Category Archives: Home and interiors

Jan17

Designs of the times

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Designs of the times

Towards the end of last year many of the fabric and wallpaper companies gave a sneak preview of their new collections to the press. And, whilst we are not slavish about following trends here on Country Living, it is always interesting and inspiring to see what’s new in the design world.

For spring 2013 most of the collections featured a return to bright, cheerful colours, friendly and uplifting patterns and prettier designs, which was great to see.

My favourites were:

NATURE-INSPIRED

Flowers and plants in sweet colours. I particularly liked a collection of painterly, pretty spring florals designs from Sanderson (0207 351 4269; www.sanderson-uk.com) including this fabric. 

Sanderson textile

MOOD INDIGO

Blue is a big trend for this year. Particularly intense, deep shades of indigo, or teal.

Pierre Frey (020 7376 5599; http://www.pierrefrey.com had a lovely collection, featuring weaves and prints in classic stripes and prints.

Pierre Frey textiles

 Scion (0845 123 6805;www.scion.uk.com) also had a collection of bold geometric designs and tie-dyes, many in watery, deep blues.

 

Scion Wabi Sabi collection

BOLD GEOMETRICS

Modernist graphic designs in bold colours and ethnic motifs, epitomised by Jonathan Adler’s upcoming collection for Kravet (020 7795 0110; http://www.kravet.com These energetic designs could be throw together, and deliberately mismatched – for a bohemian, eclectic feel. 

Jonathan Adler textiles for Kravet

WALLPAPERS WITH SMALL SCALE REPEATS

Being a fan of gentler, smaller scale wallpapers I was pleased to see these lovely designs, in botanicals, from Sandberg (at Lizzo 020 7823 3456; www.lizzo.net) and 1930s-inspired repeats from Neisha Crosland for Turnell & Gigon (020-7259 7280; www.turnellandgigon.com). 

Sandberg wallpapers at Lizzo

 

Neisha Crosland wallpapers for Turnell & Gigon

* These designs will be available from the end of March.

All these companies are based at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour Chelsea Harbour Drive, London, Greater London SW10 0XE (020 7225 9166; www.dcch.co.uk)

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Dec6

‘Tis the season to be woolly…

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‘Tis the season to be woolly…

 

 

 

Certain members of the CL team, myself included, have a particular fondness for knitwear and are rather enjoying the opportunity afforded by this current cold snap to to rummage around in our wardrobes for our thickest, warmest sweaters.

Whether lambswool, merino, mohair, alpaca or cashmere (you can probably imagine the lengthy and animated conversations that take place in our office on the subject of clothes moths), there is nothing quite like a woolly jumper – or cardigan for that matter – for giving the wearer an unbeatably cosy, blissfully comforting, all-enveloping glow.

And now Save the Children are taking the benefits of wonderful woollens to another level, enabling jumper-lovers everywhere to experience an inner glow to match their outer one, with their brilliant concept of a Christmas Jumper Day!

 

 

Capitalising on the fact that in the last few years, Christmas-themed knitwear (a prime example being the Rudolph sweater worn by an extremely embarrassed Colin Firth in the film Bridget Jones, seen above) – once considered the height of naffness and deeply uncool – has made a spectacular comeback and is now at the cutting edge of geek chic, the simple yet splendid idea behind Christmas Jumper Day is that you get to wear an outrageously eye-catching woollen work of art and make a donation to Save the Children for the pleasure of doing so…a win-win scenario if ever there was one.

We are keen to take part in this jolly festive scheme and if you get your skates on, you could too. The day designated as official Christmas Jumper Day by Save the Children is Friday 14 December, so over the next week we, along with our colleagues on all the other magazines at Hearst, will be digging out our craziest novelty knits… or Fair-Isle favourites and tasteful Scandi snowflakes (for those who just can’t quite bear to be seen in a lumpy handknit featuring a Christmas tree/ snowman/figgy pudding/glittery penguin/tinsel angel etc – you get the picture) in readiness for the great day.

 

If you would like to share this warm and fuzzy festive feeling, the Save the Children website has all you need to join in with Christmas Jumper Day, whether at work or school or by setting up your own event such as a coffee morning or drinks party – and if you need a bit more time to organise something, it doesn’t have to be on 14 December but can take place on any date over the festive season. The excellent online jumper kit can provide you with everything from promotional posters to recipes for Christmas gingerbread men, designs for jumper bunting and knitting patterns for creating your very own statement sweater – although you would have to be pretty nifty with your needles to get one made by next Friday…

 

And if you don’t have a jumper, don’t despair – there’s even a fun reindeer template, which you can print off and pin to an existing jumper… just add a pair of flashing antlers for your own special take on the Rudolph look!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nov28

The Spirit of Christmas Past

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The Spirit of Christmas Past

Mulled fruit & nut Christmas chocolate bar, photograph Alastair Hendy

Take a trip down to the sea at Hastings in Sussex in December for a magical Christmas event.

This year, Alastair Hendy, who runs Home Store, a shop in the town (selling a beautifully curated selection of functional and useful kitchen and household goods), opens up his own home to guests.  

