Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i The English Home

The changing of the seasons is one of the joys of living in England. Each season has its own innate and distinctive characteristics, and I think I look forward to the first signs of spring most of all. Tender shoots pushing their way through the soil, fattening leaf buds, which promise a new year of greenery, and the twitter of the first birds to return to our shores, all set a mood of optimism and possibility. Like much of the natural world, we, too, come out of hibernation, reconnecting with neighbours we have scarcely seen across the winter, planning celebratory gatherings for Mothering Sunday and Easter, and reconsidering our homes with renewed vigour and sense of purpose. This edition is positively brimming with decorative inspiration and bursting with colour –…

PURSUITS Clean and serene Tackling an overflowing wardrobe, tightly stuffed bookshelves, or drawers packed so full they will not close, feels daunting. But decluttering has recently become a matter of wellbeing. Having sold millions of books in more than 30 countries, Japanese organising expert Marie Kondo sees tidying up as self-help. She claims that jettisoning superfluous items and cleverly organising our belongings will make us feel freer and happier, bringing the magic back to homes drowning in clutter. Her new book Spark Joy (Vermilion, £12.99) urges us to keep only the items which spark joy. It offers step-by-step illustrations for folding clothes, and she suggests T-shirts should be folded into small rectangles and stood upright in rows in drawers, so all are visible at once. Rather than tackling the home…

Plaid patterns are invariably associated with strong, dark colours, which are naturally at home in cosy schemes. In total contrast, Thibaut’s new plaid pattern is available in a light greeny-blue (along with a choice of darker colourways for those seeking a classic plaid). The effect is less intense and immensely usable with neutral schemes. The fabric would be perfect for a smart townhouse or a contemporary backdrop which is missing the anchor of a classic pattern to balance the overall mood. It is also ideal for a room flooded with light, where a rich plaid would seem out of place. Percival Plaid woven fabric, £99 a metre; chandler check fabric, £90 a metre; narragansett wallpaper, £60 a roll;…

LYNGARD A family business spanning six generations (one great uncle was a friend of another famous nineteenth-century thinker, John Ruskin) based in Stoke-on-Trent, heartland of British ceramics. The graceful porcelain lighting is based on secret glazing recipes handed down over centuries. LEWIS & WOOD Set up by renowned interior designer Joanna Wood and textile printer Stephen Lewis, the muted naturalistic prints and papers are based on contemporary artworks as well as Elizabethan wall paintings. The large-scale prints work surprisingly well in smaller, cottage rooms. VOLGA LINEN Better known for its tableware, the company has launched a range of charming prints inspired by early twentieth-century Russian lino cuts. DE VOL A recent collaboration with rising furniture maker Sebastian Cox produced a kitchen in which woven willow detailing contrasts with hardwood cabinetry,…

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Just as we yearn for a burst of colour in our gardens after the austerity of winter months, so the arrival of spring inspires us to feather our nests with some new, bold accessories. It takes only a few vibrant highlights to add colour refreshment: a bowl on a sideboard, a cushion on a bed, or a pretty new Roman blind in a colourful, yet subtle, print. Here are just a few uplifting additions.…

Like a bounding dog happily greeting us at the front door, stepping into the hallway should be an uplifting experience. In the same way that we instantly absorb a dog’s cheery enthusiasm, the mood and tone of the hallway is one of the first things which is absorbed by guests as they form their first impression of our home. Moreover, a well-designed hallway will provide a welcoming and functional room to both arrive in and depart from every day. To prevent the space becoming a transient area, seen as somewhere to quickly hurry through, treat the decor and furnishings with the same consideration as a sitting-room scheme. The resulting design should see practical needs met and combine with charm to make one linger and enjoy the room, whether guest or…

Shutters are enjoying something of a renaissance. Introduced in Tudor times before glass became available, solid shutter boards also gave extra security to homes. Later, the Georgians commonly used shutters that folded back into an architrave. Today, shutters offer timeless style, enhanced privacy, light control plus noise-and heat-insulation properties. “Many of our customers choose identical shutters for every window, which gives an attractive uniform look to the exterior of their homes, too,” comments Marie Cook from Thomas Sanderson. STYLE BENEFITS The choice of finish is important. For traditional, older properties, oil-waxed wooden shutters are eminently stylish, however, wood also suits more contemporary settings particularly those with natural floors or exposed oak beams. Painted wooden shutters are very popular. White is a simple and classic finish that will stand the test…

As a symbol of new life, eggs have long been associated with spring festivals and were adopted by Christians at Easter as symbolic of the opening of Jesus’ tomb at the Resurrection. Prettily decorated eggs are often given as gifts in a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. King Edward I is believed to have popularised this; records show he had 450 boiled eggs decorated for members of the royal household. Chocolate eggs are a popular alternative today – consider homemade options using a mould; try Lakeland for a range of large and small, or Chocolate Mould Designs for bespoke options.…

