Giles Kime and Amelia Thorpe ask some of Britain's top designers, architects, builders, craftspeople and landscapers to name the specialists who they themselves trust to do work on their own homes.
Anyone planning to create a house or garden, credible word-of-mouth recommendation is worth its weight in gold. That’s the reason Country Life asked architects, designers and specialists on our Top 100 list to share the names of people who have had a transformative impact on their projects — everyone from stonemasons, blacksmiths and dry-stone wallers to restorers, art dealers and textile designers whom you’re unlikely to find at the end of a Google search.
They are people whose knowledge, skill and years of experience creates highly distinctive work. We hope this project will throw some light on those who sometimes don’t get the recognition they deserve.
Isabel and Julian Bannerman
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Phidias (www.phidiasneoclassical.co.uk) are fantastic stonemasons, based in Bristol. The company is run by Trevor Dring, who knows more about stone, particularly English stone, than anyone we have worked with.
Furniture
Andrew Crace (www.andrewcrace.com) is still the best designer to go to for garden benches.
Antique dealer
Paul Michael Farnham (@paul_michael_farnham) in Bridport, Dorset, for very special things not found anywhere else.
Art dealer
Gilbert Bannerman (Instagram @gilbert.bannerman) for unusual pictures with charm, such as those he finds for the private members’ club 5 Hertford Street, London W1.
Unsung hero
Bet Figueras, the Catalan landscape architect.
Biggest inspiration
The 18th-century English astronomer, mathematician, instrument maker, architect and garden designer Thomas Wright.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Textiles and wallpapers
Lewis & Wood (www.lewisandwood.co.uk) and especially Magdalen Jebb, the company’s wonderful creative director.
Plants
Hill House Nursery, Devon (www.hillhousenursery.com). That’s a secret!
Paint
It’s impossible to work without white, especially from Francesca’s Paints (www.francescaspaint.com).
Wallpaper for Brighton Pavillion by conservator, consultant and designer Allyson McDermott, hailed by Giles Quarme and Natasha Brown.
Tim Moulding, R. Moulding & Co
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
We employ more than 100 craftspeople, so there are too many to choose a favourite.
Furniture
I love Artichoke’s (www.artichoke-ltd.com) attention to detail and the way that Charles Rennie Mackintosh mixed practicality with art.
Art dealer
Philip Mould (www.philipmould.com) — I really enjoy Fake or Fortune?
Unsung hero
Joseph Bazalgette, chief engineer of the London sewage system, officially opened in 1865 and still largely in use today, some 150 years later.
Biggest inspiration
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Steve Jobs and Jony Ive.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
The Anglepoise lamp (www.anglepoise.com), designed by George Carwardine.
Textiles and wallpapers
Anything by William Morris, the father of the Arts-and-Crafts Movement.
Paint
Farrow & Ball French Gray (www.farrow-ball.com) or Dulux Brilliant White (www.dulux.co.uk), as it avoids debate and indecision and is simple to apply.
Robert Cox, ADAM Architecture
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Hard to choose only one, but I recently completed a wonderful project with specialist decorator Lottie Radford (www.lottieradford.com) and Clunie Fretton of Fretton Handley (www.frettonhandley.com), carvers, gilders and restorers. Working in a very different aesthetic is Adam Nathaniel Furman (www.adamnathanielfurman.com) — I relish his use of colour and pursuit of architectural design.
Furniture
I love antique brown furniture; it works so well with both contemporary settings and pieces.
Antique dealer
As well as exploring Portobello Road market, London W11, we are very lucky to have Max Rollitt’s showroom (www.maxrollitt.com) near our Winchester offices in Hampshire, as well as the fine-art auctioneers Andrew Smith & Son (www.andrewsmithandson.com).
Art dealer
Dickinson (www.simondickinson.com) and Colnaghi (www.colnaghi.com).
Unsung hero
My father, for his impact on my career. He used to run an architectural company specialising in ecclesiastical buildings and taught me to draw with pen and ink. He also gave me an appreciation of craft and traditional skills.
Biggest inspiration
It would be hard not to mention John Soane, Palladio, Wren, James Wyatt and, of course, the Adam brothers.
Giles Quarme and Natasha Brown
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Cathy Britain (www.britaindecoration.com) has a great, collaborative approach.
Furniture
Nigel Coates (www.nigelcoates.com) is not only a brilliant furnituremaker, but also a highly talented architect, responsible for such projects as the Museum of the Home in Hoxton, London E2.
Antique dealer
Richard Coles of Godson & Coles (www.godsonandcoles.co.uk) always finds unique pieces.
Art dealer
Philip Mould (www.philipmould.com) has an impressive knack for finding ‘sleepers’ in the art market.
Unsung hero
Adrian Palmer (www.palmersofoakham.co.uk) is the builder who undertook the work at new house Newnham Paddox, Warwickshire, with our team. He’s the best builder we know — dedicated and committed.
Biggest inspiration
Raymond Erith was an architect with a profound knowledge of traditional and historic design, which he combined with modernity. The architect and structural engineer Frei Otto was a genius who linked architecture and engineering in the most magical, creative manner.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Nicky Burridge (www.nbll.co.uk) listens carefully to clients’ requirements, either working with one-off commissioned pieces or finding some incredible lights.
