Country Homes & Interiors

FOR THE FIRST TIME, THIS SEPTEMBER I won’t be waving off a child on the school run. Instead, my youngest will be heading to college to start A levels. It means the shift from summer’s ease to harvest season’s busy productivity will be super-charged t

PIPPA BLENKINSOP is a writer and stylist, and this month she compiled our Ready, Set, Decorate! trends feature (page 80). ‘As a nature lover, I’m excited about all the botanical serene greens coming through in interiors,’ she says. ‘I’m also a big fa

As autumn nears, create a transitional dining space that offers al fresco vibes, whatever the weather. Bring outdoor furniture in and style with rustic materials and plants to mimic a garden setting; on sunny days, open the doors to let warm breezes

Having graduated from Edinburgh College of Art, Juliet went on to work with the likes of Colefax and Fowler, Fox Linton, Cole & Son and de Gournay, before launching her own fabric and wallpaper brand in 2013. Her passion for wildlife is showcased in

Show your style chops by supporting designers rooted in sustainability. Find a fabulous cohort at Haines Curates – a platform for those who place environmental impact at the top of their agenda. The collective is growing, with eight new UK emerging d

Tile maker Bert & May has launched Pour, a porcelain tile collection by fashion-designer-turned-ceramicist Henry Holland that showcases his nerikomi-inspired swirls. There’s a printed glazed or a hand-poured version (suitable for indoors or out) to c

Pocket doors offer an elegant transition between connecting rooms – no swinging, bumping into the furniture, or other awkward moments. Instead, the doors slide into the wall cavity, disappearing from view so the spaces merge seamlessly. These are fro

Life can be full of unexpected twists and turns, and a new house in the country was one such detour for Anne Spratling and John Ayris. ‘We were living nearby in an Edwardian seaside home, which we’d just finished renovating,’ explains Anne. ‘We weren

When Laura Emmerson first viewed this property, located in a peaceful Suffolk village, she could immediately visualise the extension she would add. ‘I knew I could bring order to what was a very higgledy-piggledy home,’ she explains. She and her husb

As Alex and Ollie Black admire the spectacular South Downs views from the balcony of their coastal home, the pair feel relieved that they eventually saw the potential of this hidden gem of a plot. ‘We pinch ourselves almost every day,’ Alex confides.

No matter how much you love a property, it can sometimes take the shrewd judgment and experience of a professional interior designer to realise its full potential. Which is why, when Fiona and Douglas McCleod wanted help redesigning their house in Ar

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Want a softer, textural look for your country kitchen? Be inspired by Cotswolds’ tastemaker Carole Bamford, who has fitted wicker cabinet fronts in the cottages on her Daylesford Estate. The blend of milk and honey tones in the stone and surfaces is

From subtle sage to dusky olive, soft greens with earthy undertones are becoming a perennial favourite. They are perfect for creating spaces that soothe the soul Energising and uplifting yet also calm and fresh, warm, light greens make a beautiful ba

Whether an original feature or an architectural addition, alcoves are often found on either side of a fireplace. However, optimising the space they offer can be tricky. Adding a desk into the recess makes the perfect, contained area in which to work

The traditional scullery was a hardworking space with a sink for washing pots and dishes, and with storage for cleaning kit. Today’s version can be a back kitchen, utility room or boot room, or a combination of all three. ‘It can fulfill multiple pur

Even though the joys of summer days are starting to give way to cooler autumn nights, there is no need for you to pack up and head indoors just yet. Lighting, heating and some comfortable seating can help you extend your al fresco evenings, even afte

Whether you want to restore the original charm of an open fire or dream of installing a wood burner, learn how to breathe new life into your fireplace. Q What are my options if I have a previously used fireplace? A If your fireplace has not been boar

If there was ever a hue to charm the birds from the (cherry) trees, it would be pink. Romantic, tender and sweet, this captivating shade has surged in popularity in recent years, meaning its blush has moved beyond babies’ rooms to the most sophistica

This year’s second equinox – when day and night are the same length – falls on 22 September. While the spring equinox is associated with cleaning the home, autumn’s rituals focus on both harvesting and decluttering. It’s an opportunity to decide what

As a small child, Tess Newall would paint on the floor of her mother Sally Oyler’s studio. Aged seven, she graduated to depicting a sunset on her bedroom wall, ‘red at the bottom, and sponged to become yellow at the top’. Turning that childhood love

The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child. And, it seems, it takes a village, market town or close rural community to build a successful independent business today. We spoke to three entrepreneurs who are modelling a different way of w

Since becoming a gardener, I have noticed the concept of seasonality appearing in almost every facet of my life. From my approach to food (I now aim to look past the offerings stacked on the supermarket shelves in favour of truly seasonal produce, wh

SERVES 4 A so-satisfying autumnal stew with a gently sour, spicy spirit. You can use quinoa instead of the pearl barley. 12 carrots, peeled and cut in half4tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 onion, finely chopped3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced2tsp ground cu

Glebe House is a late-Georgian former vicarage that sits perched atop a hill within a 15-acre smallholding, just a few miles from the Jurassic coast. In 2020, Olive and Hugo Guest left London and purchased the property from Hugo’s parents, who ran it

Houseplants can attract unwanted guests – pests like aphids, spider mites, thrips and mealybugs that damage roots and leaves. Check plants often and, if you spot any bugs, try these tips from britishgardencentres.com. First, isolate the plant to stop

Slowly does it may be our garden mantra, as we embrace the natural flow of the seasons. But that doesn’t mean our plots stay fixed in time. Evolving tastes – not to mention changing weather patterns – influence the plants we want to see, how we garde

Gathering homegrown flowers teaches us to follow the natural rhythm of our gardens, noticing the progression from bud to glorious full bloom then seed. Freshly cut flowers capture a moment in time but drying them means we can savour them for longer.

Alliums get the summer show off to a bold start when their flower globes open in May. Like giant lollipops, the spherical structure of these bulbous perennials adds solidity and drama to borders during what is often a flowering lull between spring an

This wonderful selection of 100 outstanding allium bulbs is sure to create an explosion of colour and provide spectacular displays for your garden, patio or decking. Enjoy an abundance of sparkler-like flowers and spheres of lilacs, blues, purples an

Christmas will be coming sooner than you think, which makes now a good time to start preparing a few mini indoor pots to decorate window ledges, shelves and tables, making our houses colourful and fragrant in time for the festive season. In the gloom

I live in the small, historic fishing town of Brixham in Devon. My wife, Pen, and I are lucky to live on the waterfront, with beaches and nature reserves within a five-minute walk. We live with our youngest daughter, Isobel, and her boyfriend, Tommy,