fgtrffghh

January 2018

AMAZING

BEFORE +AFTERS

52

PAGES OF HOME MAKEOVERS

REALHOMES.CO.UK

Kitchens & bathrooms

Make the latest trends work in your home

GRAPHIC DESIGNS

10

WAYS TO CUT THE COST OF YOUR ENERGY BILLS

Gorgeous geometric wallpapers

VINYL FLOORING

Beautiful, practical – and in your budget

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

The UK’s best home transformations

EXPERT ANSWERS How can I create a warm, cosy feel in my living room?

Should I restore or replace original tiles ın my home?

How can I minimise disruption during a renovation?

MODERN RETRO

MID-CENTURY STYLE FOR EVERY ROOM

For proof you can create bold interiors on a budget, turn to page 40 – the results of this DIY makeover are truly amazing

Add a splash of gorgeous green to your kitchen with this pendant, which you’ll find on page 84

Welcome WEBSITE For the latest advice.

Visit realhomes.co.uk

FACEBOOK Join our community.

Search ‘Real Homes’

TWITTER See the latest news.

Search @Real_Homes

PINTEREST Pin our latest pics.

Search ‘Real Homes’

YOUTUBE Handy how-to videos.

Search ‘Real Homes’

INSTAGRAM See what we’re up to. @Real_Homes

Talk in the office the other day turned to the best thing you’ve ever won. Responses ranged from the nostalgic (a full set of school swimming medals), to the triumphant (a £500 mountain bike), and the frankly absurd (a year’s supply of dog food…for somebody without a dog). I think we all agreed that the best prize anybody on team Real Homes has won is a year’s supply of beer. Even if it wasn’t our lovely Assistant Editor’s tipple of choice, imagine how popular she was with friends and family for those 12 months! The reason for our slightly competitive prize comparison was the judging of the Real Homes Transformation Awards. Every year we’re amazed by the quantity and quality of entries. Whittling them down to a shortlist of 15 was tricky enough, so you can imagine how difficult it was deciding on the category and overall winners. Turn to page 18 now to see which projects triumphed. Sadly, there’s no beer (or dog food) up for grabs, but the winner will take home £1,000 cash – which, I think you’ll agree, trumps the lot! If you’re inspired to transform your home in 2018, see page 111 for our latest subscription offer, which includes a free gift. Wishing you health, happiness and plenty of prize wins in 2018.

I love everything about this kitchen-diner extension – especially the retro hanging chair.

Find it on page 20 The owner of last month’s cover house shared this Instagram snap with us @Real_Homes – how do you read yours?

Think basins have to be boring? Turn to page 105 for the latest bathroom trends

Laura Crombie Editor @Laura_Crombie realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

5

52

28

105

40

162

86

CASE STUDIES 20

ON THE COVER

A labour of love

James Hewitt and Pamela Sampson carefully chose every element of their kitchen-diner extension

30 The only way is up Sarah and Nick Constantinou transformed their home by adding a second floor, plus shop the latest statement armchairs

40 Home made Pati Robins used her creativity to transform her rented house on a budget, plus shop neon lights

52 Treasure trove Discover how Alexandra and Nick Hull extended and remodelled an ex-local authority property

62 Attention to detail Anna Rickard redesigned her bathroom to create a stylish retreat for all the family, plus shop towel rails 6

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

38

DESIGN IDEAS 68 Rooms with a view

72 Ask the designer

Architectural director Alan MacDonald explains how an extension and remodel transformed a 1930s house

70 Bespoke design Architect John Everitt describes an unusual two-storey extension that’s been added to a barn conversion on a sloping site

74 Forever family home Guro and Tony Eide transformed their dated property with a modern, light-filled rear extension

86 Reaching new heights VazHPatricia Howard turned a living room with a beautiful vaulted ceiling into a country-inspired kitchen

98 Touch of luxury Janet and Christopher Wilkins transformed a bedroom into a spalike bathroom, plus shop vanity units

Architect Gabrielle Omar suggests how to extend one reader’s home

93

ON THE COVER

Kitchen trends

Discover the top three themes we’ll be seeing in 2018

105

ON THE COVER

Bathroom trends

The latest looks and how you can achieve them in your home

113

ON THE COVER 10 ways to cut the cost of your energy bills

Make your home more efficient

119

ON THE COVER

Vinyl flooring

Our top tips and the latest designs

122

ON THE COVER

Graphic designs

The best geometric wallpapers

131

ON THE COVER

Modern retro

Learn how to achieve a contemporary take on classic style

20

151

EVERY MONTH 11

Hotlist The latest product news and reviews

125 Save!

Claim 15 per cent off home décor and furniture at Houseology

127 Free tickets, worth £32 Two free tickets to London Art Antiques and Interiors Fair

129 Sneak preview Your first look at the February issue

153 Stockists Find all the suppliers from this issue

162 Take five Senior Art Editor Emily Smith shares the Instagram accounts that inspire her

FREE STYLISH GIFT when you subscribe to Real Homes – see page 111

The latest expert advice for your home transformation dilemmas

&

Real Homes QA

1

140 HOW DO I AVOID MAKING COSTLY MISTAKES WHEN DOING DIY? Checkatrade’s Kevin Byrne offers tips on dealing with common DIY blunders

145 HOW CAN I LESSEN DISRUPTION WHEN RENOVATING? Expert renovator Michael Holmes advises

147 HOW DO I RESTORE PERIOD TILES IN AN OLDER PROPERTY? Restoration expert Sian Astley explains how to bring out the best in old tiles

149 WHAT CAN I DO TO GET RID OF PESTS IN MY HOME? Rentokil’s Berwyn Evans and David Cross advise on how to deal with rodent, moth, woodworm and insect infestations

151 HOW CAN I USE COLOUR TO WARM UP MY LIVING ROOM? Dulux’s senior colour designer, Louise Tod, shares her expertise realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

7

The kitchen gadget I really want in 2018 is...

‘I love baking with my two children so we’ll be whipping up our favourite treats in no time with this handy helper’ 3.3ltr mini tilt-head stand mixer in Honeydew, £449, KitchenAid

Editorial Editor Laura Crombie Deputy Editor Beth Murton Assistant Editor Alison Jones Features Editor Ellen Finch Style Editor Anna Morley Content Producer Amelia Smith ART Head of Art Billy Peel Senior Art Editor Emily Smith Designer Karen Lawson

TIME SA

R

‘This copper boiling water tap is visually stunning, and will save me so much time’ Prostyle Monobloc 3-in-1 tap in Urban Copper, £849, Pronteau

‘I just adore the colour and style of this pink kettle’ KLF03 kettle, £119.95, Smeg

PIZZA P RT A

MAGAZINE AND DIGITAL PRODUCTION Head of Production Mark Constance Advertising Production Manager Jo Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Vivienne Calvert Digital Manager Tom Burbridge Email Production Manager David Lloyd Digital Production Executive Nicholas Robertson Production Assistant Aimee Bradley-Davies

‘I’ve wanted a Sonos System, for ages – I’d love to have the same music playing in every room’ Sonos One, £199, sonos.com

ER

VE

ADVERTISING AND EXHIBITIONS SALES Print & Digital Sales DirectorJackie Sanders 01527 834426 jackie.sanders@futurenet.com Print & Digital Sales Manager Rebecca Vincze 01527 834415 rebecca.vincze@futurenet.com Key Account Manager Debra Greer 01527 834424 debra.greer@futurenet.com Key Account Manager Lucinda Clarke 01527 834404 lucinda.clarke@futurenet.com Key Account Manager Helen Fox 01527 834491 helen.fox@futurenet.com Account Manager Elena Gill 01527 834494 elena.gill@centaurmedia.com Account Manager Kelly James 01527 834471 kelly.james@futurenet.com Exhibitions Sales Director Hellen Roche 01527 834418 hellen.roche@futurenet.com

MUSIC M AK

MARKETING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Head of Marketing Melanie Kay 01527 834452 Group Marketing Manager Eve Mulvaney 01527 834445 Group Marketing Manager Santosh Sahota 01527 834493 Senior Marketing Executive Helen Troth 01527 834483 Marketing Executive Vicki Lees 01527 834409 Marketing Executive Alicia Maragh 01527 834402 Subscriptions Manager Alex Worthington 01527 834435 Customer Services Jayne Everton 01527 834484

‘This easy-to-use NutriBullet will help me get back on my health kick in the New Year’ 600 series blender, £54.99, Amazon

‘This is both a work of art and also creates a delicious boost of caffeine to start my day!’

Creatista Nespresso coffee machine, £399.95, Sage

Y

REALHOMES.CO.UK Email Delivery Manager Alison Nash Web Operations Manager Laura Sturgess Senior Web Editor Lindsey Davis Video Producer Matt Gibbs Social Media Editor Sarah Handley ‘I’d love this quirky fox-print radio in my kitchen’ Revival RD70 Scion limitededition Mr Fox radio, £220, Roberts

PUBLISHING AND EXHIBITIONS MANAGEMENT Deputy Managing Director Nick Noble Director of Content & Product Development Michael Holmes Editorial Director Jason Orme Executive Assistant Zoe Beeston 01527 834477

‘Being able to cook a pizza in 90 seconds, whether in or outdoors, sounds amazing to me’ Portable wood and gas stone oven, £458, Roccbox

DISCLAIMER All contents © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/ all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

ISSN 1464 - 4061

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

9

Ruche large shade for 001 bulb, H29.9x Dia.16.7cm, £200

Real Homes

HOTLIST Your one-stop guide to the latest design ideas, product launches and decorating trends

Ruche small shade for Wattnott bulb, H19.5x Dia.10.5cm, £150

TEAM A VELVET SOFA WITH METALLIC ACCENTS AND A MODERN TAKE ON PARQUET

LOVELY LATTICE Woven from biodegradable and recycled materials, the new Ruche lightshades from Plumen are 3D printed locally to minimise their carbon footprint. The pendants include an energy-efficient bulb, and come in a variety of colours.

There’s even one that glows in the dark. Prices start from £150.

FEATURE RACHEL OGDEN

Timeless style Teal is Neptune’s signature shade this season. Warmer, softer and more unexpected than navy, it’s still timlessly beautiful. ‘Teal works beautifully with a darker contrasting colour, such as charcoal grey, but also with paler tones,’ says Rebecca Maylon, head of design and product development. ‘Try velvet upholstery in the shade to gently reflect light.’

Above Charlotte Sofa in Isla Kingfisher velvet with timber frame, H80xW220xD90cm, £1,980; Keswick Square brass coffee tables, H40xW40xD40cm, £455 each; Matilda armchair in Imogen Holkham Sand, H83xW76xD48cm, £770; Brompton brass reading light, £355, all Neptune

Ruche medium shade for 002 bulb, H24.6x Dia.12.4cm, £175

LITTLE BOOK OF COLOUR RELATED COLOURS FOR INTERIORS Little Greene, £10

This pocket-sized handbook, available from Little Greene showrooms and online, reveals which of its 191 paint shades work with others to create professional-looking, harmonious décor. It is packed with paint pairings and stylish rooms, to inspire your own schemes. ³ realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

11

Great design idea #3

BESPOKE SHELVING The owners of this kitchen project wanted to maximise every inch of space, so designers Uncommon Projects continued the mix of open and closed shelving upwards, running parallel to the mezzanine floor for easy access. Sliding doors are sprayed with yellow lacquer to make them distinct from the rest of the units.

Swiss Alps

.

Sleep in style

PHOTOGRAPH JOCELYN LOW

Verbier is home to skiing, après-ski and sweeping views. Enjoy it all from The Lodge, a nine-bedroom private chalet that’s the favourite mountain retreat of Sir Richard Branson. Inside, it’s been refurbished with local reclaimed timber, and has a spa room, swimming pool and secret doorway in a bookcase that connects the two master suites. Outside, it has a mini ice rink, and is surrounded by 400km of ski terrain. Usually available to hire as one property for up to 18 guests, during selected weeks in 2018, it turns into a hotel for smaller groups. From CHF 9,440 (around £7,360) per room for four nights based on two adults sharing. For dates, go to virgin limitededition.com/en/the-lodge.

Bespoke built-in hardwood veneered plywood furniture, from £7,200. A medium-sized kitchen starts from £30,000, including supply and installation, Uncommon Projects

SPEND VS SAVE Turn on the glamour in your bathroom with a stylish new tap for your basin ³

HELP CHOOSING NEW COLOURS Struggling to visualise how a bold wall colour would look in your room? Crown’s free My Room Painter app allows you to take a photo of your space and see how a different shade would look in situ. Projects can be saved and shared online, so you can consider your options before settling on a final scheme.

Free on Apple and Google devices.

Prism modern chrome basin Milan waterfall mono basin Rettangolo single-lever tap mixer tap in chrome, mixer tap, H15.3cm, £59.95, in black by Gessi, H29.6cm, H15.6cm, £179, Bathstore Victorian Plumbing from £399, C. P. Hart

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

13

TURN TO PAGE 151 FOR TIPS ON HOW TO CREATE WARMTH WITH COLOUR

On The Beach screen print in Coastal Blue, H40xW30cm, £35, Bold & Noble

Japanese Tree wallpaper in light mauve, £180 per roll, Timorous Beasties

Jelva side table in Dove by Broste Copenhagen, in iron, aluminium and enamel, H42xDia.57cm, £141, Amara

Colour trend

DULUX HEART WOOD Experts at Dulux’s ‘Global Aesthetic Centre’ have chosen Heart Wood as its Colour of the Year for 2018. The warm pink is a versatile neutral . Use it, or lookalike shades, to create many moods – from calm to cosy, energetic to relaxed. ³

PICTURE THIS Brighten up your walls with prints that capture the sun, sea and great outdoors. The latest graphic art collection from Bold & Noble features stylised florals, landscapes and geometrics. Prices start from £25 for an A4 print.

Heart Wood mixing matt emulsion, £25.72 for 2.5 litres, Dulux

EDITOR FLOORING LOVES

Native ceramic vase, H37xDia.12.5cm, £33.99, Wayfair

Destination store

HOMEWARE HUB Dahlia Peony in Bright Yellow, H40xW30cm, £35, Bold & Noble

WINTER DECORATIVE ANTIQUES & TEXTILES FAIR | Save the date Battersea Park, London, 23-28 January Forget the cold weather and travel to souks and bazaars while shopping for homewares at the Winter Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair this month.

The foyer display will be the Silk Route, highlighting how Eastern design has infiltrated our everyday, and showcasing furniture, fabrics and objects from more than 150 specialist antiques, art and 20thcentury design dealers.

See textiles, porcelain – like these two red carved ‘cinnabar’ vases – lacquer work and metalware, and discover the European imitations they generated. ³

FOR STOCKISTS SEE PAGE 153

Heal’s and Made.com have opened their first showrooms in the Midlands.

Both are based in a 20,000 square foot space in Birmingham’s Mailbox, together with other top furniture brands, such as Calligaris, BoConcept, Content by Conran, upholstery King-size Balmoral bed firm Wesley Barrell, and in velvet with walnut legs, handmade furniture H109xW156xD210cm, specialist, SITS. £1,299; medium Olson globe pendants in smoke glass, £139 each; Banksia cushion in black/gold linen, £95; Tassel cushion in midnight blue cotton, £125; Furrow lambswool-mix throw in navy, £159, Heal’s

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

15

SMARTER HEATING Wiser smart heating by Drayton is the latest way to keep your home cosy. As well as a wireless room thermostat control and app, it has the option of radiator thermostats to create flexible ‘heating zones’ in up to 16 rooms. A boost function quickly makes a room warmer or cooler by two degrees, and it is compatible with Amazon Echo.

Prices start from £139 for a Wiser Thermostat Kit 1 and £219 for a Wiser Multi-zone Kit 1. Radiator thermostats cost £44.99 each.

Hot new designer

Who… Ted Jefferis, designer craftsman and founder of TedWood.

Need to know… The son of a wooden boat builder and a seamstress, Sussexbased Ted learnt cabinet and traditional furniture making before studying interior architecture at Oxford. He’s now known for his sustainable, handcrafted furniture made of British timber.

Inspiration… ‘Peter Zumthor, a Swiss architect who makes contemporary buildings from natural materials.’

Look out for… Ted’s new collection includes lighting as well as furniture, and uses folded planes of timber alongside saddle leather, verdigris brass, polished and textured wood. Prices begin at £186.

For more details go to tedjefferis.co.uk

Above FoldEd Dresser with sliding glass doors, made from English elm with painted Douglas fir panels, H83xW105xD45cm, £3,960; KeelOver Mirror with brass porthole surround, Dia.70cm, £660; HangUp Lamp in tan leather, from £295, all TedWood

Style inspiration

EARN YOUR STRIPES Classic line patterns are given a contemporary edge in the new Margo Selby Stripe collection for Alternative Flooring. Comprising wool carpet, rugs and runners, the vibrant designs are available in nine stripe styles in blues, ochres and multicolours, and cost £73 per square metre.

Surf Botany carpet in a pencil stripe, £73 per m2, Alternative Flooring

Tried & tested

MiniPod Bluetooth MKII Speaker RRP £469 from HiFi Cinema THE PROMISE With the flexibility to be used wirelessly as a solo speaker or as part of a stereo system, the MiniPod can connect with Bluetooth from a digital device, or via a stereo setup.

Added features include optical, auxiliary and USB outputs and integrated Class D stereo amplifier.

Also comes in red or black, with optional wood feet and hoops.

THE VERDICT Tested as a standalone Bluetooth speaker in a large kitchen-diner, the MiniPod’s minimalist and curvaceous Scandi styling looked at home, while its warm sound and plenty of bass rocked the house.

THE RATING The MiniPod combines good looks and great sound in a compact package, but £469 is a high price so it may be worth comparing it to lessstylish but cheaper options. 3.5/5.

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

17

MEET THE

WINNERS BE

T

CONVER ON SI

S

More of you than ever entered this year’s Real Homes Transformation Awards, sponsored by TSB, but there could only be one winner in each category – here they are...

Sarah and Nick Constantinou added a second floor to a dated 1970s bungalow to create a modern family home. A palette of greys and blues ties each room together.

What the judges say: ‘Bungalows offer so much potential for those willing to tackle a major renovation project, and Sarah and Nick’s project sets an example for anyone wanting to think outside the box to create their dream home,’ renovation expert Jason Orme.

Head to page 30 for the full story.

ST BAT

H

BE

OM RO Anna Rickard overhauled a dated family bathroom to create this practical yet stylish space. A new stud wall conceals unsightly pipework and provides handy recessed storage.

What the judges say: ‘Not only does this bathroom look fantastic, it’s also highly practical. I love the combination of large-format grey tiles with copper accents,’ Laura Crombie, Editor.

Turn to page 62 for the full story.

ST OTHE

MATIO N

BE

Keep reading Real Homes for details of how to enter the 2018 Awards

R A N SF

OR

RT

From converting the loft to stripping out an old chimney breast, Alexandra and Nick Hull completed much of the work needed to transform this neglected ex-local authority house into a stylish home by themselves.

What the judges say: ‘It can take a lot of vision to see how a property that has stood empty could ever become liveable, but Nick and Alexandra not only had the ability to see the potential in this place, they also had the DIY skills to make it a reality,’ renovation expert Jason Orme.

Read how they achieved it on page 52.

TENSIO

N

T K I TC H ES

& B E ST

EX

EN

B

READER

James Hewitt and Pamela Sampson spent hours researching every element of their kitchen extension, combining reclaimed and vintage pieces to create a striking finish.

What the judges say: ‘This is a fantastic example of how a contemporary extension can complement a Victorian property. The Crittall-style glazing and electronic rooflight are key design features that set this project apart,’ renovation expert Michael Holmes.

See page 20 for the full story.

CH S’

OICE

Our social media followers chose Pati Robins’ bold budget makeover as winner of this award. She’s spent just £6,000 achieving a superstylish look in her rental home.

What the judges say: ‘What Pati has achieved in her rented house is nothing short of amazing. She’s taken high-end trends and made them work for her thanks to a winning combination of creativity and DIY know-how,’ says Editor Laura Crombie.

Take a look around the house on page 40.

THE PRIZES Each category winner will receive five litres of Crown paint in a colour of their choice, plus a 12-month subscription to the magazine. The overall winner, revealed over the page, will receive a £1,000 cash prize.

Keep reading the magazine and realhomes.co.uk for your chance to enter the 2018 Awards.

MODERN CONTRAST The extension was designed to be simple and modern, creating a contrast with the original Victorian property. Moleanos limestone oor tiles, from Mrs Stone Store, run throughout the new space and out onto the patio. The black Reggiani Blink ceiling spotlights once adorned a dress shop, while the silver pendants came from a pub that was being demolished; for similar, try Lights2Go. The wooden island is an old laboratory bench from University College London; for similar, try Ebay

OVERALL WINNER

Real Homes KITCHEN EXTENSION

OF LOVE

James Hewitt and Pamela Sampson have spent 12 years renovating their Victorian home – carefully selecting new, vintage and reclaimed pieces for their long-awaited kitchen extension

WORDS LAURA CROMBIE PHOTOGRAPHS MALCOLM MENZIES STYLING FRANCINE KAY

A LABOUR

CRAMPED SPACE Right The original kitchen at the rear of the house was cramped with one small window and no direct access to the garden

THE OWNERS

James Hewitt, an IT consultant, lives here with partner Pamela Sampson, a former graphic designer and vintage clothing dealer, and their daughter Tilly, 16, plus Copper, the poodle THE PROPERTY

A five-bedroom, semi-detached Victorian house built in 1896 in Ashtead, Surrey JAMES LOVES

Arne Jacobson Charles and Ray Eames 20th-century design classics Auctions and car boot sales TOTAL PROJECT COST

£131,600 BEFORE

GARDEN LINK Below James spent hours researching steel-framed doors and windows and eventually settled on these Crittallinspired frames from Clement Windows, which complement the retro-style kitchen.

The exterior of the extension is finished in grey engineering bricks, which contrast with the original Victorian red-brick property. The garden bench was found in a skip, and the vintage 1930s wrought-iron Louis Vuitton table was bought at a local auction

‘MOST OF OUR ITEMS ARE VINTAGE, RECLAIMED OR SOURCED SECONDHAND. WE DON’T TEND TO BUY NEW ITEMS AS WE FIND IT MORE INTERESTING AND FUN TO HUNT FOR OLDER PIECES’

THERE’S

nothing quite like the feeling of tracking down a bargain, but as keen auction and boot sale-hunter James can testify, there can be a minor downside. ‘I must admit I felt pretty sheepish handing over a pound coin for the perfect extractor fan and splashback I found on Ebay,’ he laughs. ‘I actually won them for 99p, but I decided it was best not to ask for my change!’

James and partner Pamela have spent more than a decade painstakingly renovating their Victorian house, completing much of the work themselves to reduce costs.

When they finally came to add their dream kitchen extension last year, the couple, who love vintage, reclaimed and antique items, knew that off-the-shelf products and a run-of-themill design weren’t for them. ‘Part of what we enjoy so much about renovating the house is researching and sourcing the perfect, one-off pieces,’ explains James. ‘Hardly anything in here is new, and it’s given us scope to put together items that we really love and that have a story behind them. By taking our time and waiting for items we really want, it’s also proved more cost effective than buying everything new.’

When the couple moved into the house 12 years ago, they were upsizing from a similar but smaller Victorian house nearby. ‘We love period properties as they’re so solidly built, but we were quite fussy about what we wanted so it actually took us six years of house hunting to decide on this place,’ explains James. ‘The longer you look the fussier you become!’ With its suburban location, garden big enough for a vegetable patch, and plenty of scope to extend, they fell in love with this five-bedroom semi. But its condition left a lot to be desired. ‘The house had only had three owners since it was built and had been in the same family since the 1960s,’ he explains. ‘It hadn’t been updated since the 1980s and the décor was interesting to say the least!’

The whole property was systematically stripped back and renovated, with a slate roof installed, the electrics, ³ realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

23

plumbing and insulation updated, plastering completed, and features such as cornicing and skirting boards replaced.

‘We started at the top of the house and worked our way down to try and stop the dust travelling down into areas we’d finished,’ explains James.

