Take five: moments in the life of oliver messel

Shop of the month Bennison Fabrics, No 16, ...

Valentin Loellmann’s Dutch atelier is a nature-filled space where he explores his creativity – and invites fellow artists to do the same

Tucked in the Herefordshire countryside at Much Marcle, not far from its border with Gloucestershire, is Hellens Manor. Now presenting as a Tudor/Jacobean home, it predates those eras by some margin;

Back in 1979, David and Linda Williams felt ready to move to a spacious, light house with a good-sized garden. Ideally, it would be low maintenance so as not to encroach on David’s job as head of art

The garden of Knowle House, East Sussex George Dillistone’s original Arts-and-Crafts design has been lovingly restored and updated with contemporary planting, discovers George Plumptre

From topless staddle stones outperforming complete ones to two versions of the same desk selling on the same day 212 miles apart, bizarre occurrences are par for the course at contents sales