Innehållsförteckning för October 2025 från The English Home

PRETTY PRACTICAL Wallpaper is not a common choice in kitchens or boot rooms, with tiles and paint usually taking precedence. This beautiful example by interior design studio Sims Hilditch showcases why a patterned or scenic paper should be considered to set a decorative look in this utilitarian space. Wrapping walls in pattern softens the harder aspects needed for practicality, making it more welcoming, as do other touches, such as a blind trimmed with a pom-pom braid and a shelf topped with art and ornaments. This is an aesthetic that is always admired in the work of Sims Hilditch and celebrated in new book Beautifully British Interiors, which is published by Rizzoli and is a showcase of the design studio’s timeless style, from London townhouses to seaside villas to country estates.…

CHECK MATE A check carpet is not only beautiful by design, but hugely practical too, as stains and marks will be less noticeable than on a plain alternative. Wool is also particularly hardwearing, so the perfect option for areas of the home where equal measures of aesthetic and functionality are key. Bonnibel Stone 100 per cent wool carpet, from £104.99 a square metre, Brintons SOFTLY, SOFTLY Nothing beats the soft tactile quality of a pure wool textile. Highly durable and naturally stain-resistant, it is the perfect choice for fixed upholstery. Update a traditional armchair design with a pure wool weave for modern rustic style. Armchair, Tay in Indigo; curtain, Foss in Harvest, both £73.90 a metre, Linwood FLEECED Revolutionary in its thinking, Solidwool uses a resin composite to transform otherwise…

What sort of house do you live in, and who do you live with? I live on a farm in the heart of the Peak District with my husband, Kelvin, our four children, Marnie, Milo, Maximus and Mateusz, and our dog, Ginger, along with lots of sheep, cows and five very judgmental Leghorn chickens. There’s something about those chickens – every morning I can feel them giving me the side-eye. Our home is a barn conversion that once served as both a butchery and an organic farmers’ market. How long have you lived there? We have lived here for five years now. Originally, we were due to move to California, but lockdown halted our visa process. With our house already sold, we found ourselves unsure of where we would end…

SPOTLIGHT ON… The Haines Curates Fifth Anniversary Collection Jules Haines founded her sustainable brand Haines in 2020 to tackle textile waste by sourcing and selling surplus interiors fabrics – more than 40,000 metres to date – at reduced prices. As well as saving vast amounts of fabric from ending up in landfill, Jules also provides a platform via Haines Curates for independent, eco-conscious textile and homeware designers in the UK. To celebrate the company’s fifth anniversary, Haines Curates is launching a collaborative collection with 11 of these designers, featuring limited-edition fabrics, wallpapers and rugs, created with low-impact processes and timeless appeal in mind. ‘These are the designers to watch,’ Jules says. ‘They’re leading the way in combining bold design with real environmental care.’ hainescollection.co.uk…

PRINTS CHARMING If seeking to inject some personality into the home this autumn, take inspiration from the latest range of luxury wallpapers from British design company Penny Morrison. Celebrated for its diverse array of styles and palettes and with its Wallpaper Wonderland – July Edition, Penny Morrison has released four new wallpaper designs to complement four of its gorgeous fabric prints: Calista, Killi, Pasha (wallpaper, above), and Posy Flower. Each wallpaper reflects Penny Morrison’s signature style of playful yet richly layered design, from the fresh romantic, cottage-style feel of the Posy Flower pattern through the rustic floral motif of Calista, which is evocative of traditional block-printing techniques. pennymorrison.com BATHING BEAUTIES Have an extra-luxurious bathtime with Lefroy Brooks’ range of British bathroom designs that span a century of design. Unwind in…

‘I predominantly buy vintage, because I love the patina and the quality, plus it also has less impact on the environment’ What started life as a serendipitous and somewhat humble collection of vintage paperbacks has become one of the most striking features of Christen Pears’ captivating home. A 2,000-strong treasury of classic Penguin books fills floor-to-ceiling shelves in the sitting room of the 18th-century former farmhouse, their uniform of faded spines and sepia tones a prelude to the skilful mix of old and new that pervades the property’s mid-century-inspired interiors. Books can be found in almost every space of Christen’s home, situated a mere two miles from the breathtaking cliffs of the UK’s untamed Cornish coastline, along with noteworthy curios and antiques collected from travels around the world with husband…

It is always both a perk and a pitfall of the job that our desks are often laden with swatches from the latest fabric and wallpaper launches. It is a joy to see such creativity, quality craftsmanship and inspiring designs, and a problem for our bank balances that they may lead us to redecorating yet again. And so we lead our readers astray, too, for these sumptuous weaves, enticing prints, detailed embroideries and captivating papers are far too exquisite not to share. A visit to the autumn showcases – Focus/25 at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour (15–19 September) and Decorex International at Olympia (12–15 October) – will offer further seductions. Note that many of the pieces shown here are not available until after launches at these events. We are always heartened…

Passementerie is a traditional French technique for adding material details such as trims, borders and braids, to upholstery and soft furnishings. A versatile craft, passementerie can express contrasting styles – it can be used to embellish or to define, to streamline or to add flourishes. ‘I turn to passementerie when a room needs that little spark, it is pure magic to me – a joyful celebration of craft, colour, and character. It’s where texture meets artistry, with each twist, tassel, and braid woven into a tapestry of imagination,’ says interior designer Kit Kemp of Kit Kemp Design Studio. Known for her vibrant schemes, which often feature skillfully employed passementerie, Kemp dismisses the notion that the approach is simply a finishing touch: ‘These intricate trims hold the power to elevate a…

The right rug can be the element that brings an interior scheme to life. However, often, and perhaps mistakenly, it is the last piece of a room to be considered when decorating. ‘It should be the other way around,’ says Christine Van Der Hurd, leading textile designer and founder of rug specialist Vanderhurd. ‘The carpet or rug is the first part of the interior, the first piece in the puzzle, the clue to setting the direction the room will take. It helps to ground the room.’ Rugs add instant texture, colour and warmth to a scheme, but with so much choice on the market, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. ‘They don’t have to be an exact colour match with other elements, but they should be harmonious,’ says Van Der…

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH WALNUTS A vibrant starter or lunch with a moreish topping INGREDIENTS 1 red onion, peeled and diced1 clove garlic, peeled and diced500g pumpkin flesh, diced2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped150g celeriac, peeled and chopped3 tbsp vegetable oil1 tbsp tomato puree150ml white wine1l vegetable stock1 tsp turmeric1 tsp ground paprikasalt and pepper For the topping 80g brioche1 tbsp grated parmesan150g crème fraîche40g walnuts, chopped2 sprigs curly parsley METHOD • Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic, pumpkin, carrots and celeriac and sauté until transluscent. • Add the tomato purée and sauté briefly, then pour in the wine and stock. • Simmer for 20 minutes, season with half the turmeric, salt, pepper and paprika. • Tear the brioche into pieces and fry in the…

Our kitchen garden, Le Potager, is the emblem of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. The heart and soul of our gastronomy. It is defined by each season and gives life to our menu. Look around and you will see a seasonal tapestry that celebrates the power of raw beauty, with rows of Swiss chard, rhubarb and raspberries, towers of globe artichokes, regiments of orange pumpkins and squashes and knobbly-headed celeriac. There are more than 150 varieties in this kitchen garden. It is entwined with the history and success of our hotel and restaurant, and since the early days the harvest from this garden has fed our guests. Remember, a kitchen garden was natural to me. It was what I knew from my childhood, when my father had laboured in the garden,…