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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

Tours: Italianate ‘Maison Bodega’ In Minneapolis

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The Local Project (October 27, 2023) – Liz Gardner of creative studio Bodega Ltd. buys and renovates this heritage house as she had aspired to, having admired it from afar for many years.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Dream House 00:27 – A Hybrid Building In A Historic Location 01:08 – A Walkthrough of the Space 02:03 – The Process of Obtaining the Space 02:35 – The Original Live Work Space Brief 03:40 – Specific Requirements and Constraints 05:22 – An Interesting Material Palette 06:39 – A Focus on Lighting 07:34 – Creating an Accomodation Space

Perched on a hill in a leafy neighbourhood near downtown Minneapolis, the home illustrated a unique style of architecture and boundless potential to renovate. Liz had always felt a long-term draw to the property after witnessing it having been on the market and taken off years prior to her and her partner acquiring it. She describes the building as being dreamlike and perfectly contrasting the hustle and bustle of the city. To her, the dwelling is an anomaly – its style cannot be easily identified.

Exuding notes of Italian-style architecture and a twist of contemporary features, this physical state of the building mirrors the way in which her and her team inhabit it. Amid a location known for its historical heritage homes, Maison Bodega reflects both the past and the present. Looking to the future she, and partner Josef Harris, buys and renovates the house, transforming it into a home and creative space known as Maison Bodega. Taking various design cues from the existing architecture, the hybrid live-work space is a thoughtful blend of heritage and modern interior design sensibilities that caters to parties, workshops, family life for Liz, Josef and their dogs and, most recently, a house tour with The Local Project. Downstairs, the kitchen is undoubtedly a social space.

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…

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

California Architecture: Modern ‘Moon Retreat’

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The Local Project (October 24, 2023) – Believing that architecture is about creating something permanent, Butler Armsden Architects built Valley of the Moon Retreat as a beautiful modern home that is everlasting.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Beautiful Modern Home 00:48 – A Countryside Location 01:35 – Belonging to the Landscape 02:32 – The Layout of the Beautiful Modern Home 04:39 – The Exterior Material Palette 05:22 – Preserving The Surrounding Landscape 05:36 – Designing For Climate Changes

After remodelling the client’s city dwelling, the architect was tasked with creating a family holiday residence in Glen Ellen, a place the clients could retreat to and escape city living. As one turns onto the narrow driveway, the house tour begins with a picturesque trip to the modern abode. The architecture and interior design enables the family to create lasting memories whilst being connected to nature, which completely surrounds the beautiful modern home.

Nestled between the trees, the residence blends seamlessly into the landscape. However, as the house tour reveals, the façade of the beautiful modern home is relatively closed off until the breezeway is opened up to expose the valley beyond. As one walks through the breezeway, the large courtyard opens up to expansive vistas of the valley beyond, with a pool that offers an additional reflection of the natural surrounds. The architect ensures the family can either entertain and find moments of respite by introducing separate cabin-like pavilions that can be opened up or closed.

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

Architecture, Gardens, Homes, Tours, Travel, Videos, Views

Italy Villas: Neoclassical Tour On Lake Maggiore

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Lionard Luxury Real Estate (October 20, 2023) – A luxurious villa of very ancient origins, among the most famous by Lake Maggiore, is for sale in the stunning town of Belgirate, on the border with Stresa.

Video timeline: 00:00 History of the Property 01:45 Private Dockyard 02:26 Private Beach 03:10 Lounge Area 04:00 Main Gate 04:15 Golf Cart 04:53 Private Chapel 05:29 Piazzale 06:04 Parking 06:58 Main Foyer 07:16 Music Room 07:54 Living Room 08:30 Study 08:54 Dining Room 09:21 Foyer 09:50 Kitchen 10:37 Smart Home 10:47 Private Elevator 11:12 Bedroom Area 12:28 Master Suite 12:44 Master Bathroom 13:16 Master Bedroom 12:23 Wellness Area 15:04 Attic Suite 15:34 Loggiato 15:50 Swimming Pool Area 16:39 Italian Style Garden 17:22 Dependance 17:56 Entertainment Area 18:25 Vegetable Garden 18:35 Outro

Its exclusive position directly by the lake, its 1,700 sqm of internal surface divided between the main house and the outbuildings, the private beach connected directly by an underground passage and the pier for private use contribute to the uniqueness of this property that belonged to the family of Napoleon III. Dating back to the early 19th century, the villa was built in a late neoclassical style on the walls of a previous religious building for Mathilde Laetitia Wilhelmine Bonaparte, daughter of Jerome, Napoleon’s younger brother.

