Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Country Homes & Interiors

DOESN’T IT FEEL GOOD to be finally shifting into springtime! The traditional Japanese calendar lists 72 micro seasons, and I love how these capture and celebrate the fleeting beauty of the year’s days as they pass. You’ll actually be reading this April magazine in March, season of ‘sparrows start to nest’ (21st-25th), ‘first cherry blossoms’ (26th-30th) and ‘distant thunder’ (31st-April 4th). This issue gathers more special moments for you to embrace and share, from joyful decorating ideas (page 76) to an Easter lunch and ‘wild cocktails’ for enjoying with family and friends (from page 116). Learn to decoupage decorative eggs (page 130) and discover the new paint finishes that can transform a room with just a few brushstrokes (page 82). And if you’re planning a bathroom renovation, find beautiful basins…

Meaning ‘love of life’, biophilia refers to our innate desire to connect to the natural world. In At Home with Nature (£40, Happy Press), interior designer and author Marianna Popejoy explores the principles of biophilic design, as well as the wellbeing benefits it offers. Across 12 chapters, Marianna offers practical advice and inspiration on how to bring nature into your home. She outlines everything from what colours to use to which houseplants to choose, so that you can ‘create an environment that supports you from the minute you step through the door’. EAT ALFRESCO Signs of spring signal one of our favourite things – picnics. Make sure yours doesn’t ‘hamper’ the environment by ditching single-use plastics in favour of natural, recycled and reusable materials. Here’s what we’re packing… NEW FLAMES…

Think of opening an old-fashioned doll’s house, one room deep, to reveal a central staircase, with a room on either side. Enter through the front door of Harold House and you find the full-sized version – a three-storey townhouse in the heart of old Cowes that has been beautifully restored by Jack Rebours and Marc Thompson. The couple had worked together in India, training crew for a cruise line, then settled in London before deciding they wanted a ‘lifestyle move’ somewhere that would anchor them to a less frantic life after almost constant travelling. ‘We both had a special love of Cowes through friends who lived here,’ Marc says. ‘As we explored more, we knew this was the ideal place for us to live; a balance of a picturesque coastal…

INTRODUCING DEPTH Interior designer Thomson Carpenter added personality to this room by teaming a rich brass vanity with tongue-and-groove wall panelling. ‘Panelling is always practical in a bathroom, protecting the wall from water splashes. It works particularly well in country and period homes, introducing depth and character,’ he says. Here, the deepening effect is boosted by the choice of a rich winered colour for the panelling and entrance door, used to set off the classic single washbasin from Drummonds. Layering in other elements, including Wild Tulip wallpaper from Soane Britain and reclaimed terracotta floor tiles from Bert & May, enhances the sense of texture. SETTING THE SCENE To enhance the role of the washbasin as a key feature of any bathroom design, consider the lighting to set it off to…

Established as the shade of show and supremacy, purple is used in decorating to indicate command and illusion. Natural purple is rare, found in a few minerals or processed from Murex snail shells into the dye Tyrian purple, a practice discovered in 1200BC by the Phoenicians. Used only for those people, to quote the Byzantines, ‘born into purple’, it has been the colour of royalty and religion for centuries, observed during significant events, investitures and rituals. Recently, it was the colour of King Charles III’s coronation, appearing in memorabilia and ceremonial décor and costume. Purple also has mythical and medicinal connotations. It is believed to enhance our mental wellbeing and is often used in spas and retreats, as well as our own home environment. WAYS TO USE PURPLE Aromatic aura…

One of my earliest memories of a garden is from when I was about three years old. I was just under 3ft tall when I came face-to-face with a yellow flowerhead the size of a tambourine – I was very aware of the size of a tambourine because I had played on one at nursery (rather well, I like to think) only the week before. This first encounter with a massive chrysanthemum bloom clearly made an impression on me. I was in Avril’s grandparents’ garden. Avril was our lodger, a girl of about 18 who rented a room at the top of our tall semi-detached house in Surrey. Avril’s grandad grew chrysanthemums in the long thin garden at the back of his caravan. The yellow of this (ball) chrysanthemum is…

