Innehållsförteckning för November 2015 från Homes & Gardens

AFTER SEPTEMBER’S FRENZIED RETURN TO school, with the constant stream of requests, worries and organisational difficulties that entails, the mood in my home is now one of reflection. There’s a sense of having some breathing space, a chance to tidy, sort and plan. Everything has begun to settle into a groove and I am starting to look forward to the crisp chill of autumn days. We have no major works on the agenda between now and Christmas, but I plan to spend this time gathering inspiration for future projects. Although I sometimes feel that my computer, phone and tablet have taken over my life, they do make compiling resources easier, from searching for products to storing images. If you’re on the hunt for fresh ideas, don’t forget to take a…

Recently I discovered the “Margate movement” in north Kent, where views of the long beaches and huge skies inspired the great 19th-century painter JMW Turner. The town’s cultural credibility has been boosted by the opening of art gallery Turner Contemporary, turnercontemporary.org, in 2011, and by Dreamland, dreamlandmargate.com, a quintessential 20th-century seaside amusement park that has been in full swing since June, having been restored by the king of vintage design, Wayne Hemingway. A pioneer of the influx of creative types to the area is Royal College of Art graduate Maxine Sutton, maxinesutton.com, who specialises in embroidered screen prints. She arrived in Margate seven years ago and now sells textiles and furniture from her shop and studio in a listed Georgian cottage. Her lamps, with beautiful hand-turned wooden bases, are particularly…

For more than a decade, Gareth Neal has been making contemporary furniture with a nod to historic British design. Using woods such as English oak and American walnut, his pieces range from Windsor-style chairs to intricate cabinets and tactile vessels. Though he is renowned for his reworking of classic forms, he also makes pieces using traditional hand-crafting techniques, including the oak and leather chair that won the Great Heal’s Bodging Race earlier this year. What led you into the field of furniture making? As a child, I could often be found tinkering around using building waste to make things such as bird tables and boxes. My father is an archaeologist, so an interest in objects and history was ingrained in me from early on. In 1996, I graduated with…

THIS MONTH, discover a pared-back Cotswold cottage (page 90) that draws inspiration from the surrounding countryside and be transported to sunnier climes by an impressive South African new-build home (page 98). Influenced by 1930s design, a Milan pied-àterre (page 109) exudes a sense of old-school glamour, while a Tudor manor has been sympathetically renovated (page 123). In our town garden, exotic planting has turned a compact space into a tranquil retreat (page 134).…

Furniture designer Romeo Sozzi is a man of simple yet refined tastes. His apartment, in a smart residential neighbourhood in Milan, is a handsome affair that oozes charm and old-school glamour but, whenever time permits, Romeo escapes the hustle and bustle of city life to go trekking in the mountains, a short scooter ride away. “I love to be surrounded by nature,” he says. “It inspires my work and my home, so I always carry a notebook and pencil to make sketches and jot down ideas.” A predilection for the design of the 1930s is another influence that infuses Romeo’s style. “It’s one of the last periods when elegance underpinned the principles of design,” he explains. RESTORED TO BEAUTY Transforming his city pied-à-terre into a sophisticated home took almost a…

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SPACE? This is the kitchen and family room of a five-storey house in central London. It is the largest open space in the house and has the highest ceilings, so it made sense for this to be the hub. There is an adjacent television room, while a set of five French doors leads into the garden. The house was recently rebuilt from scratch, with only the façade remaining, and this room forms part of the new rear extension. HOW DID YOU APPROACH THE DESIGN? The starting point was to create a kitchen, dining area and living room suitable for modern family life. This is a busy household with children and pets, so the space needed to be both practical and stylish. We decided to combine contemporary…

