Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2020 i Homes & Gardens

Planning this issue in February required a tortuous amount of determination. Poring over pictures of homes with sea views and blue skies, of Adirondack-style chairs clustered invitingly around a firepit, and gardens bursting with lilacs and foxgloves was like a short holiday from which we returned to our own dark afternoons with a bump. But as the days got a little longer and the weather a little warmer and gloves a little less necessary, a new feeling took over; a cheerful sense that winter doesn’t last forever, and that you should always make the most of any available light. And so, while many of the features this month focus on taking those first few tentative steps outside, others offer inspiration for creating joy all year round. The floral decorating shoot…

GLASS WALKWAYS The bedroom wing is separated from the house by a glass walkway. A glass linkway can be a particularly useful way to connect an older building to a standalone extension. Some heritage building regulations stipulate these to provide a visual division when adding an extension to a listed building. Ion Glass has experience in numerous projects involving glass walkways, as does UK Glass. WHERE TO SOURCE GLAZED WALKWAYS Consulting an architect will increase the possibilities of a design project to make the space unique to you. BUILT-IN BUNK BEDS A great space-saver, built-in bunks can also offer brilliant storage as well as extra beds for guests and sleepovers. A local joiner will be able to build bunk beds according to your space and mattress size. Try Hand Made…

HIGHGROVE HOUSE & GARDENS 21 April WHAT’S HAPPENING? A memorable day with interior designer Susie Atkinson in conversation about all things colour with H & G’s acting editorial director Pip McCormac. TELL ME MORE… You’ll be led by an expert guide in a small group around the magnificent Royal Gardens, the private gardens of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. You’ll also enjoy a glass of champagne and a delicious two-course seasonal lunch, with Pip and Susie in conversation and a chance to ask questions afterwards. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW? 10am-3pm, Highgrove Royal Gardens, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8TQ. Tickets, £100 per person CHATSWORTH 18 May WHAT’S HAPPENING? A private tour of Chatsworth House’s stunning garden followed by an afternoon tea. TELL ME…

MERANO Lana’s nearest town is best known for its art nouveau architecture and many spa resorts. Head to Merano Arte for the city’s contemporary art collection, and stop by the Monocle store for a curated selection of homewares and curiosities. TRAUTTMANSDORFF CASTLE The castle’s glorious terraced gardens attract green-fingered folk from across the world. The botanical gardens sit in a 12-hectare amphitheatre, riotous with colour and offering gorgeous views of the mountains beyond. MONTE SAN VIGILIO You’ve come to Italy’s Alps, so you’d better do a bit of walking – if you can tear yourself away from the pool. Hiking, biking or gentle walks are all catered for, and there’s a cable car to whisk you to the top if you left your trainers at home.…

Lulu Lytle would readily admit her interest in history from a very early age was slightly left-field. ‘I always loved looking around old houses, going to house sales, visiting deserted medieval villages, and relished trips to a wonderful Royal Worcester factory shop near to where I lived. I can’t imagine it made me the most fun child,’ she laughs. Yet it was this precise interest in the heritage of design, which inspired her 23 years ago to start Soane Britain, a furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories company now widely celebrated for its classically elegant pieces that are entirely made in the UK. At the time, interest in British craftsmanship wasn’t the hot topic it is today. ‘Everyone said I was mad,’ she says. After graduating in Egyptology at University College…

Melbourne-based interior stylist Lynda Gardener is well known internationally as the master of house transformations. Her innate sense of design and standout creativity turn projects from ordinary to extraordinary and The Estate Trentham, as her house is affectionately known, is no exception. ‘I had been looking to buy a house in Trentham for a long time,’ says Lynda. ‘It’s a beautiful hamlet on the way to Daylesford, where I renovated my first country property. The journey out of the city is all part of the experience. Once off the interstate, winding roads and nature take over – the world steps into a slower gear.’ Built in 1902, the estate is a three-bedroom, Federation-style, wood-clad property with a veranda that wraps around the periphery. ‘I found the house online and within…

