Dgxdfd

Real 40 HOMES

M a k e yo u r d r e a m h o m e a r e a l i t y REALHOMES.COM

OCTOBER 2021

BEFORE AFTERS 50+ pages of

+

inspiring home makeovers

bright ideas for lighting

Two-storey extensions

MAXIMISE YOUR HOUSE’S POTENTIAL

best buys

Dining benches Internal doors Shower panels

WARM WELCOME Create a hallway with impact

Autumn awaits

EMBRACE THE SEASON’S COSY COLOUR PALETTE

DREAM SPACES

Beautiful homes packed with personality

Real 40 HOMES

Make your dre am home a re a l i t y REALHOMES.COM

OCTOBER 2021

AFTERS +BEFORE 50+ pages of inspiring home makeovers

bright ideas for lighting

Two-storey extensions

MAXIMISE YOUR HOUSE’S POTENTIAL

best buys

Dining benches Internal doors Shower panels

with impact

Autumn awaits

EMBRACE THE SEASON’S COSY COLOUR PALETTE

DREAM SPACES

072 EUSSI

WARM WELCOME Create a hallway

99.3£ KU EHT NI DETNIRP

rotide eht morf

As much as I love the sunshine and free-spiritedness that comes with summer, autumn is the season that I look forward to the most. Once the temperature drops and the nights start drawing in, it’s a signal to hunker down and bundle up, ready for the cold, cosy months to come. But the start of the new season also brings a revitalising energy. Much like spring, we’re casting off the season before and getting into the spirit of the next one through our homes. Only instead of bright colours and lightweight linens, we’re piling on the cushions and throws, and paying new attention to how our homes can help us get through these indoor months where comfort rules.

If you share my love for autumn, don’t miss our decorating feature (page 41) on the new season’s bold colours and cosy textures for the home.

I’m particularly taken with the burnt oranges and terracottas we’re seeing in shops at the moment, and I’m also delighted to see check continuing to be the pattern du jour. Take a look and let us know which styles you’ll be bringing into your own home this autumn – we’d love to hear from you.

We’re also focusing on lighting this month. Mostly forgotten during the summer when daylight lingers into the evening, it’s now time to consider how your lighting scheme works for you.

Atmosphere is a huge part of a room scheme, and the type and position of lighting you use in a room plays as big a part as the wall colour. We’ve got plenty of tips for lighting the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen on page 66, and the pick of the prettiest new styles.

Beautiful homes packed with personality

Subscriber offer

While we’re looking Get six issues for £9.99 – forward to the next season here less than half price per at Real Homes, that doesn’t magazine! See page 10 mean we’re not also clinging on for more details to the last few moments of proper summer sun. In this issue, you’ll find garden inspiration to make the most of the rest of the good weather, as well as plenty of beautiful real homes with yearround appeal. All that leaves me to say is this: enjoy the issue, and enjoy the rest of your summer. See you again in autumn – I can’t wait! kaitlin madden Editor in chief @kaitmadden

MO C.SEMOHLAER

EDAM EEMIA SGNIHT SNOITARTSULLI YHPARGOTOHP RAIRB YDNIM HPARGOTOHP

Meet the team Get to know the people who bring you Real Homes Ellen Finch magazine with a Deputy editor monthly question. ‘I got into candles last year and have This time: What’s since built up quite your favourite Lighting way to cosy up as aonecollection. signals the start autumn arrives? of a cosy evening in.’

Alison Jones Assistant editor ‘Autumn calls for a wardrobe switch.

The tee shirts are packed away and I’ll be buried in woolly layers till spring.’

Anna Morley Style editor ‘I’m a real sucker for a blanket and boast a healthy collection of them. In autumn I can mostly be found underneath one.’

3

Amelia Smith Acting style editor ‘Homemade soup, cinnamon buns and pumpkin spiced laes in prey mugs say autumn to me.’

Emily Smith Senior art editor ‘We’ve just got a puppy, so I’m looking forward to digging out my chunky scarf for long autumn walks.’

s t n e t n o c Style agenda

Inside track

41

13 news

autumn awaits

Bring the cosy colours of the season into your home with new design ideas

The latest new homeware and essential design ideas

19 let’s be friends

48 Designer spotlight

21 would you buy a house at auction?

51 style maths

Follow us on social media for daily inspiration

Two readers share their opposing views on this month’s hot topic

22

real home

Nesrine and Mark turned a tired flat share into a stylish home

37 Geometry class Keep sharp with the latest geometric buys

The independent businesses getting creative with candles

The freshest bathroom looks for £200, £400 and £600

62 colour theory

Sophisticated and powerful, we share the psychology behind the colour black

66

Make space for extra guests with the latest dining benches

65 everyone’s talking about…

The one product we’re obsessed with this month

129

going Eco

Look out for this logo on our favourite sustainable picks

51

light the way

The latest designs and ideas for lighting up your home in style

86

39 room for more

41

hallways

...that welcome you home. How to make the best first impression

153

140 shaker-style kitchens

Design ideas for this classic look

52

140 62

s t n e t n co home life

52 real home

92

Claire and Nick’s home is a testament to their creativity and hard work

73 your questions, answered

The Real Homes team solves your design dilemmas

66

76 Real home

Nikki and Tom bought a tired 1970s bungalow by the sea and turned it into a modern retreat

92 real home

Caroline and Martin gave themselves six months to restore their 19th-century home

102 artisan appeal

37

How to embrace a ‘buy once and love forever’ approach to styling

106 real garden

Kel and Dan’s Miami-inspired garden was a game changer for their staycation summer

134 real kitchen

Claire used her colour knowledge and creative eye to form a space that’s perfect for entertaining

project advice 113

project of the month The two-storey extension that’s grabbed our attention

120 10 steps to upping your kerb appeal How to keep the outside of your home looking good