Despite its large scale, this charming print incorporates a generous amount of white space, lending it an airy feel. Its serpentine design is echoed in the curving lines of the chair. Pairing two similar classic floral motifs in the same colourway on the walls and upholstery provides impact without overpowering the space, while a stone floor tempers the ornate pattern . Deep green walls and the understated calico tones of a sisal rug, antique sofa and painted console table have a pared-back look, allowing the beauty of the embroidered leaf-print fabric to sing out. Rustic accessories and arrangements of foliage complete this composed scheme. This exuberant wallpaper has a dramatic feel, which is ideal for making a statement. Faded linens and simple glassware ensure it takes centre stage. For an…

BRANCHING OUT Originally one L-shaped room, this space has been divided into a bedroom and dressing room by Tessuto Interiors, 020 7371 0117, tessuto.co.uk , using a pocket door. The bespoke joinery of the wardrobes mirrors the wisteria branches on the De Gournay silk wallcovering for a seamless look. PRACTICALLY PERFECT These bespoke units by Smallbone of Devizes, 020 7589 5998, smallbone.co.uk, complete with pull-out shelving, offer a luxurious amount of hanging and storage space, while the central island houses smaller items such as socks and scarves in style. Concealed lighting at the top and bottom of the wardrobes, combined with angled downlights, gives layers of illumination that are both practical and flattering. ON SHOW Handbags and colourful clothing can look fabulous in low-key open storage. The all-white colour scheme…

1| Simply perfect. Semley desk/console, H74xW110xD50cm, £550; Semley mirror, H45xW23xD1cm; both Another Country at John Lewis, 0345 604 9049, johnlewis.com. 2| Sleek looks. Horizon in Champagne, H77xW121xD50.5cm, £2,995, The Sofa & Chair Company, 020 8752 8935 , thesofaandchair.co.uk. 3| Period piece. Versailles in Antiqued Mirror, H79xW152xD66cm, £825, Oka, 0844 815 7380, okadirect.com. 4| Modern luxury. Afrodite, H75xW182xD59cm, £3,090, Chaplins, 020 8421 1779, chaplins.co.uk.…

With the wind whistling through their draughty Norfolk home, an old rectory, Andrew and Sarah Long decided it was time for action. “My grandfather saved the house halfway through its demolition in the 1950s,” says Andrew. “Although he patched it up over the years, when we inherited it there was no real bathroom or kitchen, and to negotiate the staircase I had to almost bend double.” As well as adding an extension to expand the footprint of the house, creating more space for the couple to share with daughters, Sienna, eight, and Charlotte, five, plus the family’s dog, Bramwell, they also decided to replace the dilapidated windows. For both projects, Andrew contacted a local member of the Wood Window Alliance (WWA), whose 22 members craft products to rigorous criteria. “We…

Described by Nikolaus Pevsner as “a puzzling and very attractive house”, Brent Eleigh Hall, near Lavenham in Suffolk, is a Grade I listed property with a two-acre walled kitchen garden that is currently being restored. Like so many country estates, the garden had grown into a dilapidated state over a number of years. Now, it is being gloriously reawakened by the joint forces of its new owners, Mr and Mrs Stephens, and the Mayfair restaurant, Novikov. Putting an exact date to the walled space is difficult, as it is not included in the listing – kitchen gardens were often omitted from surveys as they were not recognised as being features of the house. It is probably Victorian, however, and it has some lovely aspects that were an instant attraction to…

First identified 100 years ago by Japanese scientist Professor Kikunae Ikeda, umami is the fifth taste, a kind of savoury deliciousness with its own receptors on the tongue. While it can be unremarkable in isolation, it intensifies the taste of salt and sweet, and balances bitter and sour, taking dishes to exciting new levels of taste. From smoky aubergine with ricotta, molasses and prosciutto to Parmesan ice cream with chocolate balsamic strawberries, these diverse recipes are all united by their striking depth of flavour. PROSCIUTTO AND MOZZARELLA BITES WITH BLACK OLIVE TAPENADE Serves 4 Rolling an ingredient in grated Parmesan and wrapping it in prosciutto is a perfect way to create umami and is a principle that can be applied to anything, from asparagus spears to chicken breasts. The leftover…

