen and shower, Bathroom Mountain. Tiles painted in Dura Grip anti-slip epoxy floor paint in Medium Grey

Exterior The timber lodge was built as part of a small holiday village 10 years ago and has been well-maintained 62

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

welcoming so we could enjoy spending time here in autumn and winter too.’

Stacey and Guy have used all their design skills to get the best from the existing space. The downstairs open-plan layout was restrictive in places due to the beams and pillars. Stacey explains: ‘When we viewed it, it had a pair of two-seater sofas and there was space for only four dining chairs, which didn’t really work in a home with three generous bedrooms that sleep six.’

Stacey was already trialling layouts and drawing up plans before they picked up the keys, although buying during a global pandemic meant most materials, furniture and accessories would be mail order and quite often subject to shortages and delays.

The solution for the ground floor has been a smart bespoke L-shaped sofa designed to fit the space perfectly, plus bench seating for the dining area that neatly tucks under the table when not in use. For the kitchen, Stacey added an extra work bench to boost storage and prep surface.

Having bought the property in November, the race was on to get the cabin family-ready for Christmas.

‘Guy worked on the bathrooms, while I painted throughout,’ Stacey says. The pitch of the roof gives beautiful A-shaped bedrooms and Stacey devised a clever way to soften the effect of the wooden beams in the two bedrooms up here. ‘Because they >

CORNISH TIMBER LODGE

Bedroom Guy made the MDF panelling to give this smaller room more character. Walls painted in White 02 and panelling painted in Teal 01, both Lick.

Wall light, Garden Trading.

Padded bed throw, Gallery Direct. Throw, La Redoute.

Cushions, Cream Cornwall

CORNISH TIMBER LODGE

WE WANTED ❝ THAT RELAXED MODERN COUNTRY FEEL AND LOOKED TO AMERICAN INTERIOR DESIGNERS AS THEY DO THAT SO WELL

❞

Main bedroom Layering up soft furnishings makes this an inviting space.

Bed and dressing table, both Gallery Direct. Bedside tables, Garden Trading. Faux fur throw, Coach House.

Ceiling pendant, La Redoute.

Lamps, Visual Comfort

come all the way down to the floor and were quite an orangey pine colour, they dominated the room.

I created my own wash by watering down regular white paint. It’s knocked them right back but you still get the beauty of the grain,’ she adds.

A similarly orange-toned floor downstairs was treated with three coats of wood stain while the bedrooms and stairs are now carpeted for warmth. The bedrooms are all about comfort. The smallest bedroom on the ground floor was given panelling to add character and Stacey has layered textures and fabrics to create a cocooning effect. ‘Cushions and rugs are important for adding depth to a scheme and we wanted the house to have a personal feel,’ she says.

‘A lot of us is reflected here. We love the great walks around here and Guy’s into cycling so we have collected things over the years such as walking books and paraphernalia. And I love to paint so my paintings inspired by the area hang on the walls.’

Having had the cabin for just a short while, there are a few small things they’d like to change in the future such as replacing the kitchen worktops but, for now, they are happy to sit back and enjoy watching how it changes with the seasons. ‘It’s such lovely countryside and still just 20 minutes from the beach,’ says Stacey.

‘It’s bliss being so close to nature and there’s no shortage of things still to explore.’

Main bedroom The fitted storage was already in place so the couple painted the doors and applied insets in a textured wallpaper. Wallpaper, Casamance COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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ON OUR DOORSTEP Visit… ‘Pencarrow House and Gardens (pencarrow.co.uk) is a stunning country estate steeped in Cornish history. Entry for children is free and the estate allows dogs in the garden too.’

Shop at… ‘Family-run Philip Warren (philipwarrenbutchers.co.uk) supplies meat from its own farm as well as a network of small local farmers. Its grass-fed meat goes to some of the UK’s best restaurants and you can buy those same cuts at the counter of the Launceston shop.’

Go for a meal at…

Bedroom Twin beds offer flexibility in a holiday home. Bed frames, Next Home. Chest of drawers, Coach House. Blind and cushion fabric, Andrew Martin. Pendant light, La Redoute. Bedlinen, Parlane. Throws, Dunelm 66

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

FEATURE SARA BIRD PHOTOGRAPHS DAN DUCHARS

‘The Rocket Store seafood bar (therocketstore.co.uk) in Boscastle Harbour serves up produce fresh from its own boat, alongside meat from its own farm nearby.’

GET THE LOOK

Be inspired by STACEY’S BEDROOM

Let simplistic greenery build a natural architecture...

Artificial eucalyptus spray, £6.99, The Outdoor look

Cosy up against the chill factor in warm, fur-like texture.

Faux fur throw, £85, Soak & Sleep

Practical and portable, easily store away when not in use.

Hambledon oak butler’s tray, £150, Garden Trading

Add some tactility with glorious knotted and tasseled boho beauties.

Macramé tassel cushion in Grey, £22. Next Home

Stacey’s style tip...

Charming storage for laundry and more, handmade from sustainable palm leaves.

Large French basket, £34, BasketBasket

CREATE AN INVITING RETREAT WITH LAYERED SOFT FURNISHINGS IN MIXED TEXTURES. A FLOATY SHEER GIVES A BREEZY FINISH

Welcome effortless style with a modern, worn finish and neutral palette.

Kayden distressed tribal rug, £99, Housecosy

CH&I

FEATURE HOLLY PHILLIPS

MODERN Country CLASSIC

Fifties-inspired and made the good old fashioned way, hand-carved by skilled artisans – the dream!

Spindle bed, £995 for a double, Loaf

Shapely ripples illuminate the bedside.

Lillee table lamp with Empire shade in White silk, £123, Pooky

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RURAL HOTSPOT

LET’S MOVE TO

Ilminster WHERE OLD-WORLD SOMERSET CHARM MEETS HIGH END FASHION

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eep in the south Somerset countryside, the historic town of Ilminster lies just east of the River Isle, from which the first part of its name derives. The latter part can be traced to St Mary’s Church, still known to the town’s six thousand locals as ‘the Minster’. It is ornamented with gargoyles and trefoils, and boasts an imposing tower whose chimes mark the hours, and the quarters. Only a stone’s throw away, the main route through town, Silver Street, is pleasingly packed with Georgian inns and stone cottages… plus a few ostentatious treats. Heading out of town, old textile mills, fertile farmland and orchards, proliferate.

FEATURE SOPHIE GALE PHOTOGRAPHS (PHOENIX STUDIOS) WORLD OF TEMPERLEY, (CHURCH WALK) ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, (DREAM HOMES) GREENSLADE TAYLOR HUNT ESTATE AGENTS

IN THE ESTATE AGENT’S WINDOW

Ham stone, with its warm honey tones, has been the go-to building material in Ilminster for centuries, lending the characteristic Georgian feel – though cheaper Moolham specked with seashells and fossils also features. A four-bedroom house in a popular central area such as Court Barton will cost an average of £325,000, according to estate agent Matthew Clark.

For a two-bedroom cottage expect to shell out £200,000.

BISTROS, BAKERS & GARMENT MAKERS A recent addition to the

otherwise unassuming town centre, courtesy of world-renowned designer Alice Temperley, is luxury fashion house Phoenix Studios, combining workshops with a cocktail bar and artisan bakery. The rich tapestry of businesses, drawing on the textiles heritage, also includes Ilminster Emporium, packed with silk parasols and brocade-covered chairs, long-standing Prima Moda Brides and traditional mens’

Phoenix Studios’ delightful courtyard cafe

Charming stone cottages along Church Walk

outfitter Harrimans. There is stylish dining to be had at Todays Menu, with local cheeses and cider brandy.

COUNTRY LIFE & CULTURE The thriving Arts Centre in the Old Unitarian Church on East Street offers year-round entertainment, including well reputed jazz nights.

But this is cider country and the ‘season of mellow fruitfulness’ offers plenty to fill your cup. Soak up the atmosphere of a working

mill at Perry’s cidery. In October, the West Country Carnival rolls round.

And even the Ilminster Literary Festival, usually a summer affair, has been delayed to November this year.

SCHOOLS Swanmead and Greenfylde primaries are deemed ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ respectively.

Independents Chard and Perrott Hill are lovely prep schools. For secondaries, students must venture further afield: Holyrood in Chard or Wadham in Crewkerne are options.

GET AROUND With no rail in town, the nearest station is Crewkerne for a direct two-and-a-half-hour train to London. Otherwise, the capital is drivable via the A303, in about the same time. In the other direction, Exeter city centre is 45 minutes away.

IN THE AREA On crisp mornings, nothing beats a glide along the Chard to Ilminster cycle path, part of the Wessex Way.

Dream homes in Ilminster

HAMLET HEAVEN

SUNNY DISPOSITION

HIDDEN DEPTHS

Three-bed Holly House in Peasmarsh hamlet dates to the 1700s in parts. It sits in five acres complete with barns and two glamping units. Priced at £850,000.

This beautiful stone barn has two double bedrooms and is situated only a few minutes’ drive from the centre of town. Offers above £375,000.

Banchory Cottage in Hinton St George dates back to 1880. The cavernous kitchen diner opens onto a wisteria-clad garden.

Grab it for £550,000.

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WELCOME AUTUMN LIGHT Master the natural light this gilded season with bespoke shutters, blinds and curtains, beautifully crafted to fit all window shapes s the sun takes a step back, it’s time to embrace autumn and allow its rich, golden glow to fill your home. Natural light can transform a room, making it feel bigger, brighter and more inviting. Choosing the right window furnishings is crucial to enable you to creatively control the amount of light let in. With 30 years’

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experience in designing, crafting and installing bespoke window furnishings, Thomas Sanderson is best placed to ensure you master the light this season.

SOUND ADVICE Beautiful, bespoke design has been Thomas Sanderson’s speciality since 1991. And quality, consideration and

craftsmanship – plus exceptional service – remains at the heart of the brand today. Autumn is the season of transformation, so why not start now by booking an in-home consultation with an expert designer?

They’ll listen to your requirements before guiding you through the collection to shape solutions custom-made for your home.

P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E

Innovative blinds effortlessly adjust at the touch of a button

Choose natureinspired colours and textures

Thomas Sanderson’s bespoke shutters will bring a touch of elegance to any room

PERFECT FIT As well as the shape, size and style of your windows, they consider how you use your room and the levels of privacy required – not forgetting personal style, too. It’s a balancing act, but you’re in safe hands. Whether you opt for hand-crafted shutters, innovative smart blinds or luxurious curtains, Thomas Sanderson has something to suit – and fit – even complex window designs. Perfect in country homes, where a ‘one-size-fitsall’ approach rarely works.

SEASONAL STYLE Take inspiration from the great outdoors and choose luxurious curtains in sumptuous autumnal shades to create a warm and welcoming space. With a range of linings, headings, poles and finishing touches to choose from, it’s never been easier to create your dream look. Their collection of smart blinds can be adjusted at the touch of a button or a simple voice command, enabling you to make the most of the season’s hush-golden tones.

Control the soft glow of fading light with elegant shutters, precisionmade using the best quality materials to accentuate shaped windows, whether arched, angled or circular.

Choose from a range of materials, colours and styles, including tier-ontier, full height and café. Their vinyl

collection are crafted in the UK and expertly installed within six weeks.

Whatever window furnishings you choose, Thomas Sanderson has you covered to ensure you’re delighted with the finished result.

For more information Get in touch and make your vision a reality by booking a consultation on 0800 688 8118 or visit thomas-sanderson.co.uk

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MY COUNTRY BUSINESS

❝We’ve rekindled our friendship and built a brand using both our skills ❞ JANE MCCALL AND JANE HOWARD OF BLOOMSBURY REVISITED

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here is an air of infectious energy that surrounds business partners Jane McCall and Jane Howard, the talented team behind fastgrowing design business Bloomsbury Revisited. McCall, an artist with a degree in art history and visual studies, is the creative talent behind this eccentric range of lighting and hand-painted furniture, inspired by the original Bloomsbury Set who lived at Charleston Farmhouse in East Sussex.

