EDITOR’S LETTER
House Tours is back! Find out how to book tickets to our live event on page 40
My home life has been anything but relaxing lately, so the theme of this issue is wishful thinking for me but I’m hoping it’s a reality for all of you. If you follow me on social media, you’ll have noticed I’ve given up the Insta-sham of posting curatedly perfect pictures – I simply don’t have the content – and have been sharing shots of wallpaper stripping, concrete drilling and vegetable-patch building instead.
But in all the renovation chaos it feels like we’ve turned a corner. By the time you read this, we will probably be back in, only the last of the builders ought to remain and my kitchen might have been nearly completed. I actually can’t imagine what I’ll do with weekends when there is no DIY left. Hopefully, I’ll relax.
The tipping point came two weeks ago when Farrow & Ball’s
Joa Studholme came over. The banging and the dust didn’t phase her, and instead she flattered me by saying I was too sophisticated to fall for her usual colour tricks (I’m not, believe me. I’ve hung off her words so many times I’d follow any suggestions she made). She surprised both me and my fiancé by creating us a neutral palette, after quizzing us about our needs for the house and how we wanted it to make us feel. Using only seven – mostly pale – shades she produced a scheme which, she said, allowed us to waft through dreamily from one room to the next, not pausing to be jolted back into reality. It was then I read Kelly Hoppen’s essay on page 38 about how beige is being used now and was delighted by her emphasis on the wellbeing potential of calm hues, and, when used right, how soothing they can be. She highlights some Belgian creatives interpreting the colours she is famous for in fascinating ways, proof that pale can be interesting.
That’s not to say this whole issue is of a mild palette, however. Paloma Faith tells Rosamund Dean on page 14 about her new maximalist collection, and there are some stellar statement floor ideas on page 129 if you’re using summer downtime to plan your next project. In a relaxed way, I hope.