Indholdsfortegnelse for Sep-2018 i Homes & Gardens

As many readers may know, next year will be our 100th birthday, and for some months we’ve been planning how we are going to celebrate this milestone. Looking through past issues, it’s been incredible to see the changes that have taken place, not just in the magazine itself but in our ideas about colour, fabric, furnishings, what makes a wonderful home, and so many other elements of our passion for the rooms and spaces we create around us. That idea of change has been particularly meaningful for me as I’ve been going through back issues, weighing our many achievements from the past against all those to come. I have my own big changes to make, too – after 14 wonderful years as Editor of Homes & Gardens , this will…

PLUGGED IN For beautifully-crafted switches, dimmers and sockets finished in copper, smoked gold, black or white, look no further than Dowsing & Reynolds, 0113 819 9985, dowsingandreynolds.com. Each piece is designed with affordability in mind and prices start at just £9.99 for the minimalist tapered knob. BRANCHING OUT Introducing Celerie Kemble’s debut lighting collection for Arteriors, 020 7929 8015, arteriorshome.com, launching this September. The admired interior designer has mixed natural materials with sleek metals, showcasing her refined yet playful style. We love the Calla sconce (shown), H68.58xW38.1cm, £510. NEUTRAL GROUND The fresh and timeless style of Salvesen Graham paired with the technical know how of designer Jennifer Manners, 020 3648 865, jennifermanners.co.uk, brings us Scallop, a rug made from fine New Zealand wool. Prices start at £1,490 for the 240x…

Can you tell us a little bit about your background? Rowena: I studied history of art at Bristol, then did an MA at the Courtauld Institute based around 19th-century European art. After that I worked at galleries specialising in British art, including Agnews and The Fine Art Society. Tobias: I studied history of art at Cambridge. When I left I worked for an interior designer in London and realised I loved having a brief and transforming spaces, so I started my own interior consultancy. How did the concept for 8 Holland Street come about? Tobias: We met through a friend, and although we had very different backgrounds we both have an appreciation of fine art and found pieces. I was sourcing art for clients, and was in and out of…

On New Year’s Eve 2013, interior architect and designer Cate Watts made the bold resolution to move to Ibiza. Even more radically, she actually made it happen. ‘I had worked in London for 20 years and I just needed to get away,’ she says. Six months later, she had sold her house and was living on the island with her two children, then aged seven and nine. UNEXPECTED CHOICE Some of Cate’s friends expressed surprise at her chosen destination. ‘Ibiza is associated with partying, but it really has so much to offer. The landscape and the changing seasons are beautiful, and winter is especially magical,’ she says. Another big draw was the island’s cosmopolitan atmosphere, and the open-minded attitude of its people. This provided a gentle introduction to life in…

WHITES FOR WINTER To sustain a white theme throughout the winter, keep the look classically smart with immaculate white-painted furniture, topiary spirals and balls, and an avenue of pleached trees, such as small-leaved Tilia cordata (limes) or Acer campestre (field maples). Add the scented white flowers of Sarcococca confusa (sweet box) to perfume the cold January and February air. For a bench similar to the one shown here, try the Alexander Rose Roble Santa Cruz bench (alexander-rose.co.uk), or the bespoke range from Britannic Furniture, britannicfurniture.co.uk. CONTRASTING BACKDROPS Enhance a white garden with cream and beige-toned walls, paving and gravel to complement the purity of the planting scheme. Hard elements in these tones maintain the pale colour theme and provide a subtle contrast to the white flowers; white materials may seem…

Can you describe the project? It’s a stunning barn in rural Essex, made even more beautiful by the current owners, who have completely overhauled the original conversion. A crucial element of the renovations was the creation of this open-plan kitchen-diner. The old kitchen was in a small galley-style room next door, which is now a boot room/utility. Relocating the kitchen allowed the family, who have two school-age children, to make better use of the impressive, vaulted space. How did the beams affect the design? The timbers from the original 16th-century barn are, of course, the main attraction. Attempting to make the kitchen compete for attention would have been a mistake – instead, the kitchen counteracts the busyness of the beams. Cabinets from Neptune’s Chichester range, with a suitably traditional feel,…

