Arabella Youens
Contributor
Arabella began her career at Country Life on the website as an intern. She read Modern History at Edinburgh University and spent a year working (photocopying) for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Barcelona before moving to London where she still lives with her husband and two young daughters.
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The Gavin Houghton drawing room with wit, elegance and silk wallpaper
Gavin Houghton's brief for the drawing room of a London art dealer was simple: do whatever you like, so long as it's elegant and shows touches of wit.
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The designer’s bedroom: ‘Juxtaposing colours and pattern is great, but you still need to know when to pull back’
South African designer Hubert Zandberg’s blend of new and vintage pieces can lend depth and character to any room.
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11 steps to creating a perfect bathroom for your house
When the interior designer Joanna Wood moved to an 18th-century manor house in the Cotswolds, she had an opportunity to create a space that combines a bathroom with a dressing room to provide the perfect retreat from her busy life, as Arabella Youens discovered.
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Living in a conservation area: Ten things you need to know
Conservation areas have been protecting Britain's most beautiful areas for 50 years – here's what you need to know if you live in one, or are thinking about moving to one.
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Six of the best European resorts for ski lodges you can use all year round
Some traditional winter resorts are just as idyllic in summer as they are in winter, with the allure of snow being replaced by wildflowers and cowbells.
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Top 10 design dilemmas – solved
An interior design project presents a maze of head-scratching conundrums, from choices between plain and patterned fabrics to whether you really need a club fender.
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The Memory Box: An exquisite keepsake made from 100 pieces of timber per square inch
These beautiful pieces are made bespoke for each client.
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At home with Uncle Monty: Design cues from the Withnail and I icon
Thirty years after the release of Withnail and I, Arabella Youens examines the stylistic legacy of the fictional character's taste for deep Howard-style sofas and chairs.
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How to create the perfect home office, from converted garage to treehouse to shepherd's hut
From Shepherd's huts to treehouses, the trend for homeworking has produced some creative ideas for home offices
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A living room that’s a calm sanctuary in the midst of the city
Ben Petreath's brief was to create a characterful city sanctuary. Here's how he went about it.
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The British bathroom company with 200 years of quality behind it
Samuel Heath's beautiful bathrooms have been a British institution since 1820. Arabella Youens spoke to the boss to find out how they keep up standards, almost 200 years on.
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Get the look: The dining room inspired by Long Island
The soft colours of the scheme Philippa Thorp created for this dining room reflects its Long Island setting.
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Beauworth Manor: A lesson in house restoration
Arabella Youens finds that, when restoring a house, less can definitely be more.
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Buying a listed building: The dos and don’ts you need to know
Buying a listed property in need of restoration is not for the faint of heart, but follow these few simple steps to avoid becoming a nervous wreck(ing ball), says Arabella Youens.
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The magic of Dorset: Radical writers, glorious countryside and just far enough from London
Those in the know have peeled off the main routes to the South-West and made this county of contrasts their home; Arabella Youens finds out why.
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A modern kitchen to fit perfectly into a 16th century home
Emma Sims Hilditch has injected contemporary touches into the kitchen of this 16th-century manor house while preserving its character.
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Top 10 places to buy property in France
Variety is the spice of life in France, with its cornucopia of landscapes and lifestyles open to property buyers.
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The man who risked it all for a life making beautiful garden furniture
Simon Burvill threw caution to the wind when he gave up a career in engineering in order to make outdoor furniture.
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Still on a roll: Fabrics and wallpaper that have stood the test of time
Arabella Youens identifies the patterns that survive from the great flourishing of 19th-century decoration.