MAISON Country in the City
Summer time Shabby Chic
MAY 2011, ISSUE 34 ÂŁ4.50
Graham & Green
Welcome...
EDITOR’S LETTER
You say May; I hear strawberries and cream, Neapolitan ice-cream and all things delicious and delightful. Our May Issue is bustling with great ideas, top trends and key looks ready to hit your humble abode this summer.
This issue there is large focus on how we are all falling for the country chic look, and how one particular city slicker has incorporated country loving into city living. We question whether the family’s use of the home has changed over the past few decades, and we also find ourselves talking to an up and coming architect who gives us an insight into just how the recession is really affecting us and the upkeep of our homes. There will be wise words on how to achieve great style on a shoestring budget and show how vintage and modern can go hand in hand. With the spring, comes new possibilities, but this summer we are bringing new realities, freshen up those boudoirs with cool Italian blues and add serenity with the inclusion of the ever fashionable shabby chic. I hope you particularly enjoy this months ‘trials and tribulations’ from our resident columnist, it’s an absolute must read!! Sophie Ruddle, Editor
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Contents Summer is just around the corner...
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MAY 2011
Style tips: how to achieve shabby chic on a shoe string budget. Editors letter: Hear all about what the month of May means to our Editor Sophie Ruddle.
Subscribe today....
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Take advantage of this month’s offer and gt two years for the price of one- that’s just £2.25 an issue. Call 0844 456 856. 4 MAISONmagazine.com
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FEATURE: The changing faces of our homes: how time has changed our living quarters.
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Don’t miss out on this months MEET THE EXPERT with new up and coming architect Jennifer Bull....(see page 14).
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EDITOR’S CHOICE: Trials and Tribulations...of a long distance move.
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Cool Italian blues, where to go and how to mix match all those different shades.
Country in the City Where one city slickers pad wouldn’t look out of place in the Cotswolds.
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Italian B It has to be agreed that Italy and Italians both have and know great style! A recent trip to Venice reinofrced just that. Stalls were over spilling with mediterranean blues, soft creams and the ever essential white. Italians are known for not having lavish over the top interior, but their simplistic colour scheme and eye for design is a winner every time.
Blue and white are so fresh and never go out of date. Contrasting different shades of blue, from navy to even a lilac work so well against a white or semi neutral back ground.
Adding quirky nik-naks can really make or break a room, it gives it personality and really makes it your own. Both clock (£45.99) and heart (£5.99) from Gisela and Graham.com
THIS WEEKS PLACE TO SHOP: Home Sense, it’s full of brilliant and quirky essentials (and non-essentials) to give the va va voom to any room. They also have great set ups for you to daw inspiration from. With treats for the home and garden you are certain to find somthing suitable.
Blues
Wild flowers in a crisp white jug scream summer, they can be a moveable piece of art, from bedroom to kitchen and living room to study. MAISONmagazine.com 7
Summer time S
GET THE LOOK
Shabby Chic may sound like a slight oxymoron in the sense of how can something be shabby and chic at the same time. But it is this principle that makes the style so unique and workable. Mixing vintage pieces; whether it be artwork, accessories or decor with modern up to date colours and styles gives a certain je ne sais quoi to any room. In terms of colour you can’t really go wrong, as long as there is a reasonably neutral base throughout the room. adding a varying number of shades from the same palette will in essence make the room. For example the use of soft greys and an array of pinks in the room featured, spell out absolute luxury and sophistication.
