If you love the look of an ultra-modern, sleek interior but don’t accept that it has to be soul-less .... read on. We’ll show you how to balance the two aesthetics, creating a strong, highly curated look that still has bags of character. Create as much space and light as possible, whilst drawing the eye to unique textures and layering throughout the interior.

The Fiori e Leoni Collection features in House & Garden April 2026.

Weekend Away Hotel Vibes ~ how to make your house feel like a hotel courtesy of The Library Ladder Company.

Fiori e Leoni is a collection of ten wallpapers designed by Zardi & Zardi in collaboration with Sir John Soane’s Museum. Inspired by original architectural and botanical drawings from the museums archive, this collection was launched at Decorex International in October 2025.

Think subdued and moody, comfortable and quiet, luxurious finishes and rich detailing. This style requires careful layering of tones and textures, built up to look as though it has evolved over years with inherited antiques, crystal decanters and aged whisky. The Country Club look is becoming increasingly popular and is often coupled with a study space or library as more of us work from the comfort of our own homes. We’re talking about ‘snugs’ or ‘man caves’ but with more grandeur!  Written for The Library Ladder Company.

Paula Modershon-Becker (1876 – 1907) produced more than 700 paintings and 1000 drawings in her short life, dying after the birth of her child, Mathilde, aged just 31. The catalogue of work she left behind is a testament to her devotion to art and her quietly radical determination to chart her own path in the pursuit of artistic freedom. Her life is a moving story of a courageous young woman, with unerring faith in her own ability, breaking boundaries in the face of conservatism at the turn of the century.

The Birth of Venus is part of our visual lexicon – we have all seen her, but what do we really know about this goddess? All the medieval fantasy and symbolism of 14^th century Florence are wrapped up in Botticelli’s graceful, linear style. No-one quite captured the curvaceous femininity of the female form like Botticelli, the long-plaited locks, the bee stung lips and almond eyes that are synonymous with Botticelli’s women.

From a dark corner of a boudoir, the suspicious eye of an odalisque gazes out from over her shoulder. The luxurious interior points to the fashion for exotic concubines – the headdress, silk embroidered curtains, peacock feathers, hooker pipe and bejewelled medallion in the foreground. There is a tension between the softness of the fabrics and the porcelain skin of the subject, against the hard stare and lack of expression. This painting has always held such beauty and mystery for me, that I’m very pleased to uncover its meaning here.

Throughout his long life Hokusai travelled ceaselessly in search of new subjects and inner spirituality. With each ‘artistic period’ he changed his name – he ended up with thirty different names in total. In his repertoire he could draw on all forms and techniques of painting and woodcut, depicting traditional Japanese themes (samurai, landscapes) but also erotic and mythological themes.

What makes Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe such a famous painting? Those who come across it with no prior knowledge of its backstory find it… confusing at best. Calling it an infamous painting would be a much more accurate description. The contemporary eye finds it obscene in its objectification, much like the French audience at the time of its conception. This painting is one of art history’s best-known succes de scandale.

Every creative should own this book. Pour over stunning imagery captured in a slim, highly flickable format. This book is a visual treat, accompanied by a clever and curious narrative. Broken down into easy-to-dip-into chapters focusing on creative concepts, it’s pleasingly alphabeticalised from ‘Abstraction’ through to ‘Tradition’. Short introductions ask the reader to consider the basic principles of art theory…. while eagerly asking us to reject them.

Zardi & Zardi sponsor The Withdrawing Room by Sean Symington Design for WOW!house 2026

A moment with artist Alex Merry of Boss Morris ~ an all female Morris dancing troupe.

‘Rural Reflections’ indulges in the sweetness of Autumn, showcasing oil paintings by two local artists, Sarah Batt and Alann Baggs, who depict scenes of pastoral perfection with pastel-coloured palettes reminiscent of Cezanne. As if exhaling after the blistering heat and noise of the summer, this exhibition will cool you down and transport you to an English country idyll where life was slower and ruled by the seasons.

Painting Outdoors, or en plein air as it’s known, is making a comeback. We’ve noticed plein air communities and competitions springing up everywhere of late. People in general are seeking communities more than ever, as a respite from isolating environments or working from home. This could include wild swimming clubs, running clubs, walking groups and painting groups.

Zardi & Zardi celebrates 20 years in business by launching six new colourways of its popular Chinoiserie wallpaper. Growing to become the leading supplier of reproduction tapestries in the UK, with a unique portfolio of designs sourced from public and private collections, we aspire to create products that are sympathetic to the original, whilst being relevant in a contemporary setting, bridging old worlds and new.