Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2026 i Homes & Gardens

Writing the February letter is always slightly surreal; the Christmas season is in full flow, yet our focus has already turned to the year ahead. There’s something about a new year that invites a clean slate: a declutter, a reset, or the resolve to tackle those long-postponed tasks. My own to-do list at home is substantial, so prioritising feels essential. Top of that list is storage because the moment the floor becomes a makeshift holding area, you know it’s time to invest in proper solutions. With that in mind, we’ve curated an edit of our favourite finds (page 30), from wardrobes and chests of drawers to clothes hangers and laundry baskets. It’s a gentle reminder - for myself included - that storage can be the quiet hero of a home…

ALVARO Picardo hand-paints striking lampshades that bring colour, character and individuality to classic and modern interiors. It all began one Saturday evening in November 2020, when he painted an old lampshade; so enamoured was he with the result that he went on to paint every shade in the house. That spontaneous experiment on a gloomy lockdown weekend became the catalyst for his now thriving business. An Instagram account followed, encouraged by friends in interiors who saw a gap in the market. ‘Unlike more delicate styles, mine felt punchier and more graphic,’ says Barcelona-born Alvaro, who formerly worked in the corporate world. ‘Even then I needed something more tactile than a screen and deadline,’ he says. ‘I was always exploring creativity in some form, so much so that I joined a…

Artisan weaves A fusion of time-honoured Guatemalan hand-weaving techniques and fresh British design, this Fable fabric is created using the Pepenado technique, which introduces textural symbols into the design by meticulously adding them between the warp threads directly onto the loom. The result is a modern take on Central American textiles, which looks fabulous on sleek, contemporary furniture. Perfect partner Gingham-style checks are a staple of classic country interiors, but they also work well alongside more decorative prints as part of maximalist schemes. New from Nina Campbell at Osborne & Little, the Honfleur Check comes in six colourways and is a wonderful way to offset the whimsical Les Saules wallpaper and curtains. City slicker Complement the clean angles of contemporary spaces with seating in dynamic large-scale checks. Part of Lelièvre’s…

SNUGGLE UP For a recent project, Kit Kemp designed a built-in bunk bed to create this dreamy nook. Wallpaper and fabrics are from Kit Kemp’s collection for Andrew Martin. ‘The woodwork was brought to life by a mural painter and together we created an adventure-filled cocoon, layered with colourful creatures designed to spark one’s imagination,’ says Kit. MAGICAL CANOPY Bed canopies or bed testers are a lovely way to add interest to a bedroom – they are cosy and fun for a children’s room. This stripy red bed canopy fits in the space between the vaulted ceiling and the wardrobe, adding some height and turning what was once a slightly awkward corner into a cosy place to sleep, says homeware designer Alice Palmer. ‘With the room being in the eaves,…

Two into one does go, as award-winning interior designer Christian Bense discovered when he helped transform a five-storey Georgian terrace in Maida Vale from two flats back into a generous family home. The clients, a family of five, had been living in a flat on the two lower floors until the opportunity arose to buy the upper levels. ‘We wanted a designer who had experience in designing London homes but also understood how to maximise function within these architectural spaces,’ explains the client. ‘We wanted to ensure every room was going to be practical, could function well as our children grew older, and not necessarily just for show or display. Our goal was to make sure how we designed it would have durability and longevity – a certain timelessness to…

The eclectic style of interior designer Ananth Ramaswamy’s home, shared with his barrister husband Alexander Drapkin, took shape as their relationship was taking off. The couple embraced the transformation of a flat in south London into their inviting one-bed home with the same gusto as their budding relationship. Meeting a new partner includes discovering a taste that aligns with or differs from the other person’s. Ananth points out that they fell into the former camp. ‘My aesthetic is more modern than Alex’s. I like 1970s and 1980s design and contemporary lighting, while he loves Georgian furniture for its simplicity and honesty.’ Not that their divergent tastes proved irreconcilable, evidenced by the way they’ve fused Alexander’s more traditional taste with Ananth’s pluralist eye. ‘Alex bought the flat in 2018,’ says Ananth,…

FREE SPIRIT Neptune has begun the year strong with Borough, its first new kitchen in more than a decade. Inspired by the very first free-standing kitchen co-founder John Sims-Hilditch created for his own home, the collection reinterprets that original flexible spirit in a series of individual pieces. Crafted in oak, elevated on tapered legs and softened by gentle curves, the style blends mid-century Scandinavian poise with British charm, and the items – from sink to cooking island to pantry – can stand alone or work together, offering a fluid, furniture-first approach to kitchen design. From £249 for a step stool to £5,165 for a cooking island. BATHING BEAUTY The appetite for curves shows no sign of waning, and BC Designs’ new Westmere bath, £5,801, proves exactly why. A softer, rounder…