Shabby Chic
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Layering of different fabrics, with varying textures, colors and patterns is an easy way to get that ‘shabby chic’ look (as shown by the variety of materials used on page 8).Having quaint bottles of perfume and an array of jewellery on show also buy into the notion of wealth and class. The use of a manequin to display ones ‘golden jewels’ is highly effective and makes quite a statement within the room itself. Black and white pictures scream vintage and add an element of elegance to any room! MAISONmagazine.com 9
Trials and Tribulations ...of a long distance move... M
oving, I’m told, can be a stressful experience. Being a twenty-something, I have no real experience of uprooting one’s family and moving from one end of the country to another. I don’t think the transition from the home nest to university halls is quite the same as packing up your nearest and dearest’s life and making a fresh start. My mother, on the other hand, is a seasoned ‘mover’ and don’t I just know it – the horror stories have now passed into family legend. In particular, there are the reminiscences of our infamous move from Beckenham to Newbury. Firstly, there was the complication of completing the sale on the old house three weeks before officially buying the new one. This necessitated the need to live in a tent in Brittany, whilst the lawyers sorted things out. Packing up the house should have been a relatively simple, one day job, as a local removal firm were to send out a team of strong men. This turned out to be a three day nightmare, as a single, long suffering chap, (who obligingly would unpack each box as soon as he had taped it, because my favourite cuddly, ‘Bunniwogs’, kept getting himself incarcerated with the glass, china, saucepans, books etc), laboured away and only just finished the task as the new family were moving in. Then, eventually the day of completion dawned and we were able to pack up our little tent, cross the channel, drive up from Plymouth and start our new lives in Newbury; collecting our beloved moggy en route. Looking back, my mother said that the thunderous sky and lightening should have been seen as an omen. We arrived in torrential rain and were treated to meeting our ‘interesting’ neighbours for the first time. Now, with reference to the neighbours; my parents should possibly have done a little more research as to why the house was such a bargain - a double fronted, detached property with a delightful garden, large conservatory and an abundance of Victorian charm for £15,000 less than the market price – what were they thinking? Next door lived the family from Hades, which will later be euphemistically referred to as ‘The Funnies’; (I expect you are starting to understand the price). Their abode was a large Victorian building with all the charm of the Adam’s family mausoleum. Here there lived several generations of interbred weirdoes, who would become part of our daily lives. Back to the move - on our arrival, the eldest child, David, shot out of their front door to tick us off for parking outside our own home. He became so frustrated with our explanations and claims of ‘ownership’, that he decided to ‘confiscate’ our car, by climbing in to the driver’s seat and refusing to budge. Later, he was joined by two younger brothers, who stood outside each of the front windows and watched us through their binoculars. Harmless, but somewhat unnerving.
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Unfortunately, the storm raged during this kafuffle, and we had to capture our terrified, wet cat, (who had earlier escaped from her pet carrier and was pinging around the interior of the car, to consternation of David), and try to escort her into the new homestead, whilst repelling the natives. Perhaps the move would have been a bit smoother if we had had our removal van following us with all our things, but sadly the removal company had double booked arrangements for that day and we were to wait a further four days for our bits and pieces to arrive. Our camping clothes – not very warm or clean for that matter, were to have to last us for the best part of a week, but worst of all we had only inflatable mattresses and sleeping bags for furniture and not a TV or Game Boy in sight. Then there was the ‘Weeing Cat’, (not our one), and the disgusting infestation of snails, both outside and inside the house. Silver lines of jelly to greet you first thing in the morning is not the most pleasant experience and I can tell you Laura Ashley would not have been pleased had she known her cashmere throw had doubled up as a snails’ love shack. (Actually the snails later proved very handy in deterring the urinating cat), but more of this later). There was a large green opposite our house, where in summer, cricket would be played; come winter, the local rugby club would set up and do their thing. My brothers, (referred to as the ‘Chumlies’ by my mother), would play happily together from morning till night, but missed their friends and team games like footie. So imagine how pleased they were at the invitation to play with the Funnies, one Sunday afternoon. This game of football took a turn for the worse, when Chumley number two had his trainers stolen and then thrown back in his face, by one of the Funnies. (Later, I was to watch this type of insulting behaviour during a televised speech by President Bush junior, when an Iraqi just had to express his disgust and let off steam in this curious way). Back to the cat from hell; surprisingly its owners didn’t live next door. This cat clearly had testosterone coming out of its ears, as he stalked our cat in the garden, was noisy, confrontational and thought that using our cat’s door flap was appropriate. His indoor manners left much to be desired as well; urinating up freshly painted walls and helping himself to whatever was on the menu for supper that night became daily occurrences. Many a time my dad would threaten to put him in a bag and drive him to the nearest country park, where he could be released to terrorise the local wildlife. On one occasion my dad had a real fight on his hands with this hissing ball of claws and fur, and was obliged to escort the intruder from our premises with the aid of a walking stick and golf club. In time, we came to love our cosy home and got used to the Funnies, but when a change of job for my dad necessitated another move across the country, we were not completely heartbroken...
