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Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos

Mountain Design Tour: The Gatehouse, New Zealand

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The Local Project (December 5, 2023) – The Gatehouse by architecture firm Patterson Associates Architects and interior design practice Sonja Hawkins Design depicts the journey of designing a home in the mountains of New Zealand.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Home in the Mountains 00:38 – The Vision of a Flexible Home 01:09 – The History of the Central Mountain Location 02:03 – A Focus on the Apertures 02:29 – Connecting the Interior and Exterior Material Palette 03:52 – An Entertainers Space 05:10 – Favourite Aspects of the Home

The Local Project’s house tour illustrates how this dynamic house near the base of the famous Remarkables mountain range and its complex build rise to the exemplary topography whilst being sympathetic to the surrounding rural fabric. The journey of designing a home as compelling as The Gatehouse is nuanced, as is the decision to build such a bold home. The architecture and interior design were conceived holistically by Andrew Patterson and Sonja Hawkins, and as such, the house is a seamless blend of materials and ideals with a showstopping staircase crafted from timber and steel.

The home consists of two buildings – one stone and one timber – and in the house tour, the architecture and interior design are presented against the backdrop of New Zealand’s incomparable landscape, including the mountain range in the distance and golf course nearby. In the journey of designing a home, The Gatehouse draws on medieval influences in its interpretation of a portcullis – a historical architectural feature best described as a rising door or enclosed outdoor room typically found at the entries of castles or medieval estates. This gateway, crafted from timber and steel, leads to the custom staircase, which corkscrews through the stone building.

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

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Nov 29, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – November 29, 2023: The latest issue features seasonal wine, medieval homes and our annual Christmas gift guide…

Claus for celebration

Embrace the festive spirit, with bells on, in Amie Elizabeth White’s magical A to Z of Christmas

Well, isn’t that just the icing on the biscuit?

There’s always a reason to biscuit, discovers Katy Birchall

A modern guide to table manners

Catch up on the etiquette of for-mal dining with Annunciata Elwes

Sip, sip, hooray!

Accessories to aid your festive entertaining, with Amelia Thorpe

I’ll have a side of drama, please

Flambé is back on the menu as Tom Parker Bowles argues for the return of tableside cooking

What to serve when

Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler has a tipple idea for every occasion

I go to pieces

A puzzled Ben Lerwill explores the enduring appeal of the jigsaw

He who pays the piper

Octavia Pollock finds a pig in a poke has gone for a burton

Christmas gifts

Hetty Lintell’s perfect present picks for everyone in your life

Editors’ choice

Country Life’s section editors reveal their festive fancies

John Lewis-Stempel’s favourite painting

The Nature writer selects a work in praise of the Southdown sheep

Glory of the garden

Tiffany Daneff marvels at floral creations from Rachel Siegfried

Hitting the sweet spot

How did marzipan take Britain by storm, asks Matthew Dennison

Raise your glass

Mary Miers on fears for the craft of stained-glass window making

Mastered in every detail

Jeremy Musson explores the houses of Henry James novels

Native breeds

Kate Green on Aylesbury ducks

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos

Design Tour: A Tree House In Lake Tahoe, California

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The Local Project (November 28, 2023) – Designed as a tree house and woven into the landscape of California’s Martis Valley – within striking distance of Lake Tahoe – is Analog House, jointly designed by Olson Kundig and Faulkner Architects.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Tree House 00:44 – Respecting the Landscape Throughout the Design 01:26 – A Quiet Scheme 01:50 – A Conversation Rather than a Brief 02:26 – Walkthrough and the Layout of the House 03:20 – The Singular Choice Materials 04:32 – Exciting Aspects of the Space 05:26 – The Gizmos 06:40 – Favourite Parts of the Process and Design

Due to its location and the nature of its form, the home seamlessly echoes its alpine surroundings and becomes part of the forest floor through conversational design. Situated in a dense forest, the architecture was conceived to be environmentally sensitive. The glass doors and exterior rainscreen are made of recycled steel and the wood frame employs engineered wood studs, joists and rafters. The structure’s steel skin also requires no maintenance and is fire-resistant. As such, the architects not only created a dwelling that nestles into the surrounds but one that greatly considers and responds to the environment.

