25 Beautiful Homes January 2023

EDITOR’S LETTER For this issue not only have we focussed on getting ready for the holidays but also the projects you may want to tackle in the new year – whether that’s a big renovation or you just need to create a spare room that’s less dumping ground and more a welcoming retreat for guests. Many of us will recognise how Matilda Harden felt when, nine years after living in her flat, she knew she was stuck in a style rut and in need of a change of direction. Her home’s vibrant makeover is stunning (page 16). Yvonne and Warren Chester took the opportunity to switch things up after their children had flown the nest. They bought a fixer-upper, which they renovated in one go, and it’s now the home…

no. 1 When it comes to decorating her home for Christmas, Cynthia Zamaria’s approach is pared back and understated: think natural foliage, simple wreaths and fir trees left unadorned or sprinkled with twinkling fairy lights. ‘I favour the slow flower movement, which is very much about using the things that are in season or grown close to home,’ explains the stylist, content creator and author of recently released book, House + Flower (cynthiazamaria.com). ‘For me, Mother Nature is the original stylist; the patterns and colours in nature are magical and I take my cues from them.’ The backdrop to these displays is the beautiful Georgian architecture of the house Cynthia shares with her husband, Graham Loughton, and three children, Ben, now 22, Ruby, 20, and Theo, 15. It is situated…

FAVOURITE ITEM ‘The fender in the sitting room – I love the fabric and it provides additional seating’ When Matilda Harden felt her life needed an overhaul it was her immediate surroundings that she turned her attention to. Calling upon the expertise of her friend, interior designer Olivia Emery (oliviaemery.com), Matilda was eager to inject her flat with colour and practical design ideas. ‘I’d been living here for nine years but I had just got to the point where I felt stuck in a rut and a bit fed up. When that happens I’m a great believer in changing things,’ Matilda, a heritage officer, explains. ‘I met Olivia when I was about 10 years old and I’ve always loved her taste and sense of colour. When I asked her for…

The festive season begins early in Lara Van den Berg’s home in a picturesque part of the Netherlands, when her home is filled with Christmas decorations. ‘From November onwards, I’m immersed in Christmas – I love it!’ says Lara, who also owns an online childrenswear and lifestyle business (kruimel-baby.nl). ‘I love to surround myself with things that make me happy, especially at this time of year.’ When Lara and her husband, Frans, first viewed their home, they both loved it, but were afraid to share their first impressions. ‘Unusually for us, we kept completely quiet in the car on the way home from the viewing,’ says Lara. ‘It was only when we got home that we both had the courage to admit that the property was our dream home, since…

Yvonne and Warren Chester were living in a Kent oast house but with their children having flown the nest they wanted a more urban setting with restaurants, theatres and museums on their doorstep. There was something about this Victorian townhouse, in the heart of a West Sussex town, that sparked their interest. ‘It was under offer, but we decided to look at it anyway and it took us by surprise,’ explains Yvonne. ‘The original buyers pulled out as soon as they saw the survey, so we went for it.’ Although on the surface the house looked fine, the survey told a different story. ‘It had a lot of structural issues. We had to take it back to its bare bones to restore it and we uncovered different pieces of history…

DECORATING TIP ‘I’m a huge fan of fairy lights and not just at Christmas – they add magic to your home all year round’ In a home where every piece has been collected and treasured over many years, you can be sure that decorating for the festive season will be approached just as thoughtfully. ‘I’ve accumulated lots of Christmas decorations on my travels,’ says London-born Mo Morshuis, who spent the early years of her marriage to her Dutch husband Harrie living in Asia and East Africa, ‘and many of these items have special memories. I don’t use them all every time, just those that will fit my “theme” for that year. I also love to forage for fresh foliage and berries from the garden and neighbouring woodlands for an inexpensive…