129 project news

The latest ideas and buys for your kitchen, bathroom and renovation

145 guide to garage doors

Transform your home’s look and up its security with these designs

150

focus on internal doors Open yourself up to a wide choice of styles

153 The edit

Our pick of soup makers, shower panels and robot vacuum cleaners

162 Sunday Project

Add a pop of pattern with this easy wardrobe hack

106 73

SEE ONE OF THESE? Scan on your phone for more from realhomes.com

EDITORIAL

Editor in Chief Kaitlin Madden Deputy Editor Ellen Finch Assistant Editor Alison Jones Style Editor Anna Morley Acting Style Editor Amelia Smith realhomes@futurenet.com 0330 390 6508

ART

Senior Art Editor Emily Smith Group Art Director Billy Peel Art Editor Karen Lawson

REALHOMES.COM EIC of Homes Ecommerce Lindsey Davis EIC of Homes Audience Amy Cutmore EIC of Homes News Rebecca Knight Senior Digital Editor Jenny McFarlane Digital Editor Camille Dubuis-Welch Deals Editor Annie Collyer Appliances Editor Jennifer Oksien Consumer Editor Anna Cottrell realhomesdigital@futurenet.com BRAND DEVELOPMENT Brand Development Director Laura Crombie Video Producer Matt Gibbs ADVERTISING AND EXHIBITIONS SALES Media packs are available on request Commercial Director Rob Biagioni rob.biagioni@futurenet.com Strategic Partnership Director Jackie Sanders jackie.sanders@futurenet.com 0330 390 6530 Print Sales Manager Rebecca Vincze rebecca.vincze@futurenet.com 0330 390 6566 Digital Sales Manager Kelly James kelly.james@futurenet.com 0330 390 6543 Exhibitions Sales Director Hellen Roche hellen.roche@futurenet.com For all media sales enquiries please contact rebecca.vincze@futurenet.com or call 0330 390 6566 INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND SYNDICATION Real Homes is available for licensing and syndication. To find out more, contact us or view our available content at futurecontenthub.com Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw licensing@futurenet.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Email enquiries help@magazinesdirect.com UK order line and enquiries 0330 333 1113 Overseas order line and enquiries +44(0)330 333 1113 Online orders and enquiries magazinesdirect.com Director of Acquisitions Sharon Todd CIRCULATION Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers PRODUCTION Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Vivienne Calvert MANAGEMENT Managing Director of Homes Jason Orme Chief Content Officer Angie O’Farrell Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham SUBSCRIBER COPY WRAP IMAGE Getty PRINTED BY William Gibbons & Sons DISTRIBUTED BY Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU, marketforce.co.uk Tel: 020 3787 9001

RHeoamles jaust k c i l caway AM to.

INSTAwGe’Rre up t ha w E B ee U S YOUT-to videos.

Real_Homes @ w ho Handy h ‘Real Homes’ Searc

PINTERteEstSTpics.

Pin ohur‘Rlaea l Homes’ Searc

FACEBOmOmKunity.

Join ohur‘Rcoeal Homes’ Searc

ISSN 1464 - 4061 We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill and printer hold full FSC and PEFC certification and accreditation.

All contents © 2021 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.

8

ITE WEBSst te ad.cviocem.

Get three allaho mes Visit

Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) www.futureplc.com

TWITTEstRnews.

See thhe@laRteealHomes Searc

Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford Chief financial officer Rachel Addison Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

We’re back and ready to spark your imagination

WE’RE BACK!

We are back and can’t wait for you to join us LIVE at one of our locations this autumn. Visit us at the show this year and get access to: The Advice Centre From planning regulations to managing budgets, unlock the potential of your home by receiving a one-to-one meeting with one of our experts.

Masterclasses

Take a seat as exhibitors enlighten you with self-build trends and invaluable insights, provide live demonstrations of the latest products, and help bring your project from concept to reality.

Seminars

Choose from a range of seminars, delivered by experts and tackling a range of key self-build and renovation topics including how to avoid the most common self-build mistakes.

Exhibitors

The virtual world is all very well but there’s nothing quite like meeting the experts and being able to compare and contrast the quality of products in person.

Magazine stand

Visit the Homebuilding & Renovating stand and pick up your exclusive subscription offer to the Homebuilding & Renovating magazine, as well as some of our other leading homes titles.

Get 2 FREE tickets

to the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show, visit london.homebuildingshow.co.uk/real-homes-oct Terms and conditions apply. *Offer expires 3pm 23rd September 2021. Saving based on a two day ticket price. Children under 16 go free.