As autumn days draw in, our thoughts turn to open fires and cosy evenings at home. For more fireside inspiration, see our feature dedicated to all things hearth and home, on page 172.…

Changing the look and feel of your home has never been easier. Updating accessories and individual pieces of furniture can transform a scheme, whether you’re after a cocooning look for winter with rich reds and dramatic off-blacks, or aiming to introduce vibrancy through bright ikats and bold block colours. Just a few tweaks here and there can be enough to create a fresh mood without a major overhaul. OKA’s home accessories, fabrics, furniture and lighting, much of it sourced from skilled craftsmen around the world, combine beauty and style and there’s a host of designs to choose from, including carved consoles, occasional chairs and textured glassware. So take the opportunity to browse and buy online, arranging for speedy delivery, or shop at any of the company’s 11 nationwide stores, including…

The British Isles are made up of an astonishing variety of rock formations. The winter months are perhaps the optimum time to enjoy these natural wonders, unobstructed by verdant vegetation and beset by biting winds and storms that are the agents of their erosion and weathering. A drive across the length and breadth of the mainland alone will reveal the diversity of our geology, as the scenery changes from county to county. A landscape forged out of Pennine limestone and Cornish granite was laboriously quarried to provide the raw materials upon which the Industrial Revolution relied, while chalk underlies the soft undulations, wooded slopes and picture-book villages of the North and South Downs. The red cliffs of South Devon are outcrops of the sandstone that forms much of central England,…

Knocked-back schemes subtly draw on the colours of the countryside – tonal hues that span greenish greys to pale shades of stone. Aga McDaniel will never forget her first trip to the Cotswolds with her husband, Andrew, three years ago. “Every corner we turned unveiled one breathtaking scene after another; it was rather like walking around an art gallery full of Old Masters,” she recalls. The couple, who had moved to London from New York in 2005 and have two children (Henry, aged five, and Izabela, seven), found themselves drawn back to the area time and again. “We were starting to grow out of our home in London and we were very keen to have a larger garden,” Aga explains. “We realised that this is where we wanted to bring…

Before she turned her hand to sculpting, Caroline Swiderska worked as a stylist and designer, creating exhibitions and displays for clients such as Spink, the auction house, and luxury jewellers Tiffany & Co in Bond Street and Bulgari in Rome. Fourteen years ago, Caroline, her husband Carlos and their two children, then aged four and three, were based in London when she had a light-bulb moment. “One morning, I woke with the very strong conviction that I did not want the children to be brought up in the city; I wanted them to have tree houses.” The couple looked in Suffolk, a reasonable one-and-a-half-hour commute to Canary Wharf for Carlos, and their search brought them to a truly wonderful place. At the end of a long drive that runs through…

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SPACE? Previously, the site hosted an old chalet-style bungalow, which was too small and badly laid-out to suit a growing family. It was levelled to make way for a four-bedroom home in a contemporary style, with striking gable ends and large expanses of glass. The kitchen is part of a much bigger open-plan room that occupies the full width of the property and opens onto the garden via floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors. WHAT WAS THE DESIGN BRIEF? The owners have two school-age children, so they requested a practical, hardworking kitchen that could be used for everything from homework and day-to-day dining through to sophisticated dinner parties. There also needed to be space in which to sit and enjoy a quiet coffee, as well as an area…

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SPACE? This is the master bathroom of the lovely double-fronted, Victorian end-of-terrace house in Balham, south London, where I live with my husband Arthur and our two children. Originally the bathroom was much larger – bigger than our bedroom, in fact – but, as part of the total house renovation, we extended and then split the space to incorporate an adjoining dressing room. WHAT WERE YOUR MAIN GOALS? The most important thing was to create a beautiful, luxurious bathroom with plenty of marble. Our list of essentials included a generous shower, twin basins, a large bath for relaxing in and lots of storage. I also wanted heated towel rails within easy reach of both the shower and the bath. My ideal scenario included a bath with…