The Christmas House, photograph Alastair Hendy

Also a talented, cook, writer, stylist and decorator, Alastair (to be featured in a future issue of the magazine) has restored his Tudor merchant’s house meticulously to how it might have originally looked. Lit by candles and log fires and decked out with stylish, traditional decorations the house is set as the scene of a fairytale, the story of The Elves and the Baker.

Advent pretzels, photograph Alastair Hendy

Soak up the atmosphere with a glass of spiced wine and take a tour of this fascinating property (once the town’s mortuary). You will also receive a beautifully photographed edition of the story, complete with festive recipes. Home Store, nearby, has a Christmas room dedicated to delicacies and delights, so do make a day of it. Hastings is a fascinating and unique town with some great architecture, individual, junk, and antique shops, aswell as museums, galleries and the largest beach-launched fishing fleet left in Europe, complete with its black, tarred two-storey net sheds.

 

Flower pot baked ginger cakes, photograph Alastair Hendy

The Christmas House (135 All Saints Street, Hastings Old Town, East Sussex TN34 3BG) will be open Saturdays and Sundays throughout December 11am – 5.30pm, and then every day from Monday the 17th -  Monday the 24th December. Special tours for groups can be arranged for out-of- hours visits, during weekdays or evenings. (01424 447171; www.homestore-hastings.co.uk) Entry £5 per adult, £3 per child

Home Store is at 36 High Street, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3ER (01424 447171; http://homestore-hastings.co.uk

 

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Nov21

A ‘distressing’ day in Buckinghamshire….

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A ‘distressing’ day in Buckinghamshire….

A few weeks ago I was invited to take part in an Annie Sloan paint workshop by the lovely ladies of Home Barn - a brilliant shop in Little Marlow in Buckinghamshire (though the word ‘shop’ doesn’t quite do justice to the wonderful barn that is filled to the rafters with vintage furniture, reclaimed utility pieces and an eclectic array of accessories for the home).  Run by sisters-in-law Sally and Sarah, the course was an expert introduction into decorative furniture painting which taught us everything from basic techniques such as colour mixing and combining, to more complicated methods to introduce interest and texture to furniture, such as ageing, distressing and crackle glazing.

A selection of Annie Sloan paints at our Home Barn paint workshop.

A selection of Annie Sloan paints at our Home Barn paint workshop.

Sarah demonstrating distressing techniques on an old mirror.

Sarah demonstrating distressing techniques on an old mirror.

Somehow in all my time at Country Living I had never used Annie Sloan paints, and I have to admit that I am totally converted to them.  There is a great range of colours with a lovely powdery, matt finish and what really won me over is that if you’re painting furniture you can paint straight onto the wooden surface – no priming needed.  Perfect for re-creating aged French and Swedish looks, the paints can also be used in conjunction with Annie’s soft waxes and varnishes to give various effects such as ageing and distressing.

Sally teaching us to use a soft wax.

Sally teaching us to use a soft wax.

Sanding back the boards we'd painted on the course.

Sanding back the boards we’d painted on the course.

Annie Sloan chalk paints colour chart.

Annie Sloan chalk paints colour chart.

Sally and Sarah always provide nibbles and teas throughout the course, but the day I went Amanda Robson, aka the Glamorous Glutton, catered for our day.  Her delicious assortment of pastries and yoghurt-granola breakfasts were the perfect start to the day.  Have a look at her blog, glamourousglutton.com, for foodie insights and recipes.

Home Barn run their workshops using Annie Sloan paint throughout the year.  The next one is on the 24th of November, runs from 10:15-1:15pm and costs £60 per person.  Call 01628 878 771 or email info@homebarnshop.co.uk to book a place.

Antiques shop Home Barn in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire

Antiques shop Home Barn in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire

 

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Nov14

Behind the scenes of a Country Living Christmas

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Behind the scenes of a Country Living Christmas

  

Country Living UK Christmas cover 2012

Setting up the Country Living Christmas cover

Ben sprinkling fake snow on the lawn for the cover shot

Here is a sneak peak behind the scenes of our Christmas decorating shoot which we did at the beginning of September!  It can be quite tricky trying to create the spirit of a season when you are shooting in a garden late summer.  You can see we had to rely on a few tricks of the trade….this faux snow is really quite realistic, although it was quite a job sweeping it all up at the end!

If you haven’t seen our Decemeber issue yet, do get your hands on a copy and have a look at our Christmas feature starting on p.20.  There are lots of ideas on wrapping presents and decorating your home over the festive period.  It will definately get you in the mood!  The Houses Editor, Caroline Reeves was chief stylist on the shoot. Here she is putting the finishing touches onto the Christmas tree. Note the matching cool grey/white socks…such glamorous lives we lead on the magazine!