6 ISSUES FOR £9.99

*

SAVING

58% off cover price

10

Real 40 HOMES

Make your dre am home a re a l i t y REALHOMES.COM

OCTOBER 2021

bright ideas for lighting

BEFORE AFTERS 50+ pages of

+

Two-storey extensions

MAXIMISE YOUR HOUSE’S POTENTIAL

inspiring home makeovers

best buys

Dining benches Internal doors Shower panels

DREAM SPACES

072 EUSSI

EMBRACE THE SEASON’S COSY COLOUR PALETTE

with impact

99.3£ KU EHT NI DETNIRP

Autumn awaits

WARM WELCOME Create a hallway

Beautiful homes packed with personality

Great reasons to subscribe ● Brilliant value – save money on the cover price

● Every issue is delivered in an eco-friendly paper wrap

SUBSCRIBE NOW

www.magazinesdirect.com/rhoct21 Real HOMES

Make your dre am home a re a l i t y REALHOMES.COM

AFTERS +BEFORE 50+ pages of inspiring home makeovers

OCTOBER 2021

li REALHOMES.COM

best buys

Dining benches Internal doors Shower panels

Real 40 HOMES

Make your dre am home a re a l i t y

MA HOUSE

OCTOBER 2021

AFTERS +BEFORE 50+ pages of inspiring home makeovers

bright ideas for lighting

Two-storey extensions

MAXIMISE YOUR HOUSE’S POTENTIAL

best buys

Autu awai

EMBRACE THE COSY COLOUR PA

DREAM SPACES

Beautiful homes packed with pers

Dining benches Internal doors Shower panels

WARM WELCOME Create a hallway with impact

Autumn awaits

EMBRACE THE SEASON’S COSY COLOUR PALETTE

DREAM SPACES

072 EUSSI

with impact

99.3£ KU EHT NI DETNIRP

WARM WELCOME Create a hallway

Beautiful homes packed with personality

GET A DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

● Available on iOS and Android ● Get instant access to the current issue

JUST

£9.99

*Terms and conditions Offer closes 30 September 2021. Direct Debit offer is available to new UK subscribers only. *After your first six issues, your subscription will continue at £9.25 every three months by Direct Debit, Please allow up to six weeks for delivery of your first subscription issue (up to eight weeks overseas). Payment is non-refundable after the 14-day cancellation period unless exceptional circumstances apply. For full terms and conditions, visit www.magazinesdirect.com/terms. For enquiries please call +44 (0) 330 333 1113.

Lines are open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm UK time or email help@magazinesdirect.com. Calls to 0330 numbers will be charged at no more than a national landline call, and may be included in your phone provider’s call bundle.

11

inside track Get the scoop on new design ideas, must-have products and looks you’ll love…

Raan, jute and pale wood with an Seasons changing

injection of ma black is the scheme bringing a new dimension to autumn.

Clean cut lines and sculptural forms introduce a contemporary, powerful edge to the palee, and this is exemplified perfectly by the Natural Artisan AW21 range from John Lewis & Partners. A splash of burnt orange and autumnleaf red adds a fiery warmth to symbolise the change in season.

Poise six to eight seater extending dining table, £1,099; rattan folding chair, £99; jute pouffe, £79; Pillar chair, £399; Hiko large ceiling light, £215, John Lewis & Partners

Black ball hand-carved mirror, £200

HTIMS AILEMA ERUTAEF

Fall for these

Set a mellow mood with John Lewis & Partners’ accessories in so seasonal hues

Mini dash vase, £15

Arles wicker wrapped glass jug, £25 Linen pendant, £65

Anyday Jax side table, £69

13

Anyday tufted diamond cushion in mustard, £15

Medium Shiffen tray, £65

Architectural interest

Artist and designer Georgia Bosson used lockdown to reflect on her travels to Taiwan, the photos she took and sketches she made of the buildings. The results are beautiful block trays in varnished birch plywood.

Shiffen trays, from £55 for a small, Georgia Bosson

Large Shiffen tray, £75

Fund raiser

Emma Bridgewater has released a new mug in collaboration with the charity Shelter. From every mug sold, £5 will be donated to the charity in order to help them on their mission to ensure everyone has a home. With the quintessential Emma Bridgewater mug shape and font, this is a stylish buy we can feel good about. Shelter mug, £19.95, Emma Bridgewater

Small Shiffen tray, £55

HOME GROWN MASTERPIECE

Cuddle up

Think you’ve not got room for any more plant babies?

Think again! This living art frame from The Little Botanical means you can position your plants in pride of place, and enjoy a piece of wall art that’s always evolving. The contemporary charcoal grey frame comes complete with four plants, so simply hang, water and enjoy. Mobilane Living art frame, £150

Nordic House has launched a new furniture collection called Reflective Calm. The Klara sofa shown here is the star of the show, with its simple wooden legs and an extra deep seat for comfort.

It’s available in several sizes and so shades – such as muted coral and soothing greys. Reflective Calm collection sofa, from £1,995, Nordic House

Diamond large cotton Durrie rug, from £55

ECO CHOICE

Pattern passion

Humphries & Begg is a husband and wife brand born out of a love of vivacious colours and kaleidoscopic prints. Launched with a range of clothing, the company has now branched out into homeware. Alice Begg designs the unique prints in house while collaborating designer Claire Cartwright hand-paints equally striking lampshades.

Complementary colours

COLLAB ALERT

Claire Cartwright Studio Checkers and Deckers, lampshade, £200

If you love nothing more than bagging yourself a history-filled piece of vintage furniture, we’ve found the perfect paints to bring your whole look to life. Vintage furniture retailer Merchant & Found has joined forces with carbon absorbent eco paint company Graphenstone to produce 10 paint colours for walls – for the perfect backdrop to set off your second-hand goodies. We love this Old Lilac shade.

Graphenstone paints, £23.34 for 750mls, Merchant & Found

Millefluer Tapestry – Knight, £166 per roll

Massingberd Blossom – Oriental, £97 per roll

REVIVE AND REFRESH

Burges Snail – Juniper, £90 per roll

Tulip – Aqua, £78 per roll

15

Little Greene has joined forces with the National Trust for a second collection of wallpaper designs, all inspired by papers found on the walls of historic homes. While the shapes and patterns remain similar to the originals, Little Greene has given them a modern spin with bold colours. Heritage and art combine in pretty, elegant patterns to suit any room.

Bookworm

The Annie Sloan Collection, £19.99 (Ryland Peters) Are you a painting novice? Then learn from the very best with this practical guide to painting all surfaces, in any way, from Annie Sloan. With 75 step by step projects, from stencilling your stairs to waxing your floors, read this before picking up your paint brush to get the perfect finish every time.

Tale of two halves Candle season is nearly upon us, and we’re geing excited to cosy up again with those flickering flames.

These two-tone designs from Graham & Green embody all that is fun, abstract and autumnal – they’ll make the perfect centrepiece to any style-conscious dinner party, that’s for sure. Two-tone candles, £3.50 each, Graham & Green

DINNER TIME

Everything tastes better on a stylish plate, agreed? These decorative designs from Rose & Grey are hand painted in Spain, and are sure to bring that warm holiday feeling to every meal.