Howard, who ran a successful PR agency before selling up 20 years ago to begin a new life farming cattle, sheep and pigs on an East Sussex farm, is the business brains.

‘Our children went to school together and when Jane moved back to East Sussex, I attended a lampshade painting course that she was running,’ says Howard. ‘It sparked the idea for a business and an opportunity to combine our talents.’

Their lampshade collection includes nine collectable designs, reminiscent of Charleston in both name and palette: Peas and Lilies, Birds, Cyclamen, Angelica, Vanessa, Muse, Duncan, Hounds and Violet – one-offs, each with a touch of whimsy.

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‘Bespoke sizes can be ordered too, along with hand-painted lamp bases. Customers love to tailor our designs to their interiors, often sending swatches for us to colour match,’ says Howard. Indeed they have just created a range of bespoke lampshades for Olga Polizzi’s new hotel, The Star in Alfriston – one of many high profile supporters of the business. Candle shades and a new pen and ink design on parchment are also currently in development.

‘My granny and mother were both brilliant painters, they instilled a sense of curiosity and a passion for experimenting,’ says McCall. ‘We moved to the coast to be near my granny when I was aged 10 and I spent informative years drawing, dressing up and absorbing myself in her wonderfully chaotic, creative world. Sadly, my mother died when I was 22 and after finishing my degree, I found my way through that difficult time by sculpting. I received a grant from The Princes Trust, set up a pottery studio, built a kiln and began making. At the same time a friend was producing a documentary at Charleston Farmhouse – I went to help and fell in love with the Bloomsbury spirit. I developed a >

Jane Howard and Jane McCall preparing shades for a forthcoming fair

MY COUNTRY BUSINESS

What we love most...

WORKING TOGETHER, MAKING EACH OTHER ❝ LAUGH AND TAKING THE PROJECT ON AN EVENTFUL JOURNEY WITH NO IDEA OF THE DESTINATION ❞

collection of ceramics to present to the buyers at Charleston, filled up my Morris Minor with stock and spontaneously they bought every piece. The Bloomsbury style has influenced my designs ever since.’

With three young children – Kitty, Alice and Beth, now 28, 25 and 22 – McCall needed to earn more money, and in 2000 set up a shutter company in the Cotswolds. Last year she returned to East Sussex, began teaching a painted lampshade course for Curious House, and reconnected with Howard. ‘I was planning a sabbatical to Sri Lanka and had rented Jane’s holiday farm cottage the week before I was due to leave. Covid hit, I stayed

Collections of lampshades ready for customer orders

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at the farm and we kickstarted the business – Jane was always confident that she could market my designs. We ordered a pallet of lampshades, got going and 18 months on the business is thriving,’ says McCall.

For McCall the pairing is a match made in heaven. She focuses on the designs and painting, while Howard immerses herself in all things marketing and sales – developing the business, building the website, creating a pricing strategy, talking to clients and press, and fulfilling orders. The relationship is based on trust, with two distinct skill sets and no outside costs, apart from an initial £2,000 outlay for materials.

Nine months ago McCall moved into her new home, a former café that she has converted into a welcoming family space near Bewl Water in East Sussex. She has transformed the place with hand-painted murals on the walls, colourful ceramics and an abundance of rich layers and textures that feed the soul. The lampshades are now painted in her bright studio, which sits at the heart of the house and looks out across open countryside.

The parchment shades are painted freehand using water based acrylics and chalk paints with a water-fast glazed conditioner. ‘The colours are mixed by hand, and applied in separate layers,’ says McCall.

Orders are called through by Howard from the company fulfilment centre, aka the space above the cowshed on her nearby farm, and McCall happily creates while listening to endless podcasts and Radio Four – usually with her lurcher, Bill, by her feet.

The couple sell their well-crafted shades at fairs including the Country Brocante, as well as online to private buyers and interior designers. ‘These simple lampshade forms seem to evoke a sense of maverick selfexpression in others,’ enthuses Howard.

Authentic designs, from two genuine souls who are enjoying their new sense of adventure, creativity and success. bloomsburyrevisited.co.uk

McCall at work on a dining table commission, from her veranda that overlooks open countryside across to Bewl Water

Howard carefully matches each lampshade to a bespoke lamp base to ensure a perfect colour fit

A selection of shades from their collection

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ON OUR DOORSTEP Visit… ‘Charleston Farmhouse (charleston.org.uk) in the South Downs near Lewes. It is the most important remaining example of Bloomsbury decorative style – unique and utterly mesmerising.’

Shop at… ‘The Silver Sheep, Tunbridge Wells (thesilversheep. co.uk). A cornucopia of a shop that sources gorgeous products from local artisans.’

Go for a meal at... ‘The Bell, Ticehurst (thebellinticehurst. com). A quirky country pub, with a tree in every room. Head chef Oscar can be found most days combining English cuisine with his native Columbian recipes, cooked over an open fire in the courtyard.’

McCall, Bill and Howard outside the vibrant green French doors that lead to McCall’s home studio

MY COUNTRY BUSINESS

SMALL BUSINESS ADVICE

EXHIBITING AT FAIRS FOLLOW THIS ADVICE ON HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF A STAND

The pandemic may have bought a shortterm halt to in-person country fairs, but this summer has seen them flourish again. With event organisers up to date on the government guidelines with regards to health and safety, there’s never been a better time, especially with Christmas beckoning, to invest in a stand or stall at a local show or exhibition.

FEATURE ALI HEATH PHOTOGRAPHS ALUN CALLENDAR

CREATE THE MAGIC ‘For us, the stand is the start point at fairs – always a joyous display, thoughtfully curated,’ says McCall. ‘We use handpainted bunting to adorn the frame in true Bloomsbury style. It adds a creative energy that matches the bespoke nature of our products. At every touch point you need to be drawn in: beautifully dressed tables, layered with unique lighting; shades hung eclectically from above, showing the profusion of colourways, and marketing postcards which enhance the Bloomsbury Revisited story.’

USE THE CREATIVE ESSENCE OF YOUR BUSINESS TO ATTRACT BUYERS At fairs, customers who have an affinity with your look feel compelled to stop,

while it creates a visual pull for anyone new to it. ‘The Bloomsbury Set were inspired by works from The Renaissance, aged Italian frescoes, and art and ceramics by the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. They adapted this inspiration to enliven the interior surfaces and furniture at Charleston with fresh, enchanting graphics. In the same vein, we hope our take on the Bloomsbury Style will encourage others to continue to emulate this legacy,’ says McCall.

INSPIRE CUSTOMERS TO REPEAT PURCHASE ONLINE Presence at fairs is a great way to instil confidence in your buyers. McCall and Howard encourage customers to touch and interact with their products on the stand. It’s a proven way of building both good customer relationships and often repeat purchase traffic online, too.

MAKE PRICING CLEAR Ensure your customers can easily see the cost of items – hidden prices will put people off. ‘We have kept our prices affordable and only sell direct to customers.

It enables us to price fairly and to keep evolving our offering,’ says Howard.

FORGE NEW RELATIONSHIPS ‘Fairs provide a great opportunity for stallholders to forge new relationships with other dealers and to combine the expense of a stand with a sourcing trip,’ says McCall. ‘The Bloomsbury style is all about decorating and upcycling pieces that you already have, or embellishing new antique finds that are in need of some joie de vivre,’ says McCall. While exhibiting at fairs such as The Country Brocante, Wealden Times, Ardingly and Newark, the pair take the time to seek out new items of vintage furniture. Think dining tables, lamp stands, lamp bases – pieces that can be painted to work with the lampshade side of their business.

COLLABORATE AT EVENTS ‘We often work with other traders at a fair. We use a piece of their furniture to display our lamps, or provide them with lamps to embellish their display. It drives new sales and allows cross fertilisation of customers between stands,’ says Howard.

The one lesson we ’ve learned...

DON’T FORGET THAT THIS IS A LIFESTYLE DECISION, ❝ AND IF IT’S NOT ENJOYABLE THEN YOU COULD BE IN THE VEG PATCH SOWING PEAS!❞ COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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CH&I loves…

ECCENTRIC CHECKS Wander ‘off-grid’ to a playful cottage aesthetic with colourful chequerboard patterns

Doze in a nest of gingham checks in restful neutrals.

Magnus linen bed linen in Grey, £135 for a double duvet cover; Oxford standard pillowcases, £22 each; Oxford square pillowcases, £24 each, all Secret Linen Store

STYLE TREND

MAKE IT COUNTRY Forget the safe plain plaid; this season, checks are bigger, brighter and bolder than ever before. Cheerfully hot-trotted from the summer catwalk into homes, this rustic-ruffled pattern comes freshly delivered with a breezy, mischievous attitude – giving upholstery and everyday homeware a cheerful dollop of whimsical wholesomeness.

The chirpy checks tick all the new-nostalgia boxes.

1

Revamp classic furniture with graphic upholstery.

Jumbo Woodhouse check cotton fabric in Radish, £50m; Rose cushion, £80, both Tori Murphy

1 CUSHION Give seating some eclectic flair! Check ruffle cushion in Sherbert/ Zest, £50, Society of Wanderers at Liberty 2 SLIPPERS Cosy leather and vintage fabric. Moroccan boujad babouche slippers in Sahara Check, £42, Bohemia Design 3 RUG Board games on the floor. Jute check rug in Pale Pink and Green, from £725, Tate & Darby

2 3

4 WINDOW SEAT Inspired by Georgian design. Great Check window seat, from £2,015, Salvesen Graham 5 CAKE STAND Present bakes like artworks. Hot Cakes cake stand in Raspberry and Orange, £75, Vaisselle

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5 COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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STYLE TREND

Gutsy gingham packs a punch in shades of mustard and peachy pink. Wes patchwork quilt, £360; Wes gingham frill cushion, £68, all Projektityyny

Add interest to your table with elegant pattern in a versatile colourway. Gingham linen tablecloth, from £139, Rebecca Udall

OUR EXPERT SAYS…

RUSTIC YET PUNCHY, ❝CHOOSE DISTINCTIVE

6

CHEQUERBOARD DESIGNS IN RETRO SHADES, COMPLETE WITH SHAPELY SILHOUETTES AND RUFFLED TRIMS

7

❞

HOLLY PHILLIPS, STYLE CONTENT EDITOR

6 TRAY Fun potato-printed artwork. Pennycress round tray in Burnt Orange and Pink, £27.50, The Humble Cut 7 FOOTSTOOL Pretty frills make seating twirl. Aurora footstool with skirt trim in Punch, from £470, Ceraudo

10

8 BOX FILE Kickstart the motivational desktop.

Box file in Check Red, £38, Molly Mahon 9 BASKET Farmers’ market passion for fashion!

Gingham bow basket, £50, Edit58

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COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

10 LAMPSHADE Handmade with happy-hound features.

Whippet check lampshade, £59, Polly Fern

FEATURE HOLLY PHILLIPS

8

SEASONAL DECOR

REFINED

farmhouse Get those well-heeled wellies at the ready with a stylish new take on farmhouse style.

Team tongue-and-groove with elegant furniture, warm wood with slick metal, and trim textiles with snug and lustrous details

OUTDOOR LOUNGING Ease into the evening and linger longer outside with cosy textures on supersized seating around a blazing firepit. Pile on textures for layers of comfort and warmth.

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CUP OF COMFORT Pour and serve warming drinks in style. This polished metal jug provides gleam and its wicker cosy keeps brews heated for longer.

