Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i Homes & Gardens

This season, the design world is serving up a feast of tactile decorating elements — a celebration of the handmade, the natural and the time-honoured. Think hand-loomed weaves, block prints and other age-old techniques but reimagined with an elevated, contemporary edge. Gone seems to be the former, muted vision of craft. In its place comes a confident embrace of the brighter end of the colour spectrum: woad blues, madder reds, ochre yellows and turmeric oranges. These bold hues are paired with honest, characterful materials — raw-hewn wood, wool, loosely glazed ceramics, hand-printed motifs and artisan-crafted everyday objects. Textiles that have a hand-loomed feel add even more depth and tactility. It’s this richly layered look that our cover photo shoot (page 61) captures so beautifully. And while we’re on the subject…

JANAYE Scientific studies are rarely cited as key inspirations by interior designers, but for Bee Janaye, founder of JANAYE, the research into neuroaesthetics has been the driving force behind her work. ‘Originally, scientists were looking at sculptures and artwork and how the look and feel of them could influence people and shape their minds and I can see how decor can do that as well,’ Bee says. ‘What our homes feel like, how we engage with them and how interactive they are can truly make a difference to how we feel about ourselves.’ This interest came from Bee working with clients who were neurodivergent but it’s now a theory she applies to every project, making homes that are tailored to the brains of the people who live in them. Her…

DIFFERENT textures make a room more interesting to look at and experience. Textures give it warmth and energy. It’s about layering, from the materials you use to the colours to the furniture and decorative objects and how you combine and curate those elements. ■ To play with texture successfully, you need balance: bringing together things that perhaps offset each other, like a rustic rug with a lacquered wall, instead of going for more of the same. Otherwise, you end up with a room that looks too rustic or too shiny, for example. ■ Art is a brilliant way of adding texture and layers and for us, it’s the one of the first things – not the last – we think about. Without art, a room looks unfinished. You can plaster…

NICOLA HARDING As with many people who had a peripatetic childhood, home for interior designer Nicola Harding was about belonging. ‘Growing up in a military family, we lived in a series of generic houses with standard-issue everything – even crockery,’ she says. ‘I hankered after a sense of being rooted to a place.’ Today, she is known for her ability to mix traditional charm with a rich atmosphere using antiques, colour and craftsmanship. ‘I did no formal training. My first projects came through word of mouth and have grown from there. This book is about sharing what I learned along the way.’ She also pays homage to the luminaries she befriended and held up as mentors, including Christine Van Der Hurd, who writes the foreword, Christopher Howe and colour specialist…

In the frame Designed by Ben Pentreath for the garden of his former home in Dorset (he’s recently upped sticks for Rousay Island in Orkney), the Parsonage Obelisk is a simple yet effective way to add visual interest, whether by creating a focal point, adding some structure to beds and borders or introducing a new degree of height. Made from Accoya wood, the design is perfect for elegantly supporting climbing plants like clematis, roses and sweet peas. Made to order from Pentreath & Hall for £2,275, it can be painted in any Farrow & Ball colour – it is pictured here is Babouche. FORM MEETS FUNCTION If you are looking for practical, beautiful homeware, The Oxford Brush Company has more than 75 years of experience in sourcing superior domestic tools,…

“Ham House is a green oasis, just half an hour from central London, with meadows and tree-lined avenues surrounding a grand Stuart house built in 1610 by Thomas Vavasour. The gardens recapture that period, with formal lawns, hedges, topiary and narrow beds alongside walls. Visitors can explore vast grass plats, which are sprinkled with purple crocuses in spring, our maze-like Wilderness area, a lavender-filled Cherry Garden and a Kitchen Garden – home to an original orangery. In autumn, we have colourful seasonal displays, including saffron crocus underneath our stepover apples and squash and pumpkins in the Kitchen Garden. Field maples bring autumnal colour to the Wilderness as well. I haven’t always been a gardener – I worked in accounting after moving from Poland to the UK over 20 years ago,…

When designer Tom Morris first clapped eyes on what is now a trove of a kitchen, suffice to say that it did not look like this. ‘The house was previously owned by a developer and it was one of those homes where every last centimetre had been gobbled up, with every effort to grab and fill any bit of space. And it was shiny, with bright, bright lights. We wanted to create something with more charm and colour,’ he says. Those two qualities are the hallmarks of Morrisstudio, and it’s no surprise to see so many shades at play here – Tom is adept at a mixed palette. ‘The owners had just had their garden done and the purple salvia was in flower, while thistles were out on nearby Hampstead…