As she redesigned the interiors of this Chelsea home, the fine lines of its Georgian architecture were never far from Gemma Gordon-Duff’s mind. ‘The form and proportion of the house, the light and period detailing are the natural stars of the show,’ she says. But Gemma, who is managing director of Gordon-Duff & Linton, has built on that heritage to take this home into the 21st century. With lighting that cuts a dash, art-deco motifs and herringbone flooring, Gemma’s schemes are all about creating visual interest with the ‘harder’ elements of design. ‘By this I mean we played with the intersection of shapes and geometry in the joinery, lighting and statement rugs, rather than adding pattern via fabrics and wallpapers,’ she says. The owners were carrying out a full refurbishment…

PLANNING PERMISSION Some single-storey extensions fall under permitted development, which means owners do not need planning permission. As of May 2019, larger rear extensions are now permitted (up from 4m to 8m in depth for a detached house and from 3m to 6m in depth for a semi-detached house). As a general rule, ask a professional such as an architect or chartered surveyor who can give an initial steer but there’s also an interactive tool which can help you assess (interactive.planningportal.co.uk). If the house is in a sensitive location, such as a Conservation Area, national park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or in the green belt, there are far stricter regulations and permitted development rights may be removed altogether. Owners of listed properties, meanwhile, will need to seek permission from…

1. BOLD CHOICE Dark green doesn’t absorb the light in the same way as black, making it a great option for solid, full-height doors. K1 kitchen in Evergreen; island in Alta, from £25,000, Brookmans by Smallbone. 2. SLIDE AWAY Pocket doors are perfect for breakfast cupboards. Invest in high-quality hardware to ensure smooth use for years to come. Bespoke kitchen in fumed oak veneer, from £45,000, Cave Interiors. 3. SET BACK Glass panels help break up this run of units. Bringing the wall forward at the top of cabinets prevents the strong hue from dominating. Shaker range in Little Greene’s Royal Navy, from £18,000, Harvey Jones. 4. BREAK IT UP Open timber shelving dilutes the intensity of block colour. This off-set configuration adds to the dynamic effect. Pelham kitchen in…

ON DISPLAY Fluted glass is a favoured trend this year, and this striking cabinet from Davonport’s Holkham collection adds a touch of industrial style to more traditional Shaker-style cabinetry. With its pared-back design, it already bears all the hallmarks of an enduring classic. Kitchens, from £35,000, Davonport. SHINE ON The use of metals create standout appeal in the kitchen, and Ledbury Studio’s Metallics Collection offers a new way of using pewter on kitchen cabinetry. It’s given texture with hammers and heat, while acids are used to develop an aged look. Kitchens, from £50,000, Ledbury Studio. CAPLE’S POPULAR FRAMPTON TAP NOW COMES IN A BEAUTIFUL NEW FINISH – ANTIQUE BRASS – ALONGSIDE THE EXISTING STAINLESS STEEL, FROM £257. HOT TROPICS Could your bathroom walls do with some livening up? Make a…

1 . My first garden design hero was Harold Peto for his Italianate architectural style, brilliantly rooted in the landscape. Then it was Lady Salisbury, who opened my eyes to a new way of planting when I visited Cranborne Manor in Dorset as I was growing up. 2 . The luxury I want more of is time. I spend a lot of time chasing after it. 3 . A plant I have special affection for is Daphne odora. Flowering early in the year, it heralds the new season with its incredible perfume. 4 . My essential garden design rule is: know your plants. Without that knowledge, it can be a pretty hopeless task! 5 . A new name in garden design I’m noting is Daniel Back. He takes a free-spirited…

A KIND OF ITALIAN ROAST CHICKEN SERVES 6-8 1 chicken, roughly 1.6kg Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR THE ROSEMARY, ANCHOVY, GARLIC AND LEMON BUTTER 1 small tin anchovies (or 12-14 fillets) 1 small lemon, zest and juice 2 garlic cloves 200g butter 2tbsp chopped rosemary • Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan160°C/Gas 4. Season the chicken lightly all over, inside and out. • Put all the butter ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Stuff some of the butter inside the cavity, under the skin and all over the breast. Smear the rest all over the chicken with your hands. • Place the bird breast-side down in a roasting tin and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, baste the bird all over…

