Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2019 i Homes & Gardens

It is a pleasure to unveil this April issue of Homes & Gardens. It includes our biannual edit of the latest fabrics and wallpapers, which this season is themed around the creative industries (page 45). The inspiration behind each image is a craft, from woodwork to writing, in order to emphasise the trend of the maker. Texture is another key theme for SS19, with raw finishes and unusual materials playing a role. There has been a shift in colour confidence, too, evidenced by the strong hues that have come to the fore. I hope you enjoy our whimsical story; it has an optimistic, bold spirit – and proves that there is room for a little fun. With the advent of spring it is also time to look outside. So, together…

Q Have you always been a creative person? My interest in woodworking came in my mid-teens when I began designing and making speakers. I loved it and took it very seriously, but as a business it was a definite loss-leader. My parents are both laid-back and were very good at letting my sister Ottalie and I follow our passions rather than pushing us in any direction. → Q Was furniture design always something that you were interested in? My dad has a small antiques auction house, which I started going to when I was young. I loved the buzz of auction days and it was there that I started to appreciate the beauty of certain pieces. After leaving school, I did an apprenticeship with a family friend who makes furniture.…

The writer  Enveloped by a serene landscape wallcovering, this room with a view is the perfect place for quiet contemplation. The carpenter Many of the new SS19 fabrics and wallpapers laud the natural and textural beauty of wood. The architect As Bauhaus celebrates its centenary, the design world is inspired to celebrate the aesthetics of the movement and its love for clean lines and architectural curves. The artist A painter’s studio sets the scene for a private viewing of vivid designs with a soft impressionistic feel and painterly marks. The seamstress  Using a play on fabric templates, we delight in designs that have their eye firmly on stitching, embroidery, weaves and tailoring. The illustrator  Hand-drawn lines are everywhere this season and they will bring an easy-to-live-with artistic style to any…

UGENTO  This quintessentially Puglian town is well worth leaving the hotel to explore. Alongside sun-drenched piazzas, there are a number of tempting pizzerias and a converted Franciscan monastery that now serves as a museum of local archaeology. BEACHES  The hotel is only a couple of kilometres from the coast, so a dose of sea and sand isn’t far away. Torre Mozza and Torre San Giovanni boast white sand and azure water, and a number of buzzy beach clubs are on hand to provide wine-fuelled lunches. COOKERY SCHOOL  Don’t leave without taking a class at the Puglia Culinary Centre, a part of the Castello complex. A professional cookery academy for full-time students, the centre also welcomes guests of the hotel to learn the secrets of the region’s gastronomy.…

I owe my imagination and curiosity to my family. My mother read us the most amazing magical stories from all round the globe and my father is an inventor, so we were exposed to a great combination of creativity and science. I started out working in fashion and creative consultancy, before changing direction and setting up my own studio, which I share with my illustrator and animator twin brother Jonny, in 2014. Although I’m all about blending contemporary design with a sense of nostalgia, our wallpapers always start with a strong concept. Once that idea is in place, we hand paint all the motifs in gouache on paper. These are scanned and worked into designs on the computer, then tweaked endlessly before finally being digitally printed onto our textile wallcovering.…

After almost 30 years of designing interiors for other people, Louise Bradley knew exactly how she wanted her new London home to look – and feel. For Louise, who shares her home with her two miniature dachshunds, Bebe and Ellie, it had to be a place ‘that reflected the way I want to live’, where she could close the front door and be ‘transported away from city life’. Despite her clear brief, Louise admits that she would make a demanding client, as it took her almost three years to find the right property. ‘There was something wrong with every place I looked at,’ says Louise, who grew up in the capital. ‘It might be that the back of the house was overlooked by other properties. In others, the drawing room…

Having spent many years visiting a friend living in a quintessentially beautiful Cotswold village, Annabel and Guy Passey had begun to hanker after a country bolthole of their own. ‘We lived in London, and Guy had never lived anywhere else,’ says Annabel. ‘I was hoping a place in the countryside to escape to now and then would introduce him slowly to the idea of actually moving out full time.’ Her plan worked a treat as the couple and their three young children Darcey, five, Finley, three, and baby Rafe now live in the very village they had visited for so many years. Unwilling to settle for anywhere other than this idyllic spot, the family kept a keen eye out for any properties coming onto the market. ‘It was rare that…

