'We treat Christmas and New Year like a harvest festival and bring all the natural bounty inside,' says Edward Bulmer, interior designer and founder of ecological paint company Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. 'Removing trailing ivy is good for buildings and trees, so it is a win-win situation, but we tend to leave the holly, if it has berries on, for the birds.'
Edward and his wife, Emma, live in the deepest reaches of Herefordshire where mistletoe, once believed to bring good luck, grows in abundance; great balls hanging from the trees. This naturally growing luck may have contributed to their story. Since he was a child, Edward had adored the Queen Anne house they now live in, but when he and Emma returned to the area years later, they discovered it had become a crumbling wreck. A rare spotting of an otter in the grounds was taken as a sign by the young couple and, that night, they posted a hand-written letter asking if they could make an offer. The rest, as they say, is history. And then, after moving in, they felt exceptionally fortunate once again: having been told she couldn't have children, Emma became pregnant with her first daughter and went on to have two more.
Denne historien er fra January 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
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Denne historien er fra January 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place
Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE
In its heyday the pre-eminent rival to Wedgwood's Queens ware, Leeds creamware is still much revered by collectors for its understated elegance
Bohemian Rhapsody
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton
The accessories designer on his love of silver spoons and Sévres porcelain
European HERITAGE B&Bs
Is there anything more inspiring than staying somewhere that's both beautifully stylish and imbued with history? Rhiannon Batten explores five gems across Europe, from Sweden to Spain...
STAR SALES
A Hitchens painting, a museum-quality teapot and a Parisian chocolate box are all top of the lots
Textile designs by artists
Influential 20th-century fine artists and sculptors, from Picasso to Barbara Hepworth, gained additional status as textile designers until decline set in during the 1970s
Period DRAMA
A painstaking renovation has brought this 1725 former Huguenot silk weaver's house in London's Spitalfields back to life
An artist's RESIDENCE
Rustic details and a restrained palette lend a sense of simplicity to this lovingly restored Friesian bakery
Carefully Curated LIVING
This lovingly restored Gustavian manor has become both home and showroom for its owners, Maria & Jan Åke, who deal in European antiques