Edited by Sophie Ruddle
FOR SALE
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O
Country in
f all the seasons, early summer is probably the loveliest: Fresh green leaves unfurl on the trees and bulbs emerge from the soil; the garden is at its brightest and most colourful.
This garden is less than a mile from the city centre, but here Tulips, Bluebells and Aquilegia create a delicate palette of pinks, purples and blues, against a backdrop of Euphorbia and Clematis. Maggie moved to Worcester 7 years ago and decided that a house close to the city centre would be more convenient for work. The house is Victorian, (over 110 years old), and was a complete wreck, so the first tasks were to rewire and plumb a new central heating system. After a couple of years, Maggie was ready to start work on the garden and decided that as the front garden was on view, she would start here. There had been a lawn on either side of the central path, but this had become patchy due to the shade from a number of large trees. Although the trees provided privacy, Maggie felt that they were preventing anything growing properly, so she had these removed and replaced the grass with gravel. Maggie says that she wanted a cottage style design, but with a mixture of Mediterranean, low maintenance plants and traditional British species.
Maggie uses no chemicals and chose plants that would attract birds, bees and butterflies, in both the front and back gardens. There is Buddleia, lavender and Sedum for the bees and butterflies, with Philadelphys and Forsythia for nesting birds. Maggie tells me that she has developed a ‘stumpery’ at the far end of the back garden, where there is little sunlight and a vigorous growth of Ivy. She has placed hollow logs amongst the undergrowth and hopes hedgehogs and even a badger may be encouraged to make a home here. In 2006, Maggie created two separate areas of decking in the east facing back garden; here she can enjoy barbeques and casual dining in total privacy. As the front garden is west facing she can enjoy sunshine from midday until late evening, perfect for enjoying relaxed lunches and tea parties, to the drone on bees.
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n the City
Maggie says that she had a very strict budget for both the house and garden, so she chose only perennials, especially plant species that self seed. Family and friends contributed cuttings and seedlings, so over time the garden has flourished and evolved. Maggie, therefore, enjoys the best of cottage design in the front and a more landscaped, structured design in the narrow back garden. Both areas provide a haven for wildlife and the organic principles she has employed ensure an ecologically, low impact landscape, where she has indeed created country in the city.
Edited by Sophie Ruddle
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New Age Architecture MEET THE EXPERTS
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his months interview is with a new up and coming Architect, we hear of current trends, current problems facing architects and what life as a designer of homes is really like. In 2010 Jennifer Bull graduated from Kingston University with a First Class Honours Degree in Architecture. Since then she has been working as an associate with a firm of Architects in Kent, taking control of several complex renovations. Jennifer is now designing a kitchen/dining extension and loft conversion in a grade 2 listed building in Norfolk.
I asked Jennifer what she felt were the current trends in home design and renovation. Jennifer: Since the recession, many
families have decided to extend their homes rather than look for a larger property. The popular options tend to be creating additional bedrooms and bathrooms in the attic space and knocking down interior walls to spacious open plan living/dining and kitchen area.
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Jennifer Bull, 23, fromCanterbury, Recently moved into a flat (not designed by herself) with long-term boyfriend James. Are there common problems that you encounter in renovations? Jennifer: All projects have their chal-
lenges, but I suppose the most frequent discovery is damp in one form or another; usually penetrating damp causing defects such as cracks in walls and plaster bubbling and discolouring. There are sometimes restrictions in planning permission if the property is a listed building or is located in a conservation area.
Is it difficult to incorporate modern technologies into old buildings? Jennifer: SPAB (Society for the Protec-
tion of Ancient Buildings) provide excellent technical advice and are always keen to help with the inclusion of ecologically sound building resources and technologies, to provide safe, legal and functional facilities. This is especially important when rewiring a listed building. There are new innovations such as ‘mains signalling’ to reduce the need for cabling.
What is the process by which you come up with a design that is right for your client?
Jennifer: It is essential to talk through
plans and ideas with the client, to ensure that the work not only has the ‘Wow factor’, but also accommodates they way they live. I usually draw sketches of the existing features of the building, so I can integrate these into the extension, to enhance the character of the property.
