Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2024 i Country Homes & Interiors

FOR THE FIRST TIME, THIS SEPTEMBER I won’t be waving off a child on the school run. Instead, my youngest will be heading to college to start A levels. It means the shift from summer’s ease to harvest season’s busy productivity will be super-charged this year, as we negotiate these new beginnings. For many of us, the move into autumn feels full of promise – a chance to review what the year has brought us so far, to make subtle adjustments to take us into the colder months, and to reinvigorate our homes, our lives and ourselves in 2024’s final quarter. So, if you’re looking for change and a little reinvention, settle in for some inspiration… This issue brings you the newest looks to refresh your decor (page 80), as…

CONSCIOUS CURATION Show your style chops by supporting designers rooted in sustainability. Find a fabulous cohort at Haines Curates – a platform for those who place environmental impact at the top of their agenda. The collective is growing, with eight new UK emerging designers, including Clovelly Cloth, Eloise Home, Jessie de Salis and Print Sisters now showcasing their work. ‘These names represent a new generation of textile and product designers committed to exploring more sustainable ways of working,’ says Jules Haines. Cushions from £60, hainescollection.co.uk From her studio in West Somerset, Megan Stallworthy uses traditional and contemporary bookbinding techniques to create bespoke sketchbooks and notebooks from paper, linen and leather in calm colours and subtle patterns. She also runs workshops throughout the year at various venues, including Studio KIND, an…

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PREP ZONE The traditional scullery was a hardworking space with a sink for washing pots and dishes, and with storage for cleaning kit. Today’s version can be a back kitchen, utility room or boot room, or a combination of all three. ‘It can fulfill multiple purposes, keeping the messy aspects of the kitchen out of the main space – and allowing you to close the door so you can host without worrying about clutter,’ explains Paul Welburn, senior designer at Roundhouse. The galley-style room shown here serves as a food prep hub, second to the main kitchen, with larder in easy reach. ‘This setup is especially relevant for larger families and households that like to entertain frequently,’ adds Paul. FIT FOR PURPOSE From muddy boots to overflowing laundry baskets, a…

If there was ever a hue to charm the birds from the (cherry) trees, it would be pink. Romantic, tender and sweet, this captivating shade has surged in popularity in recent years, meaning its blush has moved beyond babies’ rooms to the most sophisticated of living spaces. Fossil finds indicate that pink is the planet’s oldest colour, although it was first recognised by Homer and named after the highly scented flowers, pinks. It wasn’t until the 18th century that the hue was made popular by Europe’s male and female elite. In the 20th century, pink became coded with femininity, and coloured memorable fashion moments including Marilyn Monroe’s Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend dress and the bubblegum shade of the suit Jackie Kennedy wore on the day JFK was assassinated.…

The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child. And, it seems, it takes a village, market town or close rural community to build a successful independent business today. We spoke to three entrepreneurs who are modelling a different way of working. They’ve turned their backs on corporate careers, but are using the skills they honed there (marketing, graphic design, consulting) to create multiple revenue streams for new endeavours that work in collaboration, not competition, with other independent creatives. The result: everyone benefits from the sustainable, enjoyable enterprises they are building. WATTLE & DAUB Starting a homeware business after 27 years in HR was a leap of faith for Gemma Lewis, founder of Wattle & Daub in Godalming, Surrey. Investment banking was her sector, but while it…

Glebe House is a late-Georgian former vicarage that sits perched atop a hill within a 15-acre smallholding, just a few miles from the Jurassic coast. In 2020, Olive and Hugo Guest left London and purchased the property from Hugo’s parents, who ran it as a B&B for 20 years. The idea was to focus on their passions. Hugo, a chef, wanted to create unfussy, farm-to-fork cooking, while Olive, an artist, planned to put her stamp on the interiors. With connections in Italy, the couple visited agriturismos – familyrun farmhouse restaurants where guests turn up and eat whatever is available that day. Enthused, they came home and planted a vegetable garden, created a space for rearing pigs and chickens, and turned an old garden building into a temperature-controlled aging room for…

ALLIUM COLLECTION This wonderful selection of 100 outstanding allium bulbs is sure to create an explosion of colour and provide spectacular displays for your garden, patio or decking. Enjoy an abundance of sparkler-like flowers and spheres of lilacs, blues, purples and white. The mix of varieties is ideal for all situations, with very tough and hardy plants that are extremely easy to look after. Get this collection in the ground from September to January for amazing flowers the following spring. Supplied as a collection of 100 bulbs in seven varieties: Allium ‘Purple Sensation’, Allium ‘Christophii’, Allium ‘Siculum’ Nectaroscordum, Allium ‘Nigrum’, Allium ‘Moly’, Allium ‘Drumsticks’ and Allium ‘Neopolitanum’. Item code 630126. Cost £11.99, save £8 APRIL POWDERED GREY PLANTER Add a touch of class and sophistication to your garden with this…

