THE infinite nuances of a paint chart never fail to trigger a shudder deep within my solar plexus. Add a couple of charts from other brands and the anxiety dial cranks up a notch or two on the Richter scale. Cuisse de Nymphe or Setting Plaster? Calke Green or Hopper? Dead Salmon or Old Trout? Help! Then there's the stress that choosing paint puts on relationships already left a little threadbare by a stressful building project. Although consultants come at a cost (Farrow & Ball charges from $140 an hour for a virtual consultation), it's less than hiring an interior designer or, indeed, a divorce lawyer. You're also less likely to run the risk of making a mistake that will undermine a project.
This story is from the April 17, 2024 edition of Country Life UK.
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This story is from the April 17, 2024 edition of Country Life UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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Tales as old as time
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There's orange gold in them thar fields
A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd
True blues
I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.
Oh so hip
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland
A best kept secret
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