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Culture, History, Homes, Magazines, Reviews, Travel

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE – JULY 9, 2025 PREVIEW

July 8, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘The Expert’s Experts’…

9 July 2025 GIF image — Some of the highlights of this week’s Country Life.

Meet the coastal superheroes

John Lewis-Stempel celebrates the depth and breadth of sea-birds spotted over British waters, from the dive-bombing gannet to the pick-pocket herring gull

Magazine spread from Country Life 9 July 2025

Heavy petal

Catriona Gray meets artist Rachel Dein, whose botanical bas-reliefs really stand out from the crowd

I’ve got chills, they’re multiplying

Tom Parker Bowles savours the ultimate thirst quencher — a fruity and refreshing sorbet

Arts & antiques

Kenilworth Castle is reliving its central role in the 19-day wooing of Elizabeth I exactly 450 years on, as Carla Passino discovers

Back to Brideshead

Britain’s historic country houses are the much-loved stars of a host of films and television dramas, often leaving big-name actors in the shade, finds Ben Lerwill

The Experts’ Experts

Designers and architects from Country Life’s Top 100 throw open their contacts books to reveal the specialists they turn to when seeking inspiration for a country-house project

Peter Jones’s favourite painting

The chair of the British-Italian Society chooses a compelling and mysterious portrait of Christ

SAVE at 50

Founding trustee Simon Jenkins reflects on 50 years of SAVE Britain’s Heritage and the charity’s battles to safeguard a string of historic buildings

The legacy

Dedication’s what you need and Ross and Norris McWhirter, the twins behind the Guinness World Records, had it in abundance, as Amie Elizabeth White learns

Suits you!

When did the sodden knitwear cossie give way to the glamorous bikini? Deborah Nicholls-Lee dives into the history of swimwear

The good stuff

Hetty Lintell is beach ready with a collection of coastal favourites

Sheer bliss

Caroline Donald hails the blend of love and laissez-faire that has created a spectacular garden on an escarpment overlooking the sea at Ash Park in Devon

A smell by any other name

Ian Morton profiles the flora and fauna causing a stink in the natural world, some to attract a meal or mate, others to repel a predator

Tyger, tyger burning bright

Tipu Sultan threw a spanner in the works of Britain’s Imperial ambition, but the Tiger of Mysore was an inspiration to Blake and Keats, reveals Lucien de Guise

Winging it

Mark Cocker pays tribute to the beauty, elegance and laser-like predatory precision of the kestrel

Buildings, Design, Reviews, Sports, Videos

2025 Super Bowl: Redesign Of New Orleans Stadium

Video February 3, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The Wall Street Journal (February 3, 2025): The New Orleans Superdome is set to host Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The stadium’s latest $560M renovation–from the concession stands to the seating bowl–helped save it from demolition after Hurricane Katrina.

Chapters: 0:00 Evolving stadiums 0:52 Superdome history 1:32 The path to your seat and crowd control 3:33 New concession stands 4:54 The seating bowl 6:42 What’s next for stadium innovation?

NFL games have increasingly become more expensive with the addition of amenities like luxury field suites and club lounges, but all of these redesigns are done in order to increase revenue and efficiency. WSJ spoke with the architect behind the Superdome’s plan, who explains how stadium design is evolving to create more revenue streams.

#Superbowl #NFL #WSJ

Architecture, Design, Home Design, Tours, Videos

Tours: ‘Te Arai Beach House’ In New Zealand

Video January 31, 2025 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

THE LOCAL PROJECT (January 31, 2025): Nestled between the forest and the ocean on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, Te Arai Beach House manifests as a contemporary cabin in the woods. “The power of the site when we first visited was in the ocean, the forest and the sand dunes.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the cabin in the woods 01:27 – The early design discussions 02:12 – Interior designers own home 03:27 – The layout of the home 04:30 – A warm material palette 06:56 – Collaborating with artists 07:38 – Rewarding Aspects 08:08 – Proud Moments

So we wanted to provide a building that doesn’t challenge or reduce the sense of beauty that’s already there,” says Tim Hay, design director and co-founder at Fearon Hay. “We instantly looked, in terms of the architecture, to references that related to those different thresholds – the ability to emerge from the forest, discover the ocean, but still have a sense of protection,” notes Hay. “So this idea of the cabin in the woods was an idea that stuck from very early on.”

From afar, Te Arai Beach House appears to be a series of simple, unambiguous silhouettes. However, as one moves closer, complexity is revealed through blurred thresholds, operable screens and considered openings. The first building is a cabin that contains a garage and guest occupation. “This sits between an open space that frames a courtyard and the main building, which is set to the ocean, and is fundamentally a pair of open suites that capture an open plan living space between them,” explains Hay.

Architecture, Books, Design, Homes, Reviews

Design And Architecture: The Top Ten Books Of 2024

December 17, 2024 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

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.

Find out more about Kiosk ›

100 Women: Architects in Practice by Harriet Harriss, Naomi House, Monika Parrinder and Tom Ravenscroft

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 ›

Brutal Wales by Simon Phipps

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 ›

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos

Architecture: Kārearea House In New Zealand

Video December 14, 2024 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The Local Project (December 15, 2024): Located in the Wakatipu Basin on New Zealand’s South Island, Kārearea House by RTA Studio, which takes inspiration from the region’s majestic native falcons, is the most breathtaking home shaped by nature.

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.

