Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2016 i Country Homes & Interiors

Get ready for a little rustic razzle dazzle this issue as we celebrate the end of one year and the start of another! Decorate country rooms with shimmer and shine – compliments of the glowing and burnished tones of the season (page 58), be the perfect party host with tables and drinks trolleys styled in our favourite country colour schemes (page 68), and step inside rural properties in Surrey, Norfolk, Berkshire and Essex that glam it up and glow for the festivities (from page 22). In the kitchen, be inspired by our Alpine-feel New Year menu (page 116), where chalet-chic food is the perfect way to serve a crowd at low-key get-togethers. Finally, hear the stories of some of our favourite country folk – gardener and writer Sarah Raven reveals…

We want this now... It’s all about the distressed look when it comes to leather sofas. Stylish, comfy and upholstered in a hard-wearing beaten walnut hide, the Pudding sofa, £1,995, from Loaf, only improves with age. Handmade to order in rural Derbyshire, it would sit well in any country living room. OUR FAVOURITE DESIGNER Becky Broome As well as producing their own collection of wittily etched glassware, Becky and her husband and business partner, Kristian, engrave bespoke messages to lend a personal touch to special occasions. Tell us how the business started… I knew from an early age that I wanted to run my own company. I come from a family of entrepreneurs so it must be in the blood. Kristian and I liked the idea of bringing something fun…

Stroll in a winter garden When you need a break from the indoor festivities, wrap up well and head outside to enjoy a beautiful winter garden sparkling with frost. At the National Trust’s Anglesey Abbey Garden in Cambridgeshire (above) meandering walkways attract pale winter sunshine to nurture more than 150 plant species specially chosen for their colour and scent, including everything from scarlet willow and red-barked dogwood to sarcococca, mahonia and winter-flowering honeysuckle (nationaltrust.org.uk). Or make your way to RHS Wisley in Surrey, where conifers, icy lakes and magical-looking silver birches compete for your attention (rhs.org.uk). The place to eat... A delicious seasonal menu awaits at the Crown & Garter, near Hungerford, Berkshire, a country pub that offers great British meat and fish dishes in stylishly refurbished surroundings. Explore the…

Modern Country Classic Linen chest Keep spare blankets, sheets, pillows and throws within easy reach. Need to know… Wooden chests are as practical today as they were in Medieval times, when they were guardians of linens, clothing, documents and money. From the simplest construction using six wide oak boards, they developed to feature panelling, decorative carving, intricate marquetry or elaborate painted scenes. Like any furniture that’s regularly handled, your new chest needs a practical finish that will stand the test of time. Where to buy… • Period Oak Antiques for original carved chests and coffers. • The Cotswold Company for panelled blanket boxes. • Newtons for intricately carved, painted blanket boxes. FIND THE PERFECT SISAL CARPET For more ideas go to housetohome.co.uk/  countryhomesandinteriors…

Raise a glass by the fire Celebrate with friends on a linen sofa styled with plush textures. Woven floor cushions and grain-sack fabrics lend an artisan touch. See page 67 for details. Create a woodland chandelier Hang acorn, pine cone and mushroom decorations alongside antiqued and metallic baubles on a simple circular hanger for a wow centrepiece. See page 67 for details. Reflect the glow Choose pendants, wreaths and decorations in shining rust and copper finishes. Tactile fabrics in luxe velvet and soft linen add a relaxed country feel. See page 67 for details. Love toasty layers Keep colourful throws in a simple metal unit under a display of coats, scarves and bags. Beat winter chills with a woven blanket used as a door curtain and add texture with rustic…

Bird’s-nest arrangement Style tip Weave pretty ribbons and string into the nest to provide colour and interest. Woodland window-pane Style tip For a more frosty look, add a sprinkling of fake snow or crystallised faux berries. Twiggy trees Style tip Cover the pots with hessian and tie on twiggy decorations to enhance the forest feel. Decorative stars Style tip Use beads, mini fir cones or ribbon to add character to your twiggy stars. How to MAKE THEM YOURSELF Bird’s-nest arrangement This delightful decoration provides the perfect place to gather and display miniature presents and novelties. Cluster together some ready-made mini birds’ nests onto the mantelpiece. (You can make your own nests with grapevine garlands or branches, shaped into circles.) To add height, raise one or two on a small pile…

