Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i The English Home

‘I loved the idea that the house is hidden behind a wall, so you face into your own private courtyard’ Chance played a significant part in Penny Tomlinson happening upon her house in Chichester, West Sussex. Devastated by the sudden death of her husband, Ernie, and emotionally compelled to leave the Devon village they had both loved, Penny had been prowling England for somewhere that might shape a bearable future for her. “I went to see lots of lovely places but just knew that I would remain sad,” she says. “Then I came to Chichester, not knowing anyone. When I got off the train, there were beautiful buildings and I felt masses of energy and just thought, ‘I’ll come here’.” Serendipitously, a house became available on a predominantly Grade II…

Colour is a hugely dynamic tool, affecting the way we feel in a powerful, albeit sometimes subconscious, way. An all-white or neutral decorating scheme is undoubtedly subtle and sophisticated, but for vitality, drama and sheer visual stimulation many will want to use a stronger colour of some kind somewhere in the home. The question is what colour, and how best to use it? The human brain can interpret literally millions of different colours, and we each have our own feelings about them: one person’s warm and intimate room is another’s nightmare of brash shades. All of which can, perhaps, make the thought of decorating with colour rather daunting. With so many decisions to make, one place to start is with a few practicalities. It is a good idea to choose…

Pink tones have been increasingly significant in recent collections Scandinavian-inspired palettes of grey, white and beige have long held sway, but a noticeable move towards softer, prettier hues featuring blush and pink alongside stone and sage is proving a powerful new design direction. These elegant ‘new neutrals’ echo the ethos of barely-there make-up, with its powdery foundation of ivory, porcelain and beige tones, enriched with a puff of blush pink, perhaps a smoky grey smudge on the eyes and a creamy rose lip. These colours translate perfectly to this contemporary approach to ‘nude’ colours in the home. Muted pinks have become increasingly significant in fashion and interiors over the past two years. The interest in these soft hues shows no sign of abating, with different tones and combinations employed. A…

For kitchens that have ample room, an island unit is the perfect platform for all sorts of culinary tasks, from preparing and serving food to sitting down for a relaxing coffee during the day. Being the central focus of the kitchen, it often becomes a gathering place for guests and family alike, and provides ample opportunity to chat to friends or keep an eye on the children’s homework whilst preparing food. Islands also provide a space-efficient way to organise everything in dedicated zones, and delineate areas within the kitchen, for instance, separating cooking and dining areas in an open-plan scheme, which can help with the flow of traffic around the room. A fully multifunctional design can incorporate appliances, such as ovens and dishwashers, as well as storage and seating. If…

The season’s fresh start brings with it a whole host of new pleasures, whether celebrating Mother’s Day, enjoying Easter, or simply relishing the prospect of a cathartic spring clean to blow the cobwebs away. Whilst Christmas and New Year’s Eve offer innumerable opportunities for indulging in all manner of cosy escapism, come the turn in the weather, thoughts likewise follow suit to throwing open doors and windows, refreshing and decluttering the home and replacing decorative richness with a lightness of touch, resulting in a spring awakening. FAMILY GATHERINGS Few things are more uplifting than when the green shoots of spring make their presence known throughout the land. Soon enough, carpets of brightly coloured crocuses appear alongside jaunty daffodils and budded branches bearing the promise of new life awaken into bloom.…

During the course of a project, it is not unusual for a skilled interior designer to advise on and liaise with other professionals and experts, in addition to providing their own crucial specialist knowledge. It is, rarer, perhaps, for the interior designer to find themselves in a position to suggest a house to a client, however, this is precisely what happened when the owners of this double-fronted stuccoed Kensington property were searching for a home in the area. “Romanos Brihi and Venetia Rudebeck of Studio Vero had been a great help to us on a previous, much larger residence,” the owner explains. “After our children left home, we wanted to downsize. We saw many houses, but hadn’t known about this one until Romanos told us about it. It was by…

‘We felt it was important to work with the abundance of wonderful period features to retain our home’s natural charm’ When Sophie Cameron and her husband Andrew became custodians of an elegant, four-storey home in the heart of London’s prestigious Chelsea, their primary focus was to be true to the integrity and history of this characterful property. “We realised that the prospect of sensitively putting our own stamp on this grand house was rather daunting,” Sophie says. “However, we both felt it was incredibly important to work with the abundance of wonderful period features, in order to retain and enhance our home’s natural ambience and charm.” Thought to have been built in the mid-nineteenth century, the enchanting end-of-terrace property began life as The City of Gloucester – a bustling pub…