As seen in the house tour, there is a harmony in the home’s design; it offers seamless transitions from room to room, showcasing the transformed spaces both inside and out. Designed as a tree house, the pièce de résistance of the dwelling is the steel tower – a three-storey structure that rises from the main volume. Designed as a guest wing, it comprises bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and a rooftop deck with sweeping views. In the main volume of the house lies the kitchen and utility areas, with moveable glass doors that open up to the outdoor spaces and allow for plenty of fresh air to enter the abode.

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

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Nov 15, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – November 15, 2023: The latest issue features the annual Georgian Group Architecture Awards; Horns of plenty – The Bull, monarch of the meadow has been a key mythological figure since ancient times; the sensitive restoration of Somerton Castle in Lincolnshire, a once-neglected medieval stronghold; the great thatching renaissance, and more…

Here’s to the Georgians

Imaginative restoration, from Stowe House to Stroud canal, is lauded in the annual Georgian Group Architectural Awards

No, you’re not going batty

Jane Wheatley investigates the development pitfalls of finding a pipistrelle on your property

Back to the strawing board

The art of thatching is enjoying a renaissance as architects are drawn to its eco credentials, as Sarah Langford discovers

Horns of plenty

The monarch of the meadow has been a key mythological figure since ancient times. Ian Morton takes the bull by the horns

The toast of the town

Jonathan Self finds comfort in every crunchy, buttery mouthful and asks: how do you like yours?

Buried treasures

Christopher Stocks goes under-ground to examine the centuries-long allure of glittering grottos

The great country-house revival

Director-general Ben Cowell celebrates Historic Houses and half a century of achievement

Sir David Hempleman-Adams’s favourite painting

The explorer chooses a work that demonstrates the beauty and colour of the natural world

Hebridean overtures

Jamie Blackett runs the gauntlet of the ‘Grand National’ in pursuit of ever-elusive South Uist snipe

From ruin to rebirth

Nicholas Cooper marvels at the sensitive restoration of Somerton Castle in Lincolnshire, a once-neglected medieval stronghold

Native breeds

Kate Green meets the docile and floppy-eared British Lop

The good stuff

Need a sparkling conversation starter? Hetty Lintell picks out a fistful of fabulous cocktail rings

Dressed to impress

The sartorial centre of Savile Row provided the perfect setting for our Gentleman’s Life party

Interiors

Painting a floor is a fun way to add colour and pattern to a room, finds Amelia Thorpe

A touch of glass

Victorian glasshouses are feats of engineering that deserve a new lease of life, says Lucy Denton

Big apple

Charles Quest-Ritson is wowed by the display of trained apples in the 18th-century walled garden at The Newt in Somerset

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson savours the sweet earthiness of a chestnut

Shakespeare, but not as we know it

Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Lear may be off beam, but Michael Billington is buoyed by a stirring portrayal of the Bard’s wife

And much more

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

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Nov 8, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – November 8, 2023: The latest issue features The King’s milestone celebration, Amie Elizabeth White reveals 75 fascinating things you may not know about Charles III; Exclusive access to St James’s Palace in London; the British passion for country-house portraits; the astonishing hidden gardens of bohemian Tangier in Morocco and more….

We can be rural heroes

Julie Harding meets a model, a comedian, a farmer, a hedge-layer and a former retail boss, all united in their praise for The King’s Royal Countryside Fund

A nursery palace

Simon Thurley chronicles the remarkable story of the modern home of the Court, as Country Life is afforded exclusive access to St James’s Palace in London

Elegy in a country churchyard

War memorials on British soil are a poignant means of ‘bringing home’ those who fell in foreign fields, reveals Andrew Green

A right royal ruff

The regal King Charles spaniel once won favour with the nobility — and owners are still falling for this loving and loyal breed, as Katy Birchall discovers

Martha Lytton Cobbold’s favourite painting

The Historic Houses president chooses a captivating work that proved to be an inspiration for her love of art and structure

