Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Country Homes & Interiors

Welcome to the Country Homes & Interiors spring trends 2016 issue! As we sense longer days on the horizon and spot the first blooms of early magnolia, so follows an almost primal urge to start refreshing and renewing our homes. We’ve taken the hard work out of your decorating dilemmas and shortlisted the five key country styles that we know you’ll love this season. From Gypsy Florals and Utility Chic to Organic Geometrics, and Artisan Neutrals to Subtle Indiennes – there’s a look here that’ll inspire you to reach for the paintbrush or fabric swatches and get DIY-ing! Head over to Your Spring Style Bible on page 65 to see what I mean. And don’t forget to take advantage of your 15% reader discount at wallpaperdirect.com (page 95) to make…

We want this now... Here’s a fun way to plan a border. Flick through the split pages of this book for combinations of shrubs, bulbs and perennials for shade, sun, scent or wildlife. Beds & Borders – The Mix & Match Guide to Beautiful Planting by Simon Maughan and Jane Courtier (£9.99, Ivy Press), The Worm That Turned. OUR FAVOURITE GARDEN DESIGNER Stephen Woodhams Chelsea Gold medal-winner Stephen Woodhams’s latest book, Garden Design Solutions (£25, Jacqui Small), draws on an international career in garden design to give brilliant ideas for outdoor living and making the most of your outside space. What are your three golden rules of garden design? Always think about irrigation – where does the water come from and how much is there? Plant…

Sit tall at a kitchen island. Neptune Montague high-back bar chair, col Pale Stone, £220, John Lewis. Invest in sturdy cookware. Signature casserole, 23cm diameter, £130, Le Creuset. Prochef barbecue board, £88.50, Boos Blocks at Houseology. Stick to plain and simple designs. Sockerärt vase, H22cm, £14, Ikea. Lara natural linen tea towels, £14.99 for two, LinenMe. Toast four slices in one go. Dualit four-slot toaster, col Black Gloss, £78.50, Divertimenti. Choose a sleek contemporary oven. Nexus 110 induction range cooker, H109.2xW93x D64.8cm, col Slate, £2,467, Rangemaster. Modern Country Classic Double-sided insert fire These contemporary fires and stoves are effective heaters yet don’t encroach on your space. Need to know… For a dramatic effect in an open-plan space, a contemporary insert fire or stove can be built into a brick chimney…

AT HOME WITH ... Owner Artist Dede Gold, who moved into the house in 2014. House A two-bedroom Cotswold-stone house dating back to the 1850s that was once used as the town library. As an artist and city dweller, there were only two things that could have persuaded Dede Gold to move from her basement flat in London – space to paint and her own garden. ‘I didn’t really have any intention of leaving the city until I saw a picture of this house online,’ says Dede. ‘I rang the estate agent out of curiosity but, when I realised it had potential for a studio in the garden, it was a game changer.’ Located in the centre of a small Oxfordshire town, the house was built in the…

Store and display dried goods Fill shelves with jars, canisters and tins in pretty mix-and-match patterns in vibrant vintage red. (From top left) Bird on a Wire herb pot, £12.50, Pastel Lane. La Petite Rose tins, £12.95 for 3, Dotcomgiftshop. Jar, £3, Tiger. Billie jars, £15 (medium); £20 (large), Cath Kidston. Slate menu board, £9.50, Garden Trading. Haddi pestle (not seen) and mortar, £18; Eldey jam pot, £14, both Rowen & Wren. Cornbury jar with slate tag, £12.50, Garden Trading. Chamba jar, £29.95, Nkuku. Organic Farmhouse pickle, £5.99, Daylesford. Cake tins (top and bottom), At home with Ashley Thomas Floral Heart tins, £22 for 3, Debenhams; (middle) Vilma Red tin, £26 for 3, Greengate at The Country Cottage Shop. Gift tag, £3.20 for 20, Pipii. Herb pot, as before. Vintage…

