COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (January 21, 2025): The latest issue features ‘They’ve got charm’ – The fabulous finch family; Which commuter character are you?; Ripping yarns – Jane Austen’s shocking legacy; Marmalade secrets and the wizard quizmaster…
COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (January 14, 2025): The latest issue features ‘Totally Tropical’ – The gardens of Tresco, where anything grows…
Tiffany Daneff savours the exotic surroundings of Tresco Abbey Garden, where the temperate climate of the Isles of Scilly has created a colourful paradise
The devastation of box blight is well documented, but what can we do to save our hedges? Charles Quest-Ritson investigates
The ox may have disappeared from the fields of Britain, but that mighty beast of burden still plays a huge role in agriculture across the globe, finds Laura Parker
You’ve got to hand it to Cornelia James, suggests Katy Birchall, as she recounts the incredible rise to prominence of our late Queen’s favourite glove-maker
The actress selects a heavenly landscape that has fired her imagination since childhood
Tiffany Daneff pays tribute to Beth Chatto, whose ‘right plant, right place’ philosophy inspired her Essex dry garden
The best chairs and benches for the garden, with Amelia Thorpe
Non Morris taps into the expert knowledge of Troy Scott-Smith, Charles Dowding and Tom Stuart-Smith as she digs into some of Britain’s best garden courses
John Goodall charts the history of The Lord Leycester and its outstanding medieval buildings in Warwickshire that have been given a whole new lease of life
To celebrate the centenary of London’s covered double-decker bus, Rob Crossan hops aboard for a whistle-stop tour of our capital’s public transport
Hetty Lintell keeps her cool with a sparkling selection of jewellery inspired by ice
Arabella Youens admires a sitting room in London and Amelia Thorpe answers the call of the wild with animal accessories
Earthy leeks take centre stage in winter for Melanie Johnson
An obsession with Emma, Lady Hamilton led painter George Romney to produce his finest pieces, reveals Carla Passino
COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE (December 24, 2024): The latest issue features Britain’s history in 50 monuments; Queen Mary – Not so contrary after all; Why you should give your dog a bone; A hill farmer’s diary and the first bubble hats…
Dezeen (December 17, 2024): The top 10 architecture and design books of 2024 include:
Kiosk by David Navarro and Martyna Sobecka
Simply named Kiosk, this book features photos of more than 150 modernist, modular kiosks that brighten streets across central and eastern Europe.
Authors David Navarro and Martyna Sobecka aimed to draw attention to the surviving, unusual structures that were constructed in factories in the Eastern Bloc from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Written by academics Harriet Harriss, Naomi House, Monika Parrinder and Dezeen editor Tom Ravenscroft, 100 Women: Architects in Practice showcases the work of architects from 78 different countries.
The book contains interviews with some of the world’s best-known architects including Liz Diller, Tatiana Bilbao, Mariam Issoufou Kamara and Lina Ghotmeh, along with numerous women who have not yet received extensive global attention.
Find out more about 100 Women: Architects in Practice ›
Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Masterpieces by Dominic Bradbury
Published by Phaidon, the Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Masterpieces is an encyclopedia featuring 450 mid-century-modern buildings from all across the world.
The book not only contains many of the key buildings created by the movement’s trailblazers but also those designed by more under-represented architects.
Find out more about Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Masterpieces ›
Humanise by Thomas Heatherwick
The book that undoubtedly drew the most attention this year was Thomas Heatherwick’s Humanise.
In the book, along with a Radio 4 series and initiative of the same name, British designer Heatherwick takes aim at “boring” buildings.
Find out more about Humanise ›
Sacred Modernity by Jamie McGregor Smith
Sacred Modernity aimed to showcase the “unique beauty and architectural innovation” of brutalist churches across Europe.
The book contains 139 photographs of 100 churches taken by photographer Jamie McGregor Smith over five years, along with essays by writers Jonathan Meades and Ivica Brnic.
Find out more about Sacred Modernity ›
Simon Phipps’ follow up to his Brutal North and Brutal London books, Brutal Wales highlights architecture in the brutalist style across the country.
Alongside photography of 60 buildings, the book has explanatory texts in both Welsh and English, as well as an introduction by social historian John Grindrod.
Find out more about Brutal Wales ›
Donald Judd Furniture by Judd Foundation
The Donald Judd Furniture book contains photos of all the furniture pieces created by the artist for his New York and Marfa, Texas, properties that remain in production.
Along with the photos, the book contains archival sketches by Judd, newly commissioned drawings of each piece and several essays by the artist.
Find out more about Donald Judd Furniture ›
London Estates by Thaddeus Zupančič
London Estates documents the modernist council housing built in the UK capital in the post-war period.
Described by publisher Fuel as “the most comprehensive photographic document of council housing schemes in the capital”, the book was photographed by Thaddeus Zupančič.
