French evolution: a historic mansion in Paris is given a new lease of life

Restored original features rub shoulders with design classics in this glorious Parisian home

Just a stone’s throw from the Bois de Boulogne, in the chic 16th arrondissement of Paris famed for its art nouveau flourishes, is the striking five-storey mansion that is home to Suzanne Tise-Isoré. Designed in the 1880s by architect Gustave Brière, it mixes elements of gothic and Second Empire style, and with its eccentric brick facade is a far cry from the nearby uniform Haussmann buildings.

“My husband Jean-Claude, who works in real estate, first saw the house in the 1980s, and later when it came up for sale we both viewed it, and despite the wildly painted green and purple interior, we just fell in love with all of the original decorative features,” says Suzanne.

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Is your cheese plant worth a small fortune?

Social media has led to an expensive new houseplant mania

In the 1600s, “tulip mania” gripped the Dutch republic. These exotic new bulbs from Turkey quickly became key status symbols among the highest echelons of society. Prices soon reached eye-watering levels, with single bulbs being sold for 10 times the equivalent of the annual wage for a skilled craftsperson. And we all know what happened next… Now, 400 years later, I wonder if we are seeing the beginnings of a bubble in the world of houseplants. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Here are my thoughts.

As recently as 10 years ago, houseplant availability in Britain was pretty awful, but then Instagram got in on the game with users posting images of some of the amazing and unusual options available, and increasingly stressed-out, nature-starved millennials loved it. Then cool indie start-up stores began popping up in city centres, beating the big out-of-town DIY chains for their sheer selection of plants, and a feverish trend was born.

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Is your cheese plant worth a small fortune?

Social media has led to an expensive new houseplant mania

In the 1600s, “tulip mania” gripped the Dutch republic. These exotic new bulbs from Turkey quickly became key status symbols among the highest echelons of society. Prices soon reached eye-watering levels, with single bulbs being sold for 10 times the equivalent of the annual wage for a skilled craftsperson. And we all know what happened next… Now, 400 years later, I wonder if we are seeing the beginnings of a bubble in the world of houseplants. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Here are my thoughts.

As recently as 10 years ago, houseplant availability in Britain was pretty awful, but then Instagram got in on the game with users posting images of some of the amazing and unusual options available, and increasingly stressed-out, nature-starved millennials loved it. Then cool indie start-up stores began popping up in city centres, beating the big out-of-town DIY chains for their sheer selection of plants, and a feverish trend was born.

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The big picture: gardener of Eden

Robbie Lawrence’s poignant portrait of botanist Jim Taggart captures a man whose life was devoted to an alternative paradise

This portrait of Dr Jim Taggart, a renowned botanist and climate activist, was taken not long before he died last year, aged 84. Over 50 years, Taggart created one of Scotland’s most magical gardens on the Rosneath peninsula in Argyll and Bute. With his son, Jamie, Taggart had collected around 4,000 plant species from across the world, including rare magnolias and acers, 40 kinds of bamboo, and 300 different rhododendrons. Right up until his death, visitors were welcomed to the three rocky acres of Linn Botanic Gardens with soup and sandwiches, and given a philosophical guided tour of the rarities that thrived in its curious subtropical microclimate.

Among those visitors to Linn in 2016 was photographer Robbie Lawrence, who returned to capture the garden in all of its misty seasons, and struck up a friendship with Taggart. A book of Lawrence’s photographs, A Voice Above the Linn, is published this month, with poems by John Burnside. The book stands as a celebration of a singular life. Above the Italianate villa at the centre of his private jungle, Taggart had hoisted the red flag. He was a stalwart of anti-nuclear protests at the Trident base at nearby Faslane on the far bank of Gare Loch.

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The big picture: gardener of Eden

Robbie Lawrence’s poignant portrait of botanist Jim Taggart captures a man whose life was devoted to an alternative paradise

This portrait of Dr Jim Taggart, a renowned botanist and climate activist, was taken not long before he died last year, aged 84. Over 50 years, Taggart created one of Scotland’s most magical gardens on the Rosneath peninsula in Argyll and Bute. With his son, Jamie, Taggart had collected around 4,000 plant species from across the world, including rare magnolias and acers, 40 kinds of bamboo, and 300 different rhododendrons. Right up until his death, visitors were welcomed to the three rocky acres of Linn Botanic Gardens with soup and sandwiches, and given a philosophical guided tour of the rarities that thrived in its curious subtropical microclimate.

Among those visitors to Linn in 2016 was photographer Robbie Lawrence, who returned to capture the garden in all of its misty seasons, and struck up a friendship with Taggart. A book of Lawrence’s photographs, A Voice Above the Linn, is published this month, with poems by John Burnside. The book stands as a celebration of a singular life. Above the Italianate villa at the centre of his private jungle, Taggart had hoisted the red flag. He was a stalwart of anti-nuclear protests at the Trident base at nearby Faslane on the far bank of Gare Loch.

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After an absence, it’s good to see dawn break on the allotment

Returning to the plot after a two-week isolation, it’s hard to tell who has missed who the most

My first morning out of quarantine. The end of 2020’s second long absence from the plot. But this time it is deep autumn. I am at the allotment gate at 6.30am. The mornings were lighter when I was last here. It is still dark, mid-October before the clocks fall back. But I cannot wait any longer. I have been like a dog at the door, desperate for release.

There is an occasional pre-dawn chorus. The ground is wet and slippery. I use the torch from my phone. A first, I think. Raggedy cardoons leer at me on the path. I spot a cat’s eyes. It all feels a little unfamiliar. Until I turn the corner and catch the plot’s harlequin sunflower skeletons in the beam. Home.

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Keeping your home damp free Nottingham Estate Agents

For a problem that affects millions of properties, damp is not as well understood as it should be. OnTheMarket offers top tips for a dry and healthy home Everyone knows that if they have a large hole in their roof, or leave their windows open during a thunderstorm, they will end up with soggy carpets. […]

The post Keeping your home damp free appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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