Innehållsförteckning för August 2025 från Homes & Gardens

Brave tones and beautiful spaces shape the mood of our August issue. This doesn’t mean every surface of your home needs to shout in neon, but rather it’s about embracing the bold in ways that feel personal and joyful – painting a cupboard in your favourite hue, papering a room in a daring print or investing in a standout piece of art that speaks to you. Our decorating feature this month (page 38) explores the impact of oversized geometrics. I’ve always had a soft spot for geometric patterns – they’re a bit like the stripe in fashion: bold enough to stand alone, yet remarkably versatile. Whether paired with florals, abstracts or more classic motifs, they somehow manage to bring balance and harmony to any scheme. That same unexpected synergy is…

‘THE idea is simple yet powerful: when we surround ourselves with energising visual references in our personal spaces, we can, through a kind of symbolic osmosis, step into the world each day feeling lighter, stronger and more joyful,’ says Chrissa Amuah, whose most recent work, the Falissie Collection for Johannesburg-based company Fabric Bank is, she explains, a celebration of a decade of her practice. ‘This is a contemporary collection, created to bring joy, warmth and peace to the spaces it inhabits. It’s bold and richly nuanced, and I see it as a fresh perspective on African design.’ Launched in March, the fabric and wallpaper prints take their cues from Ghanaian kente, a textile made using strips of silk or cotton woven on horizontal looms. Featured too are expressive line drawings…

Joyful rhythms Used for curtains or a headboard, abstract fabrics in a dazzling array of rich hues immediately command attention, plus they provide a great starting point for a colour scheme. Reminiscent of 20th-century Orphism art, this fabric comprises a contemporary patchwork of shapes which are each outlined in a charming embroidered rice stitch for a subtle touch of softness and movement. Curtain in Spice Market fabric in Jewel Tones, £178m, No.9 Thompson A new dimension Transform furniture into works of art using fabrics that combine vibrant, rhythmic patterns with captivating textures. Featuring a graphic configuration of circular forms brought to life in colourful chain-stitch embroidery, this design nods to the celestial, yet is rooted in traditional craftsmanship. Pair it with bold stripes to dial up the look. Sofa in Galaxie…

As design director for Kit Kemp Design Studio and art ambassador for Firmdale Hotels, and having studied architecture at Cambridge and sculpture in Germany, Willow is well versed in anything art-related. “Ceramic art has been shaped by human hands for over 10,000 years; made of earth, hardened by fire and elevated by imagination. Clay may be a humble material, dug from the earth, soft in our hands, but in the world of art it is incredibly expressive. Ceramicists are able to manipulate form, texture and glaze in endless combinations and their results are wonderful assets to an interior. The artist’s touch is literally embedded in the work and the tension between utility and aesthetic value is powerful. Clay may be common, but in the hands of an artist it becomes…

A melting pot of old and new, smart and refined, but also warm and cocooning,’ is Tiffany Duggan of Studio Duggan’s summary of the ‘grown-up’ interior of this recently completed six-bedroom family home in Chelsea. Studio Duggan worked on the clients’ country home concurrently, but, not surprisingly, the two interiors differed. ‘The other home has a more country look with antiques and hand-painted furniture, whereas this one is slicker and features lovely velvets, shapely mirrors and plush carpets,’ notes Tiffany. With a background in theatre design, Tiffany carefully crafts considered schemes that lend themselves to moments of drama, including bold use of colour. ‘We really love colour as a studio, so I think it would be unusual for a client to come to us and say they wanted everything painted…

The owners of this extensive nine-bedroom Georgian village house in Hampshire have a mantra: ‘It’s a crime to be boring’. So when it came to renovating the interior, elements of surprise were inevitable. Interior designer Charlotte Smiley, who has worked for Martin Brudnizki and Salvesen Graham and is the mastermind behind the statement interior of the ancient Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, has gained a reputation for distinctive schemes and was enlisted to breathe new life into the property. She rose to the challenge with an intoxicating interior that celebrates chic colour and playful pattern. ‘I knew the clients would be happy to push the boundaries and do things that were a bit wacky,’ explains Charlotte. Because the house isn’t listed, the clients were able to make structural changes…