Choose from either verde and coral, like these, as well as a deep blue – or mix and match for a laid-back look. Decorative dinner plates, £28, and side plates, £20, Rose & Grey

Keep in shape Give your blooms a sculptural home with these standout, formfollowing vases

Ceramic Namaste body vase, £20, Lisa Angel

Earthenware ripple vase, Cylindrical vase with handles, £30, Cox & Cox £85, George Scully

16

Marian stoneware vase, £12.99, Dobbies

Deal corner

Extensions galore Whether you want to

As well as making you feel like you’re living in the future, smart tech is a prey handy way of saving energy, money and time. Head to our hub, where Annie and her team have gathered the best deals for the pieces you actually need. realhomes.com/the-hub

create your dream kitchen-diner, add a level or up your home’s value, see our guides to extending for all the info you need – and lots to inspire you. realhomes. com/extensions

g n i d n e #nowtr ALHOMES.COM RE N O Y IT UN M M CO E TH JOIN FOR ALL YOUR HOMES INSPIRATION AND ADVIC

Fab Hab Ibiza outdoor rug in green multi, from £59.95, Cuckooland

get involved

)POT( KOONS SIRHC HPARGOTOHP

We’re following… @hannah_drakeford_design. This interior designer is all about the bold colours – and did we mention she also sells incredible cement homewares, too? Head over to her profile if you’re a colour lover.

Ipanema coffee tables in yellow, £80 for two, Habitat

19

Clear cap micro festoon lights, £29.99, Lights4fun

GARDEN STYLE

The last few weeks of summer are upon us, so make the most of it with advice and inspiration for your outdoor space – plus buying guides for everything from rugs to outdoor lighting and patio furniture. realhomes.com/ garden

MO C.SEMOHLAER

Fancy being featured on our IG – or even the pages of this magazine?

Use #sorealhomes in your social media posts and you might just catch our eye…

E

THE BIG DEBA TE Would you get a house at auction?

Could you risk buying a home under the hammer? Two readers reveal all

‘We had a good relationship with the sellers, which you don’t get at auction’

‘I am a convert to buying at auction.

I think you can get such a bargain’

Esther Gittoes (@consumedbywanderlust) lives in a listed Georgian townhouse (@the_ elephant_house) in Kinver, Staffordshire ‘Buying at auction’s been better for me because I’d never have been able to afford this house normally. I’ve gone from a two-bedroom apartment to a three-storey listed Georgian townhouse in a lovely village for not much more.

‘The house was sold through a modern day auction. You have a viewing and then put in a bid online. You have to pay a non-refundable reservation fee, which you lose if you pull out. I had a pack of information beforehand, and it was quite hard to make sense of it all. I got a lot more garden than I realised – it goes all the way down to the River Stour.

‘My friend actually found it and I said don’t touch it because it’s being sold through auction. I thought you had to be a cash buyer and I’d got this idea it’d be really messy inside. Now I’m a convert!

You can get houses at such better prices through auction. It’s hard enough for a young person or a woman on their own to get a mortgage and buy the normal way, so if you’re able to get it cheaper, great!

‘I had one viewing and then went for it. I had no idea of how much it was worth. I put in my offer and they accepted it and the auction closed early. I was really surprised that it didn’t go higher, but I think they wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

‘I would definitely buy at auctions in the future.

I do buy furniture at auctions – I’m more open to it now, whereas before I was a bit scared to go down that route. It’s going to take a lot of work, but I think I’ve got such a bargain!’

21

MOC.SEMOHLAER

SENOJ NOSILA ERUTAEF

Nina and Sam Ward (@ellerhowhouse) live with their little boy, Freddie, and Labradoodle Moo in a Regency house in the Lake District ‘We bought this house a few months ago. We’d seen it online three years ago and I said, “Oh, house goals!”. It’s like a fairytale. With the stamp duty holiday, my husband said “Shall we go for it and see how far we get?”. We went along with the process and everything just slotted into place.

It was built by the architect George Webster.

It has eight bedrooms – three run as a holiday let – and 12 and half acres of grounds and woodland.

‘We bought it through an estate agent. We visited it a number of times and brought our family to see it. We got to know the former owners quite well and had a rapport with them that I imagine you’re missing at an auction. I do go to furniture auctions and they are quite competitive. They are quite fast and a bit unpredictable, and that might be a bit unnerving when buying a house.

‘Every step with this house was far more considered than I imagine it could be at auction, where you’re going to have to react quite quickly.

You can’t go away and say, “I’m going to have to think about that overnight”. It did feel we had more control over the finances and there was more openness for negotiation. There were two other offers on the table for the house, but we had a good relationship with the owners; I think they liked the idea that it’d go to a family. They stayed loyal to us even when our house sale fell through during Covid – so there is something to be said for having a relationship with the seller.’

?TNUOCSID A ROF ELGGAH OT ERAD UOY DLUOW :HTNOM TXEN

YES

NO

23

SEMOHLAEROS#

Turning a tired flat share into a stylish twolevel home has given Nesrine and Mark a family space packed with design flair – and a secret outside escape

SNOISNETXE/MOC.SEMOHLAER OT OG ,NOITARIPSNI NOISNETXE LANIGIRO EROM ROF

Room at the top Victorian maisonette renovation

‘The fireplace is original,’ says Nesrine. ‘We liked it because it was a bit Art Deco so we didn’t change it. We also kept the two cupboards beside the fireplace, and added shelves on top.’

Armchair and footstool.

Eames. Table, The Conran Shop, topped with marble.

Sofa, BoConcept. Rug, Ikea. Side table, antique market. Candlesticks and vase on fireplace, Petersham Nurseries.

Flooring, The Solid Wood Flooring Company

Profile

The owners Nesrine, who is an associate for a hotel developer, lives here with her husband, Mark, the managing director of an internal fit out company, and their daughters, Emmie, nine, and Josephine, five The property A three-bedroom top-floor maisonee in a Victorian house in Fulham, London project cost £120,000

Le and below Dining table and chairs, antique shop. Drawers, antique. Mirrored drawers, vintage on Ebay.

