Country Homes & Interiors February 2022

Valentine’s Day doesn’t get much attention chez Childs; our wedding anniversary is when you’ll find us celebrating. But with so much love in the air this month, I’ve been thinking about what makes my heart lift at home. I love the first shafts of sun on our stairs when I go to make my morning cup of tea. I love fresh flowers on the mantel, even when their petals fall into the fireplace. I love the cheerful teal colour we’ve painted the outside of the house, which welcomes the family home each day. And I love that everyone has their favourite seat, even if it means the kids prop their long legs up on me on the sofa. I hope you feel the love we’ve brought to this issue, from joyfully…

“SNUGGLING UP IN WARM BLANKET COCOONS BENEATH SNOWDROP SKIES, EAGERLY AWAITING SPRING’S ARRIVAL”…

NEW WALLPAPER FROM TOTTY LOWTHER Evoke the splendour of Georgian interiors with Totty Lowther’s latest Damaskus wallpaper design. Inspired by 19th-century silk damask curtains discovered in a Mallorcan castle, this sumptuous print bursts with pattern and intricate details. Totty has up-scaled the design, introducing exciting new colours reminiscent of Levantine patinas, flowers and fruit. The wallpaper is printed on tactile grasscloth and parchment, available at thefabriccollective.com. Matilda Goad launches bubbly-bliss bathware Refresh mind, body and bathroom with Matilda Goad’s gorgeous new offerings. The loveliest must-have, the chunky and quick-drying waffle weave cotton hand towels are complemented by a Sky Blue or Violet trim and a wonderful linen ruffle. For added charm, the new oversized cotton bath mats (left) also have the ruffle. Each is hand-woven from reclaimed cotton on a shuttle loom. From…

Tamsin and Paul Clarke love a project and can’t help but feel the itch to move every six or seven years – they’ve owned Victorian houses in London, a Georgian house in Ramsgate and sold a farmhouse in East Sussex to buy this barn. ‘We can’t imagine moving to a modern property because our furniture and belongings are antique, vintage or repurposed, they’re our passion,’ says Tamsin. Even so, the couple had reservations when they first saw this building. ‘It wasn’t love at first sight,’ Tamsin admits. ‘Although the old beams were incredible, the beauty of the oak was lost in the busy decor. Three of the bedrooms were downstairs and the huge living room was on the first floor.’ But the glorious oak barn, with its five bedrooms, swimming pool, outbuildings…

Tamsin’s style tip… RUSTIC FARMHOUSE MEETS MODERN UTILITARIAN WITH AN ECLECTIC MIX OF ARTISAN CRAFTED PIECES IN RAW AND NATURAL MATERIALS…

Moving from London to Essex was already a significant life change for Claire Orders and her family, but factor in a major house renovation and, ultimately, a new career in interior design, and it’s clear that the classic town-to-country shift delivered more than she and husband David could ever have dreamed of. It all began in 2015, soon after the birth of their first child, when Claire was becoming increasingly disenchanted with living in London and began hankering after her roots in Essex. ‘Although we were really pleased with the Victorian semi-detached house we’d renovated in Greenwich, when Oliver came along our lives changed significantly,’ explains Claire. ‘We needed a bigger garden and more space. I also felt a strong pull to be closer to my family.’ Unfortunately, trying to buy a house…