Caroline Reeves from Country Living magazine putting the finishing touch to the Christmas tree

Caroline putting the finishing touches to the tree

It was fun propping for the shoot, some of our favourite decorations can be seen in the pictures below.  We were particular fans of Bodi & Isla’s hand stitched felted swans from Rowen & Wren and the little white acorns from The Original Pop Up Shop

Decorations on Country Living's UK Christmas shoot 2012

Some of our favourite decorations

Setting up the main sitting room shot

I have to say it was all rather sad when we had to take everything down again and pack everything away!  I took one last shot of the garden just as we were leaving…..At least we get to do it all over again in our own homes in just over a month! Happy Christmas everyone!

THE END Country Living UK Christmas 2012 decorating shoot

The End….

 

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Nov9

And the winners are…

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And the winners are…

The Country Living Christmas Fair is in full swing at London’s Business Design Centre, and over 400 exhibitors are busily selling their wares.  From this array of crafters, designers, makers and artists, Country Living’s editor Susy Smith has awarded her favourite stalls the coveted Editor’s Choice and Best New Stand awards and the winners are…

 The Painted House

Clare Bosanquet’s paint rollers are nothing short of genius.  Everyone I know who’s seen them so far has bought one, if not two or three.  A simple but very effective way to spruce up your walls, they can also be used on fabric to make curtains, cushion covers, bunting, or even on paper – I’m planning on covering a large roll of brown paper in her beautiful designs and that’ll be my Christmas gift wrapping sorted.  (the-painted-house.co.uk)

Clare using one of her paint rollers from The Painted Home

Clare using one of her paint rollers from The Painted Home

A paint roller from The Painted Home

A paint roller from The Painted Home

 

The Real Boar Co.

Purveyors of award-winning English charcuterie, made from wild boars raised on 20 acres of Cotswold mixed woodland and grassland, The Real Boar Co. has a vast selection of meats, salamis, chorizo and air dried hams in a variety of mouth-watering flavours. My favourite was the game salami – a unique mix of wild boar with pheasant, venison and port. (01249 782861; therealboar.co.uk)

The Wild Boar Co in the Cotswold's

The Wild Boar Co in the Cotswold’s

Salamis from The Wild Boar Co.

 

Best New Stand- Jo Butcher

This award goes to Jo Butcher, who won the craft section in our Kitchen Table Talents Awards last year, and has gone on to launch a full-time business selling her exquisite hand-embroidered artworks.  Inspired by traditional country gardens and wild flower meadows, Jo hand and machine stitches her designs onto hand-painted backgrounds or reclaimed, vintage linens – the Cow Parsley designs are particularly appealing. (07551 483465; jobutcher.co.uk)

Embroidered tree in blossom by Jo Butcher

Embroidered tree in blossom by Jo Butcher

Cow Parsley on Linen III embroidery by Jo Butcher

Cow Parsley on Linen III embroidery by Jo Butcher

 

If you haven’t already been, tickets are still available for the Country Living Christmas Fair  – call 0844 848 0152 or visit countrylivingfair.com/xmas

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Oct21

ART AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

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ART AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

Atlantic Ocean near Morvah

On an assignment for the magazine last week I was lucky enough to visit the beautiful Yew Tree Gallery in the far west of Cornwall. This must be one of the most dramatically sited galleries in the country.

Set down deep, fern-filled lanes, and on the edge of wild moorland, the gallery has views over the remote village of Morvah below, and to the Atlantic Ocean all around.  Owner Gilly Wyatt Smith who moved here 12 years ago says ‘that it feels like living on an island’.

The current exhibition, Pastoral (which runs until the end of this month), features artists in several different mediums whose work draws inspiration from nature.  Country Living favourites, painter Tessa Newcombe, and ceramicist Katrin Moye (both have been featured in the magazine), are here, alongside Laurel Keeley ‘s beautifully coloured ceramics and paintings.

Yew Tree Gallery

Laurel Keeley’s ceramics and paintings

Gilly has a wonderful eye, and has created a lovely garden (which showcases modern sculpture), gallery and home in this magical spot. She also stocks a large collection of prints at reasonable prices from current artists such as Mark Hearld, Emily Sutton and Angie Lewin and even has homegrown plants for sale.

Laurel Keeley’s ceramics and paintings

The Yew Tree gallery is open Tues-Sat 10.30am-5pm (01736 786425; www.yewtreegallery.com)

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Oct4

Home From the High Street

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Home From the High Street

Over the years, many high street fashion chains have made forays into homeware. Usually their collections are trends led and up to date, but consist of a small number of accessories and bedlinen, so it is really exciting to see store, French Connection, commit to a large and appealing range for this autumn/winter.

French Connection homeware

Many of the pieces are made in the UK, and include furniture, storage, textiles and some lovely glassware. The emphasis is on texture, and the colours  are predominately black, white, grey and beige, with splashes of burnt orange, dark olive green and indigo.

My favourite pieces, include some classic, oversize wall clocks, knubbly woven rugs, in wool and leather, a great coffee table on wheels that has an industrial aesthetic, and a white washed, tree trunk stool/table.

French Connection homeware

Lookout for our for the new issue of Country Living (out in a weeks time), where we showcase work by four inspiring British craftspeople, and show you how to decorate a whole room around them (with several pieces from this new collection).

The new collection is available in stores now and also online, by mail order http://www.frenchconnection.com

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