House & Hearth
Rooms with character, buildings with stories and furniture worth a second look. Explore interior design, historic houses, architectural details and second-hand furnishings — how they were made, how they work and what makes them worth keeping.
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Real Tudor or Mock Tudor? How to Read a Timber-Framed Façade
One timber-framed building on Shrewsbury’s High Street records centuries of alteration. Learn to read Historic England’s dates and architectural vocabulary, from original decorative framing to later mock Tudor work.
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Turn Off the Big Light: How to Light a Room for Dark Evenings
The big light has too many jobs. Here’s how to light a living room with well-placed lamps, suitable shades and bulbs, and carefully chosen second-hand finds.
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Gargoyles vs Grotesques: Only One of Them Was Doing the Plumbing
The difference between gargoyles and grotesques begins with rainwater. What happens when the original carvings wear away is a much more interesting question.
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I Like Old Things. I Don’t Like Things Pretending to Be Old.
I like objects that show their age. I am much less interested when the age has been applied with sandpaper, dark glaze and decorative worm holes. On patina, distressed furniture and the difference between evidence and imitation.
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Why Some Houseplants Make a Room Feel Magical
Some houseplants change the shape and atmosphere of a room; others simply occupy a pot. Here’s how silhouette, texture, proportion, light and placement make the difference.
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How to Make a Modern Room Feel Old-World Without Filling It with Clutter
Create old-world atmosphere in a modern home through proportion, warm lighting, natural materials and a few storied objects—without resorting to themed clutter.