Indholdsfortegnelse for Sep-2018 i 25 Beautiful Homes

This month’s issue is filled with homes of all shapes, sizes and looks. Some of us like living in houses that are new builds, while others love the sense of history that comes with an older property. Then there are the unusual homes created from buildings that were once churches, water towers or even public loos! This variety is what has made 25 Beautiful Homes the magazine it is today, and can be traced right back to its beginnings, 20 years ago. It’s also what’s made my time editing the magazine really fun and interesting. Each time I’ve sat with my commissioning editor to select houses for the next month, there would always be one that particularly surprised and inspired me. Now, sadly, it’s time for me to pass that…

When you step into Di and Nigel Brereton’s Regency apartment in Cheltenham, there is a strong sense of confidence and style. In the sitting room, as your eyes take in the ceiling height and the light flooding in from four generous, shuttered sash windows, you begin to notice the statement pieces in the room – the chic black leather sofa, the grand marble fireplace and the numerous artworks. And these are just the tip of the iceberg – there are treasures wherever you look. But the genius of this home is that in no way is it an assault on the senses, as every piece has its place. Each element has been carefully positioned with understanding, a lightness of touch and humour, and somehow the overall feeling is one of…

Anthony and Teresa Ralph devote their time and talents to bringing other people’s property dreams to life – they are the directors of TG Designer Homes. So when they found a beautiful plot in the Kent countryside, they leapt at the chance to create a unique rural retreat for themselves and their two children, Zac, 12, and Scarlet, 11. ‘Owning a second home was something we’d considered for many years and initially we thought of buying a property in Ibiza, but felt it was too far away and we wouldn’t benefit from it,’ says Anthony. ‘We live in a coastal town, so the idea of a countryside home really appealed to us.’ The couple bought the plot in the summer of 2016 on a subject-to-planning basis, so although there was…

With New York-style steel glazing, French wallpapers and a scheme that takes its colours from a Balinese painting, Jennyfer Stanley’s home reflects the places she visited before she and her husband, Tim Loo, settled in north London. ‘I love how the countries that have been part of my life are reflected in our London home,’ she says. Jennyfer used to work in finance before retraining in interior design, and the cities she has lived in include Singapore, Tokyo and New York. To add to the mix, Tim, strategy director at a digital design company, originally hails from Sydney. ‘Between us, we brought an international flavour to this project,’ says Jennyfer. The home she redesigned from scratch is a Twenties property and the couple live here with their children, Madeleine, 10,…

■ Juliet Travers, 020 7924 3883, juliettravers.com Beautiful hand-drawn designs made in the UK ■ House of Hackney, 020 7739 3273, houseofhackney.com Luxury iconic prints offering a unique way to decorate your home ■ Surface View, 0118 922 1327, surfaceview.co.uk For an incredible selection of inspiring murals and wallpapers ■ Mini Moderns, minimoderns.com An interiors brand specialising in applied pattern across a range of products, including wallpapers, fabrics, cushions and ceramics…

Back in 1988, newlyweds Vanessa and Richard Owen set sail from their native England for New Zealand. After a few long sojourns en route, they finally arrived at their destination six years later and have lived there ever since. It was their passion for sailing that drew the couple to the Te Puna Inlet 13 years ago. ‘We used to sail past it and stop to picnic on the beach,’ recalls Vanessa. ‘Then we discovered that a stretch of land was for sale, and knew we could create our dream home here.’ But rather than build a new property on the land, the pair had a more left-field idea. ‘We had a specific notion of our New Zealand nirvana, which entailed a beautiful Georgian-style house,’ explains Vanessa. ‘Of course, there…

Design ideas WALL MURAL Jennyfer Stanley has added a dramatic feature to her bedroom with a striking tree mural. Inspired by the natural world, this tasteful arboreal wallcovering creates a serene, restful feel. This idea suits a large room that is simply furnished and benefits from high ceilings and plenty of natural light. A great way to add character to your home, murals are an opportunity to let your imagination run wild and to add a sense of theatre and depth, so think about the mood you want to create and how you plan to use the room. A wealth of modern and traditional digitally printed wall murals are available to buy online. Many designs can be bought off-the-peg, or have your own design printed onto wallpaper. DISPLAY SHELVES Nothing…

After years of renting student accommodation with a mishmash of old furniture, Jonna and Matias Toukonen decided the time had come to buy a home of their own. ‘We wanted more freedom to renovate and do things our way, but we didn’t have time for a big renovation project,’ says Jonna. ‘We needed to live near the city centre for our jobs, but it also had to be affordable.’ The property they chose in Vaasa, Finland, was built in 1967 for Army staff and their families and ticked all the right boxes. ‘We loved the open-plan feel of it, and the huge windows that bring in lots of light,’ says Jonna. When it came to decorating, Jonna’s whimsical style had a chance to shine. ‘I love colours and unexpected details,…

