Editor’s Letter

Time always seems in short supply, and while I’ve been able to devote more hours to gardening and other hobbies this year, my home-improvement activities are lagging woefully behind. I can blame lockdown for not getting round to the utility room extension I’ve been planning, but what about all those smaller jobs that have been niggling away on my to-do list since January? The shelving I’ve been meaning to fit in the living room alcove; the plasterwork that needs repairing on the upstairs landing… I simply can’t find the time. My husband and I often joke that our home-improvement projects happen in fits and starts. We can spend embarrassingly long stretches living in half-finished rooms, and pushing back our timetable on new projects. But then suddenly the desire to get the job done will overwhelm us, and we spend every waking moment decorating two rooms in quick succession. Don’t for a second imagine that when procrastination strikes it’s through a lack of interest – on the contrary I am home-obsessed. Perhaps that’s the problem – I want to achieve too much and have unrealistic standards. I will spend months ruminating on a design or technique, and not enough time just getting on with it. I’m not sure that a house is ever truly ‘finished’ – plans constantly evolve along with our circumstances and tastes, then wear and tear takes its toll (and you get to start all over again!). But I suspect the secret to coming close to that elusive end point is to focus on the things that really matter and will enhance the way you live in your home. Every month, the properties featured in Period Living show you how to do just that, and I believe there is no better inspiration. It’s fascinating to read about the challenges homeowners overcame in pursuit of their dream, so this issue we are starting a new Project Journal series (page 106), where we discover stories from readers in the midst of renovations. If that doesn’t spur you (and me) into action, then I don’t know what will. Enjoy the issue!