Vvhgbvv

E ODL VING PSummer

BEAUTIFUL DECORATING GARDEN ANTIQUES RENOVATION & OLD HOMES & SHOPPING INSPIRATION & VINTAGE MAINTENANCE BRITAIN’S BEST-SELL

IOD HOMES MAGAZINE

dreaming

JUNE 2021

GARDEN ART COMPETITION

WIN £1,500 OF OUTDOOR FURNITURE

Idyllic period homes Beautiful garden rooms Alfrescodining sets

Vintage delights Howto buypre-loved treasures – andthe best fairsto visit

SHOPFORCERAMICS NEWANDOLD DISCOVER WINDOW DESIGN THROUGH THE CENTURIES

PLUS GROWING SWEETPEAS DOOR KNOCKERS FRENCHANTIQUES PLASTERWORKCARE

Romanticflorals Decoratewithpretty printsandpatterns inspiredbyseasonalblooms

Editor’s Letter

dyolL divaD hpargotohP srevO haraS noitartsullI

onning raincoats and wellies to trudge around a field, unearthing treasures buried beneath mountains of miscellany, is a great British pastime. As fleamarkets, vintage and antiques fairs get ready to reopen their gates this summer, the appetite for buying unique pieces for the home and garden has never been stronger. During lockdown, buyers took to the internet to source pre-loved gems, and the industry quickly adapted to meet the demand – with some changes likely to continue in the post-pandemic world.

However, while more valuable antiques can be readily sought out online, it’s harder to digitally recreate the experience of sifting through thousands of items at a live event – where cherished finds can be discovered at the bottom of bargain boxes or en route from a dealer’s van to their stall. So, this month we asked industry expert Alice Roberton to report on how our vintage-buying habits have changed – perhaps forever – and to highlight the best real and virtual events to look out for in the coming months (page 94). Happy hunting!

With summer so tantalisingly close, this issue is also packed with inspiration for making the most of your outdoor space. What could be a better way to enhance your lifestyle and improve your home, than by investing in a garden building? It’s an ideal way to add functional spaces, and often cheaper than extending. Instead of just dreaming of adding a summerhouse, writer’s hut or glasshouse, find out how to make it a reality (page 117). Elsewhere, we have sought out the most stylish garden furniture to complement a period property (page 133).

Period Living readers are a creative bunch. When we launched a lockdown house portrait challenge last year, we were delighted to receive so many artworks of people’s homes.

So, this month we’re taking it to the next level by challenging you to create an artwork of your garden (page 13). Show off your artistic talents – in any medium – and our favourite entry will win £1,500 worth of Bridgman garden furniture.

Finally, this issue we have a fantastic subscription offer – pay just £48 for a year of PL, and receive a two-mug set from Emma Bridgewater worth £39.95 (page 52). Featuring painterly flowers, the mugs will keep you in a summery mood all year round. Enjoy!

Melanie Griffiths Editor, Period Living

Period Living 3

Decorating & shopping

Homes

Features

15 Journal 39 Enter 13 Win £1,500Artworthcompetition our awards We round up the latest interiors Could your home or garden of Bridgman offerings, news and exhibitions project win you a £2,000 prize? outdoor furniture and showcase your artistic talents 22 ShoppingSupport 40 ceramics Travellers’ rest British Once a bustling coaching inn, the 32 Made in Britain artisans while accessorising your Bunyans’ home still offers a warm Printmaker Amelia Bowman home with these clay creations welcome and a place to relax distils pretty rural and coastal landscapes into collagraph prints 25 Summer 54 refresh Family treasures 84 Antiques journal Designer Sophie Allport shares Three generations of Inge ON THE COVER

ON THE COVER

her home styling tips – plus, save 15 per cent off at her store

Watrobski’s family have made this Georgian house their home

26 Blur the boundaries Flower power 65 Pretty as a picture between Julia Pidgeon’s keen eye for ON THE COVER

outdoors and in with these beautiful floral prints

design and her gardening skills have rejuvenated her home

103 Add characterDoorto yourknockers 74 Peaceful retreat front door Pooling their talents, Tracy and ON THE COVER

with a statement knocker

Russell Gordon breathed life back into their Victorian cottage

ON THE COVER

Discover the latest antiques trends and collectors’ stories

88 Blue & white china Marc Allum looks at the history of this popular style of ceramics 94 Get ready forTreasure hunting the return of vintage ON THE COVER

and antiques fairs this summer, armed with these expert tips

143 Icons of the screen Discover the real homes and

settings behind your favourite period dramas

65 149 Recipes Evoke a sense of summer hygge with Brontë Aurell’s delicious Scandinavian dishes

Cover

Photograph Joe Wainwright Period Living 7

22

99

124 Advice & inspiration

Gardens

ON THE COVER

ON THE COVER

Regulars

99 House 113 Garden 11 Your journal journal journal New products and expert advice The latest products and We share our readers’ letters for improving a period home horticultural advice and photographs 105 Expert RogerHealth check 117 Making room 52 Subscription offer Hunt advises on Create a garden room that is Get a lovely pair of floral Emma maintaining plasterwork an extension of your home – a Bridgewater mugs, worth £39.95, place to work, grow and relax when you subscribe 108 ConservationDesign details Cottage expert Lee Bilson 124 ON THE COVER

explores the design evolution of windows through the centuries

ON THE COVER

abundance

Be inspired by the winning garden from Period Living’s Garden of the Year Award 2020

133 As the daysPatio furniture get longer, enjoy ON THE COVER

your garden from the latest seating designs

140 Period Living’sPippa’Styles plot Editor ON THE COVER

shares her passion for sweet peas at her Cotswold allotment

88

8 Period Living

133 32

Readers’ letters, projects and views on the magazine

L

U

RE

STAR ET T

FOND MEMORIES

Inspired by the decorating features in the April issue, I decided to refresh my bedroom by adding a bold and vibrant floral wallpaper. When I was tidying as part of the renovation, I also found lots of my mum’s costume jewellery.

Sadly, she passed away a few years ago, so I’ve created hearts with the jewellery and framed it for my sister, daughters and niece as a beautiful memento of her. Angela Grant

DREAM KITCHEN

FELINE FAN

My wife, Laura, has no idea that I am writing you this email, but after all the effort she has put in to make her dream kitchen come true, I feel she deserves some recognition. We live in a stone cottage (circa 1867) in Peebles, near the Scottish Borders. The house has many traditional features and this kitchen project has been years in the planning. Now that it is finally complete it looks amazing and suits the house perfectly.

My wife loves getting ideas from the magazine, and the finished kitchen certainly shows them off to the full. Sandy Grant

Jem Glendinning is enjoying the end of summer in South Africa with her February issue of Period Living, Manny the cat and hot cross buns. ‘Manny is pretending to be interested in fabric design, but really he is just eyeing up the hot cross buns.’ @thejeminist Get in touch: periodliving@futurenet.com

This month’s star letter writer receives a seasonal bouquet, filled with stunning British-grown flowers, worth £40 from Love Delivered

RELAXING DEN

I just wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying my first ever copy of Period Living. I recently took out a subscription and already can’t wait for the next issue. Currently, I’m enjoying the April edition while relaxing in my summerhouse, which is flanked by a pair of antique stone lions that I bought at auction just before lockdown. Elaine Smillie @periodlivingmagazine

@PeriodLivingMag

@period_living Period Living 11

Competition

Garden artcompetition Showcase your artistic talents and win £1,500 worth of Bridgman outdoor furniture

selur-noititepmoc/moc.clperutuf ees ,snoitidnoc dna smret lluf roF .eciton tuohtiw emit yna ta ezirp eht egnahc ot thgir eht sev reser revig ezirp ehT .nevig eb lliw evitanretla hsac ro dnufer oN .derrefsnart ro degnahc eb tonnac dna detats sa era sezirp llA :snoitidnoc dna smreT srevO haraS noitartsullI

Above: Whether you choose paint, or needle and thread, capture your garden and share it with us Below: The winner receives a £1,500 voucher from Bridgman

T

he garden truly comes alive in summer with blousy blooms punctuating the borders and resplendent trees in full leaf offering dappled shade. Nature puts on a magical display.

Last year, during lockdown, we launched a social media house portrait challenge, and were inundated with beautiful pictures of readers’ homes. From intricate pen and ink drawings and watercolour paintings to elaborate embroideries and appliqué projects, the skill and creativity of our readers was awe-inspiring.

This year, we are thrilled to announce Period Living’s garden art competition. Whether you dabble in sketching, have a penchant for paint, or are a whiz with a needle and thread, we want to see your hard work. Simply capture the beauty of your garden in your chosen art form, take a high-quality photograph, and upload it to homesandgardens.com /news/garden-art-competition. The competition closes at 5pm on 21 June 2021 and the winning artwork will be showcased in our October issue.

The prize

Since 1977 Bridgman has been providing luxury furniture that is comfortable, looks good, and is easy to maintain. Its dining and lounging furniture features unique, fully waterproof and virtually stain-proof cushions – ideal for the unpredictable British weather, and the odd wine spill. Requiring little maintenance, this furniture can stay outside in all weathers and is guaranteed for up to 10 years.

You now have the chance to win £1,500 worth of gift vouchers to spend at Bridgman. Relax and enjoy the ultimate in comfortable lounging furniture, or entertain in style with a selection of beautiful dining sets – delivered free within days. The choice is yours. For more details and to order, visit bridgman.co.uk or call 020 8804 7474.

Period Living 13

pos nik n el

Fe

ature Pippa

B

Discover the latest fabric, paint and wallpaper collections, plus unique upcycled furniture

rian reviva o t l ic Combining

V

inspiration from the decorative arts of the Victorian era with a love for chinoiserie style, fabric designer Julia Brendel has created a beautiful new design, Victorian Tale. Perfect for a romantic, vintage scheme, the print, available in two sizes, centres around a delicate trailing blossom design taken from a Victorian screen, interspersed with small birds. The linens, £64 per m, come in 13 pretty colourways, from Blue Cloud to Blossom and Emperor’s Gold, and would make wonderful drapes in an elegant boudoir. Alternatively, add in frill-edged cushions, £75 each, for a floral flourish.

Period Living 15

News On wall: Winter Garden Claypaint, £47 for 2.5ltrs On cabinets: Pudding Eco Chic, £18.75 per 750ml, The Country Homes & Interiors Collection at Earthborn

SALVAGED STYLE

Drawing on design details from across the last three centuries, antiques expert and Salvage Hunters presenter, Drew Pritchard, has teamed up with Barker & Stonehouse to create a collection of British-made upholstery that combines comfort with traditional style. Featuring 10 designs, including sofas, armchairs and footstools, the range offers an array of timeless styles, each available in a variety of stunning fabrics – from bold velvets to romantic heritage prints. Working closely with in-house designers, Drew used a mix of key details and features from design styles he admires, spanning about two hundred years. ‘I’ve chosen elements that are distinctive and blended them together to come up with something that has historical influences, but which is also relevant to now. So, we have Regency, Georgian, Victorian and even 20th-century influences and they work so well together,’ he says. With elegant scrolled arms and a curvaceous shape, this luxurious four-seater Atherton sofa, from £1,885, is perfect for entertaining.

FIT FOR ROYALTY Period Living is thrilled to announce that it has put its name to a beautiful collection of beds made by British brand, the Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Co. A family business based in Norfolk, the company is the only iron bed maker to be a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen, and has recently been appointed as bed manufacturer to Her Majesty The Queen, making it a proud Royal Warrant holder.

Combining exceptional craftsmanship with period styling, the range of six beds offers a design for all tastes, from the regal elegance of Victoria to the retro feel of Henry.

oC

The George bed, from £2,765

palette y r t you looking to un injectAresome rural charm

into your home? Our sister brand Country Homes & Interiors has teamed up with sustainable paint company Earthborn to create a collection of timeless paints for modern country living. From the calming botanical greens of Peasblossom and Yew-maze, and the warm shades of Sponge Cake and Baked Tile, to the rich tones of Nutkin and Scuttle, the evocatively named colours pay homage to nature, offering a shade to suit every mood and season. All 12 colours are available in Claypaint, Eco Chic, Lifestyle and Eggshell No.17 finishes.

Period Living 17

FROM THE ARCHIVE

News

Lovers of vintage prints will be excited to learn that Liberty has released a collection of luxurious interior fabrics and new wallpapers.

Inspired by the store’s founder, Arthur Lasenby Liberty, and his passion for collecting, The Modern Collector includes new designs alongside reinterpretations of archival prints. ‘With his passion for exquisite textiles and objets d’art acquired on travels around the globe, our founder was the original collector. He imagined the Liberty store as a great ship, filled with treasures and docked in the streets of London,’ says Genevieve Bennett, head of design for interiors. ‘The spirit of the collector lives on in this collection – beginning with a celebration of the Victorian-era documentation and curation of plants, foliage and flowers in Floribunda. The designers explored the stylised and symbolic florals of Art Nouveau, and drew inspiration from the ancient symbol of the Tree of Life found in hand-dyed antique tapestries.’

DESIGN DUO Paint and pattern designer Lorna Syson and furniture upcycler Emma Whyte have teamed up to create a collection of statement furniture, borne out of a shared appreciation for the countryside, sustainability and quality pieces designed to last.

Combining Lorna’s bucolic, nature-inspired designs with Emma’s decoupage skills, the creative pair have transformed a series of dated pieces of furniture into beautiful future heirlooms, which include this woodland-inspired cupboard, £1,425. Pieces can be made to order and adapted to feature your favourite plants and decoupage details. (sysonwhyte.co.uk)

KEEP IN CHECK

Looking to update your bedding for warm summer nights? Secret Linen store has released a collection of new designs in light, breathable linen, perfect for keeping cool. Channelling the gingham trend and conjuring up visions of summer picnics, the Mabel Blush design is our favourite; £135 for a double duvet cover and from £22 for a pillowcase.

Right: Patricia wallpaper in Jade, £110 per roll; (on chair) Palampore Trail printed linen in Ointment Jade, £150 per m Left: Regency Tulip wallpaper in Jade, £110 per roll; (on chair) Quill Weave in Jade, £130 per m

SUMMER COLOURS Bursting with vibrant hues, this Lemons & Limes painting from Sophie Harding is just one of a beautiful curated collection of works being exhibited in The Bright Side exhibition this summer at the Byre Gallery, Cornwall. Set in a converted barn located at the remote Rame peninsula, the gallery will showcase a variety of works that capture the intense light and vivid colours of summer, including works by glass artist Helen Eastham, ceramics by Judy Mckenzie and jewellery by Lindsey Mann. Running from 5 June to 18 July all pieces will be available to view online. (thebyregallery.co.uk) Period Living 19

The Teras Rattan furniture collection available in green, blue and pink including a sofa, £600, and side table, £150; water-resistant Chevron sofa mattress with tassels, available in three colours, £145 each, all Birdie Fortescue

EYE ON DESIGN

Birdie Fortescue discusses her unique style and shares the inspiration behind her latest furniture, homeware and outdoor collections Where did your career in interiors begin and how would you describe your style?

My career in interior design began in the late 1980s working for Colefax & Fowler, among others, prior to setting up my own business dealing in continental antiques. It wasn’t until I opened my first shop many years later, in Burnham Market, with a space far too large for antique furniture and objects alone, that I began selling homeware to complement my collection. We have since moved both the shop and office to Fakenham, Norfolk.

My style is about drawing upon historical design and adapting and personalising this to my taste and to suit contemporary living. The overall aesthetic is a balanced composition of restrained colour, texture and pattern, designed to give a calm, harmonious look.

Tell us about the new collection for spring/summer

The Damascene Collection reimagines the lavishly decorated ceramics and textiles of the early Ottoman Empire. Elements from Iznik tiles, Anatolian architecture and Uzbek needlework have been translated into contemporary designs 20 Period Living

that are perfect for summer.

We have also launched Havada, our first range for outdoors, featuring painted rattan furniture and water-resistant textiles.

What spurred your love for textiles?

My love of textiles has grown over the years. In 2016 I travelled to India to explore artisan methods and research different crafts. I was struck by the quality and expertise of the hand-block printing, Kantha work and tie dying, to name but a few techniques. Little did I know the impact this trip would have on my business.

From this initial inspiration and in meeting the local craftspeople, my dream of an interiors brand became a reality. In every collection we layer our textiles with varying techniques and textures inspired by my travels - whether to India, Africa, Turkey or beyond.

What’s your best piece of interior design advice?

Birdie’s pick of this season’s cushions, from top: Banjara Mozek appliqué, £90; embroidered Karanfil in blue, £85, and the Adana geometric in green, £80

Invest carefully in a collection of furniture, whether antique or contemporary, which you love and will stand the test of time. This, in addition to your favourite art, will create the bones of a room from which you can layer with colour, pattern and texture. Refresh your cushions each season as this will immediately give a room a new look and lease of life.

Irena Sibrijns slip-decorated earthenware platter, £244, Contemporary Ceramics Centre

Tone von Krogh tall stoneware bud vase, £25, Made by Hand Online

Crafted in clay Inject personality into your home and support Britain’s artisans with beautiful handcrafted ceramics, from rustic stoneware mugs to painted platters and quirky mosaics

Polly Fern Foxglove earthenware table lamp, £2,140, The New Craftsmen

Stoneware mugs, from £20 each for small, Naked Clay Ceramics

Tall black raku-fired house, £50, and rakufired Fabric and Yarn Shops, £68 each, Amanda Banham Ceramics posniknelB appiP erutaeF

22 Period Living

Shopping

Blue vine earthenware plate, £45, Sam Walker Ceramics Shirley Vauvelle Vernal Season hand-built stoneware sculpture, £680, Made by Hand Online

Rose mosaic hand, similar from £135 to £365, Cleo Mussi Tim Lake Harvest faceted stoneware beaker, £25, The Future Kept

Stoneware pedestal bowl, from £275, KC Hossack Pottery

We Are Nature pair of sgraffitodecorated earthenware cats, from £6,500, Vicky Lindo and Bill Brookes

Hand-built stoneware bowls, £29 each, Virginia Graham

Love and Be Happy earthenware jug, £85, Sussex Lustreware

Period Living 23

Reader Offer

Summer refresh

British designer Sophie Allport shares her creative home styling tips – plus, find out how to save 15% I love styling my home for summer! It’s the perfect time to refresh your space, add some colour and connect your indoor and outdoor living areas. You can open up your windows and doors, and listen to the chirping birds and buzzing bees all day long.

Bring the outdoors in noitomorp ro reffo rehto yna htiw noitcnujnoc ni desu eb tonnac dna srehcuov tfig sedulcxe reffo ehT .1202 yaM 02 no thgindim litnu 1202 lirpA 22 morf dilav si reffO*

I’ve always been passionate about gardening. You’ll often find me pottering around outside pruning and weeding, or even in the vegetable patch. It’s so lovely to be able to bring the outdoors in over summer. I’ll often fill my favourite jugs and vases with a mixture of offcut flowers and buds from the garden and place these all around the house. It brings a sense of life, freshness and greenery to the home, and not forgetting the lovely scents too.

Above: Bees Teal napkins, £15 for a set of 4; fabric placemats, £7.50 each; plates, from £14; jugs, from £13; Honey Spiced Lavender scented candle, from £12 Right: Sophie with Bees adult apron, £21; mug, £12; and tea towels, £17 for a set of 2 Below: Bees embroidered bedding set, from £50; Honey Spiced Lavender hand lotion, £6.50; Bees solo mug, £12

A light summer bedroom

I love creating an airy bedroom over the summer months. A light or crisp white bedlinen is perfect as it goes with any interior, and it also helps to reflect the natural light around the room, creating a fresh and airy look. Top with decorative cushions for extra texture and comfort.

Add colour with fabric

You can change the feel of a kitchen by simply swapping over your linens. It’s a cost-effective way of updating your décor without the need for redecorating. I’m loving the pops of teal in our new Bees Teal design. It matches the afternoon summer sky and adds a sunny feel to the home. It’s also perfect if you’re entertaining outdoors, and creates a really stunning outdoor setting.

Save 15% at Sophie Allport

PL readers can claim 15% off everything* at Sophie Allport until 30 May 2021. Use code PERIODLIVING at the checkout at sophieallport.com, or call the friendly customer service team on 01778 560256.