SEASONAL DECOR

WELCOME HOME Make a hallway that feels like a hug, with snug and smart fittings and furnishings. Plank panelling and brick flooring bring a new-barn feel which is softened with cushions and seasonal flowers.

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BY CANDLELIGHT Layer a wool runner over a linen tablecloth to create an inviting and informal setting, with relaxed arrangements of seasonal flowers gathered from the garden.

Simple brass candlesticks ensure a refined finish.

SEASONAL DECOR

LARDER LOVE Bring the feel of your favourite food store to a kitchen corner with rustic wooden shelving.

Stock up on refillable jars and bottles to display harvest pickings and deli delights.

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SEASONAL DECOR

Smart suppers DRESS UP A SIMPLE FARMHOUSE TABLE FOR HANDSOME HARVEST MEALTIMES. PLUSH VELVET UPHOLSTERY, GRACEFUL CANEWORK AND NEATLY WOVEN WICKER BRING A REFINED LOOK.

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LOVER’S KNOT Choose linen napkins in rich autumn shades of orange for your place settings. Loosely tied rope or yarn with a seasonal flower such as a dahlia, makes an effortlessly graceful napkin tie.

SEASONAL DECOR

ALL THE DETAILS, PRODUCTS & PRICES OUTDOOR LOUNGING

CUP OF COMFORT Antique bamboo tray, £90, Etsy. Apothecary vases, £14 set of two, Rockett St George.

Pandanus insulated jug, £95; Adam Lippes Coquille side plate, £195 set of four; Esio tortoiseshell cutlery, £295 for 28-piece set, all Oka. Floral Weave mugs, £10 each, Royal Stafford. Handmade stoneware mug, £28; gingham napkins, £19 for two, Rowen & Wren. Olney sugar pot, £16, Neptune

WELCOME HOME PAGES 88-89

PAGES 90-91

PAGES 92-93

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Gingham ruffle cushion, £40, Cutting Floor Cushions. Wentworth throw in Rosehip, £180; Grace rectangle cushion in Harry Rust, £68; Grace square Mustard cushion in Isla Finch velvet, £76, all Neptune. Textured stripe cushion, £55; Khaki woven tasseled cushion, £55; Black vase, £45, all Cox & Cox. Nora Grid throw in Rust, £126; Parrot Green mug, £26 set of two, Also Home

try IJ&L Brown. Antique sunflower painting, £120; antique wood board, £150, both Country Brocante. Medanoso Natural rug, £795; Dirty Orange velvet cushion, £60, both Oka. Cashmere scarf, £125, Le Petit Jardin.

Palm leaf bag, £34, Rowen & Wren. Coral Blush weave cushion, £40, Nordic House.

Beige linen stripe cushion, £38; Natural woven dome storage basket, £30, all Rockett St George. Khaki woven tasseled cushion, £55, Cox & Cox. Wellies, from selection, Hunter Wellies. With thanks to Basil the dog

Similar wall light, Quito, £105, Mullen Lighting. For a similar bespoke settle bench,

BY CANDLELIGHT

LARDER LOVE

Emily linen tablecloth in Peat, £145; Heddon brass candlesticks, £40 each; Coleridge Olive dinner candles, £18 for six, all Neptune. Runner in Belmont Ollaberry/ Roxburgh wool in Skipness, £69.90m, Linwood. Amber glass vase, £15, Petersham Nurseries. Short Amber glass vase, £16; water hyacinth woven place mats, £14.99 set of four, all Dobbies. Amber and Patchouli glass candle, £8, Sainsbury’s Home. Gingham napkins, £19 for two, Rowen & Wren. Dark Yellow tumbler, £5.99, Zara Home.

Silver Birch tumblers, £8 each; wine glasses, £10 each, all Emma Britton

Unit in Treron estate emulsion, £49.50 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball. Similar wall light, Quito, £105, Mullen Lighting. Antique canvas painting, £80; vintage wooden board, £150, both Country Brocante. Olive oil, £25; honey, £20; tins, £1.19; Henry storage jars, from £22 each; Organic wholemeal flour, £1.99; wheat spaghetti, £3.99; Bailey storage jars, from £12 each, all Daylesford Farm. White bowl, £15; Black marble pestle and mortar, £20; ceramic store jars, £30 set of three; wooden bowl, £15, all Homesense. Fresh produce, from selection, Kingfisher Farm Shop

SMART SUPPERS

four; side plates, £195 set of four; Esio Tortoiseshell cutlery, £295 for 28-piece set; Medanoso rug, £795, all Oka

Henley dining chairs in Isla Fox and Elliot Granite, £445 each; Emily linen tablecloth in Peat, £145; Heddon brass candlesticks, £40 each; Coleridge Olive dinner candles, £18 for six, all Neptune.

Sixties rattan chairs, £500 a pair, Raj Tent Club. Coral Blush weave cushion, £40, Nordic House. Round wicker trays, from £14.95, The Danes. Mustard napkins, £9.99 for two; Dark Yellow tumbler, £5.99, all Zara Home. Baked Clay linen napkins, £19 for two; Gingham napkins, £19 for two, all Rowen & Wren. Floral Weave dinner plates, £10 each; bowls, £8; side plates, £8 each, all Royal Stafford. Adam Lippes Coquille dinner plates, £250 set of

LOVER’S KNOT Adam Lippes Coquille dinner plate, £250 set of four; Esio tortoiseshell cutlery, £295 for 28-piece set, all Oka. Emily linen tablecloth in Peat, £145, Neptune. Runner in Belmont Ollaberry/Roxburgh wool in Skipness, £69.90m, Linwood. Myla wood plate, £30, Nordic House. Floral Weave side plate, £8, Royal Stafford. Rust-coloured wool (for napkin ring), £5.50 for 220g; name tags, £2 for 20, all Hobbycraft.

Oak leaf decoration, £14, Le Petit Jardin

FEATURE AND ART DIRECTION SARA BIRD PHOTOGRAPHS DAN DUCHARS; (BACKGROUND) ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STYLING SELINA LAKE STYLING ASSISTANTS SARAH PRALL AND ELEANOR WILSON

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Garden sofa, custom-built. Table, recycled water tank. Antique marble side table, £299; basket planter, £160, all Burford Garden Company. Vintage barrel planter, £45, Country Brocante. Olive Green velvet cushion, £29; sheepskin rug, £150; brass lanterns, £28 each; pillar candles, £3 each, all Nordic House. Recycled wool blanket in Jacob Tartan, £60, The Tartan Blanket Company. Velvet cushions in Dirty Orange and Burnt Orange, both £60 each, Oka.

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Come to the TABLE THE DINING ROOM CAN BE SO MUCH MORE THAN A PRACTICAL SPACE. DONE WELL, IT’S A STYLISH, CONVIVIAL PLACE TO GATHER WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

DINING ROOM IDEAS

MOODY MOMENT For understated luxury choose a moody palette with walls painted in deep blues or greens. Keeping the ceiling a bright white adds contrast, but if you prefer a more enveloping feel then paint the ceiling the same rich colour.

Take inspiration from traditional gentlemen’s clubs by introducing leather chairs to add texture, but give a modern twist by choosing a contemporary shape.

Walls painted in Basalt, £48.50 for 2.5ltr, Little Greene COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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OPENED UP ‘When designing a dining space in an extension, I recommend incorporating a skylight into the ceiling, as opposed to a fully glazed roof,’ advises Emma Sims-Hilditch, founder and creative director of Sims Hilditch.

‘This creates a lovely soft light which falls onto the seating area, without making the space too hot. If the extension has a view onto the garden then place the table so that guests can soak up the natural surroundings too.’

Pimlico chairs, from £200 each, Lloyd Loom. For a similar table, try the Sheldrake, from £1,120, Neptune

DINING ROOM IDEAS

For a similar chair, try the spindle-back chair, £180, Garden Trading

ON THE BENCH Whether you love entertaining, or use the dining table as an everyday space, consider opting for a bench along one side for ultimate flexibility. ‘Choose practical finishes like acrylic performance fabrics or faux leathers,’ says Emma Pocock, co-founder, Turner Pocock. ‘The feel of upholstered benching is so much more versatile, becoming a place to chat, do homework or linger with a drink after dinner.’

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DINING ROOM IDEAS

Alice side chairs, £1,350 each, William Yeoward. Magnolia chandelier, from £3,864, Richard Taylor Designs

CLASSIC ELEGANCE Make the dining table the focal point by opting for a circular style, which also lends itself to easier conversation during a meal.

Adding a statement chandelier directly above further directs the eye straight to the table. To ensure such a classic look sits happily in a country home, layer up textures for a rustic contrast – like the exposed brickwork and tastefully upholstered chairs in this design from Sophie Head Interiors.

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BACK TO NATURE Characterful rustic furniture and natural textures help to soften modern features, such as poured-concrete floors and graphic wallpaper, while providing a pleasing balance to a pared-back dining space. Hone in on the natural vibe by adding foraged foliage, green and white crockery and accessories.

Benches add a relaxed tone, but do include a chair or two for those who need more support.

Winglefield extending dining table, £2,595, Oka. Pil wallpaper in Green/ Turquoise/Blue, £86 a roll, Sandberg Wallpaper

Fruit wallpaper, £84 a roll, Morris & Co at Sanderson Design Group. Wayland elbow chairs, approx £820 each, O&G Studio

The soft vintage-style dining room suits this 1920s Tudor home, owned and decorated by interior designer Heidi Caillier. ‘The William Morris wallpaper feels cosy and helps make a room that can be under-utilised feel like a space you want to spend time in,’ says Heidi.

Touches like the collection of plates on the wall feel at home here – play around with similar crockery or even mirrors. Vintage-style furniture will set the scheme off, but if you can buy original do – it’s more sustainable and, as Heidi says about the table, ‘it’s a great choice for families as it can handle a lot of wear and tear.’

RUSTIC ROOM Gather for suppers in a cosy, rustic space.

Create a characterful, homely room for everyday eating with subtle green-painted, panelled walls and a cool, contrasting fireplace or mantelpiece for a contemporary touch. Introduce elements to further modernise the country look and also reflect evening candlelight with touches of recycled glass and metal pendants. Layer texture further with the addition of a soft sheepskin rug and natural linens. Finally, warm wood furniture helps finish off a snug and inviting space.

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FEATURE THEA BABINGTON-STITT PHOTOGRAPHS FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM; ALEX JAMES

ECLECTIC CHARM Walls painted in Weald Green, £45 for 2.5ltr, Fired Earth.

Dexter pendants in copper, £100 each, Pooky

DINING ROOM IDEAS

PERFECT PALETTE The shade you choose to envelope your dining space in can have a greater effect than just looking pretty. ‘Earthy pigments of terracotta provide an authentic connection to nature,’ says Melanie Archer, designer at John Lewis & Partners.

‘This restorative, earth-inspired colour is comforting and inviting, evoking feelings of sociability, and creating the perfect atmosphere for entertaining.’

Anyday spindle dining chairs, £179 for a set of two. Santino dining chair, £199. Round mirror in Taupe, £150, all John Lewis & Partners

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STORING LOGS INSIDE When stowing logs, they need some air flow to prevent mould forming.

Wooden framed stores and woven or metal baskets are ideal; avoid plastic boxes as they may cause moisture build-up. For safety, ensure kindling and wood isn’t stacked against a stove or fire.

Make space for logs by repurposing a bookshelf, stacking vintage crates or using space under a bench or console table.

A simple side table doubles up as a log store in this modern-country scheme

HEARTH OF THE HOME Get ready to hunker down on chilly nights with our toasty fireside tips 106

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

FUEL SUPPLY Round log holder, £95, Cox & Cox. Toba log basket, £225, Sweetpea & Willow.

