homes saturday, 19 january2013 western mail western mail ...€¦ · 8 homes saturday, 19...

8 9HOMES HOMESWestern Mail Saturday, 19 January 2013Western MailSaturday, 19 January 2013

Got a question for Nicola?Email her at nicola@walesathome.co.uk

NICOLA WILKESA question of designwww.walesathome.co.uk

Steal Geoffrey’s style

It’s a privilege to live in steadfasthome of character and spiritualityTHE Very Reverend Geoffrey Marshallfeels very privileged to be living in hisbeautiful Grade I-listed home.

Not only does he love his job as Deanof Brecon Cathedral, but with thatcomes the opportunity to live in thefour-bedroom deanery, which is at-tached to the cathedral.

Geoffrey, who shares his home withhis wife Hazel, has lived in the deaneryfor almost five years and loves hisdining room, which has wonderfulviews of the Brecon Beacons.

The 65-year-old father of three, whobelieves it’s one of the oldest houses inWales, said: “The dining room is in thenewer wing of the house and althoughwe don’t use it a great deal, I love thefact there are three windows in thereand it’s lovely to look at the views of the

Brecon Beacons. We spend most of thetime in the kitchen, but the dining roomis where we do our entertaining so it’sprobably one of my favourite rooms inthe house.

“It’s a privilege to live here, althoughit can be a bit like living in a goldfishbowl sometimes as we are attached tothe cathedral and so visitors will walkpast the windows but we love livinghere.

“When we first moved in I did someresearch on the house and I believe itmight be the oldest in Wales.

“It was originally a monastery for

Benedictine monks and then it wasclosed by Henry VIII in the 16th cen-tury.

“It then went into private handsbefore going to the church in 1923 andbecame the deanery about 20 yearsago.

“The dining room is in the newer bitof the house and I think was built in the1700s.”

The dining room is on the groundfloor along with the kitchen, there is astudy/spare bedroom and sitting roomon the first floor and three bedroomson the second floor.

The house also boasts an old me-dieval staircase that winds through thecentre, as well as a newer woodenstaircase too.

Most rooms also have original stonefireplaces, although the dining roomhas a more modern gas fire.

Geoffrey and his wife enjoy en-tertaining there and certainly had a fullhouse at Christmas time with theirthree children, three grandchildren andall the in-laws staying for a familyfestive season.

“It’s just my wife and I here now butit can get very busy when the childrenand grandchildren visit. Living inBrecon is lovely.

“It has the jazz festival and we oftenend up with people in the garden.There are so many windows we get tosee what’s going on but I honestly feelthat it is a real privilege to be here.

“We haven’t changed the decor at allsince we moved in as it had been donejust before but because it’s a Grade-1listed building we have to keep it inheritage colours so we wouldn’t be

able to change it dramatically col-our-wise.”

Geoffrey, who says he has no in-tention of retiring yet, has just returnedfrom a pilgrimage to the Nile and one ofhis main interests is taking parties of up

to 30 on pilgrimages to the Middle East.We go to Israel, Palestine and the WestBank for 10 or 11 days for sight-seeing,worship and Bible-reading. That’s mymain interest when I’m not working.We love living here.”

Q . Is there anything stylish yet not overly “gushy” that youwould recommend as a small token this Valentine’s Day for mygirlfriend?

A . I harp on every year about inflated flower prices, tacky giftsand unnecessary Valentine’s presents but these wonderfullytextured rope heart candles from Nordic House look incrediblyreal and would make a lovely, and very subtle, Valentine’s gift.Available in white or grey, with matching larger rope candles

also available, theywould look great as partof a larger candlecollection, perhapsdisplayed on a candleplate? The versionsshown here cost £4 each.You can buythem online atnordichouse.co.ukor by calling0845 475 1610.

Q . How can Ipep up my16-year-oldson’s bedroom?He has plainbedlinen andgood furniture.It’s just a splashof colour we’reafter... Help!

A . Have you seen these amazing cushions from Quirk and Rescueon your travels? Perhaps not as they’re quite new, having onlybeen launched last year; but I wanted to bring your attention tothem as I think they make a brilliant addition to any teenager’sliving space. This vibrant punk cushion is a Pistols-inspired loveletter and each cushion is printed on100% cotton drill andmeasures 45cm x 45cm. They are also supplied with a duck

feather inner and cost a reasonable£55. Log on towww.quirkandrescue.com to place anorder.

Q . I love the global/tribal influencethat is big in interiors now but I justcan’t seem to find a way ofintegrating it into my traditionalhome. As I have a very classic style,should I give up and stick to what Iknow or can you recommend a way Ican make this interior look work forme?

A . Don’t give up! This trend is so bigit’s even filtering through into very

Favourite object

Yvonne Jones is a Royal College of Art trained designer,and owner of Chameleon Interiors. Call 029 2037 1277or visit www.chameleoninteriors.co.uk

Beat the dreary winter bluesTHE winter can be a long haul, and even as the evenings start tolengthen there’s still a hefty stretch before we see green on the treesagain.

