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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.

Thrilled to see the fabulous Pauline Freshwater and her striking home starring in this month’s (April 2016) House Beautiful.

Pauline, a garden designer, and her husband Bill, a web developer, have done a remarkable job of transforming a Victorian property with a ‘rabbit warren’ layout into a charming light-filled house, oozing mid-century style.

Before the pair downsized, they realised that they wanted to be close to Chichester city centre and, when this house came on the market, the creative couple snapped it up.

My feature reveals how this resourceful worked their magic both inside and out to turn a property in a conservation area into a true gem of a home, brimming with personality and love.

There’s no doubt that the creative gene runs deep in this family. Two of Pauline and Bill’s four lovely daughters run the successful Secret Linen Store – you’ll see some of their blue bedding in a shot on page 48 of the current issue.

During the renovation, the Freshwaters found Chichester-based store Winter’s Moon the ideal place to buy items of furniture for their mid-century inspired home, including the sofa, coffee table and one of the yellow chairs you can spot in the above shots.

It’s been an absolute pleasure to cross paths with the Freshwaters and to meet their girls – such a warm, friendly family with a real sense of style, individuality and fun.

If you’d like your own home 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.

Photographs courtesy of Richard Gadsby

Delighted to hear from Erica Vandersteen who’s thrilled with my feature about her stunning barn conversion in this month’s (March 2016) House Beautiful. Yeah!

When the interior designer first spotted the dilapidated barn, dating from 1777, it was a far cry from the gorgeous family home that Erica and her late architect father, Peter, lovingly created.

It was such a pleasure to interview Erica and hear how this talented pair spent hours together, carefully planning the incredible transformation of this characterful West Sussex-based barn.

During our chat, Erica told me: ‘We wanted the beams and stone to take centre stage in a fit-for-purpose family home with a contemporary feel.’

Well, I can tell you, the renovation is a total triumph and this wonderful barn is a magnificent showcase for Erica’s interior design business, Hessian & Clay.

If, like Erica, you adore your home and would like to see it starring in one of the magazines I write for, drop me a line at mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk or ring me on 01243 792379. It would be great to hear from you.

The photographs for this feature were taken by Richard Gadsby.

Well, when it comes to featuring stylish homes in magazines, the answer to the age-old question: ‘Does size matter?’ is a definite NO from me!

To be fair, the majority of houses I write about do tend to have more than one bedroom, but this is not always the case.

The key is that properties reflect the owners’ personalities and are jam-packed with interesting elements which will inspire other homeowners.

Suzie Marshall and Liam Dore’s one-bedroom cottage is a masterclass in how careful thought and clever choices can change a bland property into a stylish and truly cherished home. You can compare the startling difference in the after shot (above) with the before photograph (below).

When planning how to transform their first ‘together’ home, this lovely couple turned to Devon-based interior designer, Josephine Burlingham, who runs Country & Coastal Interiors, for her expert help and advice.

Teaming a striking Roger Oates runner with charming Peony & Sage fabric and subtle Farrow & Ball paint shades works a treat!

In our interview for Your Home (Suzie’s fabulous cottage is featured in the February 2016 issue), Suzie told me: ‘Josephine is such a talented interior designer and has an incredible eye for colour and design, which really appeals to me. I absolutely love her home and wanted to emulate Josephine’s charming, relaxed style in our cottage, as well as adding our own twist.’

To keep costs down, Suzie and Liam did a lot of work to the cottage themselves, and scoured antique and junk shops, fairs and eBay, for bargain finds and pieces they could lovingly upcycle. This thrifty pair spent just £3,500 on the whole project!

I’m so thrilled that Suzie and Liam love their new-look home in its idyllic setting near Exeter. It was another wonderful shoot with photographer colleague, Richard Gadsby, on a glorious day

For me, the icing on the cake, was receiving the following email from Suzie:

‘We are absolutely THRILLED with the article, and have had so many comments on how nicely written it is. Thank you so much, you have really captured our love and affection for our cottage. Putting it all together, grouped with the lovely pictures, we could not be prouder.’

If you love your home, no matter what the size (!) and would like to see it star in a magazine, drop me a line to mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk or give me a call on 01243 792379.

For more details about Country & Coastal Interiors, view www.countryandcoastalinteriors.com, or call Josephine on 07817 672 287.

After shot (above), courtesy of Richard Gadsby. Before shot (below), supplied.