CHANGE DIRECTION Herringbone is the understated star of contemporary shower design, adding movement and character without overwhelming. Interior designer Octavia Dickinson shows how effective this layout can be. ‘We used a plain glossy skinny tile but laid in a herringbone pattern to bring texture and interest to the shower area,’ she says. Giardinetto Shrub wall tiles, £68.80sq m, Claybrook. Honed Carrara marble floor tiles, £91.73sq m, Mandarin Stone. Curtains in Janna in Apple, Namay Samay (USA trade only) IN THE MIX This shower proves a fearless mix of patterns can be very powerful. A dwarf wall adds an extra layer of tiles, allowing the designers to turn up the pattern volume. Chequerboard tiles run across floors and walls, with the dwarf wall shifting in scale and tone for a layered…

CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES SERVES 4 1 organic chicken, about 1.5-2kg, cut into pieces2 tbsp white wine vinegarOlive oilSea salt and freshly ground black pepper2 garlic cloves, crushed4 Sardinian spiky artichokes1 lemon, halved2 glasses white wineHandful of roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley ■ Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking to come up to room temperature. ■ Trim off any excess skin or gristly bits, then place in a shallow dish large enough to hold all the chicken. Pour the vinegar and a generous glug of olive oil over and toss, making sure all the chicken pieces are well coated. Add a good pinch of salt, along with the garlic, and toss again. Leave to marinate for 1 hour out of the fridge. ■ To prepare the…

A CURATION OF THE BEST DESIGN AND HOME IDEAS ENDURING STYLE As part of Lorfords Contemporary’s 10th anniversary, a collaboration with Haines Collection ushers in a new era of sustainable comfort with the Willow sofa, from £8,800. Handcrafted in the Cotswolds and upholstered in rescued designer fabrics, it has an innovative all-natural filling that meets fire regulations without chemicals. This new composite will roll out across all Lorfords Contemporary designs this year. Natural choice Schplendid, a new sofa brand from Rohan Blacker, founder of sofa.com and Pooky, puts comfort, longevity and natural materials first at an attainable price point. Designs feature FSC beech frames, eight-way, hand-tied springs and fillings in wool, coconut fibre and plant-based foams instead of plastics. Shown is the Big Bonnie two-seater, £2,990. CREATIVE FREEDOM Deirdre Dyson…

Sarah Southwell Design + Interiors For Sarah Southwell, design is about mood. She began her career in fashion, running her own handbag brand in Florence, before returning to London with a shop on the King’s Road. ‘My favourite part was designing the shop,’ she says. ‘Creating a vibe – I realised that was my thing.’ Her interiors approach focuses on how colour and space can affect wellbeing. ‘My goal is to create spaces that accommodate diverse needs and nourish people who experience divergence,’ Sarah says. This ethos shone through in her much-talked-about project for writer Bryony Gordon, where she developed the idea of ‘dopamine decor’. ‘Bryony wanted a home full of joy, colour and light, and we spent months working on how interiors can truly cheer you up.’ Since then,…

A ALAN DODD A muralist and trompe l’oeil painter, Suffolk- and London-based artist Alan Dodd is skilled in the traditional – and so historic houses, museums and sensitive architectural buildings call on him when they need surfaces intricately added to. He created a Pompeian ceiling for Sir John Soane’s Museum, a scene of Jerusalem for The London Oratory, panels of classical figures for the new Palladian house at Tusmore Park and reinstated a trompe l’oeil in Spencer House, among others. His murals follow various period styles, including neoclassical, chinoiserie and Regency, and he also lectures on the history of furniture and decoration. alandodd.co.uk B BELL HUTLEY Known for her edgy, romantic aesthetic, London-based artist and designer Bell Hutley’s illustrative murals take their cue from folklore, children’s stories and nature, transporting…

