Christmas feasts are served in the conservatory at an elegantly laid table. Atop a tablecloth from Projektityyny sit a botanical centrepiece, Red Winter Berries crackers from Nancy & Betty Studio, and Green Pom glassware from Issy Granger. The dining chairs are from Graham and Green and the Striped Panel rug is by Birdie Fortescue. Sunshades from Tatiana Tafur line the windows.
‘We hope our antiques collection will build over time. This is our house for life and it’s something that’s going to evolve’
ABOVE Cabinetry by Dorset Kitchens has been painted in Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster. Paper Bag Bell pendants by Beata Heuman and relaxed blinds in Soane Britain fabric tied with Samuel & Son grosgrain ribbon add softness.
LEFT The pantry features Ottoline’s Little Wild Tulips wallpaper and Mandarin Stone floor tiles.
remembers Cat. Throughout, these features have been effortlessly incorporated into the new schemes. A vaulted ceiling in the kitchen allows the impressive wooden beams to take centre stage, while bespoke joinery has been built around the sitting room hearth, hiding a waste pipe which had to be run from the principal bedroom suite upstairs and which allows the rustic brick fireplace to continue to shine.
The couple’s previous homes – a converted coach house and, before that, a two-bedroom flat in London – were of a much smaller scale, so they were faced with sourcing a lot of furniture and accessories to fill the farmhouse. ‘We tried to reuse a lot of stuff, too. With pieces such as bedside tables, we painted them and added new knobs and so on,’ says Cat. ‘We bought a few antiques but our collection is something that we
Victorian CHARM
The owners of this Victorian home in Bristol have lovingly reinstated its period charm, making it an enchanting backdrop for their family Christmas
while a row of personalised stockings, made by
hangs below. The Bluebell love seat in green velvet is from Sofa.com and the striped chair is an antique which Anna restored and reupholstered.
Walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s Yeabridge Green are the perfect foil to an eclectic mix of accessories in the sitting room. A large handmade suzani from Uzbekistan sourced via Etsy provides a colourful focal point above the fireplace,
Anna,
FEATURE CHARLOTTE DUNFORD PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
NATURE In tune with
Embrace seasonal living and enjoy the harvests and sights of January
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN
NATURAL SPECTACLE
The past two years have provided areas of the UK, sometimes as far south as Cornwall, opportunities to enjoy the incredible show of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, a sight usually only experienced in Arctic regions. This is because of the ‘solar maximum’, a peak in an 11-year cycle of the sun’s activity. This peak is coming to an end, but scientists believe early 2026 could still allow for sightings of Northern Lights dancing in our skies. January, with its long nights, provides some of the best chances for viewings, so keep an eye on reports, and when the opportunity arises, find a suitably dark spot to look north. The lights can be more visible when photographed with a long exposure to capture the vibrant pinks, greens and purples.
My English Home
The actress Tuppence Middleton discusses her love of a good bath, her taxidermy cat and making the most of a little garden
Who do you live with and where?
I live in North London with my partner, Måns, who is a filmmaker, and our threeyear-old daughter. Whenever we have the time, we escape to a little cabin on the west coast of Sweden, where Måns is from. I find the balance of city life and sea air helps me to maintain my sanity.
What kind of English home do you have?
I have a little railway worker’s cottage on a terraced street between Kilburn and Notting Hill. It has a tiny courtyard garden and a strip of soil at the front of the property, which is just enough to grow some herbs and lavender.
How long have you lived there and what kind of work have you done to the house?
I bought the property in 2020 in the middle of a Covid lockdown, so the process was very remote and surprisingly smooth. When I first moved in everything was painted white, so I spent most of the pandemic injecting some colour into the
house. I did everything myself, apart from the wallpaper, because I was too impatient to wait for the lockdown to lift. I chose a lot of darker, autumnal colours such as Farrow & Ball’s Brinjal [a rich, deep purple] and India Yellow in the sitting room and Eating Room Red in the loft. The hallway and loo were wallpapered later with green-toned William Morris prints and a floral House of Hackey design. The final room to be decorated was the bathroom, with red metro tiles, a grey ceiling and brass fittings.
How would you describe your interiors style?
I am more maximalist than minimalist. I love antique Victorian furniture, lots of paintings, dark moody colours and low lighting. My favourite thing to do is visit flea markets and antique shops and find little trinkets and treasures. I have marionettes and dolls’ houses, a life-size resin skeleton hanging in my lounge, and books tucked away in most rooms. My nightmare house would be white walls and pine furniture.
What is your favourite space in the house and why?
The bathroom. I could spend a good portion of the day in the bath, if left to my own devices. It is the place I feel most able to relax and let my mind wander. It’s also the place I love to do all of my admin, drink red wine and read. I collect little vintage Observer books which are piled up next to the loo should the moment take you.
What is your most treasured possession?
My cat died a few months ago and has been in a freezer ever since. I have always planned to taxidermy him, so once he has been stuffed and posed, I have a feeling he will become my most treasured possession.
Tell us about any projects you have coming up?
The Forsytes, in which I play Frances Forsyte (above right), is on Channel 5 this autumn. It follows the Forsyte family as they navigate power, succession, scandal and love. lt was a lot of fun to make. I am also in a show called Death by Lightning which comes to Netflix this autumn.
And finally, what should no English home be without?
Flowers everywhere, candles and a bath. n