Whether you want to experiment with pattern for a new look or update a scheme with modern new shades, you’ll find a design and colour made for your home at wallpaperdirect.com. Among the many brands offered is its own range, Albany, with more than 30 collections, including the sophisticated new Dominica, as well as exclusive brands such as Kerry Caffyn and Layla Faye. The wallpaperdirect.com website has various tools to help with your decisions. A wallpaper calculator will help you buy the right number of rolls for the size of your project. Video tutorials give you tips and advice on how to achieve the perfect finish first time, if you’re doing the decorating yourself. For interiors inspiration, head over to the blog. How to claim your 15% discount Visit wallpaperdirect.com,…

1 Mixed doubles ‘Layering an eclectic mix of heritage prints and bold floral textiles effortlessly creates a fresh, spring-like feel in the bedroom,’ says Sue Roberts, Design Director for Home, House of Fraser. ‘Bedlinen is something you can really have fun with. It’s a way of adding interest and a seasonal element to your room, with the option of buying into the whole look for a real statement or just selecting a couple of pieces to update a bed.’ 2 Feminine florals Finding bedlinen that works in tandem with country furnishings is key to the design of a relaxing room. Pared-back distressed paint finishes, weathered wood and limed floorboards benefit from the softness of a subtle floral. ‘The sharpness of the pink flowers in Osaka contrasts beautifully with a simple…

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK Closing 14 February 2016 MY DESIGN SCHOOL: DESIGN YOUR OWN HOME 15 February –18 March 2016 WHAT PREVIOUS STUDENTS SAY... “An interesting and helpful introduction to interior design” SASHA TOBY “Creative, inspirational and methodical” WENDY MIGNAN “An exciting journey into the world of design” LARISSA MILEKHINA Looking to renovate your home? My Design School at KLC offers a fun and innovative way to learn all the skills you need! Focusing on your own home project, course tutors and guest experts will guide you through the creative process, giving you the know-how, confidence and inspiration to expand your ideas and develop your own design style. Presented entirely online, you can participate any time of the day or night, at home or on the move! Plus, the interactive…

1 Join a country garden share scheme Short on planting space? Here’s a way to meet local landowners willing to share their gardens in exchange for a green-fingered helping hand – and perhaps a fresh carrot or two. Try landshare.net , set up by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, which brings together would-be growers with those who have land to spare. This is how it works... Write a short biog saying who you are and what you’re looking for, then post it on the website. When a landowner gets in touch, chat to decide on timings, space and planting plans to find an arrangement that suits you both. Download and fill in an agreement form from the site and then get growing! Sharing your produce with the garden owner is…

My girls were the main reason I started my business Busy Little Things,’ says Peak District-based Hannah Waring of her daughters Delilah, eight, Daphne, six, and Iris, four. ‘I found it was very hard to dress them the way I wanted. Regardless of budget, I couldn’t find good-quality, unusual clothing.’ Hannah loved traditional-looking dresses and skirts, such as pinafores, but couldn’t source them easily and this gave her the idea to make the girls’ clothes herself. She gravitated towards the retro dress styles of the 60s and 70s, and when her mother-in-law found some old patterns she took them to a seamstress who showed her easy ways of making them up. ‘When I started, I had no sewing skills at all so just kept the first patterns as classic as…

I first visited Stourhead, in Wiltshire, 30 years ago, before the idea of working for the National Trust was even a dream. It was after Christmas and my husband and I arrived at the Spread Eagle Inn, by the gates, long after nightfall. The next day we woke to a vision of what seemed like paradise. A heavy frost had transformed the landscape into a glittering stage set, smoke was rising from the gardener’s rustic cottage, and the whole garden was spread out before us in all its classical perfection. Although I’ve visited Stourhead many times since, I still prefer it in winter, when its ‘bones’ are so easy to see. Many visitors love it in spring and early summer, for the outstanding rhododendron collection. But autumn at Stourhead is…

