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
Credit: VSP Interiors
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
Credit: Quest
Alex Webster, an antique restorer and French polisher, explained five techniques to save damaged furniture.
Open fires v wood-burning stoves: The grate debate
Credit: Alamy
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?
Credit: Foxhill Manor
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
Credit: Getty
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.
-
'The watch is Head Boy of men’s accessorising': Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin's Summer Season style secretsWhen it comes to dressing for the Season, accessories will transform an outfit. Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin, both stylish summer-party veterans, offer some sage advice.
-
Lewis Hamilton, Claude Monet and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 29, 2025Tuesday's Quiz of the Day looks back at Lewis Hamilton's first win and ponders on the meaning of greige.
-
‘It had the air of an ex-rental, and that’s putting it politely’: How an antique dealer transformed a run-down Georgian house in Chatham DockyardsAn antique dealer with an eye for colour has rescued an 18th-century house from years of neglect with the help of the team at Mylands.
-
The big reveal: A first look at Country Life's RHS Chelsea Flower Show standInterior designer Isabella Worsley reveals her plans for Country Life’s ‘outdoor drawing room’ at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
-
Sanderson's new collection is inspired by The King's pride and joy — his Gloucestershire gardenDesigners from Sanderson have immersed themselves in The King's garden at Highgrove to create a new collection of fabric and wallpaper which celebrates his long-standing dedication to Nature and biodiversity.
-
Designer's Room: A solid oak French kitchen that's been cleverly engineered to lastKitchen and joinery specialist Artichoke had several clever tricks to deal with the fact that natural wood expands and contracts.
-
John Sutcliffe — The man, the myth and the paint-naming legend behind Dead Salmon and Elephant's Breath -
The power of the youthful gaze: A new generation tackles modern day design conundrumsHow is a new generation of interior designers responding to changing lifestyles, proliferating choice, the challenges of sustainability and the tireless demands of social media?
-
'Rooms can be theatrical and comfortable at the same time': Top tips for decorating with conversation in mindCarefully placed furniture encourages conversations, says Emma Burns, of Sibyl Colefax & Fowler
-
A tub carved from a single block of San Marino marble — and nine more beautiful things for the ultimate bathroomThere's a bathroom out there for everyone — whatever your preferred style.