The original kitchen, which was linked to a scullery and WC, was ‘the worst room in the house’, with no heating, polystyrene ceiling tiles, and no link to the garden. ‘We knew that by extending to the rear and out into the side return, we could create an open-plan kitchen-living-diner that suited our taste and lifestyle much better,’ recalls James, who used Real Homes as inspiration for the extension’s design. Architect Perry Barnes, a childhood friend of Pamela’s, was asked to create the architectural designs, and gave great advice on issues such as accommodating the change of floor level from the extension to the house, locating the exposed steels and the importance of factoring existing pieces of furniture into the layout.

One of the key influences on the design was the desire to create better links to the outdoors. This has been achieved through steel-framed glazed doors and a rolling rooflight, which can be opened up when the weather is good to let fresh air into the depths of the room. ‘I spent a long time researching both the steel doors and rooflights as I wanted the best quality for the best possible price,’ admits James.

‘For me, researching is part of the enjoyment of renovating.’

As the extension exceeded the size allowed under permitted development rights, planning permission was needed. ‘We were keen for the extension to create a modern contrast to the Victorian property, rather than being a pastiche to it,’ explains James. ‘Luckily the planners liked the contemporary design we’d suggested and approved the planning permission relatively quickly.’

The couple found builders S&R Construction through their architect, who carried out a tendering process on their behalf. ‘We couldn’t afford to move out while the work was completed so we were fortunate that they did everything they could to make life comfortable for us during the six ³

THE COUPLE BASED THE STYLE OF THE EXTENSION AROUND THIS CRITTALL-STYLE GLAZING

LIVING AREA Two Le Corbusier sofas create a comfy place to relax – one is from The Conran Shop and the other was sourced on Ebay. Grey sofa, Dwell. Vintage 1960s Merrow Associates coffee table, bought at an antiques fair. The red Murano glass lamp with pink shade was a gift from a friend

‘I’D ADVISE ANYONE TO SOURCE THE MATERIALS FOR THEIR PROJECT THEMSELVES. YOU CAN GET THE QUALITY AND FINISH YOU REALLY WANT, AND HAVE THE TIME TO SEARCH FOR THE BEST PRICE’ COSTS & CONTACTS Building work £91,000 Glazed doors and windows £13,200 Professional fees £9,600 Furniture £8,000 Kitchen £6,800 Electronic rooflight £3,000 TOTAL £131,600 Architects Perry Barnes & Greg Watts, 01372 376611, pbgwarchitects.com Builder and decorator S&R Construction, 01483 281675, sr-construction.co.uk Floor tiles Mrs Stone Store, 01283 730388, mrs-stone-store.com

NATURAL LIGHT Left James was keen to create a commercial look in the kitchen, and sourced reclaimed Moffat Multiplex Modular units from secondhand catering suppliers, which he altered to fit the space.

A new stainlesssteel worktop and sink, made bespoke by Moffat, pulls the look together.

Stainless steel tap, from Vola

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

25

VINTAGE BUYS Hardly anything in the extension is new as James and Pamela love vintage, reclaimed and upcycled pieces. Clockwise from right A vintage 1930s medicine cabinet from a local antiques shop is used to store drinks. The stainless-steel island is a catering table bought at a local auction; for similar, try The Catering Appliance Superstore. The couple already owned the 1930s Dudley & Co. dresser and designed the kitchen layout to accommodate it; for similar, try Ebay. Open shelves from Ikea are used to display beautiful and useful items, such as pots and pans

VIEW ON VIDEO BY SEARCHING ‘REAL HOMES’ ON YOUTUBE

months of structural work,’ says James. ‘They left all the existing external walls in place while they built the extension and then knocked through at the last minute so we weren’t exposed to the elements.’

The kitchen itself was a labour of love for keen chef James, who knew exactly the look he wanted. ‘I’m a huge fan of kitchens with a commercial feel, and wanted stainlesssteel Moffat Multiplex Modular units,’ he explains. However, at £1,000 for a single unit and with 10-12 units needed, he simply didn’t have the budget to buy bespoke. ‘In the end, I bought the units a few at a time from commercial kitchen auctions,’ he says. ‘I altered them myself, before commissioning a stainless-steel worktop to tie them together.’

With their passion for bargains and love of Midcentury design, the finished space features plenty of quirky details, including ceiling lights reclaimed from a dress shop, and a 1930s haberdashery unit that the room was designed around. What ties the space together are the crisp white walls, neutral limestone flooring, and pops of colour from vintage prints and antique lights. ‘An off-theshelf kitchen full of new furniture wouldn’t have suited us at all,’ muses James. ‘We absolutely love every element of the new space and it’s so rewarding looking around and knowing the research, hard work and, of course, the bargains, that went into making it a reality.’

26

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

PLANS

BEFORE

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM KITCHEN

AFTER

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

KITCHEN

DINING AREA LIVING AREA

NEW LAYOUT The house has been extended into the side return and out to the rear to create an open-plan kitchen-living-diner with links to the garden

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

DINNER WITH A VIEW The dining table looks out over the garden through the new glazed doors. The zinc-topped Conran dining table was bought at auction, as were the Tolix dining chairs.

The couple have framed vintage David Hockney, Hitchcock and Bob Dylan posters, which add a splash of colour above the 1960s sideboard and 1950s Louis Klaff black lamp, which also came from an auction; for similar prints, try Zazzle. Vintage 1960s hanging chair, Ebay. The Capiz shell chandelier, which is one of the few new pieces in the space, is from Graham & Green

Design edit

Modern vintage Mix and match metal, wood and vibrant pops of colour for a fun and eclectic look, just like James Hewitt and Pamela Sampson have done

THE ESSENTIALS From left: White Sands porcelain FLOOR TILES, W30xL60cm, £16.95 per m2, Walls & Floors. Lysekil laminate WALL PANEL in stainless steel, W55xL120cm, £35, Ikea.

Reminiscent porcelain WALL TILE in blue, W30xL15cm, £36 per m2, The Baked Tile Company

2

1

AVAILABLE IN A LARGER SIZE AND AS A FLOOR LAMP

3

4 6

5

PERFECT FOR AN INDUSTRIALINSPIRED SCHEME 8 9

7

1 Vita Copenhagen Aluvia PENDANT light shade in aluminium with pearl finish, H30xDia.40cm, £199, Black by Design 2 Alto Adige vintage newspaper POSTER of South Tyrol, Italy, H40xW30cm, from £7.90, Posterlounge 3 Arrow metal and LED WALL ART, H20xW68xD4.5cm, £79, Element One House 4 Ray F FLOOR LAMP in black with brushed chrome-plated base, H128xDia.55cm, £806, Amara 5 Patterned hanging rattan bowl CHAIR in Natural, H108xW108xD83cm, £625, Out There Interiors 6 Randall acacia wood SIDEBOARD, H70xW167xD45cm, £649, Swoon Editions 7 Industrial metal factory SHELVES, H91.5xW124xD41.5cm, £284, The Farthing 8 Francis Francis X1 ESPRESSO MACHINE, for ground coffee, £447, H30xW26xD25cm, Espressocrazy.com 9 Butto metal CHAIR, H78xW43xD40cm, £110, PIB 10 Antique-style grey metal JUG, H16xDia.15cm, £12.95, Finch & Crane 28

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

COMPILED BY AMELIA SMITH

10

BEST CONVERSION

Real Homes BUNGALOW CONVERSION

THE ONLY WAY IS UP

Using the footprint of an existing 1970s bungalow allowed Sarah and Nick Constantinou to build upwards to create their dream family home

WORDS & STYLING ALISON NICHOLLS PHOTOGRAPHS RACHAEL SMITH

THEY

30

say necessity is the mother of invention, and that’s an adage that certainly rang true for Sarah and Nick when hunting for their perfect family home. ‘Looking back, I think it was desperation that made us consider this project!’ laughs Sarah.

‘We’d spent two years looking for a detached house with an open-plan kitchen, decent-sized bedrooms and a south-facing garden, but we just couldn’t tick all the boxes with any property we viewed.’ The couple had been living in a converted Victorian workhouse with daughters Freya and Harriet and, while they loved the building’s character, they were fast outgrowing it. ‘When this dated bungalow came up for sale in a lovely village close to the girls’ school, we decided to take the plunge and alter it to get what we wanted within our budget,’ reveals Sarah.

The couple had never even put a new kitchen in a house before, let alone done any building work, however, with guidance from architectural consultant, Lee Randall, who was recommended to them, they planned to reconfigure and build upon the existing bungalow to create a two-storey family home. The bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen would be turned into a lounge, office and playroom. To the rear, the previous living and dining room, study, utility and WC, which were arranged in an L-shape overlooking the garden, would be redesigned to create an open-plan living-dining area leading through to a spacious kitchen, with swathes of glazing to flood the space with light. Another storey would then be added, housing a master bedroom with dressing room and en suite, two further en suite bedrooms for the girls, two guest bedrooms, and a family bathroom. The existing brick façade and new upper floor would be rendered in off-white with aluminium windows added to create a more contemporary look.

Sarah and Nick made an offer on the bungalow, subject to planning permission being approved. ‘It sits just outside a conservation area, so we had to be sympathetic to the character of the houses nearby by putting real slate on the roof and minimising glazing at the front,’ she explains. ‘Luckily, the planners recognised it was an improvement on what was there and we had approval within four months.’ The process hit a bump in the road, however, when the sale of their own property fell through due to a flood from a broken pipe. ‘Thankfully, the ³

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

THE OWNERS

Sarah Constantinou, a business consultant, and her husband Nick, a senior project manager, live here with their daughters, Freya, 12, and Harriet, seven THE PROPERTY

A detached, five-bedroom, architect-designed home built on to an existing bungalow in Hardingstone, Northampton SARAH LOVES

Her open-plan kitchen-diner Homesense Watching Grand Designs Having underfloor heating Shopping at Neptune Homely contemporary style TOTAL PROJECT COST

£245,000

ISLAND LIFE Sarah wanted a modern yet timeless kitchen so this Shaker design with white quartz worktops, made by Zest Kitchens, is the ideal choice. The units are painted in Mole’s Breath and the walls in Purbeck Stone, both by Farrow & Ball.

Trio of pendant lights, Bells of Northampton.

Bar stools, Lakeland Furniture. Grey armchair, Made.com. Curtains, Takara by Harlequin

OPEN-PLAN LIVING A comfortable corner sofa and footstool from Ikea echo the footprint of the kitchen-diner, which links to the kitchen through an archway. Limestone flooring from Quorn Stone runs throughout the ground floor. For similar cushions, try Matalan. Rug, Ikea

UNDERFLOOR HEATING KEEPS THE LARGE-FORMAT LIMESTONE FLOOR TILES TOASTY UNDERFOOT

REAR VIEW Below Aluminium bi-fold doors and windows by Opus Windows maximise light entering the house. An offwhite render and slate roof tiles create a crisp, modern exterior

couple we were buying from waited until it was repaired and we sold again, but it took 15 months before we finally got the keys to this place,’ recalls Sarah.

Building work started immediately, with the family moving into a rented property as they didn’t want any disruption for the girls.

The couple took out a build mortgage to fund their project. ‘We had to find a specialist mortgage provider because we were building on top of an existing house,’ she explains. ‘One of the conditions was that it had to be eco-friendly, so we had to improve the EPC rating, double insulate everywhere, and have energyefficient heating, which in our case was an air-source heat pump.’ By agreeing a fixed price with their builder and sourcing many items themselves, such as flooring, bathrooms, appliances, staircase, windows and doors, Sarah and Nick were able to closely manage their budget, despite one major setback. ‘We had to reinforce the foundations when it was discovered that they weren’t strong enough to take the weight of the second storey, which cost over £5,000 that we hadn’t accounted for, but we managed to pull it back elsewhere,’ she explains.

Sarah relished the design and decorating process, making scrapbooks for every room. ‘I wanted to take the same colours all the way through the house,’ she explains. ‘So I chose greys with blue accents to run throughout the space.’ A beautiful brushed limestone floor runs over underfloor heating through the main areas of the ground floor, with neutral carpets upstairs.

At the heart of the home is a bespoke, Shaker-style kitchen with a huge island and white quartz worktops, while the bathrooms and en suites are simple and contemporary. ‘I really enjoyed the design process but I struggled choosing the bathrooms as we had one weekend to pick five bathrooms and toilets – I had a bit of a meltdown over that!’ she laughs.

Although the house was not fully finished, after 10 months, the family was able to move in. ‘There were lots of jobs left to do, which took most of the following year to complete and the front lounge is still a work in progress,’ smiles Sarah.

Despite this, they are justifiably proud of the stylish and relaxed family home they have tailor-made for themselves and that, at last, ticks all the right boxes. ³

DATED DESIGN Below The 1970s bungalow was small and dated, but Sarah and Nick could see the potential to renovate and extend

BEFORE

‘I WANTED THE HOUSE TO LOOK CONTEMPORARY BUT NOT SO FASHIONABLE THAT IT WILL BE DATED IN FIVE YEARS’

AFTER

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

33

FROM JUST

£2.29

AN ISSUE

DOWNLOAD THE HOMES APP Subscribe now from only £2.29 per issue and get access to all the latest issues of Real Homes magazine, plus supplements, bookazines and videos. You can also search up to three years of back issues for relevant articles and advice to help with your next project.

Search ‘Real Homes’ in your app store today

AVAILABLE ON IPAD

STYLISH HALL A large hallway painted in Farrow & Ball’s punchy Stiffkey Blue greets you as you step into the family’s home. Sarah and Nick sourced the white staircase from Northampton Joinery.

Armchair, Made.com.

Mirror and stars, both from Homesense

BESPOKE DESIGN Sarah and Nick asked Zest Kitchens to design and make a vanity unit for the downstairs WC, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue, with a marble top. Basin and WC, Better Bathrooms.

Mirror, Ikea. Wall paint, Farrow & Ball’s Worsted

GUEST BEDROOM One of the couple’s criteria for the house was plenty of room for guests, as neither of their families live nearby and often come to stay.

Furniture, Ikea. Blind and cushion, made by local curtain maker; for similar, try Blinds2Go. For similar lamps and light, try Homebase. Mustard throw, John Lewis

PLAY TIME Above The colourful playroom with its comfy beanbags is a great hangout for Freya and Harriet, keeping all their toys in one place. Carpet, Whitton Locks. For similar lighting, try Next. Beanbags and pouffe, Homesense.

Wall painted in Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue

MASTER BEDROOM The balcony that overlooks the garden from the master bedroom was a late addition to the plans after Sarah and Nick felt that setting the window back would provide more privacy. Furniture, Ikea.

Carpet, Whitton Locks. Bedlinen, Holly Willoughby at Dunelm.

Curtains, made by local curtain maker; for similar, try John Lewis. The red chair was from a factory outlet; for similar, try Arlo & Jacob. For a similar ceiling pendant and bedside lamps, try Dunelm

SARAH UPCYCLED THE FURNITURE BY PAINTING THE TOPS IN A DARK GREY AND ADDING CRYSTAL DRAWER HANDLES

PLANS COSTS & CONTACTS BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

HALL GARAGE

BEDROOM

LIVING-DINING ROOM

BEDROOM

KITCHEN HALL GARAGE

BEDROOMS

PLAY ROOM

LIVING ROOM

NEW LAYOUT A second storey was added to the dated three-bedroom bungalow to create a contemporary, five-bedroom family home

36

MASTER BEDROOM

Purchase cost £412,000 Estimated value in 2017 £850,000 Potential profit £193,000 UTILITY

LIVING ROOM

UTILITY/STUDY

KITCHEN

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

Building work £140,000 Windows and doors £30,000 Kitchen £27,000 Flooring £17,000 Bathrooms £14,000 Air-source heat pump £7,000 Decoration £6,000 Garden £4,000 TOTAL £245,000

BEDROOMS

Architectural design Architectural consultant Lee Randall, 07904 333447 Doors and windows Opus Windows, 07799 716228, opus-windows.co.uk Flooring Quorn Stone, 01509 41655, mystonefloor.com Kitchen Zest Kitchens, 01604 717331, zestkitchens.com Bathrooms Better Bathrooms, 0333 777 4777 betterbathrooms.com Air-source heat pump Alto Energy, 01993 220699, altoenergy.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

FAMILY BATHROOM The main bathroom has ample room for a freestanding bath and spacious shower enclosure.

Continuing the grey colour scheme, it features Mimica Vanato porcelain marble-effect tiles in a mix of smooth and textured finishes, all from Mandarin Stone. Bath, tap, shower, sink and towel rail, Better Bathrooms. Shower screen, Victoria Plum. For a similar wall colour, try Farrow & Ball’s Clunch in a moistureresistant Estate Eggshell finish FOR TOWEL RAILS FOR EVERY BUDGET, SEE PAGE 66

Design edit

Statement armchairs Be inspired by Sarah and Nick Constantinou’s stylish home and create a cosy corner with one of these investment pieces IDEAL FOCAL POINT FOR A GLAMOROUS LIVING ROOM

1

2

4

5

3

6

EDITOR LOVES

METAL LEGS CREATE A STRIKING FINISH

8

9

1 Merida armchair in mustard velvet with wooden legs, H99xW94xD91cm, £894, Content by Terence Conran 2 Duresta Carnaby chair in Harrow navy velvet with ebony and gold-tipped legs, H85xW65xD87cm, £1,249, John Lewis 3 Ether chair in Rialto Emerald velvet cotton with polished brass legs, H79xW81xD76cm, £1,750, Jonathan Adler 4 Madame Coco chair in Treacle Turquoise velvet with wooden legs, H75xW74xD80cm, £885, Sofa Workshop 5 Stella chair in Peony pure cotton matt velvet, H90xW108xD98cm, £940, Sofa.com 6 Gaby armchair in Brick Red fabric with beech legs, H75xW88xD92cm, £321.50, Maisons du Monde 7 Concha half-circle armchair in grey velvet with metal legs, H74xW90xD76cm, £855, Out There Interiors 8 Mansfield armchair in blue velvet with brass base, H79xW70xD90cm, £2,540, Essential Home 9 Edimbourg leather armchair, H81xW81xD72cm, £1,460, PIB

38

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

COMPILED BY AMELIA SMITH

7

Real Homes ADVERTORIAL Top right This antibacterial and steam-resistant paint in Lemon Squash, is wipeable, making it practical for a kitchen, £16 for 2.5ltrs

Perfect for hightraffic areas, this Monday Blues hall and stairway paint is both scrubbable and stain resistant, £16 for 2.5ltrs

Right This bright blue Splashing Around paint colour is from the mid-sheen emulsion range, £13.99 per ltr

A SPLASH OF COLOUR FOR ANY ROOM Whether you want to transform your kitchen, bathrooms or hallway, Crown’s roomspecific paints are the perfect choice

W

hen you’re looking to make a quick but striking update to your home, Crown’s room-specific paints will ensure your walls, ceilings and woodwork are both stunning and practical.

Most Crown paint has a 99 per cent solvent-free formulation. Its Breatheasy range is not only better for the environment, but is virtually odour-free and available in hundreds of beautiful colours and finishes. And now, with its specially formulated paint ranges designed to withstand the specific demands of certain rooms of your home, you can be sure you’ve got exactly the right paint for the job.

Crown’s Kitchen range has an anti-bacterial formulation, killing 99.9 per cent of household germs on paint surfaces for a cleaner kitchen environment. Consisting of 16 beautiful shades of matt

emulsion, the range has been designed to resist steam and allow everyday cooking stains to simply be wiped away.

To transform your bathroom, consider a bold paint colour to contrast against and complement a white bathroom suite. Crown’s colour consultant, Judy Smith, says, ‘Natural colours always work well with white baths and basins – and by incorporating a small yet defined area of strong colour, you can really bring a neutral scheme to life.’ Crown’s Bathroom antimould, feature wall shades keep your walls looking fresh and cleaner for longer. Its specially formulated mouldguard technology withstands the demands of a busy family bathroom, resisting steam and also condensation.

With daily traffic and dirt brought in from the outside, the

hallway is arguably the most-used area of the home. Crown’s Hall & Stairs range is 20 times more scrubbable than a standard matt emulsion, allowing you to simply wipe away marks and scuffs. This collection has 22 tonal colours, including Pure Brilliant White, and is available in a matt finish.

All of these specialised ranges can also be used on wood and metal, allowing beautiful colour schemes to be created with not only your walls, but also your kitchen cupboards, staircases, woodwork and even baths.

To view the full range, visit crownpaints.co.uk.

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

39

READERS’ CHOICE

Real Homes HOUSE MAKEOVER

HOME MADE Pati Robins’ eye for design, talent for finding bargains and enthusiasm for DIY has seen her transform an ordinary semi into something unique on a budget of just £6,0000

LIVING ROOM Pati panelled the walls of the living room herself using MDF. The donkey’s head on the wall, which was found on Ebay, is by Abigail Ahern for Debenhams. ‘It was bought as a kind of joke as my husband’s regiment was called the Donkey Wallopers,’ explains Pati. Sofas, Ikea. For a similar cowhide rug, try City Cows. For a similar floor lamp, try lampandlight.co.uk. Vases on window ledge, Ikea. Coffee table, secondhand; for similar, try Swoon Editions. Cushions, H&M, Ebay and Age of Reason. Upcycled frames, Ikea, Home Bargains, B&M and secondhand. Table lamp, Kartell.

Paint on walls, Valspar custom mix

FOR A SIMILAR WALL COLOUR, TRY CROWN’S MATT EMULSION IN CELESTITE

THE OWNERS

Pati Robins, an artist and full-time carer, lives here with her husband, Colin, their daughter Olivia, 10, and American bulldog Shy, and bulldog Lily THE PROPERTY

A two-bedroom, semi-detached house in Cardiff, Wales, built in the 1970s PATI LOVES

Orange is the New Black The novel The Book Thief Photography Designer Jimmie Martin Nickie Kelly artisan homewares TOTAL PROJECT COST

£6,400

WORDS ALISON JONES PHOTOGRAPHS BRETT CHARLES

ou should never judge a book by its cover, and you certainly shouldn’t judge ati’s house by its exterior. hat appears a modest semiached property, unremarkable its neighbours in the Cardiff where she and her family live, mph of what can be done t of design flair, hard work little money as soon as side. There is interest and verywhere, from the gallery mes and animal heads on of the master bedroom, with omantic chandelier. What is remarkable is that Pati has transformed the interior of her rented house entirely through her own efforts, and, thanks to her love of secondhand stores and online sites, spent just £6,400 doing it. ‘I enjoy finding a bargain,’ says Pati.

‘People spend more on their bathrooms than we have done on our entire house.’

Pati has been working on the house for 11 years, after it was found by husband Colin while she was sorting out a move to the UK from her native Poland. ‘He took the first available home on the outskirts of the city as he values peace and quiet,’ she recalls.

The property, which is social housing rather than a private rental, has been completely adapted to the needs of Colin, who is disabled, and is therefore a long-term home for the family. Because of this, Pati felt free to press ahead with the decorative changes she wanted to make. ‘The only thing we couldn’t alter was the set-up of the kitchen,’ she says. ‘First I painted it white to cover up the nicotine stains, then it was a case of combining mine and my husband’s style. Everything grew on us over the years. We went through Scandi, then tried glam, but those styles weren’t us.

42

Eventually we started going shade by shade darker until we felt happy and relaxed; not like guests in our own home.’

Pati tackled all the DIY work herself. Husband Colin, who used to be in the 9th/12th Royal Lancers, wasn’t physically able to help but was on hand with advice. ‘He has some knowledge of how to do things that he passed on to me,’ she says. ‘I am self-taught. I don’t have a background in art, I actually studied politics, but I was quite into crafts when I was young and I enjoy watching tutorials and just going for it. If I mess it up, I can correct my own mistakes – I’m pretty stubborn and willing to learn. When we first moved in, I was trying to hang a curtain pole and was pretty much crying because I was frightened of the drill. Now I love my power tools.’

Among the jobs Pati has tackled are painting and decorating, changing the cupboard doors in the kitchen, panelling walls, customising furniture, tiling, making a bed headboard for her daughter, upcycling a fireplace, and making a garden table from Ikea legs and decking.

‘I love reusing things and saving them from landfill,’ she says.

‘We live in a throwaway society. It’s silly paying full price when you could just get your hands a little dirty and do something with a beautiful piece.’

