ELLE Decoration Country No. 13

While urban environments don’t necessarily lend themselves to the appreciation of wintry weather, the colder months are when the countryside comes into its own. Who doesn’t marvel at the light through vibrant autumn leaves, a hilltop wrapped in ethereal mist or the cushioned silence of a landscape padded with snow? Even dark skies, rain and fog can be beautiful, as proven by this issue’s Country Hero, photographer Rich Stapleton, who admits he’d rather shoot our handsome isles when the weather is a bit grim. Also in this, the 13th volume of ELLE Decoration Country, we take a look at how homes around the globe get snug with 12 contemporary escapes, all chosen to inspire in unique ways, plus 51 covetable products to help you create your own cosy retreat. Curl…

For Rich Stapleton, there’s something very special about exploring the British Isles. Not just the sweeping coastlines and the drama of its rugged peaks but, perhaps surprisingly, its unpredictable, sometimes bleak, climate. ‘The fog, the rain and the overcast skies – the mood you get from those weather conditions is part of the appeal,’ he says. ‘In the desert, as beautiful as it is, you don’t see variations like that, but here you have no choice but to embrace them. It lends a softness to images that you don’t see anywhere else.’ An engineering graduate, Rich segued into photography as soon as he left Edinburgh University. He is entirely self-taught, but it was a passion that had been with him for many years. ‘My father was in the Forces, and so…

Located in southern TASMANIA in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, SATELLITE ISLAND, accessible by helicopter or private boat from nearby Bruny Island, is the final stop before Antarctica. Pebble beaches, hidden coves and weathered sea cliffs are surrounded by panoramic ocean views; in the summer, the perspective is one of blue-green waters and occasional sailing boats, while in winter, focus falls on the dramatic snowcapped Hartz Mountains on the other side of the wide strait. With no roads or shops, the island has its own quiet rhythm. Owners Kate and Will Alstergren split their time between here and Melbourne, with their boys, aged 18, 22 and 23. Inherited from Will’s Norwegian uncle who bought the island in the 1960s, the family come to this spot as a break from busy city life. ‘He…

With its enchanting views of the Tuscan countryside, where the olive trees and cypresses are often draped in a haze of mist, this is a home that encourages moments of quiet contemplation. Its history, however, is more industrious. The 19th-century farmhouse was once home to not only a farmer, but a small herd of cows and a stable of pigs, too. Today, the busiest it gets is when its Italian owners, who live in Switzerland for most of the year, welcome their grown-up children for family get-togethers. The pace of life here may have changed, but architect Rocco Borromini (pictured above with the owners’ daughter) aimed to ‘preserve everything that could be preserved’, to respect the surrounding environment and retain as much of the property’s original charm as possible. ‘The first…

Hidden below the treeline on an Umbrian hillside, not far from the medieval town of Gubbio, stands this stone walled escape. A neat, five-bedroom house, it belongs to Paola Manfroni, creative director at branding and advertising agency Marimo. When Paola and her family completed the build in 2016, it had been over four decades since anybody had lived on the land, which once belonged to her grandfather and had been passed down through generations. The house that originally stood here had long since gone, becoming derelict before an earthquake saw it completely destroyed. ‘It was just a pile of rubble, so we weren’t able to restore it,’ explains Paola. ‘This meant we had to design a different kind of home, but I wanted to preserve my childhood memories of country life.’ Made…

WHEN WINTER SETS IN the lake outside this rural cabin freezes, the wind whips off the plateau of nearby Hardangervidda mountain and the snow cushions the landscape. But inside, it’s cosy – even with a blizzard blowing. The site in Ustaoset, a small Norwegian village halfway between Oslo and Bergen, was owned by architect Jon Danielsen Aarhus’s grandparents in the 1960s and inherited by his parents, who commissioned Jon to replace its original rundown family cabin with a contemporary new hytte, or holiday home. The new building follows the same footprint, and was constructed using many of the salvaged original materials, including the wooden steps that lead to the front door. ‘It’s recycling for environmental and logistical reasons, but it also has a lot to do with feelings,’ says Jon. ‘I wanted…