SPRING CHICKEN PIE SERVES 4-6 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 500ml chicken stock 100g frozen peas 100g wild garlic leaves 1tbsp olive oil 1 leek, washed, trimmed and sliced Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 40g butter 60g plain flour 30ml dry white wine 2tbsp sour cream Nutmeg, for grating 320g puff pastry, rolled 1 egg, beaten • Put thighs in a saucepan and pour over stock. Cover, bring to a gentle boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes, until a pierced thigh yields no blood. Remove thighs and leave to cool before picking the meat from the bone. • Boil the stock until reduced by a third, then add the peas and cook for a minute, followed by the garlic leaves. Cook for 30 seconds, take off the heat…

CREATIVE CANINES Exploring the charming dwellings of some of today’s most distinguished designers, Susanna Salk’s latest book At Home in the English Countryside: Designers and Their Dogs (£40, Rizzoli New York) documents the integral part that these pups play in the lives of their owners and their magnificent abodes. Meet Jack, Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen’s one-year-old French bulldog, above. ONE OF A KIND This cocktail table not only offers beautiful design, it also satisfies a desire for a unique piece that no one else will own. The distinctive pattern has been created using white and midnight blue pigmented resin mixed by hand, meaning no two tables are the same. Kumo cocktail table, H38xW160xD78cm, £2,810, Victor Garnot for Roche Bobois. FLUTE NOTES Tapping into the fluting trend, this glamorous bed…

‘MY favourite new plant for a large pot is Hydrangea Runaway Bride Snow White. Compact and ideal for containers, it has six beautiful white blooms along each of its branches, not just at the tips, as with other hydrangeas. Make sure to keep your pots well-watered for the best results.’ HARRIET HARDIMAN , director of Hayloft, hayloft.co.uk ‘THE NEW TREND IS FOR WOODLANDS PLANTED WITH FRUIT TREES, SUCH AS PLUMS, APPLES AND CHERRIES. TUCK MORE EDIBLES – CURRANTS, WILD STRAWBERRIES AND GREENS – BENEATH THE BOUGHS TO MAKE A SUSTAINABLE, LOW-MAINTENANCE PRODUCTIVE GARDEN.’ MIA WITHAM , miawitham.com ‘LAYERED PLANTING NOT ONLY OFFERS YEAR-ROUND INTEREST, BUT COVERING THE SOIL SURFACE HELPS TO LOCK UP CARBON, KEEP IN MOISTURE DURING HOT SUMMERS AND SOAK UP WATER IN DOWNPOURS TOO.’ MARIAN BOSWALL ,…

GO-TO COLOUR We like natural tones. This time, we used blue in all its variants to contrast and enhance natural elements. FAVOURITE BUILDING Gunnar Asplund’s Stockholm Public Library. It’s such a great blend of classicism with modernity and the richness of materials and spaces. DESIGN HERO For this project, we were inspired by Alvar Aalto’s Villa Mairea. I love the way time and space come together in that piece. AN OBJECT YOU WOULD NEVER PART WITH My fountain pen. It’s messy, tactile, analogue and my creative process. MOST SUCCESSFUL PART OF THE PROJECT The amount of joy we felt doing this project exceeded our expectations. And the pleasure of having a large garden. We’ve been surprised by how much of a positive impact it’s had. THE BIGGEST INDULGENCE Probably the…

VISIT: JUPITER ARTLAND, EDINBURGH We’re passionate about the outdoors and we love art, so here at H&G sculpture parks are our cultural catnip. Jupiter Artland is one of our favourites. Founded a little over 10 years ago in the grounds of Bonnington House, a historic stately home some 16 kilometres outside of Edinburgh, the collection displays works by names such as Anish Kapoor, Cornelia Parker and Antony Gormley, as well as a seasonal programme of exhibitions and events. Most beautiful is the landscaped work Cells of Life, pictured above, by Charles Jencks. The park reopens on 11 May for the season, jupiterartland.org. EAT: FITZROY, CORNWALL You might be familiar with their restaurants in London – Jolene, Westerns Laundry and Primeur – but lesser known is David Gingell and Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim’s…

NEW DECORATED GARDEN by Elspeth Thompson (£12.99, CICO Books) Interiors and gardening writer Elspeth Thompson’s beautiful and informative book has been reprinted, showcasing seven distinctive garden designs. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your city terrace or your country retreat, you’ll find clever ways to transform your garden. As the title suggests, Elspeth highlights how decoration is key to adapting a space to suit your style, while making sure it works with the natural elements. We’re reminded of the subtle partnership between a defined landscape and the decorative elements within it. Discussing the seamless transition between the interior and the exterior, Elspeth’s considered take explores using elements such as sculpture, lighting, furniture and paint colour – not to mention the all-important plants. THE GARDEN: BEFORE & AFTER by Randle Siddeley…

