25 Beautiful Homes May-2018

When I look at the houses under construction near where we live, I see that most are being built in brick, with a few in stone. I’m therefore always interested in any that stand out, because they’re clad in wood, for example, but especially if they include generous expanses of glass. I don’t live in a city but I know that for new urban builds the use of glazing is on the up. The exciting aspect of having large glass walls in your home – aside from the fact that they allow maximum natural light to flood in – is that they demand a different approach to organising the space, both inside and out. So if you’ve just bought a house, or are planning an extension or a major redesign,…

When I look at the houses under construction near where we live, I see that most are being built in brick, with a few in stone. I’m therefore always interested in any that stand out, because they’re clad in wood, for example, but especially if they include generous expanses of glass. I don’t live in a city but I know that for new urban builds the use of glazing is on the up. The exciting aspect of having large glass walls in your home – aside from the fact that they allow maximum natural light to flood in – is that they demand a different approach to organising the space, both inside and out. So if you’ve just bought a house, or are planning an extension or a major redesign,…

1 WIRE WORKS Cage light, £16.99, HomeSense 2 TIME FOR CHANGE Hampton wall clock, £35, Next 3 FAIREST OF THEM ALL Fox & Ivy vintage mirror, £15, Tesco 4 GO WITH THE GRAIN Gray & Willow Acacia paddle, £22, House of Fraser 5 TABLE TALK Marlow coffee table, £550, Debenhams 6 WHITE HOT Stoneware pot, £19.99, H&M Home 7 COSY NUMBER Jersey cushion, £29, Marks & Spencer 8 SHINE ON Copper tri-ply casserole, £30, Wilko 9 CHIC SERVER Whitewashed round rattan tray, £45, The White Company 10 IT’S A WRAP Teal knit throw, £27, Morrisons…

1 BACK TO NATURE Trerice leaves cushion, £30, Amara 2 TAKE IT OUTSIDE Salsa outdoor side table in Palm, £79, House by John Lewis collection, John Lewis 3 EASTERN PROMISE Oriental 20-drawer cabinet, £1,145, Alexander & Pearl 4 PLATE UP Calypso dinner plate, £3, Dunelm 5 BOWLED OVER Elements bowls, £40 for four, Denby 6 STONE AGE Mahaut marble and brass-effect coffee table, £965, La Redoute 7 FINELY TUNED Roberts Radio Revival mini REV-MINIL DAB/DAB+ digital radio with FM tuner, £149, Ao.com 8 GLASS ACT Axis vase, £65, LSA International 9 PITCHER PERFECT Ceramic jug, £12, National Trust Shop 10 SITTING COMFORTABLY Lampert sofa in Verona Emerald velvet, £3,695, Jonathan Adler…

When Charles and Coralina Dashwood got married in 2015, they began their search for their first home together. ‘After a year of looking, while living in Charles’ two-bedroom flat in southwest London, we finally found a terraced house close by, which was perfect because we love this area,’ explains Coralina. The fact that the property was in need of repair was a plus, as the couple wanted a place they could put their mark on. ‘We knew it was going to be a challenge, as the house was riddled with damp and had very low ceilings,’ says Charles. ‘As a result, we called on the services of architect Chris Bailey. He came up with some good ideas and saw them through to submission – the houses on this side of the…

When Helmut Gorlich, originally from Germany, and his wife Jennifer, from Kent, moved to France, it was to buy and run a manor house b&b near Montreuil. Jennifer had never lived abroad and the idea of a French lifestyle always appealed. After some happy years and with thoughts of retirement from the hospitality business, they sold up and bought a down-at-heel smaller house nearby, as well as this winter bolthole in the south, near Uzes. The couple describe themselves as serial restorers, with around 30 properties behind them in England and this project numbering the seventh in France. It is in an area they have known for more than 30 years, having discovered the delights of the Camargue and the region’s Roman monuments while on holiday. ‘It was Jennifer who fell…