1. Plane and simple Garden designers Tom and Jenny Williams planted and trained a quadrangle of plane trees to form a living pergola in their Georgian walled garden in Wales. Jenny explains: ’Six, winter-planted, four-metre-tall, bare-root plane tree whips create the vertical framework topped with a lightweight, thick bamboo trellis. Training involved “brutally” pruning off the leader and side shoots, tying in just three remaining branches, followed by annual winter pruning – it’s easier to tie branches in to complete the structure when they are bereft of leaves. We watered for the first three years, to help develop the desired canopy, which was realised in about five years.’ 2. Bridging the divide An artisanal, weathered-timber pergola bridges floriferous perennial borders and creates a strong focal point for the Sundial Garden…

“Dunster Castle is situated in Exmoor National Park and was originally built over 1,000 years ago. There are 42 acres of gardens and parkland on steep slopes. We have a rare working watermill producing flour, 17th-century stables and a lemon house. Lemons have been grown on the site since the 1750s, including our own variety. There are far-reaching views – on a clear day you can see Barry in Wales and the islands in the Bristol Channel. The location has microclimates meaning we can grow a wide variety of plants. Salt-laden winds from the channel allow us to grow subtropicals; the steep slopes have dry, arid plants; and the River Garden is the perfect environment for moisture-loving plants. The River Garden is beautiful -it’s packed full of camellias, hydrangeas, rhododendrons…

MODERN CLASSIC ‘My ideal kitchen has a country feel with a nod to modernity,’ says interior designer Carlos Garcia, who enjoys using colour and individual elements to soften the utilitarian feel of a busy cook space. ‘Rather than covering the walls with fitted furniture, I use antique dressers and cupboards of different periods, ideally with open shelves and a reasonable amount of gathered fabric to disguise a multitude of sins and add warmth.’ In place of an island, Carlos prefers a large farmhouse table, preferably extendable, to create an inviting centrepiece for gatherings of friends and family, surrounded by rush-seated chairs with comfortable squab cushions. An Aga cooker is another must. ‘Use a pretty colour that isn’t too bold so that you won’t tire of it,’ he says. ‘Finish with…

I FIRST visited Deià when I was invited to stay at a friend’s house. It was a welcome weekend break from my hectic life in London. I fell in love with the village immediately and knew there and then that I’d be back to discover more. Little did I know I’d soon buy a house and settle there full-time with my partner Joseph and daughter Skye. ■ I love the drive into Deià through the sandstone-hued village of Valldemossa and up through the Tramuntana mountain range. The sky seems to open up and the village reveals itself, cradled by the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains. Our home is high on a hilltop, nestled in a pine tree forest with views out to the village and sea. We are lucky to…

1. I love living in London – it’s my home – and Notting Hill is my village. I love the community and authenticity of it. I’m a woman of habit, so I always have my go-to places. For my fish and veg, The Notting Hill Fish + Meat shop is just beyond. 2. My new love, since a back injury stopped me from weight training for a while, is walking. We often go to a small town near Courchevel in the Alps and it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. 3. For weekends, there’s nowhere like the adorable Quince and Clover in Great Tew. It’s tiny, intimate and full of healthy options, which is key for me. 4. I’ve been going to the Paris flea market Paul…

SLOW CRAFT We’re always keen to see who’s collaborating in design and for London Craft Week this year, it was former Homes & Gardens Design Awards winner Natascha Maksimovic of Nat Maks and Brogan Cox of Sebastian Cox studio. Their collection, Tides, comprises two sculptural tables, High Tide and Low Tide, crafted in sustainable English sycamore and priced from £3,360. Each piece is hand-dipped in Nat Maks’ signature marbling, with patterns inspired by Margate’s coastal light. The result is a love letter to overlooked materials, to the sea and to slow, purposeful making. Light touch Tom Raffield’s Skipper table light combines sustainable craftsmanship with elegant design. Made from 12 steam-bent wooden petals in a choice of ash, oak or walnut, each lamp is cordless, rechargeable and dimmable. Rooted in Scandinavian…