Kerry Hussain decided to migrate from bustling north London to the leafy south when she fell for this spacious Edwardian flat near Greenwich. ‘When I viewed it, I loved its potential,’ says Kerry, who is an interiors stylist. ‘It had beautiful windows, high ceilings and original parquet floors. Although it was arranged as a one-bedroom property, it was actually bigger than the two-bedroom flat I had just sold, but it needed work because it had been a rental.’ Having renovated two previous properties, Kerry relished the challenge of taking on a new project. Her ambitious plans included moving the kitchen into the capacious sitting room to create a multipurpose open-plan living space and making a second bedroom of the former kitchen. To ensure her plans were achievable, Kerry enlisted builder…

A  A&A Architects aanda.uk.com Acquisitions acquisitions.co.uk Aga agaliving.com Airbnb airbnb.co.uk Alternative Flooring alternativeflooring.com Amara amara.com Amazon amazon.co.uk Andrew Jonathan Design andrewjonathan.design Andrew Martin andrewmartin.co.uk Annie Sloan anniesloan.com Another Country anothercountry.com Anthropologie anthropologie.com Ardingly International Antiques & Collectors Fair iacf.co.uk/ardingly Argos argos.co.uk Arighi Bianchi arighibianchi.co.uk Arte arte-international.com Arundel Bespoke arundelbespoke.co.uk Ascot Carpet Co ascotcarpetco.com Atkin and Thyme atkinandthyme.co.uk Aubergine Art aubergineart.co.uk B  B&Q diy.com Baked Earth bakedearth.co.uk Barker & Stonehouse barkerandstonehouse.co.uk Bedeck bedeckhome.com Benjamin Moore benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk Bensons For Beds bensonsforbeds.co.uk Bert & May bertandmay.com Bespoke Taps bespoketaps.com Best Heating bestheating.com Beswick Stone beswickstone.co.uk Biggie Best biggiebest.com Black by Design black-by-design.co.uk Blinds…

1 ON THE FRINGE Pendant, £350, Debenhams 2 GOLDEN GLITZ Motion pillowcase, from £25, Bedeck 3 MOTTLED STONE Marble clock, £49, Arighi Bianchi 4 PUT YOUR FEET UP Paloma footstool, £49, Cult Furniture 5 MIRROR, MIRROR Agate, £149, The French Bedroom Co 6 CHEERS TO THAT Fox & Ivy flute, £20 for four, Tesco 7 WHITE HOT RV Astley Vox table lamp, £192, Houseology 8 STOW AWAY Carraway side cabinet, £329, Marks & Spencer 9 SURFACE STYLE Farrugia dining table, £699, John Lewis 10 PLUSH TOUCH Joanna Buchanan velvet cushion, £134, Amara…

Sitting on the terrace of her home in the South of France, Catherine Macfadyen extols the virtues of a breathtaking view and remembers the day she first set eyes on the one before her. ‘Alasdair and I were looking for a site on which to build a new house. We decided that this view across a valley filled with pines and olives surrounded by mountains was hard to beat,’ Catherine explains. ‘It was also within walking distance of the village of Valbonne, which meant we would not need to drive home after a good night out. A building site near a village in the South of France is like gold dust. So we snapped it up.’ Alasdair is a long-haul pilot, so although both he and Catherine were born in…

For many years, Danish-born Puk Parsons and her husband, Sam, lived in a lodge on the family farm in Oxfordshire, which they had restored and where they had their three sons, William, now 16, Thomas, 13, and Humphrey, nine. Eventually, the time came for Sam to take over the running of the farm and they swapped houses with his parents, moving into their Cotswold stone farmhouse, together with the boys, dogs Yoko and Moss, and cats Birk and Ronja. ‘It was quite an operation, with the two removal vans we’d hired squeezing past each other in the narrow lanes,’ says Puk. Once in, making their mark was a slow process. The building was packed full of several generations of belongings, including furniture, paintings and china, not to mention an attic…

‘Search for properties via agencies and online. In rural areas, local knowledge can be helpful as well – visit cafés, bakeries or a post office in your chosen location and talk to the owners – you never know what information you may glean. In addition, in many countries, owners still sell properties or land directly without using an estate agency, so enquire about where you could find these listings. Study the buying process, especially if you need to sell a property in the UK first. The process may be more rigid than in the UK and you could incur a penalty and lose your deposit if things do not go to plan. Also speak to a mortgage specialist or a currency-exchange company, if you will require their services. Before you…

THE DATES 8-17 November 2018 15-24 November 2018 14-23 February 2019 THE PRICE From £1,925pp* including all accommodation; most meals, with the majority being taken in selected local restaurants; drinking water provided; all transport – you will be using mini-coaches which are comfortable, have large windows and are fully air-conditioned; pre-tour talk and Q&A with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel author Deborah Moggach; all excursions and fees as detailed in the itinerary; full services of a Wild Frontiers Tour Leader, working alongside local guides and drivers HOW TO BOOK Call 020 8185 7500 Quote ref TSINDIA 25beautifulhomes.tripsmiths.com/marigoldtour25BH *Single supplement £475. If you are travelling alone and would prefer not to pay the single supplement, Wild Frontiers will pair you a member of the same…