This month sees the launch of the first-ever Fulham Design Festival, a two-week celebration of interior design, innovation and craftsmanship. Hosted at Neptune Fulham, it will include talks, workshops and demonstrations – and to mark the occasion, H&G is partnering with our friends at Neptune to host what promises to be an engaging and insightful evening. Chaired by H&G’s acting editorial director Pip McCormac, we will be holding a panel discussion with furniture and lighting designer Tom Raffield; architect, interior designer and founder of Elicyon, Charu Gandhi; and Neptune co-founder, John Sims-Hilditch. The conversation will centre around sustainability and the importance of creating designs that will stand the test of time, looking at materials, refurbishment and easy updates you can do that will mean a world of difference. Guests will…

Lynda Gardener shares her style vision BIGGEST INDULGENCE Original oil paintings, portraits and landscapes. I always buy them as collections, never individual pieces, so it always feels very extravagant. MUSEUM TO VISIT Mona in Tasmania – world class. BEST GIFT YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN Both my grandmothers’ cocktail rings and my mother’s love letters from my father in the 1940s, when they were courting. WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION Everywhere… nature, architecture and mostly travel. LAST EXHIBITION VISITED Crossing Lines, which featured work by Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. YOUR STYLE IN THREE WORDS Timeless, homely, earthy. WORDS TO LIVE BY Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.…

Pamela Makin’s latest project, in Sydney’s Palm Beach district, is a virtuoso example of just how much a well-balanced collaboration between interior designer, architect and builder can achieve. Perched on a hill, the house is one of the few in the area with views of both the sea and the picturesque Pittwater inlet behind it. ‘It’s an amazing location,’ says Megan Burns, director of architecture firm CM Studio who worked with Pamela on the redesign. ‘With the house being in such a prominent position, it was all the more important that the renovation was sympathetic to the heritage of the area,’ she adds. Built around 12 years ago, the property had a dated interior that didn’t suit its coastal surroundings. ‘It was this huge monolithic mass with brown rendering that…

Gemma Gordon-Duff shares her style vision SECRET ADDRESS Novocastrian does wonderful metal furniture designs and makes pretty much anything we want. INSPIRATION SOURCES Travel, gazing at floor plans, talking to clients and exchanging ideas with other designers. Inspiration also strikes when I’m in the shower! FAVOURITE BUILDING I’m a member at the V&A – a beautiful building with so much inspiration in every gallery. WHAT’S ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE Art and design books, Diptyque candles, a Turkish decorative bowl, potted plants and the remote controls – all three of them. YOUR STYLE IN THREE WORDS Eclectic, tailored and practical. WORDS TO LIVE BY This too shall pass… especially on difficult days.…

It’s inviting, uplifting and effortless to decorate with, so it’s no surprise that pink is now seen as an interiors neutral. But with choices from pastel to bubblegum, the right shade can prove a tricky quest – and that’s where Zoffany’s Tuscan Pink comes in. As its name implies, there’s an earthiness, recalling the natural landscape, that gives the colour warmth and depth and makes it a dream companion to other shades. This versatile hue adds freshness when used alongside classic furniture and impact in a more contemporary setting. Quite simply, it’s a pink for grown-ups. Wall in Tuscan Pink elite emulsion, £49 for 2.5ltr, Zoffany…

ALIWOOD  Newly launched by Westbury Garden Rooms, this company produces made-to-order roof lanterns using sustainable timber-aluminium composite, allowing for exceptional longevity, aliwood.com MAXLIGHT  A favourite among architects, this firm is known for its ultra-slim sliding doors and architectural glazing solutions which are all made on site in their Acton workshop, maxlight.co.uk VERITY & BEVERLY ARCHITECTS  A Gloucestershire-based firm with many years experience designing garden rooms and extensions to period houses in traditional and contemporary styles, verity-beverley.co.uk MALBROOK Specialists in wood conservatories, garden rooms and orangeries, whether modern or traditional, this company is also well-versed in dealing with additions to heritage and listed buildings, malbrook.co.uk…

