Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i Period Living

With the arrival of spring, our gardens slowly come back to life with green buds emerging and flora unfurling. This sense of renewal often acts as inspiration to breathe new life into our interiors, too, and this issue is packed with ideas for filling your homes with the refreshing joy of a new season. The botanically inspired shades of green used in room décor act as a link between outdoors and inside, and sage, in particular, is becoming increasingly popular for use as a base colour, in place of neutrals, to anchor a scheme. In our decorating feature (page 73) we show how this timeless and tranquil tone can work equally as well with earthy colours to more vibrant shades to create soothing spaces. Painting furniture is also a highly…

Serving as pieces of functional art, painted furniture offers a wonderful way to make our homes stand out from the crowd. Whether you choose a single colour, a folksy freehand design or a simple border, getting creative with paint is an easy way to transform a bland piece or surface into a showstopping focal point, and is also a great way to decorate sustainably. With more and more of us looking to minimise our impact on the environment, paint is a quick and easy way to refresh a dated or unwanted item, helping to extend its use and save it from landfill. When it comes to painting furniture there are no rules; throw caution to the wind and feel free to express yourself. Wardrobes and cabinets are perfect blank canvases…

Undertaking a race against time to restore a Grade II -listed Georgian home in one of Bath’s most iconic settings might have fazed a lesser mortal than Sarah Druce, yet she exchanged in September and was ready to welcome her first guests by December 2021. Meticulously organised and an experienced designer, Sarah was more than capable of pulling it off. Moodboards were underway, builders booked in, and even the ideal sofa purchased, all before completion of contracts had taken place on the sale. ‘The day I received the keys was the day the builders made their start,’ says Sarah. As a busy creative director of a fashion events company in London, flawless planning and a strong visual sense are her bread and butter, and having successfully renovated a previous property,…

RAISING THE BAR Designed to emulate the style of a built-in oven, Caple’s new discreet, black WC6100BS in-column wine cooler makes entertaining easy, with ample room for 30 Bordeaux-style wine bottles on beautiful sliding beech shelves. With a compressor cooling system, and a temperature range from 5 to 18°C, bottles can be stored in optimum conditions that mimic a wine cellar – whether your tipple is red, white, rosé or Champagne. Cheers! £1,159. SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED The Felix Vanity from London Basin Company has been scaled down for compact living. Designed to complement the brand’s distinctive, decorative ceramic basins, the Mini Felix vanity comes in four finishes – industrial steel, gold, black, and copper – and you can also choose from a range of bespoke tops, including reclaimed wood…

BOOKWORM Dubbed the UK’s ‘Queen of Flowers’, Willow Crossley is an established floral designer, stylist and writer who has worked with many high-profile brands, including The Royal Family. She is known for her sustainable approach to floristry, working with the seasons and sourcing locally grown flowers. In the delightfully photographed re-released Inspire: The Art of Living with Nature (£25, Cico Books), you will find 50 beautiful projects to bring the outside in: from tabletop centrepieces to decorative napkin rings; hydrangea wreaths to creative vase solutions. Willow shows how to work with whatever you can get your hands on, be it foraged hedgerow finds, seasonal stems or flower-shop bouquets, and turn them into eye-catching arrangements. POTTERING AROUND Much like a stand-up desk, a potting bench makes garden upkeep so much easier…

When artist Angela Hall wants inspiration for a new silkscreen print design, she simply wanders into her back garden. Whatever the season and whatever the weather, this rural bolt-hole is a rich source of vibrant colours, exciting shapes and extraordinary textures, which eventually find their way into her distinctive designs. Wildlife teams among the flora and fauna; dense foliage evolves and reinvents itself on the wave of seasonal changes – and Angela captures it all in her own loose, unique style. Armed with sketchbooks, pencils and a sharp pair of secateurs, she enjoys nothing more than combining a spot of pruning with a quick scribble and sketch, which may, or may not, end up on one of her beautiful screen prints or a handcrafted cereal bowl. Then it’s back to…

YOU WILL NEED: ● Grapevine garland ● Florist’s wire ● Moss ● Flowering bulbs, like daffodils and muscari ● Plastic sandwich bag ● Soil ● Moss ● Flowerheads ● Small succulents With the arrival of spring, birds start building their nests, so join them by crafting these adorable decorative planters. Full of colour, they are perfect for brightening a grey day. 1. Start by taking a roll of grapevine garland, cut off a small length and work it into a small, flat spiral, holding the shape together with thin florist’s wire. 2. Cut more lengths, adding into the spiral but working upwards to create a nest-like shape, securing with more florist’s wire as you go. 3. When you have reached the desired size and shape, twist, cut and tie-off any…

