Farmhouse Harvest

Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year, when the countryside bursts into life and is filled with the most beautiful textures and tones. The soft, low sunlight creates gentle hues of palest golden green, farmhouse reds are rustic of the earth and greys are born of woodsmoke and ash. Wicker, straw, rust and scrubbed wood add texture, whilst the smells of Autumn fill the air now fresh and vibrant with the new season's bounty.

Above image: Photographer Lois Slokoski

Above image: Location agency 1st-Option

Above image scanned from book: Country Kitchens by Jocasta Innes

Above images: 1.Photographer: Emma Lee 2.Photographer: Nineminutes 3.Shop: Garden Trading 4.Fabric: Ian Mankin

Above image scanned from Homes and Antiques february 2004

Above images: 1.Painting "Meidoornbessen in romeins glas" by Henk Helmantel 2.Antique basket by Red Ticking at 1st Dibs 3.Painting  "Stilleven met perziken" by Henk Helmantel 4.Fabric: Ian Mankin 5.Antique bowl Brigitte & Alain Garnier

Above image scanned from book: The Country House by Barty Phillips

Above image scanned from book: English Cottage Interiors by Hugh Lander and Peter Rauter

Above image: Photographer Katie Quinn Davies & Katie's brilliant blog filled with wonderful recipes: What Katie Ate

Above images: 1.& 3.Shop: Toast 2.The Paper Mulberry - vintage farm tools my home 4. Shop: Katherine Hooker womens tailoring

Above image: Location Agency JJ Locations

Above image: E-Magdeco

Above image: Photographer Megpuente

Above images: 1.Shop: Farmhouse wares 2.Magazine Country Living 3.Print: Shop Allison Dandrea 4.Fabric: Bennison Salzburg  

Above image: Photographer Sarah Maingot

Above image scanned from book: Pure Style by Jane Cummberbatch

Just a note: I will now be posting every two weeks rather than every week to allow more time for collating and researching!

Country Homes of England

From the grand stately homes to the old farmhouses of England, all have one thing in common, a sublime blend of the decorative and the practical. Country traditions and pastimes influence the interior decoration creating inviting, pleasing spaces. Time worn leather armchairs, centuries of polished wood combine with faded tapestries and antique paintings forming a unique patina. Here are a few that have inspired me.   

Above images scanned from BOOK: Writers' Houses by Francesca Premoli-Droulers

Image: LOCATION AGENCY: jjlocations

Above images: 1.PHOTOGRAPHER: Joanna Maclennan 2.& 4.SHOP: Katherine Hooker womens tailoring 3.PHOTOGRAPHER: David Merewether for the Wealden Times 5.KITCHENS: Landmark Kitchens

Above image: MAGAZINE: skona hem

Above image: PHOTOGRAPHER:Nico Morgan - Cottesmore Hunt Lincolnshire

ARTIST: SIR ALFRED JAMES MUNNINGS "Portrait of Mrs. Margaretta Park Frew Riding"

Above images: 1.Photography: Katya de Grunwald 2.& 4.SHOP: Katherine Hooker womens tailoring 3.Hotel: Borgo Santo Pietro Tuscany 5.Painting: Henk Helmantel

Above image: PHOTOGRAPHER: Joanna Maclennan

Above images: LOCATION AGENCY 1st-Option

Above image: SHOP: Teasel England

Above image: jjlocations

Above images: 1.Photography: Katya de Grunwald 2.& 4.SHOP: Katherine Hooker womens tailoring 3.PHOTOGRAPHER: Joanna Maclennan 5.PHOTOGRAPHER: Jan Baldwin

Above image: jjlocations

Above images: 1.Allington Manor hotel Grantham Lincolnshire 2.& 4.SHOP: Katherine Hooker womens tailoring 3.SHOP: An Angel at my Table 5.Image scanned from MAGAZINE: Country Living March 1999

Above image: PAINTING Sir Raymond Greene, DSO, MP, on Horseback, 1919 by Alfred James Munnings

Above image: LOCATION AGENCY: 1st Option

French Farmhouse Style - cooking & eating

Rustic kitchens and pretty places to dine; whether it is in the cool of a stone farmhouse or on the terrace under the shade of an ancient olive tree. Lazy days filled with the smell of lavender baked in the summer sun and the drone of the honey bee - simple pleasures, but pure bliss!