Chrome Band kindling bucket, £43, Dibor

MAKE A HOUSE A HOME

FRAME THE FOCAL POINT Create an instant cosy nook around a woodburning stove by framing it with a contrasting paint colour on the wall, using a deep shade. Tiles behind the fire or stove can also add an unexpected dash of colour and pattern; just check that they’re made to withstand temperature. Or why not wallpaper the chimney breast for a decorative statement. You can also paint your fire surround the same colour as the wall for a seamless finish.

Walls in Lady Bug and Eyebright clay paints, £47 for 2.5ltr, Earthborn

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MAKE A SCENTED FIRE LIGHTER Gather fragrant ingredients, such as pine cones, cinnamon sticks, fresh rosemary and sage, plus dried orange and lime slices. Cut an old newspaper into squares, bundle the ingredients and simply roll and wrap like a cracker, securing the ends with twine.

KNOW YOUR WOOD Look for seasoned, kiln-dried logs or wood briquettes with less than 20% moisture for efficient burning and to reduce pollution. Look for the Ready To Burn seal. Check out Kindwood for locally sourced sustainable wood. You can also gather and season logs at home; soft wood takes at least six months to dry, while hard wood takes up to two years – a moisture metre will determine when it’s at 20% or below.

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FIRESIDE FRIENDS Tool companion set, £99, Store.

Luxury Grey Fern Leaf matches, £7, Heavenly Homes. Fireside bucket with lid, £28, Garden Trading

MAKE A HOUSE A HOME

CREATE A COSY SPOT For a sociable layout, place sofas and chairs opposite each other.

No room for a coffee table? An ottoman can double up as a place to pop a tray of drinks, while nesting tables or small footstools can be moved around and tucked away when not in use. An L-shaped arrangement works better for a narrow room. Anchor the setting with a rug. For safety, keep furniture around 1m away from the fire.

Petersham three-seater sofa in linen union, £2,300; Cosy chair, £1,600; Kingham coffee table, £395; Norton stool, £120; Flokati rug, £445; Cowley metal floor lamp, £295, all The White Company

MAKE A HOUSE A HOME Ceramic vases and jugs, from a selection, Oka

COSY UP Recycled-wool blanket in Rust Herringbone, £60, Tartan Blanket Co. Savoy rattan butler’s tray, £180, Kalinko.

Himalayan Grey slippers, £55, Nauseni

STYLE UP THE MANTEL

WORK IT OUT OF SEASON Create a focal point of your fireplace or hearth during the warmer months. Try an arrangement of vases, picking a similar palette and adding floral stems. Alternatively, fill the space with a variety of potted plants, placing taller ones at the back and smaller or trailing varieties at the front. Try this with lanterns and tealight holders.

3 OF THE BEST FIRE GUARDS

For similar, try Feather and shell art, £89, Cotswold Luxe.

Try Old Havana pitcher, £38, Anthropologie

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(From left) Ornate fire screen in Copper finish, £77, Chosen By Jessica.

Hereford fireguard, £188.90, Jim Lawrence. Hill Interiors mesh fireguard in Antique Bronze, £62.22, ManoMano

FEATURE MICHELA COLLING PHOTOGRAPHS FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM

A large, statement mirror or painting always helps boost this focal point either propped (but secured) on the mantel or positioned above. Create a changing display with flowers or foliage that alters with the season (real or faux). Avoid cluttering the shelf, but group items at either end using three key items at varied heights. It’s the perfect spot for family photographs in small and medium frames.

KEEP IT SPICK AND SPAN Have the chimney swept every year to remove any soot build-up or blockages; it reduces the risk of a chimney fire and also creates a better draw, making the stove or fire run more efficiently. Ask a sweep to check for any damage that may need repair and have the stove serviced.

Sweep out the ashes from your fire grate or stove after every use and clean the glass by wiping with a soft, damp cloth.

Fireside tools, £110; fireside bucket, £28, is similar; household dustpan and brush, £10, all Garden Trading

STATELY STATEMENT

Goldilocks beds WRITE YOUR BEDTIME STORY WITH A ‘JUST RIGHT’ FAIRY TALE BED THAT FEATURES DARING HEIGHTS AND CASCADING UPHOLSTERED CURVES 112

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

Regally poised, its sweeping curve and cut-out base make a striking accent piece for luxurious lie-ins. Handmade in Devon and padded with layers of locally sourced organic lambswool for supreme comfort, choose your favourite natural fibre fabric to fulfil sweet dreams.

The Rosemoor king-size bed, H183x W150xL200cm, £2,010, Naturalmat for Homes & Gardens

FURNITURE BUYER’S GUIDE

SCALLOPED ❝CURVED, DESIGNS EVOKE A

MODERN UPDATE Petite wings embrace the vast back, which is singing to be piled high with crisp pillows in preparation for leisurely breakfasts in bed.

Holly king-size bed in Isis fabric, H143x W162xL210cm, £1,445, Button & Sprung

COCOONING FEEL, WHILE TALL, STATUESQUE STATEMENTS ADD A SENSE OF GRANDEUR

❞

PUNCHY PRINT Sumptuously elegant with cloud-shaped curves and patterned upholstery that packs a punch of wanderlust desire, this fit-for-royalty design will be the focal point in any scheme.

Eigg king-size bed covered in Linwood Kami Jade, H182xW162xL219cm, £1,789, The Headboard Workshop

BONNE NUIT Recline on a French-inspired design as deliciously comfy as its name suggests. This British-made delight stands proud with a padded headboard on solid oak legs.

Sugar Puff king-size bed in Timeless Teal vintage velvet, H126xW161x L228cm, £1,615, Loaf

COUNTRY HOUSE CHIC Designed for the brand’s new bedrooms at Babington House in Somerset, this handsome design captivates with its fluted headboard and dramatic silhouette.

Gerrard king-size bed in Linen Loden, H161xW160xL214cm, £3,695, Soho Home

REFINED MASTERPIECE

FEATURE HOLLY PHILLIPS

GOLDEN AGE Quite the glamour kitten, this inviting minx has a degree in snuggle factor and brings playful tactility to night time. That’s beauty sleep in every sense!

Bella double bed in Mango brushed linen cotton, H134xW145xL210cm, £1,150, Sofa.com

This luxurious velvet respite will nestle wonderfully into both maximalist and minimalist spaces. Its channel-tufted headboard is a testament to impeccable workmanship.

Feather collection king-size bed in Blue Green, H147x W155xL205cm, £2,098, Bethan Gray for Anthropologie

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GIVE YOUR HOME A GLOW-UP FROM ILLUMINATING DARK CORNERS AND SETTING THE MOOD, TO FLATTERING YOUR ROOM, FIXED LIGHTING IS KEY FOR A SHINING SCHEME

CLASS ACT

Glass School pendants, from £295 each, Davey Lighting at Original BTC

Made with mouth-blown glass, these pendants from Davey are an elegant interpretation of a classic found in 1920s classrooms and libraries and work well here above a farmhouse table. ‘The glass shade offers not only a softer, more decorative look, but also greater illumination and a more ambient light,’ explains Peter Bowles, managing director, Davey Lighting.

ROOM ELEMENTS

1 Brompton wall lights in Antique Brass, £87 each, Neptune

2 Pringle wall light, £65; Empire shade, £27; Palmer table lamp, £79; tapered shade, £48, all Pooky

3 For similar wall light, try Avon with rattan shade, Soane.

Interior design, Barlow & Barlow

1 TOP BRASS ‘Kitchen lighting will inevitably focus on practical solutions: overhead, in cupboards, as over-counter recessed lights and wall lights.

These will help you zone your workspaces and highlight specific details and appliances,’ says George Miller, home designer at Neptune.

Ensure functional elements look fabulous by co-ordinating finishes, such as choosing brass wall lamps to match the mixer tap.

2 DOUBLE UP To create a reading nook without settling for bright-white lighting, layer warmer tones with a wall light

4 Find similar brass picture lights at Jim Lawrence. Interior design, Interior Fox

and additional table lamp if space allows. ‘Warmer-toned lighting promotes a sense of calm and relaxation, so is perfectly suited to bedrooms and living rooms,’ says Rohan Blacker, founder, Pooky. ‘It helps to create atmosphere and will make a huge difference to the feel of a room. However, avoid lighting that looks too orange and artificial, so aim for 2700-3200K bulbs.’

3 SET THE MOOD Swing-arm lamps make a stylish alternative to overhead lighting in a small space. It’s easier to adjust the height and direction of the light, so you can create different moods,

depending on whether it’s dinner for two or family meal time. The mix of antique brass fixtures with rattan shades here brings a relaxed, rustic touch to an elegant dining area.

4 PICTURE THIS ‘Layering lighting over artwork adds depth and elegance,’ says Jenna Choate-James, co-founder, Interior Fox. ‘A picture light looks great mounted on a wall to illuminate artwork. The more controlled lighting is, the better, so run wall lamps on a different circuit to ceiling lights. That way you can choose which light source is switched on for the best ambience.’

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PLAN LIGHTING, AND ANY ASSOCIATED ❝ELECTRICS, INTO YOUR SCHEME AT THE START FOR THE BEST EFFECT ❞ JACKY PARKER, ACTING CONTENT EDITOR

5 Brigade pendant, £119, and Kiefer wall light, £29.99, Där Lighting, are similar

ROOM ELEMENTS

5 GOOD ATMOSPHERE For a comfortable setting, have three or four light sources in a living room, so you can layer your lighting. Try an overhead pendant or chandelier, then add accent and task lighting in the form of fixed wall sconces, picture lights or adjustable spot lights, teamed with floor and table lamps for reading or watching TV. It’s worth having the overhead light on a dimmer too, so that you can adjust the brightness and alter the atmosphere when it suits you.

FEATURE JACKY PARKER PHOTOGRAPH (GOOD ATMOSPHERE) PAUL MASSEY

6 MATERIAL MAGIC These statement Odeon marble pendants from Timothy Oulton stand out against the natural beauty of the oak beams in this Grade II-listed home.

‘The marble echoes the veining in the worktop below and the metallic framework ties in with the bronze casement windows, says Richard Moore, design director, Martin Moore. ‘They strike just the right balance: modern yet totally in sync with the colour palette and style of the room.’

6 Kitchen project, Martin Moore

NEED TO KNOW... GET LIGHTING RIGHT PENDANT PROPORTIONS

WARM GLOW

BRIGHT SPARK

IN LAYERS

‘In a kitchen, we suggest 75-100cm as a ceiling height above the counter for large pendants. The placement of each one is dictated by the size of the island; the entire surface should be illuminated,’ says Richard Moore of Martin Moore.

‘Choosing light bulbs is important,’ says Rohan Blacker, founder, Pooky.

‘The kelvin measurement indicates the colour of the bulb’s light. The higher the value, the whiter the light will be, with lower values producing softer, warmer glows.’

‘In terms of brightness of the bulb, look at the lumens; the higher the number, the brighter the light. For bedrooms, pick a slightly lower figure.

Even for reading in bed, too much brightness can be detrimental,’ says Rohan Blacker of Pooky.

‘For multifunctional spaces, layer your lighting to support a variety of activities,’ says Mary Buchanan, creative director, Där Lighting.

‘Bar pendants provide a focal point, while wall lights throw beams of light around the edges.’

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ELEMENTS SOURCEBOOK

Table lamps

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Introduce a subtle nod to the rattan trend with this tactile design.

Calabash rattan table lamp, £295, Oka

Fronds and fringing bring a joyous touch to a brass base.

Ornamental Palms lampshade, £180; Kalash base, £209, both Mind The Gap

Take your pick from vintage linen shades in 12 colours.

Flute table lamp with Burnt Umber shade, £175, Loaf

This glazed ceramic lamp base and linen shade will look gorgeous in a country setting.

Finn table lamp, £145, Soho Home

The green dimpled glass diffuses the light around beautifully.