The pared-back linear shape of this modern design makes a bold statement. Rich orange, nut brown and hints of turquoise are an inviting combination. An Italian-leather firewood carrier is a chic way to keep logs tidy. Stylish iron forks are essential equipment for fire-toasted marshmallows. The classic style of this hand-crafted tool set offers understated elegance. A smart update on the traditional log basket, this design will tie in nicely with a black woodburning stove and fireside tools. A glass jar filled with black matches and a rustic candle holder that doubles as a storage box will bring character to a tabletop. Create an inviting modern-day parlour with a woodburning stove and tongue-and-groove panelling painted soft green for a cosy cabin feel.…

• Dressing rooms work best when sited next to the bedroom or bathroom to form a suite. If you are starting from scratch and can choose the size of your dressing room, you will need to allow at least 2.4x1.6m. • If you have space, a walk-through dressing room, leading from the bedroom into the bathroom, will give you a generous volume of open hanging space. • Giving the dressing room a lower ceiling will define it from the adjoining bedroom or bathroom, enhancing the sense of space. • Lighting is key. We work with designer Hugo Fleming to create flattering but practical schemes: it might involve adding lighting to the bases and tops of wardrobes or installing vertical strips inside to illuminate the contents. • Framing mirrors with LED…

• For a glamorous effect in a dressing room, small details, such as shagreen handles, soft kidskin drawer linings and sumptuous carpets or rugs will create a luxurious haven to get ready in. • If space is tight, try mirrored, upholstered or wallpapered jib doors, so that storage fits seamlessly into the surrounding walls. • Textured grass cloths or silk wallpapers look elegant, but make sure you coat them with a protective lacquer for durability.Team with interesting handles for added poise. • Combine different finishes to create interest. For a masculine look, I might use open-plan shelving in a dark wood trimmed with bronze and nickel. • When it comes to the dressing table, I like to select a stand-alone piece in a contrasting finish – mirrored or lacquered, for…

SHOW-STOPPERS GRAPHIC PATTERNS BOTANICAL DESIGNS ABSTRACT AND ARTISTIC…

18th century The house is Georgian with a much earlier core, possibly Elizabethan. 20th century The house becomes an important navigational point for aircraft; it is known by pilots as “peppermint palace” because of its minty green exterior. 1933-34 Sir Edwin Lutyens works on the house, adding the porch and other elements. 2014 The house is bought by Mr and Mrs Stephens. Restoration work begins on the kitchen garden, which has been untended for ten years. 2014 Merriel Gardiner begins to restore the garden structures. Smashed glass is replaced and moss dug out of panes to create a workable space. 2015 The micro-herbs nursery is developed and bees are found on site; six new hives are installed for future colonies to inhabit and produce honey. Looking ahead Plans to turn…

A AG Horne Antiques, 07710 540668, alechorneantiques.com. Amara, 0800 587 7645, amara.com. Andrew Martin, 020 7225 5100, andrewmartin.co.uk. Anthropologie, 020 7870 4821, anthropologie.eu. Appley Hoare Antiques, 020 7351 5206, appleyhoare.com. Aram, 020 7557 7557, aram.co.uk. Axminster Carpets, 01297 32244, axminster-carpets.co.uk. B B&Q, 0845 609 6688, diy.com. Barker and Stonehouse, 01642 230988, barkerandstonehouse.co.uk. Bazaar Velvet, 020 7736 9693, bazaarvelvet.com. Bert & May, 020 3673 4264, bertandmay.com. Birgit Israel, 020 7376 7255, birgitisrael.com. Brian Yates, 020 7352 0123, brian-yates.co.uk. Broste Copenhagen, brostecopenhagen.com. C Caravane, 020 7486 5233, caravane.fr. Carl Hansen & Son, 0045 66 12 14 04, carlhansen.com. Casamance, 0844 369 0104, casamance.com. CF Editions, 020 7349 0888, uk.rugeditions.com. Chaplins, 020 8421 1779, chaplins.co.uk. Chesney’s, 020 7627 1410, chesneys.co.uk. Christopher Farr, 020 7349 0888, christopherfarr.com. Christopher Farr Cloth, 020 7349 0888, christopherfarrcloth.com.…