1 Calming colours ‘As private domains, bathrooms are spaces where you can afford to be a bit more indulgent with the decor,’ says textile designer Vanessa Arbuthnott. ‘Choose a wallpaper design that you can lie in the bath and admire, and introduce a co-ordinating fabric on a classic blind.’ Cool colours, such as greens and blues, are considered naturally calming by colour psychologists, but this season’s deliberately muted, sludgy hues have a look that is particularly easy on the eyes. 2 Make the most of the view ‘If you are in the fortunate position of having a bathroom that is not overlooked, locate your bath by a window so that you can lie back and let yourself drift away as you admire the view,’ suggests Rob Whitaker, Creative Director at…

Plants for Christmas colour Treat yourself or a friend to beautiful flowers this winter Camellia japonica ‘Christmas Beauty’ * Buy 1 Camellia japonica ‘Christmas Beauty’ for £22 or 2 for £32 – SAVE £12. Flowering from November to March, * this camellia has cerise-red blooms with golden sepals and dark green evergreen foliage. It is ideal for containers or by a doorway where the light peony-like fragrance can be enjoyed. Height and spread, 3m x 180cm in 10 years. Supplied in full bud in garden-ready 12cm pots. NEW Tri-coloured Christmas cactus * Buy 1 NEW Tri-coloured Christmas cactus for £14, or buy 3 for £21 – half price, SAVE £21. We’re offering a new variety of * Christmas cactus that really has…

Small businesses tend to succeed if they are operating in a niche sector. Creating a business that focuses on a very specific product for a very specific market is often the path to good sales. That’s exactly what Sasha and Jon Dorey had been doing for a number of years before the trend for interiors stencilling and stamping started to dip. They knew they needed to diversify and hit upon the new trend for stationery. ‘Diversification is a protection,’ says Maite Baron, who specialises in helping professionals rekindle their passion for life and reinvent themselves as successful business owners. ‘When you only have one business, you only have one income stream. So, if consumer demand starts to fall away, or an alternative product comes along, your market can dry up…

FLY DRAGONFLY The Little Book of Rings holds up to 27 precious rings safely, using a sturdy foam pad with inserts. The sleek design allows easy storage in your bedroom, on a bookshelf or in a suitcase. A matching Little Book of Earrings, in two sizes, is also available. For this and other Christmas gifts, visit flydragonfly.co.uk. INSPIRED BY DARCY Keep warm and cosy this winter with a Labrador hot water bottle! Discover Black, Yellow and Chocolate Labrador collections. Stylish English bone china mugs and baubles, linen accessories, cards, notebooks, and more... Visit inspiredbydarcy.co.uk. ANIMALS IN WIRE Discover our bespoke life-sized wire portraits of beloved pets or your favourite creatures. Handcrafted in rustproof wire mesh, they are ideal indoors or out. Still just time for Christmas orders! Visit animalsinwire.co.uk or…

We want this now... Winter is the time to dream and scheme, and this garden sketch book will help you to do just that. It’s filled with ideas and prompts that will inspire you to visualise and plan for a gorgeous garden next year. Dream, Draw, Design My Garden by James Hobbs ( wordery.com , £16). OUR FAVOURITE CONTAINER GARDENER Emma Hardy Author of The Winter Garden (CICO Books, £14.99), Emma fills pots and troughs creatively to keep your plot looking and smelling fabulous even in the winter months. How do you get through the cold months? I actually like winter. Summer can feel quite stressful in the garden, as there’s so much to do – I can’t keep up! I like slowing down…

AT HOME WITH... Owners Maureen Dew, a partner in home-staging company Smoke & Mirrors, who lives here with her husband, Jeremy, a property developer and business consultant, and their long-haired Jack Russell, Alfie, and Maine Coon cat, Poppet. She has two grown-up children, Dan and Verity. House A five-bedroom detached Georgian home with annexe. Built in 1760, extended in the 19th century and again in 2012. Passionate about spotting beautiful and unusual houses since she was a little girl, Maureen Dew enjoys putting the final festive touches to her welcoming Georgian home. ‘After renovating more than 40 houses, I’ve finally found the perfect place to enjoy Christmas in truly traditional style,’ says Maureen. She was ecstatic when, aged only 19, she bought her first house – a rather…

AT HOME WITH... Owners Fiona Galley, who is a journalist and her husband, Tim, who works in oil production. They live here with their son, Eben, three. House A five-bedroom Edwardian property. Christmas is always a magical time, but never more so than when you have small children. And there’s plenty of excitement in the lead-up to the festivities in Fiona Galley’s house. ‘Christmas is definitely a highlight of the year,’ she says. ‘I love dressing up our home. I start at the beginning of December and decorate it differently each year.’ Home, where Fiona lives with husband Tim and three-year-old son Eben, is an elegant Edwardian villa close to the sea. But it took the couple some time to find their forever home. ‘We wanted a house…