Vidro large bronze table lamp, £246, David Hunt Lighting

Made in Stoke-on-Trent from beautiful bone china.

Fin King table lamp, £589, Original BTC

Embrace the rich tones for a luxe interior scheme.

Camilla shade, £125; Silvy lamp base, £160, both KD Loves

Go au naturel with this stoneware base and jute shade.

House Doctor Diya lampshade with base, £150, Coffee & Cloth

Hand-painted bands are boosted with a bold blue shade.

Empire shade in Blue shibori linen, £70; Miyako base, £72, both Pooky

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

FEATURE JACKY PARKER

TOO PRETTY TO HIDE IN A CORNER, A CHARACTERFUL BASE AND PRETTY SHADE WILL BRING ZING TO A SIDE TABLE

HOME TECH

Buy the best...

SMART HEATING TO SAVE ENERGY PUT AN END TO WARMING UP EMPTY ROOMS AND SAVE MONEY ON YOUR BILLS BY INTRODUCING SOME SMART TECH TO YOUR HOME WundaSmart starter kit, £199; WundaSmart radiator heads, £48 each, all Wunda

BEST FOR...

SMART HOME INTEGRATION Hive Active heating, £179; Hive radiator valves, £64 each, Hive You don’t have to get this system installed by a professional but for an extra £70 a British Gas engineer – as that’s who owns Hive – will do it for you. You’ll have full control over your home’s heating, setting detailed schedules for the temperature to go up or down when required. The same companion app will operate any other Hive smart home gadgetry, such as the brand’s light bulbs, smart plugs or home security.

BEST FOR...

MODULATING BOILERS

n START WITH A THERMOSTAT Most smart heating systems need a control hub and a smart thermostat is just that. Usually made up of two devices, one that links to your boiler, while the actual thermostat is a wireless gadget that you have on display, allowing you to check the room temperature or adjust it.

FEATURE GINEVRA BENEDETTI

n ADD RADIATOR VALVES To have a completely rounded smart heating system, you need to add radiator valves. These are add-ons that attach to your existing valves and can be controlled wirelessly. They can be purchased in a starter pack, bought individually or in packs of three or five (or more) for a lower price. n TAILORED TO YOU Scheduling your heating to go up and down in temperature depending on when you’re in and out is the best way to save money on your energy bills. Smart heating systems use geofencing to turn your heating on when you’re close to home (by tracking your phone’s location) or go on holiday mode when you’re away to save energy and protect pipes.

Smart modulating thermostat, £219.99; smart radiator valves, £69.99 each, all Netatmo If you have an OpenTherm or modulating boiler (which adjusts the water temperature in the heating circuit), this smart thermostat will fit your system perfectly. Combined with the brand’s smart radiator valves, you can create multiple heating schedules, and even heat each room as required.

It offers both app and voice control using either Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit.

BEST FOR...

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENTS Wireless Smart thermostat V3+ starter kit, £199.99; Smart radiator thermostats, £69.99 each, all Tado This clever system detects any temperature changes in a room – from open windows to south-facing spaces – adjusting the heat automatically to remain at the optimal temperature.

Installation is easy and it can be app or voice controlled via Alexa, Google or Siri. The separate valves allow you to easily tweak a radiator’s temperature; buy multiples and they’re cheaper.

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K I TC H E N P R OJ E CT

Inspired by the look of classic natural marble, the quartz surface worktops are more durable and impervious to stains, scratches and cracks

PROJECT PROFILE

Centuries OF STYLE LUCY DICKINSON HAS RETAINED THE CHARACTER OF HER 500-YEAR-OLD BARN WHILE CREATING A STYLISH KITCHEN GEARED TO MODERN FAMILY LIFE

Owners Lucy and Mark Dickinson live here with their family and pets House A four-bedroom converted barn, dating back 500 years, in Kent Project A new kitchen Kitchen size 5x4m (excluding dining area)

Designer The team at Burlanes Interiors

Cabinetry Wellsdown kitchen painted in Mylands’ Artillery Ground

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Ceramic tiles add a splash of graphic pattern and interest to the splashback behind the Aga cooker

A

The Aga heat storage cooker has two ovens and a side electric module with two more ovens for summer use

fter a decade living in their home, interior designer Lucy Dickinson, founder of Woolhouse Designs, and her husband, property developer, Mark, decided that it was time for a kitchen refresh. ‘The cabinets were here when we moved in, so they had seen plenty of use and were looking very tired,’ says Lucy. ‘We also love to cook and entertain, but the existing layout wasn’t very efficient.’

The couple share their home in a former wool merchant’s barn with sons Harry, 21, and Tom, 17, with regular visits from their eldest, Josh, 24. They have two dogs, Olive and Orla, cats Zelda and Tigger, and a flock of chickens.

After working with local company Burlanes Interiors on the fitted furniture for her study, Lucy asked the team to create a bespoke design for the kitchen.

‘Burlanes was a great company to work with, giving me lots of advice without ever being pushy,’ says Lucy of the team, headed by managing director Danny Wood.

The hub of the room is now a large island, which forms a sociable focus to the space, surrounded by 122

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base units, a wet zone and the Aga cooker, which they had inherited from the previous owners of the property. More storage, including a corner fridge, larder cupboard, breakfast station and admin dresser, run along the far wall to create task-specific zones, adding to the efficiency of the layout. ‘By removing the wall cupboards, I have less physical storage space, but what I have is so much more efficient that it works a million times better,’ says Lucy.

Eager to keep the rustic beauty of the existing reclaimed brick floor, Lucy chose the paint colours as the last stage of the project. ‘I tried out different paint shades for the cupboards creating a rainbow of swatches in lots of colours, but in the end, settled on a rich, dark grey-brown shade because it worked so well with the floor, the Aga and touches of warm-coloured brass,’ she explains. ‘I balanced the dark colour with light worktops and neutral walls, which also help to accentuate the character of the beautiful oak beams and make them stand out.’

K I TC H E N P R OJ E CT

FR ID G E

Industrial-style lighting provides modern contrast with the rustic brick floor and oak beams

DRESSER

ISLAND

SINK

COOKER

DINING TABLE

THE LAYOUT A large island, measuring 2.6x1.2m, forms the central feature of the room, complete with storage, work surface and bar stools for socialising. It is surrounded by a wet zone with sink and dishwasher, cooking area with large Aga, corner fridge and larder and breakfast cupboards with dresser unit extending into the dining area and linking the rooms.

Lucy chose a wall mural from the Natural History Museum archives to create a talking point in the dining area

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The whole stave oak chopping board can be moved to different corners of the island as the need arises

CENTURIES OF STYLE

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CLEVER DESIGN SOLUTIONS

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MOVEABLE CHOPPING 1BOARD To make food prep easy, Burlanes designed and produced a bespoke whole stave oak chopping board with a custom-made support, so that it can be moved and securely fitted on to different corners of the island. Perfect for prepping veg near the sink and then moving them nearer to the cooker when needed. It can also be used as a serving station for snacks when friends sit at the island.

K I TC H E N P R OJ E CT

& BREAKFAST CUPBOARD 2 DRESSER Lucy wanted to include more storage, such as a tea and coffee station and somewhere for household paperwork.

An original structural oak pillar meant she couldn’t have one large cupboard. Instead, Burlanes created a breakfast cupboard on one side with double doors opening to a coffee maker and toaster, and drawers below for teabags and cutlery. On the other side is a household admin dresser with scalloped corbels to accentuate the unfitted look of the furniture, designed to suit the age of the house.

The admin dresser, left, and breakfast cupboard, right, are built around an original structural pillar

3 CORNER FRIDGE

Lucy wanted to include an extra-large fridge to suit the size of her family and for entertaining friends, but the original oak ceiling beams limited her options. She felt that a freestanding American-style fridge-freezer would have looked too dominant, while a single column design wouldn’t be big enough. The solution was to include a corner model that makes use of the awkward space with almost 1,200 litres of energy-efficient fridge space – about double the amount of an American-style model.

THE DETAILS INTERIOR DESIGN Lucy Dickinson, Woolhouse Designs

CABINETRY Wellsdown cabinetry, kitchen prices from £25,000, Burlanes Interiors.

Painted in Artillery Ground wood and metal matt paint, £73 for 2.5ltr, Mylands

SURFACES Walls painted in Alderman marble matt emulsion, £53 for 2.5ltr, Mylands. White Attica engineered quartz worktops, from £550sq m, Caesarstone. Spitalfields Retro Star Black splashback tiles, £45sq m, Ca’Pietra. Lubelska brick terracotta floor tiles, £156.16sq m, Fired Earth

FEATURE AMELIA THORPE PHOTOGRAPHS SARAH LONDON PHOTOGRAPHY

APPLIANCES Aga R3 Series Cream heat storage range cooker, from £8,240, Aga. The Corner fridge, £4,690, The Corner Fridge Company. RiF892 in-column integrated freezer, £399, Caple.

SMD6EDX57G fully integrated dishwasher, £869, Bosch

SINKS & TAPS Phoenician mixer with rinse, £585, Perrin & Rowe. Nordic Round single boiling water tap, £950, Quooker. Classic Double Belfast sink, £437, Rangemaster

ACCESSORIES

The fully integrated corner fridge fits neatly below the beams and offers an impressive 1,160ltr of chilled storage

Brooklyn dome pendant lights, from £99 each; Orlando wire cage pendant lights, £49 each; Swivel double spotlights, £99 each set, all Industville.

Weathered oak counter stools, £250 each, Cox & Cox. Blinds in Anoushka in Charcoal linen mix, £90m, Kate Forman

DINING AREA Natural History Museum Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus Ruber wallpaper mural, from £40, Surface View. Vintage antler chandelier, No1 Lewes

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Gather for an AUTUMN FEAST AS THE NIGHTS DRAW IN AND THE DAYS BECOME COOLER, BRING WARMTH TO THE TABLE WITH COMFORT FOOD MADE WITH THE SEASON’S MOST SATISFYING INGREDIENTS

AUTUMN SALAD OF ROASTED SQUASH WITH SERRANO HAM & MANCHEGO CHEESE > 126

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G O O D F O O D, G O O D T I M E S

BRINED CHICKEN WITH CIDER, PEARS & PUMPKIN >

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G O O D F O O D, G O O D T I M E S

AUTUMN SALAD OF ROASTED SQUASH WITH SERRANO HAM & MANCHEGO CHEESE TAKES 45 min

SERVES 6 1 medium butternut squash (around 900g) 3tbsp olive oil ½tsp paprika 150g sliced Serrano ham 2 handfuls of watercress, thick stems removed 50g Manchego cheese, rind removed

FOR THE DRESSING 1 garlic clove, peeled, bruised and bashed slightly 2tbsp sherry vinegar ½tsp Dijon mustard Pinch of caster sugar 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Peel, deseed and cut the squash into cubes, setting aside the seeds. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Toss the squash with 2tbsp oil, season and spread out on a roasting tray. Roast for 30 min, until golden and soft. Set aside to cool.

2 Toss the squash seeds with the remaining oil, paprika and a little salt. Spread out on a baking tray and roast for 6 min, until lightly toasted.

3 For the dressing, put the ingredients and a little salt and black pepper in a lidded jam jar and shake vigorously. The dressing can be made four days ahead and kept in the fridge.

4 To serve the salad, gently toss the squash, ham and watercress with the dressing in a large bowl. Shave the cheese over using a vegetable peeler and sprinkle with the roasted seeds.