In the bathroom, she covered the ‘boring’ white tiles with PVC cladding. ‘My husband sometimes loses consciousness and it is much safer if he falls into it,’ she explains.

Apart from DIY, Pati’s other great talent is sourcing bargains on sites like Ebay and Gumtree, and in sales and secondhand shops. ‘My best bargain was the Abigail Ahern chandelier in the living room – I won it on Ebay for £50 and it’s worth £2,000,’ she reveals. ‘The chair in the living room was red vintage leather, which I restained. My husband wasn’t sure it’d work, but I like to try out new things and hope for the best.’

Whether it’s rented or owned, Pati believes in the importance of putting her mark on her property.

‘For me and my family to be able come in the door and feel “at home”, it’s worth putting all the effort in,’ she adds. ³

PLANS

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR AFTER

BATHROOM KITCHEN

LIVING ROOM

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

NEW LOOK Pati has not been able to change the layout of the rented house but has redecorated every room to dramatically change the look and feel of the interior

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

READING CORNER The Abigail Ahern chandelier in the living room is Pati’s best bargain – it’s worth £2,000 but she successfully bid £50 for it on Ebay. The leather chair was bought secondhand and then restained; for similar, try The Chesterfield Company. Mansion Wax Polish table, charity shop.

Fake cactus, Wyld Home.

Skin rug, Ebay. Knitted footstool, Home Bargains.

Large letter C, charity shop; for similar, try Not on the High Street. For similar wood flooring, try Quick-Step

For more inspiration, follow Real Homes on Pinterest

AFTER

UPDATED KITCHEN Pati disliked the old kitchen (inset) so much she bought new doors. ‘I could have done it cheaper by wrapping or repainting the units, but I dreamed of Shaker-style doors, so I replaced them,’ she explains. Cupboard fronts, Kitchen Door Workshop. Wood-effect worktops, Wickes. The cooker is secondhand and the Zanussi extractor from Ao.com. The wall tiles, from Tile Mountain, were ‘bought for free’ using Tesco Clubcard points. The lights are secondhand, upcycled by Pati; for similar, try Original BTC. The rug is from Ebay; for similar, try Wayfair

THE ‘DISTRESSED WOOD’ FLOORBOARDS ARE ACTUALLY TILES, LAID BY PATI

BEFORE

BREAKFAST BAR Above left The kitchen stools were bought on Amazon and cost £90 for four; for similar, try Cult Studio. Clock, Newgate Clocks. Goatskin rug, Dar Beida Moroccan Living.

Floor tiles, Tile Mountain. For similar lamps, try Anglepoise

LANDING Above The portrait in the hall is one of a pair bought in Poland by Pati’s mother. ‘They were already like that,’ says Pati. ‘I wouldn’t be able to destroy someone’s art!’

Ceiling chandelier, Dunelm.

Velvet candlesticks, Abigail Ahern for Debenhams

BOLD FIREPLACE Left The fire surround was bought secondhand and painted black by Pati, as were the plastic tiles from Ebay.

The fire is also secondhand and is standing on part of an old headboard. For a similar mirror, try Zara Home. For a similar bust, try Etsy

MASTER BEDROOM Right Pati panelled the bedroom wall herself using MDF, No More Nails solvent and decorators’ caulk. Panel paint, Valspar Tempest Teapot.

Dressing table paint, Valspar Mustard. Bedlinen, Ebay China.

Knitted blanket, Woolly Mama.

Fur throw, Ebay. For a similar chandelier, try Wayfair. Table lamp, Kartell. Rug, Ikea. Animal skulls and statues, Nickie Kelly, Ebay and Home Bargains

PATI COLOUR MATCHED THE PAINT FOR THE DRESSING TABLE TO A NOTEBOOK SHE LIKED

‘RENTED OR OWNED, I BELIEVE IN PUTTING YOUR MARK ON YOUR HOME, HOWEVER BIG OR SMALL IT IS’

COSTS & CONTACTS Specially adapted toilet £2,800 Furniture for whole house £1,500 Lighting £600 Kitchen unit doors £400 Flooring, wall and floor paint £400 Bathroom cladding and sink £300 Tiles £250 Soft furnishings £120 Bulbs £30 TOTAL £6,400 Kitchen doors Kitchen Door Workshop, 01825 765041, kitchendoorworkshop.co.uk Kitchen worktops Wickes, 0330 123 4123, wickes.co.uk Tiles Tile Mountain, 01782 223822, tilemountain.co.uk Paints Valspar, valsparpaint.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

OLIVIA’S ROOM Above left Pati made Olivia’s desk from a piece of kitchen worktop over an Ikea Expedit unit. Light shade, Graham & Green. Neon heart, Next.

Bedlinen, H&M and Ebay. Side table, Ebay. Paint on walls, Valspar; for similar, try Dulux’s Breton Blue. For a similar flamingo legs lamp, try Out There Interiors

DARK BATHROOM Above In the bathroom, plain white tiles have been replaced with PVC panelling.

Pati made the hexagonal shelves from MDF, orange backing board and Valspar paint. She bought the vanity unit from Ebay for 99p. ‘It had a bit of water damage on the back but you can’t see it,’ she says. For a similar mirror, try Cult Furniture

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

49

Home Collection Burst Star Marquee metal wall light, requires 12 bulbs, H65xW62xD13cm, £160, Debenhams

Design edit

Let there be light Create an eye-catching statement on your walls, just like Pati Robins has

ED dL e R

, £225, Roc ke cm tt 55 St W

Lips light, H2 5x on Ne

Ge or ge

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE

Y e l l ow neo n

Lightning

W

, £54.99, Talk i n cm gT 29 ab l

H30xW30cm

£19 5, Lo ve In c

Cult Living Do Not Disturb light box, H20xW30xD10cm, £35, Cult Furniture

, EDITOR LOVES

ne o n lig ht ,

COMPILED BY EMILY SMITH

Wh ite Sta r

LE D

MAKE YOUR FRIENDS GREEN WITH ENVY

es

Bo lt L ED ligh t, H 4 1xW 17c m , £50 , Bo b b yR abb it

eon light ,H art n 32 He e x v Lo

Green Neon Colour Word lamp, H15.7x W34.9cm, £125, Out There Interiors

50

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

Real Homes RENOVATION & REMODEL

TREASURE TROVE After transforming the layout of their ex-local authority property, Alexandra and Toby Hull have created a stylish home filled with salvaged finds

WORDS & STYLING MAXINE BRADY PHOTOGRAPHS DAVID WOOLLEY

THE OWNERS

Alexandra Hull, managing director of Back to Front Exterior Design, and husband Toby, project manager at an environmental charity, live here THE PROPERTY

A 1948 three-bedroom semidetached ex-local-authority house in Alton, Hampshire.

ALEXANDRA LOVES

The upstairs landing and kitchen-diner Car boot sales Shades of grey Vintage-industrial style Her yellow sofa TOTAL PROJECT COST

£80,000

BEST OTHER PROJECT

SIMPLE KITCHEN The couple went for handleless white kitchen units with stainless steel worktops, from Farnham Furnishers, to help the kitchen blend into the new open-plan space. Having the Smeg range cooker, from Currys, on the peninsular allows the chef to interact with guests. The Frank Guile bar stools were found in a tip, cleaned up, and are now worth £100 each. Extractor fan and extending tap, Blanco. Wooden shelves, made from recycled sitting room shelves; for similar, try Ikea

FOR SLEEK, MONOCHROME KITCHEN IDEAS, TAKE A LOOK AT OUR TREND REPORT ON PAGE 93

ADDING LOTS OF HOUSE PLANTS TO THE DINING AREA HELPS TO BRING THE OUTSIDE IN

OPEN-PLAN LIVING The rustic-industrial dining table is made from recycled wooden pallets found on Ebay, and paired with secondhand dining chairs; for similar, try Home Barn. Above the distressed blue sideboard, from JM French Interiors, is a painting by Justin Weeks, which Alexandra bought as a memorial to her grandmother. The glass pendant lights are from Garden Trading. Tripod lamp, The Range. Oak ooring, UK Wood Floors

SEE NEXT MONTH’S REAL HOMES FOR YOUR GUIDE TO EXTERIOR UPDATES

BEFORE

AFTER

FRESH LOOK Left The exterior of the house has been completely renovated, with new doors and windows supplied

by Back to Front Exterior Design.

A new rooflight, from Velux, adds light to the loft conversion

ng, Alexandra and Toby planned and and build their dream home. urchase of the site they wanted hey decided to look for a property nstead. Within two weeks, they s ex-local authority house in the a of Hampshire. ‘It had everything we including a large garden with views r fields, yet it was close to London so ould still commute,’ says Alexandra. re were lots of developers interested e house, who were trying to make a ick buck, but the owners wanted it o go to us as we promised to restore it back to a family home again.’ The house had been owned by the same had been empty for two. ‘Everything ds. ‘The layout was awkward, there were issues with damp and asbestos, the plumbing pipework was exposed and there was Artex everywhere.’

Downstairs was divided into lots of smaller rooms, with a narrow galley kitchen, an outside toilet, and a uPVC conservatory that had seen better days. Upstairs wasn’t much better, with a dark and narrow landing. The couple decided to move the bathroom into the smallest bedroom to make the landing twice the size, and then convert the loft to create a larger third bedroom. On the ground floor, a new utility would replace the conservatory, and existing rooms would be combined to create an open-plan kitchen-living-diner.

As Alexandra is managing director of architectural remodelling company, Back To Front Exterior Design, she was ideally placed to design and manage the sixmonth renovation project. While Toby, who has worked as a project manager for environmental engineering projects, was prepared to do much of the heavy work.

‘I did the maths and budgeted about £80,000, which relied on Toby and I doing the bulk of the work at weekends and evenings,’ she recalls.

All their spare time and holidays were spent tackling the structure of the house. ‘We knew that we had to take everything apart before we could put it back together again,’ says Alexandra. ‘It was just Toby and a carpenter doing the work, but within two weeks they’d ripped out ³

FRESH LOOK Right The Soufflé sofa in Turmeric velvet from Loaf adds a splash of colour to the living area. The shelving is made from inexpensive black brackets with floorboards from a timber merchants.

The Ercol armchair has been upholstered in a retro print fabric.

Leather armchair, JM French Interiors.

Blue lamp, Jaldi.

The leather pouffs were bought on honeymoon in Morocco; for similar, try Graham & Green

57

NEW BATHROOM Below This room was a bedroom that the couple converted into their family bathroom. A new sunken bath takes centre stage, with a separate shower enclosure in the corner. All the wooden panelling, from Coombers, was painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball. The Carrara wall tiles are from Topps Tiles, and the Maori Goroka floor tiles were picked up from Tile Giant. The toilet, bath and taps are all ex-display from Bathstore, while the shower enclosure, tray and shower rose were all from Victoria Plumbing

the pipework, ceilings, kitchen and bathroom.’ The roof then had to be strengthened before a large chimney breast that ran through the centre of the house and stopped the flow of the spaces could be removed. As they were the main contractors on the build, Alexandra and Toby had to take liability for everything. ‘I’d order the materials, while Toby would deal with the skips and scaffolding,’ she adds. ‘We divided the work between us and, luckily, made a great team.’

After four months, the house was completely stripped out and they could start the mammoth task of putting their home back together. ‘We moved pretty fast as we wanted to get the job done,’ says Alexandra. ‘We even built the side extension for the utility room in a just a week.’ The couple moved back in eight months after work started, with just the decorating to do. In the new open-plan kitchen-livingdiner, they were keen to make the kitchen ‘disappear’.

‘It was a big space so we went for white matt units and a stainless-steel worktop,’ adds Alexandra, who sourced the units from local firm Farnham Furnishers. ‘With some things for the house we were really clear what we wanted, and for others we just went with our gut. The bathroom, for example, evolved to take on an industrial look, with dark wood panelling, scaffolding-style shelving and metro tiles.

The house has been decorated from top-to-bottom in white paint, with oak flooring and grey-blue woodwork. ‘It meant we could buy a job lot of paint rather than different colours for each room, which saved money,’ says Alexandra.

To furnish the house, the couple began with the unique collection of homewares they’ve collected from car boot sales and antique markets over the years. ‘Our local tip sells furniture that other people throw out, which is where we got a lot of pieces,’ adds Alexandra. The couple also added personal touches to the space to make it feel warm and homely. On the landing, a linen cupboard was created out of pair of antique salvaged doors; wooden shelving made from scaffolding planks was put up in the living room to house all their books and music; and the hallway tiling was replaced.

After a year of hard work, the couple are looking forward to tweaking the interior design of their house. ‘We never wanted the house to be 100 per cent finished as we’d like to be able to add colour or a wallpaper when we find the right one,’ says Alexandra. ‘Now the bulk of the work is done, we’d like a few mini-projects to do, just to keep us occupied!’

‘They know us by name at our local tip as we pop down there all the time to salvage pieces’ COSTS & CONTACTS Carpentry, joinery and labour, including loft conversion £30,000 Plumbing £9,600 Kitchen and worktop £8,800 Plastering, decoration, £7,000 Flooring £6,000 Electrics £5,500 Plant and skips £5,000 Roof £3,500 Structural steelwork £1,500 Bathroom £1,300 Stairs £1,000 TOTAL £80,000

Purchase cost in 2015 £350,00 Estimated current value £525,000 Potential profit £95,000 Design Back to Front Exterior Design, 01252 820984, backtofrontexteriordesign.com Kitchen Farnham Furnishers, 01252 715000, farnhamfurnishers.co.uk Bathroom Bathstore, 0330 053 5661 Flooring UK Wood Floors, 01252 308395 Tiles Tile Giant and Topps Tiles

ATTIC BEDROOM The couple did the loft conversion themselves, furnishing it with vintage finds from car boot sales. They found the Ikea Malm bed frame secondhand on Gumtree for just £25. The Italian leather suitcases were found at the tip and are valued around £1,000. For similar bedding, try John Lewis, and for a duck egg throw, try Laura Ashley. For similar carpet, try Cormar Carpets

PLANS

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

FIRST FLOOR

SITTING AREA

DINING AREA

UTILITY

LIVING ROOM

CONSERVATORY

GROUND FLOOR DINING ROOM

KITCHEN

KITCHEN

AFTER

AFTER

GARAGE

GARAGE

BEDROOMS

SECOND FLOOR

BEDROOMS BEDROOM

BATHROOM

BEDROOM

BATHROOM

NEW LAYOUT The ground floor has been completely opened up and a new utility room added in place of an old conservatory. Upstairs, a bedroom has been sacrificed to create space for a larger landing and stairs up to a new loft bedroom

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

59

Design edit

Laid-back living Team pops of colour with retro pieces to recreate Alexandra and Toby Hull’s relaxed interiors COMES IN A VARIETY OF COLOURS AND WITH BEECH OR METAL LEGS

THE ESSENTIALS From left: Oak Medio 45-degree chevron engineered wood FLOOR, W12xL52.5cm, £135 per m2, Design

by Havwoods. Versailles WALL PANEL in Italian white, £95.40 per m2 for nine designs, Dreamwall.

Queen Bee premium chalk PAINT, £19.95 for 1ltr, Everlong Paint

1 4

2 3

5

7

6

8

9

THIS COUCH CAN ALSO BE USED AS AN OCCASIONAL BED FOR GUESTS

1 Vintage Czech opaline glass Globe PENDANT light, H44xDia.30cm, £240, Skinflint 2 Krossing aluminium SHELVING UNIT in white, H100xW100xD15cm, £400, The Conran Shop 3 Orange Chair signed giclee PRINT, H40xW30cm, £35, HelloMarine at Etsy 4 Eiffel teal dining CHAIR with beech legs, H82xW47xD54cm, £59, Dwell 5 Indiana reclaimed wooden DINING TABLE in grey, H78xW150xD90cm, £365, Barker & Stonehouse 6 Modern House London Willow Road Doors CUSHION COVER, W45xL45cm, £34, Oscar Francis 7 Björksta Planet Earth unframed CANVAS, H140xW200cm, £33, Ikea 8 Classic RADIATOR in white quartz, H57.5xW57.8xD13.6cm, £708, Bisque 9 Original Studio COUCH in C621 fabric, H85xW206xD88cm, from £2,655, depending on fabric, Ercol 10 Alba COFFEE TABLE in oak, H46xW101xD55cm, £199, John Lewis 60

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

COMPILED BY SOPHIE WARREN-SMITH

10

CLEVER PLANNING The use of large-format W60xL60cm wall and floor tiles, laid in a grid formation, makes the room feel bigger than it is. Vermont dark grey porcelain feature wall tiles, Vermont white porcelain floor tiles and Orabella penny copper mosaic sheets, all from Mandarin Stone. Shower panel, tray and showerhead, Crosswater. Basin, Catalano. Mirrored cabinet, Vitra

A NEW STUD WALL HIDES AWAY PIPEWORK AND PROVIDES ROOM FOR HANDY BUILT-IN STORAGE

62

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

BEST BATHROOM

Real Homes BATHROOM RENOVATION

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Anna Rickard planned her project to perfection to transform a tired bathroom into a nature-inspired retreat

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

WORDS AMELIA SMITH PHOTGRAPHS BRETT CHARLES

WITH

both a career in project management and as a freelance interior designer, it’s no surprise that Anna jumped at the chance to manage, plan and design her own bathroom transformation. ‘I wanted to create a space that’s perfect for us as a family,’ she says. ‘It needed to be contemporary and stylish but also highly practical.’

After living in London, Anna, her partner, Matt, and their daughter, Mia, moved into this semi-detached house in Cheltenham in 2013. They were attracted to the property because of the large rooms and community feel of the neighbourhood, but also because of the opportunity to put their own stamp on the place. The family bathroom was already a good size, but needed modernising. ‘I wanted to make it more visually interesting – relaxed but luxurious, and suitable for the whole family,’ adds Anna.

She began by playing around with layouts to get the most out of the space, but soon realised the existing layout was the best, meaning little plumbing work was needed.

Storage was another key factor in her design, so Anna added a stud partition along the entire length of one wall, which ³

63

houses a large recessed mirrored cabinet, plus shelving over the bath and sink. Despite making the room technically VISIT REAL smaller, it means that both clutter and pipes can be hidden HOMES.CO.UK away. It also allows the basin, WC and taps to be wall-hung, TO DISCOVER 10 giving the illusion of more space, with a clean, minimalist look.

WAYS TO CUT THE COST OF YOUR Anna hired bathroom fitter, Americo Sousa, who NEW BATHROOM was recommended to her by one of the local companies that supplied her bathroom fittings, and the project took just three weeks in total. Her friendly neighbours were a life-saver during this time as they allowed the family to pop next door for a shower. ‘It was also very handy PLANS that we have a downstairs toilet,’ she recalls.

As a stickler for detail, Anna’s biggest concern was that the large-format tiles she chose wouldn’t quite align AFTER with the mirrored storage cabinet, as they had to be millimetre-perfect to line up. Despite sleepless nights and lots of measuring and re-measuring, when delivered, the alignment was just a couple of millimetres out. Her bathroom fitter managed to make it work by adjusting the hinges on the cabinet doors to get them to line up. ‘It wasn’t a major issue in hindsight, but it’s important to get small details resolved to achieve a great finish,’ says Anna.

With her passion for design, Anna wanted a natureinspired scheme. She chose to create a feature wall around NEW LAYOUT the window by hanging striking Woods wallpaper from Cole The layout of the bathroom has remained & Son. ‘I adore this design and it fits in perfectly with the the same, with the addition of a stud wall behind the sink and WC to conceal pipework grey tiles,’ Anna says. ‘Even though it’s not specifically designed for bathroom use, it wasn’t going to be in direct contact with water, so I simply sealed it with Polyvine decorators’ varnish for extra protection.’ Large-format slate-effect tiles were chosen for the walls and floors to make the space feel larger. ‘I love the combination of light and dark greys, but I knew the cool tones would make it seem quite cold, so I added touches of copper to give it the warmth it desperately needed,’ says Anna. She spotted the shimmery brushed-copper mosaic tiles a year before starting her project but, as they weren’t suitable for bathrooms, she searched high and low for something similar. ‘Other copper tiles were polished, and that would’ve been too garish,’ she adds. A perfectionist at heart, she went back to the original tiles she’d fallen in love with, found an industrial sealant used for boats, and coated the tiles with that to protect them against splashes. The copper tone has then been picked up in accessories throughout the bathroom, adding THE OWNERS just enough metallic shine for a warm, luxurious feel.

Anna Rickard, an environmental The copper is further accentuated by LED lighting consultant and freelance in the new recesses, creating a calming ambience for interior designer, lives here unwinding in the evening. ‘We use the recessed lighting with her partner, Matt Whitehead, an energy in the middle of the night, as it’s not too bright,’ adds consultant, and their daughter Anna. She also chose overhead LED spotlights, which are Mia, eight, and Stormy, the cat on a dimmer, for more practical tasks.

Now the space is finished, Anna is thrilled with the final THE PROPERTY A four-bedroom, semi-detached result, and is so glad she made every effort to get exactly late 1970s house in Cheltenham what she wanted. If her budget allowed for it, she would’ve boxed in the end of the bath and put recessed shelves above ANNA LOVES it, but instead compromised with a wall-mounted cupboard.

Moody blue colours ‘My favourite thing about my bathroom is the wallpaper,’ Clippings.com Clarissa Hulse says Anna. ‘People don’t expect it, and when the shower Moooi lighting screen gets steamed up, it looks like misty woods.’

Industrial and scandi style Heal’s TOTAL PROJECT COST

£11,500

64

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

‘I CHOSE LARGE-FORMAT TILES TO HELP CREATE A SENSE OF SPACE, AND COPPER ACCENTS BRING WARMTH TO THE SCHEME’

MODERN LOOK Above and right Anna chose ontrend copper accents to add warmth and texture to the grey colour scheme; for similar bathroom accessories, try Made.com. Bath, Vitra. Bath filler, Crosswater. WC, from Catalano

COSTS & CONTACTS Labour, underfloor heating and electrical works £6,369 Bathroom suite and shower £3,283 Tiles £1,039 Furniture and furnishings £851 TOTAL £11,542

Designer Anna Rickard, 07970 622939, annarickardinteriors.co.uk Bathroom fitter Americo Sousa, 07462 588188 Bathroom Leckhampton Kitchen & Bathrooms, 01242 262606, lbkonline.co.uk; Montpellier Interior Classics, 01242 226968, classicbathrooms.com

AFTER

BEFORE

FEATURE WALL Left Anna treated this woodlandprint wallpaper from Cole & Son with decorators’ varnish to make it suitable for a bathroom. Towel rail, Reina. Blind, from Luxaflex

DATED DESIGN Above The original family bathroom was a good size but was in need of modernising

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

65

Design edit

Stylish towel radiators Follow Anna Rickard’s lead and add warmth to your bathrooms with one of these useful and attractive designs

3 1

2

4

6

AVAILABLE IN ELECTRIC OR CENTRAL HEATING VERSIONS

5

10

ALSO COMES AS A VERTICAL DESIGN

8

9

1 Strand shelf-style chrome towel warmer, H40.4xW64.2xD39cm, £399, Pure Bathroom Collection 2 Archibald radiator in Flame Red, H123xW52.5cm, £847.20, Bisque 3 Qual-Rad curved heated towel rail in chrome, H75xW60cm, £43.50, Homebase 4 Burj chrome towel warmer, H120xW50cm, £535, Frontline Bathrooms 5 Aquarius chrome towel rail, H100xW52.2cm, £1,080, Albion Bath Company 6 Priory adjustable stainless steel electric heated towel rail, H60xW75cm, £440, John Lewis 7 Wall- and floor-mounted H-ladder rail in chrome, H153.8xW65.7cm, £1,499, Thomas Crapper 8 Beaufort horizontal radiator in Traffic Grey, H46.4xW122cm, £399.60, Supplies4Heat 9 Zion towel warmer in Metallic Black Matte, H73.5xW35cm, £545, Crosswater 10 Diamond XS stainless steel electric wall-mounted radiator in white, H104xW90cm, £3,060, West One Bathrooms

66

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

COMPILED BY SOPHIE WARREN-SMITH

7

Dream TRANSFORMATION

ROOMS WITH A VIEW An extension, remodel and exterior update transformed this house, says architectural director Alan MacDonald

T

his detached house in Oakham, near Leicester, was a maze of small, dark living spaces, which all had a poor relationship to the garden. The owners wanted to open up the rear of the property with large areas of glazing so that they could enjoy their south-facing garden all year round. The house was also cold, draughty and difficult to heat, so they were keen to make it more efficient and reduce their energy bills.