GETTING A GRIP As with all Retrouvius spaces, the aim in this kitchen was to bring salvaged, reclaimed and vintage materials back into use. Here, the studio found a new way to use old cigar moulds as a joinery detail under the countertop. But they’re more than just decoration or salvaging for the sake of it – they have enough grip to work as drawer pulls, too. ‘Various pieces of reclaimed architrave can be creatively repurposed in this manner,’ says studio founder Maria Speake, who cites the rich pinks of buildings in Marrakesh as the colour influence for this fresh and energising space. LOOKING UP It’s not the spectacular slab of Calacatta Viola marble forming the island that is the hero in this kitchen designed by Flack Studio. Nor is…

A CURATION OF THE BEST DESIGN AND HOME IDEAS DESIGN DESTINATION As part of the London Design Festival, The Objects We Live By, 13-21 September, is an exhibition curated by ceramicist and artist Emma Louise Payne (above). Set across five storeys of her London atelier, Seventy-Six, the show explores how design settles into daily life. With no formal displays, pieces by Sebastian Cox, Studio BC and David Irwin (above is his Hardy high-back chair for Another Country) appear in situ: quietly present, gently purposeful and beautifully lived in. Refined style Decorex returns to Olympia London from 12-15 October, bringing together top names in interior design. This year’s collaborations include a tented, autumn-inspired main bar by Lucy Mayers of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler and a VIP Lounge by Tolù Adẹ̀…

COLOUR OF THE MONTH SOFT JADE GREEN…

A NEW LEAF The glazed printed cotton fabric we know as chintz has long been associated with English country house decor. For this scheme, London-based designer Stephanie Barba Mendoza was asked by Anglophile clients to create a chintz-filled bedroom for a house outside Antwerp, and chose Jean Monro’s Fern Stripe fabric and wallpaper. ‘This whimsical room is warm and inviting and we felt it was the perfect opportunity to create a canopy for the bed,’ says Stephanie. ‘I love the idea of climbing into bed at the end of a day and being totally encompassed by soft florals and foliage. It’s almost dreamlike, which feels appropriate.’ GRAND GESTURE An imaginative alternative to using the frame of a four-poster as a structure to drape fabric around is to take advantage of…

Relaxing on the chintz sofa in this vast living space in Singapore, you could be fooled into thinking you were sitting inside an English country home – and that is fundamentally the point. ‘My clients are British, so I wanted that sense of familiarity and a home-from-home feel,’ says interior designer Elizabeth Hay. The exterior, too, has a vague Britishness about it, with its mock-Tudor-style black-stained timber and whitewashed walls. ‘These historical houses really lend themselves to that classic country look for that reason,’ explains Elizabeth. Colloquially known as ‘black-and-whites’, these late 19th-century properties built during British colonial rule have an English aesthetic blended with Malay design features; wide verandas, tall shutters and a topsy-turvy layout that prioritises living spaces on the top floor. Despite this rich history, the interiors…

With its elegant white facade, this charming French house, located just outside Paris, has an unexpected interior that exudes joie de vivre with its curated colour and pattern. The French clients relocated from London to France. ‘They had rented properties in London, but this was their first proper family home,’ says interior designer Sean Symington. For Sean, it was his biggest project to date as it involved a comprehensive renovation and full refurbishment. ‘It was one of those projects where it was supposed to be a light touch then it ended up being the whole house,’ he says. ‘It took two years and was full-on going back and forth to Paris.’ Structural work took place from the top to the bottom of the house. There was a complete reconfiguration of…

Max Parker-Smith RHS multiple award-winning garden designer Max’s designs are distinctive, refined and contemporary in feel but also capture an air of the traditional. Drawn to natural materials such as stone, wood and, latterly, thatch, he reimagines them in new ways to fit his aesthetic. His landscaping approach is minimalist and understated, featuring simple design lines that draw you into winsome garden habitats where beautiful planting takes priority. Relaxed but tamed, threaded through with texture and gentle colour, the designs create a sense of belonging. Water is used creatively, bringing a peaceful and calming ambience to his gardens. Max’s style is fluid – he enjoys natural imperfections and is not wed to a uniform look, allowing his work to evolve and unfold across an urban to rural client base. maximilliandesign.co.uk…

I’M AN avid traveller and am fortunate that, as part of my work, I’m able to indulge that passion. In recent years, the county of Cornwall has enchanted me. It’s a magical, mythical land of contrasts – the raw and rugged beauty of its coastline and the Atlantic, plus softly undulating meadows and valleys, dramatic cliffs, rock formations and gardens. ■ Our friends Judy and Robin Hutson have created the perfect home from home at The Pig at Harlyn Bay (top right). It’s a wonderful place to stay, enjoying delicious local seasonal food, impeccable service and of course, the interior decor, which is as comfortable as it is stylish. ■ Cornwall is a vast county and exploring (and occasionally getting lost) is a must. The Penwith peninsula is a favourite…