BRINED CHICKEN WITH CIDER, PEARS & PUMPKIN TAKES 1 hr 45 min, plus brining

SERVES 4-6 1 large chicken (about 2kg), with giblets removed 10 shallots, halved and peeled 4 fresh bay leaves 5 thyme sprigs, plus extra to serve 50g butter, softened 1 small pumpkin, deseeded and cut into wedges

3 small pears, halved and cored 2tbsp olive oil 150ml dry cider FOR THE BRINE 200ml dry cider 100g demerara sugar 2tbsp rock salt 1tbsp whole black peppercorns 2 thyme sprigs 3 fresh bay leaves, crushed

1 Mix the brine ingredients with 200ml water.

Put the chicken in a large, zip-lock food bag

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and pour in the brine. Seal and put in a bowl in the fridge from 6 to 24 hrs, turning occasionally.

2 Preheat oven to 190C/Gas 5. Remove the chicken (discard the brine), rinse and pat dry.

Put 4 shallot halves, 1 bay leaf and 1 thyme sprig inside. Loosen the skin from the breast and put a pat of butter and the bay leaves underneath. Spread the rest of the butter over the breast and legs. Put the chicken in a large roasting tin, cover with foil and roast for 20 min.

3 Uncover the chicken and arrange the pumpkin, pears and remaining shallots and thyme sprigs around it. Drizzle with oil, season and add the cider. Reduce heat to 180C/Gas 4 and roast for 50 min, covering the chicken with foil if it browns too quickly. Insert a skewer into the thigh: the juices should run clear. If not cooked, cover and return to the oven for 10 min.

4 Rest the chicken, tented with foil, for 10 min before carving. Serve with fresh thyme sprigs.

WARM JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SALAD WITH MUSHROOMS & SPINACH TAKES 45 min

SERVES 6 500g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into wedges 2tbsp olive oil 40g butter Handful of sage leaves 500g mixed wild mushrooms, sliced ½ garlic clove, crushed

150g baby spinach leaves FOR THE DRESSING 1 egg yolk ½ garlic clove, crushed Pinch each of caster sugar and salt Juice of 1 lemon 100ml rapeseed oil

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Steam the artichoke wedges for 10 min. Transfer to a roasting tin, toss with the olive oil and season well. Roast for 30 min, until tender and golden.

2 For the dressing, whisk the egg yolk, garlic, sugar, salt and 2tsp lemon juice in a bowl.

Whisking continuously, add the oil, drop by drop, until it begins to thicken, then add the rest in a thin stream. Whisk in the remaining lemon juice and 2-3tbsp water to thin slightly. It can be made three days ahead and kept in the fridge.

3 Heat 10g butter in a pan, add the sage. Cook for 1 min until translucent. Cool on kitchen paper.

Heat remaining butter. Add the mushrooms and season. Add garlic and cook over a high heat for 4-5 min, until golden. Toss in artichoke.

4 Serve with spinach, sage leaves and dressing.

WARM JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SALAD WITH MUSHROOMS & SPINACH

G O O D F O O D, G O O D T I M E S

5 Drain the gelatine leaves and squeeze out any excess water. Stir the gelatine into the warm cream, off the heat, until completely dissolved.

6 Divide the mixture between the six moulds.

Chill for 4 hr or overnight, until set. If not turning out, spoon the sauce over the top to serve.

7 If turning out the panna cotta, dip the outside of the moulds in hot water for a few seconds, then turn out onto serving plates and spoon sauce over the top. Serve each panna cotta with a torn fig half.

BLACKBERRY & SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE WITH A GINGERNUT CRUST TAKES 2 hr 30 min, plus chilling

SERVES 10-12

WHITE CHOCOLATE, RASPBERRY & CARDAMOM PANNA COTTA WITH FIGS TAKES 50 min, plus chilling

150g fresh or frozen blackberries 2tbsp caster sugar 1tsp plus 5 level tbsp cornflour 200g gingernut biscuits 70g unsalted butter, melted Pinch of salt 750g full-fat cream cheese

300ml sour cream, at room temperature 175g caster sugar ½tsp finely grated lemon zest 1tsp vanilla bean paste or extract 5 eggs, at room temperature

FOR THE SAUCE 200g raspberries 2tbsp caster sugar Juice of ½ lemon FOR THE PANNA COTTA 650ml double cream 325ml whole milk ½ vanilla pod 1tbsp caster sugar

4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed 4 gelatine leaves 180g white chocolate, chopped 3 ripe figs, to serve YOU WILL NEED Six 150ml pudding moulds, lightly greased

1 For the sauce, blend the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice with 2tbsp water. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds. Chill.

2 Put the cream, milk, vanilla pod, sugar and cardamom pods in a saucepan, slowly bring to the boil and immediately remove from the heat.

Set aside to infuse for 20 min. Prepare your pudding moulds if not already done.

3 Drop the gelatine leaves, one by one, into a bowl of cold water. Set aside to soften for 5 min.

4 Meanwhile, strain the cream to remove the vanilla and cardamom pods. Return the cream to the pan, add the chocolate and warm over a low heat, but do not allow to boil. Stir until the chocolate is melted.

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1 Put blackberries and sugar in a small pan with 1tbsp water. Heat gently, stirring, for 5 min.

Purée using a blender and return to the pan.

2 Mix 1tsp cornflour with 1tbsp water to make a paste. Combine with the purée. Bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 1 min until thickened.

3 Pulse biscuits in a food processor to a fine crumb. Combine with butter and salt. Press evenly over the base and sides of a 23cm round springform cake tin. Chill in the fridge for 15 min.

4 Preheat the oven to 120C/Gas ½. Whisk cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sour cream, 5tbsp cornflour, sugar, zest and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one by one, stopping when the mixture is smooth.

5 Pour half the mixture over the base and dot with a little purée. Cover with the rest of the mixture. Drag remaining purée over the surface using a skewer to create a marbled pattern.

6 Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 1½ hr, until set but slightly wobbly in the middle. Turn off the oven, prop the door ajar and leave to cool.

Chill for at least 4 hr or overnight. Remove from the tin before slicing.

FEATURE SAMUEL GOLDSMITH PHOTOGRAPHS FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM

SERVES 6

BLACKBERRY & SOUR CREAM CHEESECAKE WITH A GINGERNUT CRUST

COOK’S NOTES

In a Country Kitchen

KITCHEN MAGIC

FORAGER’S SPIRIT Botanist Gin has launched a gift-wrapped bottle of their exquisite gin ready for the festive season. Twenty-two of the botanicals used in the recipe are handforaged by The Botanist’s in-house forager.

Incredibly, it takes seven months of the year to collect every flower and leaf but, as the flavour and quality proves, it’s worth it (£35.08, Amazon).

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COUNTRY HARVEST QUINCE Quince is one of the world’s oldest known fruit trees and has been used for making membrillo (a jelly-like paste sometimes known as quince cheese). However, quince is much more than a sidekick to Cheddar. It’s delicious in puddings and preserves, and holds its own in a savoury supper.

When slow cooked (most varieties are too sour to be eaten raw), the quince becomes a beautiful deep wine red. You can find quince in season in good greengrocers. If you’re looking to harvest your own, they can be grown in pots or planted into the ground. Though a reasonably hardy plant, they do prefer moist, well-drained soil to grow in.

A touch of Cornwall British Cornishware has produced iconic tableware from local clay for nearly 100 years.

Now, just in time for Christmas, the brand is expanding its Adder Green range. The pieces with their rich green hooped design look great alone but we love them paired with the company’s Cornish Red range, too. Priced from £15, cornishware.co.uk from November.

FEATURE SAMUEL GOLDSMITH PHOTOGRAPH (QUINCE) FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM

Unboxing the Magimix Cook Expert is an ‘abracadabra’ moment.

Combining elements of a food processor, blender and whisk with an advanced cooking bowl, it enables you to make soup at the touch of a button, as well as slow cook, stir-fry and sous-vide. It will even knead your bread and then prove it, or make yoghurt overnight.

It also comes with a 30-year motor guarantee. Magimix Cook Expert (£1,195, magimix.co.uk)

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C H I LT E R N S G A R D E N

Beehive-shaped domes of yew and white wooden obelisks create structure, along with Portugal laurel hedging, while beds of perennials ensure seasonal colour

A GARDEN OF CONTRASTS Ginni Riley and her design team have created a garden with secret corners and open spaces that anchor her house in the Chilterns landscape COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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Family Tree by Michael Speller stands on the top lawn of the Secret Garden, flanked by two umbrella pines (Pinus sylvestris)

IN THE GARDEN WI T H… Owners Ginni and Ian Riley and their children, Emma, 27, and Tim, 24, and Pip, the Springer Spaniel.

House Georgian-style modern house on a ridge in the Chilterns.

Features Four-acre garden with a further 40 acres of hay meadows and woodland.

Soil Heavy clay with chalk lying far below the surface.

Key garden areas Formal design with topiary and perennial and shrub planting, plus a Secret Garden and a wild flower meadow garden.

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M

ost good gardens are collaborative endeavours, and Ginni Riley’s, high up in the Chilterns, is no exception. Ginni and her husband, Ian, bought their home in 2016 after a seven-year search.

‘My heart wanted a listed rectory,’ Ginni says, ‘but those we saw always needed so much work. In the end, we compromised on a modern Georgian-style house.’ The unspoilt view was the clincher. ‘We can’t see another building, electricity pylon or even footpaths from here,’ she says. The garden, however, proved to be quite a challenge. Unusually for the chalky Chilterns, the ground is heavy clay and, as the house is on a ridge, it is beset by winds from all sides. Ginni knew that a cohesive scheme was needed to settle the house in the four acres of rough ground.

Ginni is a gardener of some experience, having completed the RHS Level Three course at Waterperry Gardens near Oxford.

‘I tried doing a few bits and pieces,’ she says, ‘but quickly realised I couldn’t take on something on this scale.’ Fortunately, she saw the work of garden designer Jo Alderson in a magazine. ‘It was another garden in the Chilterns and of a similar size, so she seemed the right person to tackle this project.’

Ginni found herself a dream team, for Jo’s long-time collaborator is plantsman and landscaper Rob Jones of The Garden Design Company. ‘I immediately saw the opportunities the site offered,’ explains Jo. She spotted the potential of a rundown area with derelict tennis court, tarmac and scrub beside the curving front drive. This, she knew, was ideal for a Secret Garden a little way from the house and sheltered by woodland.

‘It was an area I hadn’t even considered,’ recalls Ginni. The >

C H I LT E R N S G A R D E N

I LOVE THAT WE ❝ ARE SURROUNDED

BY WOODLAND, SO YOU CAN ALWAYS SEE DEER, RABBITS, WEASELS, DUCKS, PARTRIDGES AND PHEASANTS

❞

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Acer palmatum ‘Fireglow’ has done very well in the Secret Garden.

This area is irrigated by rainwater collected from the roof of the house

How to plant for AUTUMN INTEREST • Acers are great for seasonal colour. There’s an enormous range to choose from to suit every size of garden and every setting.

three worked well together, enjoying discussing the planting and the ornamentation of the garden. ‘I wanted to have a hand in it, as gardening is a very personal thing,’ says Ginni.

Her brief was for a formal space with topiary and ‘lovely, pretty plants in between’. Jo devised a garden, 55m long by 16m wide, enclosed within estate railing and Portugal laurel (Prunus lusitanica) hedging to deter deer and rabbits. She introduced a strong structure, breaking the large area up into four lawns, punctuated with 12 beehive yews (Taxus baccata). As you approach the house along the drive, the yews stand proud above the hedging, while the garden can be glimpsed intriguingly through four wrought-iron gateways, each leading to one of the lawns. These are surrounded by knee-high Ilex crenata hedging, planted with a mix of trees, shrubs and perennials, such as alliums, roses, peonies, heuchera, astrantia and hardy geraniums for high summer. Various salvias, Verbena bonariensis, Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage), Michaelmas daisies and Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ give late-season interest, while Hydrangea paniculata Vanille Fraise, Acer palmatum ‘Fireglow’ and Cornus kousa var. chinensis are striking in autumn.