An existing rear extension was revived with the addition of large sliding doors, a new roof and timber cladding. The design was influenced by the owners’ requirements for solar shading and a lofty dining area overlooking the garden. By opening up the internal areas, we introduced a view of the outside space from the entrance hall, and created an openplan kitchen-living-diner. Reorganising the internal layout also made room for a new snug, utility and store.

The house already had a converted attic, which the owners wanted to turn

into hobby rooms, but the existing space was poorly laid out, with a low ceiling and small windows. Generous new dormers with large windows have been added to improve the quality of space and provide better views. The existing staircases were also moved to the front of the house, creating a dramatic, triple-height hallway.

As part of the renovation, the owners wanted to overhaul the exterior to create a more modern appearance. Render was applied to give the house a crisp, contemporary look, and areas of timber cladding were added to reference the mature trees in the garden. High levels of external insulation, double-glazed windows and a new, insulated roof make the house warmer and more comfortable. So far, heating bills are 50 per cent less than last year.

The project took over four years to come to fruition as the house is in a conservation area, and planning permission was initially refused but won at appeal. Luckily, the owners feel the result was worth the wait.

Architects: Testa Architecture, 0114 442 0123, paultestaarchitecture.co.uk Number of bedrooms: Five Total project cost: £297,875 68

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

DATED HOME Far right The 1930s house was a maze of small, dark living rooms with limited links to the garden

NEW LOOK All other images Updating a large extension across the rear of the house and remodelling the internal space has created room for a kitchen-livingdiner. New dormer windows were added to the loft to improve the head height and views. The entire house was also modernised, with aluminum-framed windows and doors, plus timber cladding and render. Doors and windows, Olsen.

Rooflights, Velux.

Cladding, from Russwood.

Render, Wetherby Building Systems.

Slate roof tiles, from Sandtoft

PHOTOGRAPHS DUG WILDERS

AFTER BEFORE

Dream TRANSFORMATION

BESPOKE DESIGN An unusual two-storey extension was the only way to extend this barn conversion on a tricky sloping plot, says architect John Everitt

T

he owners of this three-bed cottage in Winchcombe, near Cheltenham, needed more space for their growing family.

But with the house situated towards the back of a sloping site, there was little space at the rear of the property for an extension. The house also had the potential for wonderful views, but these just weren’t being taken advantage of, mainly due to the small wooden windows.

Our solution was to build forward and down to create a contemporary two-storey stone extension. This approach resulted in a new lowerground floor entrance level with an additional storey above, which links into the existing ground floor of the cottage. The hillside was excavated to create the new lower-ground floor, and a retaining wall was built to stabilise and underpin the original house. To the sides of the property, we added gabions full of Cotswold stone to further stabilise the neighbouring plots.

The lower-ground floor of the new extension houses a fifth bedroom or study, depending on the family need at the time, as well as a shower room, utility and entrance hall with built-in storage. We reconfigured the existing cottage and replaced the current kitchen with a new master bedroom suite to maximise the wonderful views. The extension created space for an open-plan kitchen-diner, wrapped in glass, to give panoramic views across the Cotswolds. To the front of the kitchen is an external terrace, which wraps around the house to catch the evening sun and provide outdoor entertainment space.

The old house had an unusual mansard roof style, which meant that we connected the new extension to the existing building via a glass hallway, which fits neatly under the eaves of the original roof. From the outside, the cottage now has a classic yet contemporary feel, combining modern glazed elements with locally sourced Cotswold stone.

Architects: Coombes Everitt, 01242 807727, ce-architects.co.uk Number of bedrooms: Five Total project cost: £200,000 70

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

SLOPING SITE Above right Extending this cramped cottage in a former barn conversion proved a challenge due to the sloping plot and lack of space to the rear

STATEMENT LOOK Right A bold two-storey extension, built from Cotswold stone, has created space for two extra bedrooms, an open-plan living area and an outside terrace.

The glass balcony was supplied by CN Glass, with a glazed link between the old and new spaces from Loxwood.

For similar aluminium-framed windows and sliding doors, try Maxlight

AFTER

BEFORE

ASK THE DESIGNER

‘How can I extend to add more rooms on a budget?’

Every month we ask you to send in your problem projects, and invite talented architects and designers to offer up possible solutions Gabrielle Omar is an architect, former candidate on The Apprentice and founder of Spot This Space, who offers specialist interior design services. spotthispsace.com

THE BRIEF Gareth Monteith and his family bought a 1940s home in Cleadon, Sunderland, because of its location, garden and the potential to extend.

The house badly needs updating.

The bedrooms are small, there’s no toilet downstairs, and the upstairs WC and bathroom are separate.

Gareth would like an open-plan kitchen-diner that opens out to the garden, a toilet, utility room and a separate playroom downstairs.

Upstairs, they wanted to create a new master suite with its own bathroom, a family bathroom, and have three other good-sized bedrooms.

A detached side garage could be demolished to create space. There’s also a loft which could be converted.

Gareth’s interested to see what could be done on a tight budget of £50,000.

72

JANUAR

018 realhomes.co.uk

THE SOLUTION Reworking of the upstairs relies on extending it to match the size of the ground floor below, which has already been added on to. This will eat significantly into the £50,000 budget, particularly as the roof would also need to be extended. This could mean some works to the ground floor, such as bi-fold doors from the kitchendiner to the garden, would not be feasible at this time. Phasing the works over two stages would give the family a chance to save and get these done later.

An extension on the first floor and rejigging of the layout will give Gareth a family bathroom, so the WC is no longer separate, and create space for four large bedrooms with an en suite for the master bedroom.

The ground floor could be opened up from the front living room, right through the house to the garden.

This would be done by simply moving the living room door to the centre, and making it a double leaf, resulting in a clear view straight through the proposed glazed doors to the garden at the back.

From experience, £1,200–£1,600 per square metre is a reasonable estimate for a house extension, but the standard of specification Gareth wants will have a great influence on

the build cost. For the bathroom, factor in around £4,000 to £10,000, and £4,500 to £11,000 for an en suite shower room, depending on the level of fittings chosen.

With a tight budget, it’s best to choose off-the-shelf products, and avoid bespoke items. You can also save money by being careful with labour costs. Jobs like decorating and second-fix trades, such as kitchen and bathroom fittings, as well as tiling, can all be self-taught, so Gareth might like to consider tackling those himself.

Planning permission will certainly be required as the project would require building on top of the existing ground-floor extension, which would have used up the majority of the permitted development rights.

THE COST It costs around £1,200–£1,600 per square metre for an extension, though high-spec items could push the build cost up. For the family bathroom, factor in around £4,000 to £10,000, and £4,500 to £11,000 for an en suite shower room.

EN ks tly loo d, shione link ’s . The s g room n an arate

lle’s rG r e o h th d o n U matc op fl the t d out to aking it r, m nde exte und floo ave four , gro ible to h drooms poss sized be en suite d good room an h t a b a ORE BEF

OR FLO D N U GRO

OR FLO T S FIR M ROO BATH

OOM BEDR WC

HEN KITC

OOM BEDR OOM BEDR OM G RO DININ ER AFT

OM G RO LIVIN

OR FLO D N U GRO

OR FLO T S FIR OOM BEDR OOM BEDR

R DINE HENKITC UITE EN S

THE ASKGNER ving I of impro al DESam n ing fessio

e s o ou dr t need pr igner Are y rt des ur bu e p e x m e ho mes’ Send us yo ty your al Ho oper et Re our plans.

L ? ne pr lp t. he ape y l choose o to look a h s lp l ’l a e he n w / io k d s .co.u ct an r a profes omes proje nth fo m at realh submit o m r r d pe the fo er, an nd Fill in he-design ographs a t o e h s ask-t ,p ou . query of your h your s n la p basic

M ROO BATH ITY UTIL OOM BEDR

WC OOM BEDR

OM G RO LIVIN

T AYOU ED L scheme, o V O R new IMP pen t nd r the uld o Unde chen wo the grou d e it the k rden whil bigger an e a l b the g ould fee uld also w o C floor r. There w nstairs W e w t o h d g li a e for spac realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

73

THE OWNERS

Guro Eide, a pilates teacher, lives here with her partner, Tony, a communications director, and their son, Oliver, eight, and daughter, Elissia, three THE PROPERTY

A four-bedroom, 1930s semi-detached house in Hitchin, Hertfordshire GURO LOVES

Morning coffee in her reading corner Summers by the sea in Norway Espresso Martinis The sound of rain on her glass roof Dancing in the kitchen with her children TOTAL PROJECT COST

WORDS LUCY BANWELL PHOTOGRAPHS MARTE LUNDBY REKAA

£200,000

EXTENDED KITCHEN Copper accents look dramatic against the charcoal-coloured units and walls in this extended kitchen. The whole room was inspired by the copper plate on the island, which belonged to Guro’s late grandmother. Schüller units, Planet Furniture. The copper splashbacks and upstands are from specialist metal company, Metal Sheets. Pendant lights above the island, Habitat. Copper kettle, Sainsbury’s. Leather bar stools, Rockett St George. Zinc-topped dining table, Loaf. For similar dining chairs, try Furniture Choice. Pendant lights above table, Tom Dixon. Xylo engineered oak flooring, Galapast

Real Homes HOUSE RENOVATION

FOREVER FAMILY HOME Guro and Tony transformed their once-dated property with a light-ďŹ lled rear extension and an improved upstairs layout

‘BEING NORWEGIAN, IT’S ALL ABOUT LIGHT FOR ME – I WANTED BIG WINDOWS OPENING RIGHT OUT ONTO THE GARDEN’

egian-born Guro knew tly what she wanted n searching for her m family home in tfordshire. She ded a decent-sized perty with a nice en, but it also had ave scope for elopment and mp on the place.

When she stepped through the front door of a somewhat neglected 1930s semi in a pretty, tree-lined street, she knew she had found the one. ‘The house ticked all the boxes,’ says Guro ‘The décor wasn’t to our taste, but it was all fairly neutral, so we knew we could live in it for a while before taking the plunge with our plans to improve it.’

Top of the to-do list for Guro and her partner Tony was to create a more open-plan feel in the downstairs living areas. ‘The existing space didn’t work for us as a family,’ she explains. ‘There were three separate rooms, which meant that when I was cooking it was hard to keep an eye on the children in the other room. I wanted a large, open-plan space with big windows opening onto the garden – being Norwegian, it’s all about light for me.’

The couple decided on a two-metre extension at the rear, which would create one large, bright kitchen, dining and living space. They also planned to add a new downstairs shower room so that when Guro’s parents come to visit they would have their own bathroom. Upstairs, they reconfigured the layout to create a large family bathroom and four spacious bedrooms. ‘We moved pretty much every wall upstairs to maximise the space,’ says Guro. ‘There was no upstairs bathroom when we moved in and all the rooms felt quite small. I really wanted to future-proof our home to anticipate the kids’ needs as they get older. There’s space now for them to have friends over, and we’ve got loads of built-in storage.’

A friend of the couple, Colin Morris, at Yellowbrick Studios for Architecture, drew up the drawings for the refurbishment and planning permission was granted in just three months. The family wisely moved into rented ³ READING CORNER Right One of Guro’s favourite spots to sit and read is this light-filled corner.

The painting of New York by Norwegian artist Camilla Grythe inspired many of the colours in the house. Pink chair, John Lewis, Grey sofa, Made.com.

Side table upcycled using copper spray paint and marble-effect sticky paper; for similar, try Swoon Editions

OLD KITCHEN Right The original kitchen featured an abundance of wood, and Guro disliked the fact it felt separate from other rooms

AFTER

accommodation as the building work started. All was going smoothly until the builders knocked down the internal walls and discovered four different flooring levels downstairs. ‘It meant more time and expense for them to level all the floors, and we also had to rewire and replumb the entire property, which we hadn’t originally budgeted for,’ says Guro. ‘It did add to the cost, but it didn’t delay the project too much.

The whole refurbishment took six months, which I really don’t think was too bad.’

Costs elsewhere in the project were kept to a minimum with some shrewd decisions, such as swapping high-end branded paints for Dulux Trade equivalents. And Guro strongly believes that the right builders aren’t necessarily the ones who give you the lowest quote. ‘Our builders, DB Sharp & Sons, weren’t the cheapest, but they have a really good reputation,’ she explains. ‘They are quite a big company, which meant they could tackle everything – plumbing, flooring, decorating – as well as the building work. They also saved us money by doing jobs such as building in a set of £140 Ikea bookshelves. Bespoke shelves would have cost £2,000, but instead they only charged us two days’ labour.’

Guro’s vision for the interior of her home was all about warmth, texture and Scandinavian style. ‘I wanted my house to feel like a big warm hug coming from someone cool,’ she laughs. ‘I like the Scandinavian minimalistic approach, but I needed my home to feel more warm and personal than that; 78

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

somewhere welcoming and relaxing to come home to.

That’s why I’ve used lots of natural materials like walnut, leather, copper, zinc and reindeer hide.’

The star of the show is Guro’s light-filled kitchen, with its copper splashbacks, walnut-clad island and moody tones. The copper sheets came from a specialist metalwork company in Liverpool, while the German-made units were from a local kitchen supplier, and many of the accessories came from Guro’s homeland. ‘The starting point for the ³

‘I WANTED MY HOUSE TO FEEL LIKE A BIG WARM HUG FROM SOMEONE COOL, SO I USED LOTS OF NATURAL MATERIALS LIKE WALNUT, LEATHER, COPPER AND ZINC’

SITTING ROOM Above left A limitededition print by the graphic designer Peter Saville dictated the colour scheme in this room. The aqua sofa bed and orange lamp are from Habitat.

Silver mirror, Laura Ashley.

Grey chair from Ikea

BATHROOM Left The spacious family bathroom has sanitaryware from Victoria Plumb, sink unit and mirrors from Ikea, and vinyl flooring from Galapast. For similar wall tiles, try Savona Anthracite from Victorian Plumbing

MASTER BEDROOM Above The calming scheme in the master bedroom features a navy feature wall with pink accents; for a similar colour, try Crown’s Oxford Blue matt emulsion.

Bed, Loaf. Chair, Argos.

Lamps, Made.com. Pink linen pillowcases, H&M Home

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

79

FOR GREAT CHILDREN’S ROOM IDEAS, HEAD TO REALHOMES. CO.UK

kitchen was a round copper tray that I inherited from my grandma,’ says Guro. ‘It used to hang on her wall and I’ve always loved it. I’d seen a few black kitchens in Norway that I really liked but I didn’t want the scheme to be too dark, which is why I combined dark and light-coloured units.’

Guro was clear from the start that she didn’t want units above worktop height in the main part of the kitchen because she didn’t want the space to feel too closed in.

Open shelving has created an airy look to the scheme and enables Guro to display some of her favourite ceramics and inherited treasures from home. The metal charcoalcoloured shelves from Ikea blend in with the walls, making the pieces on display shine all the more brightly.

The result is a vibrant, sociable space, which works both for family life and for entertaining. ‘The new layout brings our family together,’ adds Guro. ‘I can be making dinner in the kitchen while the children are painting or doing homework at the table. And when we have friends over for dinner, we all mingle around the island with a glass of wine. It’s such a sociable space. We wanted a forever family home and that’s what we’ve got. We love it here.’ ³

OLIVER’S ROOM Above This jungle-themed bedroom enjoys lovely views over the garden. The bedlinen is from H&M Home, the shelving and faux greenery are from Ikea, and the teepee is from Wildfire Teepees

COSTS & CONTACTS Building work £155,000 Kitchen £15,000 Flooring and tiling £10,000 Decorating £10,000 Garden and driveway £8,000 Bathrooms £2,000 TOTAL £200,000 Purchase price in 2010 £450,000 Estimated value in 2017 £850,000 Potential profit £200,000 Architect Yellowbrick Studios, 07855 363004, yellowbrickstudios.co.uk Builder DB Sharp & Sons, 01462 672359, dbsharpandsons.co.uk Furniture Kitchen Planet, 01462 452233, planetfurniture.co.uk

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

81

ELISSIA’S ROOM Below This gorgeous little girl’s room features vibrant wallpaper from British/ Japanese brand Sas and Yosh, a butterfly cushion from Norwegian label Jubel and a star rug from Ikea. The retro dolls on the original fireplace are from Rosita Lollipop.

For similar children’s furniture, try Ikea

PLANS

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

GROUND FLOOR

AFTER

FIRST FLOOR

FAMILY ROOM

BEDROOM BEDROOM

KITCHEN

BEDROOM

UTILITY SHOWER ROOM

WC

RECEPTION

RECEPTION

BATHROOM BEDROOM

BEDROOM

LIVING ROOM

BEDROOM

BATHROOM

BEDROOM

KITCHEN-DINERLIVING ROOM

BEDROOM

NEW LAYOUT A two-metre extension has been added to the rear, and internal walls reconfigured on both floors to create extra space for an open-plan kitchenliving-diner, larger family bathroom, utility and downstairs shower room

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

83

Design edit

Naturally appealing Mix natural materials with touches of copper to get Guro Eide’s warm, Scandi-style look

THE ESSENTIALS

1

From left: Porcelain lustre wood-effect buff FLOOR tiles, W15.4xL60cm, £12.95 per m2, Walls & Floors. Tempest matt emulsion PAINT, £39.50 for 2.5ltrs, Fired Earth. Copper leaf decorative TILES, foil encased in glass, W30xL60cm, £299.95 per m2, Original Style 6

2

COMPILED BY EMILY SMITH

5 3

4 7

8

9

11

10

12

1 Copper Tri Ply 20cm casserole PAN, £28, Wilko 2 Bloomingville aluminum TRAY in green, Dia.40cm, £57, Amara 3 Large glass amber TUMBLER, £24.25, English Antique Glass 4 Ludlow bridge mixer TAP in Antique Bronze, H40cm, £239, Abode 5 Hugo copper pendant LIGHT, H31xDia.25cm, £36.99, My Furniture 6 NORR11 Langue Original Avantgarde leather dining CHAIR with powder-coated steel legs, in Brandy, H78xW50xD51cm, £499, Houseology 7 Disc TABLE with solid ash top and steel legs in black, H75xW210xD90cm, £2,160, Bowles & Bowles 8 Helen Moore medium faux-fur RUG in oyster, W70xL120cm, £140, Black By Design 9 School PENDANT light painted green with polished copper interior, H25xDia.40cm, £479, Original BTC 10 Dutchbone marble top drinks TROLLEY with iron frame and buffalo leather straps, H87xW65xD36cm, £419, Cuckooland 11 Magpie Form MUG, £10, John Lewis 12 NOIR graphite stoneware pasta BOWL, Dia.22cm, £10, Habitat 84

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

‘THE ROOM IS LOVELY AND BRIGHT, AND THE BLUE AND GREY SHADES COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER PERFECTLY, MAKING IT A VERY COMFORTABLE PLACE TO SPEND TIME’

A FAUX CHIMNEY BREAST PROVIDES A STRONG FOCAL POINT IN THE KITCHEN – FOR A SIMILAR MIRRORED SPLASHBACK, TRY SALIGO DESIGN

VAULTED SPACE Painting the walls in French Grey Pale by Little Greene makes the room feel brighter, as do the traditional-style uPVC windows from Elwyns.

The in-frame kitchen is from 1909, with the tall wall units painted in Partridge Grey, and the island and base units in Charcoal. A leathered black granite worktop, from Town & Country Marble, provides a practical work area.

Wood-effect porcelain floor tiles, from BlendART, are a great alternative to timber flooring. For similar bar stools, try the Fallen Fruits industrial heritage tractor seats, from Wayfair. Find a similar pendant light at Davey Lighting. Range cooker, Falcon

Real Homes KITCHEN RELOCATION

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

THE OWNERS

Patricia Howard, a retired estate agent and inventory clerk, lives here with her chocolate Labrador, Murphy THE PROPERTY

A three-bedroom Edwardian coachhouse and stable conversion, in Outwood, Surrey PATRICIA LOVES

WORDS CAROLINE FOSTER PHOTOGRAPHS STUART COX STYLING CAROLINE SELL

English country homes Homesense Lime green Watching DIY SOS Her tractor seat bar stools TOTAL PROJECT COST

£170,800

Patricia Howard turned a former living room with a beautiful vaulted ceiling into a striking, country-inspired kitchen realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

87

ooking for a traditional home with character was top of Patricia’s wish list when she viewed this former coach house and fell in love with its unconventional interior and untapped potential. ‘It had a lovely feel to it and was located in a beautiful area surrounded by National Trust land, which is perfect for long walks with my dog, or was dated but liveable, ooking for a project.’

Patricia, a former estate agent who has renovated numerous properties in the past, lived with the house as it was for a year and began to make plans, which included a top-to-toe renovation and remodelling project. ‘The first building work involved demolishing a stable block opposite the house and building an annexe, which I lived in whilst the major renovations to the house took place,’ she explains.

The original kitchen included old units that had been repainted several colours over the years, and was in a galley-like room that felt cramped. ‘There was no point in replacing the cabinets as I’d never have fitted everything I wanted into such a narrow space,’ she adds. ‘It made sense to relocate the kitchen into what used to be a sitting room, which I never used as it felt vast and chilly with its high ceiling.’

Patricia didn’t feel she needed an architect as her son Nic Howard, who lives nearby, is a garden designer with a passion for renovating properties. He drew up plans to relocate the kitchen and open up a mezzanine level above to create a new snug-cum-office. The original kitchen would be divided to create a larger hallway and third bedroom.

Building work – carried out by a team recommended by Nic – included removing most of the interior walls and installing a new roof, insulation, plumbing, wiring and windows.

Nic also helped with the design and layout of the kitchen, which Patricia wanted to have a classic-yet-contemporary look with a large island. ‘He’s got a great eye for colour and

detail,’ she explains. ‘We visited several showrooms and took inspiration from the displays we saw.’ Nic addressed the need to bring a sense of scale to the large space by designing two extra-tall storage cupboards either side of a window. ‘Normal-height units would have looked ridiculous with the vaulted ceiling,’ Patricia says. ‘I don’t have a utility, so the left-hand unit houses my washing machine, fridge and freezer, with plenty of room to store the detergents.’

Although Patricia employed a local company to build and install her new kitchen cabinetry from 1909 Kitchens, she found the experience frustrating as the fitter left unsightly gaps between units. ‘That installer went bankrupt, but fortunately a freelance fitter eventually put everything right,’ she says. Patricia and Nic chose a dark blue for the island and the cooker surround to anchor the room. ‘The cooker surround and mantle design were inspired by the traditional cooking ranges and inglenooks in Victorian kitchens,’ she adds. ‘While the lighter colour of the tall larder units was chosen to emphasise the beautiful feature window.’

A quirky element of the design is the mezzanine, which is accessed by a wooden staircase and looks out across the vaulted space. ‘The previous owners had blocked it in with a false wall, which we removed,’ Patricia says. ‘I now use it as an office and a reading nook.’

Moving back into her newly renovated home last year gave Patricia a feeling of relief and euphoria, as all her furniture came out of storage and she formally took up residence within the coach house. ‘It was important to me to have a kitchen where I could entertain on a small or large scale, in a room that would feel informal and welcoming for several people or just me,’ she explains. ‘I did try to stick to a budget, but the windows and underfloor heating took me over. I have no regrets, however, because the room always feels warm, even on the coldest winter’s day.’

The success of the project has certainly been a family affair. ‘I couldn’t have achieved this without Nic’s input, and our first Christmas here was the icing on the cake,’ she adds.

‘After a year of upheaval, I have a gorgeous kitchen I spend all my time in and I can finally call this house my home.’

PLANS

COSTS & CONTACTS Building work £112,000 Windows £27,000 Kitchen units £26,000 Flooring £3,000 Kitchen worktops £ 2,800 TOTAL £170,800

AFTER

KITCHEN

Design Nic Howard, 01883 744020, we-love-plants.co.uk Builders MSCH construction, mschconstruction.co.uk Marble worktop Town & Country Marble, 01293 824 246, townandcountrymarble-redhill.co.uk Kitchen 1909 Kitchens, 1909kitchens.co.uk

88

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

DINING AREA

NEW LOCATION The kitchen was relocated from a cramped, narrow room into a large former sitting room with vaulted ceiling.

