Innehållsförteckning för Simple Country från Simple Country

When life feels complicated and unpredictable, there’s nothing more restorative than a home that provides a soothing antidote to all that busy-ness. There’s something about simple country style that delivers a sense of easy contentment and calm. It’s there in the gentle colour palette; in the tones and textures of natural materials including wood and wicker, cotton and linen, flint and stone; and in the connection between the comfort of a characterful and cosy home, and the gorgeous cottage gardens and rural landscape outside. In this first edition of Simple Country, from the creators of Country Homes & Interiors magazine, we’ve brought you stunning rustic homes that are effortlessly simple yet filled with personality (from page 26). We’ve curated three decor stories to take you through the seasons, from a…

JAM JAR JAMBOREE Jam jars, produce pots and even charity shop glass oddments make lowkey but lovely holders for hand-tied posies. We used daisies, bunny tails, eucalyptus, flax, gypsophila, oats, broom and phalaris for variety and texture. Gradually add stems of flowers to one hand, starting with longer stems for the middle. Add two or three of the same stem at a time, twisting the posy to maintain equal flowers and create a rounded feel. Tie off with some florist wire and snip the ends so the posy fits perfectly into the jar. TABLE GARLAND This garland can be used to dress tables time and again. We used rose buds, mimosa, flax, matricaria, daisies, helichrysum, broom, delphiniums, poppy heads, phalaris, bunny tails, eucalyptus, gypsophila, oat stems and statice. Cut all…

Tracey Gill’s characterful weatherboarded house, with its handmade clay tiled roof, veranda and manicured lawns, is so in tune with its surroundings it is difficult to believe it is barely four years old. ‘Our focus when we were house hunting was to find the prettiest location regardless of the property’s looks,’ Tracey explains. ‘I knew I could change any house we bought, so the important factor was the land and location.’ Nestled deep in rural Sussex, the location epitomises much of what country living is about. ‘We are near a very lovely village, set in three acres with a field bound by a stream. The house is up a track which gives access to just two other properties. It’s pin-drop quiet!’ says Tracey. The original house was seriously in need…

To make a rustic wreath, wrap a wire or moss ring with hay. Arrange flowers around it and secure with florist’s wire Stick a lovely label to a hard-boiled egg and write a pretty place card. Finish with a scattering of spring flowers A hallway tableau of beautiful bulbs creates a fragrant welcome home. Change the bloooms with the seasons…

The cottage reminds me of my grandma’s house – I know she would have loved it,’ says Rachel Southern of her Cotswolds bolthole, an idyllic property that dates from the mid 1600s. Originally a barn adjoining the next door farmhouse, it was later converted into two simple ‘one up one down’ cottages. Then in the early 1900s, it was knocked through to create a single home. Rachel describes it as ‘a pandemic buy’. Having purchased it in February 2021, building work commenced in March and the interior was completed by the end of September. ‘Our main home is in London but we wanted somewhere closer to family that all of us could enjoy, but which would also generate some income by renting it out occasionally,’ says Rachel. ‘Lockdown gave me…

Summer berry rosé jelly SERVES 10 Is there anything that says summer more than a chilled glass of rosé? This grown-up, summer berry jelly will impress with its fruity flavours. 4 x 11g sachets of gelatine powder300ml rosé wine300ml cherry juice100g caster sugar1tbsp fresh lime juice500g mixed berries – we used strawberries, raspberries and blueberriesEdible flowersYou will need18cm bundt tin 1 Put the gelatine in a small bowl and pour over 50ml of the wine and leave for 5 mins. Heat the remaining wine, cherry juice, sugar and 300ml water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. Add in the lime juice and gelatine, and stir to dissolve. 2 Add a layer of berries and a few edible flowers to the base of the…

The Butler-Maddens caught their first glimpse of Carpenter’s Cottage by torchlight, huddled over a tiny screen in a rustic farmhouse in Menorca. It was February and the couple, with baby Lily, were on a no-frills business trip. ‘We sort of design and renovate properties,’ they explain modestly, although they are obviously experts at what they do. ‘It wasn’t part of our plan but something kept drawing us back to this small, dated cottage.’ On returning to the UK the couple headed straight to the Cotswolds. A quintessential honey-coloured village welcomed them, but the little red-brick property was nowhere to be found. ‘Back and forth we drove until finally we saw a tiny footpath signed to Carpenter’s Cottage,’ recalls Laura. Virtually invisible from the road, it peeps out between two cottages,…

CREATING a sweet-smelling home comes in two parts. The first step is to eradicate ‘bad’ smells. The next step is to bring new, refreshing scents into your home. Think about your home holistically and create a scent journey throughout each room. ‘Consider how you might want to use fragrance as part of the welcome experience. There are areas that may need to have an instant fragrance boost, such as a bathroom, kitchen or boot room. And then there are areas where you want a gentle background fragrance, such as a bedroom or dressing room,’ says Jane Nicholson, co-founder, House of Dome. Diffusers are a great way to create a signature, background aroma in your home. ‘Select your diffuser size based on the scale of the room and dial up the…

Every room needs a hero feature. Here, decorative wallpaper gets star billing, with cosy fabrics and simple furniture in support. The stage is set for comfort… Take your cue from the forest, with a display that evokes the colour, texture and beauty of a woodland walk – or panelling that brings the treeline inside Create a space to let your mind wander. Cushions and throws in warm colours and touch-me textures invite you to relax, while candlelight lifts the spirits…

COFFEE TABLE CANDLE Place a seasonal arrangement in the centre of the room to draw the eye, day or night. Use a cake stand to raise a glass vase with a sturdy candle placed inside. Dress with seasonal foliage, flowers, berries and finds as the season changes. LASTING DISPLAY Create an easy arrangement with autumn foliage, flower sprigs, seedheads and berries – it will look good and last for weeks. Choose woody stems and flowers which dry stylishly, with the odd preserved sprig for stability. Cut to similar lengths and arrange. Watch them gradually dry, then gather up and hang as a bunch from the ceiling afterwards. SEASONAL SHELFIE Dress plain shelves to celebrate the season by displaying glorious autumnal bounty. Use a goblet or vase for cut flowers, then…

Autumn salad of roasted squash with serrano ham & Manchego cheese SERVES 6 1 medium butternut squash (around 900g)3tbsp olive oil½tsp paprika150g sliced Serrano ham2 handfuls of watercress, thick stems removed50g Manchego cheese, rind removed FOR THE DRESSING 1 garlic clove, peeled, bruised and bashed slightly2tbsp sherry vinegar½tsp Dijon mustardPinch of caster sugar4tbsp extra virginolive oil 1 Peel, deseed and cut the squash into cubes, setting aside the seeds. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Toss the squash with 2tbsp oil, season and spread out on a roasting tray. Roast for 30 min, until golden and soft. Set aside to cool. 2 Toss the squash seeds with the remaining oil, paprika and a little salt. Spread out on a baking tray and roast for 6 min, until lightly toasted. 3…