Can you describe the project? This is a five-bedroom Tudor-inspired property in Hertfordshire that we altered considerably to create a characterful home. One of the major changes was a large kitchen extension with an adjoining everyday living room, pictured here, connecting the kitchen to the dining room. The client originally wanted to have a seating area in the kitchen, but we felt this would compromise the proportions of the island and dining table. As a result, this family space was born, with pocket doors at either end keeping the space flexible so that it can be shut off or used as part of the kitchen. Did this room present any challenges? Because this is essentially a walk-through space, the main challenge was to make a comfortable room, complete with a…

FURNITURE Salvesen Graham bench, £1,520 plus fabric, David Seyfried, davidseyfried.com. Bureaux, £1,529 each; Bamboo Petal chair, £1,189, all Chelsea Textiles, chelseatextiles.com. FABRICS Headboard in Seaweed Lace, £190m, Soane, soane.co.uk. Canopy in Yellow Wicker; lined in Plain cotton, both £110m, Fermoie, fermoie.com. Bedspread in Duchess Paisley, £240m, de Le Cuona, delecuona.com. Bench in Casse-noisette by Décors Barbares, £250m; wall lamp shades in Sultan’s Suzanni by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, £272m, both Tissus d’Hélène, tissusdhelene.co.uk. ACCESSORIES Suzani cushion, £185, Pentreath & Hall, pentreath-hall.com. Ava cushion, £125, Jennifer Manners, jennifermanners.co.uk. Similar table lamps, Luty, £135; Empire shades, £50 each, all Pooky, pooky.com. Wall lamps, £306 each; Empire shades, £155 each, plus fabric, Vaughan Designs, vaughandesigns.com. FLOORING Pebble rug, £1,490, Jennifer Manners, jennifermanners.co.uk. Sisal bouclé, £73sq m, Crucial Trading, crucial-trading.com. WALLS Stone V architects matt,…

“Inspired by colourful, abstract artwork, the garden evokes a feeling of abundance and sensuality.” What brief did the owner give you? The property belongs to an art lover who wanted to have a parterre in this part of the garden, one that was inspired by Marc Quinn’s paintings of big, colourful, abstract flowers. The garden would be visible from the orangerie, and also from a raised terrace close to the house, which meant that the parterre has to look good from all sides. The owner hosts summer parties here, so she wanted the parterre to be particularly beautiful during that season. How did you interpret the brief? Marc Quinn’s paintings are so bright and extravagant, they create a sensory overload, and I wanted the garden to evoke this lush feeling…

• When it comes to traditional panelling, there are many styles available to suit the age of the house and personal taste. Some incorporate a richer effect, such as hand-carved friezes and pilasters, others have a traditional aged and polished finish, and some, such as the Tudor linenfold, are highly decorative. • It is entirely personal, but a typical approach would be to match the style of the panelling to the period of a house. Georgian houses, with their high ceilings, typically suit full-height panelling featuring simple rectangular shapes. Houses dating from the 16th and 17th century will tend to favour panelling made up of smaller squares. A cottage, meanwhile, might suit plank and muntin walls, a technique that uses large oak beams as a frame with oak panelling in…

The House Clinic service is free to all Homes & Gardens subscribers. There is a £12 fee per query for non-subscribers, who must send their query and payment by post. EMAIL Subscribers, send your query, subscriber number and address to hgcontactus@ti-media.com. POST Send your query, subscriber number or payment and an SAE to Homes & Gardens, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP. Please make cheques/postal orders payable to TI Media Limited. We are unable to answer more than one question per reader each month. Celia Rufey can also help you create an individual design for any room in your home, with ideas for colours, fabrics, paint, wallcoverings and flooring. For full details, visit our Facebook page at bit.ly/2e5tpsu .…

HARISSA & MAPLE SYRUP ROASTED BABY CARROTS WITH PISTACHIOS Serves 4 The combination of spicy harissa with sweet maple syrup can’t be beaten. 3tbsp maple syrup 3tbsp harissa 2tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed ¼tsp salt 600g peeled baby carrots 50g unsalted shelled pistachio nuts, coarsely ground • Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/ Gas 7 while you prepare the carrots. • Stir the maple syrup, harissa, olive oil, garlic and salt together in a large bowl. Add the carrots, then toss until well coated in the maple syrup and harissa mixture. • Spread the carrots out in a roasting tin, cover the tin with foil and roast for 20 minutes until tender. • Remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes to allow the…