A mezzanine level above was opened up to become a snug, with a cosy dining area beneath

MEZZANINE

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

DINING AREA Above left Patricia bought her dining table and chairs at Ardingly International Antiques and Collectors’ Fair; for similar, try the Vintage Rustic dining table from Etsy, and Aged Oak Bistro chairs, from Maisons du Monde. Cushions, from John Lewis and Ikea

MEZZANINE LEVEL Above right and below left Removing a stud wall has opened up the mezzanine; for a similar staircase, try Neville Johnson. For a blue sideboard, try the Cidre from Loaf. For a duck egg armchair, try Laura Ashley.

Floor cushions, Homesense.

Armchair, Wesley Barrell. For similar rugs, try The Rug Seller

AFTER

THIS MASKROS FLORAL PENDANT LIGHT SHADE COSTS JUST £50 FROM IKEA

BEFORE

DATED SPACE Below right The original kitchen included old units that had been painted numerous times and was in an narrow, L-shaped room that felt cramped.

The living room benefitted from a vaulted ceiling but was cold, with old windows and poor insulation

Design edit

Modern country Use Patricia Howard’s kitchen to inspire a contemporary take on traditional style in your home

THE ESSENTIALS From left: Deep Space Blue intelligent eggshell PAINT, £59 for 2.5ltrs, Little Greene. Series Woods Professional laminate FLOORING in Grey Oak, W18.8x L137.5cm, £15 per m2, UK Flooring Direct. Diamond Fall Granite WORKTOP, bespoke sizes, D3cm, £750 per m2, Gerald Culliford

3 4

ALSO AVAILABLE IN A MATT BLACK FINISH 1 2

6

7

10 5

8

9

1 Academy five-light PENDANT in stainless steel, H45-191xW110xD30cm, £504, Där Lighting 2 Laverne teak and mahogany LADDER, H217xW56cm, £255, Out There Interiors 3 Woodcroft weathered oak DINING CHAIR with rattan seat, H89xW51xD40cm, £165, One World 4 Wickes Toba mono mixer kitchen TAP in chrome, H24cm, £89.60, Wickes 5 Canterbury SIDEBOARD and dresser with glass doors in silk grey and dark pine, H190xW140xD45cm, £399, Noa & Nani 6 Hornchurch reclaimed wood DINING TABLE, H76xW180xD90cm, £679, Willis & Gambier 7 Topsy yellow patterned CUSHION, £15, Habitat 8 Revival mini RADIO in duck egg, £149.99, Roberts Radio 9 Industrial-style metal BAR STOOL, H78xDia.51cm, £145, Alexander & Pearl 10 Bourbon vintage cabinet in dark blue with poplar wood legs, H80xW90xD45cm, £279, Made.com 90

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

COMPILED BY SOPHIE WARREN-SMITH

EDITOR LOVES

Real Homes INSPIRATION

STYLISH KITCHENS

Totide ceramic and beech wall clock, H32xDia.20cm, £95, Nisi Living

Take your pick from three of the latest trends and make them work in your home with these beautiful buys White Geo splashback in Cherry, W60xL60cm, £270, The Maple Collection at Emma Britton

TREND 1

NATURAL TEXTURES Cherished Mix chevron wood-effect porcelain wall and floor tiles, W60xL120cm, £49.95 per m2, Walls & Floors

Ferguson Farmhouse oak bar stool, H81xW42xD36cm, £133, Sweetpea & Willow

Wood, leather and glass will create a warm feel in any kitchen – combine with terracottas, greens and exposed brickwork

FEATURE AMELIA SMITH

Normann Copenhagen Block side table/drinks trolley, in Dusty Green with ash legs, H64xW50xD35cm, £169.90, Black by Design

Iris pendant light in walnut, from £395 for H35xDia.55cm, Macmaster

Above Hampton H Line kitchen in Spring Meadow with Madoc Border Oak, from £7,500 for a complete kitchen, Masterclass

Dark Oak solid wood breakfast bar, W90x L200cm, £439, Wickes

Osternas tanned leather handle, L15cm, £15 for two, Ikea

FOR 10 WAYS TO CUT THE COST OF YOUR KITCHEN, VISIT REAL HOMES.CO.UK realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

93

The Real Shaker kitchen with cupboards painted in Lead, from £12,000, Devol

CHOOSE BRIGHT TILES TO MAKE A FEATURE BEHIND YOUR RANGE COOKER

TREND 2

MODERN SHAKER This classic style has been given a revamp – combine with patterned tiles, metallic hardware and quaint accessories for a homely, vintage-inspired look

LSA International utility cheese dome in Pumpkin Orange with an ash base, H10.5xDia.20cm, £40, Black by Design

Madeira fine stoneware mug, £8, Escapeology

Bologna porcelain wall and floor tile, W31.6xL31.6cm, £39.50 per m2, The Baked Tile Company

Britannia classic mono sink mixer in Antique Bronze, H25cm, £79.95, Victorian Plumbing

Bauhaus hexagonal brass drawer knobs in (from top) Farrier Bronze, Forgotten Silver and Raw Brass, Dia.3.2cm, £10.99 each, Dowsing & Reynolds

Pechara glass and nickel pendant light, H22xDia.18cm, £106.80, Där Lighting

Emma Bridgewater Game Bird tea towel, W46xL70cm, £10, Daisy Park

Spindle beech bar stool in Charcoal, H103xW45xD45cm, £230, Garden Trading

Langton kitchen in Old Navy and Soft Grey, from £18,000, Burbidge

Detroit copper pendant lamp, H28xDia.51cm, £149, Noxu Home Tuscan Dawn 5104 quartz worktop in D1.3-3cm, from £300 per m2, Caesarstone

Mini Moderns enamelware kettle in Chalkhill Blue, H20xW19xD17cm, £39.95, Wild & Wolf Garlic clay bowl, Dia.12cm, £28, The Shop Floor Project

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

95

Vinca cushion sheet vinyl flooring in W2-4m, £22 per m2, Leoline

Envoy tap in Black Matt, H33.3cm, £346.60, Blanco

Oriental drinks trolley in mango wood, H75xW69xD44cm, £289, Atkin & Thyme

Carib gold marble worktop in bespoke sizes, £440 per m2, Gerald Culliford

Delia kitchen in Grege, from £8,000, Mobalpa

TREND 3

Wolo vinyl flooring in W1.4m, £59 per m2, Atrafloor

Georgie Boy plastic bar stool, H97xW54xD50cm, £150, Smithers of Stamford

Sarson blackened circled brass pull handle, from £7 for L9.5cm, £9, Rowan & Wren

BLACK & WHITE Pittsburgh iron pendant light, H26xDia.20cm, £86, Noxu Home

Monochrome is always in style – pair with a patterned tiled floor and worktop for a modern twist

Monochrome porcelain utensil pot, H13xDia.12cm, £22.50, Audenza

Batik patterned ceramic wall tile in black, W10xL10cm, £54.99 per m2, Topps Tiles

Moda Aviator armchair in black faux leather, H79xW58xD46cm, £159, Cult Furniture 97

Real Homes BATHROOM RENOVATION

TOUCH OF LUXURY Janet and Christopher Wilkins turned an unused bedroom into a spa-like bathroom with an adjoining dressing room BEFORE

WORDS CAROLINE FOSTER PHOTOGRAPHS CHRIS SNOOK

NEUTRAL SPACE Fourteen years after the couple moved in to the house, they decided to sacrifice this guest bedroom to create a luxury en suite

98

WHEN

Janet and Christopher first moved into their new-build house in East Sussex in 2002, they loved its spacious feel and freshly decorated interior.

However, after 14 years, the couple decided that it was time to update the bathrooms, which were showing signs of wear and tear. ‘I’d always wanted my own dressing room so it was the perfect opportunity to rethink the layout of the first floor,’ Janet explains. ‘We sketched out plans to turn the existing en suite into a dressing area, accessed from our master bedroom, and decided to sacrifice one of the guest bedrooms to create a much larger en suite.’ ³

‘Choosing high-end tiles took us over our initial budget, but I have no regrets – this isn’t just a bathroom, it’s my luxurious sanctuary’ JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

AFTER

A LARGE WALK-IN SHOWER WAS DESIGNED IN A WET ROOM STYLE, WITH A DIVIDING WALL AND GLASS SCREEN SEPARATING IT FROM THE BATH

BATHING BEAUTY A freestanding oval-shaped bath was chosen as the real statement piece within the new bathroom. Zeus Correro bath, Ashton Bentley. PuraVida bath spout, Hansgrohe.

Silk Georgette stone wall tiles and Wood White porcelain plank-effect floor tiles, The Brighton Bathroom Company.

Quill towel radiators, from Bisque, are teamed with underfloor heating, from Warmup

Team building

Janet used Google to find the right design team for the job, focusing her search on local businesses. ‘We wanted a company that could design and project manage all the building trades on our behalf,’ she explains. ‘I came across The Brighton Bathroom Company and was impressed with its online reviews. We met with the designer, Louise Home, who was immediately on our wavelength and impressed us with her product knowledge and design flair, making suggestions we’d never have considered.’

The couple are convinced that choosing one firm to manage the refurbishment from conception through to completion was key to the success of their renovation project. ‘The company’s managing director, Chris Burton, visited us once a week to discuss progress and to keep the 12-week time schedule on track,’ Janet recalls. ‘We had one small delay when the tile delivery was held up in Spain, but Chris rescheduled other aspects of the job to keep everything moving along.’

Relocating the plumbing from the old en suite into the new bathroom and removing part of the wall to create a new doorway were the only aspects of the project that caused minor disruption to the couple. ‘There’s always the inevitable dust and some noise; it’s to be expected,’ Janet says. ‘However, the builders were very considerate and always cleared up at the end of each day.’

THE OWNERS

Janet Wilkins, who works in marketing, lives here with husband Christopher, who is retired THE PROPERTY

A six-bedroom detached house, built in 2002, in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex JANET LOVES

Her huge shower Shopping at Heal’s Pale grey Alexander McQueen Traditional with a modern twist Glyndebourne TOTAL PROJECT COST

£59,083

PLANS

BEFORE

AFTER

Space to relax EN SUITE

GUEST BEDROOM

DRESSING ROOM

EN SUITE

NEW LAYOUT The existing en suite to the master bedroom has been turned into a dressing room, and an unused guest bedroom was sacrificed to create a larger en suite

COSTS & CONTACTS Installation £15,758 Basins, marble vanity top and furniture £15,736 Tiles £9,815 Bath £3,572 Shower fittings £3,372 Lighting £3,083 Radiators £2,146 Shower tray £1,411 Basin mixers £1,231 WC £858 Underfloor heating £838 Accessories £815 Shower screen £658 Mirrors £628 TOTAL £59,083

Design & build The Brighton Bathroom Company, 01444 882889, thebrightonbathroomcompany.co.uk Lighting The Light Works, 01302 741941, the-lightworks.com Fixtures Hansgrohe, 01372 472 001, hansgrohe.co.uk

100

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

With the large former guest bedroom allocated for the new en suite, Janet’s must-have item was a freestanding, ovalshaped bath that she’d seen in The Brighton Bathroom Company’s showroom. ‘It’s so sculptural and is really the centrepiece of the room,’ she adds. ‘We’re not overlooked by any neighbouring houses, so it’s lovely to lie in the bath and look out across the tree line without the need for obscured glass in the windows.’

A large walk-in shower was designed in a wet room style, with a clever dividing wall acting as a partition between the shower and bath. A bespoke glass screen was installed, which contains the water without dividing the room in half. ‘I particularly like the alcoves that were built into the shower and dividing wall,’ Janet says. ‘There’s downlighting within the recesses, which adds subtle mood lighting, and they’re useful for storage.’

A detailed lighting plan, which was devised by designer Louise, includes a layered approach, with dimmable ceiling LEDs, recessed downlighters and traditional-style wall lights in both the bathroom and dressing room.

Designer dressing room

Louise encouraged Janet to look at Pinterest, which helped with the final design details for both rooms. ‘I found the idea for the mirrored wardrobe door panels in a photo of a Manhattan flat, which was incorporated into the dressing room cupboard doors,’ says Janet. ‘I love having a dressing room of my own and the built-in wardrobes give me all the storage space I need.’ Painting both the wardrobes and bespoke vanity unit in a lavender finish adds a colourful accent within the otherwise grey interior.

Now the dressing room and en suite are complete, Janet loves the calming, spa-like environment. ‘If I’ve had a busy day I just retreat up here and de-stress,’ she says. ‘The high-end tiles did take us over our initial budget, but I have no regrets. This isn’t just a bathroom, it’s my luxurious sanctuary and was a fantastic investment.’

‘I found the idea for the mirrored door panels in a photo of a Manhattan flat on Pinterest. I love having a dressing room of my own and the bespoke built-in wardrobes give me all the storage space I need’ DRESSING AREA Above Bespoke fitted furniture from The Brighton Bathroom Company, painted the same shade as the vanity unit in the en suite, provides a luxury feel to Janet’s dressing room, with mirrored panels making the room appear larger and reflecting natural light; for a similar paint colour, try Wonderland from Crown GLAMOROUS UNIT Left A marble countertop and periodstyle lighting add a touch of glamour to the en suite. Bespoke vanity cabinet with Carrara marble top, plus Hansgrohe PuraVida basin mixers, and bespoke bevelled mirror, all from The Brighton Bathroom Company. Silver Chiffon ornate wall lights, Burlington. Ceiling downlights and shower area feature lights, The Light Works TILE STYLE Right Raindance ceiling-mounted shower head with light and PuraVida hand shower, both Hansgrohe. Bespoke shower screen and wet room system, The Brighton Bathroom Company FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

101

Design edit

Vanity sink units Boost your bathroom’s storage potential with one of these practical and stylish designs, just like Janet Wilkins has done

2

1 3

COMES IN ANY DULUX TRADE OR HERITAGE COLOUR

6 5 4

8

9

1 Aquatrend City two-drawer wall unit in Grey Oak with ceramic basin, H50xW79.4xD45.5cm, £545, Frontline Bathrooms 2 Citterio cabinet for lay-on washbasin with side storage, H54xW118xD50cm, £1,997; Citterio counter-top washbasin with no overflow, H16xW56xD40cm, £502, both Geberit 3 Svelte 60 unit in American Walnut with cast mineral marble basin, H52xW59.5xD45.3cm, £1,090, Crosswater 4 Zen high-gloss floorstanding vanity unit and basin, H80.5xW61xD48cm, £189.97, Bathroom Takeaway 5 Dalby double wooden vanity with Tuscany bowls and granite top in a painted grey finish, H92xW108xD54cm, £1,282, Albion Bath Company 6 Hampstead basin with Caversham wall-hung unit in Graphite, H44xW70xD45cm, £220 (basin), £495 (unit), Heritage Bathrooms 7 Bastide washstand 1170 in Blue Ashes finish and ivory lavastone worktop, H85xW117xD55cm, £2,580, Fired Earth 8 Lavari Ferne walnut-effect vanity unit and basin, H80xW57.5xD45cm, £219.99, Argos 9 Gutviken/Lillången/Viskan washbasin cabinet with two doors and two end units in white and grey, H87xW82xD40cm, £165, Ikea

102

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

COMPILED BY SOPHIE WARREN SMITH

7

Real Homes ADVERTORIAL

WARM UP YOUR HOME THIS WINTER Discover the benefits of underfloor heating and create a cosy, comfortable home as temperatures outside plummet

U

nderfloor heating has become increasingly popular among home renovators, particularly for use in bathrooms and open-plan living spaces. There are systems available for almost every project and type of house, helping you create a warm, cosy feeling underfoot, which is all the more desirable during the chilly winter months. The experts at Warmup carried out research and discovered homeowners choosing underfloor heating over radiators reap the following rewards:

Underfloor heating is perfect for use in bathrooms and en suites, creating a warm feel underfoot that’s all the more welcome on a cold winter’s day

1. Even heat distribution Underfloor heating warms the floor from below the surface and distributes the heat evenly across the entire heated area. This keeps the room at a comfortable temperature and ensures the air in the room remains fresh, unlike radiators, which often overheat one area and can leave the air feeling stuffy.

2. Cost-efficient heating There are some misconceptions about the price of running underfloor heating. When accompanied with a heating controller designed for underfloor heating, it is actually a more cost-efficient system to run than traditional radiators.

The system does not overheat, meaning no energy is wasted, which can lead to savings of up to 15 per cent on an average UK family’s annual heating bill.

3. Suitable for every project Underfloor heating can be installed whenever you’re renovating a room and changing the floor surface.

Electric systems are the most popular when it comes to renovations as they don’t raise the floor level. Water underfloor heating systems are more cost efficient to run than electric, but you’ll need to ask your heating supplier to estimate the change of floor height that will be needed.

4. Maximise wall space Whether you’re using underfloor heating as a primary source of heating or a secondary source in a bathroom or kitchen, you’ll free up wall space by having no radiators.

As the heating is concealed within the floor, you’ll be free to use your wall space for the best furniture layout, as well as hanging lots of statement artwork and accessories.

To view Warmup’s full range, visit warmup.co.uk or call 0345 345 2288.

Right Warmup’s DCM-PRO electric underfloor heating system protects your floor tiles from cracking

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

103

Real Homes INSPIRATION

BEAUTIFUL BATHROOMS

Contemporary warm oak ceramic tiles, W24.5xL90cm, £25.95 per m2, Walls & Floors

2097 chrome chandelier, H72xDia.88,cm, £1,191.56, Christopher Wray

We’ve rounded up three key bathroom trends for 2018 – here’s how to make them work in your home

Burlington Classic vitreous china basin with chrome stand, H89xW65xD57.5cm, £678.30, Victorian Plumbing

Tubby Too Iso-enamel bath, H79xW65xL147cm, £2,061, The Albion Bath Company

Blosson ceramic field tile, W13xL13cm, £79.95 per m2, The Winchester Tile Company

Copper-effect ceramic tumbler, H12xDia.8cm, £3, George Home

TREND 1

Bliss Lock N Roll suction shower soap dish, H5.7xW13xD10cm, £10, John Lewis

MODERN HERITAGE

Combine a roll-top bath with chandeliers and metallic accents to create a truly luxurious room to relax in

Chalfont floorstanding towel rail in chrome, H150xW50cm, £1,491.60, The Radiator Company

FEATURE AMELIA SMITH

Lene Bjerre gold-coloured aluminium Milly mirror, H63x W63cm, £245, Sweetpea & Willow

Astonian Roma cast-iron roll-top bath, H61xW77xL154cm, £1,062,98, Aston Matthews Wisley on Snape ceramic glazed tile, W7.5xL15cm, £330 per m2, Original Style

Edwardian chrome bath filler, H14cm, £145, Frontline Bathrooms realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

105

TREND 2 INTRODUCE THE LOOK OF REAL STONE WITH NONE OF THE MAINTENANCE

AU NATURAL A bathroom filled with natural textures – from wood and stone to bamboo and rattan – along with an earthy colour palette, will create a spa-like space where you can unwind

Stone Tierra wall tiles in porcelain with a matt finish, W30xL60cm, £11.99 per m2, and Sandalo Taupe natural wood-effect floor tiles, W23.5xL66.3cm, £14.99 per m2, Tile Mountain

Mixing Bathroom+ soft sheen paint in Misty Mirror, £29.39 for 2.5ltrs, Dulux

am Lyth

woo de nw al l m

3cm, £355, The C ia.8 h a ,D nd or el irr ie

Serac Samphire marble wall and floor tiles, W30xL45cm, £23.99 per tile, Topps Tiles

r&

Green Lux 40 sit-on ceramic basin in Satin Green, H14xW40xD40cm, £588, Catalano

mpany r Co rro Mi

Wireworks Mezza bathroom caddy in light oak, H84xW22xD26cm, £120, Amaroni Home

Relaxdays freestanding bamboo towel holder, H105xW40xD27cm, £31.99, Amazon

Arabescato veined white marble-effect polished tiles, W60xL60cm, porcelain, £36.95 per m2, Walls & Floors

Krea Alamo Asheffect porcelain tiles, W20xL120cm, £54.95 per m2, and Montblanc white ceramic tiles, W30x L75cm, £54.95 per m2, Original Style Driftwood wallpaper mural, £36 per m2, Murals Wallpaper

Hereford ribbed glass globe pendant, H60xDia.16cm, £230, Fritz Fryer

APPLY A FLAT MATT VARNISH FOR EXTRA PROTECTION Coed anti-slip bambu floor, W15xL60cm, £74.50 per m2, The Baked Tile Company

Rustic rattan scoop-armed chair, H83.5xW69.5xD52cm, £189, The Farthing

Teardrop Grande stone composite bath, H48xW82xL191cm, £2,195, Clearwater Baths

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

107

TREND 3

SHARP & SLEEK Clean lines, contrasting colours and contemporary shapes make for a simple, practical and contemporary look

Grey Fusion bathroom furniture with gloss grey finish – vanity unit, H86xW60xD36cm, £261; Harmony semi-recessed basin, H17xW50xD44cm, £79; mirror cabinet, H72xW60xD18cm, £272; wall unit, H72xW50xD18cm, £204; and Sloane designer radiator, H180x W35cm, £384, all Hudson Reed

Archer Arrow pattern vinyl flooring in 1.4m widths, £59 per m2,, Atrafloor

Nero shower column in matt black, H71-122xW30xD50cm £575, Frontline Bathrooms

EX.t Gus metal washstand with ceramic basin, H85xW54.5xD40cm, £1,246.80, C.P. Hart

Tratto steel towel radiator, H120xW45xD33cm, from £2,203.20, The Radiator Company

Ferm Living Kelim wool and cotton rug, W80xL140cm, £99, Nest

Euroshowers rectangular mirror with minimalist frame, H50xW75cm, £129.55, Victorian Plumbing

Coco vanity unit with mineral-cast basin, H87xW121xD51cm, £2,162; and Coco illuminated mirror cabinet, H70xW120x D17cm, £2,039, both Ripples Yamazaki tower bath towel hanger in powder-coated steel, H75xW65xD15cm, £66, Black by Design Naïve solid ash chair, H82xW39xD49cm, £195, Urban Avenue Square swivel matt black basin mixer, H18.5cm, £229, Meir Black

THIS GIVES YOU THE FLEXIBILITY TO CHANGE YOUR LAYOUT EASILY IN THE FUTURE

Vigore natural stone bath, H55.5xW75xL170cm, £2,525, The Pure Bathroom Collection

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

109

TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY, SEE THE WEBSITE FOR FULL DETAILS. OFFER ENDS 31 DECEMBER 2017. GIFT AVAILABLE UNTIL STOCKS LAST AND ONLY AVAILABLE ON DIRECT DEBIT. OFFICE OPENING HOURS: MON-THURS 9AM-5PM; FRI 9AM-4.30PM

EXCLUSIVE OFFER

SUBSCRIBE FOR Here at Real Homes, we’re passionate about houses. The whole team is in the middle of a

S Y, THI HURR OFFER GREAT ON 31 ENDS ER 2017 B DECEM

project – from planning their dream kitchen extension to choosing the perfect bathroom mirror. And that’s why we’re perfectly placed to guide you through your home transformation. Subscribe today and we’ll be there to offer advice and inspiration, whether you’re worried about getting planning permission or not sure which light pendant goes in your new

PLUS, GET A STYL FREE GIFT WORT ISH H £21

bedroom. Subscribe today and you’ll get 12 issues for just £30 – plus a stylish free passport cover for your New Year travels!