Period Living 25

Flower power

Bring the magic of the summer garden into your home by decorating with beautiful floral prints. From bold, blousy blooms to pretty vintage pastels and jewel-toned exotic designs, there’s something for all tastes

Create an elegant and blissful bedroom by combining striking large-scale florals with serene blue. Taking inspiration from archive designs, Tapestry Floral is a new print from Laura Ashley available on pencil pleat curtains, from £119; a Garrick headboard, from £499 for a double; as well as wallpaper and bedlinen, all at Next Home

Hykenham wallpaper in High Sea/Ginger, £99 per m, Sanderson One Sixty Collection

Bright Poppies plates, from £17.95 for an 8.5-inch, Emma Bridgewater

lu

oB

& beautif d l Create spaces

with wow factor by decorating in flamboyant floral prints with large-scale full blooms. Think designs covered in clusters of English roses, to folksy florals from across the globe in joyful reds, hot pinks and striking blues.

Marian lamp base in Moss, £170, with Sophia lampshade, £250, KD Loves

Leighton side plate, £12, Anthropologie

Spring Garden cotton in Blue, £164 per m, Madeaux

Vintage Uzbeki teapot, £70, Raj Tent Club

Kip and Co Field of Dreams duvet, £99, Antipodream

Parsonage Bloom wallpaper, £65 per roll, Graham & Brown

Dakota armchair in Szekely Folk linen, £1,500, Mind the Gap

posniknelB appiP erutaeF

Somerset pink and green square cushion, £115, Wicklewood Anenomes duvet cover and pillowcase set, from £135 for a double, Bluebellgray

Period Living 27

Inject summer cheer into a country kitchen with pretty cushions and table linen inspired by the British countryside. Try a tablecloth in Clarke & Clarke’s new Gardenia Summer fabric, and cushions in its Posy Autumn (on chair) and Petal Summer (on bench, right) fabrics, all £15 per m

Victorian Tale cushion in Blossom, £75, Julia Brendel

Poppy Meadowfield wallpaper in Lichen, £170 per roll; cushions (left) in Poppy Meadow Landsdowne linen in Lichen, £150 per m, (right) Wiltshire Blossom Landsdowne linen in Lichen, £150, all Liberty

Framed pressed larkspur artwork, £175, Jamjar Edit

Decorating

Dianthus Vintage Damson linen, £140 per m, Inchyra

Hope & Bloom wallpaper in Navy, £99 per roll, Woodchip & Magnolia x Fearne Cotton

r

vin etty tag

e

P

Combine faded florals with ditsy prints and delicate trailing designs to create feminine and fanciful spaces.

Think aged linens and meadow-inspired textiles in pastel shades, plus archive wallpapers and plenty of frilly cushions.

Embroidered Sweet Peas cushion, £68, Susie Watson Designs

Wildflower bedspread, £150, The French Bedroom Company Bathroom decorated in Flowerberry Pink wallpaper, £90 per m, Penny Morrison at The Fabric Collective

Vintage Sanderson Amelia Rose cushion, £55, Phillips & Cheers

Transform a bathroom into a head-turning, exotic escape with a striking botanical wallpaper. New from Elizabeth Ockford, the Sadie design, £145 per m, takes its name from Elizabeth’s mother, who had a talent for rescuing unloved orchids. Pictured in Indigo, one of three colourways, it pairs brilliantly with a bold roll-top and brass furniture for a luxurious look

Decorating

Belton Scenic wallpaper in Sunbeam, £216 per roll, National Trust collection at Little Greene

Japanese Floral cotton cushion in Deep Pink, £75, Broadhurst

Jardin des Oiseaux velvet drum stool in Chartreuse, £185, Angel & Boho

Iris wall hanging in Vintage Dark Grey, £35, Angel & Boho

rn opulen e t s Be inspired by

Felicity giclée print, from £45 for small unframed, Diane Hill

ec

aE

the flora of the Far East to create luxurious, colourful spaces. Covered in whimsical chinoiserie designs to graphic fan-shaped florals, these wallpapers, velvets, silks and artworks will bring a touch of the exotic to interiors.

Grand Floral velvet in Vermillion, £78 per m, The Design Archives

Oriental Lily print by an unknown Japanese artist, from £75 framed, King & Mcgaw

Botanical Hummingbirds silk cushion, from £55, The French Bedroom company

Kingcome Hampton sofa in Alba, Jonquille cotton, £85 per m, Manuel Canovas

sit ruC ekaJ )tfel pot( egamI

Blossom glasses, £89 for a set of 6, Graham & Green

Royal Garden velvet in green, £150 per m, Mind the Gap

Period Living 31

Goodimpressions Inspired by the coast and countryside, Norfolk-based artist Amelia Bowman creates bright and bold collagraph prints and colourful patterns brimming with nostalgia Words Vivienne Ayers and Rachel Crow | Photographs Polly Eltes

32 Period Living

Made in Britain Opposite, clockwise from top left: Amelia’s collagraph prints are reproduced on fabric cushions and tote bags – recent designs have focused more on rural scenes than seasides, such as this Harvest Pantry print with the complementary hand-drawn and digitally coloured Bobble Tree pattern on the reverse; she will make up cushion covers to order – this Fishing Boat and Daisy design is priced £45; Amelia has captured the nation’s increased interest in gardening in her Elevenses garden scene; Cley Windmill, a well-known Norfolk landmark in Cley next the Sea, has been given a colourfully patterned twist under her creative eye This image: Working at her kitchen table, Amelia produces limited editions of each of her original collagraph prints

Period Living 33

D

Clockwise from right: Amelia works from sketches to create a collagraph plate, which involves cutting and collaging thin card on to a board base; this is then varnished and inked; the plate is passed through the printing press mangle; the edges and surfaces of the collage form the lines and textures of the print that is transferred onto a damp sheet of printmaking paper; brightly coloured fabrics featuring Amelia’s pattern designs; her Potting Shed collagraph

uring a year when people have been unable to visit their favourite seaside or rural escapes, Amelia Bowman’s evocative collagraph prints, inspired by the coast and countryside, have served as a salve, feeding memories of travel. ‘In lockdown there were a lot of people buying my prints and postcards to remind them of holidays by the sea, and freedom – reminiscing about where they would visit. There has been a nostalgia for what we have lost,’ says the printmaker and pattern designer.

It is no wonder that people have been drawn to her joyful designs which, in her own words, ‘combine to create a unique and colourful sense of fun.’ Depicting the Norfolk coast and countryside, where she grew up, as well as other beloved spots by the sea – from Cornwall to Suffolk – bright and bold colours are key ingredients of Amelia’s work.

‘We lived in a Tudor farmhouse in the middle of nowhere when I was a child, but within striking distance of the beautiful Norfolk beaches,’ she explains. ‘My father is Cornish and sails, so there were annual trips to Cornwall, and my parents had a holiday home on the Suffolk coast, so we spent a lot of time there. The coast features a great deal

34 Period Living

in my work, but I am also a country girl at heart and much of my current inspiration comes from all things rural, fed by a blissful upbringing surrounded by tranquil, beautiful nature.’

As the nation has turned to online shopping over the past 12 months, Amelia has gathered a new following of customers who have stumbled across her Etsy shop and been captivated by her designs of romantic and bucolic country landscapes or uplifting seaside scenes. ‘Before, I sold most of my work through galleries, but with many of those being closed, I have had to adapt and learn a lot more about selling online, which has been really interesting,’ she adds.

It is no surprise that Amelia was drawn to the world of art – her great-grandmother and grandmother were both artists and her mother was a botanical watercolourist before becoming a sculptor. ‘There was no doubt I was going to have a creative career of some sort,’ she says. ‘And I always knew I was going to work for myself one day.’

After excelling in Art at school, Amelia did a BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Norwich University of the Arts, where she experimented with everything from illustration to 3D design. She then went on to do a Textiles degree there with the aim of becoming a jewellery designer, creating outlandish body adornment for film and the catwalk. ‘My love of bright colours

Made in Britain

was clear then as I worked mostly with hand-dyed and manipulated plastics,’ she says.

Once she developed her drawing skills, however, Amelia gradually realised that she enjoyed doing technical design drawings and sketches rather than making the jewellery itself, and so made the move towards design work, producing designs for gifts, and artwork for real ale labels.

It was while working as an art technician at a local high school, though, that Amelia began to develop a new-found fascination with collagraph printmaking – where a collage of materials are glued onto a ‘printing plate’. This combined her love of drawing with working with hand-rendered wet media. ‘In those days I was regularly to be found sketching on the Suffolk coast and the collagraph technique translated my sketches beautifully and turned them into something that can be reproduced in a handmade way.’

Colour and pattern are added to the printmaking process through chine-collé, a technique in which coloured papers are added to the finished piece.

Amelia began to use patterned papers to pick out certain areas of her collagraphs and started handcolouring after the printmaking process. This led to her creating her own patterns, using a combination of drawing by hand and digital colouring, resulting in her distinctive, signature look.

In keeping with Amelia’s eclectic designs, her collagraphs are brought to life with a trusty vintage mangle that she bought on Ebay in 2008 and transformed into a printing press. ‘Converting it was a huge learning curve,’ she says, ‘but that is one of the things I enjoy about life most – problem solving. It had to be taken to pieces, de-rusted and repainted, but eventually I had a “Heath Robinson” printing press that’s full of character. It cost me just £300 to convert, and is still going. Every now and again I have to whack it with a rubber mallet to get it working,’ she laughs, ‘but I don’t think I would have it any other way. I have an attitude that I look at things and see the potential in them and that is a metaphor for how I live life. I think even if someone had given me money to buy a printing press, I still would have spent nine months covered in grease and ingratiating myself with metal and rubber merchants to build one.’

By now, Amelia had started her own business, Amelia Bowman, and worked part-time at the school while developing her collagraphs in her spare time. She plucked up the courage to approach a gallery in Norfolk to display her work, and from there, has gone on to exhibit at other galleries, while local gift shops stock related gifts.

She has combined running her own business with raising her now five-year-old daughter. ‘It’s a challenge bringing up a child and running 36 Period Living

Clockwise from above: To add the distinctive patterns in her work, Amelia uses the chine-collé technique, pressing on her patterned papers to pick out elements; adding some of the finishing touches to a coastal themed collagraph print; Amelia finds inspiration from the coast

a business, and I haven’t been able to create as much new work in the past year with my daughter at home as she has been the priority,’ Amelia admits. But the periods of lockdown have also opened up new possibilities, too, as her printmaking videos aimed at younger children that she put on Instagram @miniprintstudio led to a slot on BBC Radio Norfolk. ‘I felt like I needed a project to focus on, and this has been an off-shoot that has come about as a result of last year. I’d like to look at doing more online tutorials.’

Alongside the original collagraph prints, her adaptable designs are reproduced on postcards, greetings cards, travel posters - which can also be personalised - cushions, tote bags, and clocks, as well as her pattern designs being licensed for Apps.

‘My pattern designs have started to evolve into something that I am really excited about. I am quite traditional in my thoughts and desperately want them turned into wallpapers. My latest design, Summer Meadow, feels like it is out of a National Trust property and I want to develop more like that,’ says Amelia. ‘The exhilaration that comes with an exciting new idea or the completion of a successful new design is hard to beat.’

To see more of Amelia’s collagraphs and pattern designs visit ameliabowman.co.uk

Could you be a winner?

W

Enter the Awards

If you feel proud of your period home or garden, enter our Home & Garden of the Year awards and you could win a cash prize worth up to £2,000

e’re inviting readers to enter their home, garden, or interior decoration projects into our awards. We can’t wait to see the schemes you’ve come up with for all kinds of period properties, and to hear their unique stories. As we launch the 2021 Home & Garden of the Year awards, we look forward to hearing about the work you’ve done to achieve your dream. If your own home isn’t award ready, maybe a friend has a house or garden worth shouting about. Why not encourage them to enter?

Best Listed Home – prize £500

One overall winner will scoop a fabulous £2,000 cash prize. All winning entries will also receive a free Period Living subscription.

l Tell us in up to 500 words why you think

CATEGORIES AND PRIZES Home of the Year – prize £2,000

Garden of the Year – prize £1,000

We’re looking for harmonious schemes with year-round interest.

Best Small Garden – prize £500

Enter this category if yours is a smaller outdoor space, perhaps a courtyard or front garden.

Best Project – prize £500

Recently renovated or extended a period home, or added a new kitchen? This one’s for you.

If you’ve restored and preserved a listed home to an exceptional standard, enter this category.

OUR SPONSORS

Best Vintage Style – prize £500

We want to see period homes furnished and decorated with a well-curated vintage style.

HOW TO ENTER

Enter online at homesandgardens.com/news/ period-living-awards and follow the instructions on the entry form. You will need the following information to complete your entry: your home should win, giving us details of how it looked before you renovated, what you’ve achieved and how you’ve gone about it. Please also tell us what period or original features you have managed to restore or reinstate. l Make sure you include photos of all the main rooms in the house, or main areas of the garden for a garden entry – quick snaps will do. l Don’t forget to include a photo of the exterior of the property, too, and any features of the house or garden that you are particularly proud of. l Full terms and conditions can be found at futureplc.com/competition-rules. The closing date for entries is 5pm on Monday 7 June 2021.

Below: The Hedger family’s idyllic cottage won Best Listed Home last year

ybraD tnerB hpargotohP

TRAVELLERS’REST Once a bustling coaching inn, Wendy and John Bunyan’s charming home still offers a warm welcome and a tranquil place to relax surrounded by interesting vintage finds and a garden full of blooms Words and styling Karen Darlow | Styling assistant Amelia Smith | Photographs Penny Wincer

Historic Coaching Inn

Clockwise from top left: The house was built in the 1500s as a coaching inn. John replaced the weatherboarded top section with tiles; there’s no shortage of seasonal interest in the garden, Wendy’s pride and joy. Fennel, phlox, sedum, skimmia and argyranthemum combine here; the ‘pond house’, with its reclaimed windows and doors, and oak-shingled roof; echinacea and sedum add colour close to the house Left: Wendy and John plan to convert the top floor of the oak-framed garage into an annexe for guests. The sunroom can be seen between the topiary trees. Hens Dickie and Lottie peck around the wire table, found at Merriments Gardens in Hurst Green, and bench, a gift from a friend. The throw is by Slate & Tweed, and for similar cushions try Designers Guild. The Sussex trug was a gift from Wendy’s mother Period Living 41

Clockwise from top left: ‘This is Dickie, our ‘home-grown’ hen,’ says Wendy. ‘I bought two hatching eggs to place under a broody hen, only one hatched. We called her Dickie as we didn’t know if the chick was going to be a boy or girl!’; Wendy and John in the garden.

The vintage shelves behind them came from Barnaby’s in Battle, and are filled with vintage pots from car boot sales; on the left of the picture, the roof of the couple’s 17th-century barn can be seen. They have planning permission to convert the barn into a separate dwelling. Behind their neighbours’ 16th-century cottage is All Saints’ Church; Wendy has trained the delicate-flowered clematis ‘Alba Luxurians’ over an arbour and seat. The metal trough came from a car boot sale

42 Period Living

Historic Coaching Inn THE STORY

Owners Wendy and John Bunyan live here.

Wendy is a retired pharmacy technician. John is a retired area sales manager Property A three-bedroom Grade II-listed former coaching inn in Staplehurst, Kent, dating from the 1500s. The property is on four storeys, including a cellar What they did The oak frame of the building had to be strengthened and the property was re-roofed and rewired. Rotten windows were replaced and damp problems fixed

ong before the dawn of the railways, in the days of horse-drawn carriages and stagecoaches, many a weary traveller will have broken their journey in what is now Wendy and John Bunyan’s home. The couple’s house is a former coaching inn, a popular resting point on a major highway between Hastings and Chatham. The house is set back from the old Roman road and was one of many such inns along the route when it was built in the 16th century.

What sets it apart today, however, is John and Wendy’s careful restoration of this treasure. Indeed, it was their sensitive approach to renovating their Grade II-listed home that won them Best Listed Property in Period Living’s 2019 Home of the Year awards. The couple have balanced essential repairs with new additions and classic style, resulting in a space where anyone would be happy to rest a while.

Restoring the old coaching inn has been a long journey in itself. John bought the house in 1990 and began its renovation in 1994. The oak frame had to be strengthened in places where it had moved over the years, and a new roof was needed. John changed the rotten weatherboarding at the front of the house for tiles to protect the oak frame against further water damage and put in new wood-frame windows. Setting the once-dilapidated house to rights became a real personal challenge for John, who worked alongside the builders.

‘By the time I met John in 1995 he’d done all the messy structural repairs. I eventually moved in with him and started to think about the furnishing and décor – quite good timing from my point of view,’ adds Wendy with a chuckle.

While John’s focus had been to make the house structurally sound, Wendy’s was a more aesthetic input. ‘When I moved in there were magnolia walls and blue heavy domestic carpet everywhere, and the kitchen was just thrown together,’ says Wendy, ‘I gradually changed the colours and carpets to inject a bit of personality. John took it very well.’

With the help of their architect friend William Howe, planning permission for a sunroom extension at the back of the house was granted without any problems. They also secured dwelling permission for a small barn at the side of the house. ‘We were lucky with our local council,’ says Wendy. ‘They’re pretty flexible providing that you’re doing things in

keeping with the original building, and of course we didn’t want to make changes that would jar.’

The sunroom and an updated kitchen helped to transform the house and every room now exudes the kind of warm welcome associated with its earlier days as a coaching inn. Thanks to Wendy’s discerning eye for just the right vintage and antique pieces to complete the look, there’s now character in abundance. ‘I don’t really ever think I had a feeling or plan about how to decorate and furnish,’ says Wendy. ‘I like the French-vintage look and painted furniture but there’s an element of trial and error too. It’s as though the house talks to you,’ she adds. ‘I sometimes bring things home and either the house doesn’t like them or I don’t like them, but when that happens I just pass them on.’

Treasure hunting isn’t just Wendy’s domain, John also has form in this area. ‘He’s a great bargain-hunter, and a bit of a hoarder,’ says Wendy. ‘One day he came home with some fence stakes and some old windows and doors from a skip. I wondered what he was going to do with them.’ What John did was take himself off to one of the far corners of the back garden and built a raised platform, ‘a bit like a fort,’ explains Wendy. The couple would sit up there looking across the valley at the view. ‘It was ugly and ramshackle at first,’ she adds, ‘but it evolved into a summerhouse that we jokingly call the “pond house”, because the pond below it comes and goes with the seasons.’

Whatever the season, the view of the garden is always worth climbing the steps for. Wendy is devoted to her garden and spends more time there than anywhere else, in fact she rarely sits down in the pond house as she always spots some plant or other that needs tending on the way down the garden. Often as she digs the soil she’ll unearth pieces of clay pipe – relics from her home’s days as a public house and inn. Inside, John discovered a child’s shoe in the chimney above the kitchen fireplace, replacing it once the fireplace was renovated. In the master bedroom, an old coin is lodged into the mortar round the fireplace, its surface so smoothed by the touch of many hands over the years that it’s impossible to read its date.

Perhaps these links to the home’s history have brought its owners luck over the years. Wendy and John definitely feel lucky to be the current caretakers of this special building and if houses could talk, the old coaching inn would surely be grateful too.

Period Living 43

Clockwise from top: The living room sofa is from Tetrad, with cushions from Sarah Hardaker, Susie Watson Designs and Ebay, the vintage chest of drawers came from Barnaby’s in Battle, and the table lamp came from Strand Quay in Rye; an antique sideboard sets an elegant tone in the living room, with iron candle holders bought at the Wealden Times Midsummer Fair. The pretty portrait in pastels was a Sissinghurst car boot sale find, while the iron cockerel candle holder came from Wendy’s favourite hunting ground, The Three French Hens in Tenterden. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s London Stone; Wendy and John had two Clearview stoves installed, one in the kitchen-diner and this one in the living room. The etching on the mantelpiece was another Sissinghurst car boot sale purchase

44 Period Living

Taking some salvaged fence posts as his starting point, John built this dreamy summerhouse. ‘Because I love the sea so much I decided on a coastal theme, adding shells and things I’ve picked up beachcombing. I wanted something very different in style to what we’ve got indoors,’ says Wendy. The chairs are from Strand Quay in Rye, the table from Rising Star in Tenterden, and the cupboard was from Wealden Times Midsummer Fair. The grey cushion is from Vanessa Arbuthnott

Clockwise from top left: John salvaged the old back door from the main house, repurposing it for the ‘pond house’ in the garden; the couple refreshed their pine kitchen cabinets with Farrow & Ball’s Stony Ground and Light Gray paint. The mirror above the sink came from the stall next to Wendy and John’s at a car boot sale. ‘The price gradually dropped and eventually we traded some of our unsold things and some cash for the mirror,’ says Wendy; the beech butcher’s block in this little kitchen alcove came from Cindy’s Antiques in Rolvenden. Wendy painted the base in Farrow & Ball’s Mouse’s Back to match the kitchen table. The Travertine floor tiles are from Floors of Stone; the ‘pond house’ has a coastal theme, with shells and a seaside print from Red Gate Arts. The pencil sketch is by Cornish artist Andrew Tozer

46 Period Living

Historic Coaching Inn

An old dresser sets the scene for the country-style kitchen.