The kitchen-garden borne shade inspired by its namesake herb, sage green is a perennial favourite for classic and timeless décor. One of the cleverest greens in the spectrum, this colour shifting hue shares subtle blue and grey tones, making it a sophisticated and soulful choice as well as bringing biophilic benefits with its organic origins. ‘Sage green is a comforting colour. Even by name alone, it evokes the thought of foraging and nourishment in the natural world, growth, renewal and life as a whole,’ says Alice Hood, senior design consultant at Roundhouse. ‘It brings the outside in, even in the most urban setting, and studies have been conducted to show that being surrounded by green can relax our nervous system and help us to feel calm, and in some cases,…

Electricity was unheard of when many old houses were built so, although now necessary, incorporating power supplies, lighting and electrical devices can present challenges and needs careful thought. Safety is the first consideration, since outdated or damaged systems can cause fire and shocks. If in any doubt, always call in a qualified electrician and ensure any work meets current regulations and is properly signed off. When to repair All electrical installations should be periodically checked and tested. An electrical installation condition report (EICR) is like an electrical MOT of the house, explains Ryan Slessenger of CES Lighting & Electrical Specialists. ‘Homes should be inspected every ten years, and at a change of occupancy or ownership. The key thing to remember is that you have no idea what you are purchasing,…

SPOTLIGHT ON RYE Friends Francesca Rowan-Plowden and Amy Eastall have fulfilled a lifelong dream to become shopkeepers by opening Ferry Road Store in Rye, East Sussex. Here they tell us why they chose one of the UK’s meccas for vintage and antiques RYE CHARM: ‘As well as its cobbled streets, sea views, medieval smugglers’ passages and grand Georgian architecture, Rye has a wealth of independent, and vintage and antique shops. One cannot help but be inspired by the medley of eras as you wander around and, with a history of creativity, it seemed the perfect town in which to open our business’ says Amy. IN STORE: ‘We are an interiors and lifestyle concept store selling vintage and antique pieces, alongside brands such as Verden, Fenwick & Tilbrook and Daydress. The…

Cottages are prized for their wealth of period features, but they often have small rooms with little light and unusual angles, which can make designing a bathroom tricky. However, with some clever thinking, there is no reason why you can’t have a beautiful sanctuary that combines historic character with modern comforts. From a well-thought-out layout, clever storage solutions and compact baths, to achieving the perfect lighting scheme, there are plenty of ways that you can make a small space work for you. ‘The secret to making a petite bathroom elegant is to work to the proportions. There are now so many bathroom products for sale that have been designed with the smaller bathroom in mind,’ explains Barrie Cutchie, design director at BC Designs. ‘Cottage style is all about embracing a…

Window treatments can define the look and feel of a room, controlling light levels while also bringing colour, pattern and texture to a scheme. Their style and design, however, is also heavily influenced by the room in which they are to be installed. How much privacy is needed? Does the room call for black-out linings? Is the window susceptible to draughts? The answers to these questions will help to determine the right choice of window treatments. Blinds are available in a wide range of styles and colours, are endlessly versatile and can be paired with thermal or blackout linings. In households with children, opt for cordless blinds or fix cords to the wall. Shutters are a great choice for period homes, although are more of an investment. Wood is the…

Few things contribute more character to a historic house than an old staircase. Timber stairs older than the 16th century were generally either some type of ladder or were built in spiral form. From the 16th century, framed staircases emerged gradually with boards forming treads and risers housed in strings, plus turned balusters and newels carrying handrails. These stairs were originally of hardwood, typically oak, but later predominantly in softwood. They often gave an opportunity for architectural expression, exhibiting ornate balustrading and newel posts. Repair rather than replace Old stairs are best retained, not replaced, wherever possible. Usually made using straightforward joinery techniques, they can nearly always be repaired easily by a skilled carpenter. Old stairs are not only of historic interest but can represent the finest joinery in a…

Using a wormery to create compost is an easy and environmentally-friendly way of turning kitchen waste into nutrient-rich compost. Uncooked, rotting food scraps, rather than ending up in landfill, where they produce harmful greenhouse gases, instead get eaten by the hungry worms and are transformed into highly concentrated and long-lasting plant food. ‘Worms are able to turn any organic material into a valuable soil fertiliser,’ explains Ronnie, founder of wormery manufacturer, Wormcity. Creating homemade compost also reduces the need to buy plastic wrapped compost. Healthy plants Beyond the environmental advantages, using a wormery to make compost will also benefit your garden plants. ‘Worm compost is teeming with minerals and nutrients for healthy plant development – one tablespoon provides enough nutrients for a plant to thrive through a growing season; has…

Recipes and styling Tia Tamblyn | Photographs Future/John Hersey SPRING GREENS CURRY Fragrant and full of flavour, this curry brings purple sprouting broccoli to life SERVES 4-6 FOR THE CURRY PASTE: FOR THE CURRY: 1. Place all of the curry paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Remove and set aside (you can make this a couple of days ahead). 2. Heat the oven to 180ºC/ 160ºC fan/Gas 4. Place the vegetables on a baking tray – use two trays if needed so the vegetables are spread out – and drizzle over the olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and the thyme. Roast for 20 minutes, removing to give a good shake halfway through cooking. When cooked, remove from the oven and set aside. 3. In a…