It’s easy to subscribe, simply GO ONLINE AT MYFAVOURITEMAGAZINES.CO.UK/RHJAN18 Laura Crombie Editor

CALL US ON 0344 848 2852*

Real Homes ADVICE

10

WAYS TO CUT YOUR

ENERGY BILLS

1

From easy updates to long-term solutions, these ideas will help you save money and make your home more efficient

FEATURE BETH MURTON

Draught-proof your home

Preventing heat escaping from your home is essential to minimise your energy bills, so look out for any unwanted gaps that could allow warm air out. Common problem areas include around windows, doors, key holes and letterboxes, spaces between floorboards, gaps around loft hatches and open fireplaces. Most basic draughtproofing products can be fitted on a DIY basis, and simple solutions include self-adhesive sealant strips for use around the edges of windows, doors and loft hatches; the addition of letterbox plates and keyhole covers; draught excluders for the bottom of doors; flexible fillers for use between floorboards; and chimney balloons, which can be inflated within an open fireplace when it’s not in use to stop warm air escaping up the chimney. i What will it cost? Foam self-adhesive draught excluder costs £5 for a 10-metre roll from B&Q.

i How much will I save? Draught-proofing doors and windows can save around £25 per year.

2

Invest in energy-efficient glazing

As well as insulating the walls, roof and floor of your house, it’s also important to consider the thermal performance of your windows to ensure you’re not paying for heat that will simply escape through your glazing. ‘Every new window is assessed to measure how well it prevents heat loss, keeps draughts out and how well it absorbs natural free energy from the sun,’ explains Tom Allen, head of product development at Anglian Home Improvements.

‘This combination of factors gives an overall energy rating for the window.’ Ratings range from A++ to E, with A++ being the highest. A rating of C or above is essential for all new or replacement windows in order for them to comply with building regulations. If you live in a period ³

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

113

home and want to maintain the appearance of original glazing, such as sash windows, secondary glazing could be a cost-effective option. This can be fitted inside the original windows and can even be lifted out when it’s not required during the warmer summer months. i What will it cost? i i i What will it cost? Replacing single glazing with a doubleglazed uPVC unit will cost around £250 per square metre. i How much can I save? According to The Energy Saving Trust, adding A+ rated double glazing to an entirely single-glazed, gas-heated detached home could save you £110 per year.

3

Go for LED lighting

LED lights are the most practical, energy-efficient choice for your home, using up to 90 per cent less energy than traditional halogen bulbs. While the upfront cost of an LED bulb might be more than a comparative halogen bulb, they cost far less to run and last much longer, with LED Hut advising that standard LED bulbs have a lifespan of around 25,000 hours, compared to 3,000 hours for a halogen equivalent. Most halogen bulbs can simply be switched for an LED version, too, making it easy to upgrade your existing light fittings. i What will it cost? LED bulbs from LED Hut start from £3.30 each. i How much can I save? Lighting accounts for around 15 per cent of a typical household’s electricity bill, and The Energy Saving Trust estimates that switching all your bulbs to LED versions could save you £35 per year.

5

* SOURCE: ENERGY SAVING TRUST

Upgrade your boiler

A boiler that is 15 or more years old is likely to be around 70 per cent efficient, meaning that for every pound spent on fuel, 30p is wasted.

‘Older boilers are also likely to have a standing pilot light, which could cost in the region of £50-60 per year just to keep going,’ explains Martyn Bridges, from Worcester Bosch. ‘Updating your heating system to an A-rated condensing boiler could make your system more than 90 per cent efficient.

Add a weather- and load-compensating control and you could see a further four per cent of savings.’ It’s also important to install and use the correct controls for your heating system as this will ensure it doesn’t have to work any harder than it needs to, which will make it as efficient as possible. i What will it cost? Worcester Bosch’s Greenstar CDi Compact combi boiler is suitable for properties of all sizes with one or two bathrooms.

You can expect to pay around £2,500, including installation, depending on the size of property, location and the work involved. i How much can I save? According to Worcester Bosch, upgrading to a high-efficiency condensing boiler with appropriate controls could cut your energy bills by around £235 and save over one tonne of CO2 each year.

QUICK FIX Turning down your central heating thermostat by just one degree can save around £80 per year on your heating bills

4

Install loft insulation

If your loft isn’t insulated, a quarter of the heat in your home will be escaping through the roof, so this is one of the first changes you should make to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Insulation is typically fitted between and over the joists of your loft floor, and, in most cases, it can be done on a DIY basis. The recommended depth of insulation is 27cm, although, as a general rule, the deeper the insulation, the less heat you’ll lose through the roof. If you already have insulation in your loft but it doesn’t meet the minimum depth guidelines, you can simply install additional insulation on top. Blanket insulation is the most readily available and comes as rolls of different thickness materials; mineral wool (made from glass or rock fibre) is the most common type, although options such as eco-friendly sheep’s wool insulation are also available. i What will it cost? Loft insulation typically has a lifespan of around 40 years, and average costs for having it fitted in a three-bedroom, semidetached home are around £300. i How much can I save? According to Which?, adding loft insulation could reduce your energy bills by around £240 per year, meaning it typically has a payback time of less than two years.

6

Choose efficient appliances

From dishwashers and fridge-freezers to washing machines and tumble dryers, the number of appliances we use in our homes on a daily basis contributes a significant amount to our overall energy bills.

According to Which?, fridge-freezers account for around 20 per cent of the electricity used in our home, making them the biggest contributor to energy bills after heating. All new electrical appliances need to display a ‘traffic light’ energy efficiency rating label, showing dark green (A+++ rated) as the most efficient, and red products as the least efficient, so look at these carefully when choosing your new appliance. The label also shows the annual energy consumption for the product in kWh, making it even easier to compare the efficiency of different designs. i What will it cost? The A+++ rated Samsung RB31FERNBSS 60cm fridge-freezer costs £619.99 from John Lewis. i How much can I save? The most energy-efficient new fridge-freezer in recent Which? tests costs just £30 a year to run, while the most expensive to run was £115. It means you could make annual savings of up to £85 a year by choosing the most energy-efficient design. ³

DID YOU KNOW? A dripping tap can waste up to 5,500 litres of water a year*, so fix any leaks as soon as possible

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

115

7

Add wall insulation

In an uninsulated house, around a third of the heat will be escaping through the walls, so adding the right type of insulation can have a huge impact on the overall comfort of your home. If your property was built after around 1920, it’s likely that you’ll have cavity walls, which means you can have insulation injected into the empty space between the inner and outer brickwork. As this can usually be done externally, there’s minimal disruption to the property.

If you don’t have cavity walls, the other option is to fit solid wall insulation, which can be added to either the interior or exterior of your walls. Fitting it internally can be a good option if you’re also completing a large-scale renovation and remodel as there will be significant disruption, so it’s often best to complete it at the same time as other building work.

You’ll also need to consider that you will lose floor space within a room once the additional insulation has been added to the interior walls.

External insulation is a more expensive option and involves fixing insulation to the exterior walls and then typically covering it with a render or cladding material. i What will it cost? According to the National Insulation Association, adding cavity wall insulation to a semidetached home will cost around £475.

Depending on the size of the house, internal wall insulation will range from £4,000 to £13,000, and external wall insulation from £8,000 to £22,000. i How much can I save? Adding cavity wall insulation to a semidetached home can save you up to £155 per year, and solid wall insulation can save up to £260 per year, according to research from the National Insulation Association.

9

8

Opt for low-flow taps

When you consider that around 15 per cent of a typical home’s energy bill is as a result of heating the water for showers and taps, reducing your water usage is always a good idea, especially if you’re on a water meter. Consider retrofitting flow limiters to your existing taps (try Tapstore.com for a range of products), and, when choosing a new shower or taps, look out for designs that come with a built-in flow limiter.

Aerated showers and taps that automatically enrich the water with thousands of air bubbles are also a clever solution, creating the feel of a fast flow rate while actually using far less water. i What will it cost? The Mike Pro basin tap, £199 from Crosswater, is fitted with flow regulators, giving a flow rate of just three litres per minute. i How much can I save? According to the Energy Saving Trust, if you’re a family of four and swap an inefficient showerhead for a water-efficient one, you could knock around £75 off your gas bills and around £120 off your water bills (if you have a water meter) each year, giving you a potential total saving of around £195.

10

Switch energy supplier

DON’T DELAY uSwitch research found that more than a fifth of households don’t submit regular energy meter readings to their supplier, risking inaccurate bills. Two thirds of Brits found they were owed £161 on average, once they provided a reading

Use smart heating controls

Unlike smart meters, which simply monitor and report on energy used, smart thermostats can intelligently assess how much energy a home is using and make automatic changes to help reduce this.

They can learn how warm you like your home and assess how to reach this temperature efficiently, and will also turn off the heating when you leave the house so it isn’t being heated unnecessarily. As the thermostats can be controlled by your smartphone, you can access your heating controls remotely, giving you greater flexibility on how you program your heating. i What will it cost? The Nest Learning thermostat costs from £219 (£269 with professional installation). i How much can I save? According to Nest, using one of its Learning Thermostats can result in annual savings of up to £353.

116

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

Shopping around for the best energy tariff to suit your needs can be an effective way to reduce your bills. Start by comparing tariffs from various suppliers to find the cheapest option – the easiest way to do this is using one of the many price comparison websites, such as uSwitch, Money Supermarket and Compare the Market. You’ll need to decide if you want a flexible deal that you can leave at any date; a fixed-rate option, where you sign up for a specific period; or perhaps you’re simply after the cheapest current deal available at the time. According to energy supplier Toto Energy, once you’ve changed your supplier and set up your new plan, it’s worth checking out different energy deals every year to make sure that you’re not losing out. If you’re set up on a fixed plan, then note down the end date so that you can start shopping around a couple of months beforehand to try and find a better deal. i What will it cost? Providing you’re not on a fixed-term deal, there shouldn’t be an exit fee to leave your existing contract, but always check with your current supplier to make sure. Rules from energy watchdog Ofgem state that if you leave your contract 49 days or less before it’s due to end, then your provider can’t charge you. i How much can I save? This will depend on your current deal, but Claire Osborne, an energy expert at uSwitch, advises that you could save up to as much as £618 by switching to a better deal.

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

Real Homes ADVICE

YOUR GUIDE TO

VINYL FLOORING Comfortable, warm underfoot and water resistant, vinyl is a fail-safe flooring choice for every room in your home

How is vinyl flooring made? i The latest vinyls are designed to both look and feel like the material they are mimicking, such as wood or stone, which means you can get a convincing finish for a fraction of the price of the real thing. Vinyl flooring is formed of different layers; usually a scratch- and stain-proof top layer covers a décor layer, beneath which is a core layer, a stabilising layer and an impact-resistant backing. This results in a thin flooring that is also water-resistant, soft to walk on, and offers sound-reducing properties, all at an affordable price.

Before you buy, check the thickness of any recommended underlay, the wear layer of the vinyl

TIP DIY fitting? Vinyl flooring needs to acclimatise in the room where it is to be installed for at least 24 hours before laying – and the finished floor will only look good if the sub-floor is clean, dry and level itself, and that of any foam backing – better-quality designs can improve noise reduction, durability, comfort underfoot, and reduce heat loss.

FEATURE LUCY SEARLE

Which vinyl do I choose? i Sheet vinyl (also known as cushion vinyl) comes on a roll 2m, 3m or 4m wide, with narrower widths usually fitted in smaller rooms, such as bathrooms or hallways, and larger sizes in bigger spaces, such as kitchen-diners or living spaces.

Generally less expensive than vinyl tiles, its biggest advantage is that it’s

seam-free, meaning it is impermeable, making it perfect for spaces that get drenched, such as shower rooms. The downside? Being a single sheet of material, it has to be entirely replaced if part of it gets damaged.

Luxury vinyl tiles (sometimes called modular vinyl) come in plank or tile form. These designs can be more expensive than sheet vinyl, but they tend to look more convincingly realistic, and allow you to be more creative with any patterns you may want to create. Damaged vinyl tiles can also be removed and replaced by DIYers without the need for the whole floor being lifted. The tiles are waterresistant but their seams mean they aren’t impermeable like sheet vinyl.

Fitting vinyl flooring i Sheet vinyl flooring is cut to size then glued to the sub-floor at the edges. Most manufacturers recommend professional fitters install sheet vinyl because the measurements need to be extremely accurate, and even the smallest cutting mistake can result in an imperfect finish or a huge waste of material. However, it could be done by a skilled DIYer, especially if it’s in a small, uncomplicated room.

Vinyl tiles are easier to DIY fit, which can help balance the budget if you have chosen a more expensive design. Floating vinyl tiles are installed over a suitable underlay (your manufacturer will recommend one), usually with a simple tongue and groove click system. Or, you can choose tiles that are glued down.

Before you buy, check that the sub-floor is suitable for the vinyl you have chosen; the finished floor will only look good if the sub-floor is clean, dry and level. Floorboards may need

over-boarding with plywood to create a smooth surface, and tiled or concrete floors may need a thin screed to take out imperfections.

Adding underfloor heating i Vinyl flooring is an excellent thermal conductor, making it suitable for installation over low-temperature underfloor heating (UFH). Before you buy, check that the UFH, the vinyl design and the installation type are paired with the correct sub-floor preparation and underlay, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when operating your UFH for the first time to give the floor chance to adjust to increased heat levels over a few days. See realhomes.co.uk for more on underfloor heating.

Maintaining vinyl floors i The protective lacquer on vinyl flooring makes maintenance easy.

Remove dirt regularly by vacuuming or sweeping; and use a damp mop and well-diluted washing-up liquid to remove spots and stains. Avoid steam cleaning, and protect your vinyl from intense sunlight, which may cause fading.

TIP Vinyl flooring trends tend to mimic those of real flooring, so look out for rustic, oilfinished oak parquet-effects, and concrete, real stone and encaustic tile lookalikes. Heavy textures to show off a wood grain-look and bevelled edges to create a real tile-effect will make your vinyl choice appear more authentic, too ³ realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

119

BARGAIN £

£20-£30

UNDER £20

BARGAIN BUY

Colours marble-effect self-adhesive vinyl tiles, W30.5xL30.5cm, £10.20 per 1.02m pack, B&Q

Trinity Grand Parquet vinyl, available in 2m and 4m widths, £10.99 per m2, Flooring Superstore

Mardi Gras 595 Feliz Vinyl, available in 2m, 3m and 4m widths, £15.99 per m2, Carpetright

Ultimate Expressions Collection tile-effect Goldie cushioned vinyl, available in 2m, 3m and 4m widths, £22 per m2, Avenue Floors

Stonemark Collection Pebble-effect Mikado sheet vinyl, available in 2m, 3m and 4m widths, £23 per m2, Leoline Floors

Moroccan-style Starfloor Retro orange and blue vinyl tiles with click installation, W31xL60.5cm, £27.99 per m2, Tarkett at Best At Flooring

120

OVER £30

£££ INVESTMENT

PERFECT FOR A SCANDI LOOK

Quick-Step Sea Breeze Light Oak luxury vinyl tiles with click installation, W21xL151.5cm, £34.99 per m2, Best at Flooring

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

Neisha Crosland Parquet luxury vinyl tiles in Sky Blue, W30.5x L30.5cm, £44.80 per m2, Harvey Maria

Greenhouse Painted Plant vinyl flooring in blue, hand-painted by Atrafloor designers, W1.4m, £59 per m2, Atrafloor

TIP Vinyl flooring can be slippery when wet, so look for slip-resistant designs for bathrooms and kitchens

Mosaic-look Oklahoma Cortile sheet vinyl, available in 2m, 3m and 4m widths, £17.93 per m2, United Carpets

Bubblegum & Liquorice Collection encaustic-look Sagres sheet vinyl, available in 2m, 3m and 4m widths, £18 per m2, Avenue Floors

Four wood-effect Spectra vinyl planks in blonde oak with click installation, W17.7xL121.9cm, £18 per m2, UK Flooring Direct

NEUTRAL CHOICE

NEXT MONTH: Your guide to floor tiles

Iron tile-effect sheet vinyl in light grey, cut to fit, from £27.99 per m2, including fitting, Hillarys

Karndean Michelangelo MS4 Santiago Lavastone luxury vinyl floor tiles, W30.5xL30.5cm, £28.78m2, Flooring Hut

Livyn Ambient Click Black Slate floor tile by Quick-Step, W32xL130cm, £28.79 per m2, Wood2U Quality Flooring

TIMELESS STYLE

TIP Remove doors before you start fitting, and be prepared to trim their undersides to avoid scuffing the new floor

Granorte VinylCork vinyl floor tiles in Iceland, W19.4x L116.4cm, £69.70 per m2, UK Flooring Sale

Signature Collection Ink Washwood wood-effect luxury vinyl tile, laid parquet style, varying lengths and widths, £70 per m2, Amtico

FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

Art Select Storm Oak Basketweave, in squares or tiles, W11.4xL11.4cm or W7.6xL30.5cm, £76.99 per m2, Karndean Designflooring realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

121

DID YOU KNOW? There are two main types of wallpaper, and the one you choose will dictate how it’s applied. The first is traditional pastethe-paper wallpaper, where you apply adhesive to the lengths of paper on a paste table and then hang them onto the wall. The second is more modern, paste-the-wall paper, where you apply your adhesive to the wall and then stick the paper to it. Make sure you pick the version you’ll feel happiest applying

Real Homes INSPIRATION

GRAPHIC DESIGNS

New year, new walls. Go geometric and inject some fun into any space with these bold and colourful wallpapers

FEATURE AMELIA SMITH

1 Astoria W6893-02 wallpaper, £67 per roll, Osborne & Little 2 Tessella BP 3607 wallpaper, £86 per roll, Farrow & Ball 3 Latis WP Citrus W0051/02 wallpaper, £47.50 per roll, Clarke & Clarke 4 Superfresco Easy Triangolin 405545 mustard wallpaper, £14.99 per roll, Homebase 5 Arthouse Brasilia tile pattern 690500 wallpaper, £13.99 per roll, I Want Wallpaper 6 Zen Cobalt 103517 wallpaper, £40 per roll, Graham & Brown 7 Harlequin Entity Segments 111682 wallpaper in ink and copper, £56 per roll, Wallpaper Direct 8 Linwood Fable Amala wallpaper LW068/006, £115 per roll, available at F&P Interiors

THE BIGGER THE PATTERN, THE BOLDER THE STATEMENT. USE ON EVERY WALL IN YOUR ROOM FOR A DRAMATIC EFFECT 4 3 2

1

GREAT VALUE AT JUST £13.99 PER ROLL!

SEARCH ‘REAL HOMES’ ON YOUTUBE FOR EDITOR LAURA CROMBIE’S VIDEO GUIDE TO HANGING PASTETHE-PAPER WALLPAPER

8

7

6

IF YOU’RE BUYING MORE THAN ONE ROLL, ALWAYS CHECK THEY ARE FROM THE SAME BATCH - THIS WILL ENSURE THE COLOUR AND PATTERN MATCH PERFECTLY

TIP

5

TOP

Lene Bjerre Mirelle table lamp in matt black iron and mango wood, H60x Dia.23cm, £89

Lee Broom crystal bulb chandelier, H90x Dia.45cm, £1,195

Lee Broom brass ring light, H86.5xW30xD10cm, £795

SAVE 15% AT HOUSEOLOGY

Invest in statement furniture, lighting and accessories to give your home wow factor

T

his month, we’ve teamed up with online home interiors company, Houseology, to offer you an exclusive 15 per cent off its stunning range.

Houseology stocks stylish brands, from Kartell to Tom Dixon, offering an easy way to find the most sophisticated designs, all in one place.

As well as beautiful interior products, Houseology also has plenty of design ideas and inspiration. Its

Right Notre Monde bronze round mirror with wooden frame, Dia.88cm, £474; Notre Monde bronze floor mirror with wooden frame, H198xW76cm, £1,299; Notre Monde bronze cube coffee table, H36xW92x D92cm, £1,377, and side table H40x W56xD56cm, £716

Masterclass section provides information on specific trends and products, giving professional advice on how to get the look you want.

This winter, Houseology is drawing inspiration from sophisticated gold and brass finishes, creating a glamorous yet elegant Christmas look, which can be easily adapted for the rest of the year.

Head over to houseology.com and discover an unrivalled selection of furniture, lighting or those final festive flourishes. From statement chairs to contemporary metallic lighting and designer wallpaper, you’ll find all you need to transform any room in your home.

Above Tom Dixon stone candle holders in marble and brassplated steel, from £100 for short to £550 for the large floor candle holder

HOW TO ENTER Claim your exclusive 15 per cent discount by visiting houseology.com and entering code REAL15 at the checkout. See page 127 for full terms and conditions. realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

125

TWO FREE TICKETS TO WORTH

£32!

Use your two complimentary li tickets to source unique furniture and accessories

W

hether you’re renovating your whole house or redecorating a single room, choosing the furniture and accessories is one of the most enjoyable parts of the process. To help you furnish your new-look space, we’ve teamed up with the London Art Antiques & Interiors Fair to offer every reader two free tickets, worth £16 each.

More than 100 dealers showcasing 30,000 items will head to London ExCeL from 12-14 January to display a fantastic array of pieces, from furniture, ceramics and glass, to prints, paintings, jewellery, silver and vintage textiles. And with prices from £10 to £10,000, there’s bound to be a piece that you’ll fall in love with. There will also be lots of celebrity talks to enjoy, from experts such as the Antiques Roadshow’s Mark Hill and Judith Miller ‘There will be a range of exceptional pieces to discover, from classic to contemporary design, making the fair a must-attend event for homeowners in the New Year,’ says director Mary Claire Boyd.

HOW TO CLAIM To redeem your two free e-tickets, simply visit artantiquesinteriorsfair.com/realhomes and enter your email address. Tickets must be claimed by January 5.

The offers and competitions featured in the January 2018 edition of Real Homes are: Page 125 Save 15 per cent at Houseology. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or on sale items. Cannot be used on Fatboy, Moooi or Fritz Hansen products; to purchase gift vouchers; or applied retrospectively. Valid for one use only. Code must be entered at the checkout to redeem. Valid until 5 January 2018.

Page 127 Recieve two free tickets to the London Art Antiques & Interiors Fair, worth £16 each. These are valid for entry on one day of the show. Tickets must be claimed by 5 January 2018. For full terms and conditions, visit realhomes.co.uk/terms-and-conditions.

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

127

Real Homes ADVERTORIAL

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Ensure your home looks as good on the outside as it does on the inside with a little help from Cedral cladding

T

Top Cedral Click fibre cement cladding in grey complements the brick ground floor of this striking family home

128

Above All Cedral cladding comes in a range of colours, with a minimum life expectancy of 50 years

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

he exterior of your home is an important aspect of any renovation or extension project, giving you the opportunity to create real wow factor. One way of achieving this is with Cedral fibre cement cladding, which can help add style and individuality to your home.

Cedral recently helped to create this visually striking home in Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, which sits within the grounds of an existing property. The owners chose Cedral Click to create an eye-catching exterior that is both aesthetically pleasing and unique in style. Cedral Click in grey was installed in a horizontal design across the first storey of the house to complement the traditional brick exterior of the ground floor.

One of the owner’s key requirements for the property was that it required minimal upkeep –

Cedral Click offered the perfect solution due to its low-maintenance properties. The fibre cement cladding also played a key role in the finished look of the house as other materials, such as the rafter ends, were colour matched to the grey of Cedral Click. The result is a smart and elegant finish, with the homeowner delighted that they have created their dream home.

With a minimum life expectancy of at least 50 years, Cedral is a great alternative to traditional cladding, offering protection against rot, attack from insects, and the elements, such as wind, rain and sunlight.

For more information on the two kinds of Cedral cladding – Click and Lap – visit cedralsidings.com.

NEXT MONTH IN

BEFORE +AFTER

54

PAGES OF AMAZING HOMES

ON SALE 28 DEC

BEAUTIFUL BEDROOMS

PHOTOGRAPH RACHAEL SMITH

20 SIMPLE & STYLISH UPDATES

Design your

DREAM EXTENSION

CREATE KERB APPEAL Give your home an exterior makeover

HALLWAY DESIGN IDEAS FABULOUS FLOOR TILES PRODUCTS FOR EVERY BUDGET

EXPERT ANSWERS How can I find the right renovation project to tackle?

What do I need to know about new home energy efficiency rules?

How do I strip and paint a door?