The large plates and platters on the top two shelves are vintage Asiatic Pheasant design, found at car boot sales, and the rabbit terrines are from The Three French Hens. The table was from Homes & Gardens in Headcorn, now closed, and the chairs are from Strand Quay in Rye. One of Wendy’s favourite pieces is the green spotty jug, bought at Wealden Times Midsummer Fair

Historic Coaching Inn

The bed in the beamed attic room was an Ebay find – for similar, try the Victoria design at Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Co. The chest is from Station Antiques and the frilled bedspread is from TK Maxx Period Living 49

Clockwise from top left: The brass bedstead in the main bedroom came from Tasha Interiors. The William Morris cushions are from Bedeck; on a chest in the bedroom is a collection of car boot sale treasures, including the radio, teddies, and a snuff bottle. The Victorian perfume bottle came from Tenterden Antiques and the watercolour of St Ives is from Port Isaac Gallery; a new roll-top from Bathstore is matched with an old shelf from The Three French Hens. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pale Powder; the master bedroom includes high-street finds, such as an armchair from BHS, and statement pieces like the huge Compactum wardrobe, from a local antiques shop. For a similar green cushion fabric, try Lewis & Wood

50 Period Living

Subscribefor£48 andgetan

Emma Bridgewater mugset

ABOUT YOUR GIFT This delightful Emma Bridgewater Flowers mug set features two half-pint mugs decorated with painterly dahlias and tulips in a rich, vibrant palette.

The mugs are presented in a beautifully illustrated gift box.

52 Period Living

GIFT WORTH £39.95

Subscription Offer

Greatreasons tosubscribe Save money on the cover price l

Never miss an issue l Delivered direct to your door l

GO DIGITAL FOR JUST £5.35

SUBSCRIBE NOW Go to www.magazinesdirect.com/PLJUN21 or call hotline and quote code 97AB

Terms and conditions: Offer closes 31 May 2021. Offer open to new subscribers only. Direct Debit offer is available to UK subscribers only. *£48 payable by annual Direct Debit. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery of your first subscription issue (up to eight weeks overseas). Payment is non-refundable after the 14-day cancellation period unless exceptional circumstances apply. Your gift will be delivered separately within 60 days after your first payment has cleared and is only available to subscribers on the UK mainland. We have gifts available for the first 900 subscribers. In the unlikely event that we run out of this gift, we promise to offer you an alternative gift of the same or greater value. Please note that we reserve the right to withdraw a promotion at any time. For full terms and conditions, visit www.magazinesdirect.com/terms.

For enquiries please call: +44 (0) 330 333 1113. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm UK time or email help@magazinesdirect.com. Calls to 0330 numbers will be charged at no more than a national landline call, and may be included in your phone provider’s call bundle Period Living 53

Colourful Country Home The living room’s two sofas are many years old and both were brought from South Africa.

The leather one came from a Cape Town restaurant. ‘It was a vintage buy back then, and the more it’s been sat on, the more comfy it’s become,’ says Inge. The coffee table, made from two old Ikea tables, is covered in South African printed linen from Babylonstoren

FAMILY TREASURES Three generations of Inge Watrobski’s family share a colourful home filled with lush plants, heirlooms and vintage finds that reflect their joint heritage Words Annabelle Grundy | Photographs Colin Poole

trange though it may sound, when Cape Town native Inge Watrobski moved to an apartment within a large Georgian house on a rural Somerset estate some 18 years ago, she says it felt like home from home.

‘The West Country landscape is so green and rolling, it reminds me of where I grew up,’ she says. ‘As soon as we saw this place, we knew we’d take it. It’s such a beautiful, peaceful spot, surrounded by countryside.’

Inge’s husband Rory had accepted a job in Bath and the couple were looking to settle nearby, with their young daughter Dakota. The apartment became their home for several years, until, with Inge’s teenage nephew Ren, and mother Kassie both planning to join them from Cape Town, and Dakota growing up, they realised they needed more space. When their landlord suggested the whole family could move next door, to a roomy, three-storey, self-contained wing of the house, Inge jumped at the chance.

‘We’re all very close, and it was important for us to be able to spend time together,’ she says.

‘Everyone could have their own space as there were enough bedrooms and bathrooms, and as we’d hardly have to move any distance, it was perfect.’

The property had probably been used originally as servants’ quarters, before being converted to a separate dwelling, and rented out about 40 years ago. Inge was delighted by the huge, wooden sash windows and large, lofty rooms, but the interior décor was very plain, with off-white walls and beige carpet everywhere.

Elegant, arched, double doors opened into a vast entrance hall, with a reception room, small bathroom, kitchen and utility room all leading off. There were three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, and a further bedroom and bathroom on the second.

Inge’s landlord was more than happy for her to decorate and refurbish as she wished, and over five years the living spaces have been transformed.

Although structural changes were not possible, much of the interior layout has been reorganised to suit the extended family. The entrance hall is now a large, inviting sitting room and the front reception room has become Inge and Rory’s 56 Period Living

bedroom. There is another smaller office-cumsitting room on the first floor, alongside bedrooms and a bathroom for Ren and Kassie. The top-floor bedroom and bathroom make up Dakota’s suite.

Inge and Rory have refurbished the bathrooms, and fitted new flooring and additional kitchen storage and workspace, but paint has been the main decorating tool. The couple have done most of the work themselves and despite the challenges of covering such large areas, they have worked steadily through the rooms. Inge brightened and opened up the narrow kitchen-dining room, with pale grey on the walls and a weathered, off-white paint finish for the natural pine cabinets and dresser. The walls of the first-floor office-cumsitting room are a rich, muted pink. As the familyfriendly hub of the property, the big sitting room contains the main entrance, staircase and several other doorways, so the slate-grey colour scheme helps draw the various zones together and smooth out corners and angles.

‘Colour is important for me. It affects mood, and how a room gets used,’ says Inge. ‘I’m drawn to deep colours that work like neutrals and stay in the background. I’ve got pinks, dark blues and greys here as well as the paler tones. The rooms can take them because there’s so much light and the proportions are so generous.’

Alongside the striking palette, distinctive furniture and accessories give Inge and Rory’s home a unique character.

Almost every piece has a story. Numerous items have been passed down through generations and travelled with family members to and from Southern Africa. There is seating from the Cape Town restaurant Kassie ran in the 1980s and ’90s, and mirrors, furniture and decorative treasures inherited from Inge’s father and grandparents, as well as local vintage finds.

‘A lot was bought as reclaimed pieces 10 or even 20 years ago,’ says Inge. ‘I’m keen to recycle rather than buy new things unnecessarily. I also like the depth and lustre of an old piece, and something that’s been in my family for years has extra-special meaning. We’ve got a lot of different styles, but it’s about appreciating all those various objects and making them work together.’

While Inge is happy to hold onto existing furniture, her home is never static. She frequently rearranges rooms, layering up cushions, throws and other accessories to boost colour and interest.

‘Things move in and out, and it’s changing all the time,’ she says. ‘I’ve got some big, dramatic patterns at the moment, but they might just be tablecloths or throws, so it’s not a massive commitment and I like having flexibility.’

Inge’s eclectic home reflects the family’s shared history, passions and interests, and she envisages it will remain a comfortable, multi-generational base for years to come.

‘Our family has grown into this house,’ says Inge. ‘People are coming and going all the time but we all really love it, and everyone regards it as a special family home.’

Colourful Country Home

Left, above, and above right: Pictured with dogs Jedi and Fin, South African-born Inge says living here in the Somerset countryside is like a home from home.

When her mother and nephew came to join them in the UK, Inge’s landlord suggested the family all moved into a larger apartment next door, a self-contained wing of the manor house

THE STORY

Who lives here Inge Watrobski, head of design for a restaurant chain, lives here with her husband Rory Marthinusen, who is also in the hospitality industry. The couple’s daughter Dakota, 22, nephew Ren, 24, and Inge’s mother Kassie Watrobski also live here, along with Jack Russell terrier Jedi, and Fin, a Labrador-cross Property A four-bedroom, self-contained wing of a Georgian country house in North Somerset What they did They have renovated bathrooms, added kitchen furniture and replaced flooring. Rooms have been decorated in rich, muted colours, and furnished with heirlooms, vintage finds and bold patterned fabrics reflecting the family’s history and South African roots

Below: In the living room, three wooden chairs, brought from South Africa, break up the view of the staircase.

Glass panels above show off Inge’s collection of blue and white plates.

‘Some belonged to my grandparents and I’ve found others in local vintage shops,’ she says. ‘All but the oldest and most fragile ones get used’

Colourful Country Home Left: Food and cooking are important aspects of family life, and the chunky Rangemaster cooker is a key element of the kitchen. Inge, a trained chef, used to help in the family’s Cape Town restaurant, and she and Rory now work in the hospitality industry Below: Inge took the cupboard doors off, replacing them with simple calico panels to make access easier. Open shelves are laden with old and new treasures, ‘Everything gets used,’ she says. ‘I love beautiful things but I’m not precious about them.’ The wooden kitchen brushes are from Iris Hantverk Below left: The kitchen shelf displays an eclectic mix of old and new, including vintage glass, china and pewter passed on from Inge’s parents and grandparents Opposite: The narrow dining table and leather banquette, which Inge spraypainted, were both salvaged from a local restaurant. Inge refreshed the kitchen cabinets with Annie Sloan’s Old White and used Flume from Lakeland Paints on the walls. The design of the Babylonstoren linen blind fabric is inspired by traditional Dutch delft china

Period Living 59

Colourful Country Home

Left: The landing is spacious enough to accommodate a quirky seating area. Inge’s sister Kallie made a canopy for an old, salvaged cinema chair, brought from Cape Town some years ago.

Jedi the Jack Russell frequently claims this spot. The landing walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Peignoir and the door up to Dakota’s room is sprayed gold Above: As guests frequently come and go in the busy household, a daybed makes good use of this part of the first-floor landing. The dramatic velvet wall panel is from RE. To highlight the soft colours, Inge dyed some velvet cushions, which her mother and sister then trimmed with vintage fringing

Top left and opposite: Inge and her mother Kassie both like to use the first-floor sitting room, which doubles up as Inge’s home office. The green-painted desk, which she has had for many years, is one of a pair.

The old chair has been painted and reupholstered and the elaborate antique clock belonged to Inge’s father. Inge chose Farrow & Ball’s Sulking Room Pink for the walls, echoing the colour with a beautiful Babylonstoren linen throw on an old sofa. The tall corner unit, painted by Inge, was found some years back at Oliver Bonas and the wall mirror was a more recent buy from Cox & Cox

Period Living 61

Left: Double-aspect arched windows are a striking feature in Inge and Rory’s ground-floor bedroom. The bed is from Loaf and the throw from Babylonstoren. The walls are painted in Paint & Paper Library’s Squid Ink Above: Inge’s dressing table is one of a pair, with the painted desk in her office-cum-sitting room Below left: Inge turned the fireplace into a focal feature. Paperbacks are stacked and layered with candles and greenery. The huge mirror adds texture and embellishment Below: Pops of green for Dakota’s light-filled bedroom. Inge had the cast-iron bed as a teenager and brought it from Cape Town. A Seletti lamp chimes with the foliage theme and linen throw from Babylonstoren

62 Period Living

Georgian Village Home

PRETTYAS A PICTURE

Julia Pidgeon’s keen eye for design and colour, as well as her remarkable gardening skills, have rejuvenated a Georgian home with an intriguing history Words Kathryn Reilly | Styling Jane Dickins | Photographs Jody Stewart Period Living 65

THE STORY

Owners Julia Pidgeon and her late husband John moved into their five-bedroom Georgian home in a small Kent village, 10 minutes from the sea, in 2014. Their grown-up children, Collette and Barney, live in London but often stay with Julia. Julia runs art classes and residential courses from her home. To find out more, call 07717 452829 Property The main section of the house was built in 1765, with a 19th-century wing added at the back of the house. The two spare bedrooms in the attic are used as workrooms and Julia uses the large cellar space as a dark room for photography What they did Julia has restored some of the windows, redecorated the whole of the house, and completely redesigned and restocked the pretty east-facing garden

66 Period Living

Previous page and bottom left: The builders carved the date 1765 in bricks next to the windows. Julia removed a large holly tree obscuring the dining room window and filled the front garden with roses. The rambling rose on the left is Veilchenblau by David Austin Roses Above: All ready for tea; the table and chairs are from Bamboo Tiger Below: Julia collects flowers from the garden, her pride and joy

Georgian Village Home

istinctly artistic, and with a sense of history in every room, Julia Pidgeon’s home captivates anyone who sees it, even if it’s just from the outside. She and her late husband John quickly fell for its charms, as Julia recalls: ‘We knew this was the house for us as soon as we walked through the door,’ she says.

‘We loved the creaky floorboards. Our previous two houses had beams, so it felt like home – but this time with higher ceilings and beautifully proportioned rooms.’ There were a few more practical reasons, too. ‘It was the first time we’d had central heating since we left London 32 years ago,’ adds Julia. ‘Plus, the kitchen and en suite were brand new. It felt like the lap of luxury.’

There’s more than a hint of Bloomsbury Group aesthetic about this pretty Kentish home. ‘My daughter and I keep talking about painting the walls in a Charleston style. I think it would suit the house,’ says Julia. She wouldn’t be the first to make her mark on the property. In her bedroom, naive wall carvings of sailing ships – marked 1805 – are thought to have been made by Napoleonicera prisoners when the house temporarily served as a gaol. Others believe they were carved by farmworkers celebrating the news of the British victory at Trafalgar. However, similar etchings found at the National Trust’s Sissinghurst Castle have been attributed to prisoners of war. ‘I like the idea of the prisoners missing their ships and creating their likeness as an expression of their freedom,’ says Julia.

There’s plenty more here to catch the eye. Poole pottery, artworks from various periods and by the family themselves, and a collection of wooden plant stands add to the eclectic look. It’s no surprise that local artists love to get creative in this inviting atmosphere. ‘One of my neighbours suggested I run art classes here. They have proved very popular and I have many faithful pupils, with new ones regularly embarking on my nine-week beginners’ course,’ she says. It’s all rather serendipitous.

An earlier example of being in the right place at the right time gave Julia her particularly artistic direction. She studied textiles at Camberwell but it was a chance meeting that introduced her to a rare technique that she still uses today. ‘I saw Noriko

Aruga, a Japanese designer, giving a demonstration in Liberty’s of an ancient technique called katazome. I just fell in love with it. She invited me to her home to learn how to do it – when I turned up, I had to take off my shoes and put on slippers, and there were about 15 Japanese ladies sitting cross-legged on the floor painting fabrics!’ Julia uses the stencil-resist fabric painting technique to produce cushion covers, scarves, curtain borders and even a traditional kimono. Harvey Nichols was impressed enough to offer her a window display of her work, and she then began teaching the technique in the late 1980s after years of working with design luminaries such as Nina Campbell, Jocasta Innes and Dudley Poplak.

Alongside unusual carved beams, and large original sash windows (with adorable single-pane openings) the house has many of the kind of mystifying adaptations witnessed in homes that have changed shape over the centuries. In the study, there’s one of the house’s two substantial fireplaces. This is a particularly striking room, with its aubergine-painted walls, shelves of books and artworks, and props for Julia’s classes. There are also some unusual heirlooms including two pairs of tiny Chinese slippers. Julia’s grandfather was a second mate on a merchant navy ship. He travelled all around the world and used to bring back treasures for the family. Family-lore has it that his ship helped in the rescue of the Titanic – they have a piece of wooden rail from the wreck. The painted boxes came from a trip to Jaipur in the late 1980s.

The garden, however, is Julia’s special treasure.

From something fairly ordinary (‘just grass and a couple of nice roses’) she has created a country garden bursting with colour inspired by Sissinghust, Great Dixter and the local awardwinning garden at Sandwich’s Salutation. Tulips, roses, peonies, dahlias and euphorbia succeed one another to keep the space lively and full from early spring until late autumn. Julia has also planted a kitchen garden which keeps her well-stocked all year round. Purple sprouting broccoli, shallots, onions, garlic, courgettes, cabbages and celeriac are some of the staples. ‘The soil is very free draining, so plants can put down roots very well. When we moved in, the stables opposite were doing their regular clean, so I got them to dump a couple of huge bulldozer scoops of manure over the wall!’

Clippings from the garden regularly find their way into the lively art classes taking place inside.

Julia’s house and garden sit together in happy harmony, providing plenty of inspiration and a fertile atmosphere for creation to those lucky enough to study in this perfectly peaceful place.

Period Living 67

Above: The living room at the back of the house features an impressive original fireplace and alcove cupboards. The lampshades are bespoke, and the rug came from County & Eastern. Local artist Nicki Vowls created the linocuts to either end of the mantelpiece, and the pots on the windowsill are 1930s Poole. The walls are painted in Little Greene’s Stone Above right: In the kitchen, some of Julia’s katazome work hangs to dry.

The inserts in the bench back are song lyrics, which Julia made using some printing blocks inherited from her uncle Right: The stainless-steel pan racks and shelves came from Divertimenti.

The colourful paintings were picked up on a trip to Joshua Tree National Park 68 Period Living

Georgian Village Home

Above left: In the study is a display of Julia’s pupils’ work and some of the props that inspire them. The sideboard is a reworked shop unit unearthed in John’s parents’ garage.

The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s deep, dark Brinjal Above right: Despite Julia offloading three carloads of books before moving in, the shelves in her study are well stocked. The lamp base is Poole, the lampshade is bespoke, the painted boxes came from Jaipur and the bird’s nest was discovered in a bay tree that was being pruned Left: The original staircase is open from the dining room, and features elegant Georgian detailing Opposite: The Hepplewhite sideboard is a family heirloom.

Julia bought the dining table, chairs and chandelier on Ebay.

The white cliffs woodblock is by Buckinghamshire printmaker Laura Boswell. Julia’s parents bought her and John the Divertimenti Solimene crockery as a wedding present

Period Living 71

Above: Julia’s pine panelled bedroom has a beautiful view over a neighbouring thatched cottage.

The bedspread is from a previous incarnation of Feather & Black.

Julia’s son, Barney, did the pencil drawing to the left of the bed Left: The guest bedroom is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pale Hound and Churlish Green. Collette painted the chest of drawers in a craquelure finish in the 1990s. The flower jug is an old family piece, part of a washstand set

72 Period Living

The ‘blank canvas’ living room is now bursting with personality, showcasing Tracy’s passion for floral fabrics and fresh flowers.

Roman blinds in Kate Forman’s Oyster Roses fabric and linen curtains were made by Maria Checkley of Sugar & Spice Furnishings. The corner cabinet was sourced at a brocante. Walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Drop Cloth

74 Period Living

Coastal Cottage Renovation

PEACEFUL RETREAT

Tracy and Russell Gordon pooled their talents to transform a soulless Victorian cottage into a much-loved home, full of colour and charm Words and styling Janet McMeekin | Photographs Jeremy Phillips Period Living 75

estling in a characterful street in a breathtaking location, just a stone’s throw from the medieval castle in Portchester, Tracy Gordon’s cottage is full of quirky charm, and it’s easy to see why she instantly fell for it.

‘Normally, when buying houses, my husband Russell and I take ages to mull over a property’s pros and cons,’ Tracy explains. ‘However, just minutes into the first viewing, my instincts told me this cottage was destined to be our next home.’

At that stage, back in 2011, the Gordons were beginning to tire of living in a Victorian property in Fareham, Hampshire, as the road was busier than the couple had anticipated. Having scoured the internet to find somewhere quieter, when Tracy spotted the period cottage, she was intrigued.

‘From the estate agent’s photographs, it looked tired and bland, both inside and out,’ says Tracy.

‘Since we’ve been married, Russell and I have completed three major period property renovations.

Injecting neglected homes with TLC is something we enjoy doing together and I felt we could definitely put our stamp on this one.’

Tracy arranged to visit the cottage with a friend.