Wallpaper
Allyson McDermott (www.allysonmcdermott.com) is the leading authority on specialist wallpaper and conservation of wall coverings and someone who inspires with her skills and abundance of knowledge.
Paint
Traditional limewash is a soft warm white that works in the UK.
Jonathan Dinnewell, Smallwood Architects
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
James Elliott (www.jameselliott.co.uk), the stonemason who created the rather wonderful new tomb of Richard III in Leicester Cathedral.
Furniture
The Danish cabinetmaker Garde Hvalsøe (www.gardehvalsoe.dk) has a dedication to quality craftsmanship, durability and sustainability that permeates all the company’s work.
Antique dealer
Gordon Watson (www.gordonwatson.co.uk) sells the best of 20th-century furniture and lighting.
Art dealer
Fraser Scott of A Gallery (www.agallery.uk) sees ahead of the curve.
Unsung hero
My mother, for so many reasons.
Biggest inspiration
Nicholas Hawksmoor, the shadowy, but influential colleague of both Wren and Vanbrugh, whose London churches are a triumph of skill and imagination.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Skinflint (www.skinflintdesign.com) refurbishes old lights. It has lights from Fawley Power Station and we have lamps from Poland, as well as bulkhead fittings from a German cargo boat over our Aga.
Textiles
The designer and weaver Eleanor Pritchard (www.eleanorpritchard.com) makes thoughtful and sophisticated blanket designs that speak of the modern, but are rooted in the vernacular.
Paint
Sanderson’s Dusky White and Oyster White Light (https://sanderson.sandersondesigngroup.com) which, used together, allow the architecture of a room to shine.
Marian Boswall
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Sculptor and furnituremaker Alison Crowther (www.alisoncrowther.com) makes exquisite, timeless pieces in natural materials on a scale that suits our gardens.
Furniture
Sebastian and Brogan Cox (www.sebastiancox.co.uk) are mould breakers, brilliant sustainable designers and deeply lovely people.
Antique dealer
Lorfords Antiques, Gloucestershire (www.lorfordsantiques.com) — always a treasure trove, outdoors as well as in.
Art dealer
Angela Nevill of Nevill Keating (www.nevillkeating.com) is courageous and kind, with a perfectly honed eye.
Unsung hero
Michael Kennard (www.compostclub.online) — community compost collector to living soil creator extraordinaire.
Biggest inspiration
Architect Geoffrey Bawa — impeccable and romantic.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Rebecca Weir at Light IQ (www.lightiq.com) is at the top of her game.
Textiles and wallpapers
Molly Mahon (www.mollymahon.com) for joyful, hand-blocked prints.
Plant nursery
Hillier (www.hillier.co.uk) for beautiful UK-grown trees.
Paint
Hazelrigg lime mortar for outside (www.lime-mortars.co.uk).
Marian Boswall is inspired by the joyful block prints created by Molly Mahon.
Graham Lloyd-Brunt
EXPERTS
Furniture
Outside, Kettal (www.kettal.com) from Barcelona in Spain offers original and fun designs for garden furniture. Inside, I use George Smith upholstery (www.georgesmith.com), which is made in Newcastle and lasts for decades.
Antique dealer
Yola Gray (www.yolagray.co.uk) in Cheshire has found interesting Art Deco furniture for our homes in Kent and Scotland.
Art dealer
The Redfern (www.redfern-gallery.com) and The Nine British Art (https://theninebritishart.co.uk) represent a wide range of clever contemporary artists, including Sarah Chatto, Ffiona Lewis and Leigh Davis.
Unsung hero
Landscapers and gardeners who help gardens thrive are generally under-praised for their exhausting work whatever the weather.
Biggest inspiration
Lutyens’s strong, detailed and balanced hardscaping in his garden layouts and Russell Page’s confident planting that always identified the right plant for the right place.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Simes (www.simes.it) from Italy for landscapes and Porta Romana (www.portaromana.com) from Surrey for interiors; both offer quality products that can be used subtly to fit well in their wider environment.
Textiles
Holland & Sherry (www.hollandandsherry.com) for Chilean wool herring-bones and Dedar (www.dedar.com) for Italian plain velvets.
Plant nursery
Cayeux (www.iris-cayeux.com) in the Loire, France, for irises; David Austin (www.davidaustinroses.co.uk) in Shropshire for roses; de Jager (www.dejager.co.uk) in Kent for bulbs; Chichester Trees & Shrubs (www.ctsplants.com) in Hampshire for perennials and small shrubs; Architectural Plants (www.architecturalplants.com) in Sussex for some interesting and unusual larger shrubs; I could go on…
Paint
Grey is a very handy colour to use in the landscape when looking to temper down woodwork. French Gray from Farrow & Ball (www.farrow-ball.com) has a greenish tint and Slate Grey RAL7015 is a mid grey — both are forgiving colours.