#Nature #Home #NewZealand

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Country Life Magazine – December 18, 2024 Preview

December 10, 2024 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Country Life Magazine (December 10, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The Christmas Double Issue’…

A story of homeliness

The Revd Dr Colin Heber-Percy considers the Christmas story told in familiar rituals

Earth stood hard as iron

Frost casts a garden’s structure into sharp relief. Tiffany Daneff enters a sparkling world

The Very Revd Jo Kelly-Moore’s favourite painting

The Dean of St Albans chooses a canvas full of uplifting light for dark times

The legacy

Kate Green pays tribute to Dame Ninette de Valois, the ‘godmother of ballet’

Where Britain’s first saint lies

In the first of two articles, John Goodall traces the saintly history of the ancient abbey church of St Albans, Hertfordshire

Love to hear the robin go tweet, tweet, tweet

The feisty robin is the undisputed avian king of Christmas. Mark Cocker wonders why

It’s a most wonderful time of the year

From weaving wreaths to corralling choristers, the work is ramping up for country people, who talk to Kate Green and Paula Lester

Baby, it’s gold outside

Catriona Gray meets the artists capturing Nature’s beauty in gold

Silence is golden

Stop and listen to Nature’s voice, urges John Lewis-Stempel

Each year you bring to us delight

Hanging treasured decorations is all part of the magic. Matthew Dennison opens the bauble box

Look out! Look out! Jack Frost is about

Deborah Nicholls-Lee dares to unveil the mysterious figure

The Editor’s Christmas quiz

Take on our quizmaster — and, more importantly, your family and friends

Anyone for indoor cricket?

Melanie Cable-Alexander buckles up for riotous country-house-corridor games

No Risk, no reward

Harry Pearson takes over the world with the classic board game

Make ’em laugh

Jonathan Self chortles at British comedy

The Christmas Story: ‘Bring me flesh and bring me wine’

The spirit of Christmas works its magic on a curmudgeonly baronet in Kate Green’s tale

Interiors

Natural scents win for Arabella Youens

While shepherds watched their flocks

The sheep and its patient guardians have long delighted artists, finds Michael Prodger

Luxury

Knitting, diamonds and Giles Coren’s treats

It takes a village

Is the perfect rural habitation real, wonders John Lewis-Stempel

Don’t mince your words

Modern mince pies are but pale shadows of the past, believes Neil Buttery

You’re one hot roast potato

Who can resist a roastie? Not Emma Hughes, nor anyone else in their right mind

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson builds a gingerbread house

That’ll do, pig

Glazed and succulent, the Christmas ham is the king of the feast for Tom Parker Bowles

Lay, lady, lay

Give wine time to age, urges Harry Eyres

Crown Him with many crowns

John Lewis-Stempel gathers in the holly, once divine diadem, now a cow’s Christmas feast

The straw that broke the camel’s back

Labour’s family-farm tax will mean ruin for a beleaguered sector, says Minette Batters

‘Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional’

Sam Leith opens the well-worn covers of the childhood books we will always cherish

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

From frogs to rat armies, the natural world has inspired countless ballets. Laura Parker straps on her pointe shoes for the bunny hop

Highlights, delights and lowlights

Michael Billington awards his accolades to the stars — and the scourges — of the stage

Spectres of the feast

Operas with food and wine may be rousing, but there are perils, warns Henrietta Bredin

Unputdownable: the page turners of 2024

Country Life reviewers select their top books

Architecture, Buildings, Cities, Reviews, Videos

Paris: Inside Notre Dame Cathedral’s Recovery

Video December 9, 2024 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

CBS Mornings (December 9, 2024): Saturday was a special day in Paris as Notre Dame Cathedral held its first mass in more than five years after a fire in April 2019 destroyed much of the cathedral’s roof. Senior foreign correspondent Seth Doane has been following the renovation over the years.

Arts & Literature, Culture, Homes, Magazines, Previews, Reviews

Country Life Magazine – December 4, 2024 Preview

December 3, 2024 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Country Life Magazine (December 3, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The Full English’ – Why our homegrown style is back….

London Life

Richard MacKichan finds Sir Paul Smith rockin’ around Claridge’s Christmas tree
Catriona Gray meets the movers and shakers of the capital’s art world
All you need to know this month in the capital

Caroline Moorehead’s favourite painting

The author selects a portrait that shows the ‘very essence of what it was to be Sicilian’

The world turned upside down

Carla Carlisle—wife of a farmer and a diversifier extraordinaire— offers an insider’s view on the Government’s ‘Great Betrayal’

What to look for in winter

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

Putting in a Good Word

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

The legacy

Amie Elizabeth White hails Henry Cole, inventor of Christmas cards

The rocky-pool horror show

John Lewis-Stempel loves to be beside the seaside as he examines the enduring appeal of England’s glorious coastline

Bowler me over

Matthew Dennison tips his hat to the rural origins of the bowler as he celebrates its 175th birthday

A touch of frost

Beware an ill wind blowing us into 2025, warns Lia Leendertz

Piste de résistance

Joseph Phelan finds a business on an upslope when he visits the last ski-maker in Scotland

Eyes wide shut

Sleep in art is often drunken, deadly or the stuff of nightmares, but rarely is it peaceful, as Claudia Pritchard discovers

Size matters

Charles Quest-Ritson cranes his neck to take in the sheer scale of the specimens at West Sussex’s Architectural Plants

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson on sprouts

Travel

Life in Grenada quickly grows on Rosie Paterson
Catamarans and cabanas
Jamaica’s Blue Mountains are heaven for Steven King
Fine dining is the holy grail for Pamela Goodman

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos

Australia Design: Burnt Earth Beach House Tour

Video December 3, 2024 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The Local Project (December 3, 2024): Located in Anglesea on Victoria’s surf coast, Burnt Earth Beach House is an architect’s own home inspired by nature. Architect John Wardle designs a holiday home deeply embedded in its landscape, grounded in an enduring love of terracotta, a fascination with ceramics and the unique beauty of bricks.

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.

#Architect #Nature #Home