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The best furniture makers in Britain, as chosen by the nation's top designers and architectsMembers of Country Life's Top 100 for their recommendations when it comes to choosing a furniture maker.
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One of the great treasures of Highclere shows 'Nature set into marble, frozen and made eternal'A Florentine table created with pietra dura fuses art and Nature. John Goodall spoke to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon about this unique treasure in the halls of Highclere.
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Like moths to flames, young American collectors cannot help but gravitate towards antique English furnitureExquisite craftsmanship, sustainability and the human stories behind each piece are drawing a new generation of American collectors to antique English furniture.
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The hand-written bibles handed down through centuries, in pride of place in a Welsh country house libraryAt Treberfydd House in Brecon, a magnificent hand-written bible has been handed down through the generations. John Goodall tells its story.
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The most artfully designed dog kennels — from spaceships to antiques that belonged to French royaltyFrom an antique dog bed that could've been Marie Antoinette's, to the very best in 'Barkitecture'.
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Inspired by a Renaissance masterpiece, created by one of the world's great architects, this bed has done a century's service for a country house's owners — and their very lucky petsJohn Goodall talks to Sebastian Fenwick about his extraordinary bed, designed by the great Edwin Lutyens.
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The Duke of Wellington's hearing aid, at the cutting edge of technology 200 years agoJohn Goodall meets the 9th Duke of Wellington to hear the tale of his famous forbear's hearing problems.
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The sound of centuries: Britain's last bellfoundersBehind the deep chime of York’s Great Peter or the heft of London’s Great Paul is John Taylor’s bellfoundry. With pieces from its associated museum going under the hammer, collectors have a chance to bring home a peal of their own, as Ben Lerwill discovers.
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Is £1.5 billion enough to save our culture?An announcement of capital spending to 'restore national pride' is welcome, but requires further scrutiny.
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A study in sculpture: 10 of the finest pieces from the Royal CollectionA new catalogue in four volumes explores the extraordinary riches of the sculpture in the Royal Collection. Its author, Sir Jonathan Marsden, selects 10 of his favourite works that reflect the diversity of this astonishing collection.
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Eileen Soper: The 'schoolgirl among the masters' with paintings in millions of homes, even yoursRenowned for illustrating the ‘Famous Five’ series, the mercurial, motorcar-obsessed Eileen Soper lived a bucolic and eccentric life.
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A mesmerising portrait in the eerie country house that inspired Charlotte Brontë to write 'Jane Eyre'A dark episode in the family history of Norton Conyers inspired a young Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre — but the hidden attic is just one of many treasures in this grand Yorkshire house.
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Wealthy Boomers collected blue-chip paintings. Gen Z is opting for collectibles. Who will come up trumps?Handbags, jewellery and luxury vehicles are the aesthetic investments of choice for today’s high-net-worth youth, says a report by Art Basel.
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Sin, deceit, art, education: The secret history of playing cards explainedFrom China, through Persia, India, Europe and now in most of our homes. The humble hearts, clubs, spades and jacks have quite the story to tell.
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The 'micro mosaic' at Holkham Hall that uses a fascinating, unusual technique pioneered by the VaticanJohn Goodall speaks to the Earl of Leicester about one of the most unusual and beautiful objects at Holkham Hall in Norfolk.
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Tate-à-tête: The National Gallery’s promise to grow its modern-art collection risks reopening old woundsThe National Gallery's announcement of a new wing and more modern art promises to reignite a historic rivalry with Tate.
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Forget Bond, the understated George Smiley is fiction's greatest spyAs a new exhibition in Oxford charts John le Carré’s legacy, Emma Hughes takes a closer look at his most enduring creation, George Smiley.
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The policeman turned goat-herder turned beautician, whose goats' milk soap became a sensationBeautiful soaps always make a wonderful gift, and that's why the goats' milk soap-maker Nick King is one of our heroes of Christmas.
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How the spirit of Andy Warhol lives on through ChristmasAndy Warhol found Christmas a tricky time, yet threw himself into the festivities and, when he decided to illustrate his series on American myths, he had no doubt he should include the jolly old man in the bright red suit.
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The exquisite Christmas decorations that spark childhood joy, and the decoration-maker who creates themElizabeth Harbour's irresistibly pretty Christmas decorations earn her a place as one of our heroes of Christmas.
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A gift for every interest — and every deadline: The best coffee-table books to give at ChristmasAmie Elizabeth White rounds up some of the best coffee-table books of 2025.
