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So thrilled with the coverage of Carole and David Sweetnam’s gorgeous coastal home in this month’s Good Housekeeping magazine.

This super couple’s stunning three-storey home, located right on the beach at Bracklesham Bay in West Sussex, was once a tired little bungalow in desperate need of a total renovation.

Thankfully, with help from their enterprising next-door neighbours Clare and Murray Johnstone, who own nearby seaside café, Billy’s on the Beach, the property has been turned into a striking New England-style beach house.

Carole explains: “David and his sister Sarah enjoyed many magical family holidays here when they were growing up, so it’s a very special place which means a lot to all of us. We’re thrilled that we are continuing that tradition – only now in 21^st Century style.”

It was sun all the way for the fabulous shoot with photographer colleague Andreas von Einsiedel. We’d such a great day with Carole and interior designer Clare Lockwood.

To find out more, pick up a copy the August issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.

If you fancy staying here yourself, the great news is that you can, since Long Island is available to rent. To find out more, browse Long Island at www.sussex-holidays.co.uk

To check out Billy’s on the Beach, visit, www.billysonthebeach.co.uk. It’s an extremely popular spot, with far-reaching sea views towards the Isle of Wight, and delicious food.

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.

What a fantastic week! The highlight was a ‘magical mystery tour’ to the heart of rural West Sussex, where I met talented ceramicist and landscape artist Sian van Driel in this absolutely jaw-dropping location.

It’s the first time that Sian has exhibited both her atmospheric paintings and ceramics in her studio. I can honestly say, when she pulled back both doors of the ancient barn to reveal the captivating view out over the rolling South Downs, I was speechless – quite a novelty!

Sian’s time-warp studio and the beautiful, peaceful gardens right next door are open from 11am to 5pm until Sunday, July 3, and I can definitely recommend a visit.

The address is Harwards Green Farmhouse, Stopham, near Pulborough. It’s a little tricky to find but, if you need directions, Sian’s number is 07791 245673.

Apart from visiting Sian, I’ve been out taking snaps at a wonderful coastal home renovation, writing features and spreading good news to a homeowner who is thrilled that her pretty cottage will soon be appearing in a national interiors magazine.

Hope your week has been a busy one too, and that the sun shines on all of us this weekend. Have a great one.

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.