Pick of the Pads: Past Perfect

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White house exterior in Country Living magazine June 2014

It didn’t take much thought for our choice for Pick of the Pads this month.

Country Living June 2014 magazine cover

We’re already quite familiar with this gorgeous Welsh cottage, Bryn Eglur, owned & renovated by Dorian Bowen – and when it appeared in this month’s Country Living Magazine we just had to share it with you.

'Past Perfect' article title page from Country Living magazine June 2014

For Justin in particular, it’s a real favourite house from years of scouring interiors magazines.

'Antique dresser in Country Living magazine June 2014

The word character was probably invented for it!

'Wooden box bed in Country Living magazine June 2014

It’s cosy & comfortable with perfect retreats to eat, sleep or read.

'Antique settle in Country Living magazine June 2014

It’s packed full of gorgeous country antiques too. An oak dresser filled with pottery & pewter, spindle back chairs, settles and spoon racks.

'Cast iron range in Country Living magazine June 2014

Spaces are softened with textiles & fresh flowers.

'Rustic stairs in Country Living magazine June 2014

Perfect, photogenic corners everywhere you look!

'Grandfather clock in Country Living magazine June 2014

It’s full of traditional charm, but there’s also no sense of it being in a museum with modern facilities such as this gorgeous kitchen.

'Whitewashed kitchen in Country Living magazine June 2014

And the best thing is… if you love it as much as we do, you can stay there!! Yes, it’s a holiday let! And for those fellow dog owners out there – your treasured pooches are welcome too.

'Whitewashed bathroom in Country Living magazine June 2014

It’s one of those cottages that offers a good location to explore the area, but also provides a gorgeous home to relish every hour you spend relaxing indoors. Perfect indeed!

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Pick of the Pads: Wealden Times

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'Crystal Clear' article in the February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times magazine

For this month’s Pick of the Pads we’ve chosen to feature the fabulous home of Adrian & Amy.

February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times magazine

It’s featured in the February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times – a lifestyle magazine we only stumbled across recently. As the name suggests, it covers the Wealden area of the south east of England – taking in the South Downs of Kent & East Sussex. The magazine’s available to pick up at Waitrose stores & train stations in the region, but subscriptions & postal options are also available.

view of the lounge in the February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times magazine

This unique home is formed by the very skilful joining of the Georgian coach house and neighbouring cottage – both fully restored by the present owners.

view of the dining room in the February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times magazine

The results are stunning – the epitome of modern rustic style.

view of the bedroom in the February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times magazine

The fabric of the building is used to maximum effect – exposed brickwork, beams, floorboards & wood panelling all add character & texture.

antique oak coffer between 2 armchairs upholstered in tartan fabric

It provides the perfect backdrop for a wonderful blend of country antiques, vintage finds & industrial styling. Blankets, cushions, warm lighting & fresh flowers soften the spaces.

view of the walkway in the February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times magazine

The contemporary glass walkways linking the coach house to the cottage also work superbly well. The structure of the buildings really sings out – and we love the fact that materials were either restored in situ or reclaimed from the site.

view of the cooker in the kitchen in the February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times magazine

The spaces look so comfortable & welcoming.

views of the kitchen and sitting room in the February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times magazine

We could happily avail ourselves of one of the numerous comfy looking chairs on offer – they’d never get rid of us!!

view of the new extension in the February 2014 edition of the Wealden Times magazine

And a gorgeous, friendly dog to welcome you home is always the icing on the cake!!

Pick of the Pads: Seasonal Simplicity

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Country Living Christmas magazine cover

We’ve chosen the house of Anna & Jeff Phillips for this month’s Pick of the Pads.

'Seasonal Simplicity' magazine article in the December 2013 edition of Country Living magazine

We wanted something Christmassy and their Sussex home, which is featured in the December edition of Country Living magazine, is just perfect.

Christmas decorations in the 'Seasonal Simplicity' magazine article

It’s homely & warm with quite a Scandi feel – robust and elemental with wood, stone, textiles & flame. The influence of nature is strong, highlighted by the use of seasonal foliage, fruit & flowers.

Shelf and coat rack in the 'Seasonal Simplicity' magazine article

Antique country furniture fills the house with character. There are lovely decorative touches everywhere you look incorporating handicrafts, vintage pieces & found objects – the fairy lights, candles & Christmas decorations give it a magical look.

Montage of beds in the 'Seasonal Simplicity' magazine article

There looks to be lovely natural light in the house, but no shortage of cosy corners either.

Kitchen in the 'Seasonal Simplicity' magazine article

The bedrooms are inviting & peaceful, the dining area sumptuous – and we just love the handmade kitchen with its reclaimed wooden crates, blocks & shelves.

Christmas table in the December 2013 edition of Country Living magazine

What a truly wonderful place to spend the festive season!

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Retro Magazine

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Retro Magazine with cup of tea and green & orange striped knitted cushion

This copy of Retro Magazine arrived last week. It was sent by the lovely people at Hus & Hem as we’d supplied an image of a yellow Finel coffee pot for them to use.

page from Retro Magazine showing a photo of H is for Home's yellow Finel percolator

Hus & Hem (and this off-shoot publication) hails from Sweden so we did have a slight problem to overcome with regards to the language barrier. We should be fluent in Swedish judged by the number of Scandinavian crime dramas we watch – but alas not!

sitting room

It didn’t stop this magazine being a very enjoyable “read” for us though. We could pick up on the general gist of the articles, but we mainly let the pictures do the talking.

vintage Volkswagen Golf feature

There’s certainly no shortage of them with lots of vintage retro gorgeousness to peruse.

dining table

Scandinavia is of course home to many great designers both past & present – and the source of many pieces so sought after by collectors. So it’s no surprise that they should have some excellent publications dedicated to the subject.

vintage decorated kitchen

The magazine crams loads in. There are some inspiring house tours, vintage fashion and features on classic design.

vintage fashion feature

As you can see from the article on Mari Simmulson & Upsala-Ekeby pottery for example, these articles are quite extensive and make great source material for identification or collecting.

selection of vintage Ekeby ceramic dishes

There are also current product pointers and a location tour with an eye to vintage design  & retail opportunities.

selection of vintage kitchenalia items

In this issue, Helsingfors (Helsinki in Swedish) is the destination – it’s gone onto our list for when we do that much longed for Scandinavian camper van tour.

Helsinki feature

The photography is excellent throughout. There’s also much use of vintage magazine articles & advertisements to display products or show items in situ.

selection of vintage loungers

It costs about £5.00 per issue.

selection of vintage chairs and stools

It’s definitely worth giving a try – you might even learn a new language!