What is your favourite type of project – renovation or new build? Jennifer: I feel I am so lucky, because
I really love my work – every job is completely different because the requirements are as individual as the clients. New build is exciting as there is usually the challenge of getting the most out of the space, especially if the site is in an urban area. I enjoy working with modern materials and love to see concrete left exposed and polished as it produces such great results. Renovation is also thrilling as I love to work with craftsmen who can use traditional methods of building, such as Cob, (unfired clay blocks), or Wattle and Daub panels, to create partitions. I also love wood, so it is a delightful experience to build a roofing structure from green oak trusses, purlins, ridge poles and cruck posts – just the way it has been done for centuries.
Edited by Sophie Ruddle
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The Changing Faces of our Homes
ust recently there has been a thrilling new arrival of a baby girl in our family, so I started to reflect on my own childhood and the first home I could remember. Pouring through the family photos I discovered two things: This baby looks very much like me, (good news for us both I hope) and the way we live in our homes today is incredibly different from just 20 years ago. The first thing that struck me was how my family had rooms set out for clearly delineated functions, with walls and doorways separating the family space. The dining room often doubled up as a playroom and all family meals were taken there, with the exception of breakfast; a movable feast, eaten in the kitchen. The living room was very much an adult only zone, with a discreet toy box tucked under the coffee table. It also would house the only television in the entire house, a concept that doesn’t seem quite beliveable now.The function and uses for our homes got me thinking, so i contcated a local estate agent to find out what is truely desireable in a family home today: •The total number of rooms in a house is no longer relevant, but all need to be spacious and have lots of natural light •Bedrooms should be roomy enough to accommodate a ‘statement’ double bed and there should be at least one with en-suite facilities •There should be a family bathroom and separate shower or wet-room •Ideally the kitchen should provide space for dining and French windows opening onto a patio or an area of decking in the garden •Living and dining rooms are preferably open plan, but have feature fireplaces in both areas
Central heating was a feature of many homes by the late 1960’s and by the 1980’s the trend to en-suite bathrooms was established. The 1990’s saw the emergence of the ‘wet-room’ and the revolutionary microwave cooker. Improvements in technology during this century have enabled builders to integrate ecological features and wi fi connectivity in every room. Design and the use of sustainable materials have never been more important. It seems that over the last decade we have come full circle, knocked down the dividing walls and returned to communal living in a single open plan room, where cooking, eating and socialising all take place. The kitchen is once more the heart of the home, with hi-tech cooking appliances and lots of sophisticated storage. Tiled walls and splash backs are a thing of the past. Kitchen Design is a multi billion pound business and trends appear to have gone in two distinct directions – ‘country or shabby chic’ which would feature an Aga range cooker and hand painted ‘Shaker’ style units with solid wood worktops: ‘urban’ would include meters of glossy units with sophisticated taps and stainless steel / dark wood splash backs and work tops. The traditional ‘batterie de cuisine’ is no longer on view – kitchens are either strictly minimalist or have tasteful floral arrangements, where once the bread bin might have lived. You may well ask what is the purpose of the open plan, shared space of the kitchen/dining/living room all about? Well, of course it is still desirable to have an area to congregate with one’s nearest and dearest, but essentially the open plan living room / kitchen is the new place to display wealth, good taste and current technology. What about the bathroom – don’t get me started, this previously insignificant room is now so important that it would require an entire article of its own!
I started to think more deeply about how the British home has changed, not only over the last 20 years, but over the preceding centuries. In medieval times, the typical dwelling was a single story structure and most families cooked, ate, slept and socialised in one room. Wealth, of course, was the deciding factor when it came to having separately functioning rooms and over time, improvements in health, cleanliness and attitudes to privacy and propriety changed and separate bedrooms were established to keep the sexes apart. It was in the Victorian times that the conservatory was the ‘must have’ extension of its day to show off the rare and delicate blooms from other continents. Despite dark and gloomy furnishings, the windows were large plate glass affairs and there was additional light from skylights over stairwells. After the Second World War there was a general shortage of everything, including money and manpower to maintain the Victorian family mansions and everyone lived more modestly. From the 1950’s onwards the Census informs us that a typical family home has consisted of six main rooms – two reception rooms and a kitchen; three bedrooms and more latterly an indoor bathroom. (It seems absurd to think that up until the 1970’s it was possible to apply for a government grant to install an indoor bathroom into a property).
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