Blue vase, flea market.

‘Secession’ print, bought at an antiques market in Vienna. Cushions, Pierre Frey. Pendant light, Georges. Round mirror.

The White Company

T

27

MOC.SEMOHLAER

SEIZNEM MLOCLAM SHPARGOTOHP SENOJ NOSILA SDROW

ime taken to learn what you want in a home before you renovate it, or even before you buy it, is always well spent. It gives you a criteria to work from when you start your search, and the vision to see how a property can be reshaped to fit what you need in a home.

Renting in Fulham for four years gave Nesrine and her husband, Mark, the certainty that they wanted to stay in the area.

‘We liked Fulham – it’s like a village but it’s close to London, where we both work,’ says Nesrine. ‘There’s a bilingual school here. I’m French and my husband’s English – it made sense to us as a family to live next to it’. In 2017 they found a character home in a maisonette in a Victorian house. Though the layout wasn’t ideal, they could see its potential. ‘In traditional Victorian houses the living rooms are quite dark and narrow as they’re on the ground floor, next to the stairs,’ says Nesrine. ‘We wanted more light and a wider property, so opted for a top-floor maisonette. Our living room on the first floor is nearly six metres wide with high ceilings, three windows at the front and light from the kitchen window.’

To make the home work the way they wanted it to, the couple rearranged rooms and extended the roof to create space. ‘Normally you’d have the kitchen at the rear of the property,’ explains Nesrine. ‘We moved it to the front, close to the living room, and the bedroom to the back to make a master suite with dressing area and en suite.

The maisonette was a flat share and hadn’t been well maintained; it was quite dated when we bought it. We stripped it out and did everything new. All these ideas came about because we’ve rented similar properties before and we knew what we liked about them and what we didn’t.’

They worked with architect Emilie Mauran from EMR to create a plan and discuss some innovative design features – such as the large feature window between the living room and new kitchen. ‘We wanted the kitchen to be closed rather than open plan, but still get some light and have a sense of openness,’ says Nesrine. ‘It was made bespoke in a workshop in Fulham, so it looks quite artisanal rather than industrial.

We love it and it’s a key feature in our house.’

Up in the roof they created a bedroom with sloped ceiling that their daughters currently share, and a guest room. There’s also space in the reconfigured home for an office/music room.

While living in their rented accommodation, they’d enjoyed the luxury of outside space thanks to a roof terrace; they wanted a similar escape in their new top-floor home. ‘Most people choose to either have a roof terrace or an extra bedroom.

We managed both, which we’re very happy with,’ says Nesrine. ‘It’s better than a garden because you have total privacy. If you have a garden in London, all your neighbours can look onto you, but not on a roof top. We have a little barbecue and a view of the sky or the stars in the evening.’

Both Nesrine and Mark have careers in the construction industry – which gave them the experience and contacts to guide this renovation through to completion quickly. ‘I work in the hospitality sector managing the delivery of hotel projects in London,’ says Nesrine. ‘It’s a little different from houses – much bigger! My experience helped me in managing the renovation and keeping it to cost and schedule. We also worked with people we knew; Emilie was very helpful in creating the best layouts to optimise the space. The main work was quite quick: we moved in after three months, then spent another three months decorating, adding built-in wardrobes, et cetera.’

The result is a bright, elegant space that has a sense of fun with unexpected touches, like the walls covered in tropical leaves in the music/office room or a rope bannister guiding guests up the stairs. ‘We played with wallpapers and light colours,’ says Nesrine. ‘We wanted a stylish home, but not one the kids couldn’t play or live in.’

Below The music room/ study is decorated with a tropical motif.

Banano wallpaper, Wallpaperdirect. Round mirror, Oliver Bonas.

Piano, Kemble London

Right ‘We chose an island to sit at for breakfast and for the children to have their dinner,’ says Nesrine. ‘I use the extra work surface all the time.’

Stools, Graham & Green, Pendant lights, vintage. Leaf print, Herbarium. Sideboard.

Maisons du Monde

Right ‘The kitchen units are from Ikea and are really nice.

We added the brass handles and marble worktops. It is quite black and white but we mixed it with pieces in wood.’

Right ‘The pink side table was designed by a friend of mine, Gwendoline Porte.

It’s called Rails; it’s like a train rail and you can link several together.’

Wallpaper, Cole & Son. Flooring, The Solid Wood Flooring Company

Kitchen units and sink, Ikea.

Neolith Statuario work surfaces and splashback, StoneCircle.

Appliances, Electrolux, Tap, Ebay. Flooring, Topps Tiles

Below ‘Because the kitchen used to be at the back of the house, it was easy to put a shower room as part of the master suite as the pipework was already there.’

Vanity unit, Ikea. For similar marble tiling, try Place, Tile Mountain

Contacts

Architect/project management Emilie Mauran from EMR, 020 7384 6455, emrarchitecture.com Kitchen Ikea, ikea.com Worktops and splashback StoneCircle, 0125 685 0380 stone-circle.com Internal window Custom made by The French House, Fulham, 020 7371 7573, thefrenchhouse.co.uk

Le and above ‘The curved walls were already here,’ says Nesrine. ‘There is one around the study and one in our bedroom.’

Pictures, Affordable Art Fair, Baersea. Bedside table, Urban Outfiers.

Bedlinen, La Redoute.

Storage chest, Made.

Bookshelves, Ebay

31

Right ‘Our daughters could have a room each when they grow up, but for the moment they are happy to share, so we put a bunk bed in their bedroom,’ says Nesrine.

Large rug, Lorena Canals.

Wallpaper, Sandberg.

Bunk beds, Ikea. Bedlinens, Numero 74 Le ‘Charloe Lilford, who is an architect, designed the girls’ bedroom and the beautiful fied cupboard.

