General

Sarah and Victor Christou couldn’t be happier since making the move to their character home in the quaint market town of Saffron Walden in Essex.

Not only are they now living in a beautiful period house, full of warmth and personality, but their quality of family life has been totally transformed – for the better.

I was really pleased when Sarah contacted me about the possibility of featuring her much-loved home in a magazine.

The shoot with photographer colleague Richard Gadsby was a roaring success, and it was a privilege to tell Sarah’s story in the bright and breezy July issue of 25 Beautiful Homes.

It was so lovely to receive this kind feedback from a clearly delighted Sarah:

‘I bought the digital edition of 25 Beautiful Homes first thing this morning as I was too excited to wait until the shops opened! The feature looks fab! I hope you like it too. Thank you again for all your work:-) Please pass on my thanks to photographer Richard Gadsby.’

 And, to find a framed photograph of my 25 Beautiful Homes article in my inbox today was, for me, the icing on the cake.

If, like Sarah, you love your home and would like to see it featured in one of the national magazines I write for, drop me a line at mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk or call 01243 792379.

Hats off to retired homeowner Mary Orhan who has had the guts and vision to creatively transform a dated 1920s property into a colourful house that she’s justifiably proud of.

I was delighted to see Mary’s reaction when I called recently with a copy of this month’s House Beautiful for her. It was a lovely moment.

Apart from being chuffed with the feature, Mary is also incredibly pleased that her printmaker sister, Bea Veness, has been receiving calls from House Beautiful readers, eager to find out more about Bea’s stunning screenprints, which are displayed in several of the rooms photographed by colleague Richard Gadsby.

Mary and I first crossed paths a few months ago when we discussed featuring her charming West Sussex home.

During our interview, it transpired that Mary’s architect husband sadly passed away in 2001. However, while planning how to rejig the layout of her new home, Mary realised that she’d gleaned enough knowledge from Bil to visualise exactly how to go about tackling her ambitious renovation project.

The house, with its mid-century vibe and distinct artistic influence, is undoubtedly a triumph, which is why it was instantly snapped up by House Beautiful for their July issue.

If you’d love your own home to be featured in one of the national magazines I write for, drop me a line at mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk or call 01243 792379.

Sneaky peek of this laid-back cat, spotted napping during a totally relaxed and fun shoot at a stunning country cottage. The owners have poured their hearts and souls into this rural property over the last five years, and it’s now simply adorable. I just can’t wait to show you the rest of this pretty home.

If you’d like me to feature your home, drop an email to mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk or call 01243 792379.

Such a privilege to interview courageous Sally Finney for 25 Beautiful Homes this month.

After a riding accident, Sally, who runs Lincolnshire-based Sally’s Sporting Seats, sold her rambling farmhouse and channelled her energy into a putting her mark on a new home that’s very much in keeping with its rural surroundings.

This brave upholsterer’s story has rather a surprise ending. To find out more, pick up a copy of the June issue of 25 Beautiful Homes and settle down for a leisurely read.

If you’d like to see your own home featured in one of the magazines I write for, do get in touch. I’m on 01243 792379 and mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk

Fascinating to step inside the wonderful Highgate home of best-selling novelist, Maeve Haran, and her TV producer husband, Alex Graham, for my feature in this month’s issue of The London Magazine.

When busy author Maeve and Alex – the man behind the hit TV series, Who Do You Think You Are?, decided to move, the pair stumbled across a period house that was in a great location but badly in need of a complete transformation. To help with the challenge, the couple enlisted architectural reclamation and design company, Retrouvius, to create the quirky, colourful family home that they longed for.

Maeve explains: “Retrouvius has a wonderful knack of discovering odd but beautiful things and giving them a new lease of life in an entirely different environment. They delivered spot on, every time.”

If you’d like your own home featured in one of the glossy national magazines I write for, drop a line to mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk or call me on 01243 792379.

Photographs above, courtesy of Andreas von Einsiedel

What Became of You, My Love? (Pan Macmillan) by Maeve Haran is available now.

I’m now on Instagram, if you fancy popping over and following me at www.instagram.com/janetmcmeekinwriter/

By the way, I am also on Twitter and Facebook.

Pardon the pun, but I can honestly say that featuring Joy Interiors in this month’s House Beautiful has been exactly that – an absolute joy!

