Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2023 i The English Home

The English Home has always celebrated homegrown talent and craftsmanship. Buying with quality and provenance in mind (rather than promoting fleeting fashion) has as always been at the heart of what we do too. Yet it also feels particularly timely to invest in British-made products for our homes. Buying from brands who work with local materials or production methods is not only sustainable but keeps our long tradition of craft and heritage skills alive while imbuing interiors with a sense of place. Creating this issue has highlighted the talent and beauty of much of what is produced on our shores, as well as the incredible technology and innovations that are being adopted alongside traditional skills (see our feature on page 85). We champion more than 100 great British brands and…

Nestled in a secluded location down a winding road, this sweet property is a wonderful contradiction. With its curved bay windows, diminutive rooflights and rose-clad exterior it is the epitome of an English country cottage. The back garden merges almost seamlessly into woodland that slopes to a brook which flows into the River Trym, yet in truth, the house is situated not in a rural hamlet but in a suburb of the bustling city of Bristol. ‘It’s important to me that colours flow throughout a house, and harmoniously link the upstairs and downstairs’ Home to Fergus and Katy Cronk, a vet and an interior designer respectively, it is a rare find. Despite being only a 10-minute drive from cosmopolitan Clifton, it sits on the edge of 650 acres of parkland…

A design that consists of long bands against a contrasting plain background, stripes are by nature eye-catching, whether they run horizontally or vertically. But although they are considered an enduring classic, both sartorially and in the interiors world, stripes have a surprisingly chequered history. In the Middle Ages, they garnered attention for controversial reasons. Widely perceived as transgressive, striped clothing was ‘relegated to those on the margins or outside the social order’ according to Michel Pastoureau, author of The Devil’s Cloth: A History of Stripes and Striped Fabric. This negative symbolism was slowly revised over subsequent centuries – striped walls, drapes and furniture became de rigueur around the time of the American Revolution; Napoleon Bonaparte reportedly added a striped tented room to Château de Malmaison to receive guests, and when…

When Rohan Blacker – the founder of Sofa.com – decided to set up the lighting brand Pooky back in 2014, he knew he wanted to create beautiful, decorative pieces, that look like they cost a fortune, but do not. Nearly 10 years later, he has achieved just that, as Pooky lights can be found everywhere from student digs to stately homes throughout the UK and across the globe, with endless designs to suit any style. “I’ve always had a fascination for lighting, with its impact on any decorative theme both dramatic and immediate,” he explains. “When you walk into a space – whether it is a home, restaurant or performance space – and the lighting clicks, there is a quiet magic at play. At Pooky, we have designed a range…

SPOTLIGHT ON… Evocative Elegance Festooned with butterflies and flowers embroidered and painted by hand, An English Butterfly Garden is the enchanting new silk wallpaper collection by interior designer Katharine Pooley for Fromental, inspired by her gardens in the Oxfordshire countryside and sold with a donation to the charity Butterfly Conservation. She says: “I have been delighted to see how the story of my garden has unfolded so beautifully ‘stroke by stroke’ and ‘stitch by stitch’ by Fromental’s world-leading, meticulous atelier of artists. Together we have created a wonderfully whimsical scene, as if one has accidentally wandered into a secret English garden full of beauty and intrigue.” katharinepooley.com; fromental.co.uk King Honours Queen of Paint Annie Sloan is awarded the CBE In his first Birthday Honours List, His Majesty The King awarded…

CRAFTSMANSHIP Britain’s nations are a hive of activity, full of makers who are preserving heritage skills, modernising craftsmanship and innovating techniques to bring exceptional pieces to interiors. Buying British can also have the benefit of being more sustainable – even if only in avoiding shipping miles, but often in terms of the materials and practices employed. While it may not always be at the forefront of decision-making, choosing a British product will support the makers. Many of these will have honed their craft over years, perhaps via previous generations, and are fiercely protecting this heritage for years to come. Others may be developing alongside technologies to ensure the highest quality of product, designed to last and become an antique of the future. There are many ways to add British craftsmanship…

