Comfort & joy

Celebrate the festive season with Clodagh McKenna's warming winter feast for gathering with friends

A day in the country

It's a colourful Christmas at the chateau in France for Angel, Dick and their family

CLODAGH MCKENNA Smallholding life

The chef and smallholder celebrates Christmas Eve in her shepherd's hut 'pub'

GARDEN GLEE

Brightening up seasonal pots and borders with their myriad variations, winter flowering pansies and violas add a welcome splash of colour

WINTER GREENS

A crucial element in garden planting, evergreen shrubs can offer structure, interest and even scent throughout the year

The late, late breakfast show

Long and lazy brunches add the comfort factor to winter weekends and give festive guests an indulgent wake-up call. Go on, take it easy...

Put a bow on it...

Tie your Christmas décor together with ribbons and bows, for festive decorating that's simple and inexpensive to achieve

Making gourmet chocolate in my own kitchen is a dream job'

Bev Stephenson, artisan chocolatier

PINES AND NEEDLES

After all the fun of decking the tree, no one wants drooping branches and dropped needles. Here's how to keep yours looking good for longer

ISLAND LIFE

Design of the prepping, serving and gathering kitchen centrepiece is evolving, with its place as emotional hub of the home as important as its functional credentials

DECORATING WITH NEUTRALS

Designer Kelly Hoppen is renowned for her chic room designs using a pared-back palette. Here, she talks us through how to add interest to a neutral scheme

DESIGNING A BOOT ROOM

Don't get stuck in the mud with your boot room ideas - add a bit of polish to your home's hardworking style

CLOSE TO HOME

Jane and Owain Griffiths made plans for a new life but then found everything they wanted right on their doorstep

CELEBRATING WITH HISTORY

An old barn in the Cotswolds has been transformed into a unique and beautiful home with the help of interior designer Pippa Paton

A NATURAL CHRISTMAS

Merry and Ben Albright's new oak-framed Herefordshire home blends tradition and modernity in a flow of extravagant spaces - the perfect backdrop for a rural Christmas scene

WINTER WONDERLAND

It was a long time coming but Johanna and Deniz Safer finally found the right house and set about transforming it into the perfect setting for magical family get-togethers

A weekend at The Newt

Immerse yourself in the delights of this country house hotel and enjoy the bounty the glorious rolling hills of Somerset can offer

EVER-READY GARDEN

Bring year-round colour to your borders with this vibrant, shrub-filled design from garden expert Nikki Hollier

NATURAL COLLECTION

As blooms fade leaving delicate seedheads in their place, thoughts can turn to collecting seeds to sow next year

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GLOW...

Enjoy the features of your garden as night falls with carefully designed lighting that illuminates their beauty

Legends of the fall

Bring the crisp crinkle and glorious golden shades of autumn foliage and flowers inside with these easy display ideas

My marble paper designs bring a modern touch to this ancient craft

Marbler and founder of Inq, Florence Saumarez

ART MEETS LIFE

Brush in hand, Sarah Jane Axelby steps inside the homes of leading designers to create her room portraits. Here, we share three paintings from her new book and catch up with the stylish owners

COOKING IN COLOUR

Bright and beautiful hues can bring spice and flavour to your space, and boost its welcoming feel

FINDING THE BEST HUE FOR A ROOM

Interior designer Micaela Sharp shares where and how to use colour in a room scheme, and her favourite shade pairings. Choosing a paint for the walls is just the start...

MAKING AN ENTRANCE

A well-designed hallway sets you up to leave the house and welcomes you home with good looks and great organisation

CALL OF THE WILD

A tiny cottage by a loch became Catherine Spain's perfect project, and her inspired renovation blends beautifully with its backdrop of mountains and wide skies

REMAKING HISTORY

Removing the orange wood and worn carpets left over from its 1980s conversion has transformed this barn and put the focus back on its glorious original features

THE PASSION PROJECT

Bridget and Andrew Hall took their love for the Lake District to a whole new level when they bought and renovated a dilapidated farmhouse near Ullswater

BRANCHING OUT

Nestled among the trees and the rolling Kent countryside, Astrid Zala's contemporary home was inspired by a traditional barn, to complement its rural settings