Atiny tender garden pea is exquisite, “with a flavour and aroma that is the pure essence of spring,” says Raymond Blanc. “When the pea plants flower, the taller varieties, in particular, bring real beauty to the garden, and in my kitchen we love to use the flowers and shoots, almost as much as the peas. When I had my first restaurant in Oxford, before I had a kitchen garden, we would finish at 1am, and a few hours later I would be out with my young team of chefs in the fields of the local pick-your-own farm.” “I love peas, especially when they are tiny, oval and barely formed. It is very wasteful, I know – a total indulgence, but for the gourmand, pure heaven. They are so sweet and…

Cool to the touch and elegant to the eye, white marble, with its characteristic grey veining, has been prized as a material for sculpture since classical times. It comes in a variety of quality grades, is imitated with scagliola plasterwork, man-made composites made from marble dust, resins and pigments, and even colourful marbling on paper, which allows access to its desirable looks at every budget level.…

Ben Miller is an actor, director, comedian and bestselling science writer, well-known for being half of the comedy double act Armstrong and Miller. He met fellow Cambridge University student Alexander Armstrong whilst the two were at university, where Miller studied for a PhD in solid-state physics, but abandoned his thesis to take up a career in comedy. Miller is familiar from TV appearences, notably in Doctor Who and Death in Paradise, and on film in Johnny English and The Prince and Me. He lives in the Cotswolds with his wife, three children and their dog. Where do you live and why? We live in a tiny little hamlet on a hill in the Cotswolds. It is one of those places I have always known and loved. We moved from London…

The nineteenth-century designer and socialist William Morris’s exhortation, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”, is an apt epithet for the contemporary English cottage. Neither fussily traditional nor coldly modern, the style favoured by many cottage dwellers is pared-down and authentic; a setting where period details such as fireplaces, gnarled beams or casement windows are offset by painterly fabrics and natural flooring, lean furniture and hand-crafted objects. It is an effect that celebrates English eclecticism and craftsmanship – the gleam of an industrial pendant above a Regency console or a Turkish rug on flagstones – whilst acknowledging the modern-day influence of Scandinavian design with its celebration of light, nature and frill-free lines. For furniture maker Russell Pinch, of Pinch…

Soft, yet smart; cosy, yet cool; luxurious, yet completely natural: wool is nothing if not versatile. And while it can make an inviting and impressive addition to both contemporary and classic rooms, it is a fibre with a history that dates back thousands of years. It is thought that wool was first spun and woven into cloth in Britain during the Bronze Age. We had established a wool industry by the time of the Roman invasion in 55BC and, by the third century, British wool cloth was a major export to Europe, described as able to be “spun so fine that it is in a manner comparable to the spider’s web”. Martin Aveyard, design director of one of Britain’s last woollen mills, Moon, says: “Wool is an amazing fibre that…

Can you reveal a favoured wallpaper brand whose collections always inspire? I’ve always admired Zuber, the French wallpaper and fabric company that prints and produces beautiful monumental scenes for interiors. Every printed scene on paper has to be engineered onto each given wall, so it’s not ideal for every space. However, when the paper scale fits the space, the overall effect is stunning. The skill and methodology that Zuber uses to print its papers leaves me in awe. Its woodblocks were all carved between 1787 and 1830. Name a favoured paint brand or colour I’ve been using a lot of Little Greene paints recently on my large projects as I love their Absolute Matt emulsion. It has a three per cent gloss level, so it’s chalky and powdery looking. I…

SPRING ARRANGEMENT What could be more uplifting than starting the day greeted by a glorious profusion of flowers? These beautiful arrangements have been created for a console or dressing table by award-winning florist Jay Archer. The spring flowers Jay has used are lilac, anemone, Prunus, hazel catkins, tulips, David Austin roses, English paperwhite narcissi and hellebore. She explains: “All but the roses will be available in the garden from February to April/May. Roses are available from the florist or can be ordered direct in mixed flower boxes from flowersby clowance.co.uk or scentednarcissi.co.uk.” When arranging flowers for a dressing table, Jay suggests using a footed vase for interest. “The long vase works well as it sits snugly under the mirror, almost framing the viewer’s face and spring flowers especially, smell divine…

Mothers. They bring out the very best and the very worst in us, often making us somehow regress to our teenage selves. I know a high-flying city lawyer who actually threw a full-blown tantrum when her mother questioned her juice fast. She blushed as she recounted how she stormed out of her own kitchen shouting, “But everyone’s doing it, Mummy!”. Even as Mother’s Day fast approaches, I find it a little difficult to talk about my own mother. Our relationship is often strained. It has been a little easier recently, as she has spent the last six months in a commune in California learning to get in touch with her spirit guide. As I am sure you can imagine, I have little time for such nonsense, not least because it…

PIN SHARP Astley Clarke’s Biography Pins are utterly adorable. Inspired by beloved icons, they add a touch of sparkle to even the plainest of jackets and will definitely appeal to my mother’s more hippy tendencies. I rather love the four-leaf clover design, but think she might like the Hamsa better. Made from 18-carat gold-plated sterling silver, featuring white sapphires and coloured gemstones, the pins cost £55 and are available from astleyclarke.com DAY TRIPPERS I have learned that if my mother and I do something we both enjoy and which offers a distraction, it can be quite pleasant. As we both love art, I am considering taking her to the V&A to see the Botticelli Reimagined exhibition. It is set to be the largest Botticelli show in Britain since 1930 and…