1. Our Portobello Road studio has been in my life since my late teens when my parents bought the derelict building and converted it into our home. We have retained some of the decorative detail, such as the Spanish 19th-century wood doors and the marble floors my father laid. The little garden is a hidden oasis. 2. My favourite hotel is The Dwarika’s in Kathmandu. After the chaos of the city and working intensively with our makers, to return to its serenity is a delight. 3. Going to Photo London is one of my highlights of the year. I collect photography, and visiting it to see so many works all in one place is exciting. 4. I’m passionate about jewellery and particularly the colours of semi-precious stones. I have been…

Studio DB - and its husband and wife co-founders Damian and Britt Zunino – bring an offbeat sense of artistry to every project. They seem able to look at a space and instead of being hampered by its confines, see only possibilities for how personality-filled it can be. Nowhere is this more true than in their own kitchen in a Renaissance Revival-style building in New York, where rather than being put off by its relatively small size of six square metres, they viewed it as a way to enhance the rest of the home. ‘As the apartment is open-concept, we treated the kitchen more like a series of built-in furniture pieces than a traditional utilitarian space,’ Damian says. ‘The wrap-around cabinetry allowed us to maximise storage and visual impact without…

TOUCH POINT Give your walls a little lift, literally, with Alessi from Mandarin Stone. These new skinny-format porcelain tiles bring 3D definition thanks to the randomly embossed patterns that add a textural punch. They come in five earthy shades, including Clay (shown), with a soft matt finish, raw edges and tonal variations that channel slow-crafted charm. Arrange them in stacks, herringbone or off-grid formats for a layered look that plays with light and shadow. Alessi decor matt porcelain tiles, £94.62sq m. Sculptural beauty Two years after first launching, Duravit has announced the addition of a new bath to its coveted Vitrium collection by Christian Werner. Sculptural yet simple, it is made from a silky-smooth mineral composite and defined by a wide, dropped ledge that makes a handy perch for candles,…

Pairing a homeowner who has her own embroidery factory with Scott Maddux and Jo leGleud of Maddux Creative, the design duo known for their love of upholstery, trims, fabrics and fripperies, meant you were never going to get a glossy white bathroom. ‘We were playing with colours throughout the whole house, with a lot of 1970s references and moody textures,’ says studio co-founder Scott. ‘We had to bring that sense into this room, too.’ He’s referring to the variations of colour in the glaze of the tiles, the deep reds and pinks on walls and fixtures, the liberal use of cork and, of course, the fringing on the stool. ‘It feels very glamorous to have a dressing area and a stool in your bathroom,’ says co-founder Jo. ‘We’ve been doing…

It’s not often in a bathroom with an elegantly curved bath and gleaming inlaid wood panels hiding storage on the walls that the flooring would be the hero. But that’s the case in this scheme in Notting Hill, part of a project by Alex Dauley, where brown tones are balanced with strong white in a space that manages to be both fresh and refined. ‘It’s an elevated bathroom,’ says Alex. ‘The brief was to make it look expensive. To me that meant harnessing the quiet luxury of earthy tones in a way that added some warmth, and made it seem a little bit fun.’ The floor tiles are from Cullifords, made from four types of marble, laid not in any organised or tessellated pattern but relatively randomly. ‘We weren’t too…

Home grown The wild beauty and rich artistic heritage of Cornwall were the inspiration for Designers Guild’s latest collection, Trevenna. Moody colours and impressionistic patterns reflect the rugged coastline and dramatic landscape of this beautiful part of the world. Trevenna also encapsulates the county’s creative history – the mid-20th century saw it become the epicentre of the UK’s modern art scene, with artists such as Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Peter Lanyon forming the St Ives School. In Trevenna, abstract design and craft techniques such as embroidery and block-printing take centre stage in a nod to this artistic era. Pictured is the Sancreed embroidered fabric, priced at £185m - named in honour of an ancient village on the Penwith Peninsula. STANDOUT DESIGNS in Designers Guild’s Trevenna range Prints and plains This…

A ALEX O’CONNOR Silversmith Alex O’Connor came to silver from a background in fine art and sculpture. As a result, her pieces unite an inherent understanding of form, composition, balance and surface. Her pieces are made through a process that begins with a walk in the Cornish landscape. Shown below is Elliptic Beaker. alexoconnorsilver.co.uk ALEX WALSHAW Furniture maker Alex Walshaw creates objects from storm-fallen and reclaimed wood and wood grown through the ancient and sustainable method of coppicing. Alex makes his bowls, utensils, stools and chairs by combining fresh green wood and relic oak materials, thus merging new and old materials into his work. alexwalshaw.com AMY LEEWORTHY From her studio on the Mornington Peninsula outside Melbourne, Australia, ceramicist Amy Leeworthy throws, builds and paints sculptural forms and vessels. Each is…

