Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Period Living

Living in a new house for a period of time before starting on any renovations, or even as much as picking up a paint brush, is the advice of many of the homeowners that we feature in the magazine every month. It is only after you have experienced a property through the year that you can start to see what, if any, changes you might need to make – from updating colour schemes after observing how natural light works in rooms over the seasons, to knocking down walls to create open-plan spaces that suit family life. Sara and Dom Allom waited 10 years before extending their small Victorian cottage (page 60), but their patience paid off and they have expertly blended old and new to create a home that works…

For those with a passion for pattern, decorating with small prints is a wonderful way to bring colour and interest into the home in a way that will remain timeless and elegant. There is a dazzling array available, and whether introduced through wallpaper, curtains, upholstery or accessories, such as cushions, dainty designs add depth to interiors without dominating. Key to the popularity of small prints is their versatility; they can be used in isolation, or mixed and matched with other patterns depending on the look you wish to achieve. Used wall-to-wall, they are an effective tool for creating a cosy feel, and also work well as a base for an eclectic, layered scheme. For a gentler look, use them over soft furnishings to bring subtle depth and interest to pared…

Few pieces of furniture are imbued with as great a sense of luxury as the four-poster bed. Today’s designs are undoubtedly modest in comparison to the magnificent ‘grand beds’ conserved in historic homes across Britain, yet the attraction of sleeping in a canopied bed continues to entice, offering an enduring sense of aspiration and also of romance. Created in the medieval period to fulfil the important requirements for warmth and privacy for the master or mistress of the household, an enclosed bed gave not only greater comfort but also hierarchical separation from servants living and sleeping within the same hall. Early enclosed beds were formed by suspending drapery directly from beamed ceilings, but with the introduction of carved wooden bed frames, the curtaining could be hung in a much more…

The dancing, crackling flames of working open fireplaces, including inglenooks, provide cosiness, focal points and romance in many old houses. The enjoyment of an open fireplace can be spoilt, though, when smoke and fumes from one spill into a room, and this is also bad for your health. Smokiness signals that a fireplace and chimney are not working efficiently, but measures can be taken to see that they are made safe to use and that smoke goes up the chimney as intended. Why do chimneys smoke? The design of a fireplace may make it difficult to achieve a good ‘draw’ and cause persistent smoking. The opening can be too big for the flue in many cases, or there may be a badly formed throat or oversized flue. Another reason can…

Highly sustainable, no-dig gardening is gaining popularity in the horticultural world. At its simplest, it involves mulching soil with compost, rather than laboriously digging it over, thereby boosting the soil’s natural ecosystem. There are many benefits to this method – not least of which is saving gardeners time as it cuts out the need to spend hours weeding and digging over beds and borders. A favoured method for an organic vegetable garden, it also works just as well for ornamental flower beds. ‘No dig leaves soil undisturbed, and instead, you feed the masses of soil life with organic matter on the surface, as happens in nature, to maintain drainage and aeration,’ explains the pioneer of no-dig gardening and world authority on the subject, Charles Dowding. He has been using the…

For centuries, people have been discovering ways to harness the warmth of sunlight to grow crops or plants from other regions or out of season under glass. Whatever your gardening preferences, a greenhouse will broaden the scope of what you can grow and when. In the UK, it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that the cost of glass fell dramatically and glasshouses were affordable to more gardeners. The Golden Age of the Victorians saw glasshouses, made of cast iron and with coal-fired heating, flourish, featuring exotic crops and extending the growing season in kitchen gardens. By the early 20th century, small glasshouses, or greenhouses as they became known, were manufactured. If you have the remains of a Victorian greenhouse or lean-to in your garden, it may be possible to restore…

TALKING SHOP Set slightly off the beaten track on St George’s Road at the bottom of Bristol’s Jacob’s Wells Road, Modern Antiques offers a well curated mix of European antiques from the 18th, 19th, and, occasionally, the 20th century. Decorated in a light minimalist style with a clean uncluttered aesthetic, the space gives visitors the chance to see how ‘old things’ can work just as well in a modern setting as they do in a period one. FUN OF THE FAIR The Chester Decorative Antiques & Art Fair returns to the Grandstand Pavilion at Chester Racecourse from 10 to 12 February, where a roster of specialist dealers will be offering everything from traditional art and antiques through to jewellery. Running just ahead of Valentine’s Day and with prices starting at…

YOU WILL NEED: ● Foraged leaves ● White table runner or napkins ● Newspaper ● Masking tape ● Stencil brush ● Fabric paint ● Tacking thread and needle Nothing says spring is on its way like the arrival of new leaves on trees, so why not bring a bit of life into your home with these beautifully decorated napkins and table runner. This technique would also work on other fabrics, such as cushion covers or scarves. 1. Go foraging. Look for leaves from native trees to bring a woodland feel into your home. Select beautifully shaped, sturdy ones with well-defined veins, as they will produce the best results. Carefully clean the leaves with soap and water and then gently dry them with a piece of kitchen roll. 2. Lay a…