Black and grey Red and white Give your dining table Nordic charm with crisp stripes and checks in red and white. Add snow-white highlights with painted name clips, ceramics and candles. Bring it all together with the gleam of glass and silver, and scarlet-berried greenery. Metal, glass and pink Get ready to toast the season with a bar staged on an elegant vintage-looking trolley. Glasses and decanters with touches of soft silver or gold metallics, or in dusky pink and pearly tones are an update on traditional designs, while pretty baubles, tealights and quirky bottle openers and stoppers complete the look.…

1 Amazing antlers In a cosy room packed with lots of creature comforts, including a roaring fire, nature-inspired antler lights complete the rustic feel. ‘These light fittings are made from resin and hand painted, which gives them their unique colouring,’ says Hollie Moreland, Brand Manager, David Hunt Lighting. ‘Much like a Chesterfield sofa, they will never look out of place in a country home, but for a more contemporary look they are also available in black or white, or any paint colour you choose.’ 2 Turned wood ‘This elegant tall design is an exact copy of a 1920s turned-wood lamp base,’ says Mark Betty, Lighting Specialist, Tobias and the Angel. ‘It can be painted in one of nine paint shades, or your own colour, and we’ll complete it with a…

AT HOME WITH... Owners Simon and Amanda Mehigan, who live here with their cat Honor and a flock of laying hens. House Tudor manor house with later 18th-century and Victorian additions. It served for a time as rectory to the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin across the road. Garden Almost five acres of acidic greensand with an avenue of clipped yew and hornbeam, pond and bog garden, formal vegetable garden, orchards and topiary, snowdrops and other early bulbs. An overgrown conifer plantation covering almost half of a five-acre garden would be enough to put off most people, however historic the house and charming the village, but not Amanda and Simon Mehigan. ‘We weren’t daunted, though I think that was due to our ignorance as much…

CHEESE AND BEER FONDUE WITH A DASH OF WHISKY Ideally, use Gruyère with Vacherin Fribourgeois, a semi-hard cheese with a nutty flavour. SERVES 6-8 1 fat garlic clove, halved 2 tsp cornflour 400ml hoppy lager beer 800g grated mixture of 2 or 3 Swiss or French Alpine cheeses, such as Gruyère or Comté, Vacherin Fribourgeois, good-quality Emmental and Beaufort 1-2 tsp whisky 1 large loaf of slightly stale white country bread, cut into cubes Pickles and charcuterie, to serve 1 Rub the garlic all over the inside of a fondue pot. Mix the cornflour with a little of the beer to make a smooth paste, then add this and the rest of the beer to the pot. 2 Place the pot over a low heat, add the cheese and stir…

My favourite view is from my desk in the barn, looking out over the new rose and herb garden to the Brightling Needle beyond. This marks the highest point in the Sussex Weald. I sit there, thinking and writing, looking up at that view throughout the day. We have solar pea lights in the olive trees out there during the winter, so it looks good at night, too. It’s a view typical of Perch Hill, my home and garden. There’s lots of glass and a continuity between the inside spaces and outside. I love the transparency between the garden and the house. At the moment, right outside the glass doors, there is a pot with some grass, red millet, and every time I look up a different variety of garden…

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We want this now... The ritual of filling stoneware bowls with delicious nuts is all part of getting the house ready for the arrival of family and friends. We’ve found a nutcracker that’s easy to use and stylish, too, while also something of a conversation point. Artisan crafted with meticulous care, the Baron nutcracker by Eichholtz is handmade and hand-finished in nickel and brass. Measuring H23xW14x D5cm, it’s available for £109 from Harrods. OUR FAVOURITE SEAFOOD SUPPLIER Paul Trudgian Founder of Cornish family-run business Fish for Thought, Paul started his career making chips for McCain Foods. After working all over the UK and the Continent, he yearned to return to his family roots in Cornwall and start his own business. Fish for Thought was launched in May 2007, the first…

Modern Country Classic Kitchen island Kitted out with a good range of cupboards and extras, these units can transform your kitchen. Need to know… Designed to make life easy, an island works best for larger kitchens, at least 3.5x3.5m, since you’ll need around 1m space between the island and the base units. As well as including practical drawers and cupboards, consider pop-up electrical sockets for the worktop. A sink, dishwasher or hob could also be added, but drainage or ducting for an extractor will be easier if the island is close to an outside wall. Where to buy… • Devol for painted country islands. • Eastburn Country Furniture for a reclaimed wood island. • Murdoch Troon for ‘fit your own’ freestanding island units. FIND THE PERFECT CUPBOARD PAINTS For more ideas go to…