“MY FAVOURITE PLANTS ARE THE HERITAGE DAFFODILS, INCLUDING NARCISSUS ‘MEGGINCH’, PLANTED BY SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS OF MY FAMILY”Catherine Drummond-Herdman The 300-acre estate of Megginch sits on the poetically named Carse of Gowrie, eight miles east of Perth. At its heart lies the castle, looking like a picture from a storybook, complete with fairytale turrets. The surrounding grounds have evolved slowly, starting with a number of ancient yews, which were reputedly planted over 1,000 years ago by monks who once lived in a monastery on the site. ‘It is one of the magical things about Megginch,’ says Catherine Drummond-Herdman, ‘that people have resided here for such an incredibly long time.’ Catherine was living in London with her husband Giles and their four children when she inherited the estate from her mother Cherry…

DARK MAGIC Move away from the traditional white-painted look and take a bolder step by framing windows with solid dark-painted shutters instead. They will add an instant focal point to the room, making a feature out of the period details (and are also a good way of detracting attention from an otherwise dreary view). The dark colour can then be echoed through accents in the room’s furniture. Pairing the dark colour with white window woodwork will emphasise large windows – a particularly effective technique when there is only one window in the room as it helps draw the eye to the light. When choosing solid-wood shutters, always consider what they will look like when closed too. HIGH NOTE With a small window, shutters are a good alternative where the fabric…

“I USE STONE IN A LOT OF MY DESIGNS, AS IT WILL LAST FOREVER. SOME MAY DEEM IT AN EXPENSIVE PURCHASE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING YOU WILL ONLY DO ONCE, THEREFORE IT’S WORTH THE OUTLAY” GARDEN DESIGNER Kate Gould…

DESIGNER David Sant, Martin Moore, 0845 180 0015, martinmoore.com. THE PROPERTY A six-bedroom Victorian detached house in north London. DESIGN BRIEF Having struggled with a narrow galley kitchen, the owners of this kitchen wanted the new design to be functional – they had plans to entertain on a large scale – and look impressive. DIMENSIONS 10x6m LAYOUT ‘Building such a big extension was all about creating a party space, but we had to be mindful not to overfill it with cabinetry,’ says designer David Sant. ‘With the new room being glazed on two sides, a central layout made the most sense.’ Installing a new chimney breast helped to create a focal point and places the cook at the centre of the action. ‘Keeping the kitchen to one side of the…

DESIGNER Ruth Milne, Studio Milne, 07787 570349, studiomilne.co.uk. THE PROPERTY A five-bedroom Georgian terraced house in east London. DESIGN BRIEF A calm and timeless space was the goal for this guest bathroom, but the owners also wanted to inject a hint of the glamorous luxury embodied by old-school powder rooms. The overall scheme was to be soft and comfortable, without being overly feminine. DIMENSIONS 3.7x 3.2m. LAYOUT Originally three small rooms on the first floor, several walls and one window were removed to create a grand, well-proportioned space that could accommodate a large utility cupboard as well as serve as en suite to the guest bedroom. ‘We spent time exploring various positions for the sanitaryware,’ recalls Ruth. ‘At first we had a smaller shower to the right of the chimney…

1stdibs 1stdibs.com. Alaskan Maker alaskanmaker.fr. Alexander Joseph 01202 863600 alexanderjoseph.co.uk. Alex Eagle 020 7589 0588 alexeagle.co.uk. Alice Peto 020 8992 6431 alicepeto.com. Allied Maker 00 1 516 200 9145 alliedmaker.com. Altfield 020 7351 5893 altfield.com. Andrew Martin 020 7225 5100 andrewmartin.co.uk. Anthropologie 0800 0026 8476 anthropologie.com. Arte arte-international.com. Artemest artemest.com. Artisanti 0345 259 1410 artisanti.com. Ashley Wilde 01707 635201 ashleywildegroup.com. Astier de Villatte 00 3 314 260 7413 astierdevillatte.com. Atelier Ellis 020 3601 0538 atelierellis.co.uk. Baker 020 7823 3612 bakerfurniture.com. Barlow & Barlow Design 020 3645 1427 barlowandbarlow.com. Beata Heuman 020 8741 0102 beataheuman.com. Bella Figura 020 7376 4564 bella-figura.com. Bernard Thorp 020 7352 5745 bernardthorp.co.uk. Bert Frank 020 7164 6482 bertfrank.co.uk. Béton Brut 020 7018 1890 betonbrut.co.uk. Birdie Fortescue 01328 851651 birdiefortescue.co.uk. Black Edition blackedition.com. Blendworth 023 9259 4911…

