Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2020 i The English Home

Renowned Interior Designer Joanna Wood sent kind words: “My team and I have enjoyed a very close relationship with The English Home since the very first issue came out 20 years ago. One of my favourite memories of working with Kerryn is shooting our big Christmas feature, which I can’t wait to see in print at the end of this year. I’ll also never forget book signing on The English Home stand at a manic Decorex a few years ago. Happy 20 years!” All event listings inside this edition were correct at the time of going to print, however, changes may occur due to the impact of Coronavirus in the UK.…

Rounded contours, sinuous lines and scalloped edges add a sense of opulence, a cocooning softness and even a touch of nostalgia with pieces that lend a nod to previous eras. Whether a scheme is classic or contemporary, flowing curves invest additional character, evoking a relaxed, inviting mood and providing eye-catching interest. Both organic or more structured shapes accentuate details that may otherwise go unnoticed and deliver a joyful element of surprise to the beholder.…

Set on the outskirts of the city Bath, in a charming village which once supplied the city with its distinctive stone, is an exquisite detached Georgian villa. With its graceful symmetry, honey-coloured stone and a facade enhanced by an ornate full-width cast-iron balcony with decorative grape and vine-leaf detailing, it is easy to see why Lydia Fay was beguiled when she went to view it. Whilst the three-storey, Grade II listed property had instant allure, it was the atmosphere of the building which Lydia found so captivating. “The original house had been repurposed and used as a pre-prep school from 1924 until I bought it in 2016,” she explains. “There was a tremendous sense of happiness about it, as if the walls had absorbed the carefree spirit of generations of…

BRING OUT THE BUNTING The English Home’s 20th anniversary has us in a celebratory mood. To make an occasion truly memorable, dress tables with pretty tablecloths and jam jars of flowers and add stylish touches such as colourful honeycomb pom-poms (try talkingtables.co.uk), and, of course, bunting for a note of quintessentially English charm. Whether gathering for a birthday, anniversary or just because, we hope you will join us in raising a glass.…

For the past two decades, The English Home has celebrated a quintessentially English take on interiors and lifestyle, with the same passionate team sharing insights across two bespoke editions – one for the United States and Canada, the other for the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. We have always indulged our romantic streak, offering escapism in beautiful imagery, glorious homes, seasonal pastimes and respect for historically important figures. But alongside this, we have developed strong journalism, too – seeking out and telling important stories with the aim of balancing beauty with substance. Memorable photoshoots howcasing new fabric collections has S sometimes led us down the path of fantasy to photograph them in unexpected settings on glamorous locations, such as when we: • dressed ballet dancers from the…

SCENT & SENSIBILITY Come the advent of the warmer months, the bold rippled fronds of parrot tulips provide a dramatic counterpoint to the smooth sleek petals of their classic cousin. So, too, does the glorious perfume of hyacinths. When all are brought together in a bouquet for maximum effect, the combination of scent and colour brings a new-found joy to seasonal arrangements.…

The English Home team rarely needs an excuse for tea and cake, but our 20th anniversary year definitely calls for cake with champagne. What a privilege it has been to connect with all our readers, both in Britain and around the world, and what a joy it has been to seek out the most beautiful homes, the most fascinating interviews and the loveliest products to inform, inspire and offer a touch of escapism. In this special edition we celebrate key figures who have been forces for positive change during the past two decades, not only in the way we decorate our homes and plant our gardens, but also in how we grow and cook our food, care for our environment and think about how things are made. These are people…

PURSUITS Allowing skills to blossom “The act of arranging flowers is an ancient form of meditative practice – time to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the natural world, now so often overlooked in our busy lives,” say sisters Alex Nutting and Jess Lister, founders of London flower studio and school Aesme. “It can be a balm for the mind and soul.” All who have whiled away a happy afternoon trimming and positioning fragrant blooms just so in a vase to achieve a beautiful scented centrepiece for the home will agree. The Ancient Egyptians are believed to have been the first to place flowers in vases, as depicted in carvings found centuries later in tombs. Wisdom has long been passed down through generations about how to make the most…

Cast the mind back to the 1960s, a time when London was abuzz was creativity in the arts, fashion and design. In the midst of it all, two entrepreneurial young men – Peter Osborne and Anthony Little – saw a gap in the market and decided to take a leap of faith. “Despite the creative vibe in design, the world of wallpapers lagged behind, so we decided to introduce a whole new look,” explains Osborne, co-founder of the celebrated fabric and wallpaper brand Osborne & Little. It was a bold move that more than paid off for the duo. “Our first collection broke boundaries and won the most prestigious design award of the time – the Council of Industrial Design [now the Design Council] award,” Osborne says. The fabrics, which…

“My father designed the house I grew up in, so I took his style for granted. I was very proud [of it], then politely rebelled as a teenager, keen to define my differences. At 15, I painted my bedroom black. He treated me as his ‘design heir’. I often visited his studio [as a child] and he’d show off my drawings to everyone. I trained as an architect and worked for him briefly before starting my company in 1993. His greatest talent was to walk into a room and know immediately how to design it. It was genius; I can’t think on my feet like that. After his death, I wrote several books on his style and only then truly appreciated his talent for colour. Sometimes it was bold, or…

With Mother Nature bursting forth in all her glorious beauty, from lilacs and sweetpeas to tulips and freesias, thoughts turn to blooms and their accompanying greenery for interiors inspiration. Add flair with wallpapers and fabrics in bold designs or, as an alternative to patterned surfaces, consider furnishings and decorative details which impart a a classic sense of finesse with their charming motifs.…

INDIA JANE Interiors emporium India Jane has come a long way since opening its flagship store in London’s Hampstead in 1991. Proving a runaway success with its mix of eclectic, timeless furniture and accessories, it opened two more stores in the capital within three years and today proudly boasts outposts across the country from Wilmslow to Guildford. The brand is renowned for its affordable yet grand style such as its ceramic lamps, velvet sofas and beautiful trinkets that could have been in the family for years. To this day, the company remains family-owned, drawing on the India Jane archive of original colonial-style and classical European collections, whilst updating new designs each season. This year, India Jane launches its first made-to-order furniture collection, with a variety of styles ranging from beds…

Chris Beardshaw’s love of gardening started when he watched his grandmother, who he says “had a very no-nonsense approach to the practice”. After a postgraduate degree in landscape architecture, he set up his own business designing gardens for private and public clients, here and abroad. Today he is also a multi-award-winning RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden designer, BBC television presenter, Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time panellist, author, public speaker and lecturer. He lives in the Cotswolds with his wife Frances and three teenage daughters. Where did you grow up? I grew up in rural West Worcestershire. My parents bought a derelict Domesday Book cottage and during the renovation – completed almost entirely by my father in his spare time – we unpicked a dazzling array of historic gems, from Second…

Today, although new design ideas and messages for social change can be transmitted around the world in minutes, such a pace and plethora of stories can make it harder to be heard in a meaningful way and to influence significant change on the social, cultural and environmental facets of human life. Here, we look at a few of the key voices that have stood out for their consistent and long-term positive impact in their areas of specialism, particularly in the 20 years since this magazine was launched. Some have encouraged uplifting ideas for ways to enhance our homes and gardens and the importance of cherishing craftmanship and British heritage skills, whilst others have drawn attention to how we grow and select the food we eat, the need to protect our…

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 access 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 if your home becomes uninhabitable…