Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2016 i Country Homes & Interiors

Mindfulness. It’s the word on everyone’s lips. It means being conscious of ourselves and of the world around us, taking care to create calm and harmony in a world of noise and chaos. So, we asked ourselves, what does the mindful country home look like? How can we style feel-good living spaces for a ‘greener’ way of life using eco-friendly, ethically sourced and low-carbon elements? Take a look at the decorating and design ideas on page 74 and be inspired! We also get clever with natural cleaning (page 92) – who needs harmful chemicals when you can blend herbal oils, salts and store-cupboard staples to create your own household sprays and scrubs? Try them – they really work! Reconnecting with the landscape is good for our souls, too, at this…

We want this now... Who says gadgets can’t be gorgeous? Cath Kidston’s new range of tech, from portable power packs to selfie sticks, has been given a makeover in the form of the brand’s iconic vintage-inspired prints. We love this portable Bluetooth speaker in Little Birds, £89.95 – simply charge it before you leave the house and you can play your favourite songs for eight hours. OUR FAVOURITE DESIGNER Charlotte Gaisford Northumberland-based textile designer Charlotte’s signature collection, The Hermitage, features beautiful illustrations inspired by traditional chinoiserie design in bright, bold colours for a fresh, modern twist. How did you get into surface pattern design? After I got married, I decided to pursue my passion for design and enroll on to a degree course at the local college. I narrowed my…

The place to go... Windsor Home to an official residence of the Queen, this picturesque town in Berkshire is ideal for soaking up royal history on the Queen’s 90th birthday. • Wander around Windsor Castle, built by William the Conqueror (royalcollection.org.uk). • Enjoy showjumping, carriage driving, dressage and international endurance at the Royal Windsor Horse Show (11-15 May, rwhs.co.uk). • Walk the Long Walk (above) with its ancient oaks and deer lawns (windsorgreatpark.co.uk). • Eat at Gilbey’s across the footbridge in Eton (82 High Street, gilbeygroup.com) for modern British food with a French twist, plus tempting wine list. • Stay at The Oakley Court (oakleycourt.co.uk), a lovely hotel just out of town on the Thames. Enjoy May Day Visit Hever Castle and Gardens in Kent for a May Day Festival (30…

Coffee table Every living room needs a suitable place to set down drinks and spread out the Sunday papers. Need to know… A late arrival to the furniture scene, coffee tables were unknown in period interiors, so any ‘antique’ ones will have been cut down or had the legs swapped. Nowadays, coffee tables are an essential part of our living rooms and curvy designs are particularly graceful. Check that legs are firmly attached with mortise and tenon joints and get the right size for the room – too large and you’ll knock your shins each time you get up. Where to buy… • Grange for oak tables in painted and distressed wood finishes. • Nicky Cornell for walnut or painted finishes. • Swoon Editions for pared-back, rustic finishes and French style. FIND THE…

Painted headboard Add a support you can rely on when sitting up in bed with a good book. Need to know… A painted finish brings contemporary appeal to that country favourite, the wooden headboard. Fit a slatted headboard in white to wake up a coastal theme, add elegance with a painted surround enclosing cane-work or oak panels, or bring in softness with padded fabric panels selected to suit your theme. Part and parcel of most bedsteads, a wooden headboard can also be bought separately, giving a standard divan bed a far more substantial look. Where to buy… • Maison for a Gustavian-style painted headboard. • Neptune for a painted headboard with fabric panels. • Willis & Gambier for painted slatted or solid headboards. FIND THE PERFECT SISAL CARPET For more ideas go to…

The 2016 winners will receive an invaluable package of mentoring, as well as promotion in Country Homes & Interiors. Starting up your own business can often be a daunting experience, but our expert panel of Awards mentors (meet them over the page) will guide and support the winners, allowing them to learn new skills and perspectives, while also providing priceless advice and insight. The package includes: * Three mentoring sessions with one of our leading industry category partners. * Coverage in the My Country Business Awards 2016 winners feature in Country Homes & Interiors. * Coverage in a Country Days blog feature.…

