The retro-inspired graphics and painterly florals are both set to be big news for spring/summer. Animal motifs are also having their moment in the spotlight – the fabric design Deer Park has been translated from a pen and ink sketch of reindeers into a charming embroidered fabric. And the lovely deer buttons from The Oak Room would make a pretty finishing touch – I just wanted to share them with you!

Bolster cushion, Canvas £49 a metre; Cushions from left Mandarin Flowers, £42 a metre; Shuna, £35 a metre; Ellipse, £39 a metre; Deer Park, £55 a metre; Shuna, £44 a metre, all Sanderson.

From left; Mandarin Flowers, £42 a metre; Deer Park, £55 a metre; Ellipse, £39 a metre, all Sanderson.

The floral pattern livens up a neutral room and because you’re not using a lot of fabric it means you can refresh a scheme without it costing the earth – you could even use a plain cotton fabric on the underside of the seat pads.

You’ll find the instructions for making the covers here, and for more sewing projects like this one, visit the Housetohome website.

A floral fabric will breathe life into a neutral scheme.

Use a sew-on hook and loop fastener so you can easily remove the cover for washing and, if your seat pad has ties, the fastener will fit snugly together around them.

A glass of wine or two at The Akeman

With so many pubs closing down every week in the UK, it’s a joy finding a country pub that’s holding its own. Today I was at The Akeman in Tring. It’s a stylish modern pub that multi tasks: you can meet friends there for a lazy breakfast, morning coffee, a relaxed lunch or a more formal dinner. They also hold wine tasting evenings (with truly delicious canapés), which come complete with spa-style pampering mini-treatments. Now that’s what we call innovation. Every village deserves a pub like this, a real hub for the local community. Perhaps you know of somewhere that rivals The Akeman… if so we’d love to hear about it (http://www.theakeman.co.uk)

]]> http://countrydays.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/country-pub-revival/feed/ 1 sarahwilson100 182271_139972519399513_138371526226279_271639_169750_n http://countrydays.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/winter-warmers-from-toast/ http://countrydays.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/winter-warmers-from-toast/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:08:18 +0000 Tamara Kelly http://countrydays.wordpress.com/?p=5792 ]]> It has felt like a rather long week, with the dark mornings, wet days and cold evenings. So this weekend is one for staying in, keeping cosy and taking time out to relax. These gorgeous images from Toast instantly ignite the desire for a long lie in, snuggling down under the covers with a good book wearing a pair of knitted socks and enjoying a cup of something hot! This checked flannel bedlinen layered with tactile wool throws, is the perfect antidote for these cold winter nights.

Aldwyn bedlinen, from £9 to £55, Toast.

Fair Isle socks, from £14 to £18, Toast.

One pot wonder

To serve 6, you will need…

1.2kg lamb leg meat, cut into 3cm chunks
2 tbsp sunflower oil
12 shallots, peeled and halved
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 rashers rindless streaky bacon, sliced into 1cm pieces
1 lamb stock cube
250ml red wine
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
350g button mushrooms, halved
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water to make a smooth paste
freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Season the lamb with ground black pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan and fry the meat in three batches until well browned, turning frequently, adding a little more oil if necessary. Transfer the lamb to a large flame proof casserole and set aside.

2 Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and cook the shallots and garlic for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned, then set aside. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until crisp, then add to the lamb.

3 Dissolve the stock cube in 400ml boiling water and pour over the lamb. Add the red wine, tomato purée, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour.

4 Remove the casserole from the oven and stir in the shallots, garlic, mushrooms and cornflour paste.  Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes until the lamb is tender. Season to taste and serve with a selection of vegetables.

Cook’s tip: Use a leg of lamb, either remove the meat from the bone yourself or ask your butcher to do it, or use diced lamb purchased from the butcher, thawed if frozen.

For more delicious recipes using lamb, visit loveourlamb.co.uk.

So I was totally inspired when I met Sally Coulthard, writer of Shed Chic on Friday. The shed is no longer the place where your Dad used to potter at the bottom of the garden, it’s now a far more sophisticated space that can be decorated and used in a myriad of ways from creative retreat to home office. Our current shed has been adapted to include a sofabed and TV (perfect for eight-year-old boys’ sleepovers), but what surprised me about Shed chic is how high spec and ‘plumbed-in’ these spaces can be – log burners, radiators, phone points, ensuite bathrooms, kitchens – are now commonplace.

Definitely food for thought…

This amazing shed space was created by Garden Affairs

Bark wallpaper, col Heath, £39.95 a roll, Little Greene.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE CREDITS

Barton Oak sideboard 2972 , £1995, Barton nesting side table 2976 (part of pair), £595, both Ercol. Poise easy chair, £550, Heal’s. Natural hide rug, £175, Cox and Cox. Marina denim striped cushion, £40, Melin Tregwynt. Natural Vita cushion, £25, John Lewis. Log basket, £50, Cox and Cox. Cow skin rug, £189, Ikea.  [Accessories] Vintage angle-poise lamp, £40, Briggs & Oliver. Wood and white bowl, £12, Wood and white bottle vase, £20, both John Lewis. Ferm Living stem wood vase, £45, Heal’s. Ferm Living knitted vase, £40, Heal’s. Beaker, drift wood, pine cones and books all stylists own.