Anna Møller.Design ‘When you’re in a forest, you feel calm, and part of that is because you’re surrounded by wood in its most untreated form. That feeling of safety is what I want my projects to evoke,’ says Anna Møller, founder of Anna Møller.Design. For this reason she likes to use materials in their rawest versions possible – woods, jute, weaving. ‘Anything that comes from a new interpretation of a long-forgotten or ancient craft, that has a tactility like that you find in a forest.’ After some early career jobs at studios like David Collins, Anna started working for herself in 2020. She’s still a one-person band, but says collaboration is the key to all her successes. ‘People come to me for friendship and trust and because they want to…

PATTERN provides sustenance. It gives charm and depth to a room and, when done correctly, it can feel very relaxing. Without pattern, a scheme can feel quite dry and monochromatic. But there is a danger: get it wrong and it can look massively over the top. Pattern plays a huge part in the English design aesthetic. It can appear to be very free and easy-going. But actually, there’s quite a rigid way of getting there. ■ For years minimalism was in fashion and people were scared of pattern, but that has changed. To avoid passing trends, it’s best to stick to very classic patterns. Designs that have integrity, such as the Tree of Life, which is so beautiful, or Toile de Jouy, which has lasted since the 18th century and…

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL Using 20th-century furnishings and art in a 19th-century house will lend the room a modern feel. ‘When we designed the Grand Parlor in the Brooklyn Heights Showhouse, we featured Black Cross, a brawny and outstanding early painting by Judith Godwin,’ says Glenn Gissler, president of Glenn Gissler Design. He worked with a number of sources to pull together a collection of furnishings that would look at home in this house, built in 1867, including a 1960s Jules Leleu desk and vintage Jacques Adnet leather chairs. He turned back to the 19th century for the Khorasan rug, courtesy of Nazmiyal Antique Rugs in New York. SLIDING SCREEN Art is foremost a thing of beauty but a large canvas can have a practical application, too. In the form of…

When Margo Moore’s husband David was offered a new role in tech in Cambridge, their family, comprising Eloise, 17, and Valerie, 15, Teddy a Golden Cavalier and Simba the cat, were all well established in their Californian home. ‘We had a vineyard, a pool and plenty of acreage, all in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It really was a dream home,’ says Margo. While uprooting had never been in their immediate vision, the family had lived abroad before and enjoyed the challenges of expat life. ‘Dave and I thrive on adventure, so I’ve never felt the need to settle in one spot permanently,’ she adds. Selling their home, donating furnishings and leaving California lock, stock and barrel behind them, Margo began the search for a Cambridge home in…

Colour does not add a pleasant quality to design - it reinforces it.’ So said the French painter and lover of bold colour, Pierre Bonnard. It’s a sentiment that might have resonated with the owner of this west London home, as she considered its spacious, but somewhat characterless interior. Built in the 1980s, it had worn – bar the occasional pop of colour – an almost entirely grey scheme for some decades. ‘Colour, pattern and flow were my client’s priorities for her redesign,’ explains interior designer Laura Stephens. ‘She was yearning for some vibrancy.’ Laura’s client found her on Instagram and she was drawn to her use of colour to create warmth, an element she felt was missing from the house at the time. ‘Her children had left home and…

WHAT happens when top garden designers turn their focus onto their own private spaces, becoming their own clients? With enlightening interviews and breathtaking photography by Éva Németh, Clare Coulson’s book explores the beautiful gardens of 18 of the UK’s most renowned garden and landscape designers, sure to become a bible for garden design enthusiasts. These experts take a more relaxed approach when it comes to their own spaces, be it a cottage garden, modest plot in the city or grand estate. With no paying client to satisfy, and free from strict constraints of time and budget, rigorous planning is allowed to slip by the wayside, allowing more room for creativity and play. Schemes are worked on slowly over time with a heavy dose of trial and error, carefully watched and…