BRITISH WOOL AWARD FOR EMERGING TALENT USING BRITISH WOOL KHARIS LEGGATE, Home is an Island Kharis weaves cushions and blankets by hand in Shetland wool. Judges were impressed by the beautiful colours and textures, and how they capture the mood of the Shetland landscape. What did winning mean to you? It gave me the confidence to believe that Home is an Island could be successful. How have you developed the brand? I’ve focused on ‘behind-the-scenes’, making sure the business represents what I want it to: local production, sustainability and promoting British wool. What’s your long-term goal? I’m planning to develop upholstery fabric ranges through 2016. How helpful was the support you got from winning? The British Wool Marketing Board was incredible and Campaign for Wool director Bridgette Kelly helped me…

Herbal cleansing spray Style tip Keep a batch of blended spray at its best by decanting into dark glass bottles. Brightening bombs Style tip Add petals and herbs to the mix for extra colour, scent and decoration. Lemon and salt scrub Style tip No lemons? Use limes or grapefruit, which have similar bleaching and cleaning credentials. Linen water Style tip Use also as a general room spray or give a little spritz to coats to keep them smelling fresh. How to MAKE THEM YOURSELF Herbal cleansing spray Using a sterilised jar, blend together the following essential oils: 10 drops of clove, 10 drops of lemon, 5 drops of cinnamon, 5 drops of eucalyptus and 2 drops of rosemary. Add 8 drops of the oil blend to 250ml witch hazel distillate…

1 Natural escape This super-stylish garden shelter was designed with the Norwegian philosophy of ‘friluftsliv’, or outdoor life, in mind. ‘The design evokes memories of fun family weekends spent relaxing among the trees, toasting marshmallows on the bonfire and snuggling up in a cosy cabin in the woods,’ says award-winning garden designer Victoria Wade. The living roof, built-in seating and blackened wood give this pavilion a contemporary edge for a modern country garden. 2 All-season summerhouse A summerhouse is a perennial favourite and sizes range from tiny pergolas to expansive log cabins in FSC-certified northern European pine such as the Lisbon from Lugarde, making it easy to find the right one for your garden. Extras, including insulation, lighting and power supply, can transform a standard garden escape into a home…

“Join us for five weeks in our international online classroom, and share your design problems, inspiration, and projects with me and your fellow students. “Bring your latest decorating project to the course – I’ll bring mine too – and work through it as we study the design process, finding your style, colours, fabrics and window treatments, sourcing, lighting, and accessories. Though there’s something new in the classroom every weekday, you can do the work entirely when it suits you. “And if you feel uncertain about your online skills please don’t worry. Jump in, and I’ll help – technical support is a feature of the course.” Morwenna Brett, My Design School tutor MY DESIGN SCHOOL: DESIGN YOUR OWN HOME Five-week online course Monday 6 June to Friday 8 July My Design…

Rhubarb know-how Maincrop rhubarb is available from now until around June. It is a deeper red colour (often shot through with green) than the paler pink forced varieties that are cultivated indoors under pots and in season in February. The flavour of maincrop rhubarb is sharper and the stems much chunkier than those of its slender cousin. Always look for plump, firm stems and perky leaves. Store rhubarb in the fridge with the leaves attached until you need it, and use within a couple of days, discarding the leaves. All rhubarb needs to be cooked with plenty of sugar. It goes well with strawberries and raspberries, apples and pears, as well as sweet spices such as vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and ginger. In savoury dishes, it combines well with duck,…

Pottering and potting up in rustic surroundings. Vintage school desks; chair, similar from After Noah. Spade; fork, £65 each; bird nesting pockets, £4.50 each, Baileys. Wire shelf unit, similar from Rockett St George. Trug, similar from Burgon & Ball. Vintage galvanised buckets, similar from Mabel & Rose. Mini lantern, similar from Yellow Sunrise. Black string, similar from Fred Aldous. Coffee pot, £25; wooden string bobbin, £10; seed box, £10; mug, £10.50; seedling tray, £10; watering can, £32, all Garden Trading. Milk bottle, similar from Baileys. Cushion, similar from Garden Trading. Ribbon, from a selection, Jane Means. Wellington boots, from a selection, Hunter. Other items, all stylist’s own.…

