Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i The English Home

Welcome to our annual Country Edition – a celebration of country style and lifestyle that focusses on a relaxed and inviting approach to decorating that translates to almost any home. Our team wanted to show the breadth of tastes and design inspirations that fall within a country aesthetic, and our decorating editor Katy Mclean has been particularly busy creating features on four beautiful styles, and curating moodboards of all the perfect ingredients. So if your taste is for a classically elegant country house look, an eclectic bohemian mood, a romantically pretty style or a more pared-back ‘modern country’ palette, we hope to inspire you to create your own take on country style with confidence. One might argue that ‘country life’ is as much about attitude as it is location: living…

Woven finishes and natural materials are the perfect accompaniment to any rural interior. Rush flooring, such as that by Rush Matters, has historical precedence for the English country home, whilst pieces made in rattan, straw and willow imbue both a bucolic, traditional charm and a pleasingly sculptural quality to any room.…

SWING TIME To sit admidst the tranquillity of nature, with only the low humming of bees and the distant chirruping of birds for company, is one of the joys of summer outdoor living. Creating a quirky swing seat will add interest to a garden, as well as somewhere to repair to with a soothing cup of tea. Whilst natural wood is the obvious choice for garden furniture, a dash of subtle colour here and there can act as a perfect foil to surrounding greenery. Sandtex 10-Year Exterior Satin paint in (from left to right) Gentle Blue, Cloudy Day and Fern Canopy, £17.99 for 750ml…

Visiting Sezincote house and gardens with my family Located near Moreton-in-Marsh in the North Cotswolds, its beguiling Mogul-inspired architecture is eye-catching in such a quintessential English setting, but it was the interiors decorated by John Fowler which I truly adored. Enjoying the scent of roses not only in my own garden, but borne on the breeze from other country gardens during weekend bicycle rides. My ‘Gentle Hermione’ rose from David Austin Roses has a delightfully old-fashioned powdery scent and lovely double ruffles. Savouring Rose Petal Jelly from Fortnum & Mason. Making mint tea with fresh leaves from my garden. Testing a lovely new Cythera room spray from Aesop at home with its notes of neroli, patchouli and geranium.…

Say the words ‘country kitchen’ and a plethora of idealised images spring to mind: from dogs nestled by a warming range cooker and a dresser filled with colourful china to swan-neck taps and oak floorboards or large flagstones. It is a look imbued with nostalgia and heritage, yet also timelessly appealing and infinitely practical for modern life. Here, we curate a few style ingredients to complement the look.…

Charlotte and Peter Chapel’s attractive, newly built Essex farmhouse is an oasis of calm surrounded by landscaped gardens and idyllic countryside. However, it was not always thus. As Charlotte admits with refreshing candour, the three-year-long path to this welcoming home has not always been smooth. Whilst it had been Peter’s lifelong ambition to build his own house, Charlotte, had some misgivings about leaving the house and the area she had grown to love. This notwithstanding, the plan was put into action in 2013 when Peter retired from the family business he had been running for 38 years. Fortunately for Charlotte, Peter is firmly rooted in Essex and the site the couple found for their new home was just nine miles away from where they were living. “We fell in love…

The gardener, cook, writer and television presenter Sarah Raven is married to the writer Adam Nicolson, who is 5th Lord Carnock and Vita Sackville-West’s grandson. Until three years ago, they lived at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent as resident donors for the National Trust. They have since moved to a farm in the East Sussex countryside, which they already owned and had previously lived in, and where Sarah has run a gardening workshop since 1999. She has three stepsons, who range in age from 32 to 28, from Adam’s previous marriage, and together the couple have two daughters, who are 23 and 21. Can you describe your home? It’s called Perch Hill Farm and is a 90-acre organic farm in the Rother District of Sussex. We moved there from London 23…

FABRIC & WALLPAPER I always like Turnell & Gigon’s brands, particularly Jean Monro, and the Nicky Haslam collection, although I am biased as I learned most of my skills from him. COLOURS I have always liked dark blue – so much so that I painted my bedroom in this hue [see image 5, right]. I was using green in my apartment and for a client’s kitchen and common parts before it was named Pantone’s colour of the year, so I’m glad I was choosing the right colours in advance. BESPOKE SPECIALIST For upholstery, Ben Whistler understands what I need best, and his team understand interior designers’ requirements. Daniel James is brilliant for window treatments. SHOPS It is always a pleasure to walk around Harrods – it is like no other…

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower” Albert Camus (1913-1960), French philosopher, author and journalist Woodland walks As autumn leaves burst into gloriously bright tones, from rich reds to golden oranges and varying shades of brown in between, walking through the woods becomes a daylight show of spectacular leafy fireworks exploding into colour. Just as we observe flowers in bloom to see if they might be suitable for garden borders, this is a chance to see which trees might be a majestic woodland feature in the garden, dressed in the colours of their autumn finery. Walking with friends and family is a lovely weekend activity, especially for waggy- tailed members of the family. Find forests to explore at woodlandtrust.org.uk For reluctant walkers, add the incentive of…

Now, as a reader of The English Home, you can benefit from special rates on home and contents cover placed through leading insurance advisers Smith Greenfield. This carefully researched insurance opportunity has been specially created for high net worth individuals and is available to homeowners whose properties are valued at over £250,000 or whose home contents is worth more than £75,000. It comes with many benefits that standard high-street policies do not offer, and readers of The English Home will receive preferential rates and access to products only available through expert independent advisers. Equally importantly, claims will be settled promptly and without fuss. Special benefits can include: • Warranty-free policies – your property is still covered even if you fail to set your alarm • The cost of alternative accommodation…