Native breeds

Sheep are an instrinsic feature of the Welsh landscape — Kate Green introduces the breeds that populate the principality

Home is where the art is

Michael Prodger investigates the British passion for country-house portraits, a craze that started back in the 16th century and shows little sign of abating

Interiors

Arabella Youens marvels at the transformation of an Edwardian sitting room, as Giles Kime revels in the luxury of a daybed

Tangerine dreams

Kirsty Fergusson explores the astonishing hidden gardens of bohemian Tangier in Morocco

It’s only natural

Turning woodland finds into art is a labour of love for Jane Bevan, discovers Natasha Goodfellow

Still standing after all these years

A 188-year-old avenue of beech trees forms a guard of honour for Fiona Reynolds in Dorset

Turbot-charged

Nothing less than perfection will do for Tom Parker Bowles as he savours the most regal of fish

A bundle of energy

Could hydrogen-powered cars be the future? Jane Wheatley motors to Wales to investigate

The good stuff

Hetty Lintell seeks a bit of fluff from some feathery confections

Dare to be square

Mary Miers meets the talented craftspeople reinventing the ancient art of mosaic making

And much more

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

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Nov 1, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – November 1, 2023: The new issue features the rural delights of Durslade Farm to the heart of Mayfair; The secret garden in Regent’s Park in London; Norman Foster, the architect who helped shape the capital; the historic American bars that offer a taste of the US on this side of the pond, and more…

London Life

  • Emma Love welcomes the rural delights of Durslade Farm to the heart of Mayfair
  • The secret garden in Regent’s Park, seasonal suggestions and Matthew Williamson’s London
  • Carla Passino meets Norman Foster, the architect who helped shape the capital
  • Robert Crossan visits the historic American bars that offer a taste of the US on this side of the pond

Nick Trend’s favourite painting

The art historian picks a steely-eyed painting that signalled the invention of the self-portrait

At Canaan’s Edge

Carla Carlisle ponders the story of the Promised Land and hopes that common sense prevails

A local revival

The future is bright for Lytham Hall after locals stepped in to save the house at the heart of the Lancashire estate, as John Martin Robinson discovers

A nightingale sang…

Tiffany Daneff visits a garden in Kent planted for wildlife and surrounded by new woodland

Native breeds

Kate Green admires the hardy Lincoln Red, a low-input rare breed that produces quality beef

Stranger things

From horn dancing to burning barrels and cheese rolling, Harry Pearson delves into weird and wonderful British folk festivals

You’re a dark horse

The black horse is a symbol of strength and courage. Celia Brayfield gallops through the history of the fabled steed

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson savours the turnip’s sweet and nutty flavour, perfect with scallops

Travel

  • Jo Rodgers follows in the foot-steps of the Durrells in Corfu
  • Welcoming, home-from-home villas
  • Pamela Goodman pedals off the beaten cycle path

Speak like a Georgian

Know your ‘fubbs’ from your ‘fizzle’ — Matthew Dennison investigates 18th-century slang

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Architecture: A Scotland Farmhouse In Hebrides

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House & Garden (October 27, 2023) – Saffron Aldridge and Scarlett Supple welcome us into their Scottish farmhouse located on a remote Hebridean island. This traditional farmhouse has been restored as a joint effort between business partners Aldridge & Supple, and sits perched above a tidal pool gazing over the surrounding Hebridean moorland.

As we tour the interior, we begin to appreciate the calm and comfort injected into this remote homestead — a stark contrast to the vast landscape of mountains, moors and machair. With startling features, such as the farmhouse’s tall windows and double-height ceilings, Aldridge & Supple forged a symbiotic relationship between the surrounding nature and interior.

‘Your whole relationship is with the nature outside,’ says Aldridge. ‘It’s very important that the inside and the outside work together.’ Watch the full episode of ‘Design Notes’ as we tour Saffron Aldridge’s remote farmhouse nestled in the Hebridean hills.

#SaffronAldridge #Garden #InteriorDesign #DesignNotes

Architecture, Awards, Home Design, Homes, Reviews, Videos

Architecture: ‘Saltmarsh House’, Isle Of Wight – 2023 RIBA House Of The Year

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RIBA Architecture (October 26, 2023) – The Royal Institute of British Architects awards the House of the Year annually to the best example of a one-off house designed by an architect in the UK, celebrating excellence and innovation in home design.