SOUND THINKING H&G’s enthusiasm for fabric is well documented so news that Linn has collaborated with Timorous Beasties and Harris Tweed to create a collection of hand-crafted, acoustically designed fabric-covered loudspeakers is music to our ears. Choose from a selection of Timorous Beasties’ striking designs, including Kaleido Splatt (below), Cloud Toile Grey and Grand Blotch Damask, or from three Harris Tweed weaves to customise the Series 5 System and tie it into your décor. From £9,205 for the 520 System (below) and £12,000 for the 530 System. Contact 0500 888909, linn.co.uk. FABRIC OF TIME With an eventful 200 years under its belt, renowned textile company David Whitehead & Sons has decided to mark its milestone birthday by re-releasing six designs from the post-war era by iconic textile designers Marian Mahler…

So often the atmosphere of a home comes not from its rooms, but from the unique mix of furniture, lighting and accessories that furnishes them. Homes & Gardens has partnered with the design team at OKA to offer readers a fascinating day that will cover everything from creating an inviting tabletop to adding those finishing touches that make all the difference to a room. After tea and coffee, there will be a Q&A discussion between Sue Jones and our executive editor Giles Kime about interior design and the story of the business Sue set up with Annabel Astor and Lucinda Waterhouse in 1999. Sue will then give a demonstration on how to create a festive table, followed by a choice of workshops on lighting, soft furnishings, tabletops and choosing the…

STAY For an intimate city break, I love the Tiffany Hotel, hotel-tiffany.ch, which has a central location, stunning classic architecture and colourful interiors. Double rooms cost from £170 per night, with breakfast. For views of the famous fountain, Jet d’Eau, Le Richemond, dorchestercollection.com, on the quayside of Lake Geneva’s right bank is the place to be. The hotel offers old-world elegance and rooms from £286 per night, with breakfast. A few paces away, the Izumi rooftop restaurant at the Four Seasons, fourseasons.com, serves great sushi and has a 360-degree view. Rooms cost from £475 per night, with breakfast. EAT Plainpalais, the city’s southern arts district, is a beautiful open space and home to Café des Bains, cafedesbains.com, a lively, rustic eatery that’s a refreshing alternative to some of Geneva’s more…

A dark background is ideal for showing off the gleaming beauty of brass. Here, it forms a counterpoint to a statement mirror-like panel that adds a glamorous note to a kitchen island. Used to eye-catching effect for table bases, sculptural taps, cookware and candlesticks, brass exudes a sense of understated refinement that will lift moodier decorating schemes. Rich, tactile fabrics such as velvet offer a dramatic contrast to shiny, highly polished brass, providing layers of interest that give a room its personality and style. Smart brass desk accessories will always add a note of distinction to the home office. An angular lamp, chosen to echo the lines of the furniture, makes a perfect finishing touch. Delicate brass outlines introduce elegant, pared-back style to contemporary interiors. A bold cube table offers…

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SPACE? This room is located on the first floor of a mid-19th century stuccoed building in London’s Little Venice. Head designer Annika Vallgren and her team worked closely with the clients on two apartments, paring back the architecture to create large spaces that connect via floor-to-ceiling openings and sliding panels. Running almost the full width of the apartment, this room benefits from three large windows overlooking a tree-lined street. WHAT WAS THE STARTING POINT FOR THE SCHEME? In order to enhance the sense of space, we played on proportions, installing oversized herringbone flooring in white oiled oak, LED lighting troughs around the perimeter of the ceiling and recessed curtains, which emphasise the height of the room. The clients have a Scandinavian connection and wanted a subtle…

