The English Home March 2022

It’s time to shrug off winter and prepare for spring. With skies still heavy with the grey tone of a Victorian slate as we work on this issue, we’ve been exploring a kaleidoscope of ideas for using colour to refresh and update the home, as nothing quite beats the transformative power of paint. It’s certainly the case that as a nation we’ve become braver at using colour in our homes over the last few years, but perhaps now, more than ever, we are ready to learn the decorating secrets of professionals to create spaces that are soothing for rest, dynamic for work and cosy for relaxation. We’ve been so fascinated by the industry’s expertise in combining colours artfully to achieve a layered English home, that we wanted to share insights…

SPOTLIGHT ON… Refreshing tablescapes After Wicklewood was inundated with customers wanting to rent its dinnerware, the brand has partnered with Lay London to offer three ready-to-rent tablescapes: The Maximalist, The Traditionalist and The Bohemian (pictured above). For four to 18 guests, included are hand-painted mix-and-match bone china plates, jewel-toned fine cutlery, glasses hand-blown in Italy, placemats handwoven in Colombia, napkins, place cards and a tablecloth. “We believe people should have as much fun and variety when dressing the table as we do when dressing ourselves,” say Lay London co-founders Jemima and Alice Herbert. Wicklewood founder Caroline Downing Nadel says of Lay London: “Their precision and attention to detail is in line with our brand ethos and their love of colour and pattern on a tabletop matches our own.” laylondon/wicklewood Skipper Braves New Waters Zoe Dunford’s…

London Design Week 2022, 13–18 March at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour promises new collections and luxury brands. Be sure not to miss The English Home talk with GP & J Baker on 14 March. dcch.co.uk Artist Ai Weiwei’s new exhibition The Liberty of Doubt juxtaposes historic Chinese objects with his own work for the first time. From 12 February to 19 June, Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge. kettlesyard.co.uk David Nash: Full Circle at Yorkshire Sculpture Park will feature drawings capturing the essence of trees by the artist and sculptor. From 19 February to 5 June. ysp.org.uk PHOTOGRAPHS P15 © CHLOE WINSTANLEY. P16 (TOP LEFT) © COLIN HERBERT HOWELL, (TOP RIGHT) © LOUISA SUGDEN; (MIDDLE LEFT) © ANDY PARSONS TIME OUT CAMERA PRESS LONDON, (MIDDLE RIGHT) © HEATHERWICK STUDIO.P18 (TOP LEFT) © ANGLEPOISE, TARAN…

ALL IN THE WEAVE Plan ahead for spring-time gardening jobs with Weaver Green’s recycled plastic aprons and braided baskets, both durable for weed-pulling or plant-potting chores. Following a spring spruce, add a soft touch indoors with their sustainable throw. Marseille Duck Egg apron, £30; Marseille Duck Egg throw, £55, both Weaver Green BOLD AS BRASS Handcrafted in Florence, these bronze coasters are part of Beata Heuman’s recent additions to her homeware collection, which she runs alongside her eponymous interior design business. Look out, too, for similar forged-brass knobs, and the Dappled and Florentine Flowers trays to make a chic statement. Florentine coasters, £216 for a box of four, Beata Heuman BRING SOMETHING TO LIGHT Aptly named after world explorers, the cordless and rechargeable new collection from Pooky reaches a new realm of stylish, portable lighting in a…

If a spot of winter sun in exotic climes or simply wishful thinking has elicited a need for brighter hues, why not bring a taste of the tropics to interiors? Though the English light needs a pared-back and softer approach to tropical tones, the eye-catching flamboyance of palms and exuberant blooms can be incorporated into a classic scheme. Keep to a restrained palette of more soothing greens rather than zesty limes, with a warming splash of coral. Chic golden touches can sit happily alongside quirkier flora and fauna-inspired accessories.…

Make sorting out and tidying away a joy with chic, beautiful storage solutions. Home offices are a great place to start for a clean mind, putting papers in order, finding a spot for stationery and writing all important to-do lists in a planner. Ensuring functional pieces such as bookcases, cabinets or even a storage ottoman are attractive will mean they become a decorative feature rather a purely practical necessity. Look for luxurious finishes – faux shagreen, antiqued brass or grosgrain leather – and exemplary displays of craftsmanship for pieces of beauty.…