I live in the small, historic fishing town of Brixham in Devon. My wife, Pen, and I are lucky to live on the waterfront, with beaches and nature reserves within a five-minute walk. We live with our youngest daughter, Isobel, and her boyfriend, Tommy, but have four more children. Ben is head chef at The Seahorse restaurant, which I co-founded. Blue is a craftsman; Franny is a mum; and our eldest, Sadie, is a yoga teacher. We are also blessed by their long-term partners – Bronte, who is Ben’s wife, and Hannah, who is Blue’s. I love the wildness of Dartmoor; it’s beautiful all year round. I’ve experienced snow, strong winds and glorious sunshine, all of which are equally as thrilling, it is one of the most magnificent of places…

PIPPA BLENKINSOP is a writer and stylist, and this month she compiled our Ready, Set, Decorate! trends feature (page 80). ‘As a nature lover, I’m excited about all the botanical serene greens coming through in interiors,’ she says. ‘I’m also a big fan of artisan pieces that celebrate makers’ marks.’ CAMILLA PHELPS digs up the latest garden ideas, from page 134. ‘If you sow a little chaos in your garden, you invite in birds, mammals and pollinators who will find a home and a harvest,’ she says. AMELIA THORPE wrote our feature on sculleries (page 97). ‘I love making and baking, so the trend for kitchens with superb organisation suits me. Peaceful creativity is my happy place.’…

Tile maker Bert & May has launched Pour, a porcelain tile collection by fashion-designer-turned-ceramicist Henry Holland that showcases his nerikomi-inspired swirls. There’s a printed glazed or a hand-poured version (suitable for indoors or out) to choose from, available in various shapes and sizes, and four colours – Rust, Mineral Blue, Purple Brown and Rosemary Green. ‘I’m excited to see how the tiles are used in people’s homes as a canvas to interpret their style,’ says Henry Holland. From £10.80 each for a skirting tile, bertandmay.com TIME WELL SPENT… LEARN how to hand sew a fabric lampshade on Chloe Jonason’s debut video course, designed for complete beginners, £97 (for lifetime access to the course), createacademy.com READ The Coach House – writings on how we live and the meaning of home, from…

As Alex and Ollie Black admire the spectacular South Downs views from the balcony of their coastal home, the pair feel relieved that they eventually saw the potential of this hidden gem of a plot. ‘We pinch ourselves almost every day,’ Alex confides. ‘We can’t quite believe that we live in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – and that we almost walked away from a golden opportunity.’ In 2016, the Blacks were living in London with no intention of relocating. ‘As the children grew older, we realised that all three were destined to attend separate schools; a prospect we didn’t relish,’ Ollie reveals. The couple began researching alternative options, which sparked a conversation about moving to a different area. ‘My mother and one of Ollie’s brothers live in West…

Serene green From subtle sage to dusky olive, soft greens with earthy undertones are becoming a perennial favourite. They are perfect for creating spaces that soothe the soul 1 HAPPY SPACES Energising and uplifting yet also calm and fresh, warm, light greens make a beautiful backdrop for everyday spaces such as kitchens and kitchen diners. Here, Celery Salt from Benjamin Moore works wonderfully alongside warm wood teamed with pops of coral and charcoal for a modern country look inspired by the beauty of nature. Celery Salt, from £20 for 0.94ltr, Benjamin Moore 2 BETWEEN THE LINES You don’t need to use green top to toe to appreciate its calming vibe. Wallpapers in small-scale prints or decorative stripes are a wonderful way to inject colour and pattern without overwhelming a scheme.…

This year’s second equinox – when day and night are the same length – falls on 22 September. While the spring equinox is associated with cleaning the home, autumn’s rituals focus on both harvesting and decluttering. It’s an opportunity to decide what to keep and what to let go of, so we can build resources to face winter’s – and life’s – challenges. What will your autumn action points be?…

Since becoming a gardener, I have noticed the concept of seasonality appearing in almost every facet of my life. From my approach to food (I now aim to look past the offerings stacked on the supermarket shelves in favour of truly seasonal produce, which, unsurprisingly, also tends to be the most flavourful) to how I use and conserve my personal energy based on the time of year. Naturally, I think most of us become homebodies during the winter months, but I never thought I would come to adopt the same seasonal approach to my career – and with that, redefine my idea of success. I’ve always struggled with the concept of work-life balance, which likely contributed to my burnout during my first 15-year career. My desire to succeed traditionally –…

Slowly does it may be our garden mantra, as we embrace the natural flow of the seasons. But that doesn’t mean our plots stay fixed in time. Evolving tastes – not to mention changing weather patterns – influence the plants we want to see, how we garden, and the aesthetics of our outdoor spaces. Here are the trends that are blooming now. CHERRY PICKING The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the horticultural equivalent of fashion catwalks, which means its Plant of the Year winner adorns all the best-dressed gardens. This year, the honour goes to ornamental cherry Prunus ‘Starlight’, praised for its starry flowers and four seasons of interest. Runner-up Cosmos atrosanguineus Cherry Chocolate could be the new hot pink to find its way into our borders. RECLAIMED ROCKERIES For…