Modern Country Classic French-style dining table Highly decorative furniture turns every mealtime into a feast. Need to know… Inspired by a time when carving, ornamentation and curves held sway, today’s French-style tables still bear the mark of Louis XV’s reign, featuring characteristic curvy cabriole legs and a shapely carved apron beneath the table top. As well as fine wood reproductions in cherry or oak, polished to show off the grain, look for painted versions in chalky pale colours or rich Provence-inspired pigments. Where to buy… • Maison Home Interiors for an oak-topped table with pale, painted legs. • Maisons du Monde for a rubberwood table with black legs. • Oficina Inglesa for unpainted Louis XV tables. FIND THE PERFECT BIRD WALLPAPER For more ideas go to housetohome.co.uk/  countryhomesandinteriors…

1 HOLE IN THE WALL Make a virtue of quirks in old country properties. If your chimney breast has a tall opening, consider blocking it off mid-height for a grate and using the bottom part for log storage. Variations in brickwork can be disguised with deep, rich paint colours. The absence of a fire surround with this look makes it ideal for smaller interior spaces. 2 PERIOD DRAMA Be sure to retain original Georgian or Victorian fireplaces to add interest and drama. Employ an expert to restore the fire grate, surround and mantel, and have the chimney re-lined to allow for real fires. Alternatively, source an original at a salvage yard or antiques fair, but be sure it chimes with the age of your home. 3 RUSTIC CHARM If you…

A beauty company that uses elderflowers and gooseberries from the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Yorkshire rhubarb and honey gathered from the Scottish Highlands? We just had to find out more about Noble Isle from the woman who set it up. Originally from Northern Ireland, Katy has lived all over the world, but was actually brought up in Buckinghamshire, and she is now back there, living in the attractive village of Winchmore Hill near Amersham. We went to meet her to talk end-of-year celebrations… TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE… I moved into my beautiful 1890s Rose Cottage two years ago with my two Scoland Terriers (half Westie and half Scottie), Hoagie and Slippers. I love old houses with character and that is what first drew me to…

BEST FOR… Sound quality Ruark, £199 Featuring Osborne & Little’s pale aqua and grey Melo print, the multi award-winning R1 radio (H17xW13x D13.5cm) – also in walnut, black and white – sounds so much better than its size suggests, making it ideal for a study or open-plan kitchen. It’s effortlessly easy to use and features DAB/FM, Bluetooth, dual alarms, USB charging port and 20 preset stations. BEST FOR… Inside and out Pure, £149.99 With the compact Evoke D2 Mio Sanderson edition (shown in Dandelion Clocks) you can enjoy a radio that will slip seamlessly into your home or garden. It features Bluetooth for wireless streaming and 20 preset stations plus an optional battery pack (£17.99) giving up to 20 hours of use outside. Measures H18xW11.5xD12cm. BEST FOR… Crystal-clear reception Revo,…

1 ADD THE CROWNING GLORY A rusted urn contrasts with blue-green conifer sprigs and fruit, and echoes the pine cones beautifully. This display uses florist’s foam generously covered with cypress to form a base – juniper would work just as well. Four lengths of hazel have been bent over to make a crown that’s roughly the same height as the bowl of the urn, and finished with cones. Use as a table centrepiece, arrange a pair of urns at the foot of steps or place along a sheltered wall. 2 GIVE A WARM WELCOME Evergreen foliage attached to a wire ring or a circle of florist’s foam makes an attractive winter wreath. Add dried orange slices and ivy flowers, as well as highly scented daphne and silvery sage leaves, to…

Sasha and Jon Dorey came up with the idea for a business involving wooden stamps when travelling in India in the 1990s. ‘We saw these wooden stamps being used for fabric printing and had a light-bulb moment,’ says Sasha. On their return, they gave up their jobs in London – Sasha worked for a special-effects company and Jon was an engineer – and moved to Sasha’s home county of Dorset to set up a business. ‘It was a combination of my creative streak and Jon’s ability to make things!’ says Sasha. Stencilling in home interiors was all the rage at the time, and Sasha and Jon thought stamping would be easier for the home decorator, so in 1992 they set up The English Stamp Company (they liked the simple and…