Amid ancient woodland, gardens and meadows, you’ll find this beautiful Georgian family home lovingly restored. Heckfield Place opens its doors this September and redefines the idea of a modern luxury hotel. Designer Ben Thompson has honoured the house’s history with Persian carpets and antique furnishings, while the owners’ collection of paintings adorns the walls. Stroll around the grounds to see how this country haven is committed to sustainability. Each day the Home Farm provides fruit, vegetables, honey and fresh flowers for the restaurants and rooms. TAKE IT HOME…

We love this abstract table sculpture, not only for its striking shape and pleasing lines but also for its accessible price tag.…

How would you describe your Instagram account? It’s my diary – a mixture of dream and real life, of books and flowers, of baking and gardening. I’m forever drawn to the poetry of the simple things and the way nature wraps it all up in the most beautiful way. Who would you recommend we follow and why? @hildemork78 is one of my favourites, she’s the epitome of slow living, of gestures and light. I look to @melgaarden to discover the intricacies of Melgaarden Manor and I follow @ophelieskitchenbook for a focus on food. Her account captures all that revolves around food and is full of images of inviting Sunday gatherings and evocative settings around the kitchen.…

From her studio in New England, Frances Palmer has been making textured ceramics since 1987. Each handmade piece is functional and beautiful, including the vases that she makes for the many flowers she grows herself. Dahlias, the blooms she is most passionate about, take centre stage. Frances tells us more. “I began making ceramics soon after I had a baby. I’d gone to college to become a printmaker, but I loved the academic side too, so I ended up with a degree in art history, which I am so glad about now, as I use it every day of my life. I got married, had a baby soon after and set up home in Connecticut, in the dead of winter. I did not know anyone locally, my husband was away…

With its leaded windows, gently undulating roofline, white painted wood balconies and weathered shingle façade, this fine house standing among the sand dunes of the East Hamptons might, be one of a number of late 19th-century homes that help to make this part of the world such a highly desirable place to live. The house is, in fact, a new structure completed in 2011. It’s the much-cherished summer home of the McCain family and was built on the site of a house that they had bought some years earlier. LAID-BACK LIVING ‘We were drawn to this neighbourhood because of its casual feel, and strong sense of beach community,’ Melissa McCain explains, adding that she and her husband, Sean, had decided to buy the run-down Seventies property that originally stood here…

TROY SCOTT SMITH, head gardener, Sissinghurst Castle Garden, where Vita Sackville-West created her famous White Garden; nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden . Which plants would you choose to create a white flowerbed? I would use bulbs such as Narcissus ‘Thalia’, the tulip ‘White Triumphator’ and Allium neapolitanum Cowanii Group for early interest, together with Lunaria annua (honesty), which has late-spring flowers followed by papery seedheads. Cosmos and Chamaenerion angustifolium ‘Album’ (white rosebay willowherb) offer summer blooms, and the Japanese anemone, Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’, and the white aster, Symphyotrichum pilosum var. pringlei, will flower throughout late summer and autumn. Can you recommend some late-flowering white roses? At Sissinghurst, we use the fragrant shrub rose, ‘Iceberg’, which flowers in summer and again in early autumn, and the small rambler, ‘Princess of Nassau’; its stems of…

CABINETRY The Chichester kitchen, painted in Shell externally and Shingle internally, £23,000, Neptune, neptune.com. Construction and project management, Olde English Contracts, oldeenglish.co.uk. SURFACES Worktops in Bianco Massa quartz with polished finish, £3,650; splashback in Kennet marble tiles, £148sq m; Abbotsbury Limestone floor tiles, tumbled finish, £80sq m, all Neptune, neptune.com. APPLIANCES Delphi 1100 XG induction range cooker, £5,279, Britannia, britannialiving.co.uk. LB75564GB 70cm canopy extractor, £309; SN678D10TG integrated dishwasher, £919; KI81RAD30 integrated full-height larder fridge, £1,139; GI38NA55GB integrated full-height freezer, £1,269, all Siemens, siemens-home.bsh-group.com. Wi6232 Dual Zone wine cooler, £1,159, Caple, caple.co.uk. SINKS & TAPS Villeroy & Boch double ceramic Farmhouse 80 sink, £435, Neptune, neptune.com. Fusion Round PRO3 boiling water tap in brushed chrome, £1,240, Quooker, quooker.co.uk. FINISHING TOUCHES Shoreditch high-back bar stools in Hugo Spelt, £330 each; Harrogate 12-seater dining…