There is a succession of vistas: through the gates and down the length of the garden, and from a bench to a bronze statue of four figures, Family Tree by Michael Speller, in the Secret Garden.

‘Each of us in the family thinks we know which figure we are!’ says Ginni. Everything in the garden is bespoke, including the wrought-iron gates designed by Jo with a local blacksmith, and the three-metre high white obelisks, matching the yew beehives > 138

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• Choose shrubs that also give year-round value. Cornus kousa ‘China Town’ has wonderful red foliage, while the yellow stems of Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea’ maintain interest into winter.

• Remember that green foliage looks striking against autumnal reds, oranges and yellows.

Osmanthus and Ilex crenata are good alternatives to box for low edging round bright borders.

• Choose plants like hardy geraniums that put on new foliage after being cut back. Geranium ‘Rozanne’ will flower into winter.

• Form and structure are important in autumn. Grasses, such as Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ make a bold statement and goes well with long-flowering, tall Verbena bonariensis.

• Use subtle lighting in your garden so that you can enjoy it on evenings when it gets dark at 4pm.

• Dahlias and annuals, such as cosmos and tall orange Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’, keep colour in the garden until the first frost.

❝ The views are what makes the garden so special ❞

The house’s setting is spectacular, all the more so when autumn storm clouds gather

Parallel lines of beehive-shaped yews carry the eye towards a semi-circle of Portugal laurel hedging that frames the bench at the end

ON OUR DOOR ST EP… Visit… ‘Cliveden, Taplow near Maidenhead, Berkshire (nationaltrust.org.uk). I love the gardens of this famous house and the spectacular setting high above the River Thames.’

Go for a meal at…

‘The Sir Charles Napier, Spriggs Alley, Chinnor, Oxfordshire (sircharlesnapier.co.uk). This gastro pub has excellent food and a really nice village atmosphere.’

Shop at… ’Rowan Garden Centre, Chalfont St Giles near Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire (rowangardencentre.co.uk).

The owner of this garden centre has a fantastic eye for putting plants together.’

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in height and shape. And building the garden became quite a project, especially with a telegraph pole sitting in the middle of what would become the Secret Garden. A further test was the work taking place during lockdown. ‘We couldn’t even let the team in the house for a cup of tea,’ says Ginni.

The garden design developed further during the process.

Rob suggested linking the formal Secret Garden and vegetable garden to the hay meadows and beech woodlands beyond with a wild flower meadow. ‘It was a brilliant idea,’ says Ginni, ‘to have somewhere that would lead out naturally to the wider landscape.’

In an area of nettles and thistles, Rob laid wild flower turf during April 2020 and it flowered within weeks. It features achilleas, ox-eye daisies, viper’s bugloss, Dianthus carthusianorum, wallflowers, eryngiums and lady’s bedstraw. ‘It’s not a genuine English hay meadow,’ admits Rob, ‘but these plants last longer and can cope with the heavy clay and the difficult wet conditions in this part of the garden.’

In autumn, the spent flowers and seedheads take on the colours of the countryside, uniting the garden with the beautiful view. Ginni is delighted with the results, and the way in which the interlocking squares and rectangles of the Secret Garden have been reflected in the planting. ‘I have everything I want: a formal garden protected from deer and rabbits, yet a wonderful outlook in which you can always see wild animals.’

Garden designed by Jo Alderson (joannealderson.com), and Rob Jones (gardendesignco.co.uk).

Please note, the garden is not open to the public

C H I LT E R N S G A R D E N

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Ginni’s and Jo’s favourite plants 1 Taxus baccata is good for structure; try a roundel shape in a smaller garden.

2 Verbena bonariensis has height and longevity, and the birds love it.

3 Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ adds a pale highlight to borders.

4 Acer palmatum ‘Fireglow’ has striking autumn colour and leaf shape.

5 Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ makes a frothy contrast.

6 Fruits of Malus x robusta ‘Red Sentinel’ bring seasonal colour.

7 Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanille Fraise’ carries blooms in warm, creamy tones.

FEATURE VANESSA BERRIDGE PHOTOGRAPHS MARK LORD

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8 Try Alchemilla mollis for its lovely new growth in late summer and autumn.

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GARDEN NOTES

In a Country Garden A beautiful bouquet, from floral designer Brigitte Girling, to capture the last of the dahlias, with delicate seedheads and autumn leaves How to create…

A RUSSET-HUED LATE-AUTUMN DISPLAY This bowl of seasonal reddish-brown hues and golden tones would look wonderful in a hallway to welcome visitors with its glowing warmth.

YOU WILL NEED… Branches of shrub and tree foliage; dahlias and chrysanthemums; grasses and dry asparagus fern; plus chicken wire and floral tape. n Scrunch a ball of chicken wire in a vessel and secure with floral tape.

Add water to the top of the vessel. n Position the shrub and tree foliage to create an outline and initial shape. n Now add the chrysanthemums and dahlias into the pockets of space; place them at various heights and angles to ensure movement

and interest. Don’t forget to place flowers towards the back to give a sense of depth that draws the eye. n Lastly, add in the delicate grasses and dry asparagus fern. These may get damaged if placed too early. n Keep your arrangement out of the way of heat and draughts and top up the water regularly.

Brigitte’s garden is chemical free and a haven for wildlife. For her floral designs and workshops, go to mossandstone.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPH BRIGITTE GIRLING

As the calendar turns to November, the clocks have changed and dark descends earlier each day. But the light we retain is soft across the sepia tones that shroud the fields, tree branches and hedgerows.

This is not a time to be too tidy in the garden. Skeletal stalks, grasses and seedheads are the favoured spots for insects to wait out the cold winter. Hollow stems fill with ladybirds and lacewings, and goldfinches feast on thistles and teasels.

This bowl of late-autumn beauty celebrates the last of the dahlias.

Mixed with grasses and medlar fruits, berries from the mountain ash, hydrangea skeletons and golden leaves, it is a celebration of what will soon be a lovely memory.

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This oak-framed open-plan extension required an architect

How to plan a big BUILDING PROJECT WHETHER YOU’RE RENOVATING A WRECK OR ADDING AN EXTENSION, HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO PUT IN PLACE BEFORE YOU GET STARTED

G

ood preparation is key to a stress-free build.

Knowing what you’ll need to do and when, who to appoint, possible pitfalls and approximate costs, will help you stay on track and on budget as you watch your dream home grow.

DO I NEED PLANNING PERMISSION? This depends on your project but large extensions generally do, and

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listed buildings and properties in conservation areas or areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) definitely will, so check with your local authority. Once lodged, a planning application can take up to eight weeks, or more for complex projects, so factor this into your schedule. However there is plenty that can be done under Permitted Development (works allowed without planning permission), particularly if you’re not extending the footprint of

your home. Check the guidelines at planningportal.co.uk. If your project qualifies under Permitted Development, it’s worth applying for a lawful development certificate (LDC).

IS IT BEST TO USE AN ARCHITECT? It’s not always necessary, however a design professional is trained in spatial planning and will enable you to get the best from your space. They will produce design drawings, and

A building survey was required for this renovated barn

More simple designs may fall under Permitted Development

This addition to a Grade II-listed building had planning permission

may be able to make planning applications on your behalf. They will also indicate how far your budget can stretch and are likely to know what your local authority may permit or reject, saving going back and forth. To save time, they could also create a design that qualifies under Permitted Development.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO FIND AN ARCHITECT? Ask around your local area, look for builds you like and approach the owners (recommendation is always good), or check social media, then visit their websites. Have a loose brief in place – such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, an open-plan kitchen-diner or whatever you have in mind, along with architectural styles and materials you favour before approaching anyone.

Aim to interview at least four

architectural or design/build firms onsite to discuss design proposals, to gauge whether they can create your dream home and whether you can work well together.

WHICH OTHER PROFESSIONALS WILL I NEED? If you’ve bought a ‘doer-upper’ you will need a chartered surveyor to carry out a building survey (formerly a full structural survey) to highlight areas of concern, essential repairs and approximate costs. Also consider additional drainage, damp, asbestos, subsidence, electrical systems, or even a bat survey. If any of these areas show up on your survey, the surveyor will provide information and solutions. Knowing the work required in advance will enable you to plan your budget. A chartered surveyor should be able to assist with planning a schedule of works and

may be able to recommend reliable contractors, handle the building regulations process and project manage your build.

WHAT’S A SCHEDULE OF WORKS? It’s a comprehensive list of the work required in the most efficient order it needs to be carried out, with a list of the trades or professionals involved and the costs. Decide whether you want to project manage the build yourself or appoint a surveyor, designer or builder who can do it on your behalf. Managing a build can be complex and time-consuming and they may be better placed to deal with issues, if for instance your windows don’t arrive when expected or the weather holds things up. Work out your costs; from gaining permissions down to the last decorating detail (it’s amazing how COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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recommend a structural engineer. If you’re not using an architect, The Institution of Structural Engineers is a good resource.

WHAT ABOUT PARTY WALL AGREEMENTS? This is a must-have if your project affects an adjoining property. Even extensions granted under Permitted Development rights may require one. For more information, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) party walls helpline, 02476 868555, can put you in touch with an experienced, local RICS member who will provide you with up to 30 minutes of free advice.

quickly attractive plug sockets, light switches or door and drawer handles can add up), consider rental costs if you’re living off-site, and always include a 10-15% contingency budget to allow for the unexpected.

Finally, have your finances in place before you begin.

WHAT ABOUT BUILDING REGULATIONS? It’s a legal requirement that most construction work needs to comply with Building Regulations, whether it needs planning permission or not.

Extensions, loft conversions or home alterations have to meet a minimum set of standards, for example structural integrity, fire safety and energy performance. Depending on the work, you can either submit a Full Plan Submission or a Building Notice. Building inspectors will inspect the work at various stages and will advise you of any problems.

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and may be required if or when you sell your property. Check with your local authority regarding costs and procedure, as this will vary depending on the location, size and extent of your project.

WILL I NEED A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER? The plans required by building control are more detailed than those for planning and normally require calculations from a qualified structural engineer. If you’re knocking down internal walls in your home, these are likely to need calculations, and definitely will if they’re load-bearing and require steel beams or lintels to support walls and floors above. An architect may be able to provide technical drawings or

Sourcebook

DO I NEED INSURANCE? If it’s a renovation project, yes; regular buildings insurance is unlikely to be sufficient, particularly if the property is empty, so check with your insurer or speak with a specialist.

Renovation or building work insurance will cover your property while the work is taking place, plus those doing the work and the materials, so it should include public and employer’s liability, legal expenses, personal accident and new works cover. To be on the safe side, check what insurance your contractor has in place.

FIND PROJECT PROFESSIONALS

n To find an architect RIBA, architecture.com n To find a chartered surveyor RICS, ricsfirms.com n To find a structural engineer The Institution of Structural Engineers, istructe.org n To find a builder FMB, findabuilder.co.uk

FEATURE JACKY PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM

Work out your costs, down to the last decorating detail

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO FIND A CONTRACTOR? Ask neighbours for recommendations or find professional builders and specialists in your area through the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

FMB members meet TrustMark’s government-endorsed standards on workmanship and service and can offer a 10-year insurance-backed warranty. The RICS recommends using a written contract, with a fully itemised and costed schedule of works and agreed completion date.

The FMB provides a contract for use by its members which sets out the agreed work in layperson terms.

Live Life Well HEALTH, HAPPINESS, FASHION, TRAVEL, PETS, PASTIMES AND OTHER THINGS TO MAKE LIFE LOVELY

WHAT TO PICK, SEE & DO Admire... autumnal colours on a Leaf Peeping trail through the Forest of Dean, Wye Valley, which has over 20 million trees, visitdeanwye.co.uk.

