Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2025 i Period Living

Spring is on its way, gently reawakening the garden as the first tender shoots, buds and blooms begin to appear. The season is my favourite outdoors, with its carpet of colourful flowering bulbs, the froth of delicate blossom on the boughs and myriad fresh greens. But also because it is full of optimism, plans and hopes for the gardening months ahead and when I can finally start sowing and planting after the seemingly never-ending dormant period. Spring florals have inspired artists and designers for centuries, and bringing a touch of nature indoors has always helped to create serene, relaxing and inviting living spaces. Our decorating feature this month offers ideas for ways to inject interiors with uplifting, beautiful botanical patterns, from reworked and updated heritage prints to new artisan designs…

‘For a bumper season of summer blooms, March is the perfect month to start sowing seeds,’ says expert gardener Clare Foster who is launching her debut online course with Create Academy. Whatever size plot you have, there are many benefits to growing from seed, including saving costs and a chance to grow plants that you won’t find in your local nursery. With over five hours of content, broken down into 33 bite-size lessons, Clare’s course guides learners through the process step-by-step. It’s aimed at both beginners and enthusiasts looking for more tips, from the planning stage to planting schemes, when to sow and the best compost to use. The course also explores Clare’s own garden and her cut flower patch. Downloadable workbooks accompany each lesson. It costs £97 for lifetime…

Finding their dream home by the sea happened sooner than Jo and Mal Pratt could ever have imagined. After a day trip to Worthing, the couple were back in the seaside town early the next morning to view a house that had been listed overnight. ‘We were the first and only people to see it and we put in an offer straight away,’ says Jo. ‘It sounds like a cliché, but it was meant to be.’ Luck certainly played a part for this family of four, who were relocating from southwest London. They didn’t know Worthing at all and had simply pinpointed a spot on a map with ten-minute walks in each direction to the station, the beach and the children’s likely primary school. ‘We wanted to move somewhere with…

Journeying abroad has become a way of life for Gemma Edwards. Her work for a government conservation agency requires her to spend extended periods living in Africa, so employing an interior designer to help decorate her London apartment was the perfect solution for Gemma, who describes herself as a time-poor interiors enthusiast. She wanted a home that was quirky and different. ‘I didn’t want a cookie-cutter interior and I am not a perfectionist,’ she says, ‘so I was happy to focus on the fun bits, rather than undertake any major renovation surgery and radically alter the property.’ She hired interior designer Sean Symington to assist her, certain that his signature vibrant and energetic colour and pattern combinations would be just what was needed to breathe new life into her London…

Copper top 1 Bringing rich colour and reflective qualities, copper is a beautiful choice. ‘Unsealed it will change over time and its natural beauty brings texture and movement to the palette, plus it’s naturally antimicrobial,’ explains Sophie Stevens from SGS Design, who designed this space. ‘However, copper is expensive and hot pans shouldn’t be placed directly on it.’ On the tiles 2 Once popular in the 1970s and 1980s, tiled worktops are making a comback. If embracing this trend, use a stain and waterproof epoxy resin grout which won’t harbour bacteria. Care is easy, simply wipe down with a spray containing 60g bicarbonate of soda, 2tbsp washing-up liquid and 480ml water. Petra Palumbo’s handmade Delft ceramic tiles, £27.50 each. Tough choice 3 Praised for its impressive durability and tolerance of…

In the ancient Dartmoor market town of Chagford, heavy snow is silently cloaking the hills and pastures in a thick white blanket. When residents wake in the morning, it will be a magical and unexpected surprise; none of the weather forecasts predicted this. But for Flora Searson and Lewis Steer it’s a very different story. This is the first night of the lambing season and, while the town sleeps, the couple carries vulnerable newborns from the snowstorm into granite barns to feed and warm up by log-burning stoves. Over the following week, until the snow melts, the couple work in shifts, sleeping on a blow-up mattress and nursing fragile lambs to health. For a pair that has seen off innumerable challenges since setting up their rare-breed sheep farming and wool…

SPRING AWAKENING This scene perfectly encapsulates that moment on an early spring morning when light bounces off layers of organic textures. ‘Natural materials, earth tones and armfuls of foliage are an easy way to refresh your room for the new season with a relaxed modern farmhouse style,’ says Danielle Le Vaillant, head of photography and film at Cox & Cox. To recreate this eclectic, English-rustic layered interior, mix nature-inspired designs, earthenware and wicker, finishing with simple farmhouse furniture and hand-blocked fabrics. Shown here is Linen tablecloth, £145; Urn vase in Ochre, £60; Mixed dried flowers, from £40; Dinner candle holder, £16.50; 12-piece Lila dinnerware set, £145; Framed pear print, £275 for four; Framed grass seed canvas, £125 for two; Naladhu cushion, £60; Textured concrete-effect table lamp, £150, all Cox &…

Based in the Cotswolds, John Crossley creates beautiful handmade furniture and homeware, described by him as: ‘objects of use, honestly and simply made’. Inspired by country vernacular style, each piece has a historic leaning but is made to suit both period and contemporary homes. After studying Illustration at Manchester Metropolitan University, John worked full-time at Compton Verney Art Gallery in Warwickshire where he developed a love for handmade furniture after working on a British folk furniture collection. Feeling inspired, he did a lot of reading around different vernacular styles, in particular chairs, and enrolled on a green woodworking course at Westonbirt Arbotertum. ‘This was a pivot point for me, and I just knew this was what I wanted to do’. A further course at Ben Willis Woodcraft on the Welsh…