Having lived in the area for over forty years, Tim Bailey knew there was only one village to which he would consider moving. ‘This village is a great place. It is multi-cultural, multi-generational, and there are a lot of good people around,’ he affirms. One such person is Tim’s current neighbour. Knowing that Tim was looking to downsize from Draycott Manor, it was his neighbour who put in the call to say that the house was about to go on the market. There was much to love about the building – it had great charm - but it needed a lot of work and, being Grade II-listed, there was the possibility of planning issues. Fortunately, Tim could see past these potential pitfalls and had the vision to see how he…

The power of a neutral colour palette to add warmth and elegance to a room should not be underestimated. A soft scheme of harmonious neutrals creates a reflective backdrop to the ever-changing light of the seasons. When decorating with neutrals a key element is the importance of layering with textures and tonal shades. ‘Touch and comfort are key sensory triggers. When decorating with white and neutrals, it is crucial to add in natural elements and pile on texture; a soft rug underfoot, or a diaphanous drape at a window can truly transform a room. Natural materials, such as weathered wood, slubby linen or marbled slate, connect us back to nature and add interest,’ says founder and CEO of The White Company, Chrissie Rucker OBE. Decorating every room in neutrals can…

First and foremost, a splashback is designed to protect walls from the spills and stains that are inevitable in the kitchen. Installed in the areas where splashes are most common – behind cookers, ranges and sink areas – splashbacks are typically made from easy-to-clean materials, such as ceramic, stone, metal or porcelain. They can, however, bring so much more to a kitchen than just practicality. Occupying a prominent position, it is essential that they also make a decorative statement. A good splashback will draw the eye into the space and add colour and texture to a scheme. All in the details You don’t have to commit to tiling a whole wall when applying a splashback. For sink areas, a row or two of tiles is more than sufficient. When decorating…

Wet walls are cold walls, which is one of the many reasons why maintaining and repairing gutters, hopper heads, downpipes and other rainwater goods is so important. Traditionally, these items were made of cast iron or lead, and their role is to channel water away from the roof level efficiently and quickly so that it doesn’t come into contact with the face or foot of the building. If the system fails, however, water will penetrate the structure of the building, resulting in damp patches and ultimately rot and decay. Maintaining and renewing rainwater goods inevitably means working at height, so be sure to keep safe and preferably have the aid of a helper. Always wear gloves and use a small trowel and a bucket to remove debris, or you may…

Popular in gardens since Victorian times, when plant hunters brought back a plethora of species from far-flung travels, ferns are still valued for their atmospheric, long-lived foliage. Whether feathery, with gently unfurling rolled heads, or large and lush, ferns mingle well in among a range of other plants in beds and borders. You can choose from evergreen and deciduous varieties, in a range of colours and sizes, to add interest throughout the year in naturalistic woodland settings, lending informality in borders, starring in stumperies, adding interest under trees, or in containers. Easy to grow, long-lived and fairly trouble free, ferns exist across the world in every climate, and with about 12,000 different types, there are varieties to suit many situations in a garden. In general, they like shady, moist, but…

Having always been surrounded by the stone and wood carvings of her great uncle, the sculptor Alan Durst, as a child, it was somewhat inevitable that Lottie O’Leary would have a pull towards her future oeuvre from an early age. ‘He’d worked on notable pieces at Peterborough and Winchester Cathedrals, as well as Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff. However, for me, it was more of a push in the right direction rather than inspiration that got me started working in stone,’ she says. ‘I left school with no idea what to do and was encouraged to take a vocational guidance questionnaire – the outcome suggesting I did three dimensional design and go to art school.’ Gaining a place at the City & Guilds of London Art School to do a foundation…

The spark for the Arts and Crafts movement was The Great Exhibition of 1851 held in London. While it was a successful event, some criticised the overuse of unnecessary ornamentation on the manufactured objects on display, with little concern for their utility. In 1861, William Morris founded the decorative arts firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co, later known as Morris & Co. He recruited Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown and Edward Burne-Jones as artist-designers, with the desire to raise design to the level of art. The company’s output included fabrics, carpets, furniture and embroideries. Morris emphasised simple, functional design, without the excessive ornamentation that was prevalent in Victorian styles, prompted by a desire to revive traditional craftsmanship in simple forms. The Arts and Crafts movement was a reaction to…

TOASTY COCONUT RICE WITH SALMON SERVES 4 ● 350g basmati rice ● 2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil ● 75g desiccated coconut ● 100g roasted peanuts (optional) ● 6 spring onions, finely chopped, white and green parts separated ● 1 garlic clove, chopped ● 400ml tin coconut milk ● 2 tbsp soy sauce ● 1 tbsp miso paste ● 1 tbsp light soft brown sugar (or caster sugar) ● Salt and freshly ground black pepper ● 4 skin-on salmon fillets (about 125g each) ● Large handful of coriander 1. Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a bowl, cover with water and leave to stand for 15 minutes. 2. Heat half of the oil in a large, shallow, oven-proof casserole dish with…