Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i The English Home

The start of each new year feels momentous. For many, it is a symbolic opportunity to start with a clean slate, to ‘reboot’ (to use modern parlance), and to dream and scheme for the year to come. As we enter 2020, the beginning of a new decade feels like an even more potent opportunity to make small but significant changes and reflect on the path ahead. Each January edition we take the opportunity to highlight a few of the people and brands that have most inspired us over the past 12 months, and spotlight names we think are ‘ones to watch’. It is never an easy task to curate our New Year Honours List, but we enjoy taking a pause to celebrate notable achievements. This year, there are two awards…

The idea of creating a home bar, cocktail cabinet or drinks trolley has made its way to the top of one of the most desired interior design items for the home. Add a little effervescent sparkle to your New Year celebrations with the help of our bubbly edit of ‘cocktail chic’.…

Late summer finds Carla Walls in her cottage garden in Sussex with the festive season on her mind. She is assessing the hydrangeas and deciding if it is time to cut and dry the flowerheads for the wreaths she makes. “By September I’m also keeping an eye on the rosehips in the garden and scouting for fir cones,” she explains, “and in the first weeks of November I’m picking holly before the birds take all the berries. I have to get ready early because I also have to decorate the shop that I share.” The shop is Garden House Antiques in Petworth, a small town in the South Downs famous for boasting over 30 arts and antiques dealers. It is where Carla sells antique textiles, lace, English and American quilts,…

MORRIS & CO The beautiful Melsetter collection was created as a celebration of the considerable talents and work of May Morris, whose standing as one of Britain’s most influential figures in English embroidery has long been overshadowed by dint of her lineage, being William Morris’s youngest daughter. Featuring seven embroideries, seven prints and 10 wallpapers, the intricate designs in the collection deftly appeal to both traditional and contemporary tastes, and offer faithful copies of archive documents as well as reinterpretations of original designs. We particularly love the Melsetter wallpaper (right), a fresco-effect print inspired by original bed hangings created by May for her father’s bed in 1893. It is available in two colourways and in three-metre-width panels as standard, or four-metre-widths at special request. Fabric is also available, in three…

PINCH Creating pieces with a quiet aesthetic that celebrate the materials from which they are made and offer an enduring allure is the hallmark of Pinch. Its recent launch of 15 pieces – crafted in celebration of its 15th anniversary – was a joy to behold, from the shapely Christo bed (left) to the perfectly proportioned velvet-covered Roubel sofa with its art deco echoes, which also won our Editor’s Choice award at Decorex. JUSTIN VAN BREDA Known for his updated take on classic English style, Justin Van Breda’s customisable furniture comprises over 400 pieces, designed since his company launched in 2002. His new Cape Weaver Collection of rattan and cane furniture and accessories by prominent international designers such as Nina Campbell, Nicky Haslam and Veere Grenney is hand-woven by the…

Often described as a ‘creative force’, William Yeoward was an energetic polymath with an innate flair for distinctive, alluring interiors, fabrics, wallpapers, furniture, accessories and crystalware. His passion for detail was exemplified in the quality, craftsmanship and beauty of each piece created for his brand and fufilled his mantra that “good design must be practical, elegant and above all comfortable”. Yeoward championed the use of colour in interiors, earning a deserved reputation for using blue in particular to chic effect. His room schemes consistently featured a glorious assortment of patterns and his unerring eye would pick out interesting colour combinations that others might miss. In an interview with The English Home, he commented that adding a dash of unexpected colour to a room could bring it to life, likening the…

Our Good Intentions feature ( page 117 ) considers easily achievable ideas – as opposed to resolutions – to enhance life at home for a sense of well-being for the year ahead. Here are a number of our team’s intentions. Kerryn: “I’m intending to spend more time in my garden, dabbling with creating a small vegetable patch (I’m a complete beginner), making space for a cut-flower area and adding another fruit tree. Being outside is the best antidote to an increasingly high-tech world, and if I get to eat a few home-grown foods that will be a huge bonus.” Eve, Features Editor: “I aim to keep looking up and out, and to continue cherishing the time and experiences with my loved ones.” Sarah, Managing Editor: ”I intend to stop saving…