As the great artist and sculptor Leonardo da Vinci once said, “A beautiful body perishes but a work of art dies not.” Words that could undeniably be applied to the sculptures of Benson Landes (1927–2013), who had a rare gift for capturing the female form at its most graceful. He was inspired by ballet and would listen to classical music while sketching and sculpting. Among the many admirers of Benson Landes’ works are Stella and Daniel Callaghan, who run the gallery Callaghans of Shrewsbury, which is set in the heart of the beautiful Shropshire town. They were fortunate enough to know Benson Landes during his lifetime, working with him for many years, and continue to represent his works to this day. “I feel fortunate to have known and worked with…

Where is your English home and who do you live with? I live in a tall Victorian terraced townhouse overlooking a park in London, with my husband, Anthony, and sons, Aeneas, 10 and Achille, four. What first attracted you to it? I love a problem property. My husband found the house online. It looked sad and needed a lot of work, but it was affordable. I’m always going to want to redo a house to make it feel like ours. You can’t really justify that if it’s in beautiful condition and just not to taste, but you can if it is falling apart! Did you have help making the house your home? Initially, I thought it would be a slow-moving project. Then I became pregnant, so suddenly we had a…

INSPIRED BY NATURE A love letter to the Hebrides, British tile manufacturer Marlborough’s latest collection takes its lead from the dramatic colours and rich textures of Scotland’s landscape. Uist’s (pictured) gentle plaster pink shade is taken from the limewash of traditional Scottish bothies. Time-honoured techniques create a tactile, organic finish meaning each tile is unique. Uist square tile, £124 for a box of 40, Marlborough Tiles STATEMENT STRIPES Crafted from high-quality wood and hand-painted by skilled artisans, this bold striped mirror adds a playful touch to interiors. Available in three colourways, including a classic monochrome stripe (pictured), it sits beautifully in contemporary and traditional schemes alike. (For more inspiration on the timeless appeal of stripes and how to decorate with them, turn to page 96). Large striped mirror, Black and…

So many things in life are underpinned by compromise, not least doing up a house, and Kate and Ivo van Vollenhoven’s home in West London is a case in point. “When it comes to decorating, Ivo and I often disagree,” explains Kate, a former television producer. Her taste, she says, is for the romantic English country house aesthetic – a salad of colour and texture, while husband Ivo, who runs a film company, leans towards a leaner, more modern aesthetic. So when they embarked on the transformation of their stucco-fronted home the question was: how could they reconcile their tastes? Enter interior designer Abbie de Bunsen. While an interior designer can be many things – confidante, counsellor, personal shopper – in this instance, Abbie drew on her training to act…

HERITAGE REVIVAL Revisiting GP & J Baker’s extensive archive of hand-painted documents, the Baker Originals collection has brought classic designs up to date in new colourways. Ferns was a popular design from 1935, originally created by textile artist Joseph M Doran who was inspired by botanical drawings of plants that grow within a 10 mile radius of London. Here it has been given a chic new look on a dark charcoal ground for a modern twist. All GP & J Baker wallpapers are printed in England. Ferns, Charcoal, £159 a roll, GP & J Baker…

Alighting scheme that functions precisely for each room as well as tying in with the overall style and producing the best ambience needs to be meticulously planned. For key areas of the home, we asked industry creators and innovators to offer their advice on choosing the right lighting for different purposes and how to overcome any practical obstacles. SURFACE APPEAL Creating interest and atmosphere, wall lights add layers of texture and detail. “Always consider the purpose of the light,” says Jana Durisova, creative director at Beaumont & Fletcher. “Where there are high ceilings, for example, we recommend a tall wall light for scale, while in an area such as a hallway, be sure to consider how far the fitting projects from the wall – placement above shoulder height means it’s…

VARIETY SHOW For both new or experienced dahlia growers, visiting British gardens and shows is an ideal way to view a variety of dahlias in full bloom. Open gardens with large collections include Perch Hill Farm in Sussex, Hever Castle in Kent and Kelmarsh Hall in Northhampton. Visit Harrogate Show and RHS Wisley for growers. Cutting fields, such as Pythouse Garden in Wiltshire and Rowes at Priory Gardens in Yorkshire, also provide armfuls of new ideas. For inspiration on using dahlias to enliven interiors, turn to page 112.…