Homes and Gardens - UK Magazine

29 May 2014

many years ago, when I was working on a different magazine, I was sent to photograph a beautiful Georgian house and fell in love with the fact that the owner had a dedicated flower room. I was enchanted by her vast array of vases, pots and urns just waiting for the right flowers in her cutting garden to come into bloom. I had the same feeling when I saw our Garden Atelier feature, on page 147, showing wonderfully imaginative ways of using flowers, foliage and botanical motifs to breathe life into workspaces. The idea prompted me to take stock of my own “cutting garden” and, while the borders are resplendent with late-spring flowers, the fence is crying out for a coat of paint. I haven’t chosen a colour yet but, luckily for me, on page 167, we reveal the latest exterior paints in three glorious summer palettes, which will give me inspiration. our focus on fashionable colour extends to interiors, too. Turn to page 139 to see our ideas for decorating with shades of pink, from soft pastel to vivid fuchsia, to give living spaces and bedroom schemes a refreshing lift. on a quieter note, our decorating team has unearthed a subtle design trend for pared-back, exquisitely crafted furnishings and accessories in finest silk, wood, metal and natural stone, on page 130. No matter how I decorate, I always include a small vase of flowers in every room. Although I could never match her talent, I like to think that I take after my mother, a keen flower arranger whose garden shed was full of every conceivable vessel that could be used for a floral display. Deborah Barker, Editor-in-Chief