Real Homes INSPIRATION

MODERN

retro

Interior stylist Jason Grant explains how to weave elements of Mid-century and retro design into your home for a contemporary take on classic style

Storage spaces can be style statements in their own right – the bright yellow wall cupboards are the focal point in this kitchen. The big white door handles have a retro feel and reference the other units, giving a sense of unity to the design. For a similar yellow, try Crown’s Prairie Gold matt emulsion

JASON’S TIP: Putting a plant in a raised pot adds height and interest to any room

The freestanding bath has come back with a vengeance and this shapely version has an up-to-date profile; for similar, try the Cast Iron Bath Company. The fabulous Missoni striped bath towels inject fun, colour, and pattern

Right Dark walls provide a foil for this bedroom’s blend of old and new; for a similar shade, try Dulux’s Rich Black matt emulsion.

The stripped-back chest of drawers, 1960s pottery lamp, gilt-edged painting and three-dimensional sculpture create a distinctly personal space. The Graceland sign was made for the owners

A ‘fiddle leaf’ fig tree fills the corner of this living room and softens the look, linking the artistowner’s painting, the zigzag orange Jielde lamp, spindle-back bench and elegant low-slung grey sofa.

The bullet planter is an iconic shape – there are modern takes on this, though you may pick up an original on Ebay

D

ecorating your home is personal and should reflect who you are, your personality, and how you like to live. I’m a fan of relaxed, laid-back, comfortable homes – nothing too perfect. I like things to be lived in and, of course, a little eclectic. My own home is filled with a mix of new, vintage, designer, inexpensive and found objects.

It’s a little bit of everything, and it’s evolved over time, which I think is a great way to decorate.

Take some time, find your own way and make a space that feels like your home.

These days, we’re able to draw on an amazing range of furniture and furnishings, from classic to Mid-century modern, as well as cool styles from the 1970s and 1980s, and more contemporary designs.

I believe the style of retro furnishings, which were often way ahead of their time, as well as designs inspired by those eras, work well in 21st-century interiors. While the way you mix and match pieces will be unique, here are some basic styling guidelines, tips and tricks to help you find your own style and create your own unique space. ³

Above Bursts of retro orange and yellow contrast with the black tap and monochrome tiles in this kitchen.

For more black and white kitchen ideas, see page 93

JASON’S TIP: Add a lamp in the kitchen for task lighting or to spotlight a favourite object.

It’s also ideal if you need more light but don’t want to alter the existing fittings

SEE PAGE 50 FOR THE BEST NEON SIGNS

Colour is one of the most important elements in styling your home. It has the power to establish a mood, to create an illusion of light and space, or to make a room seem warm and cosy. A strong, bold colour can focus the eye, or work as a backdrop for artwork and furniture. It can be a neutral that you are not really aware of, or a brighter colour that leaps out. White and pale shades are often thought of as neutrals, but dark colours can be neutral, too.

Many of the colours used by Mid-century modern designers were bright. In the late 1940s and 1950s, the primary colours of red, blue and yellow, as well as orange, citrus yellows and greens, aqua and teal became popular. And, of course, not forgetting, bright flamingo pink!

By the 1960s and 1970s, more earthy and autumnal shades were in vogue, with browns, russets, gold, mustard and various green shades commonly used – sometimes all of them together.

Classic black and tan also featured alongside gleaming chrome in stylish leather chairs. And paler creams and beiges – so well suited to Danish modern furniture – made their appearance, often with crisp white as a backdrop.

Many paint companies have retro shades from the Mid-century in their colour ranges if you are seeking an authentic period look. ³

With the Danish-design wing chair, blonde wood, sheepskin throws, vintage suitcase and an amazing brick fireplace to the ceiling, there’s a mountain lodge feel to this room.

A focal point is the original 1960s C Jere metal sculpture above the fire, which the owners bought on Ebay for collection in the USA when they were on holiday. The pale cream and white furnishings leave the focus on the fireplace and sculpture. For similar furniture on a budget, try Ikea

The furniture in this dining room is from many different eras (the Eiffel chairs are a Mid-century classic) but the warm timber colours, copper candlestick and bright patterns of the kilim rug link the different elements. For a large rattan light shade, try John Lewis

JASON’S TIP: Placing a dining table on a statement rug helps create a dining ‘zone’ within a larger open-plan room

Mid-century-inspired chairs, a table that is new but timeless in design, plus vivid colours – especially the pink sideboard – make for a pared-back but powerful look.

The pendant light is a modern take on an industrial shape, but made from soft silicon rubber in a brilliant yellow; find similar at Made in Design

JASON’S TIP: The grey walls and black in the patterned and leather sofas really ground this look

Right Rainbow-coloured kilim rugs, old-fashioned bedheads, dangling mobiles and posters, and an old-school rocking horse make for a children’s room that’s practical with a touch of whimsy 138

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

Try these tips for introducing colour for a modern retro look:

Left There’s a little bit of everything here – iconic silver 1960s Arco-style lamp, psychedelic wall art, flowerpatterned sofa scattered with graphic black and white cushions, and a futuristic table on spiky orange legs. At the same time, it’s quite controlled and balanced

i Not everyone can be brave with colour – it can take time. If you’re not sure, start small by introducing strong colour in one or two elements. i Live with a colour before you commit. See how it feels to have it in your space – paint a small section and see what you think. i Use colour for a feature wall. An all-white room could have one bright yellow, orange or black wall. i Use colour to zone an area, especially in a large space. i If a room seems too bland, add a dash of colour, either on the walls, or with a piece of furniture, artwork or a rug, to lift it. i If there’s a large area of colour that is too vibrant, tone it down with some more muted colour. Or try introducing accents of other colours to break it up. i If using one colour in a room, use multiple shades of it to give depth. i Know your warm and cool colours. Warm colours are in the red, orange, yellow spectrum, while cool colours are on the blue or green side of the colour wheel. i A warm grey will have some red in it, a cool grey will have blue in it. Study colour charts to see the difference and always use testers. i Warm colours tend to be welcoming and especially good in social areas, such as dining rooms and kitchens. Cool colours are more soothing and can be effective for bedrooms or a separate study. i Not all whites are equal. There are warm and cool shades, so check before painting a room icy white (unless that’s what you’re after). i Colours are affected by other colours around them and by the light, both natural and artificial.

Look at room colours at different times of day before making a final decision. i Timber furniture and floors, rugs and floor coverings introduce other colours, so take these into account in the overall picture. i Create your own mood board with swatches of the different colours, fabrics and materials that you are planning to use together.

This is an edited extract from Modern Retro Home by Mr Jason Grant with photography by Lauren Bamford, published by Hardie Grant. Real Homes readers can purchase a copy for the special price of £20 (RRP £25) with free postage and packaging, by calling 01256 302699 and then quoting MU5.

The latest expert advice for all your home transformation dilemmas

Real Homes QA &

140

JANUARY 2018 realhomes.co.uk

KEVIN BYRNE is the founder of Checkatrade.com, the free search service for finding reputable tradespeople

HOW DO I AVOID MAKING COSTLY MISTAKES WHEN DOING DIY ON MY HOME? Checkatrade’s Kevin Byrne looks at the most common blunders people make when tackling renovation jobs, and offers tips on how to deal with them

W

hen it comes to house renovations, tackling some of the work yourself can be a commendable way of cutting costs, putting the money saved towards jobs that require a professional’s expertise.

But a mix of over-enthusiasm and inexperience can lead to mistakes that cost more to put right than you were attempting to save. According to a recent survey, carried out by SuperSaverOil.com, 77 per cent of people in the UK admit to making expensive blunders while tackling DIY. Here are the most common:

TOP DIY BLUNDERS ACCORDING TO BRITISH HOMEOWNERS:

72%

have run out of materials part way through a job

‘Every DIYer will run out of things mid-job because they are more likely to buy the amount they think they need and no more, and it is often not enough,’ says Kevin. ‘Where they need to be careful is if something requires setting. Running out of plaster or

cement and having to go off site to get more materials means you might not end up with as good a finish as you hoped for. To prevent that, you’re much better off buying more than you think you need and returning any extra.’

63%

have measured up inaccurately

‘The first thing that comes to mind is the adage measure twice, cut once. Measure it, write it down, then measure it again and tick off that it’s right. Most people do DIY in the evenings or the weekends when the builders’ merchants are closed. If you cut a piece of wood the wrong size, you have to stop and wait for the shops to open. It just slows everything down.

‘One of the reasons I started Checkatrade, was an incident I had when I was project-managing the construction of my own house. I left it to the builder to measure the wall plates for my roof trusses before I ordered them. I decided to double check and discovered the figures were

way out. If I hadn’t checked and I’d ordered everything based on his measurements, all of those trusses would have ended up in a skip. This was before Checkatrade so he wasn’t member, and after that I don’t think he ever would be.’

61%

have damaged carpets and furnishings

‘I used to be a carpet cleaner and regularly got called to the houses of people who’d been DIYing and had spilt paint all over the carpet.

If you don’t want paint on something, cover it up or remove it from the room!

‘Whether anything can be done for a carpet depends on its colour. If its white or light, there is really zero guarantee a carpet cleaner will get it back to the way it was. If you have got gloss paint on a carpet, in my view you’ve got to rip it out and throw it away. A specialist could try to patch it if you have some old off-cuts, but you will always see it.

‘If you do spill something, phone a carpet cleaner and ask for advice.

Whatever you do, don’t rub it in. If it’s emulsion, get a spoon to carefully scoop as much up as you can. Put a bit of water on and keep using the spoon to scoop it up. Don’t spread or rub it.

Don’t let it go dry, try and keep it moist until the carpet cleaner arrives. They will use a hot water extraction machine which sprays water on and vacuums it out until the water runs clear. If there’s still a stain, they’ll try to get it out using remover.

‘If you spill something like turps or white spirit, mop it up with something absorbent and try and get as much out as you can. You will probably have to live with the smell for a while, though.’

52%

have used the wrong paint

‘If you’re not sure what to use, ask the staff of wherever you are buying the paint from to help you. Most formulations are pretty obvious, but if you are doing a job that’s more specialist, like putting lacquer on an oak staircase, you want to make sure you get the right product.

‘Where a lot of people do go wrong is in sealing surfaces. If your house is rendered and you are going

51%

failed to prepare the surface they were painting Project Pete, the DIY expert from B&Q, reveals how to properly ready your surfaces: i WHEN PAINTING A ROOM Clean walls, skirting boards, 1 door and window frames, and all remaining fixtures using a diluted solution of sugar soap and a large sponge, working the mixture into the surface.

Wipe the surfaces clean using a sponge or cloth. Try not to drip water down the wall and onto the floor.

If there are cracks in the 2 plaster, rake any loose plaster out with the corner of a filling knife or scraper. Using a small paintbrush, dampen the crack with water to encourage the new filler to dry slowly and stop it shrinking and falling out.

Load some filler onto a 3 filling knife and draw it across the hole at right angles to the crack, firmly pressing it in until the filler is raised just above the surface of the wall.

Leave to dry, then 4 smooth with 80-grit sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block.

Wrap a fresh piece of 805 grit sandpaper around a sanding block and gently sand all the surfaces in the room, using a circular motion to cover all areas. Dust and vacuum everywhere, from ceiling to floor.

Lay dust sheets across the 6 floor or tape polythene dust sheets in place with masking tape. Cover switches

and sockets with the tape to protect them. If you’re not painting skirting boards and door trims, mask these off.

7 If you’re applying more than one coat of paint, it’s a good idea to remove and reapply any masking tape between coats. As the paint dries and joins to the tape, it can pull off the paint as the layers build. To combat this, remove the masking tape slowly at a 90-degree angle before the paint fully cures.

8 Loosen the canopy or trim piece of ceiling lights without exposing the wires beneath, so you can paint under the fitting rather than around it. i WHEN PAINTING WOODEN WINDOW FRAMES Remove catches and stays 1 from the window frame before you start. If you’re going to fit new window furniture after you’ve repainted, fill the old holes with wood filler and sand them down with fine-grade sandpaper.

Lightly sand over the old 2 paintwork using mediumgrade sandpaper then brush away any dust and debris.

If you don’t have a steady 3 hand, use a paint shield or cut some masking tape to fit around each pane of glass. Set the tape 2mm in from the frame so the paint will just overlap onto the glass and seal out water.

Use a combined primer/ 4 undercoat to paint the frame. To make the job easier, use a cutting-in brush for the glazing bars.

Apply a top coat, then use 5 a varnish, such as B&Q Gloss interior Varnish, for a perfect finish.

‘DIYers run out of things because they buy the amount they think they need and it’s o en not enough’

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

141

to paint it, you need to seal it first. A lot of DIYers think they can use watereddown PVA glue. But what that does is prevent any paint you put on the side of your house from sticking to it. After less than a year the paint will bubble and come off the wall. That happens a lot with our trades. A customer thinks he’s doing the right thing by sealing a wall before the tradesman turns up.

The tradesman paints it not knowing the PVA is on there, and within a year the consumer is making a complaint because the paint is bubbling. The tradesman take the paint off, rub the render down under the entire area and seal it properly, but those type of mistakes can be a nightmare to put right.’

59%

have injured themselves doing DIY

VISIT DJBTRAINING.CO.UK FOR MORE INFORMATION

Accidents can often occur while doing DIY – Mike Evans, of DjB Training & Development, reveals how to prevent them and what to do if they happen 1 Accidents happen more easily when you are unprepared and in a rush, so think through the tasks and prepare yourself properly before you start.

2 Read the instructions for how to use tools or products, and stop and disconnect all electrical appliances and tools before repairing/cleaning them.

3 Avoid falls from height by checking a ladder’s condition before use.

4 Keep children and pets away from where you are working, and make sure tools, paint and chemicals are out of their reach.

5 Store products in their original containers, and always tidy up at the end of your task.

In the event of slips, trips or falls, these can cause broken bones and head injuries. If broken bones are suspected, get help. Phone for an ambulance immediately and tell them what has happened.

Contamination by solvents, corrosive and poisonous substances can be prevented by using the correct tools and by wearing appropriate protective clothing. Check any FOR STOCKIST INFORMATION SEE PAGE 153

28%

failed to obtain the correct permits ‘If you’re

not sure if you need a permit for the work you want to do, or what sort you need, go to a site like planningportal. co.uk. This has planning and building regulations information, and can advise on what permissions you need for home-improvement projects. Your local council will also have householder surgeries where they can offer preapplication planning advice.

‘When it comes to something like skip hire, the firm will ask if you have a driveway or if it is to go on the road.

They will then advise about what permits are needed if it’s on the road.’

manufacturer’s special handling, Contact with electricity during decontamination and first aid advice DIY, maintenance or gardening can before starting work, and never decant cause burns and cardiac arrest. In all hazardous substances into unsuitable/ cases of electric shock, isolate the unmarked containers, power at the mains switch before If someone does spill approaching the casualty. If they are a corrosive substance onto conscious, they will be breathing. themselves, it should be dealt They may have a burn wound at the with according to the point of contact, possibly with manufacturer’s guidelines an exit wound as it goes to on the container. If earth. Irrigate the burn by Question about unsure, run cool tap running tepid tap water water continuously over it for 10 minutes, if your renovation? over the contaminated burning sensation Get expert advice by the area. Carefully remove remains, keep repeating. emailing us at any contaminated If there’s no pain at the clothing, taking care start and there is a large realhomes@ not to spread it. Call the burn, irrigate continuously futurenet.com emergency services and until relieved by paramedics. keep samples of the If the casualty is unconscious, substance or container phone for an ambulance and involved for their information. follow the advice of the dispatcher.

19%

have given themselves an electric shock

A competent, qualified person should always carry out gas and electrical renewal or repair work. In the case of gas work, in the UK, they must be registered through the Gas Safe Register.

Always read and understand the instructions before using tools.

When working with power tools, use a residual current device (RCD) if your home isn’t already wired with one. realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

143

Plan the work

Preparation is key. Think about what is going to be affected during all aspects of the build – space, cooking and bathroom facilities, water, heating, parking, internet access. Have a schedule of works detailing what’s happening and when, so you know when you’re likely to lose amenities and when they’ll be back. Having an end in sight for each level of discomfort will help to lessen your stress levels.

2

Repurpose rooms

Base yourself in a room that won’t be touched by the renovation, giving you somewhere to escape from it all. A utility or spare bedroom might become a temporary kitchen, and your garage or garden room could become a living space. Old units and appliances, once taken out, could be reused in these new rooms. Alternatively, consider hiring a pod kitchen-diner, which could be set up in your drive, or a pop-up kitchen that can be installed in any room. Keep your retreat dustfree by banning work boots and sealing it off with timber sheet material, plastic and tape. Rear or side extensions and loft conversions can be all but finished with little disturbance to the rest of the house, with the knock through between old and new left until the end.

3

Put things in storage

Temporarily clearing part of your house out will create more space in the few rooms you are using, and can prevent items being damaged during the work. Outbuildings or the garage could provide storage on site.

Self-storage companies can offer units that range from 10 square feet to 500 square feet, and can be rented for just a week or for much longer.

Rates vary, so get quotes beforehand.

Don’t forget that you will also need somewhere to store the workmen’s tools and building materials safely during the renovation.

Real Homes

1

5

&

Renovation expert Michael provides seven tips to help minimise the impact of building work on you and your family

If you are project managing, it will fall to you to appoint a principal designer who is responsible for Health and Safety at Work under the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015. You can take on this role yourself, but only if you have the ability to do so. It involves creating a construction phase plan showing what needs to be done and when (see hse. gov.uk/pubns/cis80.pdf for a template) to help you assess risks and manage the site, including running a health and safety file.

QA

4 WHAT CAN I DO TO LESSEN DISRUPTION WHEN RENOVATING MY HOUSE?

Health and safety

Make lots of lists

A construction phase plan will let you plan skip, plant and scaffold hire, material deliveries, and when to have trades on site at the right time to avoid delays. At the outset, you will need to set up the site with insurance, site fencing, health and safety notices, and first aid kit, and provide a welfare area and WC facilities. You’ll also need to keep track of any permissions you might need so the work isn’t held up, such as arranging planning permission and building regulations approval, including site inspections. If the work is on or near the boundary with a neighbouring property, affecting a shared party wall or floor, you must also arrange a Party Wall agreement. And tick off when payments need to go out and when money will be coming in to keep on top of your renovation finances.

6

Inform the neighbours

7

Consider moving out

You want to maintain good relations with the people next door during the work and after the tradespeople have left. You can warn them when large deliveries are to be made or when there is likely to be excessive noise. Make sure your workmen know not to block entries or drives. A well-disposed neighbour might even offer use of their drive or allow access to their land when necessary.

If you have sufficient land, you could hire or buy a caravan to live on site and convince the children it is all one big holiday. You might need to seek permission to stay in it there, so check with your local authority. Relatives or friends could supply temporary shelter, though this may cause tension if you feel you are overstaying your welcome. Renting somewhere would give you a home away from home, and the builders will probably be able to progress faster if they don’t have to work round you.

Should you choose to move out, try and stay somewhere close enough to drop by regularly to check progress and deal with any issues.

MICHAEL HOLMES is an experienced renovator and director of content and product development for Real Homes. @HolmesMike

GREAT IDEA Late spring and summer is the best time of year for external work, particularly if it leaves rooms exposed. Book trades well ahead to get them when you want them

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

145

be confused with modern-day, highly decorative and porous encaustics) are rarer, as they were more costly, but should be treated in the same way.

Go online to look for specialist products necessary for removing any old treatments from the surface before resealing, usually done these days with a modern acrylic sealant rather than a wax.

is one of the hardest-wearing and most resilient of materials, which is why it’s used on roofs.

It can be robustly scrubbed and cleaned. You can even use mortar remover on it to get rid of old cement or adhesive. Once clean, the rich colours of natural slate look better enhanced by a colour intensifier or sealant. How often you redo this depends slightly on foot traffic and wear and tear. Regular mopping with a floor detergent will keep slate sparkling.

Fireplace tiles

Glazed tiles

Glazed fireplace tiles do need to be treated carefully as they scratch and chip easily when being restored. Clean using a light, non-metal scourer.

Avoid cheap green scourers, though, as they can get green dye in any craqueled surface. In the past I’ve used a light acidic cleaner and toothbrush to remove cement spots, but dilute and wipe quickly with water afterwards if you try this. The beauty of glazed tiles is that they need no maintenance once they are cleaned up, as their glazing naturally protects them.

A good tip is never to do restoration work when tired – that’s when your hand slips or you take short cuts, which can cause irreparable damage.

And remind yourself that there is beauty in

Beautiful glazed Victorian or Edwardian tiles are often found under layers of plywood or carpet underlay – flashes of bright colour which delight when revealed. They were very expensive, so were usually confined to small areas, like fireplaces, and are often in great condition – unless they’ve been tiled over. Many online reclamation stores and local yards offer original replacements for very damaged tiles. A new edge can be laid round the perimeter to give a crisp finish, using periodstyle or reclaimed tiles.

Clay tiles Plain geometric tiles made from clay are often found in Victorian pathways, door entrances or hallways,

‘Victorian or Edwardian tiles are o en found under layers of plywood or underlay – flashes of colour that delight when revealed’ and are incredibly hard wearing.

These angular tiles, rarely curved, can have an awful lot of surface damage from years of neglect but careful cleaning can restore them – as long as the substrate, or surface they are laid on, is in good condition.

Original patterned clay tiles called encaustics (not to

Replacement clay tiles can be found fairly easily. Once cleaned and sealed, it’s best to use a PHneutral flooring detergent to maintain their beauty.

Slate tiles One thing which will never scratch is slate flooring. Often found in more rural locations, it

imperfection – wear and tear is evidence of the history of your house. Embrace the tiles’ patina and the odd crack or chip here and there, as it’s been caused by families who lived in the house before you. It’s all part of the feature’s charm, which can bring something very unique and original to your property.

Real Homes

&

Expert renovator Sian offers advice on how to bring out the best in old tiles and make them a feature of your new décor Unearthing hidden treasures is one of the real delights of renovating an old property.

Restoring original tiles to their former glory can make your heart sing – or sink if you don’t take the right approach. Restoration is sometimes a job best left to the experts, but there are many steps that the gifted and careful amateur can take. The best advice is always to avoid sharp or abrasive tools, which can scratch the surface of your discoveries.

QA

HOW DO I RESTORE PERIOD TILES IN AN OLDER PROPERTY?

SIAN ASTLEY is an interior designer, property renovator, selfbuilder, presenter and blog author. moregeous.com @Moregeous

For Sian’s video on how to tile a fireplace, search ‘Real Homes’ on YouTube

HELP ONLINE

For more information on cleaning period clay tiles, go to building conservation. com

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

147

&

Rentokil’s Berwyn and David advise on how to deal with rodent and insect infestations that are not only unpleasant but can also damage your property Woodworm The culprits: Woodworm infestations aren’t caused by worms but by woodeating larvae or grubs that hatch from the eggs of different species of beetle – the common furniture beetle being the most prevalent in the UK. The signs: The beetles lay their eggs from April through to September, typically on or just under the surface of wooden items, such as floorboards or antique furniture, though they can also infest modern laminate flooring and flatpacked items. The larvae feed on the wood, causing serious structural damage due to the tunnels left in the timber by their continual boring, and cosmetic damage in the form of circular adult beetle exit holes. Look out for bore dust, or frass, caused by emerging beetles. They

instinctively head towards the light, so you might spot them around loft hatches or near windows.

The solution: DIY products are readily available to treat infested furniture, including woodworm killer solutions that are suitable for use on tables and chairs. In the case of a severe infestation or particularly delicate antique furniture, advanced technologies can help, such as Controlled Atmosphere Technology (CAT), which involves using inert gases in a controlled atmosphere to eliminate all life stages of the insects, including eggs and larvae, while leaving no harmful residues.

When repairing antique furniture that has suffered woodworm damage, it is best is to seek advice from restoration specialists.

Rodents The culprits: Rats and mice are likely to come in to properties seeking warmth and food, and to escape rising water levels in rivers or sewers.

The signs: Rodents have a very strong ammonia stench. They often make audible scrabbling noises, and leave grease marks on walls and skirting boards as they brush against them, as well as foot and tail prints in dusty areas, such as basements or attics. Rats leave dark, pellet-like droppings, while mice droppings are smaller and spindle shaped.

They can damage property with their persistent gnawing, and contaminate surfaces and foodstuffs due to pathogens in their faeces and urine. Rodents can also transmit Weil’s disease (Leptospirosis), Rat-bite fever and Salmonellosis.