SHADE-LOVING GERANIUM Deep-maroon late-spring flowers on slender, bobbing stems give the shade-loving perennial Geranium phaeum var. phaeum ‘Samobor’ an exotic, brooding presence. Plants will knit together to form lovely soft hummocks and are best trimmed back in mid-summer to encourage a second flush of flowers. You can buy three young plants for £14.50 from Hayloft Plants. OUR FAVOURITE PLANTS WOMAN Sarah Raven For 17 years, the writer, TV presenter, horticulturalist, veg grower and cutting garden expert has been growing and teaching at her garden in Perch Hill, East Sussex, where you can visit, shop and take courses. What’s your stand-out feature at this time of year? We grow huge drifts of narcissi for picking – scented, multi-headed, long-vase-life varieties and there are…

Come and see us at the show! The Weald of Kent Craft & Design Show returns to Penshurst Place, near Tonbridge, from 30 April to 2 May 2016, with exquisite handmade and finished items from British craftsmen and women at over 250 stands. Pick up furniture, glassware, jewellery, beauty products and leather goods. With workshops and demonstrations, plus luxury food and drink stands, it’s the perfect family day out. How to book • Readers of Country Homes & Interiors can enjoy 50% off the general ticket price. • To take advantage of this offer, visit ichfevents.co.uk, click on ‘buy tickets’ and enter the promotional code KS16. • Or call the ticket hotline on 01425 277988 and quote code KS16. Offer is valid until 5pm on Monday 25 April 2016. TERMS…

What we love most about living here… ‘Our house is in an ancient village, close to Bath. There’s a great community spirit and lovely countryside nearby’ What makes this house a home… ‘We can display all the bits and pieces that give it a sense of comfort and reflect the character of our family’ Vanessa sayce and her husband, Murray, were no strangers to renovating houses, having already done up a property in Oxfordshire. So when they decided to move to Somerset in 2005 and saw a run-down but beautiful Georgian farmhouse in a village outside Bath, they didn’t hesitate. ‘The farmhouse had never been on the market before – there had been tenant farmers living here for 150 years,’ says Vanessa. ‘We loved it because it was higgledy-piggledy and…

Have you set up a small country business? Or perhaps you have a great idea you’d like to get off the ground? If so, now is your chance to enter the Country Homes & Interiors My Country Business Awards 2016 in association with Notonthehighstreet.com. Six entrepreneurs will win a money-can’t-buy package of advice and support from the UK’s most talented business advisers and owners. The My Country Business Awards are celebrating their seventh fantastic year and aim to promote and empower country-based start-ups. Setting up your own business is no mean feat – you need to find the funds, write a business plan, buy a domain name, learn the finer points of marketing through social media, ensure your company complies with current legislation, and much more. Finding the right people…

All the details: PRODUCTS AND PRICES Pages 74-75 (Opener) Vintage linen tea towel, similar from Beyond France. LOOK FOR A RECLAIMED TABLE Reclaimed wood rustic dining table, from £920, Home Barn. Green recycled wood and metal chairs, £205 each, Out There Interiors. Cushion (on green chair), from a selection, Magpie Living. Vintage red T2 Tolix chair, £40, The French House. Cushion (on red chair), from £38, Sarah Moore Barn Sales. (On table) Runner, Worthing Stripe Sage, £29.50 m, Ian Mankin. The Living Lounge green recycled glass bottle lantern, £28, Not on the High Street. Vintage French enamel jug, £35, Home Barn. Vase, from a selection, Nkuku. Recycled glass windlight (used as vase), £12, Baileys. Vintage linen tea towel, £18; enamel mugs, £5 each, all Sarah Moore Home. Tall French canning…

There’s never been a better time to start a project as Fired Earth is offering 20% off paint and wallpaper. Known for its authenticity and style, Fired Earth is a much-loved brand in the country home. With a vast range of colours, the Fired Earth paint archive has every shade you could wish for – from subtle neutrals to bold accents. The wallpaper collection offers stunning floral and trellis designs with a classic country feel. Whether you’re planning a major renovation or just to freshen up a room, you can be sure the products you use are both beautiful and of the very best quality, just as you’d expect from Fired Earth. How to claim your 20% discount Show this page, quoting CHI20, at a Fired Earth showroom from 31…