Jinny Blom
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Jan Hendzel (www.janhendzel.com) is a furnituremaker and a real force of nature. He and his studio are in the vanguard of contemporary work. His skill and imagination at using wood, often foraged from scrap or cut from English woodland, is as boundless as his excitement at finding new ways of treating it. His furniture is sculptural and stimulating, as well as being highly practical and immensely tactile, and he’s an absolute joy to work with.
Furniture
No one makes outdoor furniture as well as John Danzer, owner of the American outdoor-furniture company Munder Skiles (www.munder-skiles.com). He researches and prototypes everything until he is absolutely happy with it. The result is an exceptional collection of aesthetically unusual and interesting accoutrements for the garden.
Antique dealer
Andrew McDonagh and Andreas Schmid of Schmid McDonagh (@schmidmcdonagh) have unerring eyes for unusual objets d’art and antiques. My first purchase was a small Modernist sculpture of a bull, made from lead. I’ve never looked back.
Unsung hero
Brian Hall (www.hallconservation.com) trained as a sculptor and has made unique sculptures to our design — including some very large ones — plus bespoke gates and railings, as well as restoring art and antiques of great value and much more besides.
Biggest inspiration
I love the work of Danish architect Jørn Utzon. He designed my favourite house, Can Lis, high on a cliff-top in Mallorca and, of course, the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Plant nursery
Graham Gough at Marchants Hardy Plants (www.marchantshardyplants.co.uk) near Lewes in East Sussex grows the best plants and there is always something new and exciting to buy there. Gladiolus papilio, for example.
Paint
My own paint colour Blomster JB. 01 is a shade of red I created a while ago, together with 11 other colours, and it has just become a reality thanks to my collaboration with Mylands (www.mylands.com). A good mineral red is essential outside, whether as an accent or a bolder statement.
Garden furniture crafted by the meticulous and imaginative John Danzer is the first choice of landscape designer Jinny Blom
Charlotte Harris, Harris Bugg Studio
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Lydia and Bert Noble (www.noblestonework.com) come from five generations of expert stone wallers and made the much admired cairns in our Best in Show garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year. Based in Yorkshire, they work the length and breadth of Britain and beyond. They are often found collaborating with Ben Martindale of Cumbrian Drystone Walling and Hedgelaying (07398 220433). Jane Bradley Yeoman (@janeybaskets) weaves beautifully with willow, rush and hedgerow materials.
Antique dealer
Darren Jones of Lichen (www.lichengardenantiques.com) has an exceptional quality range of stone and antiques.
Unsung hero
We simply couldn’t deliver without the expertise, experience and determination of the landscape contractors we work with. A good one is worth their weight in gold and will be booked up well ahead. Look for accreditation by industry organisations, such as BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) (www.bali.org.uk) and/or the APL (The Association of Professional Landscapers) (www.landscaper.org.uk). A good landscape contractor understands the very specific requirements, from soil to levels, drainage and more, to make your garden project a success.
Biggest inspiration
The polymathic Tom Stuart-Smith (www.tomstuartsmith.co.uk) is for me the top of the list of inspirational designers working today. And a tour of architect Luis Barragan’s buildings in Mexico City was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had, revealing his astonishing mastery of light, shadow and colour.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Textiles and wallpapers
Speronella Marsh’s (www.speronellamarsh.com) spectacular fabrics and wallpapers are created from hand-carved blocks and inspired by the natural world.
Plant nursery
It’s not easy to limit to one! Beth Chatto’s Plants and Gardens (www.bethchatto.co.uk) and the nursery at Great Dixter, East Sussex (www.greatdixter.co.uk), are two go-tos. Crûg Farm (www.crug-farm.co.uk) in North Wales is a goldmine of precious rarities. Special Plants (www.specialplants.net) in Wiltshire and Kevock Garden Plants (www.kevockgarden.co.uk) in Midlothian are also favourites.
Paint
We use Farrow & Ball’s Studio Green (www.farrow-ball.com) a lot, especially in city gardens to disguise tricky walls or fences, when our preference for hedging is not possible. It offers a calm, subtle backdrop to the rest of the delicious greens and colours in a garden.
Ben Pentreath
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
There are so many, but one whose work has struck me recently is Jack Badger (www.jackbadger.co.uk), who creates incredible panelled rooms that genuinely feel as if they have been weathered by time.
Furniture
David Coryndon (www.coryndon.co.uk), Jeremy Rothman (www.jeremyrothman.com) and Jonathan Sainsbury (www.jonathan-sainsbury.com) all make wonderful classic furniture for us and we go to Rupert Bevan (www.rupertbevan.com) for something with a more contemporary feel. For sofas, I nearly always visit Howard (www.howardandsonslondon.com).
Antique dealer
Edward Hurst (www.edwardhurst.com), Max Rollitt (www.maxrollitt.com), James Graham-Stewart (www.jamesgraham-stewart.com) and Molly Alexander of Jamb (www.jamb.co.uk) all have a wonderful eye. Will Green (www.rongreen.co.uk) has a huge and ever-changing stock of well-priced pieces.