I don’t want to get up today. I’d rather stay hidden under my duvet with my face partially buried in my tear-damp pillow. The bedroom is quiet; the whole house is. My husband Andrew, an early riser, will be downstairs somewhere sitting with his own thoughts, coffee in hand. There’s a blade of sunlight from the partially closed shutters piercing my closed eyelids, reminding me that the days are longer now, and the season I‘ve come to love and loathe in equal measure has arrived. The pull to hide from life and grief is strong; to sleep it away. You see, it was on a day like today four years ago that our whole world was turned upside down. The day when my 10-year-old son, Joseph, died. No matter which…

Sophie Allport has been lovingly crafting beautiful prints from her home in Lincolnshire since 2007, decorating lifestyle pieces that are both practical and stylish. Her designs draw on classic British heritage, with the occasional twist to put a smile on your face. This spring Sophie has created three new designs: Blossom, Spring Chicken and Tulips as well as reinventing customer favourites: Dragonfly and Strawberries and even adding new products to the iconic Bee collection. Discover all of this and more and enjoy an exclusive discount at sophieallport.com. READER OFFER You can shop the collections at sophieallport.com with 20% off code CHN20 or redeem in-store by presenting this magazine. With the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into Sophie Allport’s collections, you’ll be sure to continue treasuring your…

If you get the colour in your garden right, with a palette that you love, you’ll be revelling in it every day. But equally, whenit’swrong, it will hit you and all your visitors in the face. I have developed five ways that I think colour works in a garden, and they’ll be successful, whether your plot is large or small. The first palette is the simplest, because it’s sticking with monochrome (shown right), while the next four mix colours in quite strictly segregated groups (shown opposite), each giving the garden a different feel. Is it velvety and enveloping you want (Dark & Rich); or stand-away crisp and smart (Soft & Cool); a place to be calm in, with soft and gentle ‘cashmere jersey colours’ (Soft & Warm); or somewhere to…

I live in a Modernist 1960s house in London but have a hideaway in the Lake District near Coniston Water. I go up to the Western Isles of Scotland and the Highlands a lot, but it’s the Lake District that’s my dream country escape – the air is fresh and it makes you feel cleaner. My perfect day in the country would be spent with my partner, Florence. We would be climbing a mountain or going for a beautiful long valley walk. My first ever Lakeland walk, when I was only a kid, was in Borrowdale, so that has a very special place in my heart. I’ll never get bored of walking that valley. The morning would start with an extra-hot flat white and a couple of thin slices of…

CAMILLA PHELPS is a writer, gardener and horticultural therapist living in West Sussex – and she’s now our new gardens contributor. ‘I love the technicolour explosion this month; tulips, blossom and the first flush of new leaves,’ she says. ‘It fills me with anticipation for the growing still to come.’ JAMES FRENCH photographed the Natural Connection house (page 22). ‘Spring light has a soft quality, which is great for photography. It’s my birthday at Easter, too, so I’ll be celebrating with family.’ MARISHA TAYLOR wrote Natural Connection. ‘After the long, dark winter, the arrival of spring is such an exciting time,’ she says. ‘I love rambles on the South Downs, soaking in the fresh air.’…

Family-run lifestyle emporium Graham & Green marks its 50th anniversary with a month-long Indian Bazaar takeover at its flagship store in Notting Hill, London. From 6 April, find it filled with vintage Indian furniture, textiles and homewares, as well as a limited collection of ‘birthday edition’ bone-inlay furniture (available both in store and online), grahamandgreen.co.uk TIME WELL SPENT… CELEBRATE Earth Day (22 April) raises awareness of the need to protect the Earth for future generations. You can get involved at earthday.org SUPPORT Merry Go Round; founded by mums Lindsay and Sarah, they sell boxes of pre-loved clothes outgrown by children, and let parents sell back their own kids’ good-as-new pieces, merrygoround preloved.co.uk LISTEN to the Lazy Genius podcast; from lifestyle choices to laundry schedules, host Kendra Adachi shares how to…

Create a bouquet in an eggshell. Tap an opening at the top of the shell, clean the inside, then fill with tiny blooms to decorate an Easter table setting SPRING CLOUDS Chilford large solid wood dining table, £1,500; Chilford large solid wood bench, £650; Eshott cushion covers, from £20 each; Oaksey checked napkins, £35 for four; Oaksey checked tablecloth, from £80; Nether placemats, £35 for four; Ithaca egg cups, £10 for two; Winderton dinner plates, £12 each; Winderton side plates, £10 each; Broadwell Champagne flutes, £38 for four; Broadwell wine glasses, £24 for four; Bayford woven round bowls, £30 for a set of three; 16-piece cutlery set in Black, £75; Nibble bowls, £18 for a set of three; Bathford trough, £40; Brompton cake stand, £30, all Garden Trading MINI BOUQUET…