1 Versatile shutters Though tier-on-tier shutters look smart all year round, they really come into their own during sunny spells, since the top and bottom sections can be opened and closed independently during the day to follow the sun as it tracks across the sky, or to enjoy a sunset. When making your choice, bear in mind that this style has more solid sections than full-height shutters, and so is less streamlined in looks. 2 Subtle pattern ‘With their simple design, roller blinds can be regarded as a blank canvas for your creativity,’ says Ruth Newman, Design Consultant, Appeal. ‘Available in many colours, in plain or patterned designs, they can make a bold statement or bring subtle style to your interior scheme. The Asprey design of scrolling leaves and flowers,…

When Janey McLaren married her husband Christopher in 1973, she became part of a gardening dynasty with its roots deep in the soil of north Wales. ‘At first I felt overwhelmed because I knew nothing about gardening, and when they talked about plants all the names were in Latin,’ she says, laughing. Janey was determined to become involved, though, and today the glorious gardens at Maenan Hall, near Llanrwst, are the creation of several members of the McLaren family, Janey included. What makes this garden so special... ’The wonderful setting combined with a plant collection that reflects the horticultural passions of the McLaren family’ Christopher’s childhood playground was Bodnant, close to Maenan. This vast, spectacular garden, now owned by the National Trust, was created largely by his father, Henry McLaren,…

Fill your beds and borders with beautiful summer colour with this bargain collection of herbaceous perennials. Perennials bloom year after year, and many can be cut and brought into the house for beautiful displays. The collection includes:  1 Armeria ‘Mixed’. H30cm, spread 30cm. 2 Aquilegia ‘Swan Mixed’. H30cm, spread 25cm. 3 Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Early Sunrise’. H45cm, spread 45cm. 4 Delphinium ‘Pacific Giants’. H150cm, spread 75cm. 5 Dianthus ‘Ever-blooming Mixed’ (Hardy). H60cm, spread 40cm. 6 Digitalis ‘Dalmatian Mixed’. H50cm, spread 40cm. 7 Echinacea purpurea ‘Pink Parasol’. H90-120cm, spread 45-60cm 8 Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Stallone’. H30cm, spread 100cm. 9 Geum ‘Blazing Sunset’. H60cm, spread 60cm. 10 Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’. H60cm, spread 75cm. 11 Scabiosa ‘Blue Jeans’. H45cm, spread 45cm. 12 Verbena bonariensis.…

Opening my home accessories shop, Ivory&Pitch, was a huge leap of faith,’ says interior designer Caroline Ivory, who had previously spent many years putting her stamp on homes across the south of England. ‘I learned about project management from the grass roots up while working with architects and tradespeople on projects from single homes to large property developments,’ she says. ‘It gave me practical experience and a powerful insight into the issues involved in creating homes.’ Her eye for colour and design had inspired her to launch her own interior design business 20 years ago. ‘I always found it flattering when people admired my interiors, asking where I bought unusual pieces and wanting to emulate my look,’ says Caroline. ‘I’ve had a lifelong passion for good design and believe in…

Every morning I walk my dogs, Tulip, Maud and Berry, exactly the same way through the gardens at Bowood come rain or shine. Except it’s never really the same, which is the wonderful thing about nature. At this time of year, if I’m up early I hear the dawn chorus, which lasts for half an hour, all the birds talking to each other, celebrating being alive and all the excitement spring brings. As I walk round the lake I see kingfishers and little dippers, all sorts of ducks including mandarins, and herons waiting patiently, while buzzards and kites wheel overhead in the sky. I also love this walk in winter, when there might be a degree of frost or even sometimes snow; the view can be starlit and I see…

VIDEO See videos of our favourite country colours at country-days.co.uk…

We want this now... The aroma of a freshly baked loaf is hard to beat, and Real Bread Week (14-22 May) is the annual celebration of all that’s good about proper loaves. To find out more, go to realbreadcampaign.org . Mason Cash has everything you’ll need, from easy starter kits to terracotta bread forms. And this beautiful stoneware Varsity Bread Store will house your finished loaves in style. £40, John Lewis. OUR FAVOURITE ARTISAN CHARCUTERIE Capreolus Fine Foods Based in Rampisham in West Dorset, David and Karen Richards started their award-winning artisan charcuterie company in 2009. Quality and provenance are of the utmost importance and they source locally reared meat from rare breeds. The mutton salami is perfect for picnics, while the dry-cured smoked maple bacon will…