‘It was a dazzling summer’s day,’ Tracy recalls.

‘Before the viewing, we quickly popped into the castle, which is situated right by the water’s edge on Portsmouth Harbour. ‘As we drove past the cottage, it looked amazing, as did the surrounding properties – like a scene from a period drama.’

Inside was a different story, but despite the cottage’s unloved state, Tracy was far from fazed.

‘When I looked out of the bathroom window at the castle view, I was enchanted,’ she says.

Thankfully, Russell was also impressed when he viewed it and, following a structural survey, the pair struck a deal. ‘Russell and I are a good team since he is fantastic at DIY and I adore interiors.’

Starting from the outside, the Gordons gave the brick walls and wooden windows a fresh coat of white paint. Next, Russell landscaped the side of the house. ‘We turned a boring space, where the previous owner parked a car, into something much more exciting with a garden, featuring a gothicstyle arch and picket fence,’ says Tracy.

In 2012, the Gordons began updating every room, starting with the kitchen. ‘Although the kitchen units were fairly new, they weren’t to 76 Period Living

our taste,’ says Tracy. ‘We replaced them with bespoke units with wooden worktops, and bought a smart blue range cooker.’ To make better use of the space and gain extra storage, Russell ripped out the floor-to-ceiling windows. He then installed smaller windows and fitted a Belfast sink, as well as some additional kitchen units.

Next, the pair turned their attention to the guest bedroom and bijou en suite. Although reconfiguring the en suite had been high up on their to do list, this became much more urgent when, one day, water started dripping through the living room ceiling while Russell was in the shower. ‘Thankfully he turned off the water straight away,’ Tracy recalls. ‘I dread to think what would have happened if we hadn’t caught the problem in the nick of time.’

In the main bathroom, the old fittings and cork floor were ripped out and replaced with a new suite, complete with roll-top bath. ‘We decided to reconfigure the bathroom layout to make the space more practical,’ says Tracy. ‘We also fitted a Victorian fireplace to add more character.’

Tracy’s elderly father, Bob, a retired carpenter and joiner, painstakingly made a fire surround for the living room, plus a host of cabinets, which are dotted throughout the cottage.

During their two-year renovation, the Gordons trawled charity and antiques shops for unique pieces, as well as auctions, brocantes and reclamation yards, to source items such as deep skirting boards and original doors, which are more in keeping with their period home.

The whole house has been repainted and transformed with carefully chosen pieces of furniture and soft furnishings. ‘My style is eclectic with French and Scandi influences,’ says Tracy.

‘I like to buy older, unusual pieces that I really love, rather than anything that’s too new.’

As for the finishing touches, for Tracy it’s always fresh flowers. ‘My mother was a florist and I don’t feel that a house is a home without flowers. It’s the perfect way to mark the changing seasons.’

With the interiors complete, four years ago the Gordons decided to update the outside of the cottage with a shiplap porch and French-style shutters. The pale blue shutters link to the kitchen colour scheme and are a nod to the coastal location.

‘We love our home and are so pleased that we’ve given it a fresh, new look,’ says Tracy. ‘When we are outside pottering in the garden, people often stop to take photographs or compliment us – it’s such a rewarding feeling.’

THE STORY

Owners Tracy (@flowerpotcottage) and Russell Gordon. Tracy is a hairdresser and Russell is a training manager for the MOD Property A detached cottage, built in 1890, in Portchester, Hampshire, with later additions, including a kitchen extension and bathroom. The property is in a conservation area What they did Tracy and Russell replaced windows in the kitchen, updated the kitchen and bathrooms, replaced flooring, doors, skirting boards and redecorated throughout. They also landscaped the garden and added a new porch Top and right: Shutters, a picket fence and new gate, all painted in Farrow & Ball’s Lulworth Blue, enhance the cottage exterior.

Russell designed and built the shiplap porch from scratch using frames given by a neighbour. He sourced the stained glass and fitted everything himself, making verdigris awnings as a finishing touch. The couple bought the gothic-style arch from Redwood Stone in Somerset to give the newly landscaped and repaved garden more presence Left: Tracy in the updated kitchen Period Living 77

Above and right: Dark wall and floor tiles were replaced with cream wall tiles and limestone flooring from Panoramics in Wickham, for a brighter, more contemporary look.

Fitting a new Belfast sink and cabinets in place of full-length windows has created a more practical layout with added storage, and extra worktops. The cream chairs are from The Country Brocante Store, the blue chair was bought at a brocante, and the table was an Ebay find. Walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Shadow White and the blinds are made up in Elizabeth linen fabric by Ernest & Matilda. The flowers are from The Flower Studio in Portchester Below: Tracy’s collection of handdecorated Hogben Pottery

78 Period Living

Coastal Cottage Renovation

Period Living 79

80 Period Living

Coastal Cottage Renovation

Left: A French-style chandelier from Victoriana is suspended over the extendable Sheldrake dining table from Neptune. The Roman blinds are made up in Peony & Sage’s Wreath linen, by Sugar & Spice Furnishings, as before.

The chairs are from Victoriana Above: This cabinet is one of Tracy’s favourite pieces. ‘I showed my father a photograph of a similar one and he lovingly made this for us, complete with hearts,’ she says Below: The cottage is brimming with treasured finds that have been collected over the years

Period Living 81

Above: The master bedroom is a soothing sanctuary where a wroughtiron bed, from an antiques shop, takes centre stage. The quilt, from Biggie Best, has been teamed with Cabbages & Roses cushions. Tracy bought the wardrobes at Victoriana.

The Victorian-style door between the master bedroom and bathroom was made to order. ‘It had to be much smaller than a standard size door to fit,’ says Tracy. ‘We chose the stained glass – a lovely feature’ Left: Pretty Patchwork tiles from Welbeck Tiles add extra charm to this airy bathroom with its new Victoria Plum suite, featuring a traditional roll-top bath. The blinds are made up in Inchyra’s Posy Aged Linen. A stunning floral painting, bought from a brocante, is a delightful touch, and the wall light is from Ebay. Walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Shadow White

82 Period Living

New colour made easy

Advertorial

Crown’s new easyclean kitchen and bathroom paint range brings protection to your hardest-working rooms

P

ainting any room of your home will give the space a new lease of life, especially in busy family areas, such as kitchens and bathrooms. Unfortunately, however, this flawless finish does not last forever as daily life starts to quite literally leave its mark on your walls, and the bright new look is lost. Cleaning and touch-ups only go so far, often leaving unsightly patches.

Crown’s new easyclean paint range, £25 for 2.5 ltrs, aims to put an end to this struggle. The completely washable paint lets you preserve that ‘like-new’ look for years to come. Plus, its specialised bathroom and kitchen ranges focus on the challenges that are unique to these hard-working spaces.

The kitchen paint protects against grease and splatters as well as steam and condensation – all problems that can destroy a painted kitchen. Its matt finish will also create a sophisticated backdrop to traditional kitchen schemes.

Likewise, the bathroom faces its own unique set of challenges, coping with high levels of humidity and condensation, which can cause conventional paint to lift or grow mould. This is no longer a worry as easyclean bathroom paint also features Mouldguard technology.

Each range is available in 16 new, on-trend shades, expertly curated to suit the specific conditions of the space. Plus, the paint is able to be used on both walls and ceilings, as well as wood or metal.

For more information, visit crownpaints.co.uk/ products/easy-clean or call 0330 024 0309.

Above: Crown’s Greaseguard technology prevents a build-up of grease to keep your kitchen sparkling clean Left: The easyclean paint range is 200 times tougher than Crown’s standard matt paint, making it a great choice for the hardest-working rooms of the house

Period Living 83

Above: Kantha quilt made from a recycled sari Below: Mixed kantha quilts in complementary colours

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

EXPERT INSIGHT

KATHRYN MCFALL

the Indian subcontinent, specifically Bangladesh, kantha quilts are composed of layers of recycled fabrics, such as cotton scraps and old saris, which are hand-stitched together using the ancient ‘kantha’ running-stitch technique. Capturing the region’s vibrant colours, the quilts vary in thickness depending on their layers. The lighter quilts make great tablecloths for alfresco lunches while heavier pieces make ideal throws or bedspreads.

Easy to roll up, they also make the perfect picnic accessory. For an excellent selection visit rebeccasaixhome.com.

iV

sroiretnituottsec@ margatsnI )sroiretnI tuoT tse’C( segamI not reboR ecilA erutaeF

threads ageOriginating t from n

BOOK SHELF Beauty in Letters by John P. Wilson (£25, Unicorn) showcases, for the first time, the beautiful and skilled artwork of over 40 illuminated addresses dating to the Victorian era and covering a period of more than a hundred years. Beautiful examples of calligraphy and embellished with skilled artwork and lustrous design, they were usually commissioned to celebrate an important event, achievement or a retirement. Included is a mixture of addresses to ordinary people through to famous figures.

Antiques dealer and owner of C’est Tout Interiors, Kathryn McFall shares her love for decorative French antiques and buying tips

What’s the appeal? I love the relaxed, rustic, yet slightly grand look of French decorative antiques; they are pieces you can live with and not feel too precious about.

I only sell pieces I love and would happily have in my own home.

Describe the look It can be romantic,

rustic, glamorous, curvy, even over the top! The style varies from region to region. The further south you go the more worn and elegant the furniture. I love the softer, faded creams and white finishes of southern pieces; the patina of the sun-bleached wood of the south just can’t be rivalled.

From top: Kathryn selling at the Decorative Living Fair; French 18thand 19th-century mirrors; French 19th-century table with elaborate pedestal base, shown with mid-century French metal chairs

Is it French? Some items can be spotted a mile off while others are not so overtly ‘French’. Obvious ways to tell are by the curves and carving, although this detail does vary with period. Buyers need to be aware of Central and Eastern European antiques being passed off as French; these pieces generally have a heavier, less delicate feel.

KATHRYN’S TIPS

BUY WHAT YOU LOVE but be sure of provenance; enquire about its period, region and material.

SHOP AROUND, however going to a French decorative antiques specialist will give you good peace of mind.

BE DECISIVE – stock can move

quickly, so if you like it snap it up.

MIX STYLES – if the tones and textures chime then the chances are it will look good.

DON’T BE TOO PRECIOUS with French decorative antiques, they are meant to be used and enjoyed.

Period Living 85

TALKING SHOP An online and bricks-and-mortar shop based in Leek, Staffordshire, Old Whyte Interiors is run by a mother-and-son team with a mutual eye for all things French, weathered, worn and beautiful; mirrors, crystal-drop chandeliers, architectural and garden pieces are all a speciality.

Embracing the romance of French antiques, this beautifully styled store will have you turning your home into a micro château, one gorgeous buy after another. (oldwhyteinteriors.com)

n

o w a t ch t e Antiques dealer and

O

interior decorator Jack Laver Brister grew up surrounded by lived-in country house interiors, and from an early age was taken to antiques fairs and fleamarkets. Now he has taken the curation of his Somerset home into his own hands. A timeless and classic interior with a well-loved and layered feel, his choice of wallpapers, well-trodden rugs, antique furniture and eye for art are a heavenly mix. Visit his Instagram @tradchap for more inspiration.

Above: Jack Laver Brister’s dressing room conjures a Victorian gentlemen’s residence, featuring Soane Seaweed Lace wallpaper Below: He converted a bedroom into a bathroom and installed authentic shutters and a dado

he fair f tKnown o for n

uF

its quality antique and vintage homeware, industrial salvage and small collectibles, Arthur Swallow Fairs’ popular Lincoln Antiques & Home Show returns to Lincolnshire showground on 2 June. Set largely outside, with a mix of marqueelined avenues, casual pitches and an indoor hall, the fair offers investment pieces, unexpected bargains and items that simply make a statement. Entry from £5. (asfairs.com) 86 Period Living

Antiques

IN FOCUS

CHÂTEAUNEUF-DUPAPE GRAPE HODS

Grape ‘hods’, or ‘hotte’ as they are called in France, were originally an integral part of the grape harvest at a vineyard. Worn on the back to collect bunches of grapes, they are made from galavanised metal and feature leather straps. Traditionally decorated with folk art, or the vineyard château names and decorative images, they were often painted for celebration or in reverence of the local vineyard.

Dating from 1880 to 1940 and sourced in and around the Avignon region, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape grape hods have a shape specific to the Gironde region and feature the Châteauneufdu-Pape name and crest, which has origins in the 14th century when the Pope resided in Avignon. Today the majority of grapes are picked mechanically and around 20 years ago the commercial use of these beautiful old hods almost completely ended. Increasingly desirable and getting harder to find, they are a hot buy, especially if in good condition, and are being snapped up for a multitude of uses. Filled with ice they make great Champagne and wine coolers. Perfect for stylish summer garden parties and weddings, they also make a special gift for wine lovers. Alternatively, they can become grand vases for dramatic floral displays and could even be filled with towels to add decorative and practical value to a bathroom. Examples can be found at antiques fairs and online, but one of the best sources in the UK is Chris Holmes Decorative Antiques (chrisholmesantiques.co.uk).

A good example will cost you in the region of £495.

Above: A collection of grape hods at the Chris Holmes Decorative Antiques showroom, with shop dog Freya for scale Left: The back of a galvanised grape hod with original leather straps, c.1880 Below, from left: Burnt orange grape hod, c.1880; matte black grape hod with gold Châteauneuf-duPape illustration; burnt orange patinated grape hod with gold accent Châteauneuf-du-Pape illustration

ku.oc.seuqitnasemlohsirhc )sdoh eparg( ;pahcdart@ srehto lla ,ttarrehS nairdA )lotsirB revaL kcaJ( segamI

Period Living 87

A Ming Kraak dish c.1640-1645, made for export to Europe. ‘Kraak’ is a term that refers to a compartmentalised form of Chinese blue and white decoration, but it also became associated with certain styles of Dutch delftware, Catherine Hunt Oriental Antiques

Islamic cultures were the first to create blue and white ceramics, such as this Kashan bowl from Persia, dating from the 13th century, Bonhams

Trade in blue and white china between China and Europe was huge in the 18th century.

This Kangxi plate, made c.1700, could be a reference to the story of Chang’e the goddess of the moon, Catherine Hunt Oriental Antiques

This 18th-century Chinese peony and pomegranate plate, made in Jingdezhen, was from the Nanking Cargo, which sank in 1752 aboard the Geldermelsen bound for Amsterdam, Catherine Hunt Oriental Antiques

Blue& white

Delft embraced the idea of copying oriental blue and white designs, such as on this plate, one of a pair made c.1750, 1stDibs

Antiques Roadshow specialist Marc Allum looks into the origins and many subsequent incarnations of this enduringly popular style of ceramics

E

xplaining ‘blue and white’ ceramics is not particularly straightforward because the term itself is a catch-all expression for a huge global, multi-cultural mix of items ranging from the ancient right through to the modern. It is therefore necessary to define what the term is and where it originates from.

Ancient origins

Blue and white decoration is an ancient form of ornamentation using cobalt oxide, which we know 88 Period Living

as cobalt blue. The historical origins of colouring items blue was to simulate lapis lazuli; this was perfected by the ancient Egyptians over 5,000 years ago using a calcium copper silicate recipe, enabling them to produce vast quantities of blue faience items – fine, tin-glazed pottery. Ancient Egyptian items in blue faience are very prevalent and small examples can be purchased relatively cheaply.

Blue was also a very important colour in Islamic culture and although it is popular to think that the Chinese invented ‘blue and white’, it was in fact

Antiques Many English centres of pottery manufacture produced blue and white ceramics from the mid 17th century.

Worcester porcelain plate, Richard Gardner Antiques

An 18th-century English ‘Lambeth’ delft plate, 1stdibs

These 19th-century Chinese bowl and dish were from the vast Tek Sing cargo, which sank in 1822 and was discovered in 1999, Bonhams

Early 19th-century Samuel and John Rathbone Flow blue china saucer plate. Flow blue is a type of decoration that began in the 1820s, where the transfer colour ‘ran’ in the firing process, giving it a blurred look, Vintage Farmhouse Antiques

The enduringly popular Willow pattern on a Davenport dinner plate, c.1828, Vintage Farmhouse Antiques

Spode Two Temples pattern plate, c.1878, Lovers of Blue & White

Period Living 89

Antiques Islamic cultures that created the first blue and white ceramics. The ancient Mesopotamians again imitated lapis lazuli, and the Abbasid Caliphate made blue and white ceramics, which were directly traded with the Chinese. The use of cobalt mined in Kashan, Oman and Hejaz fuelled this production.

Many still survive and it is possible to buy a 12thor 13th-century blue and white Kashan bowl for around £300-400 at auction.

It is therefore possible to paint a – albeit slightly simplistic – picture of how this trade led to the eventual importation of cobalt to China in the 14th century. The use of this highly resistant cobalt pigment and the combination with high-quality porcelain, was to put China in one of the most dominant and influential global positions for export and style. As a result, its importance is still with us every day in the designs of our traditional ceramics.

East toWest

The quality and exotic nature of porcelain was unknown in the West, and with its arrival one of the most important centres of production in China, at Jingdezhen, became a central source of items traded to the Western markets. The Mongol rulers of China had embraced blue and white and despite a hiatus of court favour in the Ming period, it was the Xuande Emperor, Zhu Zhanji (1425-35), who embraced blue and white in the court again.

Imperial blue and white is some of the most highly sought after and valuable porcelain that comes to market, and it can sell for millions of pounds in the modern burgeoning world of Chinese collecting. By the 18th century, Chinese porcelain was one of the most sought after commodities among the European upper classes, nobility and royalty. It is this period which significantly determines our perception of ‘blue and white’ as we begin to see European manufacturers of ceramics reacting to a demand for similar products, but often on a more affordable level.

The secrets of Chinese porcelain production were regarded as the Holy Grail for Europeans and the first ‘hard paste’ porcelain – invented by the Chinese in the 7th or 8th century and often referred to as true porcelain – was produced by Meissen in the early 18th century. The size of this huge trade is illustrated by the famous, although somewhat controversial, discoveries and sales of the Geldermalsen or ‘Nanking’ cargo – which sank in 1752 – with over 100,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain, an absolute treasure trove of blue and white; also the ‘Tek Sing’ cargo – which sank in 1822 – discovered in 1999 with a staggering 360,000 pieces of porcelain on board.

Delft touch

The initial domestic reaction to emulating these fashionable pieces was through the mediums that were already available to the Europeans – pottery.

Immediately we think of Dutch delftware or ‘delft blue’ tin-glazed wares. Delft, already famous for its blue and white designs, quickly embraced the idea of copying oriental styles and this trade flourished

A late 18thcentury English delftware porcelain bowl, Richard Gardner Antiques

Blue and white china: what to look for

Many Staffordshire wares are unmarked, so it is not unusual to find an interesting-looking piece of blue and white with no identification. Most are cheap transfer-printed wares. Some, however, have impressed marks, so it is always worth a second glance. The Pocket Book of British Ceramic Marks by J.P. Cushion is a good reference guide to have at hand when buying.

Historic blue and white designs, such as the Willow pattern, have not radically changed over time, so dating a piece can be difficult unless you know what to look for. A printed ‘Mason’s’ mark may look the same on a 20th-century plate as an earlier example, but the words ‘Permanent Detergent Proof Decoration’ are a good giveaway! The inclusion of ‘Ltd’ on a mark denotes an item is after 1861, but most are much later. ‘England’ indicates after 1891 and ‘Made in England’ takes it into the 20th century.

Heavily crazed and discoloured blue and white ceramics cannot be restored. Soaking such pieces in bleach does not really work. Many big blue and white Staffordshire meat plates get crazed and discoloured because they were put in ovens and this causes stresses and damage. Such problems will seriously devalue a good piece.

Look at a printed pattern on a ceramic for an interesting insight into how transfers were ‘cut and pasted’ to complete borders etc. This may give you a good idea about the age of a piece, as roughly decorated and ill-aligned transfers are often found on mass-produced 19th-century wares.

Nanking and Tek Sing blue and white porcelain can easily be purchased online. Check, however, they are well-provenanced and labelled, as fakes are around. Nanking are more expensive than Tek Sing; prices can range from £20 to several thousand.

Period Living 91

Left: This English delftware baluster vase dates from c.1670-90, Bonhams Right: A Royal Worcester Chinoiserie creamer, 1895, Lovers of Blue & White

in the mid 17th to 18th centuries. It is not uncommon to see foliate and figurative designs taken directly from Chinese examples on delftware.

