At this time of year more than any other, rampant consumerism is an inescapable fact of life. So don't fight it: plunge in headfirst and enjoy our latest utterly inessential…
The Finer Things
In Focus: A moment in time capturing the gulf between architects’ dreams and residents’ realities
Tony Ray-Jones was one of a generation of photographers who chronicled life in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s, demonstrating the gulf between the dreams of town planners and the…
My favourite painting: Bamber Gascoigne
'The house is full of images of him. However, the story ends sadly – he died at the age of 11, in 1922.'
Curious Questions: Is there any future for Encyclopedia Britannica?
Once the first set of books required in any home library, encyclopedias have long since been superseded by the internet. But rather extraordinarily there is still a market for them,…
The best books to give this Christmas
Emily Rhodes suggests eight books that would make the ideal literary stocking filler.
The utterly inessential shopping list: Christmas jumpers for two, and a rare chance to witness the £210 pencil sharpener
Forget about the big things. You can keep the necessities. Don't tell us about the must-haves. Alexandra Fraser takes a look at a few little luxuries which, in a world…
In Focus: A silent cellist, blazing with pleasure, by Klimt’s great young protégé Schiele
When he first came on to the Vienna art scene, Egon Schiele hero-worshipped Gustav Klimt. Once they met the two became friends, forming a bond and inspiring each other's work,…
Christmas gift ideas for around the house and garden
For the newly married couple, decor enthusiast or the person who has just about everything else, here is a collection of wonderful gifts for the whole household to enjoy.
Christmas gift ideas for children
A collection of adorable gifts, perfect for that special toddler or precocious young person.
How Country Life helped track down a lost masterpiece by Gainsborough
Five years of fruitless searching had left the National Portrait Gallery almost abandoning hope of finding a lost Gainsborough painting, but the letters page of Country Life came to the…
Christmas gift ideas for ladies
From mothers and sisters to wives and girlfriends, these 12 gifts are sure to bring a smile to the face of the special lady in your life.
My Favourite Painting: Rupert Soames, grandson of Winston Churchill
Rupert Soames chooses one of Winston Churchill's paintings: a joyous portrait of his grandmother by his grandfather.
Christmas gift ideas for men
Christmas gift ideas for all the men in your life, from fathers to husbands to boyfriends to brothers
The stained-glass maker: ‘It’s powerful, volatile… too overwhelming for domestic settings’
Thomas Denny is one of the few people left in Britain making stained glass for churches. He spoke to Mary Miers.
The utterly inessential shopping list: Cheese, chocolate, champs and chutney…it’s Christmas hamper time
Forget about the big things. You can keep the necessities. Don't tell us about the must-haves. Alexandra Fraser takes a look at a few little luxuries which, in a world…
In Focus: The many lives of Landseer’s ‘The Monarch of the Glen’, the eternal symbol of Scotland
The most famous of Victorian paintings took on a life of its own as a marketing icon, romantic symbol of Scottish identity and inspiration for numerous other artists in a…
Sporting Life: How to win at Scrabble, Monopoly and Cluedo
How to win at Scrabble, Monopoly and Cluedo
Audi Q8 50 review: Audi’s answer to the ‘genetically-engineered love child of a tractor and the Batmobile’
Large but handsome, the Audi Q8 is an enormously well resolved, coherent and comfortable car, worthy of any Palladian driveway says Charles Rangeley-Wilson.
My Favourite Painting: Maria Speake
Architectural designer and salvage pioneer Maria Speake chooses an image that speaks to her Danish roots.
Six of Britain’s finest art and building conservationists on history, technology and the secrets of their trades
It takes a huge amount of skill and technical expertise to restore historic objects and interiors. John Goodall speaks to six specialists about their work and its challenges.