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Join the cake club Award-winning Shipston-on-Stour bakery Meg Rivers makes cakes in small batches, using natural ingredients, which are then finished by hand. We love the idea of signing up to its Cake Club, which delivers a delicious cake to your door every month. Spring offerings include Simnel Cake, Lemon Polenta Cake and the delicious Coffee and Walnut Cake (above). From £65 for a three-month subscription. OUR FAVOURITE ARTISAN PRODUCERS Frankie Fox and Desiree Parker The Foraging Fox, makers of beetroot ketchups, began life when Frankie Fox had a glut of beetroot and apples in her garden in Essex. It took three years to perfect a ketchup recipe, and in 2014 Frankie asked Desiree Parker to be co-founder of the new company. What’s so special about your ketchup? Containing one…

Modern Country Classic Single armoire An armoire or narrow wardrobe hides away a multitude of belongings. Need to know… Painted or revealing the wood’s natural grain, this stylish storage furniture comes in many designs. Select a curved or flat top, with hanging space, shelves or drawers. Plainer versions look rustic, while French designs with reeded columns, flowers, leaves and ribbon bows can be delightfully ornate. A crest on top is the final flourish. Only choose an armoire with a glazed door if your shelved linen is in impeccable order; mirrored fronts are more forgiving. Where to buy… • And So To Bed for a single wood wardrobe with a flat or curved top. • Antique Pine Workshop for original pine armoires and wardrobes. • Sweetpea & Willow for a mirrored white armoire with…

AT HOME WITH ... Owners Gloria Stewart, who is a garden designer and dealer in French decorative artefacts and textiles, and her musician husband, Eric. They moved here in 2013 with Truffle, their Fox Terrier/Jack Russell cross. House A four-bedroom Grade II*-listed farmhouse dating from around 1560. Waving goodbye to France after nearly 30 years of living there was a big decision for Gloria and Eric Stewart. In its favour, several generations of the family live in Kent, as had the couple themselves before going to France. ‘Returning felt like coming home,’ says Gloria. What was more surprising for this couple, who’d done major house restorations in south-west France, was deciding to look for a period house that needed no restoration. Getting themselves and their chattels home was…

Add a touch of luxury. Faux Shagreen trunk, H38xW77xD46cm, £650, Oka. Lavinia lamp, H46cm, £55, John Lewis. Pick up on pastels. Montacute fabric, £66 m, Nina Campbell at Osborne & Little. Velvet cushion, 50cm sq, £40, The French Bedroom Company. Plump for extra-comfy seating. Pavlova sofa, covered in Pear Vintage Linen, H86xL148xD104cm, £1,495, Loaf. Team grey with crisp white. Fringe throw, 225x140cm, £110, The Linen Works. Faux orchid in stone pot, H61cm, £49.50, Amara. Modern Country Classic Café shutters For a window treatment that offers clean lines and privacy during the day as well as after dark, these are ideal. Need to know… This style of shutter maximises daylight, with slats easily adjusted using a rod or simply finger pressure, and panels that fold back to reveal the entire window.…

1 WALL HANGING If your walls are not suitable for pasted on wallpaper, you could partially conceal exposed brick or stone with a design printed onto cotton hopsack, which is supplied with an aluminium hanging rail. Choose floral and botanical prints to bring a vibrant sense of the surrounding countryside to rustic brickwork. Printed wallpaper hanging, VAA0152-1255, 140x180cm, £400, Surface View. 2 BARE PLASTER Stripping a wall could reveal a palette of colours that are a fitting backdrop to a relaxed country look. Layers of paint can be peeled back to expose the chalky plaster underneath with its natural pigments and exquisite hues. If you’re lucky, these can resemble a creative paint effect reminiscent of sunsets and skylines – perfect for a hallway. Metal console table, £180, Cox & Cox.…

Until three years ago Claire Coldwell was a production executive for the BBC in Manchester with a three-hour daily commute across the Pennines. Life was hectic for this mum of two, so a change of pace was needed. In spring 2014, she set up her online business selling traditional homeware products that are both beautiful and useful to make everyday chores more enjoyable. Her range includes kitchen utensils, cleaning brushes, garden products and laundry care items. In October last year, Plain Useful was the well-deserved Retail winner in the Country Homes & Interiors My Country Business Awards. We headed to Yorkshire to catch up with Claire… TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE… It’s a stone-built 18th-century farmhouse in the Pennines on the edge of the Peak District,…