GALLERY CHIC For a simple, tranquil look take the curator approach – display a few key pieces of modern art and decorative objects, keeping colour contrasts subdued, as seen here in artist Robert Kelly’s house. An antique scrubbed cottonwood table and bench from New Mexico complete the modest feel. SHEER MAGIC Dispense with curtain linings and take a lighter view on window treatments by pairing loose linens with tissue-thin sheers. To prevent the effect from feeling too flighty and insubstantial, create a sense of depth and richness with sturdier fabrics on upholstery. SLICK BRICK In lieu of a plastered or exposed brick chimney, architect Clare Cousins chose white glazed bricks for a softer yet subtly dramatic take on the industrial look. The ceiling clad in pale wood tongue-and-groove adds warmth…

What is it about ceramics that you love? It’s an infinitely diverse craft and the range of what can be created never ceases to astound me. From the actual making process to the glazing and firing, no two people approach things in the same way. I love being able to see handmade qualities in the finished works. Thrown pots are especially personal as the grooves left by the fingers of the maker can be felt as you use and handle the piece. It’s truly gratifying to create objects that people will take pleasure in using in daily life, be it for drinking a cup of tea or eating dinner on. Where do you seek inspiration? I find myself going back to ancient Chinese Song Dynasty pottery and more contemporary Japanese…

How would you describe your style? There is a definite mid-century look to my fabrics but with softened, organic elements for a contemporary, liveable feel. Every aspect, from yarn and structure to colour, is considered. For my most recent collections, I’ve used a pared-down monochrome palette to complement the bold graphic patterns. In my cushions and throws, achieving a depth and balance is key. Do you come from a creative background? My father is an interior designer and my mother is a freelance textile designer, so I grew up surrounded by fabric. Studying woven textiles at the Royal College of Art allowed me to find my own direction and aesthetic. After finishing my MA in 2013, I joined the Craft Council’s Hothouse scheme for emerging makers and began to build…

MAUD & MABEL This tranquil shop and gallery in Hampstead offers contemporary craft with subtle, meaningful design. Founder Karen Whiteley tells us more How did you come to open a shop? Maud & Mabel was born out of my passion for the handcrafted and I was inspired by my time working for Pan Henry at Casson Gallery. The shop began in a small, shared space, but is now perfectly located in a peaceful pedestrian lane. What is the design aesthetic? The focus is on thoughtfully made everyday objects and collectables with clean lines in a muted palette, with the occasional splash of a washed tone. There are also some textured pieces that bring an element of surprise. We celebrate elegant design with contemporary craft and believe that aesthetics and functionality…

BRIGHT IDEA Nothing creates an atmospheric glow like lamplight and this new design by Alexander Joseph is cordless, so it can be moved around to create an inviting scene. We love the idea of illuminating a garden table while eating outside. Lamps are British-made with ceramic or glass bases in a choice of jewel hues; you can use them for 52 hours before recharging. Prices from £1,380. DREAM WEAVER Luxury rug designer Luke Irwin has launched an exclusive diffusion range in collaboration with John Lewis & Partners. Priced from £1,800, the 11 rugs are hand-knotted using his signature traditional technique and made with a unique dyeing process that leaves a small proportion of the sari silk undyed to give each rug a brilliant, unexpected shot of colour. SHOP TALK Creating…