When Nicky Keen, who owns a thriving interiors business, and I began chatting about placing her cosy Derbyshire cottage in one of the magazines I write for, she was thrilled.

Having swiftly received recce shots of each room, it was clear to see that a national magazine would be delighted to feature the charming, cosy home that Nicky and her husband David have lovingly renovated.

The remodelled 300-year-old cottage is not just a terrific home for the couple and their three sons, it’s also an amazing showcase for Nicky’s business.

Apart from being an interior designer, Nicky and her Joy Interiors team help clients with curtains, Roman blinds, cushions and accessories as well as carpentry, kitchen design, hand-painted furniture, bespoke lampshades and even stained glass!

To read about Nicky’s home transformation journey, including the tale of how she coped after discovering that part of the lath and plaster ceiling had fallen down, pick up the May issue of House Beautiful and enjoy a leisurely browse.

Big thanks to Yorkshire-based colleague, Jeremy Phillips, for his fabulous photography and to Nicky for making sure her 18^th Century cottage, with fabrics from Peony & Sage, Susie Watson Designs, and Vanessa Arbuthnott, plus stunning flagstones from Floors of Stone, was immaculate for the magazine shoot.

For me, receiving Nicky’s kind feedback was just so lovely and incredibly rewarding:

‘Thank you so much for everything you have done – I have loved being a part of it all! It’s been an extremely enjoyable experience, so a huge thank you.’

If, like Nicky, you love your home and would like me to feature it in one of the magazines I write for, please drop a line to mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk or call 01243 792379.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my job has to be the opportunity to help creative, enterprising people promote their businesses through my features.

Several years ago, I was interviewing Caroline Ivory about her fabulous rural home when she happened to mention that she was aiming to buy a shop in the nearby village of Westbourne, near Emsworth in Hampshire.

Well, I’m thrilled that interior designer, Caroline, followed her dream and worked incredibly hard to open Ivory&Pitch – a home accessories shop that stocks beautiful, quirky pieces, hand-picked to help customers create individual homes, plus Annie Sloan paint.

Having written many profile articles about careers and businesses over the years, it was an absolute pleasure to interview Caroline, tell her story and work alongside photographer colleague, Richard Gadsby, during a very busy shoot at the bustling store.

The result is a vibrant six-page My Country Business spread in this month’s (May 2016) Country Homes & Interiors.

It was humbling to receive such a gleeful email from Caroline the minute she received her subscription copy and, when I called to buy some Annie Sloan paint from Ivory&Pitch yesterday, I noticed dozens of copies of the magazine dotted around the shop. Caroline is, very generously, giving these away free to customers.

During my visit, I also spotted copies of local author Jane Cable’s latest books on several shelves. Jane, an accountant, who with her husband James, runs Cable Financial Directions, kindly took time out to come up with a raft of top tips for the small business advice page of this feature.

If you’d like your own business or home featured in one of the magazines I write for, do get in touch. I’m on 01243 792379 or mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk and would love to hear from you.

Before you start wondering whether this is some sort of late April fool, don’t worry…this home is definitely not one you’re about to see published in any of the magazines I write for!

Having been invited to Hever Castle, yesterday I headed towards the village of Hever, near Edenbridge, in Kent, for a fantastic family day out at Anne Boleyn’s impressive childhood home.

With teens in tow, we spent a leisurely few hours unwinding while immersing ourselves in 700 years of history at this magnificent double-moated castle with its centuries-old furniture, intricate tapestries and impressive collection of Tudor paintings.

Strolling around this ancient building, we all agreed that we could easily imagine Anne Boleyn or Henry VIII wandering from room to room in the castle, which dates back to the 13^th Century.

Luckily our trip coincided with being one of the warmest days of the year, so we were far from chilly as we toured the Italian, Tudor and Rose Gardens before heading off for the aptly named Sunday Walk. Even in April, the award-winning gardens were looking superb.

If you’re out and about over the rest of the Easter holidays and looking for a family-friendly attraction in an idyllic setting, I’d certainly recommend heading to Hever.

For more information, view www.hevercastle.co.uk

If you’d like your own home (and it doesn’t have to be a castle!) to be featured in one of the glossy magazines I write for, do get in touch. I’m on 01243 792379 or mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk. Oh, and by the way, if you’re a Twitter fan, you’ll find me at @JanetMcMeekin…pop over and say hi.