The Dutch also had their own designs and in a perverse turn of fate, the wonderful 17th-century blue and white tulip and bulb pyramid vases that grace many a grand country house were copied by the Chinese and sent to Europe in porcelain.

England, too, had its own versions of tin-glaze, or faience, and this is often referred to as English delft. Centres of production included London, Liverpool and Bristol. The earliest known piece dates to 1550, but again, blue and white designs featured strongly and many are often called ‘Lambeth’ wares. Such pieces can be worth many thousands. Chinese designs were popular but English wares also used a broader palette than many of the Dutch factories.

Naturally, England had other centres of pottery production and the Staffordshire potteries, such as Burslem, Fenton and Stoke, had become increasingly important from the mid 17th century onwards. These were close to raw materials, and the Industrial Revolution opened up new markets and more economical methods of production.

There were literally hundreds of factories producing mainly mid- to low-end, massproduced ceramics, although high-end production flourished, too. Different types of ‘body’ and the invention of transfer printing – the process of engraving a copper plate then inking it with a cobalt compound and transferring this onto a tissue which was directly applied to the ceramic – was revolutionary and supplied an enormous desire for both domestic consumption and export.

Pictorial legend

Throughout all of this, blue and white heavily prevailed, as did the influence of oriental designs – and none more so than the famous Willow pattern. Willow pattern has almost become 92 Period Living

a cliché. Its original inception is unclear, but various designs appeared in the late 18th century that evolved into the Willow pattern, with Spode thought to have produced the design we all recognise, in around about 1790.

There are several ‘legends’ which purport to explain the meaning of the pattern. The most popular revolves around a Mandarin whose daughter falls in love with his ‘unworthy’ secretary; he is banished and she is imprisoned on her island and betrothed to a warlord. The lovers eventually escape, but the Mandarin tracks them down and has him executed. The daughter sets fire to their home and perishes in the inferno.

The Gods then immortalise them as two doves.

Although it has been, and continues to be, produced in other colours, Willow pattern has become synonymous with the idea of blue and white, and enshrined in popular culture.

I like to buy pieces from the golden ages of creamware and pearlware. Dating from the mid-18th century and into the early 19th century, the most notable producers included Josiah Wedgwood. Earthenware, too, was well adapted to mass production and the American export market became an important source of trade, especially in the early 19th century. Commemorative wares with Independence, maritime, famous personalities and places all became popular. At the same time producers catered for exotic themes that reflected Britain’s burgeoning empire, with subjects such as classical ruins from the ancient world, exotic tiger hunting and temple scenes from India. Meat plates are popular and can range from just £10, to a Moghul scene palace by Davenport for £300.

Blue and white is fun to collect and use and satisfies many different facets for collectors including particular themes, ceramics types or epochs. It ranges from the exotic oriental, to historic Middle Eastern and just a few pounds can get you started.

Searchingfor TREASURE The thrill of unearthing unique vintage or antique pieces never fades, and with fairs planned to start running again this summer, experts reveal their top tips and explain how the pandemic has changed the way we buy forever

A

Feature Alice Roberton

good old-fashioned rummage for vintage, antique or salvaged gems, is a highlight for many, and what our island lacks in perfect treasure-hunting weather it more than makes up for with its world-class fairs and markets. With caffeine-fuelled early starts the norm, the adage ‘the early bird catches the worm’ has never been more apt than for those braving the field, come rain or shine, to bag a bargain.

With a rich history in hosting outdoor fairs, the UK prides itself on wealth and variety, from

94 Period Living

intimate brocante-style affairs in country house settings to large-scale markets sprawled across acres of county showground, with each end of the spectrum offering a shopping thrill like no other.

The volume of collectibles and decorative home items that come to market through house clearances, auctions and from across the Channel make for rich pickings, and for a beady-eyed, welly-wearing army, ‘truffling’ – as it’s affectionately known – is a way of life. It also makes for an enjoyable family day out, and everyone is welcome.

Buying Vintage Buying old, pre-loved, secondhand – call it what you will – has a wealth of attractions and benefits, with quality, affordability, sustainability and individuality being key alongside the ‘vintage pound’ proudly supporting small businesses.

Add to this the historic value and the charm that every item tells a personal story of time and place, and it’s easy to understand why so many people get hooked on the treasure-hunt.

Early starts, long drives and endless ‘trawling’ rarely go unrewarded with a purchase, be it a bargain-box £1 bottle crying out for a few summer stems to display, or the discovery of a wardrobe with just the right patina, which measures up to a space you’ve been trying to fill for years.

Buy what you love

shtiffirG irelE )drahctirP werD( egamI srevO haraS snoitartsullI

Top: Salvage Hunters star Drew Pritchard Bottom: Interior stylist Karen Barlow

With so much to discover and so many interior aesthetics to be inspired by – Country House, Modern Rustic, French Country, Urban Industrial, Faded Grandeur (the list goes on) – you may wonder, ‘Where do I begin?’ Ask any seasoned buyer and they will almost certainly say that you should ‘buy what you love’. After all, shopping for vintage, antiques and salvage is as much about ‘feeling’ as it is about cost, quality and style.

Years of experience have taught antiques dealer and Salvage Hunters presenter Drew Pritchard to always buy pieces he falls in love with, or he might regret it. He has learnt that sometimes you will strike gold, even when you think all is lost.

‘Many moons ago, I popped into the Newark fair and after nothing much had caught my eye, I noticed a dealer packing a purple and red leather armchair into his van,’ he recalls. ‘It was so far off what I normally buy, but it was the coolest thing I’d seen in a decade. The leather just seemed

to sparkle and say “buy me” – it had a real Madmen aesthetic to it. The dealer showed me a piece of paper tucked under the seat, which showed its provenance: made in America, it turned out to have belonged to the actor George Peppard. I bought it for £200 and squeezed it into my car, listed it for sale and it sold instantly to an American interior designer, who was a huge George Peppard fan. I may not have kept the chair for my own home, but the message is there – if you love it, buy it because you’ll probably never get the chance again.’

Manchester-based interior stylist and owner of Instagram shop @theoldpotatostore, Karen Barlow echoes this sentiment: ‘I was introduced to the thrill of antique hunting as a child by my parents, who endlessly took me to fairs, but the realisation that I had become addicted came years later when I found a beautiful set of handpainted drawers, which I couldn’t transport home. The ache at having to leave them behind was real and I still think about them 35 years later.’

Period Living 95

styling their stock for photographs and invest in building relationships with their customers, just like they would at a real fair. The online events offer a safe and easy way to shop quickly at any time of the day, wherever you are in the world.’

Shopping online From left: Arthur Swallow Fairs co-owner Richard Burgoin; Sally Knott, owner of The Dorset Brocante; Dawn Diggins, owner of Retrovation; Jen ReevesNorth, owner of Little White Cat Decorative

96 Period Living

Changing times

Since the pandemic and government restrictions on running markets and fairs – most notably those held indoors – tradition has transformed, and the vintage, antiques and salvage trade has instead taken to online selling. Often using Instagram as both ‘shop window’ and ‘online store’ to great effect, dealers have made choosing, paying for and arranging delivery of goods easy.

Second-generation trade and public fair organiser Arthur Swallow Fairs (asfairs.com) was quick to take events onto Instagram back in spring 2020, and co-owner Richard Burgoin is full of optimism for the months ahead. ‘The rise in dealers taking to Instagram, the excellent stock they present and the way they have learnt to curate and display their finds has created a buyer’s paradise,’ he says. ‘We have found it very heartwarming to see a whole new audience reached who otherwise might not have discovered the joys of buying vintage, antiques and salvage.

‘With on-the-ground fairs going back to some degree of “normal’”and a desperation from buyers to deal face-to-face, we anticipate a very busy summer. Going forward, we see a place for both actual and virtual fairs, which is very exciting.’

Sally Knott, owner of The Dorset Brocante (@thedorsetbrocante), echoes this: ‘There remains a pent-up demand for vintage and brocante, and people genuinely miss the real events and the chance to touch and pick things up, and chat to the stallholders. However, they have found a way to shop through online events, which has been very engaging, satisfying, and increasingly user-friendly. Our exhibitors spend hours

Trawling Instagram to buy vintage, antique and salvaged treasures can feel quite daunting, but it’s well worth having a go. Dawn Diggins, owner of Retrovation (retrovation.co.uk) and founding member of Salvage Sundays Dealers (@salvage.sundays), a platform started by Drew Pritchard to help dealers keep selling during lockdown, explains how to get started: ‘For some time, Instagram has been a place where those in the know go to buy directly from sellers, and everyone else is now catching on. Following a hashtag on Instagram is a great place to begin to discover what’s going on and who is selling what – try starting with #vintagedealersofinstagram #vintagedecor or #asfairsinstaevent.

‘Make sure you follow those accounts you like and see what online events they are part of, and follow those accounts too. Instagram fairs, where multiple sellers are showcased, are a fantastic way to immerse yourself in online buying. Some of the best include Dorset Brocante, Arthur Swallow Fairs (@asfairs) and The Vintage Seller Directory (@the_vintage_seller_directory).

‘Many Instagram sellers’ accounts neatly connect to their other selling pages, or feed you through to their websites, which just adds another exciting layer of discovery,’ adds Dawn. ‘Buying this way has also proved to be a great way to support local and small businesses.’

Jen Reeves-North, owner of Little White Cat Decorative (@littlewhitecatdecorative) and organiser of MK Handmade and Vintage Events (mkhandmadeandvintage.co.uk), knows what it’s like to buy and sell both in person and online.

‘As with all other retail, the vintage and antique trade experiences trends and fashions, but my advice would be to ignore this and only ever buy what makes your heart sing,’ she says. ‘From that moment on, it doesn’t matter if the item is fashionable or whether it appreciates or depreciates in value – all that matters is you love it.

‘Whether attending an “actual” or “virtual” fair this summer, equip yourself with a wish list and measurements of spaces you are looking to fill, and, before buying something, make sure you can get it home or can arrange delivery – there’s nothing worse than buying your dream item only to find it won’t fit into the car!

‘Ask dealers questions, as they are generally very knowledgeable about their stock – you’ll find yourself going back again and again to those you like, and before you know it you will have formed a good relationship with them. Don’t haggle too much, but feel free to ask what the best price is.

Research what you’ve bought and maybe look to start a collection – this could just be the beginning of a lifelong passion!’

Buying Vintage

Fairsto visitthissummer MAY

27-31 MAY Henley Décor Fair, Greenlands Park, Marlow Road, Henley-on-Thames RG9 3AP; henleydecorfair.com. Entry: Friday (public preview) £15, Saturday– Monday £10. Set on the banks of the River Thames and featuring live music and food for a festival vibe, this is a five-day celebration of all things antique, vintage, architectural, salvage and decorative.

JUNE

11-13 JUNE Beale Park Decorative Home & Salvage Show, Beale Park, Lower Basildon, Pangbourne, Reading RG8 9NW; asfairs.com. Friday preview £10, Saturday and Sunday £7.50, accompanied under 16s free. A relaxed shopping event for all things old and beautiful, you’ll find Beale Park conveniently located two miles north of junction 12 of the M4, with a direct train service from London’s Paddington to nearby Pangbourne.

13 JUNE So Last Century at the Mansion, Beckenham Place Mansion, Beckenham Hill Rd BR3 1SY; solastcenturyfair.co.uk.

Free entry. A hand-picked selection of 30 vintage traders selling everything from lighting to fashion alongside a mouth-watering selection of street food.

Taking place outside and within the ground-floor rooms of the mansion itself.

13 JUNE The Grand Brocante Antiques & Vintage Fair, Riddlesworth Hall, Hall Lane, Diss, Norfolk IP22 2TA; ablackdogevent. com. Entry £3. Taking place within the grounds of a stunning Norfolk country house and parkland, the event will host over 70 antique and vintage dealers and an independent food village serving locally produced food and drink.

27 JUNE The Malvern Flea & Collectors Market, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6NW; b2bevents.info. Entry £5. A bargainhunter’s paradise, this regular market offers up a wealth of stands, some inside and many outdoors, offering the opportunity to uncover great treasures ready to use or in need of some TLC.

JULY

3 JULY The Midsummer Brocante, Latton Priory, Nr Epping, Essex CM17 9LH; thedorsetbrocante.co.uk. Entry £7.50, children under 14 free. A new event taking place in a delightful country courtyard at Grade II-listed Latton Priory Farm, hosting 40 hand-picked vintage and artisan dealers. On-site pop-up café, fresh coffee truck, cut-flower shop, and more.

3-4 JULY National Botanic Gardens of Wales Antiques Fair, Llanarthne,

Carmarthenshire, Wales SA32 8HG; derwenantiques.co.uk. Entry £6 (includes entry to the gardens). Hosted in the world’s largest single-span glasshouse, set within a sheltered courtyard and around several marquees, this friendly two-day event offers a range of collectibles and decorative items, with Welsh antiques being a speciality.

4 JULY Wimbledon Homes & Antiques Fair, Prince George Playing Fields, Bushey Road, Raynes Park, London SW20 8TE; sw19antiques.com. Entry £1, children free. An exciting new London event offering an abundance of antiques, vintage, retro, collectibles, garden ephemera, furniture and paintings, to inspire a unique home and garden. The fair is easy to access and there is ample free parking.

18 JULY The Giant Shepton Flea, Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6QN; sheptonflea. com. Entry £5, accompanied children free. Taking place exclusively outside for 2021, this popular fleamarket hosts the best in affordable and unique finds, from textiles through to furniture. Discover a fantastic mix of dealers from the South West and further afield.

24 JULY Cheshire Antiques & Salvage Market, Tabley, Nr Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 0HJ; asfairs.com. Public entry £6, accompanied under 16s free. A drive-in format for dealers and plenty of free parking for buyers, this thrilling event is a hot-spot for interesting and affordable antiques, vintage, architectural salvage and one-off pieces for the home and garden.

AUGUST

10 AUGUST Sunbury Antiques Market, Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road, Sunbury on Thames TW16 5AQ; sunburyantiques.com. Free entry.

A regular market with an early kick-off hosting over 700 stalls inside and out.

Shop here for the cool, unusual and unexpected, from grand antique crystaldrop chandeliers to vintage shop mannequins, and everything in-between.

11 AUGUST Lincoln Antiques & Home Show, Lincoln Showground, Grange de Lings, Lincoln LN2 2NA; asfairs.com.

Public entry £5, accompanied under 16s free. Popular with collectors and interior designers, this is a largely outside event with one inside hall. Shop for fine antiques to industrial vintage.

29 AUGUST Halesworth Antiques Street Fair, Halesworth, Suffolk; ablackdogevent. com. Free entry. Celebrating its 29th year as one of the longest-running street fairs in East Anglia, this bustling one-day event will fill the town with over 100 stalls selling antiques, vintage and artisan pieces.

30 AUGUST Bank Holiday Brocante, Deans Court, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 1QF; thedorsetbrocante.co.uk. Entry £7.50, children under 14 free. Held in the gardens of Grade I-listed Deans Court under the cover of white marquees, this is not just a vintage, brocante and artisan shopping experience, but the perfect day out.

Details correct at time of going to press.

Before travelling, check for Covid updates and that the event is still scheduled to run Period Living 97

re d n u ysoC

t o o f Looking to give your

floor a long-lasting touch of comfort? The new Jupiter twist carpet, from £19.49 per m2 from Lifestyle Floors, offers the flexibility to choose not only the perfect shade – from 16 neutrals – but the best weight for your space. Made from the brand’s signature hardwearing Life-Tec fibre, Jupiter is available in three weights – Super, Elite and Exclusive – depending on the needs of the room, and has a lifetime stain warranty.

indulgent, it is the bathroom, so British brand William Holland has launched an exclusive, limited-edition bath that exudes luxury. Delphina is crafted from pure copper with a bespoke brushed nickel finish. Its sleek design defies eras, pairing Art Deco detailing with a Regency-style ambience. The ornate tub combines the finest techniques and artisan skills, and offers a unique bathing experience. Prices on application.

up t i Shaker cabinetry is kea timeless choice, but can

ahS

RARE FIND If there is one room that should feel

ROLLING IN THE DEEP Having the right tools for the job can make a world of difference to your DIY project. Harris’ new Powercoat roller has a microfibre sleeve, which is designed to minimise splatter. Its unique design also gives 30 per cent more paint coverage than a standard roller, saving you time and money as well as giving your walls a professional finish. The roller costs £7.42 with replacement sleeves from £2.79.

feel a bit predictable. So consider opting for an on-trend deep emerald green to add a sense of period drama to the kitchen. Moore has introduced this rich shade to its Kensington range, along with dark blue. Deep colours pair well with natural wood and stone, to bring out your home’s warmth and character.

From £2,000.

Period Living 99

ASK THE EXPERT

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

We are planning to install Qconversion. new oak windows in our barn We want to keep

QUICK REFRESH Sustainable paint brand Pickleson Paint Company launched last year with the aim of making decorating your home easier and quicker. Its water-based paint is low in VOCs and comes in recyclable packaging, so you don’t have to worry about your decorating harming the environment. Plus, the paint’s quick-dry formula allows you to apply a second coat in as little as 20 minutes. Prices start at £40 for 2.5ltrs.

TAPPING IN Make a luxurious statement in your kitchen with Waterworks’ new mixed materials tap collection. Combining contrasting metals, like brass and copper, as featured in this Canteen One design, enhances the taps’ detailing, with warm oak handles completing the look. Prices on application.

the oak bare but have been told it would be best to paint the exterior. What is your view?

Unlike with softwood, new oak joinery does not require painting externally for longevity. So long as it doesn’t become saturated due to water being trapped by bad detailing, untreated oak should withstand the UK climate very well. Oak is also sometimes painted in the belief that it will stop it warping, but there is very little benefit. In fact, where oak is painted, there can be challenges ensuring that the paint adheres.

If you do paint new oak externally, wiping with methylated spirits and roughening its surfaces with a coarse, abrasive paper, will aid adhesion. Internally, you can leave the oak untreated or you can apply a little beeswax polish.

Steer clear of polyurethane varnish, as it provides a shiny, synthetic appearance.

A pane of old glass in our Qaccidentally cottage’s window was broken – what

treasure, preserving centuries of heritage in the houses, forests, landscapes and coastlines in its care. Its new collaboration with Sarsen Stone Group lets you bring a little of that history home. Several of the new designs are straight from the archives, like the delft tiles Clockwise from top left: (below) found in Dyrham Dairy, Woodland Glade £60 per m2; while others evoke nature, such Alfriston Clergy patterned as the lifelike motifs on Woodland tiles, £78 per m2, with Glade (above). Plus, at least £10,000 glazed Shoreline tile, £80 from the sale of the collections will per m2, both in Sea Kale; go to support the work of the Trust. Dyrham Dairy Decor delft tiles, £90 for a set of 9

replacement should we buy?

Where there’s little option but to replace, cylinder glass is usually an appropriate choice. It is more expensive than standard float glass but will be more in-keeping.

When ordering, remember that the size of a pane must allow for a 3mm reduction around the edge to accommodate movement once installed. Traditional linseed oil can still be used as an additive for the glazing putty. Using a scraper to trim fresh putty along the glass will also help you to achieve a neat result. Once installed, be sure to leave the putty until it is hard, but it should be painted for protection within a month.

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

esnopser a eetnaraug tonnac tub ,seireuq lla rewsna ot tseb ruo od eW* yenaeR ylloH erutaeF

HERITAGE INSPIRATION The National Trust is a true

A beautiful outlook W

Advertorial

Breathe new life into your home by upgrading your windows ith many of us having spent more time at home in the last year than ever before, maintenance issues that were once inconsequential are now of paramount importance.

Old windows are one such challenge – often letting in cold draughts and letting out precious heat. If your home still has its originals, it is important to look into restoring them. A consultation with a specialist window company will give you a good indication as to whether your windows can be restored, or if it is time to consider replacing them. If your home has inauthentic designs, or windows that are no longer up to the job, then sensitive replacements will add charm and value.

Richard Dollar, managing director of The Sash Window Workshop, explains what you need to consider before carrying out window restoration and renovation RETAIN THE PERIOD STYLE Part of the charm of owning a period property is its unique character. The windows contribute heavily to this, and choosing the wrong material or style can drastically reduce the value of your home.

CONSIDER GLAZING Installing double glazing can significantly improve the warmth of your home. If your windows are otherwise in good condition, you may be able to install doubleglazed sashes into the existing frames, saving money and minimising disruption. There are also various types of glass, each with different benefits, including acoustic, safety and coloured glass.