Saltmarsh House, Isle of Wight by Niall McLaughlin Architects

A pyramidal copper roof with a crisp minimalist eavesdrop edge, seems to hover above an intricate glass pavilion, taking reference from the repeating pitched-roofed glasshouses that once graced the same grounds. Large windows provide uninterrupted harbour views, the use of glass and steel create a sense of lightness and transparency that blends seamlessly into the surroundings.

“What’s been nice about this building is to see the way in which the people have come in and started to use it. They’ve filled it with really beautiful art and furniture, in a way that has given me real pleasure.” — Niall McLaughlin, Principal Architect, Niall McLaughlin Architects.

“The client was very interested in architecture and design culture. As a keen gardener, she has interest in the seasons, weather, and landscape generally. We felt if we could meet all of those expectations, then we were on good course.” — Alastair Browning, Associate Architect, Niall McLaughlin Architects.

Visit our website to learn more: https://www.architecture.com/awards-a…

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

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Oct 25, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – October25, 2023: The new issue features Native Breeds – celebrating the noble Shire horse; Taken by storm – artists from Rembrandt to J.M.W. Turner in the eye of the storm; Lighting-up time – Magical autumn colours make Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex….

Native breeds

‘England’s past has been borne on his back’: Kate Green cele-brates the noble Shire horse, a gentle and patient servant

Taken by storm

Michael Prodger examines the artist in the eye of the storm, from a gale-tossed Rembrandt to a J. M. W. stomach-Turner

And still, as he lived, he wondered

More than a century after The Wind in the Willows was written, the exploits of Ratty, Mole and Toad continue to entertain, as Matthew Dennison discovers

In for a penny-farthing

Riding a Victorian high wheeler for 400 miles across war-torn Ukraine was a real eye-opener for adventurer Neil Laughton

Interiors

Kitchens can be so much more than mere functional spaces, as three leading interior designers reveal to Arabella Youens

Lighting-up time

Magical autumn colours make Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex a place for all seasons, suggests Charles Quest-Riston

Jamie Hambro’s favourite painting

The Guide Dogs for the Blind chairman selects his favourite characterful animal painting

Medieval modernism

Mary Miers finds that the spirit of the Arts-and-Crafts Movement is alive and well as she visits Ballone Castle, a remarkable Scottish tower-house restoration

The whorled wide web

Simon Lester endeavours to untangle the natural wonder that is the spiderweb—gossamer thin, but stronger than steel

Scaling heart-attack hill

John Lewis-Stempel conquers the timeless Sussex Downs, before an October storm forces him to beat a hasty retreat

Luxury

Hetty Lintell explores bespoke eyewear, Penhaligon’s potions and remedies, and the life and legacy of Coco Chanel, Prof Tim Spector shares his favourite things, plus beautiful and practical navigation watches

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson welcomes pumpkins to her autumn kitchen

Arts, Historical, Homes, Profiles, Tours, Travel, Videos

Tours: 575 Wandsworth Road – Home Of Kenyan Poet Khadami Asalache

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National Trust (October 18, 2023) – 575 Wandsworth Road, London, was the home of Khadami Asalache – a Kenyan-born poet, novelist and British civil servant. Asalache spent 19 years transforming its interiors with hand-carved fretwork patterns and painted motifs inspired by traditional African houses and Moorish and Ottoman architecture.

Following his death in 2006, Asalache left 575 Wandsworth Road to the National Trust, which was first opened to the public in 2013. Today, his home has become a source of inspiration for collaborators, creatives and artists of all ages, forging social connections within its community and beyond. Watch this video to discover the inspirational qualities of Khadambi Asalache’s creations at 575 Wandsworth Road.

Hear from three creative artists who recently returned to the house to reflect on their own connections to this place. They also discuss the impact it has on their own work and their thoughts around home and legacy.

Learn more about 575 Wandsworth Road and Khadambi Asalache