DESIGNER Kate Counihan at Humphrey Munson, 01371 821300, humphreymunson.co.uk. THE PROPERTY A five-bedroom Georgian house in Hertfordshire. DESIGN BRIEF Bearing in mind the architectural heritage of the property, the clients wanted a classic English-style kitchen, but one that suited modern family living. DIMENSIONS 7.2x4.7m LAYOUT Busy with their children and frequent guests, the owners wanted a kitchen where they could eat and relax, with an area for working from home. A lean-to extended the space and Kate didn’t waste an inch. ‘The banquette at the island is the star; it’s more comfortable than bar stools, while the island still offers all the storage and prep space of a regular unit,’ she says. ‘The round table and adjacent curved desk area aid smooth flow through the space, too.’ CABINETRY Crisp, fresh…

DESIGNERS Paul Cuschieri, architect and interior designer, and Malcolm Abela Sciberras, interior designer, Rebirth at Cuschieri Architects, +356 2122 0431, carchitects.eu. THE PROPERTY A three-bedroom apartment in a 1920s building in Malta. DESIGN BRIEF For the extensive renovation of this apartment in the landmark Balluta Buildings, the owners wanted to protect its art nouveau heritage, while adding their own modern style. In this bathroom, they aimed to be brave with colour, but also to give the architecture space to breathe. DIMENSIONS 2x4m LAYOUT For this bathroom, which predominantly serves the master bedroom, the clients requested a layout that comfortably incorporated a generous bath and plenty of storage but, crucially, did not obstruct the beautifully restored windows and shutters. The position of the WC was mainly dictated by the pipe outlet,…

SUMMER LOVE Woven wicker or rattan trays and glass holders conjure up sweltering days of sunshine in the tropics. Natural fibres will happily pair with almost any colour but sticking to those with warmer hues will add a little summer spirit to table accessories. Similar jug, Wicker glass jug, £20, Inside Store, insidestorelnd.com REST EASY The calming palette of soft pinks, whites and pale greys on this table will ensure friends feel invited to settle themselves in for a feast. Upholstered benches with high backs are ideal for comfortably fitting everyone around. Just add scatter cushions for extra decorative detail. Similar napkins, Gracie linen napkin in Pink, £9, Nordic Nest, nordicnest.com. Scatter cushions with feather pads, from £25 each, Loaf, loaf.com “EVEN WITH A RELAXED LOOK, YOU WANT TO SHOW…

SMOKY CHORIZO BEANS ON TOAST SERVES 4 1tbsp oil 120g chorizo, diced 1 onion, finely sliced 2 x 400g cans mixed beans, drained 50g brown sugar 1tbsp black treacle 1tbsp English mustard ½tsp smoked paprika 400g can chopped tomatoes 500ml beef stock Crusty bread, toasted, to serve Parsley and sliced green chilli, to serve • Heat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/ Gas 4. Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof pan and cook the chorizo and onion for 5 minutes. • Stir through the beans, sugar, treacle, mustard, paprika and tomatoes. Add the stock then cover with a lid. • Transfer to the oven for 2 hours until the beans are soft and the sauce has thickened. Serve on toast and scatter with parsley and green chilli. COOK’S TIP  This…

Shortly after the financial crisis of 2008, William Hefner and his wife Kazuko Hoshino purchased the land where they would build their weekend getaway in Montecito, California. Despite feeling cautious due to the unfolding recession, the couple were so seduced by the plot with its mountain views and seven ancient oak trees that they bought it with a long-term view. ‘We didn’t do anything with it for a few years as we waited to see what was going to happen with the recession, but as soon as things felt secure, we began to design the house,’ says William. William runs Studio William Hefner, one of Los Angeles’ most respected architecture firms, with Kazuko heading up the interiors branch. The couple have been married for 25 years and have an 11-year…