Today, we think of wall panelling as an embellishment but its origins stem from more prosaic needs. In its earliest forms, wood was used to clad medieval masonry, and timber and lathe interior walls for essential additional insulation against the cold. But, from the protective practicality of wall panelling arose the opportunity to create ornate statements of position and wealth. Early examples According to SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) vertical riven boarding was used inside houses in Britain by the 13th century. This framed panelling was usually constructed of oak, but walnut was later used, too. Jerry Fisher – a founding member of Stuart Interiors, the bespoke and historical joinery specialists – says: ‘As demand grew for private rooms in open hall houses, early plank-and-muntin partition walls…

Leaks from plumbing and drains can be disastrous in old houses, especially as pipework is often hidden so problems can go undetected until they become serious. Lead and steel pipework is common in period properties, and may sag or corrode, while water tanks in lofts and poorly insulated pipework are prone to freezing. Drainage pipes were traditionally clay and may become damaged and blocked by tree roots. Maintenance of these, often by rodding, is carried out via brick-built inspection chambers covered with cast iron covers. How can you prepare for plumbing emergencies? Knowing the location of the incoming mains cold water stopcock is vital. ‘This may not stop a water leak but will reduce the amount of water damage,’ says Andrew Dougherty of building surveying and M&E services consultants, Copperstone.…

Named for the unique colour of its blue-green wavy leaves, the blue star fern – also known by the Latin name Phlebodium aureum – is a beautiful addition to a bathroom or kitchen, thriving in indirect light and a humid environment. Perfect placement Blue star ferns have a reputation for being a handful, but the secret to success is to imitate the plant’s native environment. ‘Blue star ferns are epiphytic, meaning that they grow on other plants, typically on the branches, trunks and in the crevices of trees. This means that they thrive in bright but filtered light and wouldn’t enjoy a position in full sun,’ says Kelly Dyer, plant doctor at Patch Plants. Temperature is also a key consideration. ‘Blue star ferns like a warm even temperature so centrally…

EXHIBITION Visitors to Surrey’s Watts Gallery Artists’ Village can explore the enchanting world of fairies in the museum’s first family-focused exhibition. Flower Fairies: The Magical World of Cicely Mary Barker traces the artist’s journey from her childhood to the creation of her beloved fairy characters. Central to the exhibition are original illustrations, accompanied by Cicely’s sketches and family photographs, offering insight into her creative process. Until 27 April. For details visit wattsgallery.org.uk BOOKSHELF Classic English style is comfortable, timeless and informal, but it can also be seen as rather grand. However this new book, Perfect English Small and Beautiful (£40, Ryland Peters & Small) sets out to show that it can be scaled down to work in a home of any age, size or shape. Author Ros Byam Shaw visits…

WILD GARLIC GOAT’S CHEESE FLAN SERVES 6 This savoury tart, combining subtle goat’s cheese with earthy wild garlic – found growing in shady woodlands in spring – has a delicate texture. Serve with a crisp-textured salad. ● 300g shortcrust pastry dough ● 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk ● 300ml crème fraiche or sour cream ● 25g wild garlic leaves, thoroughly rinsed, finely chopped ● Freshly grated nutmeg ● 200g white rind goat’s cheese, sliced ● Salt and freshly ground black pepper ● 24cm loose-based flan tin/quiche pan, lightly greased 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. 2. First make the pastry case. Roll out the pastry dough on a lightly floured work surface, then line the greased flan tin/quiche pan. Press it in firmly and prick the base several…

Inspired by the enchanting beauty of Ashdown Forest where she lives with her family, textile designer Molly Mahon’s new collection of block-print designs, Woodlands, pays tribute to the English countryside. ‘I have designed the collection to impart the essence and magic of the forest into your home, fostering a serene connection to nature,’ says Molly. She is committed to responsible craftsmanship and this is her most sustainable fabric collection yet, featuring bamboo and aloe for their luxurious feel, alongside sustainably grown cotton and linen. Blind in Horse Chestnut in Navy, £228m; cushions in, from left, Horse Chestnut in Pink, £228m; Sycamore Gap in Olive/Blue-Green, £210m; Ashdown in Chartreuse; Ashdown in Navy, both £198m; Forest Flowers in Multi, £256m; Ashdown in Khaki, £198m, all Molly Mahon.…

Enjoy classic homes and timeless style in every issue Reasons to subscribe ● Digital access to 70+ issues when you subscribe to print** ● Six Period Living monthly print issues delivered to your door for only £19.46 ● Brilliant value – save on the cover price* HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Go to magazinesdirect.com/DJ23L or call 0330 333 1113 and quote code DJ23L TERMS AND CONDITIONS Offer closes 5 March 2025. Price is guaranteed for the first six months. Please allow up to six weeks for the delivery of your first subscription issue (up to eight weeks overseas). The subscription rate includes postage and packaging. *Savings are based on the cover price. Payment is non-refundable after the 14-day cancellation period. **Access to the digital library will end with your subscription. For full…

Bringing a sense of cosiness and tradition, wood flooring comes in a variety of shades and styles, making it a really versatile flooring option for your home. ‘When choosing wood flooring, opting for high-quality boards makes a huge difference in terms of both aesthetic and longevity,’ explains Alex Main, director of The Main Company. However, not all wood flooring is created equal – getting the right wood and construction for your room, budget and lifestyle is essential. It is also important to consider sustainability. Look for FSC or PEFC-certified wood, from responsibly managed forests. Here we look through some of the different designs and which rooms they are most suitable for.…