Particular colours will naturally appeal to one person more than another. Placing various palettes in front of a group will see each person subconsciously gravitate towards their preferred spectrum. This draw to certain hues seems to also extend to the intensity of colour. For some, a gentle and dreamy scheme of ethereal blue, lilac and pink tones holds great appeal, whilst for others, the same shades but in deeper, highly pigmented guises capture the imagination. Using colour confidently is not purely about employing bold tones – choosing a balance of hues and shades which work together to achieve a scheme which gladdens the soul as much as the eye is also of importance. Whether a subdued, sophisticated, tonal affair or something altogether more dramatic with dynamic contrasts and highlights, colour…

Predominantly green schemes have a calming effect Green pervades our senses on a daily basis, particularly in spring and summer when leaf-laden trees provide a glorious display of myriad shades of this versatile and attractive colour. This most natural of colours allows for confident generosity of use. All-green palettes work beautifully as different shades and tones can easily be layered, although it can pay to keep within cool or warm groupings for a cohesive feel. Fresh greens such as apple, pea, and leafy spring green all set a jovial, uplifting mood. Partnered with crisp whites, the look is crisp, clean and modern. Smudgier tones of sage and olive are sophisticated and subdued alternatives, whereas deeper emerald or dark evergreen tones can be used for more dramatic effects. Of course, a…

Adding extra space and capitalising on garden views will always reap rewards, particularly if the form and function of any proposed addition has been thought through carefully. This will be time well spent and help to make decisions on the design and location. Garden rooms intended as a quiet spot to relax may benefit from being kept separate from the house by a door or even by being sited in the garden, whereas fully integrated, open-plan spaces are likely to require a more comprehensive adjustment of the home. To ensure a successful, workable area, consider issues such as access and the relationship of the new space to existing rooms or the garden. “Careful consideration of the function and flow of your home is essential,” advises James Upton, managing director of…

When her and her husband’s attempt to purchase a pink-fronted Georgian cottage in the Cotswolds fell through, Miranda Vedral was unusually calm and “surprisingly not at all upset. It was so unlike me not to feel gutted,” she admits. “But it was obviously not meant to be. A fan of cream teas, I decided to research further into the West Country and headed to Somerset.” Always having been “country minded”, and with three girls – 11-year-old twins Lily and Ellie, and Rose, eight – with a passion for cartwheeling, Miranda and her husband were motivated to find a house with plenty of space. The sun-bleached rectory, dating back to the 1860s, which she eventually spotted on the edge of a pretty Somerset village, was all that she had hoped for.…

Gold, mustard, fuchsia and orange add wonderful accent highlights against dark shades Opting for a rich, densely saturated palette of deep and darker tones is not for the faint-hearted. However, whilst using such intense colours does require a certain amount of confidence, they can be used to varying degrees. For instance, the confident can opt for bold use of rich colour on walls. At the deep end of the spectrum, indigo, plum and hunter green are popular choices – perhaps for a classic or dramatic bathroom, study or dining room, whilst jewel-like variations – such as sapphire, emerald and ruby, offset with gold or mustard highlights – all use a deep concentration of colour but provide a brighter, crisper approach. Teal is particularly popular and gives a strong hit of…

Colour can be one of the most arresting elements in a garden, but it can also be one of the most daunting to employ. Too much and too varied, and there is the risk of a border looking like a veritable bag of Liquorice Allsorts; too little, or used timidly, and the garden can seem insipid. Fortunately, as with wallpaper and paint in a home’s interior, there is little that cannot be changed or undone should a garden’s colour scheme fall short of expectations. One of the great colourists of the English garden was Gertrude Jekyll, whose influence on current planting schemes should not be underestimated. The author of Colour Schemes for the Flower Garden (first published in 1908), Jekyll used the colour theory developed by Michel-Eugène Chevreul in the…

Hellebores are a delight in early spring when their nodding flowers demand close inspection. The following gardens house superb collections of this wonderful plant. COTON MANOR In early spring these gardens near Northampton (top) are decorated with an array of hellebores and snowdrops. Tel 01604 740219; cotonmanor.co.uk HAZLES CROSS FARM Home to a National Collection of hellebores, comprising all known species, this nursery in Staffordshire is the perfect place to appreciate these beautiful blooms. Tel 01538 752669; hazlescrossfarmnursery.co.uk BROADVIEW GARDENS Guided tours of the highly acclaimed National Collection of hellebores at Broadview Gardens in Kent showcase the many impressive varieties available. Tel 01732 853211; broadviewgardens.co.uk BOSVIGO GARDENS The hellebores at Bosvigo House in Cornwall brighten shady areas from late winter to spring. Proceeds from its annual Hellebore Day – staged…