When they first viewed the property that was to become their much-loved Hamptons holiday home, Ian Ferguson and Ryan Brandau weren’t overly impressed. ‘It wasn’t love at first sight, but our broker was convinced that the house was right for us and she could envisage something beyond what we were seeing,’ recalls Ian. The couple had been in a long-distance relationship between New York and California for several years before settling on an apartment in Manhattan, and wanted to complement their city lifestyle with a retreat in the Hamptons to be shared with Ian’s parents. ‘We love tennis and one of our criteria was for a court and a pool,’ adds Ryan. Clad in shingle and featuring multiple gables as is the New England style, the house was repainted to…

DISCOVER: MAGDALENE ODUNDO The Hepworth gallery is always worth a visit, but this spring it has something particularly special on. Magdalene Odundo, the internationally celebrated Kenyan-born British studio potter, is the subject of The Journey of Things, a major exhibition examining her work. Alongside more than 50 of her exquisite vessels, Odundo has curated an assortment of objects that have inspired her, including pots from ancient Greece and Egypt, ritual objects from the African continent, and sculptures by luminaries such as Auguste Rodin and Barbara Hepworth herself, hepworthwakefield.org. STAY: THE FIFE ARMS After much anticipation, The Fife Arms in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, has finally thrown open its doors to the public. The hotel, a much-loved local landmark that has a pub and restaurant, was bought several years ago by Iwan and…

Q Where does your passion for plants come from? A love of growing things is rooted in my DNA. My father was a botanist and plant collector, and I spent my childhood travelling with him around the UK and the rest of Europe, looking at wild flowers. The Latin names of plants were so instilled in me from a young age that now it’s almost like being bilingual. € Q How did your floristry career take off ? In my late teens and early twenties, I wasn’t really interested in pursuing a career in the plant business – I have a degree in history and went on to study medicine. While studying, I lived in a little terraced house with a small garden, which reignited my passion for growing things.…

SECRET ADDRESS 1stdibs for sourcing antiques and unique furniture, decorative objects and art. MOST SUCCESSFUL PART OF THE PROJECT Reconfiguring the space to let in light and connect the outside to the inside. GO-TO COLOUR I veer towards neutrals – Little Greene’s Slaked Lime gives a soft and warm feeling to any room. BIGGEST INDULGENCE Definitely travel – it’s how I recharge and find inspiration for my furniture and accessories collections, while connecting to other cultures and traditions. SMALL CHANGE – BIG IMPACT Greenery and plants have brought a feeling of life to the house.…

There is something quintessentially British about the design of this Notting Hill apartment: brave but not brash, comfortable yet sophisticated. It is a home that is at once contemporary and timeless. The owners of the three-bedroom flat had been searching for almost two years before they found this gem, on the first floor of a Grade II-listed, Italianate-style Victorian house. The apartment’s high ceilings offered the grandeur that they had been hankering after, while the generous reception room, with double aspect views was perfect for a pair who love to entertain. The owners soon appointed interior designer Lucy Barlow, having seen her work in the course of their property search. ‘They had viewed a show apartment I’d worked on and it had really struck a chord,’ Lucy recalls. First, though,…

CURTAINS They have an important role to play – beyond just that of decorative – as they keep the warmth in and absorb sound. ‘This is important in all rooms of the house but becomes critical in the kitchen,’ says interior designer Henriette von Stockhausen. ‘Large kitchens can have very bad acoustics due to all the hard surfaces, so aim to introduce as many soft features as possible to absorb the echoing.’ In terms of design, curtains can bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary – it all pivots on factors such as the fabric chosen, the type of pleat, the way they are lined (or not) and how they hang. Curtains are an investment but worth the expense when planning for the long term, according to interior designer Susie…

Q I’d like to revamp the utility room and porch area by my back door. The space gets a lot of use, with dogs and muddy wellies, so it needs to be quite hard wearing. Is there a more interesting choice than traditional flagstones? Annabelle, Wiltshire Just as the downstairs cloakroom is the ideal place to have fun with bold wallpaper, I see no reason why you shouldn’t give the tradesman’s entrance some love, too. Flagstones are timeless and durable, but what the young folk are going for these days are cement tiles. Also known as encaustics, they have the chalky finish of a sun-kissed courtyard and come in some beautifully subtle colourways. Designer Neisha Crosland has recently collaborated with Ca’ Pietra on a range called Jigsaw, which has a…

