Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i The English Home

There seems to be a consensus amongst the interior designers and industry experts that we speak with regularly at The English Home and it’s one that resonates at this time of year. Not only do the interiors we create in our homes continue to be vital to our wellbeing following the world events of the last few years, but there is a renewed focus on transforming our gardens into comfortable, usable outdoor living spaces too. From large scale projects where outbuildings are converted to lavish ‘party barns’ to more humble yet beautiful balconies, where planting becomes vertical and built in seating enables every inch of space to be utilised; there is a desire to extend how we live to encompass outdoor space whilst the weather permits (and even plenty of…

PATTERN FLAIR Nina Campbell’s covetable designs for fabrics and wallpapers exemplify her skill at harmonising global patterns with a palette to suit an English sensibility. Now this desirable look is brought to a new medium in collaboration with Fired Earth. Patterned and plain tiles allow Campbell’s signature look to be explored in kitchen splashbacks, show-stopping bathrooms and enticing hallway floors. Selection of patterned 20cm x 20cm tiles, £79.75 a square metre, Fired Earth & Nina Campbell…

‰ DECORATING Paint is the most economical and practical way to completely transform a room, as well as being relatively easy to maintain. While choosing a colour is often the first port of call – and we have advice on doing so on page 94 – the type of paint finish can have an impact on the finished look and how the paint performs, so should be carefully considered, too. The different terms and names used on tins of paint can be mind-boggling, with variations on flat, matt, eggshell, satin, silk and gloss used, along with a host of special ingredients that give the paint a certain performance factor. Here we get expert advice on why paint finishes matter, what they mean, and how they impact the colour, look, and…

I’ve spent the last few days making a fruit cage extra secure with layers of wire mesh over the netting, as well as rolling it out flat and firmly pegging it into the ground so that it acts as a foot-wide skirt around the entire exterior. These enforcements are not extra security for raspberries, but for my hens, who, with all this modified chicken-run effort, can peck about safely within what is now more of an aviary. Hopefully, the enforcements will stop foxes from chewing or digging into them. There’s another reason though for this steel-framed adaptation – the netting and mesh above the hens’ heads means that they are being kept within the law of the confusing legislature that all hens must be kept ‘inside’ due to bird flu.…

SPOTLIGHT ON… The Healing Power Of Clay Ceramicist Florence St George’s new book explores how clay has the power to heal the mind and unleash creativity. “Seven years ago, my pottery journey began, initially to try and help overcome post-natal depression,” she says. “Soon the clay took hold in a way I’d never imagined possible – the healing, the flow, the energy it gave me was so unexpected. Making ceramics became a passion and a new calling.” The Potter’s Way by Florence St George, £16.99, published by Short Books. florencestgeorge.com House of Hues Bath’s new paint palace Colourist Cassandra Ellis has transformed a four-storey townhouse in Bath into a quiet sanctuary for paint, art and more. She founded Atelier Ellis in 2018 – making and selling her own deeply pigmented,…

Outdoor fabrics were once limited to standard issue cushion covers that came with a furniture set. Today, luxury interiors brands are expanding their design ranges to include textiles suitable for indoor and outdoor use, even offering high-performance fabrics that are resistant to water, mould and fading and have higher rub counts to withstand outdoor use. These fabrics offer the opportunity, too, to dress the garden as beautifully as the sitting room with an array of alluring colour schemes and patterns as well as creating a synergy between interior and exterior. They also allow the freedom to form a bolder ‘room’ scheme outside with larger scale designs and brighter colours than might be used inside. Cohesion can be created with fabrics harmonising with colourful planting to curate a palette that chimes…

DECORATING Imagine living in a world denuded of colour: no bright punches of yellow, pink or red. No soothing off-whites, nor rich, dramatic evergreens or sang bleus. Such a place would be dull and bare indeed. The shades, hues and tones that surround us have an incredible power over our moods and we can use them like a tool to enhance the way we live. Much of this impact is individual – one person’s ideal palette is another’s migraine-in-waiting. Still, there are broad cultural associations we can draw upon in order to harness the power of colour in our homes. YELLOWS Sunshine, daffodils, pineapples and sandy beaches. While yellow’s traditional connotations were not always quite so positive – during the 1890s, for example, it was linked with subversion, decadence and…

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT Geraniums begin flowering in May and keep producing colourful florets until around autumn. These hardy plants are easy to care for and can happily live in pots, hanging baskets or borders situated in sunny or semi-shady locations. With over 260 varieties available in an array of scents and flavours such as apple, ginger, rose and chocolate, geraniums not only make pretty al fresco table decorations but they can also be used to enliven all manner of dishes from petals on salads and puddings to leaves in teas and cocktails. To buy geranium petals and leaves safely, try Nurtured in Norfolk, nurturedinnorfolk.co.uk…

Beautiful fabric need not go to waste at the end of a decorating project. Why not create a hammock? Use lightweight fabric (strong enough to hold body weight), ideally with some stretch. The average size of a hammock is 3–4 metres long and the distance between the anchors should be half a metre longer than the length of the material. Ready-made metal and rope kits aid the making process. Add co-ordinating cushions to ensure it is a pleaure to use and behold. Alfresco range Toucan fabric and Majorelle fabric, £56 a metre, Clarke & Clarke; metal and rope kits and stands found at simplyhammocks.co.uk…

AHEAD OF THE CURVE The softly curved front of this chest of drawers elevates it beyond a simple piece to a notable part of a room scheme. The oak construction and deep drawers ensure it is as beautifully functional as it is aesthetically pleasing. Iris oak chest of drawers, £1,498, Rowen & Wren FLORAL ABUNDANCE Designer Hope Wyatt began her brand to celebrate nature by producing framed hand-pressed flowers and hand-painting designs for table linen. Her new Garden Bouquet range has a nostalgic, cheerful print featuring bunches of cosmos, dahlias, anemones and poppies delicately tied with pretty ribbons. Garden Bouquet tablecloth, from £100, and napkin, £18, both By Hope STYLISED WALLPAPER In keeping with Rockett St George’s signature maximalist style, its co-founders, Jane and Lucy, have created a striking wallpaper…

‘When we step outside, we walk straight into the heart of the countryside’ From the moment Olivia and Chris Shaw spotted their new home, a brick-and-flint property in the heart of rural Wiltshire, they were absolutely enthralled by its setting and the spectacular view that reminded them of their roots. “As I am originally from Norfolk and my husband is from Devon, the combination of the expansive, breathtaking outlook over fields towards ‘big skies’ at one side, and a beautiful wooded valley on the other, instantly resonated with both of us,” says Olivia. “Having viewed around 20 houses without success, we felt this was the one, and that with vision, time and patience, we could totally transform it into a wonderful home for our family.” Back in 2017, Olivia, of…