Find out more about London Estates ›
Made in America by Christopher Payne
Photographer Christopher Payne’s Made in America book contains images taken over the past decade in the USA’s factories.
Payne created the book as a way of helping to preserve the legacy of industry in America, while documenting the skill of workers who are featured in the photography.
Find out more about Made in America ›
50 Design Ideas You Really Need to Know by John Jervis
The latest book in the 50 ideas series, 50 Design Ideas You Really Need to Know contains essays tracking the evolution of design from the 19th century to today.
Written by John Jervis, the book aims to make a broad range of design concepts accessible to a wide audience.
Find out more about 50 Design Ideas You Really Need to Know ›
00:00 – Introduction to the Most Breathtaking Home 01:12 – The Location Centred Brief 02:36 – Approaching the Home 03:09 – Walkthrough of the House 04:11 – Restrained Interior Styling 05:44 – The Kitchen Design and Appliances 07:21 – A Balanced Material Palette 08:29 – Curating The Views 09:21 – Proud Moments
What defines it, however, is the site’s staggering 360-degree views to The Remarkables, Coronet Peak and the Crown Range, and the architects’ response to these multifaceted aspects. “We’ve done a few houses in this area and, over the years, we’ve developed an approach that’s firstly about identifying the significant views,” says Richard Naish, founder of RTA Studio.
Though Naish acknowledges that the perspectives are a gift, he believes good architecture is more about the control and release of views. This philosophy underscored RTA Studio’s approach to crafting the most breathtaking home shaped by nature. The roof lines played heavily into this idea; designed to follow the contours of the land and echo the surrounding topography, the roof dips in parts and soars in others, creating views both vast and precise.
Country Life Magazine (December 10, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The Christmas Double Issue’…
The Revd Dr Colin Heber-Percy considers the Christmas story told in familiar rituals
Frost casts a garden’s structure into sharp relief. Tiffany Daneff enters a sparkling world
The Dean of St Albans chooses a canvas full of uplifting light for dark times
Kate Green pays tribute to Dame Ninette de Valois, the ‘godmother of ballet’
In the first of two articles, John Goodall traces the saintly history of the ancient abbey church of St Albans, Hertfordshire
The feisty robin is the undisputed avian king of Christmas. Mark Cocker wonders why
From weaving wreaths to corralling choristers, the work is ramping up for country people, who talk to Kate Green and Paula Lester
Catriona Gray meets the artists capturing Nature’s beauty in gold
Stop and listen to Nature’s voice, urges John Lewis-Stempel
Hanging treasured decorations is all part of the magic. Matthew Dennison opens the bauble box
Deborah Nicholls-Lee dares to unveil the mysterious figure
Take on our quizmaster — and, more importantly, your family and friends
Melanie Cable-Alexander buckles up for riotous country-house-corridor games
Harry Pearson takes over the world with the classic board game
Jonathan Self chortles at British comedy
The spirit of Christmas works its magic on a curmudgeonly baronet in Kate Green’s tale
Natural scents win for Arabella Youens
The sheep and its patient guardians have long delighted artists, finds Michael Prodger
Knitting, diamonds and Giles Coren’s treats
Is the perfect rural habitation real, wonders John Lewis-Stempel
Modern mince pies are but pale shadows of the past, believes Neil Buttery
Who can resist a roastie? Not Emma Hughes, nor anyone else in their right mind
Melanie Johnson builds a gingerbread house
Glazed and succulent, the Christmas ham is the king of the feast for Tom Parker Bowles
Give wine time to age, urges Harry Eyres
John Lewis-Stempel gathers in the holly, once divine diadem, now a cow’s Christmas feast
Labour’s family-farm tax will mean ruin for a beleaguered sector, says Minette Batters
Sam Leith opens the well-worn covers of the childhood books we will always cherish
From frogs to rat armies, the natural world has inspired countless ballets. Laura Parker straps on her pointe shoes for the bunny hop
Michael Billington awards his accolades to the stars — and the scourges — of the stage
Operas with food and wine may be rousing, but there are perils, warns Henrietta Bredin
Country Life reviewers select their top books
Country Life Magazine (December 3, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The Full English’ – Why our homegrown style is back….
