25 Beautiful Homes August 2017

Reading this month’s issue, I was struck by how creative our homeowners have been when it comes to seating solutions. With the boundaries between kitchens, living and dining areas becoming increasingly blurred, carefully planned seating arrangements are all the more important, whether it’s a relaxed huddle of single armchairs for convivial conversation, neatly built-in benches to make the most of a tight space or tailored banquettes for outdoor entertaining. For those wanting to make the most of a multi-functional scheme, our home on page 112 offers plenty of inspiration, including a beautifully designed garden office and a stylish kitchen-diner. Good planning and plenty of imagination are key to creating a versatile home that works for all the family, and I hope that looking through this issue will give you all…

Reading this month’s issue, I was struck by how creative our homeowners have been when it comes to seating solutions. With the boundaries between kitchens, living and dining areas becoming increasingly blurred, carefully planned seating arrangements are all the more important, whether it’s a relaxed huddle of single armchairs for convivial conversation, neatly built-in benches to make the most of a tight space or tailored banquettes for outdoor entertaining. For those wanting to make the most of a multi-functional scheme, our home on page 112 offers plenty of inspiration, including a beautifully designed garden office and a stylish kitchen-diner. Good planning and plenty of imagination are key to creating a versatile home that works for all the family, and I hope that looking through this issue will give you all…

1 CITRUS BURST Kate Spade set of three Lemon Tidbit plates, £27, Amara 2 FLAMES OF DESIRE Park BBQ, £70, Jamie Oliver 3 CHILD’S PLAY Indoor/outdoor swing, £139, Bobby Rabbit 4 BRIGHT IDEA Mew lantern, £30, Habitat 5 SITTING PRETTY Scandinave cotton vintage armchair, £140, Maisons du Monde 6 PACK UP A PICNIC Olli Ella Piki basket, £25, Sisters Guild 7 TOP TABLE Stockholm bedside table, £70, Ikea 8 FLOWER POWER Orla Kiely small fabric plant bag, £22, Cuckooland.com…

1 LIGHT SHOW Tine K Home rattan tripod floor lamp, £243, Abode Living 2 EARN YOUR STRIPES Bright coloured rug, £80, TK Maxx 3 NATURAL ATTRACTION Witton bamboo lantern, £55, Amara 4 WRAP IT UP Coral throw, £17, HomeSense 5 UNFORGETTABLE Dunston blue elephant object, £35, Habitat 6 BOWLED OVER Horn bowls, £17, HomeSense 7 PATTERN PLAY Multi textured stripe cushion, £18, Next 8 FINE DINING Set of four safari dinner plates, £17.50, Marks & Spencer 9 HOT SEAT Mortorell armchair, £525, Oka…

There is a reason that Emma and Will Deeley’s house might look out of place in the Oxfordshire village in which it is located. ‘Legend has it that, back in the 19th century, a wealthy landowner fell in love with a city lady, who said she would only marry him and move to the country if he built her a London-style townhouse,’ explains Emma. Although the couple have no connection to the original owners, the house has been in the Deeley family for several generations. They have farmed the land here for more than 500 years, and it continues to provide for the family. Will’s brother and parents manage the farm, while Will and Emma run a successful events venue business in the 14th-century Tythe Barn, which they renovated. ‘Transforming the…

Louis chairs with faded prints and fraying hems; well-worn ballet slippers with dusty soles; and stacks of much-thumbed books tied up with old letters in intriguing bundles are just transformed the interior of her period house in the Surrey suburbs into a backdrop for her beloved collections. ‘My parents prefer more traditional antiques,’ she says, ‘and as a teenager I wasn’t keen on all that darkness. We were allowed to sit on and use the furniture, but it was a bit like growing up in a museum. So my first place was hyper modern, white and cream.’ Janet felt this sleek style was missing something, however, so she decided to start painting antique furniture. ‘This was 1987, and I didn’t know of anyone else doing it at the time,’ she recalls.…