Art dealer
I love Abbott and Holder (www.abbottandholder.co.uk) on Museum Street, London WC1, around the corner from our studio. The best things in life don’t change and Tom Edwards is carrying that flame forward to perfection.
Unsung hero
Every site foreman on every one of our projects who really cares about the house they are building. They are the difference between success and failure.
Biggest inspiration
All old buildings, especially those ones created by anonymous builders that are simply perfect.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
T. M. Lighting (www.tmlighting.com) offers fantastic and well-designed spotlights. Subtle, contemporary lighting with the right tone and colour is so hard to find.
Textiles and wallpapers
Adelphi (www.adelphipaperhangings.com) in the US has a wonderful archive and Polly Lyster (www.dyeworks.co.uk) dyes beautiful Irish linens with natural pigments.
Paint
Parsonage Pink, specially mixed for our house in Dorset by colour expert Patrick Baty (www.papersandpaints.co.uk).
As if gently weathered by time: the wood-panelling created by joiner Jack Badger is highly recommended by Ben Pentreath
Jo Thompson
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
I am a great admirer of the decorative artist Tess Newall (www.tessnewall.com).
Furniture
The rattan collection from Soane Britain (www.soane.com) is wonderful for conservatories.
Antique dealer
J’s Garden Antiques (www.jsgardens.co.uk) is a great source of everything, from urns and statuary to troughs and fountains.
Art dealer
Oliver Hawkins of Marshall Murray (www.marshallmurray.co.uk) is incredibly skilled at suggesting appropriate art for both the wider landscape and smaller gardens.
Unsung hero
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) (www.rhs.org.uk). We are so lucky to have the RHS — the New Shoots initiative aims to inspire the next generation of talent by giving people insights into the horticultural industry and a taste of working in a public garden.
Biggest inspiration
Harold Peto, who created the exquisite gardens at Iford Manor, Wiltshire.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Lotti Mather of Lansdown Studios, Bath (www.lansdownstudios.com) — she has a thoughtful and subtle approach to garden lighting and immaculate taste and style.
Textiles
The time I spent in Venice, Italy, has given me a love for the innovation and timeless artistry of Fortuny (www.fortuny.com).
Plant nursery
Beth Chatto’s Plants and Gardens (www.bethchatto.co.uk) and David Austin Roses (www.davidaustinroses.co.uk); I can’t choose between the two, as they are both indispensable in the gardens I create.
Paint
Farrow & Ball’s Yeabridge Green (www.farrow-ball.com) is exactly the ‘right’ green; it transforms an impossible room into a haven.
Nikki Chee, Artorius Faber
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Philip Gaches of Gaches Plastering (www.gachesplastering.co.uk) for highly skilled work in historic buildings.
Furniture
Mathew Bray and Matthew Collins (www.mathewbrayandmatthewcollins.co.uk) — they specialise in decorative arts and furniture with beautiful finishes.
Biggest inspiration
Edwin Lutyens for his unique approach to architecture, his often playful attitude to country-house design. The way the character of materials inspired his designs has, in turn, inspired the way we work.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
John Cullen Lighting (www.johncullenlighting.com) — good lighting can enhance the beauty of our natural stones.
Textiles
I love Fermoie’s (www.fermoie.com) craft-led approach to design and manufacture.
Plant nursery
Blackmore and Langdon’s (www.blackmore-langdon.com) sells wonderful delphiniums.
Paint
Farrow & Ball Skimming Stone (www.farrow-ball.com) is the perfect backdrop to a wide variety of our stones.
Nikki Chee admires Mathew Bray (above) and Matthew Collins’s perfect finish.
Andrew Inchley, Yiangou
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Whether replicating an existing profile or creating all-new details, the traditional decorative lime plasterwork of F. E. Stacey & Co (www.festacey.co.uk) is always of the highest quality.
Furniture
We often find ourselves looking for one-off pieces or buying at auction; however, a company we often turn to is Chelsea Textiles (www.chelseatextiles.com). It offers far more than its name suggests.
Biggest inspiration
We are inspired by a variety of sources, but the architect from whom we take the greatest inspiration is Lutyens, who referenced and adapted traditional architecture so that it was relevant to his age.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
For lighting that is classic and enduring, we tend to use The Limehouse Lamp Company (www.limehouselighting.co.uk) or Jim Lawrence (www.jim-lawrence.co.uk). If the brief calls for something distinctive, but beautiful, Porta Romana (www.portaromana.com) has a lot to offer.
Fabrics and wallpapers
Colefax and Fowler (www.colefax.com) and G. P. & J. Baker (www.gpjbaker.com) consistently produce good-quality, timeless fabrics.
Paint
Stone from Paint & Paper Library (www.paintandpaperlibrary.com) is versatile and useful. The fact that it comes in various tonal depths, from I–V, means that it is a fundamental starting point in so many scenarios.
Bruce Hodgson, Artichoke
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Lucy Sandys-Clarke (www.lucysandysclarke.com) is an incredibly talented blacksmith who made traditional iron thumb latches for our two-plank elm doors at my home here in Somerset. The doors were a labour of love that I made myself and I wanted something historically and regionally appropriate. She is also crafting some iron brackets for an Artichoke kitchen we are currently working on for a house in Lake Maggiore, Italy.