FURNITURE Sofa, armchair, ottoman and dining chairs, all Studio Duggan, studioduggan.com. Fitted joinery, Paragon Design, paragondesignjoinery.com. FABRICS Sofa in Mayan Mix in Driftwood, around £131.70m, Robert Allen at Simon Playle, simonplayle.com. Armchair in Simply Chevron linen in Old Brick, £89m, Shelia Coombes at Brian Yates, brian-yates.co.uk. Ottoman in Lustria in Sienna, £118.50m; herringbone cushions in Renishaw in Mulberry, £105m, both Marvic Textiles, marvictextiles.co.uk. Patterned cushions in Kemble Reversible in Red, £126.50m, Blithfield, blithfield.co.uk. Red velour cushions in Saga, £88m, Zimmer + Rohde, zimmer-rohde.com. Cushion (on chair) in Sinclair in Beige, £110m, Colefax and Fowler, colefax.com. Dining chairs in Odessa in Orange, £140m, Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam, nicholashaslam.com. SURFACES Limestone flooring, £170sq m (including installation), Stone of London, stoneoflondon.com. ACCESSORIES TriplePascha light by FrauMaier, £329, Furniture File, furniturefile.co.uk. Quatrefoil floor…

What was your brief? The client, a professional couple with one child, wanted a relaxing, atmospheric bathroom with colour and lots of interesting surfaces. They were desperate to avoid what they called ‘the developer look’, where every surface is tiled. It needed to resemble another living room. The couple love darker, moodier spaces, hence the leading purple shade that complements the natural greens visible outside. How did the project begin? This is a four-bedroom Edwardian home in Surrey, and it seriously deserved a bigger family bathroom. So we repositioned it at the back of the property. Here it looks onto the garden which is very private, so the window could be left unobscured. We took services from an adjacent cloakroom, and replaced the modern window with an Edwardian design to…

1| Thuja plicata (cedar hedges) 2| Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ (catnip) 3| Hakonechloa macra 4| Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ (coneflower) 5| Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ (Chinese fountain grass) 6| Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ 7| Sanguisorba menziesii (burnet) 8| Amelanchier lamarckii (snowy mespilus) 9| Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Silberspinne’ (Chinese silver grass) 10| Helianthus salicifolius (willow-leaved sunflower) 11| Buxus sempervirens (box hedging) 12| Verbena bonariensis 13| Baptisia australis (false Indigo) 14| Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster) 15| Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ 16| Geranium pratense ‘Mrs Kendall Clark’ 17| Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane) 18| Astrantia ‘Roma’…

• Many of the rooms that we design include panelling. It has aesthetic as well as practical benefits. Often, you might think of panelling in the library of a grand country house, but it has more informal uses, too. Historically, from Georgian times onwards, the working areas of houses would often have wainscotting – a simple form of tongue-and-groove panelling – to protect the walls and, today, the same approach can be used in boot rooms and laundry rooms. Panelling can also be a useful way of straightening up wonky walls or hiding essential services such as pipes and cables. • Panelling is a useful way of introducing warmth and character to a room – there is something cosy about being surrounded by wood. Panel mouldings are used to create…

There’s no finer way to experience the wonders of Italy than on our new eight-day Ultimate Italy cruise, sailing from Rome down the coast to Sicily in spring next year. Plus who better to enjoy it with – including all the foodie highlights – than the charismatic chef and restaurateur Aldo Zilli. Aldo Zilli is best known for his successful restaurants, including Signor Zilli and seafood specialist Zilli Fish. Born in Abruzzo, Aldo will be passing on his knowledge and insights on Italian food during this exclusive trip. We’ve partnered with tall-ship cruise specialist Star Clippers and you’ll be sailing on the spectacular 439ft Royal Clipper – the pride of its fleet. It is the largest full-rigged sailing ship in the world and includes modern facilities (including three swimming pools),…

