In 1986, Alvilde Lees-Milne wrote The Englishman's Room, featuring photographs by Derry Moore of various artistic, literary and theatrical luminaries of the day, including Hardy Amies, Teddy Millington-Drake and Gavin Stamp. Four decades later, the spaces in which they posed look as freshly relevant to the early 21st century as they did to the late 20th. Back then, tastes in interior design moved at a more glacial pace than they do today. Choices of furniture, fabric brands and paint colours were much more limited; there were no websites, Instagram or Pinterest and fewer than half a dozen interiors magazines, compared with well over 20 today.
[LISTEN: Giles Kime on how the Top 100 is put together]
With this proliferation of ever-evolving choice there emerged a restless emphasis on trends, a concept that had previously been the preserve of the fashion industry. Of course, there had been twists and turns in prevailing taste, as demonstrated by the cartoonist and architectural historian Osbert Lancaster in his book Homes Sweet Homes published in 1939, illustrated with his caricatures of interior-design styles, from Hollywood Regency to Stockbroker Tudor. It was not until the 1990s that emerging interior-design styles were referred to in the press as Spring/Summer or Autumn/Winter, as fashion collections are.
It’s a shift that has encouraged an unhealthy sense of transience in a sphere where longevity should be a priority, rather than whims of fad and fashion. Encouraging consumers to believe that blue is the new black (or vice versa) and that certain styles are ‘in’ and others ‘out’ is at odds with the vital new emphasis on sustainable, long-lasting interiors. It might serve the balance sheets of manufacturers and retailers, but not those of the planet. Moreover, by anyone’s estimation, it’s also pretty fatuous.
This week, we publish our ninth list of the 100 architects, interior designers, garden designers and craftspeople we believe should be considered by anyone embarking on a building or restoration project.
They are practitioners who, regardless of their aesthetic sensibilities, have an evolved approach to their work driven by their experiences and instincts — and those of their clients — rather than by trends. In a digital world where we are subjected to an almost infinite array of influences, it’s easy to allow one’s judgements to fly with the wind. However, we hope that the examples of their work in this week’s issue demonstrate how a considered approach can create houses that are a triumph of timelessness, substance and longevity over throwaway style.
The Country Life Top 100 appears in the March 12, 2025 issue of Country Life; the full list will be live online on Friday, March 14.
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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 EarthIn 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 M1Every 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 kitchenFor 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 interiorsArabella 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 saleThe 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 differenceArabella 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 aloneFour-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 architectsGiles 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 etiquetteForget 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 mindsWho 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.