Furniture
Byron & Gómez (www.byronandgomez.co.uk) are contemporary furniture designers and makers here in Somerset. My daughter Rosie, who is a cabinetmaker at Artichoke, befriended the duo at Williams & Cleal Fine Woodworking & Furniture Making School (www.williamsandcleal.co.uk).
Antique dealer
Max Rollitt (www.maxrollitt.com) has fantastic taste. We worked with him recently on a large, multi-room project for a spectacular Victorian country house on the Isle of Wight.
Art dealer
We are lucky enough to live in a place that is thriving creatively. My wife, Tess, and I enjoy Somerset Art Weeks (www.somersetartworks.org.uk). You get to have a chat with the artists and visit lots of different studios. It’s always fascinating to see how other people work.
Unsung hero
Matthew Limebear, Artichoke’s production engineer, has been with us for years and I’m privileged to call him a friend. Matt is hands down the best cabinetmaker I’ve known, but, ultimately, he ensures every piece leaving our workshop is designed and made perfectly. He is unsung because he is humble, but he is a true master of his craft.
Biggest inspiration
I love the work of the interior designer Steven Gambrel (www.srgambrel.com) for its masculinity, use of colour and brave finishes. He manages to curate the perfect mix of metropolitan and country style, but, most of all, he understands how to put joinery and furniture together.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
The Urban Electric Company (www.urbanelectric.com), which is based in South Carolina in the US, is phenomenal. The products are slightly quirky and the scale is something else. It is a like-minded brand with an outstanding commitment to quality and innovation.
Textiles and wallpaper
Lewis & Wood (www.lewisandwood.co.uk) is a firm favourite — the company’s fabrics and wallpapers are British made, the designs are considered and they’re beautiful quality. We also work with John Boyd Textiles (www.johnboydtextiles.co.uk), whose premises are near Artichoke in Castle Cary. Established in the 1800s, it is one of the few remaining horsehair-cloth weavers using the original looms and traditional methods. Horsehair fabrics were favoured by historic designers, such as Lutyens and Chippendale, for their unequalled lustre and longevity, which is why we continue to use the company for many of our projects.
Emma Sims-Hilditch, Sims Hilditch
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
My oldest friend Jane McCall of Bloomsbury Revisited (www.bloomsburyrevisited.co.uk) is a decorative artist with real flair.
Furniture
I’m a huge fan of George Smith (www.georgesmith.com), which makes products that will last a lifetime. Our Emma upholstery collection with the company is soon expanding into a new bedroom range.
Antique dealer
Lorfords Antiques (www.lorfordsantiques.com) in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, which has a wonderful aircraft hangar full of independent dealers. It is a one-stop shop for the decorative-antiques enthusiast and a fantastic day out.
Art dealer
Panter & Hall (www.panterandhall.com) for Swedish Mid Century expertise.
Unsung hero
My parents, for giving me the best upbringing in the countryside and encouraging my love of art, interiors, cooking and all things creative.
Biggest inspiration
The Spanish designer Lorenzo Castillo (https://lorenzocastillo.org) for his extraordinary attention to detail and love of pattern and colour.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Vaughan (www.vaughandesigns.com) cleverly replicates historic lighting that is perfectly suited to contemporary and traditional homes.
Textiles and wallpapers
Chelsea Textiles (www.chelseatextiles.com), a company that has recently launched some wonderful prints and wallpapers.
Paint
Neptune’s (www.neptune.com) Moss — a beautiful and very versatile blue grey.
Will Green’s carefully chosen selection of antiques will always inspire Ben Pentreath
Megan Steele-Knowles, Knowles
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Pierre Vuillemenot (07768 255363), the fabric wall-hanger who celebrates the 30th anniversary of his business this year. He’s a true artisan with fabric walling, which will bring any room to life.
Furniture
Halstock (www.halstock.com) makes furniture to a very high standard in rural Somerset.
Antique dealer
I have long been a fan of the beautiful and ever-changing pieces at Jamb (www.jamb.co.uk).
Art dealer
The Arusha Gallery (www.arushagallery.com) sells contemporary art from its premises in Edinburgh’s historic New Town and London, as well as running a residency programme and gallery in Bruton, Somerset.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
I love the designs at the premises of the late, great antique dealer Charles Edwards (www.charlesedwards.com) on the King’s Road, London SW6.
Fabrics
I often use the fabrics of both Fermoie (www.fermoie.com) and Rose Uniacke (www.roseuniacke.com).
Plant nursery
For London gardeners, nothing beats a trip to Clifton Nurseries in Little Venice (www.clifton.co.uk).
Ian Adam-Smith
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
We recently commissioned Delft Tiles (www.delfttiles.com), based in Hummelo in the Netherlands, to create some wonderful hand-painted house name plates for my house in Barbados.
Furniture
Andrew Crace (www.andrewcrace.com) — I love the scale of his huge Kentian benches.
Antique dealer
I have known Jorge Perez-Martin and David Gibson at Brownrigg (www.brownrigg-interiors.co.uk) since their Petworth days and I’m a huge fan.
