
Carla Passino
Carla must be the only Italian that finds the English weather more congenial than her native country’s sunshine. An antique herself, she became Country Life’s Arts & Antiques editor in 2023 having previously covered, as a freelance journalist, heritage, conservation, history and property stories, for which she won a couple of awards. Her musical taste has never evolved past Puccini and she spends most of her time immersed in any century before the 20th.
-
A grand Devon country house where Oliver Cromwell officially began the English Civil War
The grandiose Chanters House, in Ottery St Mary, Devon, was the place where Oliver Cromwell declared the Civil War and the Coleridge family created one of the West Country's most impressive libraries.
By Carla Passino Published
-
Is the housing market cooling off? Softening in buying and selling amid Lockdown 3.0, home schooling and the Stamp Duty holiday crush
After soaring in the latter half of 2020, the housing market in Britain now appears to be cooling off, according to the latest survey by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Carla Passino reports.
By Carla Passino Published
-
An ancient riverside property in a vibrant Kent village with an original Victorian pool
Part of a historic mill complex, Orchard House, in Franingham, Kent, combines period features with a modern sense of space and a magnificent waterside setting in a lovely village with easy access to excellent schools.
By Carla Passino Published
-
No Mr Bond, I expect you to buy: The most expensive Bond villains' lairs
The scheming villains of the James Bond films always seem to live in extravagant and magnificent homes — but how much would they cost in real life? Carla Passino takes a look, with the help of some new research.
By Carla Passino Published
-
How property owners and farmers can turn their barns into warehouses
In one of the great unexpected consequences of 2020's turmoil, there's a huge demand for extra warehousing — and it could be one that rural property owners turn to their advantage.
By Carla Passino Published
-
Hackney's journey from bucolic open space to one of London's great melting pots: 'It's the friendliest place I know in London'
Over the centuries Hackney has morphed from a land of gardens and streams to a vibrant, artsy and welcoming community, as Carla Passino explains.
By Carla Passino Published
-
Living on Primrose Hill: Chocolate-box streets, village spirit and some of the best views in London
Carla Passino takes a look at the finer things about living on Primrose Hill.
By Carla Passino Published
-
Four truly incredible homes for sale across the world
Carla Passino picks out some of the best homes on the market across the globe right now.
By Carla Passino Published
-
Three mesmerising historic homes for sale across the Continent, from a Venetian palazzo to a villa with its own aqueduct
With interest in international properties making a surprisingly strong showing, Carla Passino picks out three beautiful houses in popular destinations.
By Carla Passino Published
-
In Focus: How Pimlico went from Mozart's playground to a world-famous hub for design and antiques
London’s premier design district is home to some of the world’s leading interior-design and furnishing shops, but its refined façades belie a bohemian past, as Carla Passino discovers.
By Carla Passino Published
-
The strange case of the blonde hedgehogs of Alderney
While hedgehogs across most of Britain have been in a worryingly steep decline, those in the Channel Islands fare better since they have no natural predators — and that has meant a strange quirk has taken place on the tiny island of Alderney.
By Carla Passino Published
-
How St James's went from London's 'receptacle for offal and cinders' to its prettiest little city centre village
Carla Passino takes a look at St James's, the part of London that is truly 'regal by design'.
By Carla Passino Published
-
Chiswick life: Beautiful homes, art and elephant-shaped topiary in leafy West London
Royalty, rockstars and a rose or two have all called the leafy district of Chiswick home. Carla Passino delves into what gives it its charm.
By Carla Passino Published
-
The real story of Belgravia: Angry mobs, the 'Bloody Bridge', and London's most beautiful garden squares
Belgravia is the name on every Londoner’s lips, thanks to Julian Fellowes’s recent TV series of the same name. Carla Passino delves into the affluent district’s history.
By Carla Passino Published
-
'You can't furlough a cow': Farmers urge with public to buy direct to keep them in business during lockdown
Enterprising farmers have been setting up websites and even selling their wares via vending machines to keep things moving as much of the world has ground to a halt. Carla Passino reports.
By Carla Passino Published
-
A drink for all seasons: nine crowd-pleasing, well-priced wines from around the world
From Rioja alternatives to fruit-packed bottles, discover an eclectic selection of interesting, reasonably priced wines with our latest list.
By Carla Passino Published
-
A 'a symphony in red brick' just outside Guildford offering charm, creature comforts and two swimming pools
Set on the Sutton Park Estate, Grade II-listed The Manor House has beautiful period features, manicured grounds and two swimming pools.
By Carla Passino Published
-
The house where a young JFK forged his career has come up for sale in Washington
A pretty, red-brick building that has been beautifully renovated, 1400, 34th Street, was home to the American politician at the outset of his career.
By Carla Passino Published
-
An irresistibly pretty coastguard cottage only accessible by boat — yet just a few splashes of an oar from the pub
Built in the 1830s, One, Coastguard Cottages stands above the Yealm estuary, a short row-boat ride away from Newtion Ferrers and Noss Mayo, and affords magnificent views of the water pools.
By Carla Passino Published
-
The 7 most spectacular properties for sale in the world right now
We've trawled the globe to find the best properties on the market, from a bubble palace above the Bay of Cannes to a historic château in the Czech Republic.
By Carla Passino Published
-
Knightsbridge life: From a hotbed of taverns and thieves to one of the poshest parts of London
Today, Knightsbridge is home and host to the glamorous, but it wasn't always quite that way, finds Carla Passino.
By Carla Passino Published
-
Shoreditch life: How a little-loved corner of London became a hotbed of art, culture and £5m loft apartments
Shoreditch's incredible transformation over the last two or three decades has turned a little-loved part of London into a world-famous centre of modern culture. Carla Passino finds out more.
By Carla Passino Published
-
In Focus: How a taped banana questioned the meaning of art
Made with a banana duct-taped to a wall, The Comedian, the latest installation by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, sparked the debate on what is a work of art — especially after the fruit was eaten by performance artist David Datuna.
By Carla Passino Published
-
The 'perfect whisky collection' is to go under the hammer — and it's expected to fetch £8 million
Almost 4,000 rare or unusual bottles, accumulated over the course of two decades by American businessman Richard Gooding, will go on sale next years and could fetch £8 million.
By Carla Passino Published