CABINETRY New Classic collection painted in Steel Grey, from £35,000, Martin Moore. Interior design by Charlotte Reiner Design. APPLIANCES H6460BP pyrolytic single ovens, £2,199 each; ESW6114 warming drawer, £1,125; M6260TC microwave, £1,225; KM6669 induction hob, £2,849, all Miele. ICN3356 70/30 integrated fridge freezer, £1,171, Liebherr. Cache integrated extractor, from £750, Westin. SN678D10TG 60cm integrated dishwasher, £999, Siemens. SINK & TAPS 4890 Callisto four-hole sink mixer tap with C spout and crosshead handles and rinse, £633.33, Perrin & Rowe. Bakersfield 5832-5U-0 large single bowl sink, £1,050, Kohler. Classic PRO3 boiling water tap, £940, Quooker. SURFACES Bianca Eclipsia worktop and splashback, from £650sq m including installation; Quartz composite worktop in Unistone Bianco Assoluto, from £260sq m including installation, both Martin Moore. For similar flooring, try Martin Moore’s wood-effect porcelain floor tiles, from…

FITTINGS Copper bateau bath with nickel interior, £6,600; La Fontaine bath-shower mixer with standpipes, £1,920; Empress basin on pedestal with La Fontaine three-hole mixer taps, £1,848; Le Thermo exposed shower, £2,160; Regency low-level cistern with Empress WC pan and round seat, £2,976, all Catchpole & Rye. Majestic Showers’ Oslo fixed frameless shower screen, £1,590, Ultimate Supplies. Bespoke utility cupboard, around £16,000, Splinterworks. SURFACES East Hampton marble basketweave mosaic tiles (on floor), £149.99sq m, Fired Earth. Rosa Tea marble shower tray and wallcovering, £6,500 installed, J&R Marble. Walls and skirting painted in Pink Ground modern emulsion, £45 for 2.5L; estate eggshell, £60 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. ACCESSORIES Bailey Antique cream six-light pendant, £474, David Hunt Lighting. Large French folding mirror with shelf, £175, Cox & Cox. Empire towel ring, £120,…

IN 1938 Lady Sibyl Colefax, a decorator with exceptional social contacts, went into partnership with John Fowler, then chiefly known for decorative painting and restoring furniture. It was a pairing that went on to change the path of English interior decoration. Their approaches to design did not make for an obvious alliance: Colefax’s interiors were comfortable but conventional, while Fowler’s were historically informed and instinctively receptive to a sense of place, be it rustic or grand. After Lady Colefax retired, Nancy Lancaster acquired the company, and the country houses that she and Fowler decorated brought the signature style to maturity. These interiors gave the appearance of having evolved over time, combining artwork and a variety of furniture set out in unstudied arrangements, convenient and always comfortable. Imogen Taylor, who worked…

Where does your design inspiration come from? I draw on visual references from fine art and sculpture, nurturing my desire to merge these disciplines with practical furniture design, architectural detailing and geometric patterns found in nature. I am constantly looking for a fresh approach to solving the problem of structure. My inspiration for the Ribbon rocking chair was the combined feel of the sculptural forms of the Constructivist Naum Gabo and Japanese basketware. Where do you source your materials? I work predominantly in European hardwoods – ash, oak and cherry – and American walnut, as European walnut is not so easy to source. Timber is a primary natural renewable resource and all my furniture is made from sustainably sourced timber, mostly from the UK. I am proud to support British…

PANEL SHOW For a cocooning feel in a bathroom, consider cladding the walls in panelling rather than tiles, in a square format for an updated feel. Mounting the bath taps into the panelling further underlines the more contemporary mood of this bathroom at Eden Hall Cottage in Norfolk. SINKING IN Erasing dividing lines between sleeping and bathing areas is as convenient as it is stylish. The key to success is creating a seamless flow by continuing the flooring and paint colours through the spaces. Here, fitting taps to the side of the cross-sawn limed timber cabinetry is another neat idea. “TRADITIONAL LIME PLASTER MIXED WITH A NATURAL GREEN PIGMENT CREATES A SOFT, TACTILE FEEL” MERLIN EAYRS AND ZOE CHAN EAYRS, founders, Chan + Eayrs, chanandeayrs.com. LAYERED LINEN In a…