BEST FOR… Extra-fast action Sage, 4.7L, 1,000W, £299.95 Designed in association with chef Heston Blumenthal, the Scraper Mixer Pro features a redesigned scraper and planetary motor action that completely wipes the sides and bottom of the bowl every turn, reducing mixing time by up to 60%. Extras include a digital timer. BEST FOR… Feeding a crowd KitchenAid, 6L, 500W, £699 The 10-speed Artisan Bowl-Lift stand mixer is built from solid metal and could, if well cared for, provide a lifetime of professional-standard mixing, beating and kneading. The huge glass bowl makes it easier to cook for large numbers and to check ingredients are thoroughly mixed. BEST FOR… Retro style Smeg, 4.8L, 800W, £349 Apart from its nostalgic 1950s looks and choice of seven delicious shades, including Pastel Green, this sturdy…

AT HOME WITH... Owners Yvonne and Simon Sonsino, who live here with dogs Milo and Bu. Their grown-up children and grandchildren are frequent visitors. House The edge-of-the-village bungalow was built in the 1960s and has an art studio in the garden. Garden The house divides the third-of-an-acre garden in two. To the rear there is a productive area and courtyard and to the front a crisply iterated and harmoniously planted pleasure garden. When Yvonne and Simon Sonsino first came across Canje Grove in the autumn of 2006, the garden was a cross between a lawn and a car park. The site was terminally flat, completely surrounded by high cypress hedges and a wide gravel drive swept over the sunniest part, depositing vehicles in front of the house.…

For Hannah Waring, being self-employed in a rural village has meant she’s had to work hard to find ways to reach out to her customers and develop her business. She’s addressed three key areas to help with the expansion: Diversify and create new products. In the early stages, Hannah thought she could carry on using the same patterns and just change the fabrics, but she soon discovered that wasn’t enough and that her customers wanted to see new styles. Productivity blogger Annie Mueller (anniemueller.com) suggests four steps to diversify your business… • Know your limits and look at what you have to invest both financially and in terms of resources. • Investigate the possibilities you have. Having the ideas is often not the problem, it’s choosing the right ones for…

PULL UP A CHAIR Celebrating its fifth anniversary, Another Country has launched the Dorset series, a stylish collection of furniture created by up-and-coming designers, including this solid-oak chair by David Irwin. The contemporary design draws on two 19th-century chair styles traditionally found in public houses, smoking rooms and cottages. Hardy chair, £475, Another Country. OUR FAVOURITE DESIGNER Kate Thorburn Yorkshire-based surface pattern designer Kate set up her country business, What Kate Loves, in 2014. Her signature blue and white collection features beautiful illustrations of florals, insects and vintage collectibles – a contemporary take on traditional delftware. How did your business come about? I wanted to create my own range after training in ceramic design in Stoke-on-Trent, an area famous for its potteries. I was shocked to see how it had…

Visit a book festival Join authors and fellow bookworms at the Bath Literature Festival (26 February to 6 March, bathfestivals.org.uk). Enjoy novels and historical prose brought to life through talks, masterclasses, even theatre – Austentatious is a comic take on Jane Austen. Modern-day authors include Tracy Chevalier; nature writer Patrick Barkham, who discusses our coastal landscape; and John Suchet, who shares the history of Vienna and the Johann Strauss dynasty from his new book, The Last Waltz. The Oxford Literary Festival (2-10 April, oxfordliteraryfestival.org) offers family-friendly events for children and younger readers in the university’s quads and cloisters, with over 300 authors sharing their love of books with all ages. LEARN MILLINERY Get set for Ascot by creating your very own fascinator on a course with Katherine Elizabeth Millinery. Learn…

