Elle Decoration Country, Vol.17

From a tiny timber cabin to a fairytale castle, each home in the new volume of ELLE Decoration Country offers a different perspective on life in the countryside. Be inspired by our pick of extraordinary rural escapes, discover the UK’s emerging property hotspots and find out how to restore a period house.

Editor’s letter

I am tired of lockdown. Everything about it, even the word itself.

I much prefer the French translation, ‘le confinement’, which really gets over that sense of restriction and claustrophobia. Plus, as with most things French, it somehow sounds altogether more sophisticated.

This issue of ELLE Decoration Country is meant as a real antidote to the dreaded ‘L’ word. Because, if there’s anything 2020 has taught us, it’s that, in spite of a global pandemic, economic meltdown and political uncertainty, rustic idylls remain constant, the vagaries of the weather and the change of the seasons continue uninterrupted.

It’s reassuring and proof that life goes on.

Now home-working has changed our opinions of cities for good, the pull of the countryside is stronger than ever. So, on these pages we meet some of the lucky few who have already made the shift from urban to rural living, and reveal our latest pick of the most stunning homes in the country. I hope they help to fuel your own dreams. We’ve never needed escapism more.

The ultimate dose of escapism, this latest issue of ELLE Decoration Country includes…

• Access to the world’s most beautiful homes in the countryside, from a contemporary masterpiece by architect Daniel Libeskind to a reimagined ruin in Northamptonshire
• Insights and inspiration from the creatives leading the exodus from the city to the countryside – including novelist Rachel Edwards, Fiona Lindsay, co-founder of Hue Home, and the couple behind celebrated London restaurant Native
• Shopping edits to help you adopt the look of your favourite homes
• Our ELLE Decoration Country Directory – packed full of the interiors, homeware, antiques, bathroom and kitchen brands you need to know