THIS IS HOME by Natalie Walton, photographs by Chris Warnes (£30, Hardie Grant) Through 16 picture essays on homes from Los Angeles to Sydney, and interviews with the owners, Australian journalist-turned-designer Natalie Walton illustrates her premise that for a house to feel warm and welcoming, it has to genuinely reflect the people who live there. MADE OF WOOD by Mark and Sally Bailey, photographs by Debi Treloar (£19.99, Ryland Peters & Small) Leading lights of the modern craft movement and maker culture, the owners of Baileys homeware store explore how wood in all its forms – smoothly planed, painted, recycled and roughly sawn – can transform interiors with its natural character and warmth. NATURAL LIVING STYLE by Selina Lake, photographs by Rachel Whiting (£19.99, Ryland Peters & Small) Responding to…

WE THINK OF WELLNESS AS BEING FOCUSED ON MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT. WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH? At House of Grey we tie all that together with the surrounding environment – the space that encompasses us and how it affects our personal wellbeing. We live in a world of constant overstimulation – with pressures from social media, the demands of consumerism and a restricted work-life balance all contributing to less downtime for everyone. To help rectify this, House of Grey has revisited the concept of the home and work environment in order to create spaces that are dedicated to replenishing your energy levels by engaging all five senses. This means a home, while still an active, functioning space, is also a restorative haven. Similarly, we believe a productive workplace can also…

VERDANT WALLCOVERING In the downstairs powder room the influence of London designers can be seen in the choice of wallpaper – House of Hackney’s Limerence in Ink, £185 a roll. For a good selection of green paints try Little Greene, who have collaborated with the National Trust on a new colourcard featuring 31 leafy shades. WHERE TO SOURCE WALLPAPER A burst of pattern in a calm interior, especially in smaller rooms, like Ian and Ryan’s powder room, gives a sense of fun. TIMBER CLADDING In Ryan and Ian’s room, Sarah took advantage of the window recess to create a cosy yet functional nook clad in oak. Mixing varying widths of cladding adds an extra layer of interest, while the woodwork creates a solution for both window dressing and storage, as…

KIFTSGATE COURT GARDENS: THREE GENERATIONS OF WOMEN GARDENERS by Vanessa Berridge, £40 (Merrell) Created in 1919, Kiftsgate Court Gardens in Gloucestershire has been nurtured by three generations of the same family: grandmother, mother and daughter. This new book, which marks the garden’s centenary, explores its history and the vigorous rose, Rosa filipes ‘Kiftsgate’, for which it is famous. An accompanying exhibition will be held at the Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London, from 12 April to 9 June 2019. GLASSHOUSE GREENHOUSE by India Hobson and Magnus Edmondson of Haarkon, £22 (Pavilion) Sheffield-based photographers India Hobson and Magnus Edmondson of Haarkon have a particular fascination with natural spaces. Their debut book delves into this theme, taking readers on a journey to botanical gardens in the UK, Europe, America and Asia, capturing…

POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS WITH PESTO SERVES 6 500g new potatoes 1 tbsp salt, for boiling 500g green beans 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp pine nuts FOR THE PESTO 25g basil leaves 1 garlic clove 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice ■ Scrub the potatoes, put them in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil. Add the salt and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the point of a knife. Drain and set aside. Remove the skins as soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle if you like. ■ Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Top, tail and wash the beans. Halve and then add them to the saucepan. Cook the beans…

Designer Mally Skok knew exactly what she didn’t want when she sat down to sketch the plans for her new-build home in Massachusetts. ‘There was to be nothing too fancy or fashionable,’ this straight-talking creative says. For Mally, who grew up in South Africa, this was to be a comfortable family home that reflected its owners – and its setting. The result? A property with charisma, where the neoclassicism of New England architecture meets the vibrancy of South African design. Framed by tall trees, the house feels rooted in its six-acre grounds, where lawns slope towards the sparkling pond. ‘My husband David is a Libran so water drew us to this spot,’ says Mally. ‘He made sure the house was positioned to take advantage of the view.’ Their home, which…