WHEN we think of alpine vacations, we think of snow. High-altitude adventures in white winter wonderlands, skiing the slopes with reddened noses and refuelling on glühwein and Gruyère fondue. Villa Arnica, however, offers a very different take on the mountain holiday. You’ll find this elegant, sienna-toned summerhouse in Lana, a picturesque commune in the foothills of South Tyrol’s peaks. The villa is a country farmstead dream for the modern traveller’s requirements. Worn oak tables heave with local produce – Lana is the region’s principal fruit grower – while rattan bentwoods, original terrazzo floors, and a muted palette of sage, terracotta and palest grey keep things stylish but full of rustic charm. Outside, parkland, orchards and gardens are dotted with vine-draped pergolas and Mediterranean cypress. They surround the pool area, a…

In recent months, I’ve written notes from the workshop and woodland, but I’ve yet to mention our laboratory. At the risk of overstating the eminence of the room we call our lab: it is a storage unit, with no windows. It contains basic kitchen equipment, such as a fridge, and basic science equipment, like an autoclave. We have lab coats, too, to give our team members an authoritative feel, mostly for placebo effects. With this simple set-up we are growing the fibrous cells of mushrooms, known as mycelium, into shaped objects. Specifically, we’re growing lightshades for restaurants and homes in the UK and overseas. Increasingly, ‘biofacture’ – growing objects using biological processes – is developing from left-field graduate projects to viable ways of making material culture. There have been clothes…

TOMATO, PEACH AND MOZZARELLA SALAD WITH BASIL-OIL DRESSING SERVES 4 4 ripe peaches 1-2tbsp olive oil 1 good handful of wild rocket 200g mixed tomatoes, sliced 2x125g balls of buffalo mozzarella 1 handful of purple basil Freshly ground black pepper FOR THE BASIL-OIL DRESSING 50g basil leaves 1 garlic clove 2tbsp flat-leaf parsley Dash of lemon juice 100ml extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper ■ Start by making the dressing. Tip the basil into the bowl of a mini processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add the garlic and parsley, and whizz again. Add the lemon juice and 50ml oil, season well and blend until almost smooth. Add the remaining oil and whizz once more. ■ Leave to one side for 30 minutes for the flavours to…

Pamela Makin shares her style vision STYLE HEROES Christian Liaigre, antiquarian Axel Vervoordt and Rick Owens, the American fashion designer. LAST THING YOU BOUGHT FOR YOUR HOME A leather chair from Boffi De Padova. DESCRIBE YOUR INTERIOR DESIGN STYLE The Les Interieurs style is known for balancing minimalist foundations with rich texture for depth and character, without ever overstepping into cluttered territory. DEFINING ACCENT COLOUR IN THIS PROJECT Russo – a faded rust shade that works beautifully with white and touches of black.…

Set among quintessentially English parkland, dissected by a meandering half mile of the River Yeo, the gardens of this Grade I-listed Jacobean manor in Somerset have been reclaimed and redesigned by owners Robin and Jane Cannon. ‘Everything was in an absolutely hideous state when we arrived, the gardens were impenetrable, totally overgrown, untouched since the 1960s,’ Robin recalls. Drawing on years of visiting the finest gardens and using the fragmented infrastructure of the Victorian walled gardens and outbuildings they have found, the couple have comprehensively reshaped their garden. They planted over a thousand trees, creating avenues and vistas linking the landscape to the house. On the eastern side, flowering cherries and walkways of copper and green beech trees lead down to the river. The borrowed parkland landscape offers a fitting…

MAXIMISE THE LIGHT While the upper floors of typical tall and narrow Victorian townhouses can enjoy expansive views, the lower floors can feel robbed of natural light – and with north-facing gardens, the problem is exacerbated. Using generous amounts of glazing is one approach. For this Chelsea house, EMR Architecture dug a sub-basement and added boxed glass rooms at various heights above. Lifting out a floor and creating a double-height reception area – with a showstopper Citadel pendant from Dutch lighting specialist Quasar – allows for sunlight to penetrate the space at all times of the year. Walk-on glass over the stairs to the basement level is another way of creating an internal light well. SWING OUT Side returns are a popular way to open up kitchen/living rooms and bring…

1. GROW EDIBLES  A feast for the senses, this edible wall featured in the RHS Chelsea award-winning garden from LDC designers Tom Prince and Alex Frazier. It is full of lush treats, from sweet strawberries to fragrant fennel. 2. CREATE A BACKDROP  Designer Sean Walter chose muehlenbeckia for this living wall panel. It looks just as beautiful in winter when its ornate stems appear as it loses its leaves. The panel helps to hide the water feature’s unsightly plumbing. 3. FRAME A VIEW  Train an ivy to clamber over a garden doorway. It requires no trellis as it clings to panels or brickwork, and the dense, glossy foliage, particularly that of variegated varieties, makes an eye-catching frame for the view beyond. 4. COPE WITH SHADE  The perimeter of this large,…