AT HOME WITH ... Owners Amanda Chant-Sempill and her husband, Ian, who are both retired, and have two adult children, Clementine and Hamish. They live here with miniature smooth-haired Dachshund Tallulah. House A 200-year-old former rectory with three bedrooms. Village life suited Amanda and Ian Chant-Sempill to a tee. So much so that when they decided to downsize from their family home after 20 years, because their children had flown the nest, they hoped they would find a property they liked in the same village. ‘We had looked at quite a few houses and hadn’t found anything,’ says Amanda. ‘Then one day, on my way to work, I spotted a “for sale” sign in the high street. I had always loved the house that was for sale –…

Utility chic Hardwearing weaves, practical down-to-earth products and rustic finishing touches are a big trend. Bring this humble look to life with sturdy canvas, washed linens, tough twills and homespun hopsack for cushion covers, blinds and everyday kitchen textiles. No-nonsense enamelware and plain wood platters combined with sturdy furniture bring a functional feel to a modern country kitchen. Country COLOUR PALETTE Take inspiration from the dairy, mill and farmyard, using shades reminiscent of unbleached oats, sacking, creamy milk and barley with touches of denim blue to create an easy-on-the-eye scheme. Gypsy florals Vibrant bohemian prints bring punch and panache to rooms this spring. Naive flower motifs and painterly designs inspired by idyllic Romany caravans reflect catwalk looks and create feisty backdrops. Combine a stunning hero wallpaper with pieces of painted…

Succulent terrariums Style tip Go for a modern country look by mixing glass domes, cylinders and dishes. Viola, ivy and rose birdcage Style tip Cover pots with pretty fabrics or ribbon for a decorative touch. Herb teapots and mugs Style tip Mix in different herbs as the seasons change or the leaves are used. Winter bloom chest Style tip As flowers come into season, refresh faux styles with spring bulbs and flowers. How to MAKE THEM YOURSELF Succulent terrariums Add a layer of grit or pebbles to the base of your chosen glass vessel for drainage. Sprinkle with a layer of activated charcoal – this will keep the soil fresh – then cover with specialist potting soil for growing succulents (find activated charcoal and potting soil in garden centres). Plant…

1 Harmonious addition Joining two separate buildings seamlessly can be tricky, and while part of the charm of period properties lies in their quirky jumble of rooms, that doesn’t always suit modern living. A link extension solves this particular problem. ‘This style of extension unifies areas of the home, giving the illusion of space that looks more open,’ says Paul Schofield, Commercial Sales Manager, Apropos. ‘In this project, the new dining space leading from the kitchen, has become an integral part of the home.’ 2 Generous proportions ‘The instant we saw this old rectory with its warm red bricks and large sash windows, a classic hardwood orangery was an obvious choice,’ says David Salisbury, Managing Director, David Salisbury. ‘It has provided a kitchen, adjacent dining room and an area to…

A wooden jetty allows easy access for bathers, but it’s also somewhere to sit and enjoy the peace and quiet while trailing your toes in the water. 1 SWIM WITH NATURE If going for a dip in your own garden appeals, a natural swimming pond could be the answer. Ideal for a country setting, it will blend perfectly into its surroundings, and there’s no need for chemicals as the water is kept clean and free of algae by marginal plants and via a pump through a shingle filter. A wooden jetty makes getting in and out easy. Contact a specialist company for planning advice, design and installation, such as The Swimming Pond Company (pictured, prices from £72,000) or Gartenart Swimming Ponds. 2 MIRROR IMAGE A contemporary square pool set without…

SESAME-ROASTED VEGETABLES Baby spring vegetables dressed in a seedy coating are served with zingy fresh dipping sauces. SERVES 4-5 For the carrots 8-10 baby carrots with tops, trimmed to leave a small tip of green at the top 50ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling Salt and freshly ground black pepper 190g mixed black and white sesame seeds For the asparagus 2 free-range egg whites ½ tsp soy sauce Pinch of freshly ground black pepper 190g mixed black and white sesame seeds 450g tender asparagus, trimmed For the mushrooms 225g button mushrooms 1 free-range egg, beaten 125g mixed black and white sesame seeds 1 tsp garlic powder, optional Soured cream with chopped chives, flat-leaf parsley or coriander; sweet and sour sauce with chopped spring onion, to serve 1 Preheat…