What better place to be in summer than in the tranquillity of an English country garden, where the senses of taste and touch are wooed as much as sound, scent and sight? To wander through a garden and feel the brush of lavender and then catch its cool, soothing scent is an unmitigated pleasure. So it is, too, to bury one’s nose in the sumptuous, silken folds of an English rose, to feel the touch of morning dew underfoot, to hear a wren’s song or to pick the sweetest, crispest vegetables from the garden. Each of these hints at a truth universally acknowledged: the best country gardens stimulate all the senses – sometimes singly, at other times in unison – to create an experience that is almost heaven on earth.…

JILL SHEARER is former deputy editor of The English Home and is still regularly in contact as she pursues a freelance career writing and styling for editorial and commercial clients. Having worked in publishing for over 20 years, she has become a specialist in homes and interiors. For the last five years, she has been responsible for sourcing and commissioning house features for The English Home as well as assisting Kerryn in editing the magazine. She describes it as “The loveliest job I have ever had – I will miss it enormously”. She lives in an eighteenth-century cottage in a Wiltshire village with her husband and son (and, until recently, her beloved cocker spaniel Hamish), and has recently started a picture-framing business, adding yet another string to her very full…

PURSUITS Supporting English wines More top restaurants than ever before are putting English wine on the menu, which is a good enough reason as any to sip and see for oneself. “You can find fantastic wines as far up as Yorkshire, all the way down to Cornwall,” says wine expert Oz Clarke. Awards judges agree, with accolades aplenty for UK wines. England has over 500 vineyards, from Astley in Worcestershire and Winbirri in Norfolk, down to Lyme Bay in Devon and Camel Valley in Cornwall, Wiston and Nyetimber in West Sussex, Chapel Down in Kent, and more. Many are open to the public, offering tours and tasting. Expect to pay a little more, says Clarke, as English yields are much smaller than those of France, Spain and Italy, plus UK…

Country style encapsulates so many looks, from cosy cottage to grand country house, from charmingly rustic to refined elegance, and from the carefully curated to the eccentrically mismatched. Rural dwellers tend to fall into different ‘style tribes’ through personal taste as well as the style and location of their home. Over the following pages we highlight four of these tribes and the design ingredients suited to their rooms: the refined classicist, the English eccentric, the calm modernist and the chintz-loving romantic.…

Kitchen dressers throughout the country feature fondly displayed pieces – whether mugs, plates or cake stands – from the Emma Bridgewater pottery collections. The brand – and Emma herself – are so beloved and so quintessentially British that to own a piece of the china has almost become a statement of national pride. With a business built upon the aim of capturing authentic images of country life and domestic informality, Emma and her husband – the talented illustrator Matthew Rice – have always drawn heavily upon personal experiences for the tableware and textile motifs, and in most recent times from the extensive restoration of their current home in the Oxfordshire countryside. Here, Emma reveals insights of her country home inspirations in an adapted extract from her latest book, Pattern. “All…

“And in green underwood and cover, blossom by blossom the spring begins”Atalanta in Calydon, Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909), English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic Village fetes A highlight of the country social calendar, the village fete is a communal occasion that is enjoyed by young and old. Whilst held at varying times of year from village to village, the first flush of events often start at the height of springtime in May. Fetes are usually run by an experienced committee, but for those placed in a position of responsibility for the first time, or if the committee is looking to expand the range of stalls, fundraisers-uk.co.uk has a comprehensive guide to planning a successful fete, including an inspiring list of ideas for attractions. Taking part in such events is a…

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and the fields, that it kisses them so gently?” Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass , Lewis Carroll (1832–1898) Country chic Tailored outerwear gives a good impression, whoever one might come across when out and about in the country. A tweed jacket is both warm and adaptable for many occasions. If practical boots are required, both Dubarry and Welligogs boots can handle tough weather. Find country accessories at pickett.co.uk and country clothing at ahume.co.uk Fireside drinks BERRYWORLD’S BLACKBERRY MINT MOJITO Cocktails are just the tipple for weekend guests, Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties or just a Friday evening. This recipe makes enough for two. 20 blackberries 160ml water 4 tsp sugar 12 mint leaves, plus extra to serve The…

Bespoke Upholstery Tel 01706 378873 Bristol Marble & Granite Company Tel 0117 965 6565 bristolmarbleandgranite.com Brocante Tel 07769 587308 Caesarstone Tel 0800 158 8088 caesarstone.co.uk Carlos García Interiors Tel 07967 659115 carlosgarciainteriors.com Country & Eastern Tel 01603 663890 countryandeastern.co.uk Ian Abrams Architects Ltd Tel 01799 543533 ian-abrams-architects.co.uk Ken Howe Tel 07507 970595 Limehouse Lighting Tel 01273 497070 limehouselighting.co.uk Midelney Manor Tel 01458 252377 midelneymanor.co.uk Midelwood Kitchens Tel 01460 259110 midelwood.com Olivia Pilling Tel 01925 759988 collectart.co.uk Porta Romana Tel 020 7352 0440 portaromana.com Richard Taylor Designs Tel 020 7351 2567 richardtaylordesigns.co.uk Robert Kime Tel 020 7831 6066 robertkime.com Samlesbury Hall Tel 01254 812010 samlesburyhall.co.uk Sims Hilditch Tel 01249 783087 simshilditch.com Stanway Fabrics & Interiors Tel 07761 086539 standwayfabrics.co.uk T. Reed & Son Tel 01799 527517 reedandson.co.uk Vanessa Arbuthnott Tel 01285…