I’m full of admiration for Beverley and Graham Steel, whose stylish home is featured in this month’s (February 2016) House Beautiful.

For a long time, this hardworking couple had agreed that when they reached their mid-50s, they’d decide whether to stay put in London or leave their jobs, relocate and try a completely different lifestyle.

Well, I can reveal that the plucky pair did courageously move to the picturesque town of Emsworth on the Hampshire/West Sussex border and, what’s more, they are having an absolute ball!

To ease the transition from city to coastal life, the Steels were very lucky to come across Alys Bryan of Olive Living.

This talented interior and furniture designer cleverly interpreted the couple’s brief and has transformed, what was once a bland townhouse, into a wonderful home that reflects Beverley and Graham’s passion for mid-century style and Scandi design.

To read my full feature, pick up a copy of House Beautiful and, if you’d love to see your own home in a magazine, either call me on 01243 792379 or drop a line to mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk.

If you’d like to find out more about how Alys created this striking home for the Steels click here.

P.S. Below is one of my favourite Richard Gadsby shots from the shoot. I just love the glass staircase enclosure which showcases the couple’s striking artwork beautifully.

The Perky bench and Verdure cushion from Julia Grant at Winter’s Moon adds the perfect finishing touch! 🙂

Meet Lisa Barber and Josephine Burlingham – two dynamic businesswomen, bonded by their passion for creating beautiful homes.

Having found her dream cottage, Lisa felt experienced interior designer, Josephine, who owns Country & Coastal Interiors, would be the ideal person to help with the stylish and incredibly personal transformation she envisaged – and she was right.

The result is a stunning home, featured in this month’s (February 2016) Country Homes & Interiors, that’s full of cherished heirlooms given to Lisa by the late father she adored.

Lisa told me: ‘It was a remarkable journey. Working with Josephine had a profound effect on my life and, through the project, we’ve become very close friends.’

The cottage’s stunning transformation has also been the springboard behind the launch of marketing expert Lisa’s thriving business, Roots and Wings. The gorgeous kitchen, pictured below, is where she holds her successful Kitchen Table Workshops.

It was such a pleasure for photographer colleague, Andreas von Einsiedel, and me to work with both of these lovely and extremely talented ladies during a fabulous shoot.

The Barber’s Hampshire home is absolutely charming and speaks volumes about the huge amount of love, thought and effort that both Lisa and Josephine have poured into every single room.

For more information about Roots and Wings, visit rootsandwings.biz, 07976 382 002.

To contact Country & Coastal Interiors, view countryandcoastalinteriors.com, 01647 252 660.

If you’d like your own home featured in a magazine, it would be great to hear from you. I’m on 01243 792379, or drop a line to mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk

This delightful photograph was taken towards the end of a memorable day, spent with the remarkable Tracy Patten – owner of French Gray, a thriving business selling bespoke vintage English and French hand-painted furniture.

Tracy very kindly worked around a family visit to ensure that photographer Richard Gadsby and I could hit our pressing deadline for LandLove magazine.

The Patten’s gorgeous Devon farmhouse was immaculate for the shoot and Tracy very generously gave me chapter and verse about the couple’s story, during our in-depth interview.

When, out of the blue, Tracy’s husband, Steve, contracted a potentially life-threatening infection, the Pattens were deeply concerned at what the future would hold and whether they’d have to sell the property that they were in the middle of renovating.

Thankfully, this courageous and inspiring pair battled against adversity and, despite the horror of Steve losing a leg, the Pattens managed to get their lives back on track to complete the stunning transformation of this much-loved home.

To find about more about Tracy’s business, and to take a peek inside this charming farmhouse oozing French Gray style, pick up a copy of the January/February 2016 issue of LandLove.

Below you’ll find a couple of Richard’s ‘out-take’ photographs from the shoot, including a pretty little guest bedroom, complete with a bed upholstered in Peony & Sage’s Millie fabric. The dressing table, chest and throw are all from French Gray.

In the bathroom, I reckon the Floral Patchwork tiles from Cornish-based Welbeck Tiles are just adorable. They’ve been teamed with an ornate mirror, upcycled by Tracy.

To contact Tracy at French Gray, ring 07748 633611.

Back to work and what a terrific start to 2016! Here is just a selection of magazines featuring my articles this month. Looking forward to another exciting year ahead. Happy new year! 🙂