INTO THE GROOVE Renowned for its mirror-like finishes and precision engineering, Argentinian brassware brand Franz Viegener made its UK debut in 2023 through C.P. Hart. Now, in another exclusive release, the retailer introduces the Groovy collection of bathroom brassware which blends intricate grooved detailing with graceful curves. Pieces are crafted by high-speed metalworking which produces flawlessly precise grooves. ‘The grooves catch the light and create a beautiful interplay of reflections, accentuating the design’s sophistication,’ says C.P. Hart’s director of design, Yousef Mansuri. Offered in 12 luxury finishes, a Groovy three-hole basin mixer starts at £2,197. IN THE FOLD With summer entertaining in full swing, folding chairs are a must for hosting extra guests. This Dada folding chair, designed by Constance Guisset for Maison Pierre Frey, offers a stylish blend of…

1. SUN-KISSED You don’t need sliding doors overlooking the sea to appreciate this dreamy bathroom, but we’re sure it helps! For the bathroom in her Mexican holiday home, Chicago-based designer Summer Thornton wove the effortless spirit of coastal living together with the sun-drenched vibrancy of Mexican colour palettes. ‘I wanted it to feel breezy and natural – quite literally when the doors are slung wide,’ she says. ‘Even when they’re closed, the huge mirrors reflect the water so when I’m inside, I’m still connected with the ocean.’ The walls are finished in an ancient Mayan plaster called chukum, in the softest shade of pink that recalls sun-kissed skin, while the bath is carved from a single block of travertine. Meta free-standing bath filler, £3,533, Dornbracht. Travertine bath, bespoke by Summer…

PEA, CUCUMBER AND MINT CHILLED SOUP SERVES 4-6 Olive oil, for cooking1 large, sweet onion, roughly chopped1 garlic clove, roughly chopped300g fresh or frozen peas180ml vegetable stockHandful of ice cubes2 cucumbers, halved, deseeded and roughly choppedFleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper200ml crème fraîcheMint leaves, roughly chopped, to serve ■ Heat a little oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes. ■ Add the peas and stock, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the peas in stock from the heat and add the ice cubes – this helps to preserve the bright green colour. ■ Transfer to a food processor and add the cucumbers. Season with salt, then blend until very smooth. If you…

GRAHAM & BROWN X PIPPA JAMESON Graham & Brown partnered up with Pippa Jameson, the stylist and author who specialises in creating spaces that are appealing to the senses, on its collection of shades. As a mother of a neurodivergent child, Pippa has experienced first-hand how important it is that surroundings feel good on a sensory level. The palette she designed with Graham & Brown consists of colours with calming and soothing qualities. The 16 shades are grouped into four sensory-driven categories: Gather, Rest, Focus and Nook. Pictured here is Uluwatu from the Gather group, a deep mossy green which gets its name from a Balinese Hindu sea temple. Prices start from £36 a litre. FENWICK & TILBROOK X IRENIE COSSEY Fenwick & Tilbrook joined forces with Irenie Cossey of…

COLOUR OF THE MONTH ‘Red can work beautifully in bedrooms; it’s rich, enveloping and emotionally warm. We didn’t want this small guest bedroom to be forgotten, so we painted the ceiling in a rich red and paired it with Galbraith & Paul’s Tile wallpaper for a bold effect. Painted ceilings are a great way of adding a layer of drama and making spaces feel cosier,' says Nicola Harding, founder, Nicola Harding & Co. Ceiling in Beetlenut architects’ gloss, £45.50 for 750ml, Paint & Paper Library COLOUR OF THE MONTH CRIMSON RED THE HEAT IS ON ‘The red and white bejmat tiles used in the studio room are made in Tangier from natural clay and enamel-glazed for a soft sheen. The different reds from the rug and the tiles, together with…