The author selects a portrait that shows the ‘very essence of what it was to be Sicilian’
Carla Carlisle—wife of a farmer and a diversifier extraordinaire— offers an insider’s view on the Government’s ‘Great Betrayal’
Now is not the time to hibernate, suggests John Wright, as he encourages us to appreciate the countryside’s stark, intricate beauty in these colder months
Lucy Denton delves into the remarkable history of Stationers’ Hall, the central London home of the Worshipful Company of Stationers for the past 400 years
Amie Elizabeth White hails Henry Cole, inventor of Christmas cards
John Lewis-Stempel loves to be beside the seaside as he examines the enduring appeal of England’s glorious coastline
Matthew Dennison tips his hat to the rural origins of the bowler as he celebrates its 175th birthday
Beware an ill wind blowing us into 2025, warns Lia Leendertz
Joseph Phelan finds a business on an upslope when he visits the last ski-maker in Scotland
Sleep in art is often drunken, deadly or the stuff of nightmares, but rarely is it peaceful, as Claudia Pritchard discovers
Charles Quest-Ritson cranes his neck to take in the sheer scale of the specimens at West Sussex’s Architectural Plants
Kitchen garden cookMelanie Johnson on sprouts
00:00 – Introduction to the Architect’s Own Home 01:48 – Walkthrough and Layout of the Home 03:18 – The Material Palette 04:48 – The Bathing Spaces 06:12 – Unique and Favourite Moments 07:16 – Creating A Special Place
As an architect’s own home inspired by nature, Burnt Earth Beach House reflects the hues and tonality of the ochre-coloured cliff edges of Anglesea just beyond. “It was very important that we do something here that would transcend time but do so in a way that is completely different from our homes in Melbourne,” says John Wardle, founding partner of Wardle. The home’s facade is expressed through an invented brick developed alongside brickmaker Klynton Krause.
The process involved extrusion and hand tearing the brick surface prior to cutting, which exposes a raw, uneven surface, making every brick unique. Approaching the architect’s own home inspired by nature, a courtyard acts as an informal living zone and is bordered by a kitchen that houses a vast square central terracotta island bench. The space then bends around into the dining area with a reading nook that looks into the courtyard. Upstairs, a study appears to float overhead, enveloped in a hand-knotted screening from Vietnam.
Country Life Magazine (November 26, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Advent Calendar Special’…
Carla Passino is captivated by floral photographs that evoke 17th-century still-life paintings
She may be tiny, but Jenny wren certainly makes her presence felt, declares Mark Cocker
There’s more to myrrh than meets the eye, says Deborah Nicholls-Lee
Lucien de Guise is bowled over by the intoxicating concoctions mixed by Dickens and George IV
Neil Buttery tucks into the tale of the Yorkshire Christmas Pye
Pick out those perfect presents with a helping hand from Hetty Lintell and Amie Elizabeth White
The Royal Ballet dancer selects an inspiring, transformative work
The author’s Wessex is brought to life in Jeremy Musson’s words and Matthew Rice’s drawings
Deborah Nicholls-Lee is fascinated by fractals, the exquisite, ever-repeating patterns in Nature
John Lewis-Stempel urges us to rediscover our love of heathland, now a rarer habitat than rainforest
Andrew Green rounds up the animals in Dickens’s life and work
Jack Watkins explores the folklore and function of the lychgate
Our guide to entertaining in style
From flying a Spitfire to sushi-making, the COUNTRY LIFE team puts gift experiences to the test
Kate Green reveals how Sir David Willcocks changed the sound of Christmas with Carols for Choirs
Hetty Lintell on saunas, socks, silk bows and precious stones
Neil Buttery sorts the pudding prick from the tongue press
Rob Crossan talks Tupperware
Melanie Johnson on cabbage
A black fox illuminates a dreary dawn for John Lewis-Stempel
Victoria Marston looks back at classic film posters
Matthew Dennison explores the tin-novations that made Huntley & Palmers a household name
Sarah Sands shares how choral singing shaped the life of her late brother Kit Hesketh-Harvey
Ian Morton investigates the real meanings of our nursery rhymes
Harry Pearson finds out why this is the year of the Northern Lights
Country Life Magazine (November 20, 2024): The latest issue features Winston Churchill – The wit and wisdom of the great man…
As we approach the 150th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill’s birthday, Amie Elizabeth White and Octavia Pollock pay homage to the great man, in his own words.
In the second of two articles, John Goodall charts the 1560s and 1620s expansion of Apethorpe Palace in Northamptonshire
England’s heather moorland and its glorious purple swathe is a wonder of the Western world, suggest John Lewis-Stempel
Do you know a Yonerywander from a Vinvertuperator? Engage your inner Edward Lear as Daniel McKay welcomes you into his wacky world of whimwondery
Food, glorious food is fuelling the creativity of modern still-life artists discovers Catriona Gray
The sewing machine rose to be an emblem of domesticity, but its invention is a story of Saints and Singers. Matthew Dennison follows the thread
Raze to the ground or renovate? Has the open-plan layout had its day? Cart shed or garage? Giles Kime considers some key architectural conundrums
John Hoyland is captivated by the spectacular transformation of Piet Oudolf’s double borders at the RHS garden in Surrey
If you like your chili ‘hotter than the hinges of hell’, Tom Parker Bowles has just the dish for you (and there’s not a bean in sight)
John Goodall lauds a decade-long project to rescue a unique painted church at Ursi, Romania
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