In June 2019, he and his partner, fellow designer Duncan Campbell, rented a second home close to the village of Churchill in Gloucestershire, where they live along with Merlin, their silver fawn whippet. In an exclusive discussion with H&G, Luke shared the secrets to his life in the country.
I love it in Gloucestershire…
… There are wonderful grand houses and hidden gardens to visit, like Sezincote, Chastleton, Upton Wold, and Kiftsgate. In normal times, there is a fab dog show at Churchill, the lovely village up the road from us.
I’ve just moved into a new studio space in a local barn…
… The characters I draw, and paint are often inspired by those from the past, from novels and mythology. Or they are completely imagined. I love working across a range of creative fields – perhaps I have a short attention span, but really I think it’s because I like looking at life through a variety of lenses. My second book is out later this year and will be focused on my interiors work and inspirations.
There are lots of creative people nearby…
… Nicky Haslam is one of our neighbors – every couple of weeks, he’ll come over for supper and regale us with a few of his dazzling stories, or we’ll drop in for drinks. Duncan and I adore having people over. We set up the barbecue and a little bar (that’s a table with a tablecloth, a bucket of ice, and bowls of lemons). If we can, we’ll cook things that we have grown, such as flowers from our courage plants stuffed with ricotta and mint. To follow in Luke’s footsteps, there are even more kitchen garden ideas over in our dedicated guide.
We’ve loved getting to grips with the garden…
… because we had hardly any experience before. We’re into flowers we can bring into the house – last year, we grew hundreds of tulips and dahlias, towers of sweet peas and nasturtiums, but we’ve enjoyed dabbling with vegetables, too. Family-run Wyatts is best for roses. Wherever you pick up these blooms, you can discover tips on how to plant roses here.
Eating out is a joy…
… My favorite pub is The Woolpack in the Slad Valley, while The Straw Kitchen at Whichford Pottery has a weekly super brunch, which is usually eggs of some sort, lots of pickles, and bits from their garden. We’re also close to Daylesford, where we get coffee and groceries, cheese, and jars of their excellent kimchi.
A favorite walk…
… takes us from the village of Lower Slaughter to Upper Slaughter, past the impressive manor house, water mills, and village greens, across stone footbridges along the River Eye. It’s glorious.
Tetbury is the best for antiques…
… I love Brownrigg, Lordfords, and Twig. I’m also a fan of Station Mill near Chipping Norton, which is full of bargains. You need to rifle through stuff, but there are gems to be discovered.
The last three vintage finds…
… I’ve bought are a colorful plaster crown dating from the 1930s from Tatters Antiques, a red Prince of Wales Investiture chair from 1969 at auction, and I had three new tablecloths made at an interiors shop in Chipping Campden using Schumacher and GP & J Baker fabrics I found on eBay. Plus, for more ideas on how to shop for antiques, we’ve gathered more tips from the experts.
I’m reading Bloomsbury Stud…
… about the mysterious and beautiful Bloomsbury sculptor Stephen ‘Tommy’ Tomlin. We have excellent book shops here: I like Kellow Books in Chipping Norton for old books and The Borzoi bookshop in Stow-on-the-Wold for new ones.
Cutter Brooks in Stow-on-the-Wold…
… is wonderful, and they sometimes stock unisex pajamas and dressing gowns by P.Le Moult, which I love. Interview with Luke Edward Hall (opens in new tab) by Jessica Salter for Homes & Gardens (opens in new tab) July 2021.