Art dealer
Philip Mould’s (www.philipmould.com) incredible artwork graces the homes of some of my most special and loyal clients.
Unsung hero
The late Drummond Shaw introduced me to the concept of reclaimed materials more than decades ago and I was well and truly hooked.
Biggest inspiration
The artist and designer Oliver Messel had an extraordinary eye for detail, as well as all things charming and theatrical.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Matthew Upham (www.matthewupham.com) has a great eye for the perfect period chandelier. He is my absolute ‘go-to’.
Textiles and wallpapers
Watts 1874 (www.watts1874.co.uk) creates spectacular hand-blocked wallpapers and my favourite custom silk-damask fabric.
Paint
Edward Bulmer’s Invisible Green (www.edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk), which I’ve used for estate-fencing metal gates at home in West Sussex.
Tom Stuart-Smith
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Fenton Scott-Fielder (@fenton scottfielder), a woodworker with whom we collaborated on our National Garden Scheme garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.
Furniture
Nathalie de Leval (www.nathaliedeleval.com) designs and crafts beautifully simple objects with exacting attention to detail.
Unsung hero
Keely Siddiqui Charlick who runs Sunnyside Rural Trust (www.sunnysideruraltrust.org.uk), a charity based in Hertfordshire that provides jobs in horticulture to adults with learning disabilities.
Biggest inspiration
Bijoy Jain, the founder of Indian architectural practice Studio Mumbai (www.studiomumbai.com).
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Jean-Philippe Weimer (www.jpw.fr), for atmospheric lighting design that works in deep conversation with the landscape.
Textiles
Maki Textile Studio (https://maki.international), situated in Tokyo, Japan, with a workshop in India, where plants for fibre and dye are grown, yarns are reeled, spun and dyed and fabrics are woven on hand looms and stitched.
Plant nursery
Pan Global Plants (www.panglobalplants.com), where I can buy things that I never knew existed.
Paint
White.
Henriette Von Stockhausen, VSP Interiors
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
The wonderful father and son team Adrian and Will Everitt from Bone Black (http://boneblack.co.uk), who provide specialist paint finishes and amazing trompe l’oeil; we have been working together for the past 20 years.
Furniture
Artichoke (https://artichoke-ltd.com) — I love working with them. The company’s approach closely resembles mine. Every project is different and every design completely tailored to both the client and the history of the property. Bruce Hodgson’s eye for detail is unrivalled.
Antique dealer
There are so many it’s very hard to choose one, but Will Fisher’s Hawker Antiques (www.hawkerantiques.com) — the sister business to Jamb (www.jamb.co.uk) — has the most exquisite pieces. Christopher Howe (https://howelondon.com) always has fun and interesting stock and, finally, the late Robert Kime (www.robertkime.com), who had a very special eye.
Art dealer
Daniel Hunt at Sloane Street Auctions (www.sloanestreetauctions.com) and Sarah Percy-Davis at Hollandridge (www.hollandridgegroup.com), who help us with large projects and collections. I also often use Etalage (www.etalage.co.uk) which has lots of fun and beautiful, less expensive art.
Unsung hero
My team, without whom I could not achieve anything. They rarely get mentioned, but are integral to our success.
Biggest inspiration
The American designers Albert Hadley and Bunny Williams (www.bunnywilliamshome.com) inspire me every day.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
I adore Hector Finch’s (www.hectorfinch.com) simple bathroom lights — they seem to blend in, yet stand out exactly the right amount.
Textiles and wallpapers
Robert Kime wallpapers are based on historic fabrics and documents and have that ‘always been there’ faded quality that is so soft. I couldn’t do my job without his collections of wallpapers and fabrics, as they often form the basis for my designs.
Paint
I adore Edward Bulmer’s Lute (www.edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk), a soft, muted yellow. Another is Venetian White from Rose of Jericho (www.roseofjericho.co.uk), a fantastic chalky neutral that I often use.
Philip Hooper, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Geoffrey Preston (www.geoffreypreston.co.uk) does the most amazing bespoke plasterwork that is beautifully mannerist and imaginative, full of movement and ebullience.
Furniture
I love wicker and rattan; Bielecky Brothers (www.bieleckybrothers.com) in New York, US, has always been a favourite, as has Bonacina in Italy (www.bonacina1889.it).
Antique dealer
I recently discovered Gerald Bland (www.geraldblandinc.com) in Manhattan, US, who has amazing taste and diversity. Closer to home, Paul Michael Farnham (@paul_michael_farnham) in Bridport, Dorset, has a shop that always has a treasure to take home.
Art dealer
Jenna Burlingham Gallery (www.jennaburlingham.com), which sells great contemporary and 20th-century art.
Unsung hero
My first boss, Anne Foxon, who taught me the importance of design in everything we surround ourselves with. Sadly, she was never recognised in her lifetime for her innovation and taste.
Biggest inspiration
Charles Rennie Mackintosh had an ability to create an environment where everything from cutlery, bed linen and furniture to fabrics, carpets and architecture is designed by one hand. His water-colours are also sublime.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Christopher Butterworth, London SW1 (www.christopherbutterworth.com), is an Aladdin’s cave of a shop with antique and vintage pieces.