WHETHER British interior designer Russell Sage is creating cosy, convivial interiors for The Sloane members’ club – featuring lyrical collaborations with the Royal School of Needlework and muralist Rosie McGuinness – or dreaming up unforgettably bonkers bedrooms for whisky distillery Ardbeg’s new hotel on Islay, he always has a sense of home in mind. ‘It has to be good enough that you’d want to live there,’ he enthuses. The designer, ‘obsessed with the guest experience’ thinks first and foremost about ‘how someone is going to feel rather than what the room will look like,’ he says. Having grown up in his parents’ pub run in Somerset, he learnt early on that ‘an interior has to feel better than it looks, and it must always look absolutely amazing. That’s the brief…

this garden apartment in Notting Hill is a masterclass in how pattern, colour and a little visual trickery can turn a pale, rather joyless space into a home with verve and heart. Reimagined by Sarah Southwell, a former artisan handbag maker turned interior designer, the three-bedroom flat is now an elegant, feminine home that’s at once composed, characterful and faintly mischievous. Its owner, who divides her time between London and the Swiss Alps, was keen to weave elements of both sides of her heritage into the design. ‘I wanted this flat to reflect the homes I grew up in,’ she says. ‘In my first conversation with Sarah, we talked about my love of painted joinery and woodwork – they remind me of my family’s house in Switzerland, which dates from…

the beauty and magic of a window display is something of a fantasy… it’s an invitation to step inside.’ So says Robert Rufino, who started his career as a young window designer in prestigious New York department store Henri Bendel. It’s a quote that could well be ascribed to his own, very inviting, home. Robert uses menswear fabrics to decorate his interior spaces. The esteemed style and design editor and consultant (currently contributing editor to Frederic magazine) lives in a supremely elegant apartment, the hallway of which is upholstered in a menswear plaid. It’s one of several intriguing embellishments he has chosen for a home that’s gratifyingly devoid of trends. ‘Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to the sorts of amazing houses, royal castles and beautiful apartments…

1 INSIDE OUT Garden designer Ula Maria, working with architecture and interior designer De Rosee Sa, shows (above) how boundaries can be blurred between indoors and out, enhancing both spaces. Project architect George Yallop explains that ‘the full-width, full-height sliding doors were necessary to achieve a greater sense of openness, space and fluid transition to the garden. Ula’s design extends this seamless connection through a series of stepped outdoor rooms – distinct zones for dining and relaxation – linked by materials that echo the colours, patterns and textures of the interior. The result is tranquil sense of continuity between home and landscape.’ 2 RIGHT OF PASSAGE Maximise undeveloped side areas to create beautiful small garden spaces. Designer Sandy Visser (who designed the space shown above) of Atelier Terra encourages us…

QUIET LUXURY Creative directors James Arkoulis and Saskia Howard take a distinctive approach to bathroom design. ‘We work towards achieving a space that is personal, balanced and quietly luxurious,’ says James. ‘As with most spaces, selecting the perfect paint colour is at the forefront of our minds,’ he continues. ‘Our paint choices are rich, but not shouty – a favourite is an aged golden green for trims and panelling with a gentle white for walls.’ Handcrafted patterned tiles are another favourite, creating an eye-catching backdrop to a spacious and comfortable bath. They also like to include a stool to perch on, considered storage and a fragrant candle. ‘The dream bathroom strikes the perfect balance between crisp overhead lighting for skincare and morning routines and soft, diffused lighting for unwinding in…

Let’s do brunch This winter, Oliver Bonas continues its partnership with Shrimps, the clothing brand founded by London-based designer Hannah Weiland in 2013, known for its oversized smocked dresses and colourful faux fur coats. Together, they have launched a 21-piece tableware collection designed to honour the joy of a Sunday brunch. Inspired by Hannah’s fond childhood memories of eating bagels at a late weekend breakfast with her family, the pieces are infused with nostalgic charm and also incorporate a dose of the style of Shrimps’ signature frocks - playful illustrations and patterns in pastels combine with interesting textures and sculptural forms. Prices for glasses, from £24.50 for two; ceramics, from £14.50 each; and candleholders, from £25 each. 3 OF THE BEST Nina Campbell x Next collection 1. Antique Brass Sagano…

COLOUR OF THE MONTH BURGUNDY MYSTERIOUS WAYS ‘We colour-drenched this powder room in Paint & Paper Library’s Plum Brandy as we wanted something traditional yet modern, which also felt a bit mysterious. This colour works well in small spaces or can be used on woodwork to bring definition to pared-back schemes.’ Christian Bense, founder, Christian Bense interior design studio COMFORT ZONE ‘Zoffany’s Bordeaux, a dramatic red, was the perfect shade to bring warmth and depth to this Apron kitchen. It creates a dynamic backdrop within the open-plan space. I often use this colour in cosy sitting and dining rooms. It’s a colour that looks great by candlelight.’ Amelia McNeil, founder, Amelia McNeil Interior Design MOOD SETTING ‘We cocooned this cinema room in deep burgundy to add warmth and comfort. For…

