House and Garden December 2022

FLORA SOAMES/INTERIOR DESIGNER Having studied history of art at The University of Edinburgh, Flora set out to work in the art world, until she was offered a job at Talisman in London. ‘It was from there that my interest in design set sail,’ she says. After a few years as creative director of the eclectic furniture emporium and having gained experience styling for photo shoots, she started her own practice in 2009. ‘The support of my early clients was a stepping stone to my career becoming established,’ explains Flora, who is one of House & Garden’s Top 100 Interior Designers. In 2019, she launched her own fabric and wallpaper collection. Her love for pattern, colour and layering can be seen in her Cotswold project, featured from page 112, where she has…

For those of you who think Christmas can get rather out of hand – in terms of both presents and parties – a quick read of Mark Girouard’s seminal 1978 book Life in the English Country House* makes it clear that it has been ever thus. In fact, compared to those of medieval revellers, our efforts are almost inconsequential. Mark writes about the ‘junketings that enlivened the 14 days from Christmas Eve to Epiphany every year in all households from the largest castle to the smallest manor’. People opened up their houses to all and days of feasting, singing, dancing, plays and special entertainments were laid on. Interestingly, presents were opened on New Year’s Day. This year will be the first time, rather staggeringly, that we are hosting Christmas; that I…

PIXELATE IMAGING; LINDSAY FOWKE; BENJAMIN LUND…

WALLS Dining room in ‘Old White’, £52 for 2.5 litres estate emulsion, from Farrow & Ball. Background in ‘Aquamarine Deep’, £52 for 2.5 litres absolute matt emulsion, from Little Greene Paint & Paper. Forties Italian toleware wall light, £450 a pair, from Shiny Things London. Bespoke garland made from winter ivy, from £25 a metre, from Poppy Sturley. FURNITURE ‘Flora’ birch and mahogany cabinet, by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, £28,000, from Modernity. ‘Ruffelen’ pine extendable dining table, £3,395, from Oka. Early-Victorian painted open arm chairs, by Bertram & Son, £8,950 for 6, from Robert Kime. 19th-century Swedish pine and tapestry fabric side chairs, £1,275 a pair, from Lorfords. ‘Ruhlmann’ oak wine table, £1,680, from Jamb. ACCESSORIES On cabinet ‘World of Wonders’ ceramic 4-pint jug, by Clive Hicks-Jenkins, £195; on dining…

By designing a marble chimneypiece that extends beyond the width of the chimneybreast, David Collins Studio has created a striking and unusual focal point. As associate director Siobhan Kelly explains, it makes the room ‘feel modern and gives it an almost architectural glamour’. The horizontal panels on the chimneybreast are made of green linen protected by heat-resistant glass. These complement the walls, which are covered in a silk from Jim Thompson Fabrics. davidcollins.studio | jimthompsonfabrics.com ALICE PALMER (OPPOSITE) Taking inspiration from the Bloomsbury group’s decorating style at Charleston farmhouse, Alice painted stripes on a limestone chimneypiece using Farrow & Ball’s ‘Slipper Satin’ and ‘Benjamin’s Oxblood’ by Francesca’s Paints. ‘They mirror the shelving,’ says Alice. A Moroccan rug echoes the effect. alicepalmer.co | farrow-ball.co.uk | francescaspaint.com [1] STEPHANIE BARBA MENDOZA ‘I wanted to create something…