PURSUITS Hand-crafting paper flowers Adorn the home with delicate flowers throughout the winter months with just a few sheets of paper and expert help. Workshops are held throughout the country on the craft of making paper flowers, led by skilled specialists such as Bee Watson, founder of Wild Hive who teaches across the UK. “Paper flowers are a long-lasting and sustainable way to enjoy your favourite blooms all year round,” she says. “The joy of attending a workshop is that it gives you space to become fully immersed in the craft, away from daily distractions of life or work, to create something really beautiful to keep or to gift. The flowers look complex, but they are really achievable, and people always leave having completed one, even if they’re complete beginners…

Visitors approaching Olya Lammas’ Victorian villa in Kent as dusk falls will find the entrance atmospherically illuminated by lanterns and fairy lights flickering in the foliage either side of the front door. Inside, the large central hallway is decorated with clusters of brightly coloured paper honeycomb balls cascading down the bannister and a tall tree festooned with glimmers of gold and red. “This is a time when I break all the conventional decorating rules,” says Olya. “I like to invent a new festive scheme each year, and this house, with its light walls and dark oak flooring, is the perfect blank canvas. It can accommodate any crazy colour combination that I come up with.” Olya, her husband Philip and their youngest son Danny, 13, moved into this elegant home three…

TIMELESS QUALITY The rich, dark colour of this painted panelling is the perfect foil for a gloriously classic wall light in solid brass with an antique finish. Its articulated adjustable arm is handy for perfectly positioning to illuminate reading a book in bed. Match an elegant pleated lampshade to bedding for quiet sophistication – the perfect mood for a dreamy night. Pimlico Solid Brass wall light, £300; Trinity 25cm shade in Ivory Silk, £47.40, David Hunt Lighting…

BLAKES LONDON This bespoke project, known as the 6ixteen kitchen, won our attention for the smart reworking by Blakes London of a project it installed just over six years ago. It updated the original dark-blue painted cabinetry by repainting it in Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke, and upgraded the backboards of the wall units with dusty-pink tiles in a herringbone pattern. It also installed brass-finish handles to replace the original stainless steel hardware, as well as a brass ladder rail to enable access to the top cupboards. “The end result is a highly on-trend, seemingly brand-new kitchen, however, the core of the kitchen, including worktops and cabinets and flooring, all remain the same,” a spokesperson explained. LANSERRING In this chic family kitchen, the joy is as much in what is…

NICHOLA TAYLORSON We are already rather taken with the debut collection, launched just a few months ago, from this young textile designer. After studying Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design at Leeds University, Taylorson travelled to Mumbai where she learnt about the traditional craft techniques of mud printing and natural dyeing, now prevalent in her designs. The raised embroideries on many of her pieces are by artisans in Jaipur and lend a wonderful tactile and hand-crafted quality to her fabrics, which are all printed on 100 per cent linen. No wonder her fabrics are part of the discerning range at The Fabric Collective. FLORA SOAMES Having set up her interior design practice in 2009, Flora Soames has already established herself as a talent in creating quintessentially English interiors with a…

Bathrooms Balancing the practical and the aesthetic is of primary consideration in this most functional of rooms in the home. The popularity of bespoke finishes is set to continue according to James Lentaigne, creative director of Drummonds, who cites antique bronze as a new favourite, asserting that green marble works “extremely well with brassware and accessories in warm brass tones or dark antique finishes”. Meanwhile, Duncan Yardley, Perrin & Rowe’s design director, says, “There has been a considerable increase in metallic finishes such as satin brass or aged brass, and beautiful brushed metal finishes such as pewter.” Adam Daniels, head of design at Samuel Heath, adds that “rustic metal finishes such as unlacquered brass, bronze and matt black” should also be considered for use in the bathroom. A key design…