8 8 HOLLAND STREET A gallery and curator plus design studio and art and furniture consultant, 8 Holland Street is an online and real-world treasure trove (it has galleries in London and Bath) of creative joys for the home. Digitally you’ll discover an extensive collection of modern and contemporary art including paintings, drawings, prints, photography, mixed media, ceramics and sculptures, as well as vintage furniture, rare textiles and lighting. From £500 to £15,000. 8hollandstreet.com A AMONG THE PINES Bath-based Among The Pines, an online gallery and art advisory service, grew from founder Sophie Wood’s years of working with artists across the globe. It features the likes of Saima Kaur, whose hand embroidery is influenced by Indian folk art, ceramicists Mako and Naomichi Sato, who scratch marks into their clay pieces…

Joy is a US-based designer but her work takes her all over the world. Now running her own studio – Joy Moyler Interiors – she has over 25 years of experience and a degree in architecture. She is celebrated for her use of colour and pattern. “Sometimes basing a design decision on pure instinct can offer the greatest yields. You just have to roll the dice! Which decision is the most viable, interesting, obtainable and worth it? This is the analysis, the required questions feeding which way to go. There have been many times during my career when I pondered these very questions. Ultimately, the decisions were worth it. All were made with great care, concern for the client’s property and respect. Rotating a pool to better relate to its…

A leap of faith’ is how Charly and Jonny describe their approach to the renovation of this London home, where they live with their two young children. It underwent a complete reappraisal after remaining untouched for nearly four decades. Both were keen to avoid obvious design motifs, such as a ubiquitous ground-floor kitchen extension, in favour of something more adventurous. ‘We live fairly casually,’ says Charly, ‘but we also enjoy a balance of beauty and utility. We wanted that to be reflected in the design of this house.’ With the help of Smith Brooke Architects and interior designer Emma Ainscough, the couple were able to create a space that feels both deeply personal as well as practical. Key was the idea that every space should be fully used and nothing saved…

Fine dining For an elevated outdoor eating area, it’s worth browsing the timeless offerings from The Heveningham Collection, founded by designer Annie Eadie in the 90s. Pictured here in a garden created by Randle Siddeley, three circular Norsebury bases are mounted by three 125cm square Cabucca limestone tops, in total costing £13,794. The table bases and chair frames are made of mild steel, hot zinc-coated, then powder-coated in black for a sharp-looking and durable finish. The chairs pictured here are upholstered in Sunbrella Canvas buttoned cushions, from £1,736 each. Instant classic Janus et Cie has unveiled two new outdoor lounge chairs designed by iconic French designer Patrick Norguet this summer. Pictured here is the Plume high back lounge chair in Talc/Reed, priced at £5,573. Patrick took inspiration from the plume…

MODERN TIMES In this Covent Garden apartment, Hollie Bowden demonstrates how to take classic butter yellow in a more contemporary direction. The soft, mellow cabinetry is imbued with a graphic precision via flat-front doors and retro hardware, while the hue warms the compact space without overpowering. ‘We chose this buttery yellow to enhance the neutral palette and add some lustre,’ explains Hollie. A tubular stainless-steel extractor and steel worktops introduce bold industrial overtures, their polished surfaces shining brightly against the matt yellow below. A pair of Shiro Kuramata’s Sing Sing Sing Chairs for XO anchors the scheme, their mesh and chrome frame lending a playful nod to the apartment’s mid-century modern feel. Cylindra Isola cooker hood, £1,045, Faber. Shiro Kuramata Sing Sing Sing chair for XO, try 1stDibs PASTEL PALETTE…

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL ‘I approach bathroom design in the same way as any other room – I want the space to feel uplifting, full of character and to enhance a sense of wellbeing,’ says interior designer Eva Sonaike. Known for using bold colours and patterns, Eva does not shy away from taking them into the bathroom. ‘I feel strongly that they should be places of joy, serenity and personal expression – and colour plays a huge part in that.’ She might opt for a calm base, such as green glazed wall tiles, combined with a moisture-proof wallpaper for a pop of soft purple pattern. While the bath, shower, vanity and storage need to be fit for purpose, Eva also thinks carefully about ways to bring in artwork and personal accessories. ‘I…