What makes this house a home… ’Comfy sofas, log fires, the Aga and luxuriously large spaces for parties, which are often filled with music’ What I love most about living here... ’Being able to walk up on to the Downs and glimpse the sea and the village – it is peaceful and outstandingly beautiful’ Leaving London (or not!) was the main of conversation in the Mort family home in 2003, and one that continued for several months. ‘Eventually, I found the perfect country co-ed boarding school for my two children, which brought matters to a head,’ says Jenny Mort. ‘Even though my oldest child Oliver – then 13 – came kicking and screaming, I was finally persuaded to take the plunge. Lucy, then eight, liked horses, so she was easy.’…

Kitchen overmantel Frame a much-loved range cooker with a country-inspired surround. Need to know… The one element that definitively characterises a country kitchen is the overmantel. In its most basic form, this is simply a shelf supported by corbels or brackets, easy for a competent DIY-er to fit. The more elaborate styles feature mouldings and cornicing, and sometimes include handy storage cupboards, shelves or spice drawers on either side. The overmantel can be fixed to an existing chimney breast or built as part of a false one. Where to buy… • Neptune for country kitchens that feature overmantels. • Smallbone of Devizes for a bespoke kitchen including a mantel. • Wild Goose Carvings for ornate corbels and brackets. FIND THE PERFECT FLAGSTONE FLOORING For more ideas go to housetohome.co.uk/  countryhomesandinteriors…

Jewellery designer Zanna Rand-Bell had her eureka moment as she pushed her (then) newborn daughter Tilly along a busy London street. ‘I was walking along Putney High Street when I had an overwhelming urge for clean air and open spaces,’ she says. ‘I realised at that moment that living in the country would be a healthier lifestyle choice.’ The noise and pollution prompted Zanna to search for a home in Oxfordshire. ‘We looked at so many houses, but this was the property we felt was most suitable,’ Zanna says. ‘The garden sealed the deal for me, as it was huge compared with the garden at our London house. I loved the thought of filling it with children, dogs and hens, which I have now done.’ With good motorway links to…

Notonthehighstreet.com  Emerging Creative Talent Award Have you graduated or left training within the past two years? We’re looking for a new creative talent who makes things that we’d like to sell – from art and jewellery to homewares and food. Home Accessory Crafters and Makers This category recognises nearly everything that goes in the home. From unique door-stoppers to stunning cushions, we love it all! Craft is a vast category focusing on textiles, ceramic, wood, glass and more. If you make it by hand, we’d love to see it. Fabric, Furniture and Wallpaper Designers If you’re creating the key pieces that decorate and furnish the surfaces and rooms in our homes, this one’s for you. Retailers Retailers are companies selling multiple brands. If you’re a bricks-and-mortar store or an online…

Emerging Creative Talent Award Sally Bendelow, Creative Product Director, Notonthehighstreet.com A curator of design-led products for over 20 years with brands such as Next, Heal’s and M&S, Sally is also a Liveryman of the Furniture Guild (one of 39 women out of 450), and works with universities to help graduates into full-time jobs. Food Producers Dan Rusga, Marketing Director, Yeo Valley Established in 1961, this family-run dairy produces tasty, 100% organic products from its award-winning British Friesian cows and other local organic dairy farms. Dan specialises in promoting and marketing this award-winning brand. Home Accessory Crafters and Makers Sophie Allport, Founder and Owner, Sophie Allport Sophie started her British family business in 2007. She designs and produces fine bone china, kitchen textiles, tinware, melamine, stationery and other homewares…