It is very big with lots of storage and shelves; at night we can put all their toys away in there and leave the room quite tidy.’

Desk chair, Maisons du Monde.

Wardrobe, designed by Charloe Lilford

THE PLANS FIRST FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

BEFORE

AFTER

BEDROOM RECEPTION BATH ROOM ROOM

KITCHEN

LIVING/ DINING ROOM

KITCHEN MUSIC ROOM

EN SUITE BEDROOM

MOOR GNISSERD

LIVING ROOM

‘The terrace was so good during the lockdown. It has a Moroccan theme and it’s nice because we get the sun on it until very late.’

Rocking chair, Eames. Cushion, Pierre Frey. Linen curtains, custom made. (On terrace) Two-seater chair and table. Graham & Green. Rug, bought in a market in Morocco

1 2

12

3

11

4 10

8

5

6 7

Combine sharp edges, smooth curves and pastel shades for a statement look that’s playful and fun

HTIMS AILEMA ERUTAEF

1 Killala pendant, £210, Pooky 2 Geo cube throw, £35, Joe Browns 3 Lilac abstract tassel rug, £55, Graham & Green 4 Gold geometric side table, £165, Sweetpea & Willow 5 Mid-century modern abstract art print, from £15, Abstract House 6 Geometric brass chevron cabinet, £303, Limelace 7 Studio mustard stripe pillow case set, £12, Habitat 8 Aged metal diamond planters, £128 for two, Audenza 9 Multicolour velvet cushion, £16, Julian Charles 10 Medina blue cubes geometric paerned tiles, £48 per m2, Porcelain Superstore 11 Knox armchair in Vii Geo, £229, Made 12 Geometric terracoa pot, £45, Rose & Grey

37

MOC.SEMOHLAER

GEOMETRY CLASS

KOOL LATSAOC YSOC EHT TEG – HTNOM TXEN

9

Mellow Blush Pink velvet three-seater bench, £369, Danetti

Malvern Dove Grey bench, £120, Next

Loft bench, £195, Cox & Cox

Kendall bench seat in Bottle Green, £179, Dunelm

Brooklyn natural dining bench, £299.99, Oak Furnitureland

Emma velvet upholstered bench in Burnt Orange, £109, Housecosy

Create space for extra guests and extra comfort with our edit of the best dining benches

Lorenzo bench in Dove Grey, £199.99, My Furniture

By Boo Volta bench, £199, Cuckooland

Norraker birch bench, £40, Ikea

Etta three-seater dining bench in black, £195, Habitat

Norbury bench in tan leather, £159, Cult Furniture

Tuvan long bench, from £495, The Dormy House

39

MOC.SEMOHLAER

AYAHSUR HALULLAT ERUTAEF

Jenson end-of-table dining bench in yellow and dark stain oak, £149, Made

MOOR YREVE ROF SAEDI EGAROTS YVVAS :HTNOM TXEN

ROOM FOR MORE

AUT U M N AWA I T S

When the chilly days set in, we look to our homes for a feeling of comfort and warmth. Embrace the change with these autumnal hues and cosy design ideas

HTIMS AILEMA ERUTAEF

Check mate Gingham has been the paern of summer ‘21, so take the look through to autumn with a cosy twist.

Checks and plaids in earthy browns and terracoas make for a rustic, countryinspired scheme. From throws to cushions and even wallpaper, ensure this is your go-to print for a comforting space.

Countryside plaid leather wallpaper, £135 for three rolls, Mind The Gap

Colour clash When it comes to colour, things are hoing up.

Go for deep reds and burnt oranges for that classic autumn feel, then contrast with rich sapphires and emeralds for a bold and playful look.

Joel sofa bed in orange, £400; Razia India nested tables, £195; Mohan flatweave reversible rug in tan, £120; Tempe brass table lamp, £45; Orrico hammered brass plant pot, £55; Raza India etch-painted coffee table, £150, all Habitat

Top Tip High-shine metallic gold finishes bring a warm and luxurious look. Keep finishes consistent throughout your home for a cohesive scheme

Top Tip Paint your walls and woodwork all the same colour to minimise the appearance of boundaries and make your space feel larger More is more Make an entrance with a hallway that sets the tone for a comforting home.

Throw down a runner to keep cosy underfoot and position a lamp on your console table to banish dark nights. Leaning art prints against the wall, rather than hanging them, means you can chop and change designs in line with the seasons without leaving unsightly holes in the wall.

For a similar rug, try the Poppy, from £95, French Connection

DRIB ARAS GNILYTS SREHCUD NAD HPARGOTOHP

Top Tip Mid-green walls can work for any season – combine with warm reds and terracoas in autumn, and fresh whites and yellows in spring

Tactile textures Just like with jumpers and scarves, autumn styling is all about layering. And when it comes to dressing your bed, there’s no such thing as too many layers.

From velvet cushions to faux fur throws, combine so and comforting textures in warm, rustic colours for a space that invites you in to keep snug and warm.

Lexington oatmeal fabric double bed, £499.99, Furniture & Choice

Top Tip Update your look with tinted glassware.

Vases and jugs in burnt oranges and charcoals bring an instant autumnal feel

Top Tip Dot hessian baskets around your living areas and guest room and fill them with throws so you never get chilly

Create ambience As the sun starts seing earlier, we rely on artificial lighting much more at this time of year, so it’s important that we adjust accordingly. Hanging two or three pendant lights low above your table is a great way to zone the dining area in an open-plan space and create a cosy seing.

Top Tip Decorative candelabras are a must for your dining table centrepiece this season, from quirky animal designs to organic twig-effect styles like this. Personalise with your preferred candle – be it classic white, two-tone or twirly

Trestle six-seater dining table, £699; Parisian velvet dining chair, £299; Sinamay pendant light, £55; Swoon Raine marble drinks cabinet, £629, all John Lewis & Partners

Top Tip Curved shapes and rounded edges are a trend that’s set to stay.

