While we're always happy to show the newest, latest, greatest ideas and innovations, Country Life has always believed that the best ideas are those that will still look good in 10 years, not 10 months. It's not surprising, then, to find that a number of our most-viewed interiors articles of 2020 were actually published in 2019, or even earlier.
The best interior designers and decorators in Britain
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Our revised and updated list of the best of the best for those looking to decorate a country house — or a town house in country style.
How to do your own French polishing or restoration – and when to leave it to the pros
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Alex Webster, an antique restorer and French polisher, explained five techniques to save damaged furniture.
Open fires v wood-burning stoves: The grate debate
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Arabella Youens examined the pros and cons.
Nine absolutely beautiful shepherd’s huts for dreamers, writers and those who just want a bolt hole at the end of the garden
Credit: Blackdown Shepherd's huts
Amelia Thorpe's look at the best shepherd's huts is enduringly popular.
An elegant living space showing perfectly how to get the mismatched furniture look right
Credit: Astrid Templier / Guy Goodfellow
A look at how interior designer Guy Goodfellow created an elegant apartment above his Chelsea premises.
Bathtub in the bedroom: Should you try it at home?
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Is the recent fashion for open-plan bedrooms and bathrooms a step too far? Arabella Youens took a look.
The unbeatable cosiness of the Eiderdown
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A duck-feather-filled eiderdown is the height of bedtime luxury, said Tessa Waugh.
Six ways to upcycle old homeware, creating stunning original pieces and safeguarding the environment
Credit: BHF / Martyna Kramarczyk
Sustainable interior designer, upcycler and self-proclaimed ‘warrior on waste’ Lynne Lambourne offered her expert tips on how to upcycle.
How to create the right colour scheme for a Georgian home
Credit: Farrow & Ball
Joa Studholme of Farrow & Ball explained more.
Why the classic kitchen look will always trump the latest trends
Credit: Plain English
Forget minimalism for you kitchen — designs inspired by the past are the ones which will stand the test of time.
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The Budget: What do we need to fix a broken countryside, and what will we get?With the Autumn Budget looming, countryside and heritage organisations reveal what they are hoping to hear to fix the turmoil — and what they are dreading
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Climb every mountain in the Country Life Quiz of the Day, November 24, 2025It's all in today's Country Life quiz.
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Moths, memories and surviving the Russian Revolution: that knackered old rug is worth savingDon’t consign that faded and tatty rug you inherited to the skip, warns Catriona Gray. A specialist repairer can work miracles on even the most unloved pieces
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How one family went about creating a welcoming kitchen in one of England's neo-Palladian houses‘We were nervous about creating a kitchen in such a grand room.'
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How do you make a 300-year-old Baronial castle fit for modern-day living?A mix of sympathetic colours and elegant furniture has brought new life to this impressive space at Aldourie Castle.
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Oh, my gourd, it’s Hallowe’en: How best to decorate your home with pumpkins, squashes and moreAs the feast of All Hallow’s Eve approaches, Debora Robertson advises how best to decorate your home with autumn's edible bounty.
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At the Snowdon Summer School, the future of design lies in the traditions of the past'It was the first time that I had ever been around people who shared my interest in making furniture at such a high level — and who shared my passion for fine furniture.'
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It's a perfect storm for the revival of eclecticism, and we're in the middle of itIn design, periods of purism are often followed by a dramatic new mood. Now, the scene is set for an exciting revival of eclecticism.
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For Rita Konig, interior design isn’t only about coherence and comfort — it should be a celebration of stuffGiles Kime charts the transatlantic career of the eclectic journalist-turned-designer.
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Farmhouse kitchens done right at these five beautiful country houses across BritainA country house with a farmhouse kitchen is the archetype of the bucolic dream in Britain. Arabella Youens picks out five on the market right now that have wonderful examples.
