Country Homes & Interiors

FREE DIGITAL ACCESS TO 135+ ISSUES FOR SUBSCRIBERS SEE PAGE 80 FOR DETAILS I’M CONSIDERING PAINTING OUR LIVING ROOM FIREPLACE RED, THEN MAKING THE WALLS A MID-SKY BLUE. Too much? Maybe. But this colourful combination feels like the definition of dopamine décor, and who doesn’t want a wallop of wonderful, happiness-boosting colour right now? This issue is saturated with tints, shades, hues and tones to rev-up your interiors. Of course, we like to fill our pages with colourful updates every month, but for May we’re taking it up a notch, with vibrant homes (and their equally brilliant owners, from page 25), a feature on the ‘comeback colours’ we’re loving now (page 84), plus paint-box decorating techniques (page 90), and twice-as-nice, two-tone kitchen ideas (page 97). We’ve not forgotten the garden,…

As a child, Emma’s fervent imagination was sparked by wildlife and mythology, but it wasn’t until she studied textiles at London’s Royal College of Art that her signature surrealist flair truly came into its own. Following a successful graduate show, collaborations with brands including Atelier Swarovski and Aspinal of London propelled her into the design world. She recently partnered with Clarke & Clarke on Mythica – a vibrant collection of beautifully textured wallpapers and fabrics. How would you describe your style? Whether it’s a cushion, wallpaper or piece of jewellery, I aim to create designs that feel like a journey into an enchanted, mythical world. I love to play with surreal elements and bold colours, combining fine detail with a sense of otherworldly magic. Describe the design process. I start…

Looking over the open fields of prime Lincolnshire countryside, this Georgian farmhouse has proved itself the perfect setting for Chloe Jonason and husband Tom to raise their young family. Their home also makes a wonderful backdrop for the bright and beautiful textiles that Chloe sources ethically from across the globe, and which she uses in her interior design business, creating bespoke homewares and furnishings. Originally built in the early 1800s, and extended over the years, the farmhouse has plenty of space for Chloe’s treasured collections of one-off antique textiles, including suzanis, kantha quilts and silk lampshades, many of which are sourced in India. Each brings its unique style, and a cornucopia of colour and pattern spills out from every room. ‘My approach to interiors is always to be brave; I’m…

‘When I found the red terrazzo floor tiles, there was only one way this kitchen was going. I paired them with structural beams in red ochre, with cabinetry in calming green to link with the garden outside’ Many come for the oyster shacks and the art galleries, but for Brooke Copp-Barton and her family, it was Whitstable’s laid-back vibe that attracted them back for seaside breaks year after year. With its calm, shingle shoreline perfect for crabbing and a vibrant high street, it ticked all their boxes, so when Brooke and her husband finally decided to buy a house there, they knew exactly where to focus their search. ‘We were after a period property close to the sea and town, so there were only a few streets on our radar,’…

For Rosi de Ruig, the lampshade maker known for her colourful shades and glossy lacquer table lamps, her house in the rolling chalky hills of west Dorset has grown alongside her business. ‘As I gained confidence with my work, I became more confident with how I decorated this house,’ says Rosi, who founded her company in 2015. ‘I would never have painted this room green when we bought the house almost 10 years ago, but through my lampshades, I’ve become more comfortable using layers of colour and being a bit bolder,’ she says, referring to the apple-green kitchen, which looks out over the garden to the hills beyond. ‘It didn’t come to me until after we’d painted it, but I realise the colour was hugely inspired by the landscape around…

Andrea Curtis and her husband Alistair were happily settled in a house in the Welsh market town of Bridgend, with no intention of moving. But a regular drive down a nearby road took Andrea past a house she had always admired, and this time she noticed a For Sale sign outside. ‘I would pass the property when taking my girls to school, and it always caught my attention. It’s quite unusual for the area, as both this house and its neighbour have an elaborate outside porch, which is a beautiful feature,’ she explains. She and Alistair arranged a viewing. ‘I really liked it, but it needed so much work we said no in the beginning. Then we came back and had another look and changed our minds,’ she adds. Twenty…