MY love of layering comes from wanting to be surrounded by lovely things and designing spaces that can showcase as much of that as possible. It creates a lived-in feel to the interior and there is a storytelling aspect to it: every piece has a tale behind it. ■ Very often the inspiration for the whole room can start with one piece of art, or a beautiful cushion or antique textile. We might extract colours from it, work with the genre or the style. The hardest thing to do is start designing from a totally blank canvas. ■ People often think my own home is bright and colourful – and it is – but what they don’t always notice is that the walls in my two main living spaces are…

Once a warren of small and dark rooms, this late 20th-century mews, tucked away in a private gated street in Chelsea and built to blend with the period surroundings, now boasts a seductive, open-plan and light-bathed interior. Soft hues, arched doorways and swathes of beautifully veined marble ensure it has a distinct identity that exudes serenity and a quiet sense of luxury. Nancy Gouldstone, founder of Nancy Gouldstone Architects, a London-based architecture and interior design practice, had worked on six other properties in the same street, and her designs so impressed the young couple who bought the mews as their first home that they enlisted her to weave her magic and coax it into the 21st century. The result is an effortless, modern layout that completely reflects the clients’ lifestyle.…

Form and function Claverton Cloches, the independent Bath-based company founded by Beth Gregg just over five years ago, has added a stylish hose reel to its range of beautiful yet practical well-made garden products. Designed to accompany the hosepipe it launched last year, the reel, priced at £250, is made from stainless steel and solid hardwood, with a simple, graceful silhouette. The materials have been chosen both for their longevity and understated refinement and will quietly complement garden surroundings. NURTURING NATURALLY Nestled in the Chew Valley in North Somerset, Earthsong Seeds is an organic herb nursery founded just over five years ago by Sebastian Pole, co-founder of Pukka Herbs, and Ben Heron, his friend and former employee – together they hope to encourage people to make their own herbal remedies.…

“The park at Dunham Massey dates back to the 14th century. Over the years, it’s acquired elements of Georgian Picturesque and Edwardian style. The National Trust took it on in the 70s and has had a significant impact since. We try to create a different experience at the turn of every corner. In the middle of the sprawling plot is a large lawn with specimen trees surrounded by shrubberies and herbaceous borders. We have formal canals lined with moisture-loving planting schemes and an expansive, contemporary rose garden that sits at the most faraway point from the impressive Georgian house. Much of the remaining land is wooded. I started here about 14 years ago, having trained at Ness and Birmingham Botanic Gardens after leaving a job in retail. A lot of…

CRAFTED APPROACH ‘My core principle is comfort through craft: a space that feels lived-in, tactile and generous,’ says Peter Mikic. ‘I also like a kitchen with a statement moment; this could be a sculptural island or a remarkable light, with everything else supporting it.’ Materials are carefully considered, whether an iroko or toasted oak detail that ages beautifully over time or a lava stone island top for its depth of colour and durability. ‘I tend to avoid flat, sterile whites,’ he says. ‘Instead I love mixing finishes – perhaps an unlacquered polished brass cabinet beside a marble panel, or textured wallpaper in a breakfast nook or pantry to bring a layer of cosiness.’ Finishing touches are usually antique. ‘Objects with real stories that warm up the hard surfaces, such as…

SARDINIA’S staggering natural beauty is a scene-stealer. Your eyes never tire of taking it in, from the turquoise sea to the gravity-defying boulders hovering on the cliffs. About a decade ago, we were lucky enough to buy a house in the village of Caresi, in Santa Teresa di Gallura, on the island’s northern tip. My brother and sister-in-law have vineyards that we overlook, studded with endless wildflowers and many rose bushes. Those panoramic views bring me joy each day, alongside spectacular sunsets. ■ My favourite coffee bar is Gianpaolo’s bar in the small hamlet of Porto Pozzo, a few kilometres from our home. He serves the most delicious coffee and brioche. Nearby, pizzeria and fish restaurant Da Battino sits right by the marina on the sand and serves the best…

1. I discovered the RADA Theatre’s student productions, which run throughout the year, when I was teenager. You can see brilliant actors at the very start of their careers. I remember seeing Gemma Arterton in the play Duck Hunting when she was a student and she was sensational. RADA was the first place I auditioned for as an actor and to my surprise got in. I loved it. 2. Retromania in London’s Victoria is incredible for vintage ideas and film costumes. The costume designer for my film Tell That To The Winter Sea found the vintage wedding dress my character wears there. I actually still have it hung in my wardrobe. 3. I instantly feel like a child again in Simone Rocha’s shop. Each dress feels like it is a…