25 Beautiful Homes September 2016

When I was having a final look at the houses in this month’s issue, I realised that white seems to be the predominant colour that has been used in many of the interiors. Before the introduction of pure white was pioneered by the major paint companies, white would have been similar to any one of the many soft neutrals that are in abundance in the colour charts of today. But it is rare for us to see in the homes we feature one that is completely decorated using only clean white shades, with the interest coming through via different textures. What is more common is that white is typically used as the unifying base, with colour added through the use of details and furnishings. In this issue, you will see…

1 SACRED STATUE Buddha sculpture, £35, Next 2 ORIGAMI INSPIRATION Petals fruit bowl, £49, be&liv 3 TEA CEREMONY Quinsai Garden porcelain teapot, £95, Villeroy & Boch 4 CUPBOARD LOVE Camille cabinet, £499, Marks & Spencer 5 DIVINE HEIGHTS Bamboo ladder, £43.50, Andrassy Living 6 SCENE STEALER Mandara four-poster bed, £1,495, Lombok 7 ALL A FLUTTER Metal birdcage noticeboard, £37.50, An Angel At My Table 8 SERENE GREEN Mini faux bonsai, £29, Bloom 9 FLORIENTAL STYLE Ted Baker Flight of the Orient pillowcases, £35 for two, Amara…

1 HOT METAL Copper and stainless steel espresso coffee maker, £45, Home by J D Williams 2 GRAPHIC DESIGN Marble wall clock, £65, The Contemporary Home 3 UTILITY BEAUTY Vase with copper neck, £9.99, H& 4 FUNCTIONAL FORM Origami Deco four-tier collapsible shelving unit, £72, QVC 5 WEAVING INDUSTRY Twig Bradley Loam lambs wool throw, £110, Black By Design 6 WORKSHOP LOOK Lene Bjerre Depot chest of nine drawers with wheels, £1,135, Houseology 7 BURNING BRIGHT Candlesticks by Jansen, from £24 to £27, Rigby & Mac 8 URBAN SPRAWL Beatnik metal bed, from £795 for a double, Loaf 9 SOFT TOUCH Grey felt melange pouffe, £122, Broste…

CHUNKY CARPET Can you help me to source a chunky jute or sisal floorcovering? I have found a lovely rug but I would prefer to lay wall-to-wall carpet in the cottage we are currently renovating. YASMIN GREENE, WORCESTERSHIRE Textured natural flooring is full of character and a great way to give carpet a modern edge. Alternative Flooring (01264 335111, alternativeflooring.com) has a Big Jute range that is suitable for the dining room, sitting room and bedroom (but not stairs). You can choose from a Big Bouclé or Big Panama design, which both come in three colours, as well as a Big Herringbone in Bagel; shown right is the Big Bouclé in Muffin, £33.75sq m. Another textural design, this time suitable for stairs, is Tigers Eye from the Sisal collection by Kersaint Cobb (01675…

INSPIRING HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY Four-storey terraced house, built in 1890 LOCATION South London ROOMS Drawing room, family room, kitchen-diner, cloakroom, four bedrooms (one en suite), two bathrooms, roof terrace, cellar PURCHASED 2011 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We used to live in a modern one-bedroom apartment in London,’ says Patricia. There is a new property trend that is becoming increasingly popular with young professional families looking to enjoy the freedom of global travel and the ability to work from anywhere in the world – international house swapping. For American couple Matthew Allen and his wife Patricia, this concept has become an integral part of how they choose to live. ‘We’ve been in the UK for 10 years,’ says Matthew. ‘I’m from California and Patricia is from Chicago, but we met while working in London. We both love to travel and…

REPLANNED HOME TRUTHS THE PROPERTY A 16th-century coach house LOCATION Somerset ROOMS Kitchen-diner/sitting room, snug, bedroom, bathroom PURCHASED 2010 PREVIOUS PROPERTY ‘We used to live in a Devon longhouse before moving here,’ says Marcelle. When Marcelle and Nick Connor came across their 16th-century Hamstone farmhouse in a small Somerset village, there was more to it than first met the eye. Complete with verdant gardens and abundant apple orchards, it came replete with various outbuildings, including a small but perfectly formed adjoining coach house. ‘We knew instantly that we wanted to buy the property and restore the coach house,’ recalls Marcelle. As the building had been abandoned long ago, it was in a serious state of disrepair. ‘It was extremely dilapidated,’ says Marcelle, ‘and still housed an old oil tank and animal troughs. Plus there was broken furniture from…