The solution: To deter them, ensure food waste is properly sealed and stored. Fill holes in the exterior of your property with wire wool, caulk, metal kick plates or cement. If you spot a rodent in your home, contact a pest control surveyor for advice. There are a number of targeted treatments, or rodenticides, safe for use in the home. If the pest dies in a cavity wall or under your floor, rodent odour neutralising products can mask the smell.

Real Homes

QA

WHAT CAN I DO TO GET RID OF PESTS IN MY HOME?

BERWYN EVANS

Moths The culprits: Wardrobes and closets provide an ideal habitat for hungry moths.

The UK has four commonly found species of moth that can be found in homes, and they each have their own material preferences – meaning their larvae cause slightly different damage to fabrics and materials.

The signs: 1 Common clothes moth larvae cause irregular-shaped holes in fabrics 2 Case-bearing clothes moth larvae create smaller, more regular-shaped holes 3 Brown house moth larvae tend to prefer animal-based materials, such as feathers and leather 4 White-shouldered house moth larvae scavenge on a wide range of food, so are less damaging to textiles The solution: There’s a large range of DIY moth products that are designed to contain small infestations, such as sprays, balls and traps that can be hung in wardrobes to help protect your belongings.

For larger infestations, solutions such as Rentokil’s Moth Population Control Assist should be considered.

This is a pheromone treatment that breaks up their reproductive cycles.

is the UK product manager of Rentokil Property Care.

DAVID CROSS is head of Rentokil pest control’s technical training academy. rentokil.co.uk

NEXT MONTH Tackling ants, bedbugs and cockroaches

TOP TIP Keep spiders at bay by clearing away their food source of dead flies, woodlice, millipedes, centipedes and other crawling insects. Remove webs and fill in any spidersized gaps

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

149

Are only dark colours considered warm or can light colours add warmth ?

Colours of any depth can add warmth, depending on the lighting and size of your room. The most effective and flexible colours are generally mid-tone shades within the warm hue spectrum; for example, shades with a touch of pink, saffron or terracotta. For a neutral look, try colours with more black, such as Dulux’s Biscuit Beige, Pale Walnut or Ancient Sandstone.

Which warm colours match the era of my house?

In the Georgian period, colours were very greyed-off but perfectly balanced, creating an elegant effect and ideal accompaniment to the detailed mouldings and panelling that were popular at the time. These decorative features are now back in fashion and work beautifully with heritage colours.

The classic Victorian palette featured strong pastels, which are fresh and lively.

If you’d like to create a colour scheme sympathetic to the Edwardian period, then keep things light and soft with floral creams or fresh spring greens. The simple approach to this way of decorating optimised the light available in smaller rooms, and is ideally suited to the way we live today.

How do I use warm colours in a small room?

The size of your room is obviously important when choosing any colour, as is the amount

of available natural light, but most important is the mood you want to create. Darker colours absorb light and appear to advance, so they will make any room seem smaller, but sometimes it’s worth it to create a fabulous, eye-catching look.

For smaller spaces, think about where to place the deep colour for best effect; maybe it’s just on one wall or on the doors, and then tie this deeper shade into the rest of the space with other elements so the look is unified. If you’re creating a monochrome space, black is very visually dynamic but, depending on the amount of natural light you have, greys and pewters might give an even nicer feel. Paint a small area of colour first and live with it for a couple of days to get your perfect match.

Real Homes

What is a warm colour?

Colours in the red, orange and yellow spectrum are the most obviously warm.

But any hue that is influenced by these shades can be referred to as warm – for example, a yellow-toned green or a redtoned violet. The character of the colour can play a part, with ‘shades’ – which are colours containing some black – appearing warmer than ‘tints’, which are colours that only contain pure pigment and white.

For instance, if I was painting a room and wanted a really warm effect, I’d choose a soft mustard shade over a zesty yellow as it would feel much cosier.

&

Designer Louise looks at ways you can add warmth to your rooms through clever colour choices and painting techniques

QA

HOW CAN I USE COLOUR TO WARM UP MY LIVING ROOM?

LOUISE TOD is the senior global colour designer for Dulux, and a member of its Aesthetics Centre. dulux.co.uk

How do I layer shades to add warmth?

Some of the most successful interior schemes layer colour through accessories, so that the total look feels cohesive, rather than just a collection of nice things. The trick is to keep it simple with one or two base colours, then accent with smaller touches of other colours throughout the room to pull it together.

For added interest and individuality, try painting a bolder colour on key areas you want to highlight, such as behind shelves, around a mirror, or by upcycling an old piece of furniture.

Experimenting with paınt techniques Warm neutrals are the nation’s favourite, but they can sometimes seem a bit predictable, so why not blend several shades together and create your own look? First, choose three shades in the same hue family so they will blend more naturally. Then try applying paint in wide horizontal bands around the room, from dark at the bottom to light at the top, and work quickly with a dry brush to blend the colours into each other.

The best approach I’ve found is to work on a small area of the wall at a time and measure the width of your bands first for a more uniform look. Its great fun and a lot easier than hanging wallpaper.

Be Inspired For five fun and creative paint techniques to try in your home, go to realhomes.co.uk

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

151

Meet the experts.

See the products.

Bring your plans to life.

W

hether you’re updating your kitchen or bathroom, adding more space or building a new home from scratch, the Homebuilding & Renovating Show

is the perfect place to find new ideas, inspiration and expert advice. 2018 kicks off with our flagship event at the NEC, Birmingham from 22–25 March 2018 where you’ll find everything you need to help bring your project to life! Plus, take a look at our regional events throughout the year to find a show near you.

Hundreds of key suppliers With hundreds of local and national specialist suppliers, you can see, touch and compare 1000s of products – from underfloor heating and windows to architectural services and staircases. Make crucial contacts all in one day!

Free advice from independent experts Bring along your questions and plans to our Advice Centre and get free 15 minute consultations from our independent experts from Homebuilding & Renovating magazine.

Ask the Architect Fancy some free professional advice on your plans? Need design inspiration to improve your home? Bring your plans along and enjoy a free 15 minute consultation with an architect.

2018 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Planning clinic Problem with planning approval? Get free planning advice on your project from planning experts at the Advice Centre! 15 minute slots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Ideas and advice in our free seminar programme Whatever your area of interest, we’ve got a seminar for you. Spend 30 minutes

More shows this year GLASGOW 16–17 JUNE SURREY 30 JUNE–1 JULY LONDON 21–23 SEPTEMBER EDINBURGH 20–21 OCTOBER HARROGATE 2–4 NOVEMBER SOMERSET 17–18 NOVEMBER

Register your interest today to receive news and discounted tickets at homebuildingshow.co.uk

Photograph: Nigel Rigden

absorbing information and ideas delivered by Britain’s leading home experts. With topics covering areas such as heating, permitted development, dealing successfully with builders, managing costs and much more!

Stockists A

1909 Kitchens 1909kitchens.co.uk Abigail Ahern abigailahern.com Abode 01226 283434 abodedesigns.co.uk Age of Reason 07949 135573 age-of-reason-studios.com Albion Bath Company 01255 831605 albionbathco.com Alexander & Pearl 020 8508 0411 alexanderandpearl.co.uk Alternative Flooring 01264 335111 alternativeflooring.com Amara 0800 587 7645 amara.com Amaroni Home 01205 260384 amaroni.com Amazon amazon.co.uk Americo Sousa 07462 588188 Ampthill Antiques Emporium 01525 402131 ampthillantiquesemporium.co.uk Amtico 0121 745 0800 amtico.com Anglepoise 02392 224450 anglepoise.com Anglian Home Improvements 0800 500600 anglianhome.co.uk Anna Rickard 07970 622939 annarickardinteriors.co.uk Ao.com 0344 324 9222 ao.com Argos 0345 640 2020 argos.co.uk Arlo & Jacob 0330 029 9737 arloandjacob.com Aston Matthews 020 7226 7220 astonmatthews.co.uk Atkin and Thyme 020 3768 7775 atkinandthyme.co.uk Atrafloor 0151 305 7376 atrafloor.com Audenza 0116 298 6393 audenza.com Avenue Floors avenuefloors.co.uk

B

B&M bmstores.co.uk B&Q 0333 014 3098 diy.com Back to Front Exterior Design 01252 820984 backtofrontexteriordesign.com The Baked Tile Company 02920 358409 bakedtiles.co.uk Bathroom Takeaway 0333 305 8200 bathroomtakeaway.co.uk Bathroom Trends 01293 850462 bathroom-trends.co.uk Bathstore 0330 053 5661 bathstore.com Bells of Northampton 01604 777500 abell.co.uk Best At Flooring 0113 344 8114 bestatflooring.co.uk Bisque 01276 605800 bisque.co.uk Black by Design 01889 502716 black-by-design.co.uk Blanco 01923 635200 blanco-germany.com Blind Spot 01252 723566 blindspotblinds-farnham.co.uk Blinds2Go 0800 862 0464 blinds-2go.co.uk Bobby Rabbit 0114 321 7000 bobbyrabbit.co.uk Bold & Noble 01462 339011 boldandnoble.com Botanical Cushions botanicalcushions.com Bowles & Bowles bowlesandbowles.co.uk The Brighton Bathroom Company 01444 882889 thebrightonbathroomcompany.co.uk Burbidge 024 7667 1600 burbidge.co.uk Burlington Bathrooms 01322 473222 burlingtonbathrooms.com

C

C. P. Hart 0345 600 1950 cphart.co.uk Caesarstone 0800 158 8088 caesarstone.co.uk Carpetright 0330 333 3444 carpetright.co.uk Catalano catalano.co.uk The Catering Appliance Superstore 0333 800 1000 catering-appliance.com The Chandelier and Mirror Company 01322 476465 chandeliersandmirrors.co.uk The Chesterfield Company 0161 737 1600 thechesterfieldcompany.com Christopher Wray 020 7013 0180 christopherwray.com City Cows 020 7099 6616 citycows.co.uk Clarke and Clarke 01706 242010 clarke-clarke.com Clearwater Baths 01322 473222 clearwaterbaths.com Clement Windows 01428 643393 clementwindows.co.uk CN Glass 01295 263364 cnglass.co.uk Content by Terence Conran 020 8150 8380 contentbyterenceconran.com The Conran Shop 0844 848 4000 conranshop.co.uk Compare The Market comparethemarket.com Cotswold Trading 01386 853331 cotswoldtrading.com The Cotton Bunting Company 01245 363310 cottonbunting.co.uk Crosswater 0345 873 8840 crosswater.co.uk Crucial Trading 01562 743747 crucial-trading.com Cuckooland 01305 231231 cuckooland.com Cult Furniture 020 8185 6960 cultfurniture.com

Find your nearest suppliers for the fixtures and furniture in this issue

D

Daisy Park 01769 579077 daisypark.co.uk Dar Beida Moroccan Living darbeida.com Dar Lighting 01295 672200 darlighting.co.uk Debenhams 0344 800 8877 debenhams.com Design Nic Howard 01883 744020 we-love-plants.co.uk Devol 020 3879 7900 devolkitchens.co.uk DigitalBridge digitalbridge.eu Dowsing and Reynolds 0113 819 9985 dowsingandreynolds.com Dulux 0333 222 7171 dulux.co.uk Dunelm 0345 165 6565 dunelm.com Duravit duravit.co.uk Dwell 0345 675 9090 dwell.co.uk

E

Ebay ebay.co.uk Elementonehouse 01784 665035 elementonehouse.com Elwyns Windows 020 8647 2268 elwyns.com Emma Britton 07989 269347 emmabritton.net Energy Saving Trust 0300 123 1234 energysavingtrust.org.uk English Antique Glass 020 7351 2130 englishantiqueglass.co.uk Escapeology 01752 710489 escapologyhome.com Espressocrazy Espressocrazy.com Essential Home 020 7193 7218 essentialhome.eu Etsy etsy.com

F

F&P Interiors 01273 495500 fabricsandpapers.com Falcon Appliances 0800 804 6262 falconappliances.com Farnham Furnishers 01252 715000, farnhamfurnishers.co.uk Farrow and Ball 01202 876141 farrow-ball.com The Farthing 0844 567 2400 thefarthing.co.uk Finch & Crane finchandcrane.com Fired Earth 0845 366 0400 firedearth.com Flooring Hut 01903 377027 flooringhut.co.uk Flooring Superstore 03333 202404 flooringsuperstore.com Fritz Fryer 01989 567416 fritzfryer.co.uk Frontline Bathrooms 0845 470 2424 frontlinebathrooms.co.uk

G

Galapast 01462 685901 galapast.co.uk Garald Culliford 020 8390 4656 geraldculliford.co.uk Garden Trading 01993 845559 gardentrading.co.uk Geberit 01926 516800 geberit.co.uk Graham & Brown 0808 168 3795 grahambrown.com Graham & Green 01225 418300 grahamandgreen.co.uk

H

H&M 0344 736 9000 hm.com Habitat 0344 499 4686 habitat.co.uk Hansgrohe 01372 472001 hansgrohe.co.uk Harlequin 020 34575 862 stylelibrary.com Harvey Maria 0845 680 1231 harveymaria.com Heal’s 0333 212 1915 heals.com Heritage Bathrooms 0330 026 8503 heritagebathrooms.com Hillarys 0800 121 7291 hillarys.co.uk Home Bargains homebargains.co.uk Homebase 0345 077 8888 homebase.co.uk Homesense 01923 473561 homesense.com Houseology 0333 696 4471 houseology.com Hub Kitchens 020 7924 2285 hubkitchens.com Hudson Reed 01282 418000 hudsonreed.co.uk

I

I Want Wallpaper 0161 491 6400 iwantwallpaper.co.uk Ikea 020 3645 0000 ikea.com

J

JM French Interiors jwminteriors.co.uk John Lewis 0345 604 9049 johnlewis.com Jonathan Adler 020 7589 9563 uk.jonathanadler.com Jubel jubelshop.no Justin Weeks justinweeksart.com

K

Karndean Design Flooring 01386 820100 karndean.com Kartell kartell.com Kenmore Interiors 01462 451694 kenmoreinteriors.com Kitchen Aid 01733 282800 kitchenaid.co.uk Kitchen Door Workshop 01825 765041 kitchendoorworkshop.co.uk

L

Lakeland Furniture 0161 694 2790 lakeland-furniture.co.uk Lamp and Light 020 3318 2395 lampandlight.co.uk Laura Ashley lauraashley.com Leckhampton Kitchen and Bathrooms 01242 262606 lbkonline.co.uk LED Hut 0333 772 2111 ledhut.co.uk Leoline Floors leoline.co.uk

Little Greene 020 7935 8844 littlegreene.com Loaf 0845 468 0527 loaf.com The Lodge 020 8600 0430 virginlimitededition.com/en Love Inc 01892 319887 loveincltd.co.uk Loxwood 01242 541150 loxwoodwindows.com LSA 01932 789721 lsa-international.com

M

Macmaster 01299 861738 macmasterdesign.com Made to Last 01223 967901 made-to-last.co.uk Made.com 0344 257 1888 made.com Mailbox 0121 632 1000 mailboxlife.com Maisons du Monde 0808 234 2172 maisonsdumonde.com Mandarin Stone 01600 715444 mandarinstone.com Marabese Ceramics 01234 324594 marabeseceramics.com Masterclass 01443 449499 masterclasskitchens.co.uk Matalan 0333 004 4444 matalan.co.uk Maxlight 020 8896 0700 maxlight.co.uk Medite Tricoya 01322 424900 mdfosb.com Meir Black 020 3468 1556 meirblack.co.uk Metal Sheets 0151 526 4777 metalsheets.co.uk Mobalpa mobalpa.co.uk Moffat 07977 280979 ermoffat.co.uk Money Supermarket 0333 123 1983 moneysupermarket.com National Insulation Association 01525 383 313 nia-uk.org Montpellier Interior Classics 01242 226968 classicbathrooms.com Mrs Stone Store 01283 730388 mrs-stone-store.com Murals Wallpaper 0151 708 5400 muralswallpaper.co.uk Murano +39 041 2770822 muranonet.com My Furniture 0800 092 1636 my-furniture.com

N

Neptune 01793 427450 neptune.com Nest 0800 107 0700 nest.co.uk Newgate Clocks 01691 679994 newgateclocks.com Next 0333 777 8000 next.co.uk Nickie Kelly nickiekelly.com Nisi Living 01275 390521 nisiliving.co.uk Noa & Nani 01303 872957 noaandnani.co.uk Northampton Joinery 01604 720808 northamptonjoinery.com Not On The High Street notonthehighstreet.com Noxu Home 01202 560506 noxuhome.com

O

Ocean Lighting 01642 245066 oceanlighting.co.uk The Old Albion 07879 051362 Olsen 0844 8267 766 olsenuk.com One World 020 8974 2211 one.world Original BTC 020 7351 2130 uk.originalbtc.com Original Style 01392 473000 originalstyle.com Osborne and Little 020 8812 3123 osborneandlittle.com Oscar Francis oscarfrancis.co.uk Out There Interiors 020 8099 7443 outthereinteriors.com

P

PIB 020 3445 5150 pib-home.co.uk Plumen 020 7650 7882 plumen.com Podspeakers podspeakers.com Ponteau 01226 283434 pronteau.co.uk Posterlounge 0800 086 9287 posterlounge.co.uk Pure Bathroom Collection 0845 634 4321 purebathroomcollection.co.uk The Pure Bathroom Collection 0845 634 4321 purebathroomcollection.co.uk

Q Quick-Step quick-step.co.uk Radiator Company 01342 302250 R The theradiatorcompany.co.uk The Range therange.co.uk Reina 0090 216 640 5975 reinadesign.co.uk Rentokil rentokil.co.uk Ripples 0800 107 0700 ripplesbathrooms.com Roberts 03330 142505 robertsradio.com Roccbox 01425 204 999 roccbox.com Rockett St George 01444 253391 rockettstgeorge.co.uk Roofmaker 0116 217 9877 roof-maker.co.uk Rosita Lollipop 01462 433165 rositalollipop.com Rowan & Wren 01276 451077 rowenandwren.co.uk Russwood 01540 673648 russwood.co.uk

Sandtoft wienerberger.co.uk Sas and Yosh sasandyosh.com The Shop Floor Project 01229 584537 theshopfloorproject.com Skandium skandium.com Skinflint 01326 376893 skinflintdesign.com Smeg 0344 557 9907 smeguk.com Smithers of Stamford 01780 435060 smithersofstamford.com Sofa Workshop 0808 256 6401 sofaworkshop.com Sofa.com 0345 400 2222 sofa.com Sonos sonos.com Supplies4Heat 01342 306880 supplies4heat.co.uk Sweetpea & Willow 0345 257 2627 sweetpeaandwillow.com Swoon Editions 020 3137 2464 swooneditions.com

T

Talking Tables 020 7627 6767 talkingtables.co.uk Tarkett 01622 854000 tarkett.co.uk Ted Wood Designs 01243 572567 tedjefferis.co.uk Temerity Jones Shop temerityjonesshop.com Thomas Crapper 01789 450522 thomas-crapper.com Tile Giant 0345 307500 tilegiant.co.uk Tile Mountain 01782 223822 tilemountain.co.uk Tiles Direct 0113 253 0055 tiles-direct.com Tiles Tops Tiles 0800 783 6262 toppstiles.co.uk Timorous Beasties 020 7833 5010 timorousbeasties.com Tolix tolix.co.uk Topps Tiles 0800 783 6262 toppstiles.co.uk Toto Energy 0333 210 7070 totoenergy.com Town & Country Marble 01293 824246 townandcountrymarble-redhill.co.uk

U

UK Flooring Direct 02476 012840 ukflooringdirect.co.uk UK Wood Floors 01252 308395 ukwoodfloors.co.uk Uncommon Projects 07910 248384 uncommonprojects.co.uk United Carpets 0330 311 2442 unitedcarpetsandbeds.com Urban Avenue 0330 221 0565 urbanavenue.co.uk uSwitch 0800 688 8557 uswitch.com Utility Design 0151 7084 192 utilitydesign.co.uk

V

Valspar valsparpaint.co.uk Velux 01592 778225 velux.co.uk Victoria Plumb 0344 804 4848 victoriaplumb.com Victorian Plumbing 0345 862 2878 victorianplumbing.co.uk Vitra 01235 750990 vitra.co.uk Vola vola.com Direct 01323 430886 W Wallpaper wallpaperdirect.com Walls and Floors 01536 314730 wallsandfloors.co.uk Warm Up warmup.co.uk Wayfair 0800 169 0423 wayfair.co.uk Wesley Barrell wesley-barrell.co.uk West One Bathrooms 0333 011 3333 westonebathrooms.com Which? 01992 822800 which.co.uk Whilton Locks 01327 842172 whiltonlocks.co.uk The White Company 020 3758 9222 thewhitecompany.com Wickes 0330 123 4123 wickes.co.uk Wild & Wolf 01225 789909 wildandwolf.com Wildfire Teepees wildfireteepees.com Wilko 0800 032 9329 wilko.com Willis & Gambier 01733 318400 willisgambier.co.uk Winter Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair 020 7616 9327 decorativefair.com Wiser 0333 600 0622 wiser.draytoncontrols.co.uk Wood2U Quality Flooring 0333 600 1365 wood2u.co.uk Woolly Mama woollymamayarns.com Worcester Bosch 0330 123 9339 worcester-bosch.co.uk Wyld Home 01743 588820 wyldhome.com

Z

Zanussi 03445 612612 zanussi.co.uk Zara Home 0800 026 0091 zarahome.com Zazzle zazzle.co.uk

S

Sage 0808 178 1650 sageappliances.co.uk Sainsbury’s sainsburyshome.co.uk Saligo Design 020 7100 4333 saligodesign.com

realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

153

MARKETPLACE If you’re looking to buy fittings, fixtures, furniture and appliances for your home transformation, you will find a great selection on the next six pages FEATURED ADVERTISER

Charnwood Stoves

*NATIONAL READERSHIP SURVEY JANUARY–DECEMBER 2014

Exceptional British made wood burning stoves for every home heating situation: from pure room heaters to full central heating boiler models. Clean burning and highly efficient. www.charnwood.com

Do you want to reach an audience of more than 145,000* dedicated home improvers? Then book a classified advert; call Emma Farrington on 01225 687 486 or email emma.farrington@futurenet.com realhomes.co.uk JANUARY 2018

155

Nicola Broughton, aka ‘the_girl_with the_green_sofa’ I desperately want, has seen her Instagram following shoot up to just under 50,000 recently. Her use of dark, colourful interiors, combining vintage finds and eclectic styling, provide great ideas that also work well in the real world. Followers: 47,700 | @the_girl_with_the_green_sofa

Take five

Homeowners to follow on Instagram Senior Art Editor and Insta-guru Emily Smith shares the accounts that inspire her

12 34 5

‘Agi at 59’, an interiors addict from the south coast, clearly doesn’t believe less is more in the amazing home she shares with her two children. I’m a huge fan of homes that evoke all the senses, and Agi sure has achieved that in her beautiful property. Be it colour, pattern, texture or light, she has it all covered within her four walls.

Followers: 1,499 | @agi_at_59

‘Thelittlevic’ follows Jade and her partner as they renovate a two-storey Victorian terrace in London. What started as a quick patch-up job quickly became a full makeover. Watching this small space take shape on a tiny budget proves that décor dreams really can be achieved on a shoestring.

Followers: 7,266 | @thelittlevic

Take bold typographic prints, mix with dark walls, bright neon colours and retro furniture, and I’m in interior heaven. So when I came across mum-of-two Rachel Bradshaw’s account, ‘rachel_bradshaw_70’ I hit gold – the only question is when can I move in? If you share my passion for eclectic style, follow her today.

Followers: 6,799 | @rachel_bradshaw_70

PS DONT FORGET TO FOLLOW US @REAL _HOMES

Teacher Karla – aka ‘mrskarlalucas’ – has been posting about the refurbishment of her period home just down the road from me for the last two years. Projects ranging from simple floor sanding to adding a third floor with a loft conversion, have seen her followers soar – not a huge surprise when you take a look at her stunning home. Followers: 14.300 | @mrskarlalucas 162

JANUARY 2018

Next month: Editor Laura Crombie’s nursery inspiration

9000

9001