WHEN Lorenzo Castillo, one of Spain’s most sought-after interior designers, starts a project, he likes ‘to imagine myself living in that space’. This doesn’t mean he designs for only one look – currently his remit spans a 1970s apartment in Paris, a summer villa in St Tropez and a grand chateau in Bordeaux – but more that it helps him to envision every need and use of the people who will eventually call it home. Those people will all, however, find themselves immersed in ‘timeless, bright, colourful’ interiors fashioned with exuberant elegance. With an aesthetic rooted in classicism but executed with a modern eye, Lorenzo usually starts with a colour palette in mind: ‘Just following my instinct, like an artist standing in front of a fresh canvas,’ he says. While…

A playful and colourful scheme was top of the client’s wish list when they engaged interior designer Peter Mikic to refresh this Grade II-listed five-bedroom Victorian home in west London, but beyond that, Peter virtually had carte blanche. ‘The client was open to any ideas,’ he says. The house’s exquisite architectural features – including the stone staircase, ceiling roses, cornicing, skirting, panelling and large sash and stained-glass windows – provided an elegant backdrop against which Peter, who is renowned for blending historical and contemporary influences, was able to weave his magic. ‘The original features bring lots of charm to this house,’ he says. ‘What was important for me was to keep as many of these details as possible because they give the house so much character. Anything else that we…

MAPLE CITRUS SALAD WITH CORIANDER SEED AND OLIVE OIL GRANOLA SERVES 2-4 2 tsp coriander seeds1 pink grapefruit1 large orange1 clementine1 blood orange1 tsp maple syrup1 tbsp best-quality olive oilZest and juice of 1 lime FOR THE GRANOLA 1½ tsp coriander seeds½ tsp ground turmeric50g coconut flakes70g porridge oats60g mix of pumpkin and sesame seeds40g butter2-3 tbsp maple syrup1 tbsp olive oil TO SERVE Greek yogurtA sprinkling of Aleppo or ancho chilli flakes or Tajín ■ Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper. To make the granola, put the coriander seeds, turmeric, coconut and oats into a blender and blitz to a rough crumb. ■ Empty into a mixing bowl. Gently toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan…

SEAMLESS SINKS When stone looks this good, who would want to interrupt it with a sink? Not DNA Design Lab, whose latest kitchen project leans into the trend for integrated sinks crisply cut in stunning stone. Using Antolini’s Camouflage marble – part of its Natural Stone Collection – the team has crafted a design where splashback, sink and surface are carved as one. With its tonal sandy-beige swirls that, says Antolini, ‘are almost like a slide of earth’s reliefs taken from space’, the stone brings a grounding, elemental quality to the scheme. Camouflage marble, price on request, Antolini. New colour rules The latest kitchens are all about fearless colour play – and this Pluck design dives in head first, with no white in sight. Brockwell Moss cupboards offer a soft…

Unbelievably, despite the grand period detailing on the cornicing and the implications of the Victorian era that come from the antique pendant light and antiqued island bench, this kitchen is all part of a new extension that designer Laura Stephens was involved with from the start. ‘The priority of this project was that it didn’t feel like a new box,’ Laura says. ‘It was important to take into consideration the flooring, finishes, ironmongery and cornicing, any details that could help make it seem a little more traditional while not remotely stuffy. It had to be modern, too – the family wanted conveniences such as a big American fridge and a hot tap.’ Laura took influence from the Victorian era of the rest of the house, drilling down into the detail…

This serene and airy bathroom by Gunter & Co wasn’t always destined to look this dreamy. ‘It was a big space in a London townhouse – one that had previously been a bedroom – but the owners had so much they wanted to include that the floor plan was starting to be pinched,’ says studio founder Irene Gunter. ‘A double shower, a generous bath, a double vanity, WC, bidet and lots of storage… The wish list was as crammed as the room was going to be, turning the project into a study of every single millimetre.’ The inspiration for how to fit it all in came from downstairs, where curved walls had been built into the ground floor. ‘That gave us the idea to use them here, too, rounding edges…

FEELING PEACHY Cocooned in a pairing of Norwegian Rose and Carrara marble tiles that Greg Natale designed for Teranova, this pretty, almost soft-focus bathroom was inspired, he says, by ‘neoclassical European architecture.’ The bath, designed by Greg for Meek, was influenced by ‘the stylish, urban street furniture of southern Italy’, while the custom vanity ‘echoes the tiles and ties the whole palette together.’ There’s a lightness and warmth to this pleasing colour scheme that makes it feel uplifting: ‘It’s a really joyful space to be in and the owner absolutely adores it.’ SUNNY DELIGHT Designer Tamsin Johnson chose this exact shade of yellow as a through-line for this project for her friend, jewellery designer Lucy Folk, for the ‘sunny, earthy and optimistic outlook’ it provokes. ‘The right yellow is about…