Above image: PHOTOGRAPHIC & ARCHITECTURAL AGENCY OWI photographer: Verne

Above images scanned from BOOK: Country Style by Judith & Martin Miller

Above image scanned from BOOK: Provencal Escapes- Inspirational Homes in Provence by Caroline Clifton-Mogg & Christopher Drake

Above images:1. La Maison Blauzac ONLINE MAGAZINE: E-MagDeco 2.SHOP: Re 3. & 4. SHOP: Summerille and Bishop 5.& 6.FABRIC:Les Indiennes

Above image scanned from MAGAZINE:Country Living magazine November 2003 

Above images: 1.scan from BOOK:Country Style by Judith & Martin Miller 2.& 5. FABRIC:Les Indiennes 3.SHOP: La Maison Bleue 4.PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRIS TUBBS discovered via BLOG Country French Antiques 6.SHOP:The French House

Above image from PROPERTY AGENCY: Classic French Chateau

Above image: SHOP: Summerille and Bishop

Above image scanned from MAGAZINE: Homes & Gardens July 1998

Above images from PROPERTY AGENCY: Classic French Chateau

On a personal note: I will be taking a 2 week break for major restoration work on the house/garden but will be back the first week in September! So it's on with the hard hat and until then for those who may like to view our house restoration so far please click HERE. 

Delft Blue, Gustavian Grey

The soft, romantic tones of the Scandinavian colour palette and the faded patina that features in the prettiest of rustic rooms is always an inspiration for me. This is a selection of some of my favourites.

Above images: Pretty Scandinavian bedroom scanned from BOOK: The Perfect Country Cottage by Bill Laws 

Above images: 1.PAINTING: Johann Zoffany The Minuet 1780 - 1783 2.Atelier September Antiques discovered via Master Henriks Blog 3.Augustus Brandt antiques 

Above image: Lars Sjoberg's house scanned from BOOK: Country Style by Judith and Martin Miller

Above images: 1.PAINTING: "White can and white cloths" by Willhem de Bont 2.Fireplace Norton Tile Company 3.Chair:  SHOP: Bouf 4.Hand painted English Delft tiles: H & H Tile and Flooring Services Ltd

Above image: Lars Sjoberg's house scanned from BOOK: Country Style by Judith and Martin Miller

Above image scanned from BOOK: The Perfect Country Room by Emma-Louise O'Reilly

Above images:1.PAINTING: "Knoflook Koffiepot" by Willhem de Bont 2.FABRIC: "Chinese Paper" by Bennison Fabrics 3.vintage ice skates    - my home 4.Ceramic ARTIST: Mari Kristofersson  5.SHOP: Pom Pom Interiors

Above image: Lars Sjoberg's house scanned from BOOK: Country Style by Judith and Martin Miller

Above image scanned from BOOK: English Cottage Interiors by Hugh Lander & Peter Rauter and features a dairy in Sussex England

Above images:1.Ceramic ARTIST: Mari Kristofersson   2. & 4. Appley Hoare Antiques 3.PAINTING: "Stilleven met Drentse archologica" by ARTIST Henk Helmantal

Above images: Pretty Scandinavian room scanned from BOOK: The Perfect Country Cottage by Bill Laws 

Above image: Swedish farmhouse scanned from BOOK: Country Style by Judith and Martin Miller

Above images:1.PAINTING: "Trenchter kan en melkkan" by Willhem de Bont 2.& 3.SHOP & BLOG: G-Style 4.18th Century English Delft bowl from Storey Antiques

Above image: ANTIQUES Brownrigg at Home