A sewing room of your own Create a dressmaker’s corner and an at-home haberdasher’s, stocked with essential tools and accessories so you can run up pretty frocks and skirts. Elmsman desk, £645, Loaf. JL110 sewing machine, £89, John Lewis. Cath Kidston Limited Edition Country Check mannequin, £275, Grace & Favour Home. (On mannequin) La Petite Rose mini tape measure, £2.95, Dotcomgiftshop. Floral bias binding, 25mm, 70p for 50cm; wooden spools, £2.95 each, all The Makery. Pom pom belly basket, £35, Olli Ella. Fabric bolts (in basket), Lapland Stripe, col Dove/Saffron/Charcoal, £55 m, Vanessa Arbuthnott. Hermitage Birds B; Lovely Sophie; Bertie Pink, all £55 m, Charlotte Gaisford. (On desk, from left) Rose geometric bud vase, £12.95, Mia Fleur. Vintage crafts jam jar sewing kit, £6.95, Dotcomgiftshop. Dressmaking scissors, £12, John Lewis.…

After graduating from university in 1981 with a degree in English, Emma Bridgewater was looking for an outlet for her creativity. She started working for quirky knitwear company Muir & Osborne, a very positive experience that gave her an insight into what it would be like to run her own business. The idea for her British ceramics company came when she wanted to give her mother a teacup and saucer, but couldn’t find anything she liked. She realised she wanted to make colourful and relaxed china that was fun to use. At 25, this was the catalyst for starting up her spongeware pottery company, based in pottery capital Stoke-on-Trent, that is now a global household name and has a turnover of £15 million. With the recent publication of her new…

1 BEST FOR… Saving water CP Hart, £460 Featuring ‘AirPower’ technology, this Hansgrohe Raindance 240 Air Overhead Ecosmart showerhead (diameter 240mm) promises to reduce the amount of water used by sucking in air, which is mixed with the water. This has the effect of creating droplets that are plumper, lighter and softer, promoting a sense of well-being while you shower. 2 BEST FOR… A splash of colour The Water Monopoly, £438 A breath of fresh air after years of all-chrome bathroom fittings, this Rockwell showerhead (diameter 97mm) with wall-mounted shower arm in country blue with a hint of 1950s styling is a refreshing alternative. Team it with matching colourful shower controls. Also available in green, grey, lilac, orange, matt black, white and chrome. 3 BEST FOR… Rainfall effect West One…

You may not have a wooded valley in your garden, but the feel of a dell can be created even in a small hollow. Need to know... • Check your soil pH. Woodland garden shrubs love acid soil. • Choose predominantly deciduous trees and shrubs that allow spring flowers to thrive before their leaves appear and shade out the ground. • Use acers and pieris for colourful foliage, as well as flowering shrubs such as rhododendrons and azaleas. • Introduce wild flowers such as bluebells, red campion, celandines and stitchwort. • Allow mosses and ivies and don’t be too tidy – a dell should have a natural, slightly wild feel. • Mulch trees and shrubs every March with a thick layer of organic matter.…

1 Swot up on chicken keeping Want to know what it’s like to raise your own flock? These chicken-keeping bloggers share their experiences… Thegardensmallholder.wordpress.com Bedfordshire-based Karen rescues ex-battery chickens, offering them a loving free-range ‘retirement’ in her garden. Her charming posts reveal all you need to know about keeping hens happy, from healthy treats to dust baths! kitchen-garden-hens.co.uk Apart from this inspirational blog, Francine has written 13 books on the subject of keeping chickens. She shares her 30 years’ experience of raising free-range flocks, as well as seasonal recipes and gardening advice. Thechickenstreet.wordpress.com Poultry enthusiasts Andy and Jill work with chickens on a daily basis, raising flocks to sell on to new owners. We love their light-hearted yet informative posts; browse breed briefs, topical articles, product reviews and much more.…

There’s no doubt that living above the shop has been very successful for Caroline Ivory, giving her the flexibility to run her home accessories business, Ivory&Pitch, alongside bringing up her sons. However, before you rush to follow in Caroline’s footsteps, her accountants, James and Jane Cable of Cable Financial Directions in the nearby village of West Stoke, stress the importance of planning financially first. Here are their top tips: Start by deciding how you’re going to trade. ‘Entrepreneurs are often so excited about opening the doors to their first customers, they often don’t think about the right vehicle to trade with – by which I mean a limited company, partnership or sole trader,’ says Jane. ‘Nine times out of 10, a company will be the best option but it’s essential…