PLANNING PERMISSION If your home is listed, or in a Conservation Area, you will need to obtain planning permission. If there is any doubt, consult your local council before proceeding.

CHOOSE A DURABLE TIMBER There are a wide variety of different timbers so it is important to check the durability of the timber being used. The Sash Window Workshop recommends using a timber called Accoya, which is a sustainable pine wood that has been chemically treated to make it extremely durable. Plus, it comes with a 50-year anti-rot guarantee and requires minimal maintenance.

Above: Edwardianstyle timber bay casement windows, manufactured and installed by The Sash Window Workshop. Price on application Left: Traditional sash windows manufactured and installed by The Sash Window Workshop. Price on application

CARRY OUT RESEARCH When obtaining quotes, it is important to check whether the companies are part of any accreditation bodies like Which? Trusted Traders. For this accreditation, the business must undergo an extensive assessment to prove that they provide excellent customer service.

For more information or for a no-obligation quote, visit sashwindow.com or call 01344 868668.

Period Living 101

Knock,knock

Shopping

who’s there?

Add a characterful touch to your front door with a statement knocker

Hand-cast brass Regency-style Melton knocker with antique finish, £66, Jim Lawrence

Brass bumblebee door knocker with rose gold finish, £39.99, Brass Bee

Brass owl knocker, £60, Cox & Cox

yenaeR ylloH erutaeF

Heart shaped cast-iron door knocker, £12, Dibor

Kirkpatrick Claudius iron knocker with pewter finish, £33.30, Cast in Style

Nevarez cast-iron bird knocker, £13.99, Wayfair

Black cast-iron lion’s head knocker, £25, The Door Knocker Company

Brass woodpecker knocker with bright chrome finish, £49.99, Black Country Metalworks

Cast-iron elephant head knocker with antique brass finish, £52.95, The Worm That Turned

Antique-style iron female hand knocker, £22, Rockett St George

Maison chrome fox knocker, £53, House of Isabella Period Living 103

Renovation

Plasterwork HOME MAINTENANCE

Plaster repairs are an occasional requirement in an older home, so learn how to keep the materials in good condition and spot early signs of damage

B

Feature Roger Hunt, author of Old House Handbook efore the widespread use of modern gypsum and Portland cement in the 1900s, plasters were generally lime based.

These traditional mixes were softer, porous and compatible with historic forms of construction. They also tend to be more flexible and better able to accommodate the movement often seen in older properties. Significantly, they do not trap moisture, allowing buildings to ‘breathe’.

srevO haraS snoitartsullI

Maintenance checklist

lExamine walls and ceilings for

cracked, bulging and loose plaster lNote areas of plaster that sound hollow when tapped lIdentify and deal with the cause

of any damp patches, which can be external or internal lUnderstand whether modern plasters and finishes are causing problems

Questions and answers

Robin Dukes, managing director of Reading-based Owlsworth IJP, a specialist contractor in the repair and conservation of historic buildings, answers some common questions about the best methods of repairing and renovating plaster.

Q

What are the main considerations when undertaking work to plaster?

In most cases, plastering is specialist work. Where possible, it is preferable to retain and repair original plasters

rather than replace. If repairs are needed, it is important that they are carried out using a compatible lime plaster mix. In lower status buildings and cottages, it is not uncommon to find earth plasters, sometimes in combination with lime. Where plaster has failed, it is important to understand the cause of this and rectify the problem rather than simply deal with the symptoms.

Q

What is the mix for lime plaster?

For most situations, a mix of 1 part lime putty to 3 parts of well-graded sharp sand will be sufficient. To this, hair should be added at a ratio of 4kg per 1t of plaster. Where a fine finish is required, a mix of 1 part lime putty to Period Living 105

have fallen or become detached, or the surface is dusting and breaking down. Where staining exists, it is likely that this is due to water ingress. If plaster is crumbling and dusting at low level, these could be signs of dampness within the walls and the effects of soluble salts, which crystallise as moisture evaporates through the surface, leading to the breakdown of the plaster itself.

Q

Should damp plaster be replaced?

Above: Where plaster repairs are needed use a compatible lime plaster mix Below: Investigate the cause of a sagging ceiling, which may be failed plaster or laths

2 parts of fine sieved sharp sand – or silver sand for a very fine finish – can be used, without the addition of hair.

Q

Why is hair added to the mixture?

Hair is essential to lime plasters as it binds the mix together and makes it stronger, while introducing some flexibility that helps accommodate minor movement. Cow, horse and goat hair were typically used.

Q

What are the tell-tale signs that plaster needs repair?

Problems are often highlighted when cracking is evident, areas of plaster

First address the root cause. For instance, by reducing high external ground levels or improving drainage around the building. Where possible, remove salt contaminated plaster and allow the walls to dry out before replastering. This will also allow salts to work their way out before new plaster is applied. It is important to appreciate that there are no quick fixes. It may take some time for the problem to go away and, where it is impossible to fully remove the cause, it may never completely go away.

In these situations, it is wise to take expert advice.

Q

Lime plaster has been patched with modern gypsum plaster. What should be done about this?

It may be that it is contributing to damp issues, in which case it should be removed, but this needs to be weighed against the damage that may be caused to the remaining lime plaster. If it is possible to safely remove the gypsum plaster without the loss of original plaster, a new compatible lime plaster can be reinstated and carefully blended into the old.

Q

How can a sagging ceiling be repaired effectively?

If it is simply an issue with the plaster, it is likely that the failed area can be removed and replastered. However, it may be that the laths have failed, perhaps due to woodworm attack or rusted nail fixings. If this is the case, the laths will need to be refixed or replaced before replastering.

When there is loss of key between existing plaster and laths, it is possible to introduce mechanical fixings such as a screw and penny washer or hessian and plaster dab fixed through the plaster into the joist. This is done at regular intervals and the surface made good. Loss of key with laths can also be tackled from above if there is the option to lift floorboards and expose

106 Period Living

the back of the ceiling. In this instance, it may be possible to cast lime and plaster of Paris onto the back, which will rebond the plaster to the laths.

Q

The plaster sounds hollow when tapped – is this a problem?

If the plaster is hollow, it is likely that the bond with the background has failed. If it is only localised patches, it may quite happily sit intact. Historic plaster, particularly pre-Victorian, was often heavily haired forming a continuous ‘mat’ that can resist a great deal of movement. Where hollow plaster is a concern, an experienced lime practitioner may well be able to re-secure the plaster by grouting behind it with a lime mix or through introducing mechanical fixings.

Extensive failure may mean that the plaster has to be removed and the wall replastered.

Useful contacts

AP PLASTERING – traditional plain and decorative lime plastering. Tel: 01664 561670; heritagelimeplastering.co.uk CHALK DOWN LIME – traditional building materials. Tel: 01580 830092; chalkdownlime.co.uk MIKE WYE & ASSOCIATES – natural building specialist and lime products.

Tel: 01409 281644; mikewye.co.uk OLD HOUSE STORE – lime plasters Tel: 01189 469146; oldhousestore.co.uk OWLSWORTH IJP – specialist contractor.

Tel: 01189 469169; owlsworthijp.co.uk SEAN WHEATLEY – plastering specialist.

Tel: 01271 883349; seanwheatley.co.uk SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS (SPAB) – advice and courses.

Tel: 020 7377 1644; spab.org.uk TRADITIONAL LIME CO – lime products.

Tel: 01242 525444; traditionallime.co.uk TY-MAWR – sustainable building materials, including lime plasters.

Tel: 01874 611350; lime.org.uk WOMERSLEY’S – advice and materials.

Tel: 01924 400651; womersleys.co.uk

WINDOWS DESIGN DETAILS

In his series examining the evolution of key design features, conservation expert Lee Bilson delves into the history of our homes’ most defining exterior element

F

rom openings devoid of glass to fully glazed walls, the humble window has seen many changes. As with most features of period homes, windows’ size and design were dictated by wealth, status, fashion and technology. But what has remained the same throughout British architecture is their ability to bring life to a façade and interior spaces alike – playing host to our distant daydreams, offering glimpses into others’ homes, and giving views of the ever-changing seasons. They frame our lives.

Status symbols

Our earliest surviving homes, of the Tudors and late medieval period, were often devoid of glazing as only the wealthiest could afford the great expense of glass. Instead, vertical mullions were common, with either oiled cloth or shutters to keep out the 108 Period Living

worst of the weather. But where glazing was afforded, such was the skill and cost involved that it was typically only made up of small leaded panes. Many considered the expense of windows so great that, at points, it was common practice to take them when moving to a new house.

Their positioning also offers a useful guide to the function and status of internal spaces – the larger the window, the more important the space.

Windows became more decorative in the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods; the majority being glazed as standard and with finer houses now adopting more intricate geometric glass designs. Glass was used by the wealthy to exhibit their status, meaning ever larger mullion and transom windows – in some instances creating what would have appeared at the time to be walls composed almost entirely of glass.

Design Details

Opposite: Mullioned windows with leaded lights in listed medieval manor house Left: A picture of elegance, the classic Georgian sash window has six-over-six panes Above: In the Victorian era, two-over-two sash windows became the norm, with sash horns being developed to

strengthen the frames’ joints. The bay window also became a popular architectural feature Below: Though the sash window reigned supreme during the 18th and 19th centuries, many cottages feature timber casement windows with glazing bars

rezsiF aisaK ,gnuhC nerraD ,gnitihW lehcaR ,ybraD tnerB )tfel pot morf esiwkcolc( segamI

Period Living 109

Cross windows with leaded lights remained the dominant window style until the 18th century, with fashions evolving to include baroque designs such as oval bullseye windows. But eventually, the iconic sash window rose to take its place.

The age of elegance

Counterbalanced sash windows are widely believed to have been introduced in the reinstated court of Charles II, in the mid-17th century. They began to be used widely in homes of the Queen Anne era – early designs were narrow in comparison with later sashes and had thicker glazing bars holding smaller panes of glass. Their exposed frames were set flush with the brick façade, but as building regulations advanced during the 18th century, the Georgians amended the placement of windows to suit new building practices. The first change, from 1709, set the windows back by four inches, and then from 1774 they had to be recessed behind the brickwork.

The Georgians enjoyed a huge diversity in architectural tastes including gothic, rococo, chinoiserie, neoclassicism and Palladianism, so windows were often designed to suit, with touches of chinoiserie here, or gothic arches there.

Refining the style

In the Regency period, windows were seen more as part of a façade than ever before. Long, tall sash windows became the fashion, with older properties often being modernised by dropping the sills and installing new taller sashes.

Delicate designs were used to add a refined flamboyance to otherwise plain façades – one popular detail was Y-shaped tracery, often used in fanlights above doors. Decoration was also crucial, and whereas today we see windows and doors painted in flat colours – usually with inappropriate gloss finishes – in the Regency period these often had grained finishes applied to imitate expensive oak.

Design innovation

During the Victorian era, technological advances brought about significant changes to window design. The construction of sash windows moved away from numerous panes to two-paned sashes.

Predictably, the finest of houses went one step further by reducing these to just one large pane.

To accommodate this, structural innovations were needed, as without the glazing bars the frame was too weak. Short protrusions, known as horns, were introduced to make the joints stronger and can be a tell-tale sign of a Victorian sash.

Decorative delights

Under the Arts and Crafts movement, stained glass and leaded lights were used prolifically, with front doors incorporating bold coloured and textured glass of greens, yellows and blues. Floral motives referenced ideas of the European Art Nouveau movement and designers like Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald.

Earlier Victorian sash windows were now seen as being inextricably linked with modern plate glass, 110 Period Living

so windows of smaller vernacular forms were embraced, with materials as the focus, reflecting the Arts and Crafts ideals and aesthetic.

The movement influenced other styles, such as homes designed in a Queen Anne revival manner.

Early forms of sash came into fashion with new tweaks – one iteration was the coupling of a smallpaned upper sash, with a single-paned lower sash.

New possibilities

Advancing into the 20th century, builders and homeowners made the most of technological advances in glass production – stronger, more vibrant colours were now available and in a range of textures and opacities.

Windows tended to now be hinged casements – rather than traditional sash styles – with sleek metal windows by the likes of Crittall becoming synonymous with the era, especially in houses of the Art Deco or moderné styles.

Here the capabilities of the steel window were exploited, with suntrap curved windows being popular in even the cheapest of homes. This offered architects greater flexibility in design and led to the likes of the Bauhaus movement, which built on the ideas of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and others. Walls of glass were now possible.

Maintenance issues

l Original windows are too often removed, only

to be replaced with supposedly better modern systems. Do not be fooled, however – a wellmaintained original sash window can easily outlive a modern casement. The key is regular maintenance. lTouching up the paint coatings significantly increases lifespan, as it helps to preserve the timber and staves off decay. In the case of timber windows the best option is a linseed paint – try Bulmer Paints or Brouns & Co – which is easy to use, breathable and environmentally friendly. lIf replacement is needed, or you wish to reinstate more appropriate windows where the original has already been removed, look around the local area for authentic designs that you can copy. lThe Arts and Crafts era saw a resurgence in the use of timber-framed leaded light windows – these can last a long time and the points of failure are easy to spot. One good tip is the tapping method (that applies to leaded lights of any period). If you tap the window and it rattles, then the cement used to bind and seal the lead and the glass together is failing and needs replacing. You can do this yourself, but if you aren’t confident then hire a specialist. lSteel windows are sadly often seen as a nuisance and when neglected can present significant issues.

But wherever possible try not to remove them for other types. If they are beyond repair there are companies, including Crittall, who can produce new ones to match, including all forms of thermal glazing capabilities. Another issue with steel windows is the cold bridge effect, due to the metal and single glazing. As with other window types you can install secondary glazing where this is causing problems.

Design Details

Left: Stunning stained glass sash windows in Victorian home Above: Mullioned windows with leaded lights in Jacobean manor house Below: Small circular window in

Edwardian semidetached home Below left: Steel windows were ubiquitous in the interwar era – Clement Windows manufactures authentic replacements

swodniW tnemelC ,ybraD tnerB ,rezsiF aisaK ,t rawetS ydoJ )tfel pot morf esiwkcolc( segamI

Period Living 111

Enjoy spending time in the garden, whether to admire or entertain, and discover how to nurture an edible polyculture

WARM WELCOME We can get so excited at the sight of sunshine in this country that we rush to plan alfresco dining, forgetting that the mercury can quickly drop once the sun starts to set. Continue the evening outdoors, however, with the Ignis firepit from Morsø, £199, which doubles up as a barbecue and heater for creating a cosy atmosphere.

CROP COMPANIONS WHAT: Potatoes and thyme

WHY: One of the most common vegetables, potatoes

ht rowpeH lieN /SHR © tsuguA ni nedraG esidaraP ehT )retawegdirB SHR( egamI senoJ lliB noot raC srevO haraS noitartsullI worC lehcaR erutaeF

have numerous culinary uses. Certain herbs grown alongside the tubers are believed to make them even tastier, including thyme, which also attracts beneficial insects into the vegetable plot that will help to pollinate crops and dispense with irritant pests.

PLANTING: Hailing from the Mediterranean, thyme likes to be planted in full sun in well draining soil.

Once established, you won’t need to water your thyme as it thrives in almost drought conditions. Trim it back after it has finished flowering to promote new growth, otherwise the plants become woody. It is particularly good for growing at the edge of raised beds.

GARDEN TREASURES RHS GARDEN BRIDGEWATER The opening of RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford, postponed

from July 2020, is an inspirational destination for garden lovers in the North West of England. Highlights include the Paradise Garden

by Tom Stuart-Smith, with Mediterranean and Asiatic plantings and a spectacular lily pond at its heart, while the Kitchen Garden, designed by Harris Bugg Studio, offers a new take on grow-yourown, all set within the historic 11-acre Weston Walled Garden.

Among the further spaces to enjoy are Wellbeing, Orchard and Chinese Streamside gardens, meadows and woodland. Open daily.

Entry: adult £11, child £5.50. (Tel: 0161 5036100; rhs.org.uk) BEST IN SHOW While we wait with bated breath for the live Chelsea Flower Show, taking place a little later this year, in September, drink in the beauty of this hand-painted illustration by Katie Craven on the official mug to commemorate the event. The china keepsake is priced £12, RHS Shop.

Period Living 113

HOME HELP In response to the nation’s increased interest in houseplants, a range of products to nurture indoor greenery has been developed by father and son horticulturalists, Nick and Richard Jackson. The Plantsmith collection includes Fortifying Feed & Tonic and Care Mist, containing nutrients aimed to nourish and revitalise, including kelp extract to stimulate growth, £14.99 each.

S

pretty w o Describing themselves

as ‘a small business with eco-consciousness at our heart,’ Hereford based Seedlings was founded by an illustrator duo who embellish their range of rustic seed cards and gifts with their beautiful wildlife and botanical illustrations. Their Grow Your Own Bouquet kit, containing a selection of British grown seeds, including wild marjoram, cornflower and corn chamomile, will bloom together and provide a source of nectar for our treasured pollinators. Priced £16.

ON THE BOOKSHELF Gardening alongside nature is

the secret to creating an outdoor space that is as beautiful and supportive of wildlife, as it is productive, offering wholesome, chemical-free and amazing tasting food without lots of backbreaking work. In Eat What You Grow (£22, Kyle Books), gardener and writer Alys Fowler explains and guides on how to nurture a polyculture of perennial and annual edible plants and herbs – a little bit of everything, all muddled up – for a thriving abundance that is as lovely in the garden as it is tasty on the plate.

SUMMER GREENHOUSE GARDENING

In high summer, when the temperature rises, attention needs to turn to any crops or plants you are growing under glass. Two jobs that are particularly important in the greenhouse are watering and shading, advises Hartley Botanic.

Watering: Maintain a regular regime of watering with tepid water, in the evening, poured around the roots not over the leaves. Check containers daily by sticking your finger into the surface of the compost: if it is free of compost particles when you pull it out, then water.

Give plants a thorough soak – a light sprinkle will encourage roots to the surface where they are more susceptible to drought.

Create a circular ridge of soil around the base of plants to allow the water to pool, rather than run off, and add plenty of well-rotted organic matter to the soil before planting, to ensure that water is retained like a sponge. Mulching pots with mini bark or gravel will help conserve moisture, and you can also maintain humidity in your greenhouse by dampening down the floor.

Shade: When it gets very hot, the fierce intensity of the sun magnified by glass is often too much for plants. One solution is to paint on white shading; however, you will need to wipe it off at the end of the season.

Polypropylene shade netting can also be attached to the sunniest side of the greenhouse. Keep netting on the outside to keep the interior clear for taller growing crops, such as cucumbers. Or see page 117 for an eco-conscious, DIY solution. (hartley-botanic.co.uk)

Making room

Garden Buildings

Add a garden building that serves as an extension of your home – a place to relax, work or grow

S

Feature Holly Reaney

hortage of space is one of the main factors that compels us to move house – whether we are searching for more room to entertain, somewhere quiet to work from home, or just a space to serve as a peaceful sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Rather than selling and moving on, however, consider if these issues could be solved quite easily with a garden building, designed to suit your needs.

Providing an additional room to your home, without the hassle and cost of extending or moving, a garden building is a relatively straightforward solution.‘It is crucial that you consider what you need your garden building to do before you start. Identifying the purpose of the building will shape both the look and location, and possibly the budget, too,’ advises Merry Albright, creative director at Border Oak. For a non-listed property, garden buildings are usually classed as permitted development, avoiding the need for planning permission. However, they must be single storey and have a maximum height of 2.5 metres.

Listed homes and those in conservation areas may need additional approval. For more advice see planningportal.co.uk.

Oriental paradise yhpargotohP slohciN evilC egamI

Use a garden building to evoke a specific atmosphere in your garden. Here, this Japanese-style pagoda is flanked by abundant bamboo and vibrant acers to give the space an ornamental feel.

The bright red immediately draws the eye, punctuating the space while also serving as a sheltered sanctuary.

Period Living 117

Spacetoentertain

Make the most of spending time with family and friends by creating a relaxing sanctuary

Grab a drink

Above: If you love to host, then creating an outdoor entertaining space is a must. Oakwrights’ spacious Leisure Pavilion, from £10,000, ensures nobody is left off the guest list. Its oak structure complements the surrounding greenery, and with a solid roof and strings of festoon lights, you are set to party into the evening.