A Abbott+Boyd, 020 3096 9772, abbottandboyd.co.uk. Amara, 0800 587 7645, amara.com. Amazon, amazon.co.uk. Andrew Martin, 020 7225 5100, andrewmartin.co.uk. Anthropologie, 0800 0026 8476, anthropologie.com. Artisanna London, 07802 535789, artisannalondon.com. Atkin & Thyme, 020 3768 7775, atkinandthyme.co.uk. Atrafloor, 01513 057376, atrafloor.com. B Barker and Stonehouse, 0333 355 9321, barkerandstonehouse.co.uk. Blithfield, 020 7460 6454, blithfield.co.uk. Brian Yates, 01524 35035, brian-yates.co.uk. C C&C Milano, 020 7751 4554, cec-milano.com. Calligaris, 020 3129 3300, calligaris.co.uk. Cassandra Ellis, cassandraellis.co.uk. Charlotte Gaisford, 01434 689 583, charlottegaisford.co.uk. Christopher Farr Cloth, 020 7349 0888, christopherfarrcloth.com. Cole & Son, 020 8442 8844, cole-and-son.com. Colefax and Fowler, 020 7244 7427, colefax.com. Collier Webb, 020 7373 8888, collierwebb.com. Cologne & Cotton, 0845 262 2212, cologneandcotton.com. Contemporary Applied Arts, 020 7436 2344, caa.org.uk. Coromandel Crewel, 0118 979 6222, coromandel.co.uk. Crucial Trading, 01562 743747,…

The hotel has six distinctive room types, including a two-bedroom cottage within the grounds, with prices starting at £350 for a room. Luxuriate in The Little Bothy, a spa with five treatment rooms, steam and relaxation rooms. Stroll though acres of parkland and find the arboretum planted by horticulturist William Wildsmith. Enjoy a meal at Hearth or Marle, both restaurants overseen by culinary director Skye Gyngell. Heckfield Place, Hampshire RG27 0LD, 0118 932 6868, heckfieldplace.com.…

1 | Sleek, modern Scandinavian design. Pause counter chair in light blue, H85xW46x D48cm, £399, Woud at Future and Found, 020 7267 4772, futureandfound.com. 2 | Print of a ceramicist’s watercolour. Study for Tile, Red Hibiscus, 86x61cm, £225 framed, Claudia Rankin at The Shop Floor Project, 01229 584537, theshopfloorproject.com. 3 | Perfect for giving soft furnishings an edge. Filippa tape, £68.40m, Schumacher at Turnell & Gigon, 020 7259 7280, turnellandgigon.com. 4 | Lighting the way with an artistic flourish. Painted ceramic pendant, L25xDia35.6cm, £178, Anthropologie, 0800 0026 8476, anthropologie.com. 5 | Making a statement with a pretty design. Claude armchair, H83xW66xD75cm, £2,125, plus 7.5m of Indira fabric in Teal, £59m, Jane Churchill, both Colefax and Fowler, 020 8874 6484, colefax.com. 6 I The beauty of simple form and function. Blue…

Combining antiques and family heirlooms with modern pieces is a good recipe in both town and country homes. Working with rustic and refined pieces, you can achieve a look that is both classical and modern. This room, a retreat from the busy world, offers a space for quiet contemplation with a favourite book, or a place to gather with friends for an informal meal. The cool green palette is restful on the eye with added interest provided by skilful use of pattern. An assortment of bold patterns mix well in this large, open family room. A striking red wallpaper design works thanks to the calming influence of white painted skirting, window frame and a large white cupboard. The contrasting blue geometric-patterned vinyl floor and small accents of yellow add to…

JO THOMPSON MSGD, Jo Thompson Landscape & Garden Design, jothompsongarden-design.co.uk . What type of water feature would you include in a white garden? I would use a dark grey pool, made from lead-effect fibreglass or grey stone. This will contrast with white flowers and silver leaves, while the dark colour will create reflections. Which white aquatic plants would you recommend? My favourites include Iris ‘Her Highness’, which is about hip-height and has pure white flowers with a flash of gold on the petals. Match this with the dainty pom-pom blooms of Sagittaria sagittifolia var. leucopetala ‘Flore Pleno’ (Japanese arrowhead), Baldellia ranunculoides (lesser water plantain), with its mauve-white flowers, and Carex grayi (mace sedge), which sports grassy foliage and unusual spiky white blooms. How can you create white reflective effects in the…

COPPER CONTINUES TO REIGN Forget taps and sinks, now built-in ovens are getting the copper treatment. Following discreet copper trim details from the likes of Smeg and De Dietrich, Italian brand Bertazzoni is taking no prisoners with its new Modern collection, which includes this all-out copper oven, F6011MODVTX, priced from £1,800. Contact 01244 987366, uk.bertazzoni.com GO TO TOWN Five new colours have been added to the Metropolitan collection by Caesarstone, 0800 158 8088, caesarstone.co.uk. With industrial shades inspired by concrete and burnished metals, highlights include 4046 Excava, with rusty copper tones, and the terrazzo-led 4601 Frozen Terra. Prices start from £300sq m. A KITCHEN WITH COOL Charlie Smallbone and his wife Sue have joined forces with six designers from the talented team at deVOL to create Elemental, a shared vision…

