The English Home February 2022

Do you sometimes feel a little bereft when you’ve taken down the Christmas decorations and packed them away for another year? For me, it’s the starkness that comes with dismantling that extra layer of decoration at a time when we most crave home comforts and visual interest. This issue is therefore dedicated to providing inspiring ways to hone your home for midwinter. Our feature on cosy decorating is a masterclass in layering warm textures and cocooning colours to create interiors you’ll want to hunker down in (p72). Not least if taken alongside the advice in Set the Scene for Winter Suppers, which shows how to create a relaxed mood for enjoying winter entertaining (p108). With the decorations down, this is also the perfect time to reassess how to display the pieces you…

SPOTLIGHT ON… A Stroke of Genius For 33 years, deVOL has been making and painting design-led kitchen furniture of distinction, and now its newly revamped paint colours are available to buy in tins. All 12 ‘Paint By deVOL’ water-based shades work in harmony with each other, from neutrals Linen, Damask, Mushroom and Lead to four blues (Trinity, Clerkenwell, Bond Street and Pantry), Refectory Red, Scullery Yellow, Bakehouse Green and Printer’s Black. There are two finishes available: original furniture paint with a satin sheen – perfect for traditional furniture and interior joinery – and flat matt emulsion for interior walls and ceilings. With this new careful curation of paint colours, Leicestershire-based deVOL aims to encompass both classic and contemporary kitchen styles. devolkitchens.co.uk Let There Be Light New candles by Olivia Alers-Hankey “Candles are not just simply a source…

Beatrix Potter: Drawn To Nature at the V&A with the National Trust tells her life story with two of the world’s largest Beatrix Potter collections. From 12 February. vam.ac.uk Escape the dreary weather and step inside a glasshouse filled with vibrant horticultural displays at Kew Gardens’ annual orchid festival. From 5 February to 6 March. kew.org Learn a new skill at Clayhill Arts in Somerset. Creative retreats, courses and masterclasses being held from 14 February include printing, weaving, ceramics and illustration. clayhillarts.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHS P17 © DEVOL KITCHENS. P18 (TOP LEFT) © KATIE JULIA, (TOP RIGHT) © LUMA CONTENT; (MIDDLE LEFT) © DOMINIQUE ISSERMANN, (MIDDLE RIGHT) ©MATCHESFASHION;(BOTTOM LEFT) © JEMMA WATTS PHOTOGRAPHY. P20 (BOTTOM LEFT) © SIMON BEVAN, (REST) © ALUN CALLENDER. P22 (TOP LEFT) © SOFAS & STUFF; (BOTTOM LEFT) © HISTORIC ROYAL…

SEASONAL STYLE The changing colours of the seasons afford ample opportunity for decorative updates. Blending calm hues and gold accents, Beaumont & Fletcher’s collection strikes the right note with smart choices for key pieces to lift and lighten a scheme. Devon wall light, £760; Belgrave mirror, £3,798; Alexandra sofa in Piedmont Linen, Biscuit, and Novara Linen, Biscuit, with nailing in Antique Brass, £7,967.20, all Beaumont & Fletcher A SPLASH OF CHIC Doing the dishes brings a certain satisfaction when it comes to domesticity, not least when offset with stylish accessories. We love the unusual metal finish of Graham & Green’s new drying rack to lend elegance to an everyday task. Gold dish rack, £58, Graham & Green SUSPENDED SCULPTURE Crafted from biscuit-finish fine bone china tiles and suspended from a laser-cut British steel frame, the new, sculptural…

Bring vibrancy and positivity to interiors in the darkest months of the year. Just as green shoots, cheerful violet and yellow crocuses raise a smile as winter ends, adding some colourful accessories from across the spectrum will enliven interiors. Use simple but effective block colour for a sofa to revitalise a sitting room, or embrace colour and pattern in a daring print for a statement chair. Ombré, rainbow stripe and multi-tonal accessories also add fun whether on lacquer mirror frames, jolly cushions or a beautiful glass pendant light. PHOTOGRAPH (CLAYBROOK) © BEN CARPENTER; (TORI MUROHY) © JACK NEVEILLE; (THE LAQUER COMPANY) © WING CHAN…

For many, doing a small thing each day towards protecting the environment, such as choosing more sustainable and ethical products, helps in the wider picture of change. There are many offerings with credentials to aid in such endeavours – from the way they are made and materials used, to whether they are made locally, use sustainable packaging or are crafted to last, so not feeding a throwaway society. Reclaimed, vintage and antique pieces also have their place in this, as do pieces that can be reused time and time again. Even the smallest detail can make a big difference.…