Textiles
At Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler (www.sibylcolefax.com), we continue to explore our archives and heritage, producing witty and useful fabrics that are still relevant to the decoration we do today.
Plant nursery
Desert to Jungle (www.deserttojungle.com) in Taunton, Somerset, for tropical and architectural plants that push the boundaries of taste, as well as what can grow outside in the UK.
Paint
Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler’s (www.colefaxandfowler) Bark, so much more subtle than black. I love it on doors and skirtings.
The ebullient plasterwork of Geoffrey Preston (left) is a favourite of Philip Hooper’s
Philippa Thorp, Thorp Design
EXPERTS
Furniture
Savoir (www.savoirbeds.com) offers superb handmade beds using traditional methods and materials. They are the best.
Art dealer
Porthminster Gallery (www.porthminstergallery.co.uk) in St Ives, Corn-wall, finds and supports local talent.
Biggest inspiration
Gio Ponti was an all-round designer, dedicated to art, buildings and furniture, and also a teacher, writer and publisher, who sought to make style and structure coincide. He was way ahead of his time.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
The Urban Electric Company’s (www.urbanelectric.com) diverse designs, materials and couture nature sets it apart.
Wallpapers
The quality of de Gournay’s (www.degournay.com) designs and the opportunity it offers to adapt any design to suit the environment — as well as the intense colour saturation — is unique.
Pippa Paton
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
The simplicity and beauty of Charlotte Storrs’s (www.charlottestorrs-stoneware.co.uk) classic white tableware transforms the experience of presenting and enjoying food.
Furniture
Matthew Cox (www.matthewcox.com) for his commitment to designing and making furniture that will be as beautiful in 100 years as it is today, encouraging people to buy materially and aesthetically sustainable furniture.
Antique dealer
Anton & K. (www.antonandk.co.uk) for a carefully sourced understated yet elegant collection of 18th- to 20th-century Swedish and French antiques and distinctive decorative finds.
Art dealer
Brian Sinfield (www.briansinfield.com) in Burford, Oxfordshire, is a great source of contemporary and traditional artists and sculptors, both widely acclaimed and emerging, many of them local.
Unsung hero
Smart Movers (www.smartmovers.co.uk), which we use for all our removals and installation of projects — it’s a small family-run firm with all the ‘white glove’ sensibility required to install exceptional interiors.
Biggest inspiration
Axel Vervoordt’s (www.axel-vervoordt.com) belief in the purity and simplicity of wabi-sabi philosophy, celebrating the beauty of imperfection, inspires me in all the spaces I design.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
I love Herefordshire-based Hector Finch’s (www.hectorfinch.com) less-is-more approach to lighting.
Textiles
De Le Cuona (www.delecuona.com) produces original, yet understated fabrics with distinctive textures and a commitment to using natural fibres from sustainable sources.
Paint
Paint & Paper Library’s Salt (www.paintandpaperlibrary.com) comes in graduated shades from I to V, offering the perfect off-white shade to provide a backdrop for artwork in any interior.
Rita Konig
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Tapisserie (www.tapisserie.co.uk), for hand-painted needlepoint canvases and finishing. There’s a moment when decorating a room that you realise that you don’t need more fabrics. Instead, needlepoint on chairs, stools and fenders can look beautiful, especially in an unusual design.
Furniture
I have recently collaborated with Oficina Inglesa (www.oficinainglesa.com) on a Bamboo vanity, taken from an antique design. The furniture is beautifully handmade in Portugal.
Antique dealer
Mytton Antiques, Shropshire (www.myttonantiques.co.uk), for traditional, useful pieces selected by an expert eye.
Art dealer
Jenna Burlingham (www.jennaburlingham.com), for a wide range of art, beautifully framed.
Unsung hero
Catherine Dru (www.oakfloor.co.uk) is like a professor of wooden floors — there’s nothing she doesn’t know.
Biggest inspiration
Bunny Mellon — not a designer, but a woman of great taste who decorated rooms with a soft, understated and inviting style.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
Anna Lari (www.annalari.com), for the Ambra lights that look modern, don’t take up too much space and, because they are made of brass, cast a warm glow.
Textiles
Raoul Textiles (www.raoultextiles.com), for hand-printed linen in delicate and modern colour palettes.
Paint
Little Greene (www.littlegreene.com) Toad, which is like a bottom-of-the-pond sludge green. I like using black in architecture, but it can be hard, so this is a softer, almost-black alternative, which works particularly well on stairs and window frames.
Jason Cherrington, Lapicida
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
I may be biased but my son, Milo, is a modern-day artisan who excels with our CNC machine. His expertise not only lies in operating the machine, but also in teaching manufacturers how to maximise its potential. His skill and innovative approach consistently pushes the boundary of what was thought possible with this new technology.
Antique dealer
We have both worked for, and bought from, Tomasso Brothers (www.tomasso.art) — their knowledge is incredible.
Art dealer
Gallery Fumi (www.galleryfumi.com) because of the exciting artists it represents.
