Country Homes & Interiors June 2016

When it comes to decorating today’s country home, many of you tell me that ‘easy elegance’ is top of your style wishlist. Low-key living spaces that express your love of colour, pattern and craftsmanship sing through in our beautiful house features this issue. From period village houses with conservatories and summerhouses to oak-framed new-builds with hot tubs, this desire to create relaxed places with modern, luxurious and classic touches are what downtime living in the countryside is all about. Turn to page 24 and be inspired! This summer, modern vintage florals teamed with spots and stripes are much in evidence on the new retro-style fabrics, wallpapers and homewares, so take a look at ‘Say it with flowers’ (page 66), where we show you how to pretty up rooms with blooming lovely…

We want these now... We can’t resist a pop of summer colour! The new Flowerdrop collection from Collier Campbell gives a colourful update to one of the brand’s original handpainted designs. Beautiful country-inspired blooms in vibrant shades adorn melamine plates, bowls and beakers – perfect for picnic season. Prices start from £5, Not on the High Street. OUR FAVOURITE DESIGNERS Jane Tobitt & David Wardle The husband and wife team set up Bold & Noble in 2008. They use traditional screen-printing methods to bring their designs to life on artwork, calendars, tea towels and, most recently, wallpaper. Jane tells us more... What sparked your passion for design? We both grew up in very creative families. David’s parents were art teachers, my grandfather was a cartographer and my mum is an architect, so there was lots…

BE BOLD WITH COLOUR The purple flower spikes of S alvia nemorosa ‘Ostfriesland’ make this perennial a fabulous choice for adding vertical interest to the front of a border in sun or light shade. Plant it in bold drifts for a powerful hit of midsummer colour – if you dare, alongside contrasting orange echinaceas. It’s a firm favourite with bees and other pollinators, too. A 9cm pot costs £4.70 from Claire Austin. OUR FAVOURITE PLANTSWOMAN Rosy Hardy The nursery owner of Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants has won 20 Gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for her floral displays. This year she’s designing her first-ever Chelsea show garden. Tell us about your design for Chelsea? Inspired by the chalk downs where I live, in Hampshire, it’s a journey through a dried-up chalk stream bed,…

English craft lager Created from locally sourced ingredients, Green & Pleasant beer, especially the lager, hits the spot on a hot summer’s day. With a toasted malt aroma, spicy hops and light citrus in the mouth, it’s brewed with water from the Trent hills. Honey from Yorkshire bees adds a soft finish. Fleur Emery used crowdfunding to get the beer into production at the Freedom Brewery near Burton-on-Trent. Natural Lager and Golden Ale, both from £15 for a 6-bottle case, Green & Pleasant. OUR FAVOURITE CHEESE PRODUCER Stephen Fletcher of Berkswell The Fletcher family started making ewe’s milk cheese on a small scale in their 16th-century farmhouse at Ram Hall in Warwickshire when a local farm shop lost its supply of goat’s cheese and asked Stephen to make ewe’s milk cheese in its place.…

The place to go... Stamford Described by Sir Walter Scott as the finest stone town in England, this lovely, beautifully preserved spot in Lincolnshire is hard to beat. Celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of landscape gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown with a major exhibition at Burghley House and Gardens until 31 October (burghley.co.uk). Discover the town’s history and its many listed buildings on foot with the Town Trail leaflet, available at the tourist office on St Mary’s Street. Picnic by the River Welland with a hamper of delicious produce bought at the Friday market. Stay at The George Hotel (georgehotelofstamford.com), a former coaching inn with oak-panelled restaurant and stylishly decorated bedrooms. Enjoy Open Farm Sunday Discover more about farm life, where our food comes from and how you can support agriculture and help the environment on…