A curvy dining table creates a relaxed feel and saves space, too

Top Tip Heavy curtains in decorative paerns not only create a cosy and cocooning feel, they also help to keep the warm air in and the cold air out

naturAL Beauty Autumn is about change, so take your cue from nature and invite the outside in.

Swap summer foliage, like peonies, for eucalyptus, pampas grass and dried flowers in berry shades.

This fireplace display really makes a statement, or go for a large vase for a more pared-back look.

Ruskin eyelet natural curtains, from £35; Salisbury sofa, from £899; Churchgate Langton brass floor lamp, £79; Arundel Storage footstool, from £329; faux foliage, from £2, all Dunelm

Top Tip Torn between a comfy footstool and a handy coffee table?

Position a tray on top for the best of both worlds

Orange cotton runner, £62, Heavenly Homes & Gardens

Still Life Poppies velvet cushion, £38, The French Bedroom Company

Wood bird cage pendant light, £195, Hudson Home

Warm tone botanical print, £18, Violets Print House

Emmeline velvet armchair, £499, Atkin & Thyme

Clearwell bud vase in chestnut, £8, Garden Trading

COSY UP

Red Rushfoil artificial Croton plant, £19.99, Homescapes

From velvet to wool, and burnt orange to ochre, bring comfy autumnal vibes into your home with our edit of the best buys Bloomingville rattan Otto cabinet, £185, Cuckooland

Reclaimed teak chunky coffee table, £275, Rose & Grey

Recycled wool blanket in rust and camel Buffalo check, from £40, The Tartan Blanket Co ECO CHOICE

Stoneware geometric candle holder, £21, Sunday Living

47

MO C.SEMOHLAER

Ochre check fringed cushion, £32, Graham & Green

Saltdean two-seater sofa in tumeric house cord, £1,739, Sofas & Stuff

designer designer spotlight spotlight Support independent businesses and meet the creatives making waves in the interiors world.

This month, we’re talking statement candles that’ll help you cosy up your home in style NÙCE LONDON Hands up if you’ve spent an, erm, unprecedented amount of money on candles over the past year? Us too! They’ve become a way of making the everyday a lile more special, whether you’ve been seing them at the table with dinner or recreating those stylish-looking Instagram bathroom shots by piling them up around the bath (a safety hazard in the making, FYI). And from this year has emerged a fresh new trend: sculptural candles. More time to indulge in creative hobbies has led to a wave of new businesses offering beautiful statement products, and as a result, our mantelpieces and side tables have never looked so good. One of the designers making innovate things with wax is Costanza Sofia of Nùce London. Her composable candles are made to be stacked on top of each other in your perfect colour combination, while her magnetic candle holders can be assembled to your design. We spoke to Costanza to find out how she got started.

Right Composable candles, £15 (currently available in London only)

How would you describe your business in a sentence?

I design and create candles and objects with a story to tell, trying to minimise their impact on the environment.

Where did the inspiration to start your business come from?

Since I graduated from university in 2017 I’ve been working as a freelance trend editor. Despite loving this job, I’ve found myself aching for the opportunity to express my creativity in a more tangible way, outside of clients’ briefs and according to my timings.

Last year, as with many others during the pandemic, I’ve found the courage to give it a go and never looked back since.

Q A

What’s your favourite thing about what you do?

Having complete freedom in the creative process and seeing ideas – even the weirdest ones – coming to life and becoming real things. I’ve always been an avid user of candles, but for this project I wanted to create something different – not only aesthetically pleasing but with some kind of narrative behind it.

Q A

What has been your proudest moment – or moments – so far?

Every time we launch a new design and people appreciate it or show enthusiasm about it, that means a lot and gives me the boost to keep creating.

It can be difficult at times running a creative business that doesn’t necessarily conform to the latest trends, but seeing the first returning customers was one of the best feelings I can remember.

) H O L I N ( OC G N I D N A R B X Y N O HPARGOTOHP HCNIF NELLE SDROW

Above Botanical candles, £12 each

Q A Q A

Slow burn Want more candle inspo?

We’re waxing lyrical about these two creative makers HORMSCENT

@horm_scent

Below Composable candles, £15 (currently available in London only)

Above Basic eight-piece candle holder set in mint and pastel yellow, £50

Below Full 13piece candle holder set in pastel pink and lilac, £70

hormscent.com

If you had to pick just one of your pieces, what would be your favourite?

I love our candles, but I’d have to say the candle holder sets, mostly because of the concept behind them.

The idea of having a bunch of pieces with which you can create a countless number of designs and always have a different piece to style your candles around the

49

MO C.SEMOHLAER

NILOH @weareniloh ‘Niloh originally took form as a small creative project during the first national house really blows my mind. The whole lockdown to keep myself concept was developed together with my occupied,’ says owner Lizzie Biongdad, aer a provisional prop he created Komolibus. ‘I suffer from anxiety and to style our first candles, the ‘Aromatiche aromas and scents have always had Set’. He then kept helping me out from such a powerful, soothing effect.

Italy with the creation of the prototypes As such, I wanted to incorporate and is still of great support to this day. beautiful fragrance oils into my designs, so that they smell as good Anything else we as they look. The positive reception need to know? from friends and family acted as Each collection is produced in a catalyst and inspired me to turn limited quantities and each piece is my project into a business. My handcraed in London. For our candles, favourite piece is our Curvy candle we’re commied to using natural and silhouee that ethically sourced materials showcases the only. Quality and exploration beauty and power over quantity is our moo, so of real women’s we decided to embrace a slow bodies. I wanted and transparent approach for to represent the our creations, which we underrepresented believe is more sustainable in my designs for the world we live in now. by championing inclusivity and Follow Nùce London on Havana curve diversity’ Goddess Instagram @nuce_london nilohcandles.com candle, and visit their website £30, Niloh at nucelondon.com

Q A Q A

‘Everything started with food,’ says owner Para Praepath. ‘I had several food businesses, but aer giving birth to my lile girl, I started to make Waldorf dolls during those sleepless nights.