1 SIDE SHOW Dell’Anna sideboard, £2,880, Oficina Inglesa 2 ALL HUNG UP Abigail Ahern pendant, £350, Debenhams 3 LITTLE LUXURY Percy footstool in Sloe Matt velvet, £220, Sofa.com 4 SNUGGLE UP Fable Charbagh throw, £195, Bedeck 5 FILL WITH BLOOMS Finbarr vase, £50, Dartington Crystal 6 LIGHT TOUCH Voyage Elemental glass candle, £25, Hurn & Hurn 7 MUSICAL NOTE Ultimate Ears Wonderboom speaker, £89, Ao.com 8 TREAD SOFTLY Crocus blackberry mat, £49.95, RHS Collection at Turtle Mat 9 AMBIENT CHOICE Golden Circles table lamp and Burgundy shade, £34.50, The Farthing 10 EASY ELEGANCE Trafalgar Velvet Grand sofa, £1,699, DFS…

Self-confessed ‘serial doer-upper’ Catherine Williams had been keeping an anxious eye on the property market when her husband, Matthew, suggested a trip to his home town of Bedford. ‘I’d just had our third child, and we were starting to feel very hemmed in at home,’ explains Catherine. ‘But we’d left it slightly too long to sell our house and found we were priced out of our local area of Tooting in south London. When Matthew told me about this lovely road in Bedford, which was full of Victorian houses, we went to take a look around. It was gorgeous and I could instantly see us living there.’ The couple viewed a period property on the same street that Matthew had in mind and fell in love with it, but it…

After the company Rob Landeweerd worked for as a head hunter was taken over in 2006, he decided to heed the same advice he had given to others so many times. ‘I often told clients that getting fired was a good thing as it meant fresh horizons,’ he says. ‘The time had come, I realised, to try something new myself.’ For Rob, now an interior designer, and his partner, Jeroen, this meant spending more time in Italy. The couple had enjoyed visiting the region of Umbria for 20 years. ‘We fell for the village of Città della Pieve the first time we saw it,’ says Rob. ‘It’s unspoilt, with beautiful views and within striking distance of Perugia, Assisi and Siena.’ There was one particular 16th-century farmhouse on the village outskirts…

‘Assemble the right team. It’s vital to find an architect who understands your vision, and a builder you can work well with. Word of mouth can help you find the best “fit”. Consider using a planning consultant. The National Planning Policy Framework set out by the government in 2012 encourages sustainable development, so organic builds are likely to be favoured. This is especially important if your planned organic build is located within a National Park or conservation area. An experienced planning consultant will be familiar with the likely snags and pitfalls at a local level, and can help save you time and money. Opt for traditional designs and materials, seeking inspiration from local vernacular architecture. Do some research into older building styles, too, and use local, recycled materials wherever possible,…

‘Don’t be afraid to paper all the walls in a room and even go as far as papering the ceiling, too. Support independent artists and look out for bespoke wallpaper and fabric designs that have been created from unique hand drawings and paintings. If you prefer a more neutral colour scheme but want to work in some pattern or give a room depth, try incorporating textured wallpaper. Framed wallpaper panels make a confident statement without taking over an entire room. Use the same pattern for soft furnishings to bring the scheme together. Wallpaper patterns that replicate exposed brickwork or timber strips can add texture to homes that don’t have original features. Wall murals featuring classical architecture or city landscapes are a fabulous way to create a feature wall. Historically themed…

Sally Ross had always dreamt of owning a house in the leafy borough of Richmond as she passed through on her way to work. ‘I never thought I could afford to live there, but I came across an old worker’s cottage for sale at a price that was within my reach,’ recalls Sally. ‘The compromise was that it was just 10 feet in width at its widest point.’ However, Sally, who is an upholsterer, grabbed the chance to buy a house in this area of southwest London. Although she embarked on a redecoration programme, Sally held off from any major refurbishment until she had the funds in place to proceed. ‘I eventually applied for planning permission for a second storey extension, but was turned down, which was a set back.’…

Lolita and Peter Colenso had both led busy lives before they had children, working in international development abroad. And when they decided to put down some roots, they wanted a family home somewhere fun and close to London. Brighton was perfect, but they soon outgrew the Victorian villa which was their first home. With two children, Louis, now 13, and Lara, 10, the couple began looking for somewhere new to live. ‘We were searching for a quirky home, and those aren’t easy to find,’ says Lolita. ‘But it was as if the chapel was waiting for us.’ The place was far from perfect, with a poky kitchen and small bedrooms. Yet Lolita, an interior designer, felt that with clever planning and styling she could sympathetically transform the unique building into…

For most of the year, home for Sophie Garnier is a rooftop apartment in hectic, colourful Yangon in Myanmar, where she collaborates with local artisans on designs for her homewares brand, Kalinko. But every few months she jumps on a plane and heads back to London to her apartment in the basement of a stucco-clad townhouse. RELAXED ATMOSPHERE ‘As I slide the key in the door I breathe deeply, because after Myanmar, London feels so peaceful,’ says Sophie. From the pigeon-grey hall with its cheerful prints, the light-filled corridor draws your eye to the greenery of the garden, which, at 60 feet long, was the reason why Sophie and her husband Ralph (who also works in Myanmar) bought the place. The garden aside, there were few redeeming features. ‘The ceilings…