Unsung hero
Mother Nature can be forgotten in this high-tech porcelain era. Then you see a beautiful slab of marble from Italy arriving at our warehouse and that reminds you of her work.
Biggest inspiration
Andrea Palladio — we love arches!
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
We have worked successfully with Sally Storey of John Cullen Lighting (www.johncullenlighting.com) and Thomas Holgeth of Influx Lighting (www.influx-lighting.co.uk). Both help create beautiful showrooms.
Wallpapers
I have always admired de Gournay’s hand-painted wallpaper (www.degournay.com) and Iksel’s (www.iksel.com) designs are fantastic.
Plant nursery
Close to home is Daleside Nurseries (www.dalesidenurseries.co.uk) in Killinghall, Harrogate — for anything that’s on offer. I’m a Yorkshireman, don’t forget! And Olivos Ornamentales (www.olivosornamentales.com) in Seville, Spain, for all your olive-tree requirements.
Paint
Stony Ground by Farrow & Ball (www.farrow-ball.com) — half of our Harrogate showroom was painted in it 17 years ago and it still looks great.
Russell Taylor
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
London Stone Carving (www.londonstonecarving.com) is a young firm of talented stonemasons who can do everything from a simple repair to brilliant carving. Recently, they carved statues of Victoria and Albert for the Albert Hall. Also Philip Gaches (www.gachesplastering.co.uk), who knows everything about Jacobean plasterwork and produces beautiful work in that style.
Furniture
As architects, most of the furniture we specify is for kitchens and Plain English (www.plainenglishdesign.co.uk) is hard to beat. I also enjoy the furniture created by Fornasetti in the 1950s and Retroart (www.retroart.co.uk) offers refurbished vintage items restyled in that spirit.
Antique dealer
Lassco (www.lassco.co.uk) has a huge range of architectural salvage and all kinds of curiosities.
Unsung hero
Keystone Historic Buildings Consultants (www.keystone-historic-buildings.com) offers the most thorough, authoritative historical analysis of a building, which is essential for obtaining Listed Building Consent. Also MH Costa Construction (www.mhcostaconstruction.co.uk), probably the most versatile and most broadly skilled contractor in London. Its people always look for solutions, not problems.
Biggest inspiration
Ninian Comper, one of the last great Gothic Revival architects.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
O’Keeffe Antiques (www.okeeffeantiques.co.uk) for a great selection of antique chandeliers and lanterns.
Textiles and wallpapers
Guy Goodfellow (www.guygoodfellowcollection.com) has designs that are inspired by antique documents and fabrics.
Plant nursery
I love Petersham Nurseries, Richmond, London TW10 (www.petershamnurseries.com), and I would most likely eat in the excellent restaurant.
Paint
I don’t like to restrict myself, but my most usable favourites include Chappell Green by Farrow & Ball (www.farrow-ball.com), Lamp Black and Portland Stone by Little Greene (www.littlegreene.com) and Great Hall Colours by Papers and Paints (www.papersandpaints.co.uk).
Nigel Armstrong, R. W. Armstrong
EXPERTS
Craftspeople
Emma Sheridan (@emmasheridan2000) is a hugely talented stone carver and QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust) scholar. She has produced some outstanding and distinctive work for us — she is a true rarity in these days of automation and mechanisation.
Art dealer
Jenna Burlingham (www.jennaburlingham.com) specialises in 20th-century British and contemporary works. The gallery is set in a delightful series of furnished rooms and studios in the small village of Kingsclere at the foot of Watership Down in Hampshire and there is a welcoming environment in which to browse and receive expert, friendly advice.
TRIED & TRUSTED
Lighting
We have used products by John Cullen Lighting (www.johncullenlighting.com) for decades and they have stood the test of time. We have enjoyed a long relationship with director Sally Storey and worked collaboratively on many projects.
Textiles and wallpapers
I particularly admire Lulu Lytle and what she has achieved with Soane Britain (www.soane.com), set up to design and make furniture, lighting, fabrics and wallpapers using exclusively British craftspeople. We often use Soane wallpapers, which sit perfectly in the country houses we build.
Plant nursery
We go to Toby Collyer at Everton Nurseries (www.evertonnurseries.co.uk) in Lymington, Hampshire, for many of our plants. It is a well-run family business, established in 1922, with old-fashioned values and bags of knowledge.
Paint
Rose of Jericho (www.roseofjericho.co.uk) has recently developed a chalk wash paint: Lavaggio gesso. It is entirely natural and provides a semi-opaque finish, which can be readily applied to modern surfaces. It looks wonderful in Brick Red or Eau de Nil, being slightly paler and more tonal than other paint types.
PHOTO CREDITS: Adobe Stock; Simon Brown/Alun Callender/Country Life Picture Library; James McDonald Photography; Allyson McDermott; Will Marsh; Abbott and Holder Ltd; Adrian Lambert Photography; Alun Callender; Will Green at Ron Green antiques; Dave Watts Photography; Chris Chadwick Photography; National Garden Scheme/Julie Skelton; Nick Carter; Jacqui Hurst