Enjoy... fine organic Cotswolds fare at The Scenic Supper pop-up, 10 November to 18 December, from £50 each, thescenicsupper.co.uk.

Roast… pumpkin wedges in the oven at 200C with a drizzle of oil and seasoning. Delicious blitzed into a hearty soup.

New England cotton twill kitchen towel, £17; organic cotton Oxford runner, £59; Oxford napkin, £10; wine glass, £16, all Lexington, lexingtoncompany.com

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LIVE LIFE WELL

Home and dry BEST BAA NONE Based on The Isle of Tiree on the west coast of Scotland, Welan is an independent slow fashion brand producing covetable handmade wool bobble hats and beanies from the fleeces of their own flock (including Noah, Popcorn, Nori and Dot). Set up by Yvonne and Jason Lancaster after rescuing an orphan lamb, it’s a refreshing antidote to fast fashion. Choose different styles and colours, from £65, welan-tiree.com

Using kiln-dried timber in your woodburning stove, fire pit or chiminea reduces polluting particulates. Now, with the Clean Air Act 2022, it’s essential. Love Logs is offering Woodsure ready-to-burn British firewood, natural firelighters and kindling delivered to your door in plastic-free packaging. Kiln-dried logs, 8kg, from £13.95, love-logs.com

STYLE SWAP Want to refresh your wardrobe without indulging in fast fashion? Set up a Street Store in your area and swap good-quality clothes you no longer want, for some you do, with friends and neighbours. The scheme attempts to reduce the 350,000 tonnes of wearable clothing that goes to landfill in the UK each year. Visit hubbub.org.uk

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Make sure your pooch is properly prepared for winter walks in all weathers with the colourful kit from Poppy & Ted. Designed by dog lover Paige Gillard, the range includes harnesses, raincoats, collars, sweatshirts and more in a selection of charming prints on practical, washable materials.

There’s an informative size guide too, to make sure your hound is comfortable and correctly kitted out. Collars, £10.99; raincoats, £29.99, popandted.co.uk

SUSTAINABLE SWITCH Ditch throwaway foam sponges for these pretty plastic-free, reusable and 100% home compostable cleaning cloths.

Made with cotton and natural cellulose, the cloths are stylish, super-absorbent and machine washable, too. Pack of three, £8, whiteblackgrey.co.uk COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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TEMPTING TONIC Ward off colds and flu with this tea packed with anti-viral vitamin C and bioflavonoids. Using a mortar and pestle, blend two parts lemongrass, three parts hibiscus, four parts rosehip and one part cinnamon. Place in a teapot with 960ml hot water and steep for five minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey. Increase ratios to make a pot for the family and drink as a preventative. Find more recipes in Natural Cures & Remedies (£9.99, CICO Books)

3 of the best…

natural deodorants Stay fragrant without clogging your follicles F R U I T COC KTAI L Natural anti-bacterial ingredients, such as magnesium and white clay, with Orange & Bergamot or Grapefruit & Mint, keeps you fresh. Clean Deodorant Balm, £12.50 for 55g, naturaldeoco.com FRESH SCENT Safe and effective, this nifty number is infused with pure essential oils such as tea tree and grapefruit and is free from aluminium, parabens and other pore-clogging nasties.

Tea Tree & Aloe deodorant, £3.25 for 50ml, tisserand.com

S O F TLY D O ES I T Prebiotics, zinc and essential oils provide three-way protection in this concentrated organic formula from Green People that’s gentle on even sensitive skin. Quinoa & Prebiotics deodorant, £11 for 75ml, greenpeople.co.uk

Marked your sofa with Malbec? Fear not, the eco-friendly Attirecare red wine stain remover lifts spills with a few sprays and dabs of a damp cloth.

It gently reacts with stain molecules to make them ‘colourless’. £10, alittlefind.com 150

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3 ways to...

restore wellbeing with essential oils

Aromatherapist Julia Roberts recommends these blends from Yellow Gorse...

CALM ‘This is a subtle spa-like blend of lavender, frankincense, ylang ylang and nutmeg to help you unwind. Reach for this when you need a little TLC.’ UPLIFT ‘A fresh, cleansing and uplifting blend with clary sage, said to increase confidence, and stimulating verbena and lemongrass.

Ideal when you need a pick-me-up.’

DE-STRESS ‘Made with geranium, patchouli and frankincense, this luxurious blend grounds and balances hormones.’

Essential oil blends, £12.95 each, yellowgorse.co.uk

FEATURE JACKY PARKER

WIPE OUT

LIVE LIFE WELL

Watching the sunrise through the trees is magical, Sarah says

MY COUNTRY PASSION

Owning a patch of woodland

FEATURE JACKY PARKER PHOTOGRAPH ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Having a plot of beautiful woodland to retreat to and maintain is a source of comfort, peace and rejuvenation for A&E consultant Sarah Grimwood I live in Hampshire with my husband, Stuart, and our pets. We love the outdoors – we sail and have a camper van – and we’ve always dreamed of having a small woodland. Working at the NHS front line and having my holidays cancelled left us drained, so during Covid we started to look properly.

We found a plot through woodlands. co.uk. It’s a little, wild, wonderful place – six acres of traditional English beech and oak skirting an ancient woodland.

It also has sweet chestnut, wild cherry, birch, hazel and ash. There are ferns, holly and honeysuckle; we had bluebells in May and we’ve spotted wild foxgloves. The abundant birdlife includes woodpeckers, nuthatches, mistlethrush and buzzards. There are roe deer, which we often see. We

also have butterflies and dragonflies – even the rare ebony jewelwing.

Although it’s not far from a town, it’s incredibly peaceful. We camp, cook over a fire, and use a tarpaulin or tents, but we can’t build anything.

My favourite time of year is autumn.

Watching the trees celebrate with glorious colours, laden with chestnuts, acorns and beechnuts, before going to sleep for the winter and laying down soft leaves to enrich the earth and give back their energy for others to take up.

Waking on misty mornings, watching the sunrise over a sleepy forest, with tendrils of moisture hanging in the air, before a warming sun clears it away and you get a day of sunshine and cool evenings – it’s magical.

It’s also when the work happens – when the trees are dormant and no

birds are nesting. We’re developing a plan over the next 10 years to increase biodiversity and encourage wildlife.

We need to remove a couple of bigger trees to allow light into a glade, coppice others and plant more diverse species, as beech can take over. There are patches of invasive sycamore and laurel that need controlling, and we’ll plant blackthorn, hawthorn and elder for more flowers in the spring.

I’ve become good at recognising tree species and identifying birdsong, and I can light a fire with sticks and a ferrous rod! It’s wonderfully calming; the air feels fresh and clean. I feel at peace; it recharges my batteries.

Find out more... at the Small Woodland Owners’ Group, swog.org.uk COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS

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LEFT A calm palette is used in one of the four bedrooms above the pub BELOW Enjoy a menu of local ingredients, in relaxed surroundings

PLAN A TRIP TO:

The Alice Hawthorn A REFRESHED COUNTRY PUB WITH ROOMS IN NORTH YORKSHIRE spaces in the pub’s garden, built with homegrown Douglas fir. Their designs are based on agricultural buildings – a stable, barn and a store – so they look at one with their rural surroundings. All the rooms have been named after equine and farming terminology (snaffle, stirrup, tack and flax being particular favourites), which is a nice touch.

And the interiors creatively combine Scandi-minimalism with country cosiness, which works particularly well in the bedrooms.

HOME FROM HOME

Lovers of country rambles will find plenty of rolling hills nearby (as well as England’s tallest maypole at Nun Monkton). And a quick detour to Harrogate or York will provide plenty of independent shops to browse and eateries to sustain you. Back at base,

There are four modern and fresh renovated rooms, and eight new

LOTS TO DO

the freestanding bathtubs (or rainfall showers) will reinvigorate you, ready for an outstanding evening meal.

CULINARY HEART

The Alice Hawthorn is featured in both The Good Food Guide and the Michelin Guide, so you can be sure of its foodie credentials. Whether you dine more formally in the restaurant or feast on pizza in the garden you’ll be spoiled with fresh, local ingredients (Yorkshire Dales lamb and Yorkshire fettle cheese are particular highlights) from head chef John Topham and his team. Their food is central to what they do and it’s clear to see they are passionate about what makes it to the plate.

Rooms from £120 per night, The Alice Hawthorn Inn, The Green, Nun Monkton, York YO26 8EW thealicehawthorn.com

While you’re there...

Modern style in a Garden Room

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BETTY’S OF HARROGATE

YORK MUSEUM GARDENS

YORK BIRD OF PREY CENTRE

A trip to Harrogate, 35 minutes by car, wouldn’t be complete without a Fat Rascal from Betty’s. Take afternoon tea for a true Yorkshire experience, bettys.co.uk

Take a stroll around the beautiful Museum Gardens – home to the Yorkshire Museum – before popping inside to see the latest exhibition, yorkshire museum.org.uk

The ultimate experience for bird lovers, 30 minutes by car. Admire nearly 50 species, with an opportunity to handle and get involved in flight sessions, yorkbirdofprey.co.uk

FEATURE SAMUEL GOLDSMITH PHOTOGRAPHS JIM POYNER

T

here’s nothing cosier than a great country pub – and if it has delightful rooms to retreat to after a delicious dinner, even better.

The Alice Hawthorn – named after the famed racehorse that won the Ascot Gold Vase, Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup in 1844 – ticks all the boxes. Tucked away in Nun Monkton, an idyllic historic North Yorkshire village, the rooms at this Grade II-listed pub make you feel right at home. And you can expect a warm welcome from co-owner Claire Topham and the staff.

M Y FA V O U R I T E V I E W

Autumn sunshine casts a golden glow across a field of early sown rapeseed in Northamptonshire

MY FAVOURITE VIEW...

Northants farmland My favourite view is out of my bedroom window, looking out onto the vast farmland and hills. I bought an off-grid house in the countryside of Northamptonshire two years ago, so I have no neighbours.

The most beautiful thing is to watch the seasons change out of my bedroom window. In the autumn and winter it is beautiful. In the morning it’s all covered in frost, it’s just magical – it’s the only way I can describe it. To wake up and see the seasons change.

I lived in London before, so to watch the fields and my garden evolving through the seasons is just so precious.

It’s great to observe it. In winter, the pond I dug freezes over – it’s amazing.

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across the pond. I’m very lucky to have found somewhere like this to live.

Going off-grid was a really big change. It was a hard adjustment at first but now I’m in the swing of it. I have my own water source, solar panels and a back-up generator for when we don’t get enough sun. The only thing that I have on the grid is my useless internet.

I’ve always wanted to live off-grid, so when I found this house I thought, ‘Jo, you either do it now or you’ll never do it.’ So I jumped in feet first.

We have a natural swimming pond which uses water from my borehole – which goes down over 200ft to an ancient source of water. We’re essentially swimming in dinosaur water!

My favourite memory is of me, my daughter and my son in the pond

planting all the plants that aerate the water and thinking, ‘Are these ever going to take?’ And now it’s gone mad with the plants. It’s something we created together – me and my kids.

I love having my friends to stay and sharing it with them. Thankfully, my daughter lives just a mile away so she’s always round with the kids. The best part about my favourite view is just how quiet it is – apart from the birds. Whenever I stay in London I think, ‘It’s so noisy!’ When I’m at home, it’s just pure peace and quiet.

Look out for Jo’s organic body care range, Jo Wood Organics, with products that are parabenfree, 100% of natural origin and 95% organically grown. jowoodorganics.com

FEATURE GEORGIA FARQUHARSON PHOTOGRAPHS (PORTRAIT) GETTY IMAGES, (MAIN IMAGE) ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

The former Rolling Stones rock chick Jo Wood lives an organic and sustainable lifestyle. Here she shares why she loves watching the change of seasons from home

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