Sitting pretty

Right: You can’t go wrong with a classic summerhouse. This Sun Ray design, from £8,055 at Scotts of Thrapston, has been finished with a cosy upholstered bench, creating the ideal spot to sit and catch up with a friend, while its glazed windows let you enjoy your garden’s vistas.

118 Period Living

Room with a view

Garden Buildings

Below: Pick a spot that makes the most of the scenery. This pretty Savannah Breeze House, £7,329 from Malvern Garden Buildings, features a Cape Reed thatched roof that would blend in with a cottage garden scheme, while its open sides allow for panoramic views.

Cooking up a storm

Below: The unreliable British weather can often rain on bestlaid BBQ plans. This Radcliffe outdoor kitchen from Oak Designs Co will put an end to postponing garden parties with its functional cooking space and sheltered seating area.

Price on application.

ect fini erfMatthew p s e

Brown, technical consultant at Sadolin & Sandtex, explains how to prepare your building for a new coat of paint. ‘Preparation is key to getting good results. If surfaces show signs of previous coatings flaking or greying due to long-term exposure to the sun, use a stiff nylon brush to remove any loose materials from the surface. Do not use a wire brush as it might cause more damage. Once the surface is ready, paint with two or three coats of outdoor paint that is suitable for both wood and metal.’

h

Above: Relaxing with a glass of wine in hand under a cascade of beautiful blooms, is one of the most idyllic ways to spend a summer afternoon. A wooden pergola is a simple addition but provides a beautifully open and airy alternative to more substantial garden buildings.

hT

t rawetS ydoJ )alogrep nedoow( egamI

Alfresco dining

From left: Garden, £73 for 2.5 ltrs of Intelligent exterior eggshell, Little Greene; Wild Grape, £41.95 for 2.5 ltrs of Superdec Satin, Sadolin; Gentle Blue, £18.49 for 750ml of Exterior Satin, Sandtex Period Living 119

Outofoffice

Achieve a better work-life balance by adding a bespoke home office to your garden

Modern style

Above: Equally at home in a modern or period setting, a cleanlined glazed addition maximises views without dominating the space. Green Retreat’s Inspiration design, £22,745, reimagines the traditional timber lodge as a contemporary home office.

Rugged charm

Right: If vintage isn’t your style, then opt for an industrial edge.

This studio from MW Architects is built from reclaimed bricks, which complement the main house, while Crittall-style windows and a living roof give the space a modern feel. Fitted with electricity and a bathroom, this office also doubles as a guest suite. Prices on application.

120 Period Living

Versatile space

Garden Buildings

Below: Half-office, half-garage, with a log store for good measure, this green oak-framed building, £35,000 from Border Oak, is built on the front drive rather than in the garden, meaning it doesn’t disrupt the garden sanctuary. It also provides a handy and safe parking spot for added practicality.

Garden retreat

Below: A home from home, this office from Julius Bahn incorporates everything you’d want from a fully functional house – doubleglazed windows, patio doors, heating, a bathroom, and even a porch. With generous dimensions, the building can also serve as a space for guests. Prices on application.

eable stru c i Insulation rv and power are vital

eS

Above: The ultimate dream for a country garden, shepherds’ huts have been around for centuries.

Originally a space for working shepherds to live while tending their flocks during lambing season, this rustic style of cart is now a beloved addition to many gardens and a quaint space for both working and relaxing. For a similar design, see Plankbridge.

c erut

Counting sheep

in creating a room that is usable all year round. ‘Having a tiled, insulated roof will keep the garden room warm in the winter and cool in the summer, with underfloor heating being our most popular heating option,’ says Penny Whitlock, director at Julius Bahn. A stove, whether electric or wood-burning, also creates a cosy space inside. An electrician should be able to run a cable underground from your house, although if you’re looking for a more sustainable solution, consider solar panels on the roof.

nosrieP tegdirB )tuh ’sdrehpehs( eyT + hcnerF )oiduts stcetihcrA WM( egamI

Room to grow

Take your horticultural pursuits to the next level with these essential additions Neat and tidy

Below: Once you’ve finished tending your borders and mowing your lawn, make sure you have a space to tidy away your tools. Smaller than a conventional shed, the Posh Shed Company’s Allotment store, £1,332, fits perfectly by the back door and its roof can be planted with herbs that are easy to access from the kitchen and will also encourage pollinators.

Perfectly petite

Above: Just because you are short of space, doesn’t mean you can’t accommodate a greenhouse. Gabriel Ash’s Lean-to-Eight is 8ft wide, so offers ample room, but since it rests against a wall of your shed or house, it doesn’t take over the garden. Plus, it is extendible to any length, so can make the most of all the available wall space. Prices on application.

Under glass

Below: A must-have for any serious gardener, a greenhouse lets you kickstart your gardening endeavours while it is still cold outside. This Victorian Terrace glasshouse from Hartley Botanic, is constructed from aluminium on a warm stone base and is inspired by heritage designs, making it the perfect companion for period homes.

Prices available on application.

Putting the green in greenhouse

Heritage glasshouse manufacturer Hartley Botanic advise on how to make gardening under glass more environmentally friendly: CHOOSE PEAT-FREE COMPOST. Peat bogs store the carbon equivalent of 20 years’ worth of national industrial emissions so is best avoided.

OPT FOR SELF-CLEANING GLASS. Very easy to maintain, this reduces the need for environment-harming detergents and wasted water.

MAKE NATURAL SHADE FOR YOUR GREENHOUSE. Lie plants such as bracken or rosebay willowherb over the glass for instant shade. When no longer needed, you can throw the ‘natural shade’ on the compost heap to continue its work as food for the soil.

Cottage abundance

Although a young garden, The Homestead, created by owner and passionate plantswoman Janet Bashforth, brims with a floral medley happily jostling for space, making it the worthy winner of Period Living’s Garden of the Year Award in 2020 Photographs Joe Wainwright | Words Leigh Clapp

Looking back towards the Edwardian chalet, a circular bed neatly enclosed by brick paving is teeming with a profusion of plants, including red Astrantia major ‘Gill Richardson’, hostas, heucheras, lupins, and acers jostling for space around the star of the show, an Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’. In contrast with this planted medley, opposite is the neat structure of tightly clipped box balls, interspersed with wafting Stipa tenuissima ‘Wind Whispers’

Gardens

KEY FACTS

Character A compact country cottage garden surrounded on three sides by fields, where plants star in sunny and shaded areas Size 18 metres at the widest to 26 metres from the house to the back Aspect North-facing, exposed to wind across the fields Soil Sandy loam improved with regular leaf mould and manure Owner Janet Bashforth, who has lived here since 2014 and is the Cheshire County Organiser of the National Garden Scheme House Edwardian chalet bungalow Information The Homestead, High Legh, Cheshire WA16 0RZ. Opens

W

through the National Garden Scheme on 12 June and 11 July. Also open by arrangement for groups (ngs.org.uk)

hen Janet Bashforth moved to The Homestead, an Edwardian bungalow in rural Cheshire, in 2014, the scene was very different to the one that greets visitors today. ‘There wasn’t much garden to speak of; it was basically a blank canvas, with just two areas of grass, some mature silver birch and one or two shrubs. The previous owner was a dog breeder and used the back part of the garden to exercise her puppies. It was a concrete paved area with two stable blocks that housed the dogs,’ Janet explains. It is now hard to envision this previous outlook, of which only one stable remains, which today houses Janet’s garden tools and a potting shed.

Downsizing from a larger home and garden with heavy clay soil, gave Janet the opportunity to create 126 Period Living

a garden from scratch in the easier to manage sandy loam soil. A keen gardener since childhood, Janet further honed her interest through training in design and horticulture, and has designed gardens for friends. Her passion for plants, meanwhile, is fed regularly by working part-time at the nearby Bluebell Cottage Garden Nursery, which specialises in perennials and is a constant source of tantalising must-haves.

Janet drew up a plan for the garden in 2014 and hired landscaper, Neil Jones, to interpret it, turning the concrete paved area into a series of paths and planting areas for borders. Everything was then put on hold as Janet faced a health battle. ‘I discovered I had breast cancer, which was frightening, but actually inspired me to get the garden done more quickly; it was my salvation,’ she recalls, spending the time while recuperating really developing a vision for how she wanted the garden to look.

The transformation then began in earnest and the level of maturity now is truly inspiring. With the cancer treatment having weakened the strength in her arm, Janet called on gardener friend Peter Limb to help dig out the borders and remove the area of grass, which she found hard to maintain and was also in shade.

Planting could then get underway from April 2015, filling the borders with many perennials, creating box balls and placing obelisks, now adorned with climbing roses and clematis. ‘It was exciting to watch my design become reality and

Gardens

Clockwise from opposite: The living wall panel on the shed adds interest, echoing foliage colours in the beds; Astrantia major ‘Gill Richardson’ with Rosa ‘Albéric Barbier’ and Lychnis coronaria ‘Alba’; Janet always has new plans to evolve her garden; a standard holly and containers give focal

points among the medley of roses, astrantias and spires of Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’ which surround a small seating area, while timber post sentinels guide the eye down the path, past a cottage medley that includes Geranium ‘Patricia’ and creamy-pink Rosa ‘Phyllis Bide’

I could begin forming ideas about planting.

I wanted a garden that I could walk around, with paths that would break up the different areas, so that I could use colour themes,’ Janet explains.

At the front gate, five liquidambar, or sweet gum, carpeted underneath with annual wild flowers, greet the visitor before you journey through the side garden with its shady nooks from stately Betula utilis var. jacquemontii, underplanted with an array of spring bulbs, including narcissi, fritillaries and chionodoxa.

It is the back garden, however, that is the main arena. Wandering through the summery floral medley is quite delightful, charmingly filled with a cottage palette and anchored by focal points of structure. Neat brick paths entice you down the garden, some visible, others partly hidden by billowing foliage and flowers, waiting to be discovered. The effervescent canvas is painted with considered choices, such as swathes of purple Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’, soft mauve tumbling geraniums, silvery-blue eryngiums, velvety Phlomis russeliana and an array of roses and clematis scrambling up tree trunks and supports, including rambler Rosa ‘Francis E. Lester’, pastel Clematis ‘Betty Corning’ and profuse C. armandi. Harmonious colour palettes in creamy yellow, blue and white give way to brighter combinations. ‘The back part of the garden is where I let rip with the colours. It gets sun most of the day during the summer when the 128 Period Living

sun is highest so in the larger oval border anything goes as far as colour is concerned,’ says Janet.

One of her favourite areas is a border dedicated to graceful acers, centred around deep burgundy Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’, and accompanied by cerise pink stands of Lupinus ‘The Page’ and red Astrantia major ‘Gill Richardson’. Rhythmical planting of tightly clipped box balls, interspersed with wafting Stipa tenuissima ‘Wind Whispers’ and drumstick flower heads of Allium sphaerocephalon create a foil on the bordering path and draw the eye to a Victorian-style greenhouse.

Plants are selected for their colour, size and shape for each micro-climate, and many of the perennials are given the ‘Chelsea chop’ to keep them in check and more robust, including the sedums, echinacea, geraniums and heleniums.

Behind the shed is a shady fern area, complete with a small wall panel of coleus with their brightly toned leaves, and a prairie themed space at the side of the greenhouse.

Seating is dotted in sunny and shady spots, including a rustic arbour at the bottom of the garden. ‘At the end of a sunny day I love to sit at the very back of the garden and look back down towards the house, as it gets the last rays of the sun,’ Janet enthuses. ‘I make plans for any changes to the planting to keep the garden fresh, as each year I try to bring something different to it. It will never be finished,’ she adds. There are always new plants to discover, find space for, and try out.’

Gardens

Clockwise from opposite: The pretty scene with harmonious plantings, such as Heuchera ‘Key Lime Pie’, Centaurea montana, Eryngium planum and Lychnis coronaria ‘Alba’, is further augmented by Rosa ‘Francis E. Lester’

cascading from the silver birch; a painted ladder creates a changing seasonal theatre for an array of pots; silvery-blue eryngium; potted hostas are dotted around the garden; Lupinus ‘The Page’ combines well with burgundy acer foliage

Period Living 129

Clockwise from above: Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ works well with Phlomis russeliana and deep purple geraniums, while an arch adds height to the scene; a small pond beside the shed reflects the trees beyond and is augmented by

mixed containers; the prolific cottage garden planting complements the Edwardian bungalow, and Janet likes to repeat many of the cottage perennials through the design for continuity; deep pink lupin ‘The Page’ is a stately choice for the acer bed

In the area

BLUEBELL COTTAGE GARDEN AND NURSERY, WARRINGTON WA4 4HP. Nursery and garden,

specialising in flowering perennials, including more unusual varieties. Tel: 01928 713718; bluebellcottage.co.uk

ARLEY HALL AND GARDENS, NORTHWICH CW9 6NA.

Created by the same family over the course of 550 years, with double herbaceous border thought to be the oldest in Europe. Gardens open daily, 10am–5pm. Entry adult £10, child £4. Tel: 01565 777353; arleyhallandgardens.com LANE END COTTAGE GARDENS, LYMM WA13 0TA.

A collection of gardens set over one acre of a former nursery. Opens second weekend each month, April to October. Entry adult £4, child £2. Tel: 01925 752618; laneendcottagegardens.co.uk STRETTON OLD HALL, MALPAS SY14 7JA. Five acres divided into discrete areas, with an emphasis on perennials, including a screen garden, walled kitchen garden, glasshouse and wildflower meadows. Opens through the National Gardens Scheme, adult £7. ngs.org.uk

Gardens

Takeaseat

Garden Furniture

As the days get longer and sunshine fills the sky, make the most of your garden with the latest outdoor furniture designs Feature Tallulah Rushaya COASTAL CHARM Evoke the serenity of the sea with Susie Watson Designs’ reclining vintage deckchair, £125 for the frame. Handcarved from mango wood in Northern India, each chair is uniquely made, and is sure to become your favourite spot for relaxing.

Plus, the easily changeable cotton seats, like this Saffron Mika print, £30, add colour and personality.

Period Living 133

CONTINENTAL CHIC Above: Bring a spark of joie de vivre to your garden with this French-inspired Rive Droite bistro set, £140 from Garden Trading. Available in six shades, the foldable table and chairs are made from powder-coated steel, which is lightweight yet durable, so can easily be moved – meaning you won’t miss any precious sun rays.

RAISE A GLASS Right: Turn any corner of your garden into a cocktail hotspot, with a compact bar table and stool set. Perfect for smaller spaces, this petite Branchwood design, £750 from Indigenous, is handmade using solid Indonesian teak branches, which give the set a rustic aesthetic and, over time, will age to a beautiful silver shade.

PEACEFUL OASIS Architectural garden furniture can also offer a sculptural accent, creating a dainty vignette among the flowers. This Sissinghurst seat, £1,850 from Barlow Tyrie, takes inspiration from the designs of Sir Edwin Lutyens and is decorated with scrolls and ornately shaped back. Crafted from teak, it is a stunning addition to this Italianinspired pond area – the perfect place for a spot of reflection.

134 Period Living

Garden Furniture PULL UP A SEAT Left: Make sure you have enough chairs to accommodate any last-minute guests. Vincent Sheppard’s Loop outdoor aluminium dining chairs, £420 each, have a simple silhouette and woven rope design that would flatter a veranda or terrace. Plus, the stackable design means they are easy to store until needed. For added durability be sure to treat the rope with a fabric protector.

ALFRESCO DELIGHT Below: This summer is one for celebration and reunions, so make sure everyone has a spot at the table. Kettler’s FSC-certified acacia hardwood Cora table, £769, is round rather than rectangular, and so maximises the available space, allowing eight chairs to fit comfortably. Easy to maintain, it simply needs cleaning once a year with a soft-bristled brush.

Choosing furniture

Alex Bridgman, director at Bridgman, shares expert tips on choosing and caring for garden furniture

Q

How do I ensure that my garden furniture is as comfortable as possible?

When buying garden furniture, ensure that it is ergonomically designed to give you the best support for your back, with deep yet supportive cushions.

Q

Which material is the most durable?

Handwoven rattan is extremely durable, eco-friendly and needs little maintenance to keep it looking its best. It is strong, fade resistant, UV resistant and easy to clean.

Q

How can I choose the best colour for my garden?

This is really a matter of taste. However, rattan furniture can be bought in a variety of different weave styles and colours.

Metal can also be powdercoated in any shade. An easy way to add colour to a neutral set is with seat cushions, which come in a wide range of colours – they are also ideal for refreshing your furniture in the future. Just be mindful that if the cushions aren’t stain resistant, lighter colours will soon show the dirt.

Q

Should outdoor furniture match?

There is a trend at the moment for mixing and matching pieces, as it lets you put your own stamp on your furniture.

136 Period Living

But at the same time, you can’t go wrong with a timeless, matching set.

Q

What are the different types of materials?

Garden furniture is made from a wide variety of different materials, with each having its own care requirements, longevity and appearance.

Rattan is created from a synthetic wicker and is sometimes referred to as ‘all-weather furniture’ due to its durability. Rattan is very easy to maintain as it only needs to be wiped down with a damp cloth.

Aluminium and resin furniture should give many years of trouble-free service. Do not use harsh abrasives or aggressive detergents as these can damage the paint finish on many sets. It is advisable to cover aluminium furniture over winter months, or to store it in a shed or garage.

If you are purchasing teak furniture, you are presented with a choice: to treat it with teak treatment or varnish, which slows down weathering and reduces the amount of end grain cracking, or to leave it to naturally weather, where it will turn an elegant silver-grey colour and have a beautiful aged patina. It is best to make this decision before placing the furniture outside, and to keep to the course of action that has been decided upon.

In all cases, the cushions should be stored in a dry space, like a garage or shed, when not needed to ensure years of use and comfort out of your furniture.

REST YOUR SOLES Above: Make sure you have a spot to put up your feet after a day of pruning the rose bushes or tending the borders. With deep seat cushions and padded footstool, this Lowe design, £450 from Cox & Cox, offers ample comfort while soaking up the sun. While the set is weatherproof, it is advised to bring it indoors during winter months.

LAID-BACK LIVING Above: There is something relaxing about swinging back and forth with your feet off the ground while enjoying the beauty of the garden.

This handcrafted RHS Serenity two-seater garden swing, £2,974 from Sitting Spiritually, is made from highly durable Western red cedar which can be left outside all year round. Crafted bespoke, it is available with five different back designs and can seat up to four.

Garden Furniture

LOVE IS IN THE AIR Above: Toast another sunny day with a friend or loved one, in this charming loveseat. Drinks are within easy reach on the table between, and its slightly angled seats allow conversation to flow effortlessly.

Finished in an antique distressed weathered white shade, the metal Greenwich outdoor loveseat, £255 from Perch & Parrow, is suited to all weathers, and is resistant to rust.

VINTAGE INSPIRED Right: An enduring addition, garden furniture needs to complement your space all year round. Opt for a timeless design like this antiquefinish dining bench set, £3,265 from Burford Garden Company.

Inspired by the designs that have been produced by blacksmiths for centuries, it features sweeping serpentine curves and rolled-top backs. Made from high-grade steel, it has been finished with molten zinc, which wards off corrosion and gracefully ages to a subtle silver tone that complements any scheme.

Period Living 137

SPACE TO LOUNGE Above: Create harmony between inside and out by transforming your patio into an extra room.

With generous cushioned seats, Bridgman’s Kensington set, £5,999, offers plenty of room for relaxing, and its modular design means it can be reconfigured to create loungers, chairs or sofas. Made from rattan, the set will withstand harsh weather conditions, so can be left outside.

EASY ELEGANCE Left: If you spent all winter dreaming of sipping your morning coffee in the sunshine or enjoying a romantic meal under the stars, this Oxford four-seat dining set with upholstered Venice chairs, £1,399 from Maze Living, will make your dreams come true.

With four armchairs and a glasstopped table, it perfectly combines comfort and practicality.

VERSATILE SEATING Right: As the evenings grow longer, create a peaceful sanctuary in which to unwind. The Kingston lounge set, £599 from Out & Out, offers ultimate versatility. Two upholstered armchairs and a moveable coffee table provide the base, while the two ottomans let you transform the chairs into loungers, a sofa or just provide additional seating where needed.

The steel frame is covered in a waterproof rattan, which is UVresistant and maintenance-free.