It’s important to give ourselves a treat, and where better to lookfor a bargain than at Deals in Style (www.dealsinstyle.co.uk),offering superb discounts on smart hotels such as LlansantffraedCourt, Abergavenny, The Falcondale, Lampeter and PenmaenuchafHall, Dolgellau as well as fabulous spa breaks at The Metropole,Llandrindod Wells.

As a triple dip recession threatens, we are all looking at ways ofkeeping a watch on the finances, and one relatively painless way togo about things is to be less wasteful.

Another is to take a DIY approach, making our own jams,marmalades and pickles, baking bread, and making cakes andbiscuits instead of buying them. A portion of the garden can be setaside for growing vegetables, while for urban dwellers cultivatingan allotment overcomes the problem of compact city gardens.

Excess fruit and veg can be bartered for eggs with someone whokeeps chickens, or swapped for produce that you are not growingon your patch.

Have a look at www.selfsufficentish.com for eclectic, practicaland supremely entertaining advice. Sections encompass tips onbudget living (including ways to reduce your utility bills), wild foodforage courses, home brewing and keeping livestock.

The great thing about being more self-sufficient is that it canimprove your home environment. If you decide to grow flowers inthe summer rather than buy them, at great expense from the florist,then your borders will be a riot of colour.

Try growing things from seed as this is far more cost effectivethan buying potted plants from a garden centre.

Start planning now, so that you are ready for the growingseason.

You can also do your bit for the environment and your pocket byditching the tumble drier and using the good old washing line. Trywww.linepost.co.uk for washing line systems.

Clothes that have been dried outside are also easier to iron –which has to be a serious plus point.

Pulley systems that take the washing aloft inside your home –where the hot air gathers – are ideal for those all too frequent dampdays when the washing can’t go outside.

Take a look at Pulley Maid’s choices – www.pulleymaid.com(01743 249 039).

For attractive linen baskets to stash the laundry until it hits themachine, take a look at The White Company (www.thewhite-company.com), This company’s storage systems are also worthlooking at, as well as their cedar-scented hanging hearts for thewardrobe.

Keeping your colour scheme practical is essential if you have afamily and/or animals. Accent colours provide the lift. This charcoalrug from Jacaranda Carpets (www.jacarandacarpets.com) is beau-tiful and practical, while the gold pouf gives a splash of colour.

Another way to indulge a desire for wild colours is with paint orwallpaper – have a look at Fired Earth (www.firedearth.com) forinspiration.

RACHEL MAINWARINGFavourite room

YVONNE JONESInteriors

Turn to page 24 for our choice of properties to rent or buy

■ 1. Practical colours are lifted with a dash of gold (imageJacaranda Carpets)■ 2. The White Company has excellent storage systems, clotheshangers and laundry baskets■ 3. Jazz up your home with bold wallpaper from Fired Earth

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classic styles such as in JuliaBrendel’s new fabriccollections, featuring acombination of bold coloursand subtle spring shadevariations in disparatestyles. The range is aneclectic patchwork ofcultures and different stylesinterwoven into modernwestern society that extendsto include a beautiful rangeof cushions, tablecloths,lampshades and throws in awide range of colours andsizes. Tones and intricatepatterns are beautifullyinspired by Asian andEuropean cultural andartistic influences, folkdesigns, costumes, lace andembroidery from the 18thto early 20th centuries. This particular “Hungarcia” cottondesign is inspired by 19th-century Hungarian embroideredtablecloths, home furnishings and folk costume, with prices asfollows: Hungarcia Cotton £90.30/m; Hungarica Silk £151.71/m.Visit www.juliabrendel.com for more information on how toorder, or call 01795 599 840.

Geoffrey’s favourite object is awooden and pearl cross that cameoriginally from the Solomon Islands.

He says: “This is a bit of a personalfamily heirloom. It’s very, very lightbut it looks quite heavy. My father’sgrandmother was from NewZealand and his grandfather wasfrom England and they met whenthey were both medical missionariesin the Solomon Islands in 1910.

“They married in 1916 but cameback here when mygreat-grandfather was signed upfor the First World War and this isthe only thing they brought backwith them.

“It’s in the dining room at themoment but has been in variouspositions around the house.”

■ The Very Reverend Geoffrey Marshall, Dean of Brecon Cathedral, believes his house may be the oldest in Wales Picture: Andrew James

Lay the perfect tablewith this gorgeousRegency lace ovaltablecloth, £5.59 fromwww.dunelm-mill.com

Sit down to a family meal at ahandsome Moscow Dining Tablein mahogany with six chairs andtwo carvers, £826.50 fromwww.furnituredirectltd.co.uk

Serve upan afternoontreat with Fortnum'ssilver-plated threepiece tea set, from£225 at www.fortnumandmason.com Time everything

perfectly with acarriage clock, £100fromwww.johnlewis.com

Have a seat ona comfy greyvelvet brocadechair, £460from www.crackingdesign.co.uk