EDITOR’S LETTER

It feels like more than five months have passed since I wrote my last letter. The realities of lockdown have radically reshaped the magazine industry but there is no doubt that advice, entertainment and inspiration are more important right now than ever. We are adapting and there have been some creative responses to new challenges, from my indefatigable team obsessively exploring new ways to connect with our audience virtually to the subscriptions department securing a 6 issues for £6 offer (don’t miss this deal, details are on page 120). We started working on this issue before Easter, when the pandemic was at its peak. At that point, we had no real idea of what August 2020 would look like. Travel on hold, gatherings restricted, celebrations cancelled…? The only certainty that lay ahead was that this would be a summer like no other. So we chose escapism as a theme; we felt sure this is what we’d be craving. The houses and gardens whisk you from London to LA and are filled with dreamy details to love. I long to be on the terrace shown on the cover, G&T in hand. For our design content, we decided to focus on aspirational style ideas, covering kitchens, bathrooms and paint colours. The solitude that social distancing affords means that now is a good moment to be at the planning stage of a project. I hope you find the time to dream.

SARAH SPITERI, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR