• Posts Tagged ‘country homes’

    Winter berries and Hellebores

    by  • November 21, 2012 • Shopping • 0 Comments

    It may be a bit early to get set for Christmas but if you want a head start on decorating themes or simply enjoy creating picturesque settings for your home then take a look at our December trend feature p67-77, which is packed with ideas from decorating with knitted winter whites, Midnight blues, inspired by the Polar nights of Scandinavia, to more pagan Forest greens as well as theatrical schemes featuring gilded roses.

    This picture shows one of my favourite Christmas colour schemes based on ditsy florals and scattered berries with faux Hellebores, a welcome change from more traditional Christmas flowers. This look also gives you chance to get crafty, by customizing shop bought wreaths to creating window displays with origami, paper birds and moss filled teacups decorated with sprays of berries and flowers.

    Plain mistletoe wreath, Tesco, faux Hellebores and berries, Withycombe Fair.

    Plain mistletoe wreath, Tesco, faux Hellebores and berries, Withycombe Fair.

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    English eccentric

    by  • October 31, 2012 • Shopping, Uncategorized • 0 Comments

    Its Halloween! And we’ve gone all Victorian Gothic at Country Homes. In our Trend feature p67-72 November issue, out now, we pay tribute to Mary Shelley, writer of Frankenstein, with these characterful, hybrid trays, depicting half man, half bird, off set by midnight blue walls and gothic roses.

    We really do like this trend which is popular with artisan designers as well as the big high street retailers and you can have fun with it, whether its adding a small touch such as a single cushion or going the whole way with lush velvet upholstery and opulent wallpapers decorated with parlour dogs and peacocks, birds that epitomized the Victorian love of the exotic.

    In the rest of the feature we concentrate on the Victorian quest for science, natural history and collecting global artifacts and exotic memorabilia and show how to incorporate Victorian staples such as collector’s cabinets and statues into a modern country interior.

    Oval Achille tray, £57.80, rectangular Bernardo tray, £112, both Joanna Wood.

    Oval Achille tray, £57.80, rectangular Bernardo tray, £112, both Joanna Wood.

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    If money were no object…

    by  • March 8, 2012 • Living • 1 Comment

    When I read about people winning the lottery, I am always surprised that they don’t make more drastic changes to their lives i.e. swap their home for a country estate etc. If I had a spare couple of million pounds, I could definitely see myself splashing out on a 4-6-bedroom waterfront home at The Lakes by yoo, a private estate, set amongst 650 acres of glorious Cotswold countryside. As you can imagine, the properties are the height of luxury, and are the brainchild of yoo, which is a collaboration of property entrepreneur John Hitchcox and world famous designer Philippe Starck. I just love this fabulously funky Jade Jagger designed kitchen, with the turquoise aga and cool lighting. The vibrant glassware on the table contrasts perfectly with the black kitchen surfaces. The doors also open out onto a terrace, perfect for sipping cocktails on a warm summer evening. Now, I must stop daydreaming…

    This funky Jade Jagger designed kitchen is enhanced by the turquoise aga and brightly coloured glassware.

    Could you see yourself living in this waterfront property with the amazing view?

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    Country kitchen you’ll love

    by  • February 1, 2012 • Living • 2 Comments

    I couldn’t agree more with the saying that ‘a kitchen is the heart of the home.’ Long gone are the days when all you did in it was prepare and cook meals. Today, people want it to be a multi-functional space, i.e. a room for entertaining, a possible play area for your kids, and simply, a place you feel good in. If you are fed up with the recent plummeting temperatures (I am!) and can’t wait for spring, you are sure to be inspired by Designers Guild new ‘Country collection,’ (pictured below). Using a mix of small-scale prints and ticking stripes, it is effortlessly fresh and undeniably feminine, perfect for any home. I’d be interested to hear what you think of it…

    Designers Guild new Country collection

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    Make a macramé napkin tie

    by  • August 18, 2010 • Crafting, Living • 2 Comments

    I hope you like these simple napkin ties made by our Deputy Editor Sara Bird. To make cut 50cm lengths of twine or string. Tie a knot about 10cm from the end of one length then continuously slipknot the twine until desired length. Pull thread through last knot and tie a single knot to neaten. Thread beads on both ends, knot to secure and trim end to 2cm. Finally fan out ends of twine.

    For twine and beads try Hobbycraft. For similar tableware visit The Dining Room Shop. Napkins made from Kusami Collection, Bennison Fabrics.

    For easy to follow macramé instructions, knots and patterns visit www.free-macrame-patterns.com.

    Macramé napkin ties

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    Gustavian style

    by  • June 26, 2010 • Living • 6 Comments

    When I started working on Homes magazines about 10 years ago, Gustavian style was all the rage. The Swedish take on French classical style was a regular look in the pages of Country Homes & Interiors and its sister title Homes & Gardens. Now we are seeing a fresh interpretation on this look from Zoffany’s new wallpaper collection, Gustavus. It combines the elegant formality with an unassuming simplicity. This is my favourite from the collection…

    Zoffany's Sophia wallpaper

    Zoffany's Sophia wallpaper

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