WHEN beautifully upholstered furniture takes centre stage, everything else in a room simply falls into place. The benchmark is smartly tailored designs that invite you to relax and unwind; you’ll live with your choice for a long time, so it makes sense to choose a trusted brand with a proud heritage. Parker Knoll has been expertly handcrafting the finest sofas and chairs since 1869 and this year the company is celebrating its 150th birthday. It’s a huge milestone and a birthday that coincides with Homes & Gardens’ 100th anniversary in June. It was Frederick Parker who set up the business, using skills learnt from his cabinetmaker father, and it flourished. Then in the 1920s Parker’s sons met and collaborated with Willi Knoll, whose coiled steel wire spring maximised comfort and…

This beautiful grey is the answer when white is too white. Deeply pigmented, it’s warm and welcoming and changes subtly with the direction of light. For a nuanced scheme, team it with other muted hues from Atelier Ellis’ Shadow collection. The new range features 10 ‘shadows’ – each one either an intensified or downplayed version of seven of the brand’s favoured neutrals. Rooms can be layered, deepened or calmed by using the different strengths of these colours on walls, woodwork and floors. Walls, Quiet Grey matt emulsion; objects, various hues from the Shadow collection, all £46 for 2.5L, Atelier Ellis.…

JOHN LEWIS This stalwart offers a wide selection of made-to-measure and ready-made blinds in its vast collection of fabrics, plus there is a free measuring service if required, johnlewis.com. PICKWICK PAPERS A family-run firm that has been making made-to-measure curtains and blinds since 1975. It can supply poles and tracks, as well as a fitting service, pickwickpapers.co.uk. HILLARYS Specialist makers of blinds, curtains, shutters and awnings, all of which are manufactured in Britain. Also offers conservatory blinds, hillarys.co.uk. DESIGN CENTRE, CHELSEA HARBOUR Find an extensive range of fabrics for blinds and curtains, with showrooms from some of the biggest names in design all under one roof, dcch.co.uk.…

1. SHINY HAPPY Patinated brass has a rich patina that can be sealed for easy cleaning. Polished brass offers a shinier finish. Rupert Bevan has patinated sheeting, from £400sq m. Bespoke kitchen, from £16,000, Clayton Cabinets. 2. OLD VS NEW A mirrored splashback will provide a quick-clean surface, but the beauty of antique-effect glass is that it disguises marks. Antique-effect toughened mirrored glass, from £1,200sq m, Humphrey Munson. 3. PURE LUXE When imbued with quartzite, a polished granite splashback is high impact and low fuss. This is the Orinoco polished granite from Cosentino’s Sensa brand, from £500sq m. Bespoke kitchen, from £30,000, Mowlem & Co. 4. EFFORTLESS INDUSTRIAL Enjoy the look of concrete, free from cracks or staining, with this realistic alternative that emulates the texture of concrete. 4011 Cloudburst…

AFTER MOVING TO LONDON in 1996, soon after finishing her studies, Belinda’s intention was to stay for three months. Instead, she stayed for 21 years. ‘I was instantly drawn to the city’s buzz, its cultural heritage and cosmopolitan feel,’ she says. But despite her time in the capital, it is France, her home country, that has had the strongest influence on her drawing. ‘I’ve named most of my ladies after French heroines. I can’t pinpoint the exact time when I started to draw, because, for as long I can remember, I was drawing, always drawing, to the exasperation of my parents. I would draw on everything: cereal boxes, books, official documents, letters from school complaining about me always drawing… Then, much later on, I went to study at L’École Supérieure…

PITCH PERFECT To celebrate a building’s original intention, make a feature of structural elements rather than boxing them in, as has been done here by painting the steel beams in a striking fresh green. Tongue-and-groove panelling adds informal and textural interest in the absence of art or colour on the walls. BROCANTE BEAUTY For a light and calming Provençal mood, use plenty of French antiques and salvaged items paired with pale creams and whites on upholstery and at the windows. Fiona Crole put together this scheme for a new-build country house kitchen, giving it an instantly lived-in feel. WORKSHOP CHIC The art of making the break from a perfectly co-ordinated kitchen is to include elements that anchor the space. For paint, choose complementary tonal hues and create cohesion by using…