Nicole, can you describe the space? This is the master bedroom in my own home, a Victorian terrace in south London. Until recently, the house had been used as an architect’s practice, with the bedroom serving as an office. We plan to do considerable work to the building at a later stage, but this first phase involved redecorating the rooms to make them feel welcoming and comfortable, while being mindful of the budget. We also wanted the interiors to have a natural feel to reflect the leafy location of the house. What was your approach to the look of this room? We were keen to reuse pieces from my previous home, although I was conscious that the rooms here are much larger and so some things needed rescaling. The half-tester…

FITTINGS Matki EauZone wet room panel, 80cm wide, £681.60; Matki EauZone wet room panel, 90cm wide, £700.80; Bisque Classic towel rail radiator in Anthracite, £774; Matki Universal 40 Colour shower tray, 120x90cm, £379.20; Keuco Royal integral illuminated mirror cabinet, £2,894.64, all CP Hart, cphart.co.uk. Bespoke double vanity unit lacquered in Farrow & Ball’s Brassica with Cararra marble top, £4,000, Susan Venn Design, susanvenn.com. Malia freestanding bath, £1,850; Logic concealed dual control shower, £400; Logic wall-mounted round shower rose, £250; Logic wall-mounted three-hole bath filler, £275; Logic wall-mounted three-hole basin mixers, £250 each, all Fired Earth, firedearth.com. Building work and installation by Acer Developments, acerdevelopments.com. SURFACES Hessian Nero porcelain floor tiles, from £41.93sq m; Monastir Dove matt chevron glazed wall tiles, £57.39sq m, both Mandarin Stone, mandarinstone.com. Elitis Eldorado vinyl wallpaper,…

FRIEZE FRAME For a rustic, homespun feel, clad walls in irregular-width planks and paint on decorative details. Using the same mustard yellow for the faux dado rail border and the stencilled frieze helps to bring the space together. CAPE COD COOL Weathertight shiplap has long been popular in areas with harsh climates – particularly the north-east coast of the States – but used inside it creates a light, informal space resonate of beaches and summer sun, as demonstrated in this scheme by Stephen Graver, stephengraver.com. FALSE PRETENCES Instead of the real thing, opt for a wallpaper such as this design by Andrew Martin, andrewmartin.co.uk. The intricate grain details and clever use of shading create an authentic wood panelling look ideal for a more contemporary setting. “Dado-height wall panelling adds the…

WHICH FABRIC WILL COMPLEMENT MY CURTAINS? Our barn sitting room has natural linen curtains and I’d like new seating upholstered in fabric with a similar linen coloured ground and a raised pattern that introduces colour. Can you help me find fabric like that? PJ, Buckland, Oxfordshire. Mulberry Home, 020 7351 7760, gpjbaker.com, has several significant designs on a linen ground with the design element in an alternative yarn and colour. Most dramatic is Rain Dance FD768, £159m (above), with three colourways offering the best match with your curtains. Imagine it covering a statement sofa, with chairs in plain linens picking up colours from the design. Also look at Fiesta Stripe FD769, with its fine multicolour broken lines, £98m, in four colourways, and Animal Magic FD764, £115m, a multicolour take on…

DAY 1 FLY TO ROME You’ll fly direct from London to Rome, where you could opt for a two-night pre-stay. This is the home of St Peter’s and the Sistine Chapel; the Spanish Steps, leading up from the Piazza di Spagna; plus two of the Roman Empire’s architectural marvels – the Pantheon and the Colosseum. You’ll then board your luxury home for the next seven nights, the Royal Clipper, the world’s largest full-rigged sailing ship. DAY 2 PONZA & PALMAROLA Today we’ll disembark in the delightful, unspoilt town of Ponza, one of the beautiful Pontine Islands off the Italian coast. Behind its busy harbour – home to sleek yachts and old-fashioned fishing boats – lie rows of pretty, pastel-coloured houses on charming streets. Our next stop, the spectacular and largely…