Alliums get the summer show off to a bold start when their flower globes open in May. Like giant lollipops, the spherical structure of these bulbous perennials adds solidity and drama to borders during what is often a flowering lull between spring and summer. Drought-tolerant and full of nectar for wildlife, they are also perfect plants for the modern country garden. The classic border alliums, with flower heads the size of a tennis ball, such as ‘Ambassador’, ‘Gladiator’ and ‘White Giant’, form spheres of purple or ivory flowers atop long, sturdy stems. They look fantastic growing through a mass of soft flowers, as seen at Great Dixter, where the big amethyst globes of ‘Purple Sensation’ hover above Campanula patula, or at Mottisfont, where Allium cristophii grows through an airy sea…

Having graduated from Edinburgh College of Art, Juliet went on to work with the likes of Colefax and Fowler, Fox Linton, Cole & Son and de Gournay, before launching her own fabric and wallpaper brand in 2013. Her passion for wildlife is showcased in mural-like prints and patterns, designed in her garden studio in Hampshire and printed in England using the gravure printing method, which replicates each pencil mark and brushstroke of Juliet’s original drawings. How did your business come about? My experience at de Gournay was hugely beneficial as I learnt that even the prettiest designs need to sell! I didn’t think I would ever leave, but after being in sales for a few years, I began to miss my passion for design. I saw there was a niche…

No matter how much you love a property, it can sometimes take the shrewd judgment and experience of a professional interior designer to realise its full potential. Which is why, when Fiona and Douglas McCleod wanted help redesigning their house in Argyll and Bute in the western Scottish Highlands, they turned to Louise Bramhill of Studio LBI (pictured below) for help. For her, the way forward was obvious immediately. ‘There was a conservatory on the front of the house that needed to be removed – so that you could see the façade and because it was blocking the spectacular view from some of the rooms.’ The house is a beautiful period property, built around 1890, in an equally stunning setting. It sits on the water’s edge, overlooking the Isle of…

Whether you want to restore the original charm of an open fire or dream of installing a wood burner, learn how to breathe new life into your fireplace. Q What are my options if I have a previously used fireplace? A If your fireplace has not been boarded or blocked, getting it working again can be as simple as a visit from a chimney sweep. They will look at the condition of the flue and its lining, then advise on the next best steps – this could be cleaning and a sweep or replacement of parts. ‘A chimney sweep will be able to clean the flue, inspect it for internal damage and assess the condition of a chimney stack. Once swept, a smoke test should be performed to ensure there…

As a small child, Tess Newall would paint on the floor of her mother Sally Oyler’s studio. Aged seven, she graduated to depicting a sunset on her bedroom wall, ‘red at the bottom, and sponged to become yellow at the top’. Turning that childhood love of decoration and creativity into a highly successful business painting murals and furniture was well timed; demand for the Arts and Crafts-inspired decorative painting about which she is passionate is on the rise – and, along with it, what she describes as a ‘positive shift in the value that people place on the handmade and the hand painted’. Brought up in East Lothian, Tess travelled to Sri Lanka after leaving school to help with the tsunami relief. It was there, on a beach, that she…

Carrot, prune and barley stew SERVES 4 A so-satisfying autumnal stew with a gently sour, spicy spirit. You can use quinoa instead of the pearl barley. 12 carrots, peeled and cut in half4tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 onion, finely chopped3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced2tsp ground cumin1tsp ground coriander½tsp ground turmericBig pinch ground cinnamon2 black limes, pierced with a knife (or use 1tsp dried lime flakes or 1tsp sumac)150g pearl barley900ml vegetable stock12 large pitted prunesJuice of 1 lemonSmall bunch of fresh dill, roughly choppedSea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Mix the carrots with 1tbsp of the olive oil and some salt and pepper and arrange on a baking tray. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, then uncover…

Gathering homegrown flowers teaches us to follow the natural rhythm of our gardens, noticing the progression from bud to glorious full bloom then seed. Freshly cut flowers capture a moment in time but drying them means we can savour them for longer. Watching the colour and texture of petals wax and wane from bright, shiny and silky through to soft, faded and pleated like a Fortuny gown never fails to captivate me. Some flowers are perfectly designed for drying, holding onto their looks and colour, so why not plant them alongside your cut-flower favourites to add longevity to your floral displays? The starry strawflower, Helichrysum bracteatum, and papery blooms of sea lavender, Statice sinuata, are probably more familiar dried than fresh, guaranteed to look good for months after picking. Lavender,…

Christmas will be coming sooner than you think, which makes now a good time to start preparing a few mini indoor pots to decorate window ledges, shelves and tables, making our houses colourful and fragrant in time for the festive season. In the gloom and chill of the darkest months, a cheerful display of bulbs inside is guaranteed to lift the spirits – plant some up now and you can give them as gifts, as well as enjoying them yourself. Hyacinths, in particular, take their time and should be started soon, followed by the galloping grower, the paperwhite daffodil. It’s also worthwhile having a walk around the garden to pick seed heads before they get blown and broken. My favourite garden-harvested indoor decorations are allium seed heads, of almost any…