We all dream of the perfect moment of home happiness, and so we moodboard, plan, budget and invest our savings and hopes on a house that will deliver this perfection. Except that in the interim, our lives may have changed. Or more importantly, what we want from our lives and shelter may have changed. I’ve mentioned my kitchen before. In past homes, I have designed kitchens swiftly. I am (or have been) the cook in the family, and cooking for people has been a big part of who I am. Gathering harmoniously around a family table wasn’t something that happened for me as a child and so I know why it feeds me now. Recently, the cooking in our household has been taken over by our 23-year-old. Food has become…

Stuffed lamb shoulder with salsa verde SERVES 6-8 An easy-to-carve joint that tastes juicy, thanks to the flavoursome stuffing made with homemade salsa verde, which is Italy’s answer to mint sauce. Approx 1kg extra-trimmed whole boneless leg of lamb3 red onions, cut into wedges200ml sherry, plus extra for the gravy300ml chicken stock15g butter, softened15g plain flourHerb sprigs, we used rosemary FOR THE SALSA VERDE AND STUFFING 1 pack flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped1 pack mint leaves, finely chopped2 fat garlic cloves, crushed6 anchovies in oil, chopped1tbsp capers, drained1tbsp Dijon mustardZest 1 lemon1tbsp sherry vinegar, plus a splash for the gravy6-8tbsp extra virgin olive oil100g feta, crumbled50g pitted black olives, chopped50g almonds, roasted and choppedHandful baby spinach leaves, chopped 1 Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. For the salsa verde, put the…

DECOUPAGE is a lovely technique for embellishing furniture, although it can be used to decorate almost anything. Try cutting out these dainty flowers from napkins and decoupaging them on plain white eggs for Easter. YOU WILL NEED Decorative eggs, or blow and clean a fresh eggPaper or 3-ply napkinsScissorsMod Podge or PVA glue (watered down to create a runny consistency)PaintbrushClear varnish (optional), such as quick-drying and clear Polyvine Acrylic Decorator’s Varnish 1 Make your design. 2 Cut out your design. If using napkins, separate the layers of tissue and just use the top layer. 3 Glue your design onto your item and apply a thin layer of glue over the top. When thoroughly dry, apply a final coat of Mod Podge or PVA. HOW TO BLOW AN EGG Pierce a…

Tantalising, with tissue-paper-like skirts, poppies shine briefly in the garden but with such joyous charm that they are well worth adding to the floral palette. The most common garden poppies are in the Papaver genus. The group includes annuals, perennials and biennials, and has more than 70 species and 120 varieties of shapes and colours. Although each bloom is fleeting, you can plant a succession of poppies to continue through summer. The most popular varieties grown are large-flowered, perennial Papaver orientale (oriental), P. rhoeas (field), P. somniferum (opium), P. cambricum (Welsh), Eschscholzia californica (Californian), P. nudicaule (Iceland) and Meconopsis (Himalayan poppies). If the poppies you choose are happy in your garden, they will self-seed and pop up year after year. Spring is the preferred time to plant oriental and Himalayan…

After discovering that thousands, if not millions, of goat hides left over from the British food industry were going to waste every year, founder Jack Millington, along with his childhood friend, Rory Harker, was inspired to find a solution. Having built a micro-tannery in rural Leicestershire (on the farm where Jack grew up), they launched their first range of vegetable-tanned, sustainable goat leather goods in 2017, and so Billy Tannery was born. What’s the ethos behind your brand? Our goal is to turn waste into worth through fresh thinking. The mission is to stop hides from UK farms from being destroyed and instead turn them into beautiful, sustainable leather and leather goods. Despite being ubiquitous, leather is misunderstood. We want to tell a new, more positive story. We celebrate leather’s…

This retro trend has been on our radar for a while, but this season sees colourful glassware truly shine. From cheery brights to vintage jewel tones, there are shades to suit every tablescape. Position pieces where the sunlight catches to ensure a happy glow.…