Subsequently passed into the ownership of the Russian prince Vladimir Andrevic Dolgorukij, the property was remodeled only at the end of the last century, while the big park that surrounds it has remained intact in its original design, conceived by Anatoly Demidov, husband of Mathilde and well-known enthusiast and builder of gardens, especially in Tuscany. Its convenient natural location, in one of the towns of the Piedmontese shore of Lake Maggiore, ensures an always pleasant microclimate, while its strategic exposure, slightly oblique to the coast, has been designed to improve the panoramic view from any internal environment, rooms included.

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

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

Architecture: Art-Filled New Zealand Home Tour

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The Local Project (October 17, 2023) – As we venture Inside an art-filled home grounded in ideals of permanence and resilience, it is evident that Zed House signifies the prospect of rebuilding through an examination of the past and planning ahead for the future.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Art-Filled Home 00:48 – Designing A Legacy Project 01:37 – The Z-Shaped Layout of the Home 02:03 – A Nostalgic and Personal Brief 02:40 – A Walkthrough of the Home 04:38 – Building for Changes in Climate 04:57 – The Material Palette 05:32 – Incorporating Aspects from the Previous Homestead 06:12 – An Enduring Family Home

The expansive, single-storey, red-brick home references the original residence that was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, and is injected with art, nostalgia and childhood memories. Originally owned by the client’s parents, there was not much remaining of the original architecture, except for the gardens, which have been tendered to and reintegrated into the landscape.

As such, the client wanted a family home that would retain as much of the original house as possible, such as arched windows. Zed House receives its name from a distinct floor plan, which snakes around the site and forms the letter ‘Z’. Although the house is single storey, it boasts generous spaces, as seen in the house tour. Inside the art-filled home, one will find a deeply considered floor plan where a low-entrance front door contrasts with the vaulted ceiling within, which is close to four metres high, creating a sense of compression and release.

A juxtaposition between the casual arrangement of the kitchen, family and living rooms with the more formal dining and living area at the edge of the northern wing offers a dynamic balance inside an art-filled home. The sunken family room is relaxed and comfortable, whilst the other living area is more sophisticated, with green accents that echo the greenery of the natural surrounds. A gallery-like hallway with concrete walls houses the bedrooms and other smaller rooms.

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

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Oct 18, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – October18, 2023:  The latest issue features Norfolks – Little pockets of fun; The real Macnab – great adventures in the field; Britain’s loneliest trees; Beethoven’s Austria and Amsterdam’s canal life, and more…

I’m still standing

In memory of the Sycamore Gap tree, so callously cut down, we salute its fellow arboreal sentinels of Britain

Following in the footsteps of John Macnab

The Editor and The Judge set off across the Tulchan estate in pursuit of a stag, a brace of grouse and a salmon, in the spirit of John Buchan’s hero

Country Life International

  • Anna Tyzack uncovers Monaco’s unexpectedly magnificent restoration
  • Deborah Nicholls-Lee settles in to an Amsterdam canal house
  • Tom Parker Bowles gorges on Alpine cheese
  • Russell Higham explores the Austrian countryside that inspired Beethoven
  • Holly Kirkwood picks the best Caribbean properties
  • Mark Frary straps on his pads for a spot of cricket in the Windward Islands

Felix Francis’s favourite painting

The author picks a scene full of the thrill of the racecourse

Totally foxed

The rural people of Scotland are reeling under a prejudiced new law on hunting. Jamie Blackett despairs for the fox

The Englishness of English architecture

What makes a building English? Steven Brindle considers the answer, from soaring cathedral vaults to austere Palladian villas and rambling country piles

Native breeds

Kate Green luxuriates in the luscious locks of the Leicestershire Longwool

Come hell or high water

Few creatures face as difficult a journey as the salmon does to and from its spawning grounds. Simon Lester follows in its wake

Interiors

A dramatic kitchen and why it’s time to cuddle up in British wool

Plant theatre

Charles Quest-Ritson takes the well-worn path to the famed nursery of Larch Cottage in Cumbria

Having a field day

Behind hounds or on the marsh, casting for a salmon or stalking a stag, nothing stirs Adrian Dangar’s heart as fieldsports do

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson finds the perfect pairing for hazelnuts