FURNITURE The Nickleby kitchen, painted in HM’s Tailored Grey and Farthing II eggshell, from £40,000; Havisham dining chairs, £795 each; Leppingwell dining table, £4,542, all Humphrey Munson SURFACES Knightsbridge quartz worktops, from £250sq m, CRL Stone. Brampton limestone flooring, £132sq m; walls in Main Sail emulsion, £66 for 2.5ltr, both Humphrey Munson APPLIANCES H2661BP1 single oven, £1,320; KM6115 induction hob, £1,065; G4263 SCVi dishwasher, £849, all Miele. Three oven cooker in Black, from £11,020, Aga. RS90AU1 integrated French door fridge freezer, £3,399, Fisher & Paykel SINK AND TAPS 6625-0 Iron/Tones double sink, £1,202, Kohler. Athenian mixer tap with rinse in Nickel, £610.20, Perrin & Rowe. Pro3 Classic Nordic Round boiling water tap in Polished Nickel, £1,400, Quooker ACCESSORIES Musgrove glass pendant lights, £315 each, Humphrey Munson. Titan pendant (above table),…

FITTINGS Bespoke vanity unit; Humber bath with bespoke finish, from £3,570; Coll Lever bath and shower mixer with china lever handles on H-stand, from £2,376; Coll lever basin taps with china handles, from £1,170; Eden low-level WC suite with china handle and standard seat, from £2,406; five-bar wall-mounted heated towel radiator, from £2,502, all in Brushed Brass finish, Drummonds SURFACES Similar flooring, Marvel Esagono Lappato Multicolor Cold porcelain floor tiles, £310sq m, Minoli. Similar Carrara marble, £298sq m, Lapicida. Similar walls and woodwork paint shade, Gray Owl aura matt emulsion, £79.50 for 3.79ltr; aura eggshell, £86.50 for 3.79ltr, Benjamin Moore ACCESSORIES Chessleton single wall lights with conical shades, from £474 each; rectangular tilt mirrors, from £828 each; large bath rack, from £582; single glass shelf, from £342, all in Brushed…

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I start by planning the menu and love to have lots of dishes to share so that everyone can help themselves. My husband will look after the main event – usually a roast chicken – and I’ll prepare a selection of interesting salads and sides. My current obsession is a recipe book called A Love of Eating by Lucy Carr-Ellison and Jemima Jones (£25, Square Peg). I like to make their hot, sticky aubergine with goat’s curd, pomegranate and coriander, or Ottolenghi’s roast cauliflower with pistachios. Crucially, these can be prepared ahead, leaving lots of time to get the table ready. I try and keep it very simple when it comes to pudding, and will often cheat. My eldest son, who is 10, loves to cook so we often make…

The menu is an inspiration and something that needs to seamlessly tie in with the tablescape. Each guest should always receive a menu and know what they can expect for the evening ahead. It’s also a way to tell the story behind the dinner, to share the concept and add a bespoke element to the setting. I’m always looking for new and unique elements to add to the tablescape. Paris’s Maison et Objet (maison-objet.com) is a favourite place to search; I recently found some amazing marble candle holders and gold cutlery with bamboo handles. One of my favourite sources of inspiration and products is L’Objet (l-objet.com). Their 2020 collection has a variety of coloured animal-print linens and crockery. They’re so much fun and bring something a bit different to the…

Brunch should appear breezy and casual – and to pull this off you need to keep it simple. The ideal time really depends on your crowd – if it’s a family affair with young kids then mid-morning is good, or later if less family orientated. Eggs should always be on the menu, as well as avocado and bacon (unless it’s specifically for vegetarians). Decide on two main dishes, a savoury and a sweet with other bits in between. The great thing about brunch is that it’s a global offering and celebrates flavours and styles from around the world, with eggs being the continuous thread. When we put avocado and poached egg on the menu over 25 years ago it was an homage to the great ingredient we grow so well…