Editor’s Letter

Creating a beautiful, comfortable home is a dream that most people share, yet it feels like a privilege that’s out of reach for much of the population (especially when your dream is a rambling Georgian manor house in a picture-postcard village…). If being cooped up during lockdown has taught me anything, it’s that home is the most important, cherished place on earth. Our surroundings must make us feel nurtured and reflect our passions and personalities, or we will never truly feel relaxed and like we’re where we belong. So whether you are lucky enough to live in your fantasy house or, like most of us, had to make significant compromises to achieve your budget, location or size needs, you can always do something to improve it and make it feel more reflective of you and your family. The Period Living team has received dozens of letters over the last few months, telling us that the magazine offers escapism and comfort in these strange and difficult times. We’re delighted to receive such positive feedback, but we don’t just want to show you the country’s most beautiful period properties – we want to help you achieve your own. If you bought this issue because you were drawn to the promise of ‘dream homes’, then I hope you won’t be disappointed – Joolz and Jonathan Abbs-woodd’s glorious Cotswold stone house (page 28), featured on the cover, offers a huge amount of inspiration. But if it all feels out of reach, then please don’t be disheartened. Taking inspiration isn’t about recreating the house you see on the page, it’s about discovering a colour, design or plant, seeing a creative idea, or learning something new. So, don’t be limited by your budget or home’s size – rise to the challenge and come up with clever solutions to help it achieve its potential, be it redesigning your kitchen to be more space-efficient or upcycling that old sideboard. And when you’re ready, we’d love to see it. I do hope you enjoy the issue.