Country Life's 10 best interiors articles of 2020, from baths in bedrooms to colour schemes for Georgian country houses
Enjoy our list of the most-viewed interior design and decoration articles from Country Life in the last 12 months.

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.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
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.
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
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Neil Armstrong and Sir Edmund Hillary’s joint adventure to the Arctic that you've never heard about and what its re-creation can tell us about the state of Earth
In 1985, Neil Armstrong and Sir Edmund Hillary adventured to the North Pole; 40 years later, their children re-created the expedition.
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Nuthall Temple: The Palladian masterpiece that was blown up to make way for the M1
Every Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
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'Tones of natural wood and warm olive': Isabella Worsley transforms a coastal Sussex kitchen
For this kitchen on the Sussex coast, Isabella Worsley dispensed with a classic seaside palette and turned to rich colours and natural textures
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The designer's room: The large country home with relaxed and easy to maintain interiors
Arabella Youens talks to Nicola Harding about her decision to juxtapose an imposing piece of furniture with utilitarian fabric.
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The perks of being wallpaper: A collection of never-before-seen William Morris designs are to go on sale
The first new Morris & Co. designs in a century were developed using archive materials discovered inside a Californian library.
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Kitchen island or table? The little distinction that makes a big difference
Arabella Youens considers the renaissance of the cook’s table — a vortex of culinary activity, used for everything from rolling out pastry to boning a chicken.
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Why four-poster beds aren't for historic houses alone
Four-poster beds aren’t for historic houses alone. A new generation of designers is using them to create a pared-back contemporary look.
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The 24 best furniture makers in Britain, as chosen by the nation's top designers and architects
Giles Kime asks members of Country Life's Top 100 for their recommendations when it comes to choosing a furniture maker.
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'She dismissed the twin bed as the invention of the Devil': A brief history of country-house sleeping etiquette
Forget the standard double: country-house sleeping layouts have undergone all sorts of intriguing (and eyebrow-raising) shifts throughout history, observes Melanie Cable-Alexander.
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The best art dealers in Britain, as chosen by the nation's top designers, architects and creative minds
Who are art dealers used by Britain's top interior designers and creative minds? Giles Kime asks some of the most distinguished members of Country Life's Top 100 for their recommendations.