The advent of a new year brings with it an opportunity to reflect and renew, to set sights on how we could bring more joy to the way we live. Rather than setting a ‘resolution’ – which can feel overwhelming – creating a smaller, less pressured, ‘intention’ can reap big rewards. It could be a newly planted window box to provide a cheery welcome every time we return home, a new ritual that brings a moment of calm to an otherwise busy day, or the gratification of finally organising something personally meaningful such as a family photo album. Taking time to dream and scheme is all part of the process, so the perfect place to start could be by creating a space dedicated to gathering inspiration and ideas. Who knows…

Support a good cause by giving presents that will not only be a pleasure to receive but will also benefit individuals, organisations and our wonderful planet. From encouraging wildlife into the garden to buying pieces made from recycled materials or which aid mental health charities and the arts, there is an abundance of tactile and visually pleasing options to choose from.…

COLLIER WEB Geoff Collier’s father, Cedric, could have had little idea of the longstanding family business Collier Webb would prove to be when he started the leading lighting, furniture and hardware company 40 years ago. These days, Geoff runs the brand with his daughter, Danielle, but the inspiration for the company definitely came from Cedric, who created handles and brass mounts for the antiques trade in his shed at the bottom of the garden whilst his young son watched and learned. A few years after launching the business as it is now, Geoff was joined by the late Andrew Webb, a Sotheby’s-trained antiques expert and much-respected interior designer. Their joint vision for the brand is clearly demonstrated to this day at the Collier Webb store on London’s Pimlico Road. Over…

With a new decade dawning, we are set to enter the twenties once more. The 1920s were a time of change, optimism, prosperity and celebration after the First World War; a time when the world was recovering, rebuilding and pushing forward with a need for hope and a desire for fun, frivolity and exuberance. The Roaring Twenties saw new technologies and a modern way of life develop. The Jazz Age (a term thought to be coined by F Scott Fitzgerald) and a golden era for Hollywood saw a glamorous lifestyle celebrated in popular culture and art deco reaching its pinnacle. With this in mind, it is not hard to see why touches of 1920s style have been pervading interiors of late – perhaps our souls are seeking an uplift from…

SAMUEL & SONS A family-run business for more than three-quarters of a century, this American brand has long been a secret resource for interior designers. Samuel & Sons has designed more than 15,000 trims in materials as diverse as hand-blown glass, cultured pearls, exotic woods and various grasses amongst exquisite silks and hand-embroidered passementerie. Remarkably, all of its products are in stock for immediate delivery, whilst many can be admired in showrooms around the globe, including at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London. Its latest collection, Antoinette, comprises sumptuous borders reminiscent of eighteenth-century French embroidery with lustrous threads on matt linen in contemporary palettes. MARGIT WITTIG Scultpure, art or lighting? One would be forgiven for asking. In fact, German-born Margit Wittig is a sculptor and artist who studied figurative sculpture, stone…

GOLD AWARD EMMA BRIDGEWATER With legions of fans on both sides of the Atlantic as well as members of the Lifetime Collectors’ Club across the nation filling their kitchen dressers with Emma Bridgewater’s instantly recognisable pottery, it is perhaps little surprise this was the brand voted into first place in The English Home’s first-ever online vote for Favourite British Brands. Bridgewater’s brand story is not only one of powerful business success but also a heart-warming journey of personal endeavour. She started the business from her kitchen table, setting up production in Stoke--on-Trent in 1985, with her husband and business partner Matthew Rice at her side, and today her pottery produces 1.7 million pieces every year, each of which is touched by 30 pairs of hands, from pouring to painting to…

Cocktail parties Be they large or small, social gatherings give a convivial structure to the festive season with New Year’s Eve undoubtedly a highlight. Creating opportunities to spend time with loved ones lifts the heart and spirits amidst both the dark nights and the drop in temperature. Setting the scene The glamour and appeal of hosting an elegant drinks gathering can be found in setting the scene as well as in enjoying the event itself. To create a truly special sense of occasion, begin by creating a focal point to draw both the eye and guests to the hub of the action. Stylist and Bar Cart Style author Emily Henson suggests starting with “a decadent bar cart in gold or silver, perhaps with marble or mirrored shelves”, before adding glassware…