138 Period Living

Pippa’s

PLOT

Pippa Blenkinsop, a budding flower grower and Period Living’s Style Editor, shares her passion for growing sweet peas at her village allotment

Sweet peas inspired me...

to grow flowers. There’s nothing like burying one’s face into a freshly picked bunch. With a heady scent, frilly blooms and wide variety of colours, they are my all-time favourite flower and no cutting garden would be complete without them. Growing sweet peas is a gardening tradition in our family and for me they spark so much nostalgia. My father has grown them for as long as I can remember; he was taught by his father, who grew them since 1947, as did his father before him, and now my father is passing on his knowledge and experience to me.

I love displaying a huge bunch in a green vase – they don’t have leaves so a green vase really sets off the vibrant blooms. Single stems also look great displayed in a series of old bottles. With plenty of sun and free-draining soil, the allotment is the perfect place to grow them.

From Grandiflora and...

Old-fashioned types, to the everlasting perennials, there are many varieties – all are climbers and can be grown up wigwams, obelisks and trellises. The Grandiflora varieties look lovely and decorative when left to ramble, but we have always grown the Spencer variety up canes as they have large, exhibition-quality blooms, long stems and a strong fragrance, making them the best for cutting. Colours span the entire spectrum, from white and cream to coral, pink and crimson, through to blues and the deepest purples. With bi-colour, flushed and flaked types also available, the options to create your own palette are endless.

My favourite is a medley of purples, lavenders, mauves, pinks and blues such as ‘Just Julia’, ‘Ethel Grace’, ‘Karen Louise’ and ‘Mrs Bernard Jones’. However, I do find that adding carmine shades into the mix, such as ‘Judith Wilkinson’, and maroon varieties, such as ‘Windsor’, is essential for creating the old-fashioned cottage feel that I love.

I buy my seeds from...

An array of Spencer sweet peas grown on my plot last year – the class of 2020! With so many varieties, it’s good to try new types each year and to keep a record of which you have grown. For me this usually takes the form of a photo – I’m not great at making notes!

140 Period Living

Roger Parsons, an award-winning producer based in West Sussex, who has been growing sweet peas since 1985. It’s always an exciting day when the catalogue drops on the doormat; my father and I usually select our varieties over a Sunday roast. Sweet peas are hardy annuals, so are best sown in November to give them an early start and a chance to establish really strong root growth before being planted out in spring – my grandfather always said to plant out seedlings around Mother’s day. Come May, we pick our first bunch, which is one of the highlights of my year. It’s important not to let sweet peas set seed, as this will stop them producing new blooms and cause them to go over, so come June I’ll be at the plot every morning cutting a fresh bunch. To avoid a glut, this year we have tried to succession sow, doing one batch in November, and another in January, and planting out a few weeks apart.

A celebration of the sweet pea on my mantelpiece, with a display of fresh blooms alongside vintage prints and postcards picked up from fleamarkets

Sweet pea ‘Just Julia’ (left) and ‘North Shore’ (centre) growing up canes

A freshly cut bunch of sweet peas from the plot

Sweet peas have long roots... so we make our own seed trays about 20cm deep by cutting up old corrugated plastic signs. Plant a single seed per cavity into potting compost mixed with 20 per cent sand. They are started off in the greenhouse but as soon as they have sprouted can be moved outside to get maximum light. Once seedlings have developed two pairs of leaves, the tips can be pinched out just above the top pair to encourage side shoots, which are more vigorous. Meanwhile, in winter, prepare your supporting structure. The Spencer variety can grow up to 2-3 metres high, so we use three 2m metal posts set about 2m apart with a cross bar to support two rows set north to south. Wire is stretched across the top and bottom and bamboo canes are then attached at 23cm intervals.

Sweet peas are very hungry...

posniknelB appiP segamI

plants, so before the canes are fitted to the metal structure the ground is fertilised. A trench is dug, about a spade’s depth, and plenty of well-rotted manure is added. The bamboo canes can then be fixed to the frame. When planting out seedlings, select the plants with the best root structure and plant one at the bottom of each cane, then water in well. Let them establish for a couple of weeks; when the secondary shoots have developed, select the strongest and remove the rest. Tie in the strongest shoot to the cane with wire, and continue to tie in the stem as it grows, pinching off any new side shoots to encourage one strong stem – this is known as the cordon method. I also cut off tendrils, as these use energy and can make plants tangled. Sweet peas do not like the heat, so I find as soon as there’s a prolonged hot spell they go over. Although we’re trying to prolong the season, their finite flowering period does make the pleasure that much sweeter.

NOTES...

Sweet peas are tough, so unless it snows don’t cover them, but beware of mice!

Don’t worry if your sweet pea seedlings look ropy for a week or so once planted out – they usually recover.

Pinching off the weaker stem, often the original, seems very brutal, but is necessary to ensure the largest blooms.

Feed with liquid fertilisers such as seaweed.

Don’t be tempted to water too often. You want the plants to establish strong roots by encouraging them to reach down for water and watering little and often will inhibit this.

In warm weather, water well once or twice a week – a mild fertiliser like comfrey can be added.

Don’t pick them before they have fully bloomed as they won’t come out.

Deadhead any that have gone over to prevent the plants setting seed.

Follow Pippa’s journey on

Instagram@pippasplot

Icons on SCREEN

Out & About

Don your finery and step straight into your favourite period drama at one of these spectacular filming locations Feature Holly Reaney

segamI ytteG egamI

Highclere Castle, Newbury, Berkshire

One of the most famous homes on television, the turreted Highclere is instantly recognisable as the resplendent Downton Abbey. While many fictional houses on screen are a patchwork of locations, the ‘upstairs rooms’, gardens and façade of Downton are all Highclere. Find yourself transported to the majesty of the drawing room, then tour the hallways and bedrooms, where many of the show’s secrets became unstuck, as you explore this Grade I-listed country house. (highclerecastle.co.uk) Period Living 143

Botallack Mine, St Just, Cornwall

An unsung star, the rugged Cornish landscape brought the world of Poldark to life for thousands of viewers. Propped on the cliffside with the tempestuous waves crashing against the rocks below, Botallack mine is definitely one of the most dramatic vistas. Standing in for the Poldark family mines of Wheal Leisure, the buildings of Wheal Owles – nicknamed the Crowns – are also popular with hikers and photographers looking to enjoy the area’s unique character. (nationaltrust.org.uk)

A favourite of any period drama aficionado, the love story of Lizzy Bennet and Mr Darcy has captured hearts for centuries, both on the page and the screen. The 2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice saw Chatsworth House taking the leading role as the iconic Pemberley. Regularly voted as one of Britain’s favourite country houses, it is even mentioned by name in Austen’s novel – leading many to believe that Chatsworth was the original inspiration for the fictional house itself. (chatsworth.org) 144 Period Living

nosaR eyaF /segamI tsurT lanoitaN )kcallatoB( egamI

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

Out & About

egatireH hsilgnE )esuoH s’regnaR( egamI

Ranger’s House, Chesterfield Walk, Greenwich

The must-watch programme of last season, Netflix’s Bridgerton found us all captivated by the delights of Regency London. While the streets of Bath were a double for London, the beautiful Wysteria-clad mansion of Bridgerton House was in fact Greenwich’s Grade I-listed Ranger’s House. Although the interiors were shot elsewhere, this Palladian-style Georgian home is worth a visit in its own right, filled with over 700 works of world-class art amassed by Sir Julius Wernher. (english-heritage.org.uk) Period Living 145

Ardverikie, Scottish Highlands

Another of Netflix’s celebrated programmes, The Crown is loved for its glitz, glamour and scandal. Despite being set during the 20th century, its featured historic properties are outstanding. Perhaps the jewel in the crown is the expansive baronial shooting lodge of Ardverikie, which took on the role of Balmoral, the Queen’s highland bolthole. Why not treat yourself to a royal getaway and stay the night in one of its enchanting holiday cottages? (ardverikie.com)

Helmsley Walled Garden, North York Moors

Frances Hodgson Burnett’s heartwarming The Secret Garden returned to screens in 2020. The film’s eponymous garden was shot at five different locations, alongside a helping of CGI, to realise the idyllic world. One of these locations was Helmsley’s Walled Garden, whose ivy-clad walls really evoked the magic and mystery of the fictional garden retreat. Be inspired by its impressive blooms and serene setting, and revel in nature’s beauty. (helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk) 146 Period Living

Out & About

segamI ytteG )drawoH eltsaC( egamI

Castle Howard, York

A stalwart of the screen, Castle Howard has played a key role in myriad period dramas. While more recently you may have seen it as Bridgerton’s Clyvedon Castle, the Baroque stately home is forever entwined with Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited.

Starring as the grand house in both the 1981 TV series and 2008 film, the house itself took over 100 years to complete from its symmetrical wings to its elaborate domed ceiling. It is a jewel of 18th-century architecture. (castlehoward.co.uk) Period Living 147

Recipes

Summer loving Evoke a sense of summer hygge with these delicious Scandinavian dishes filled with the joy of sunshine,

by Danish cook Brontë Aurell

NEX

TP AG E

EP

; SEE

F RO

SALAD

R ICE

BLACK RICE & SALMON

BLACK RICE & SALMON SALAD

Black rice lends itself well to being used cold in salads.

It is known sometimes as ‘forbidden rice’, and sometimes as ‘black venus rice’. It has a hard husk and a great bite to it.

SERVES 4 l200g uncooked black rice l1 cucumber l1 green apple l1 shallot, finely chopped lSqueeze of lemon juice l1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped l2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley l1 tbsp freshly chopped mint (optional) l150g hot-smoked salmon DRESSING l2 tbsp white wine vinegar l4 tbsp good quality olive or rapeseed oil l1 tbsp honey l1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (plus extra as needed) lSalt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Rinse the black rice a few times, then bring to the boil in a large pan of water. Cook until al dente following the packet instructions. It can take about 30 minutes to cook, a bit like brown rice.

Once cooked, rinse well to remove the excess colour.

Set aside and leave to cool.

2. Slice the cucumber lengthways, then scrape out the seeds and chop into ½ cm pieces. Chop the apple into similarly sized small pieces. Add the cucumber, apple and shallot to a serving bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep the apple fresh. Add the cooked and cooled black rice, dill, parsley and mint (if using).

Flake in the salmon pieces and mix gently to combine everything together.

3. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir. Adjust the seasoning once you have done this – it may need more lemon or lime juice.

150 Period Living

MUSHROOM PAJ

In August, the wild mushrooms start to appear in the Swedish and Norwegian fields and forests. If you are lucky enough to find golden chanterelles, the best thing you can do is fry them in butter and eat them on toasted bread – it is heaven.

Another way I use up all the mushrooms is by making this ‘paj’ – pronounced ‘pie’, which is actually more like a quiche or a tart.

MAKES 1 LARGE TART CHEESE PASTRY l125g butter, cold and cubed l200g plain flour

l50g finely grated

Västerbotten cheese (or you can substitute an equal amount of Gruyere, or Comte) l¼ tsp salt (Västerbotten is salty, so adjust if using a different cheese) l1 egg yolk lSmall dash of chilled water lEgg white, for brushing MUSHROOM FILLING l500g mushrooms (see note below) l25g unsalted butter l1 tbsp plain flour l2 large shallots l2 sprigs fresh thyme lFreshly ground black pepper EGG FILLING l250ml whole milk l250ml double cream

l3 eggs lFreshly grated nutmeg l30–35g finely grated

Västerbotten cheese (or Gruyere or Comte) pan and baking beans

l25cm loose-based tart

Note: You can choose to just use chanterelles on their own, but I often mix it up by using chestnuts, chanterelles, porcini, or whatever is available.

I sometimes go for a combination of the more expensive, flavour-rich dried mushrooms, mixed with some cheaper chestnuts (ratio 1:5)

1. In a food processor, briefly blitz the pastry ingredients together to form a dough, adding a tiny bit of chilled water if needed to bring it together. If you don’t have a food processor, you can do this by hand by first rubbing the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it is crumbly, then adding the rest of the ingredients and mixing until smooth. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before using.

2. In a saucepan, dry fry all the mushrooms for several minutes – this concentrates the flavour and avoids too much liquid. Add the butter, flour, onions and thyme and then cook on a low heat with the lid on for three minutes. Season with black pepper – not salt at this stage.

3. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/400ºF/ Gas 6. Roll out the chilled pastry until nice and thin and use it to line the tart pan evenly. Prick the base with a fork a few times, then line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake the pastry base in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately brush all over with egg white to seal the crust.

4. Turn the oven temperature down to 160ºC/140ºC fan/325ºF/ Gas 3. Whisk all the egg filling ingredients – apart from the cheese – together and season well. Add the cooked mushrooms  try not to add too much liquid.

Pour the egg mix into the pastry base, add the grated cheese and bake in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes. Keep the heat low – too hot and the eggs will overcook.

5. Serve for lunch with a leafy green salad and a glass of crisp white wine and enjoy in the sunshine.

BIRGITTE’SBUTTERMILK PANNACOTTA WITH CRUNCHYOATS & STRAWBERRIES

This is my lovely friend Birgitte’s take on the Danish dessert soup, ‘koldskål’, also made from buttermilk and vanilla. It is perfect for summer.

SERVES 4–6 l8 gelatine leaves l500ml single cream l2 vanilla pods l140g golden caster sugar lGrated zest of 2 lemons l600ml buttermilk lFreshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon l250g strawberries ALMOND & OAT CRUMBLE l80g jumbo rolled oats l100g flaked almonds l50g golden caster sugar l50g butter l4–6 small serving glasses

1. First, soak the gelatine leaves in plenty of cold water to soften. Meanwhile,

pour the cream into a saucepan. Scrape out the vanilla pods and put the whole pods, plus seeds, into the pan. Add the sugar and lemon zest, then gently bring just to the boil over a medium heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar.

2. Remove from the heat and sieve to remove the vanilla and zest. Bring the cream back to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat again, squeeze out the gelatine leaves and whisk gently into the cream until dissolved. Finally, whisk in the buttermilk and the lemon juice until combined.

3. Pour the panna cotta mixture into 4–6 small serving glasses. Refrigerate for a minimum of six hours

Recipes

- or preferably overnight – until it is set.

4. To make the oat crumble, put all the ingredients into a frying pan and stir continuously for about five minutes over a medium heat as the sugar and butter melt – you are aiming for a goldencoloured mixture.

The caramelisation process happens quickly, so take care not to leave the pan alone or it may burn and taste bitter.

5. Before serving, cut the strawberries into quarters, leaving the green leaves on some for decoration.

Sprinkle the set panna cotta with the almond and oat crumble and top with the fresh strawberries to serve.

Period Living 151

ELDERFLOWER EVERYTHING CAKE This cake is the baking equivalent of denim on denim. Elderflower with elderflower – and then a bit more. It reminds me of Scandinavia and neverending summer days.

SPONGE l250g unsalted butter, softened l250g caster sugar l4 eggs l175g plain flour l75g cornflour l2½ tsp baking powder l¼ tsp salt 152 Period Living

lGrated zest of 1 lime l75ml undiluted elderflower

cordial, plus extra for brushing ELDERFLOWER PASTRY CREAM l3 egg yolks l2 tbsp cornflour l1 tbsp caster sugar l250ml whipping cream lSeeds from ¼ vanilla pod l100ml elderflower cordial (undiluted) l20g unsalted butter FROSTING l125g icing sugar l180g full-fat cream cheese l50ml double cream

lGrated zest of 1 lime l1 tsp vanilla extract lSqueeze of fresh lime

juice, to taste lime zest, to garnish (optional) l3 x 18cm round cake pans, lined

lWashed elderflowers, and/or

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 150ºC fan/340ºF/Gas 4 1. For the sponge, in the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand-held electric whisk, cream together the butter and sugar with the

paddle attachment until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

2. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt and zest, then fold into the egg mixture. Lastly, fold in the elderflower cordial until incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven

Recipes

HOMEMADE AQUAVIT Aquavit is a flavoured, alcoholic spirit to enjoy with your smörgåsbord.

Dill, caraway and fennel are common flavourings, but berries or flowers can be used too. Purists would use an aquavit base like Brøndums, but vodka is much easier to get hold of outside Scandinavia.

MAKES AROUND 350ML OF DILL OR FENNEL AQUAVIT DILL AQUAVIT l1 bunch of fresh dill l1 tsp white sugar l350ml vodka, plus extra to taste lLarge sterilised mason jar lLarge sterilised glass bottle lCoffee filter FENNEL AQUAVIT l½ fennel bulb, chopped into 4–6 pieces l1 tsp white sugar l350ml vodka, plus extra to taste lLarge sterilised mason jar lLarge sterilised glass bottle lCoffee filter

1. For the dill aquavit, blanch the dill in boiling water for a few seconds, then shake dry and add to the jar. Blanching fresh herbs gives a stronger taste.

Add the sugar, then top up with vodka and stir. Seal the jar and leave for 5–6 days at room temperature. Strain through the coffee filter to remove the dill. Decant into the bottle and keep for another month before topping up with more vodka to taste. Serve chilled in shot glasses.

2. For fennel aquavit, put the fennel in the jar, add the sugar, top up with vodka and stir. Seal and leave at room temperature for 2–3 weeks. Strain through the coffee filter to remove the fennel.

Decant into the new bottle and top up with more vodka to taste. Serve chilled.

READER OFFER This is an edited extract from ScandiKitchen Midsommar by Brontë Aurell (RRP £18.99, Ryland Peters & Small) with photography by Peter Cassidy ©Ryland Peters & Small. PL readers can buy a copy for the special price of £14. To order your copy go to rylandpeters.com and use the code MIDSOMMARPL at the checkout*.

Period Living 153

1202 yluJ 13 litnu dilav reffO*

for about 15–20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool, then refrigerate - it is easier to naked-frost the cake when cold.

3. For the pastry cream, whisk together the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar until well combined and set aside. In a saucepan, heat the cream, vanilla and elderflower cordial until just boiling. Slowly pour one third of the cream into the egg mixture, while whisking vigorously to incorporate. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and whisk continuously while bringing to the boil again for around 30 seconds until thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Taste – if the cordial you’ve used is very sweet, then add a bit of lime juice to level out.

Leave to cool and then place in the fridge to firm.

4. To make the frosting, whisk together all the ingredients apart from the lime juice, but don’t beat the cheese before you add sugar – this can make it runny. Stir in lime juice to taste and chill until firm.

5. To assemble the cake, put the first sponge layer on your chosen serving plate or cake stand. Brush with a little elderflower cordial, then spread over a layer of pastry cream to cover using a palette knife. Add the second layer and repeat with cordial and pastry cream. Repeat once more with the third layer. Ensure the cakes are lined up exactly and use a flat-edged scraper to scrape some of the frosting around the sides of the cake, then add the rest to the top. This can only work if the frosting is firm and the cake is sturdy enough. If it is not, simply add frosting to the top of the cake. Decorate with elderflowers, if in season, and/or some lime zest.

Chill until ready to serve.

In the Picture

What’s black and white, and read all over? The magnificent Kelmscott Chaucer, of course, designed and printed by William Morris and celebrating its 125th anniversary this month

W

hen William Morris set up Kelmscott Press in 1891, he wanted to create beautiful books whose quality was every bit as good as the literary content within. Reacting against the mass-printed Victorian volumes, Morris turned for his inspiration to the handprinted and decorated books of the 15th century. Towards the end of a career dedicated to art and craftsmanship, Morris’ book-printing venture was to combine everything he’d learnt about literature and design.

He set out his mission statement, if you will, in his ‘Notes’ (pictured above left). Working with his friend Emery Walker, who was an expert on typography, the books that Morris produced were indeed things of great beauty, highly decorative, printed on handmade paper, and bound by hand.

The greatest challenge of them all was The Works of Geoffrey 162 Period Living

Chaucer. Artist Edward Burne-Jones drew all the book’s 87 black and white illustrations, which were transferred to blocks and engraved (above right). Morris designed the typeface, red headings and decorative borders, which bear his distinctive touch while referencing the pages of medieval books. ‘If we live to finish it,’ Burne-Jones wrote, ‘it will be like a pocket cathedral – so full of design and I think Morris the greatest master of ornament in the world.’

The Kelmscott Chaucer was indeed finished and printed in 1896, just months before William Morris died. If you’re lucky enough to own one of the 486 original copies of his Chaucer, you’ll be able to join the party on Kelmscott Press Day. Stories and photos will be shared on social media on 26 June by libraries and collectors around the world to celebrate and marvel at yet another of Morris’ fine talents.

segamI ytteG htob ,odaG/seirarbiL nadirehS UHJ )thgir( ;rotcelloC tnirP )tfel( segamI wolraD neraK sdroW

Reading between thelines