A love of Scandinavian design, both old and new, has been the catalyst for many of Minnie Craske’s life decisions – most significantly, her passion for sourcing and selling the most captivating Swedish antiques she could find. She sold small pieces in her three shops, and traded larger furniture by appointment at her former home, a Victorian villa in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. But seven years ago, a dramatic change in the fortunes of the high street, paired with soaring business rents, led to a creative rethink for Minnie and her husband, Peter. The decision: to downsize both home and business. ‘At the time, we had just closed our shops and had been inviting customers to our home to view furniture for sale, so our home was acting as our temporary…

COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS Subscribe now and receive a free gift* This wonderful fine bone china mug from Sophie Allport is covered in quirky runner ducks. It’s sure to brighten up every cup of tea or coffee! Visit magazinesdirect.com/XCH/C89F or call 0330 333 1113 and quote C89F Offer closes 31 March 2024. Offer open to new UK subscribers only. 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. *Welcome gift(s) are only available to new UK print subscribers. Your gift will be delivered separately within 60 days after your first payment has cleared. In the unlikely event that we run out of this gift, we promise to offer…

There is not a lot of time to catch breath in Imogen Partridge’s day. The helter-skelter begins from five in the morning, when one-year-old Harriet wakes up, closely followed by three-year-old Ted. For three days a week, while the children are at nursery or their grandparents’, Imogen is on the train for London by seven, where she works for an interior design and architecture practice. Once aboard, the sketchbook comes out for her other role, as a self-employed illustrator. ‘Sketching and pen work are fine as we rattle along. The detail I fill in later,’ she says. Other days of the week are no less hectic, with snatched moments to paint. ‘When little hands start reaching out to prod my watercolours, or grab brushes, things are set aside again!’ But…

Lilac & nettle mocktail Lilac is one of those heady, floral wonders with the unmistakable scent of spring. To preserve as much of the flavour as possible, I have suggested something akin to a cold-brewed tea. 150ml lilac & nettle tea (see right)Squeeze of fresh lemon10ml honey or maple syrupLilac blossoms, to garnish 1 Add ice to a rocks glass and fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds of the way up with ice. 2 Add the lilac and nettle tea, squeeze of lemon, and your choice of syrup. 3 Shake well and strain into the rocks glass. Garnish with lilac blossoms. LILAC & NETTLE TEA 1 Put 2 packed cups (about 4 handfuls) of lilac flowers (all greenery removed) and 1 packed cup (about 2 handfuls) of young nettle leaves in…

The classic French potager is the ultimate romantic landscape: an orderly parade of abundance with vegetables and flowers combined to elevate food growing to a new level. Potagers are often beautiful enough to rival any intricate knot garden or parterre. This is high-level ornamental design, with elements of both prettiness and practicality that can easily be borrowed for a domestic garden. One of the most famous historic potagers is at Chateau de Villandry in France, where rows of spectacular vegetables are planted in rhythmic, geometric patterns, punctuated by roses and other flowers and bordered by low evergreen hedging. Traditionally, 17th-century potagers were divided into 16 small growing squares. At Villandry today there are nine beds planted with 40 species of vegetables from eight different plant families. These are set out…

The accepted wisdom for newly acquired gardens – and patient gardeners – is to wait a year before doing anything with your plot, so you can see what flourishes. But even with more established gardens we sometimes need to press pause. Maybe a life change means you need different things from your garden. Perhaps you’ve found your dream plot and yet feel frozen and overwhelmed, unable to make it yours. Maybe you are rethinking how you garden, bombarded as we are with reports on rewilding, climate change and threats to wildlife. With most gardens, a total makeover is rarely practical or affordable – and maybe it’s not necessary, either. If you’re feeling stuck, it might not simply be about what you’re growing, how big your plot is or whether you…

1 SOFT & COOL A combination of pale mauves, soft blues and blue-pinks, primrose and white, all the way to pure bright white. This is the trickiest palette to mix successfully with others, so it’s best kept on its own. 2 DARK & RICH This palette is my original love, a rich family of colours, which suck up the light — conker brown, almost black, copper, vermilion, olive green, emerald, deep purple, indigo and, most of all, crimson. I think of them as the velvet colours you want to wrap yourself in. These look wonderful together but need a sunny situation and benefit from a splash of one colour from another palette sprinkled through to lift the effect. 3 BRILLIANT COLOURS These shades – blackcurrant, raspberry, strawberry, orange, lemon, lime…