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE GARDEN? It forms part of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and our brief was to create a sensitive connection between the new Sainsbury Laboratory and a 1920s listed building, Cory Lodge. Our sponsor, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, gave us a free rein for the design, but it was still quite a challenge. WHAT FACTORS DID YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER? The role of the Botanic Garden has changed from a showcase for rare plants collected from abroad to a centre for plant research. We wanted to create a garden that would reflect this change, as well as provide a beautiful place for visitors and those working in the laboratory. We had to incorporate the mature trees on the site and the design had to complement…

Online shopping is the here to stay. Trend forecasters from the Future Foundation report that 80 per cent of us buy online and, by 2020, 90 per cent of us will be engaging in e-commerce. Not only are we shopping online more, we’re using different devices, too, as we migrate from desktop computers and laptops to more mobile tablets and smart phones. Now, we can fill our own virtual shopping basket whenever we want, wherever we are. This has given rise to a new generation of creative online retailers; style gurus who, as well as selling the items they design, make or curate, inspire their customers by sharing glimpses of their products, lives and homes via social media. At a time when authenticity equals power, small businesses that are original,…

• When you’re working out how much storage you need, start by looking at your existing wardrobe and factor in a bit extra for new clothes. • Some gadgets, such as pull-down rails, look good but take up space, so work out if you have room. Equally, adjustable shelves and hanging rails will allow for greater flexibility. • Make use of space under windows or eaves with low-level storage for smaller items, such as underwear. • Double-sided pull-out mirrors housed in pilasters between units are a practical solution if your room is short of wall space. • You can avoid lost corner space by opting for curved hanging rails in wardrobes. • Pull-out trays are a great way to store and view shoe collections; or follow in the footsteps of…

FURNITURE Aiveen Daly, 020 8962 0044, aiveendaly.com. Ercol, 01844 271800, ercol.com. Ikea, 020 3645 0000, ikea.com/gb. Made.com, 0344 257 1888, made.com. FITTED FURNITURE DOCA, 020 8969 3363, docauk.com. John Lewis of Hungerford, 020 7371 5603, john-lewis.co.uk. FLOORING Walton Ceramics, 020 7589 7386, waltonceramics.co.uk. ACCESSORIES Haute Deco, 020 7736 7171, hautedeco.com. Not on the High Street, notonthehighstreet.com. LIGHTING Hugo Fleming Lighting, 020 7924 4500, hugolightdesign.com. John Cullen Lighting, 020 7371 9000, johncullenlighting.co.uk.…

IS DUAL TRACK LIGHTING STILL AVAILABLE? Some years ago I had a lighting track in my kitchen with both spot and pendant lights. I’d like to repeat this combination, but can’t find a track that includes a fitting for a pendant. LM, Banchory, Aberdeen. The Easytec 240v track lighting system from Intalite, 020 8542 1471, intalite.co.uk, can be customised to suit your needs. It includes a number of spotlight options and two pendant designs, the ceramic Tonga and Biba in glass. Fittings are also available for hanging voltage-compatible pendants from other sources. German company Bruck, bruck.co.uk, distributed in the UK by Optelma, 01235 553769, optelma.co.uk, makes the two-circuit Duolare track system, which can run both spotlights and pendants on separate circuits. There are compatible pendants as part of the system,…

1 ATLANTICO RUGS Create exclusive handmade tapestry rugs in pure wool. Designs range from traditional classic florals to modern contemporary linear patterns. Many designs, in various sizes, can be viewed at the showroom by appointment. 10% off stock rugs purchased before 31.12.15 quote Home /Nov. www.atlanticorugs.com anne@atlanticorugs.com 020 8780 5288. 2 BLUE ISLE An online boutique interiors store with a collection of stylish furniture in washed oak, reclaimed wood and crisp linen. A range of striking lamps in pale wood and metal blends contemporary with traditional. Lamps including shades start from £75. www.blueisle.co.uk 01425 653031 3 JONATHAN CHARLES Campaign style console with decorative black lacquered finish highlighted with hand painted butterflies (492224), has three drawers set above a walnut stand base set on bun feet. London@jonathancharles.com 533 Kings Road, London…