I then incorporated some cooking techniques into the development and Four pastel production of candles. colour candles, I make beeswax candles £16.50 with everyday object Hormscent textures, like leather, and pastel colours. I’ve had to learn about every lile step, from production to digital marketing, along the way. My favourite thing I’ve created is a DIY kit to make watercoloured textured candles. They remind me of artwork and are simply gorgeous.’

STYLE

maths

Curate a stylish bathroom sanctuary, whatever your budget, with our edit of the latest buys and how to combine them

£200

+

Tineko tufted bath mat, £22, La Redoute

Chunky ceramic soap dispenser, £5, and tumbler, £3, Matalan

£400

Layla brass shelves, £145, Beaumonde

+ +

Large barn wall hooks, £45, French Connection

+

Large Kiara wallmounted towel rack, £118, Anthropologie

HTIMS YLIME ERUTAEF

Narinda set of four cotton and linen towels in Soft Putty, £55, Made

Vice Love canister in black and white, £98, Jonathan Adler

+

+ +

Dutchbone Kubu mirror, £119, Cuckooland

Wooden storage unit, £89.99, Zara Home

= =

£371.99

£28.01 left over for a lovely new scented candle

+ Haze wall cabinet, £335, Nest

£191

£9 left over for a new book to read in the bath

Two Wayne wall lights in polished chrome and glass, IP44, £54 each, där lighting

+

£596

£4 left over for A NEW BOTTLE OF bubblebath

MO C.SEMOHLAER

£600

=

‘Wash Your Hands’ pink art print by Mambo, £16, I am Fy

Extended Victorian Home

LEAP OF

faith

Claire & Nick Harvey moved across the road to start the renovation process all over again.

The result is a testament to their creativity and hard work 52

Claire sourced two original marble fireplaces from Original Fires to reinstate in the front room. ‘They were salvaged from different parts of the country but, amazingly, matched!’ she says.

SNOITAVONER/MOC.SEMOHLAER TA SEMOH RETCARAHC GNITAVONER ROF SAEDI EROM DNIF

Fireplaces, Original Fires. Astrid ceiling light shades, Smart Deco Style. Cowhide, Rug Love. Ceiling painted in Novara Green, Victory Colours. Woodwork painted in Railings, Farrow & Ball

SEMOHLAEROS#

53

C

laire and Nick Harvey had initially put their Southsea house at the bottom of the list when they started their search for a new project in 2019. ‘It was across the road from our old home, and it seemed crazy at the time moving such a short distance just to start all over again,’ says Claire. Having lovingly restored their existing house, the couple were keen to reinvest in a new property and began to explore other parts of Southsea, but quickly found themselves back to where they had started. ‘We soon realised that this house had so much more going for it than any other property we had seen. It had a great layout, grand proportions, an unusually large back garden for Southsea, and the potential to add a side extension to create a larger kitchen and dining space. It also meant we could stay close to the children’s school, the local high street, the beach and, importantly, all our lovely neighbours who had become good friends over the years.’

The family moved across the road in June 2019. The property had been in the same family for 20 years and although loved, it needed some urgent updates. ‘The surveyor had pretty much condemned the electrics and with two young children it was imperative we made the house safe straight away,’ says Claire.

The property also needed new central heating, and ahead of any potential extension work, the boiler was moved to the loft. The windows were also an issue. ‘There was only one traditional sash window out of 20 that would open, and it was a very hot summer,’ recalls Claire. ‘Although we were keen to repair or replace the originals, doing so would be double the cost and less energy efficient than what we ended up doing, which was to opt for dark uPVC slider windows.’

The couple were also keen to create a comfortable space for their young children away from the renovation work, so focused on their bedrooms first. ‘We wanted the children to have relaxing rooms to escape to when it got too much in the rest of the house,’ says Claire. ‘We replaced the ceilings, ceiling roses, skirting and the flooring and Clover chose her own décor – dark walls and pink woodwork, which looks great!’.

The biggest part of the project was the kitchen-diner.

Initially the couple couldn’t decide whether to make do with the space or extend out into the side return. ‘In the end we went for it,’ says Claire, ‘and I’m so pleased we did. We had three specifics: to create a big family-friendly space, open up the back to maximise the views of the garden and add a glass roof to allow as much light into the east-facing kitchen as possible. Our previous home had a south-facing kitchen and had sunshine for most of the day, so a light-filled room was important to us. We decided not to extend the whole length of the side return, with the aim of creating a layout that had naturally defined areas with their own character and function, rather than one large box. We replaced the old French doors at the back of the house with floor-to-ceiling bi-folds, giving us uninterrupted views out across the 75ft garden.’

A local architectural engineer, Chris Curnow, helped the couple draw up some plans and manage the approval process. ‘We then enlisted the help of Jamie Hartt, a building

contractor who came highly recommended,’ says Claire.

The build started in October and although it felt like longer, it took just over 10 weeks. ‘It was tough living in the house at the same time,’ Claire adds. ‘The work impacted almost every part of it – at one point our bathroom upstairs had a gaping hole down to the builders working in the kitchen below. Jamie and his team, however, were so considerate, and with Christmas looming they worked late every day to get the building work finished, with a skeleton kitchen in place with hot running water and a cooker. They finally put down tools at 2pm on Christmas Eve and we were delighted – not only to get a few days off from building work but with the results. It was everything we had envisaged!’

Jamie was back on site early 2020 to finish the kitchen.

‘I love hunting for bargains and creating things that don’t blow the budget, so our kitchen was a combination of Ikea kitchen cabinets, quartz worktops and, as a centrepiece, salvaged warehouse flooring as a work surface on the large kitchen island,’ says Claire. ‘Jamie skilfully pulled all the elements together and finished by fitting Scandinavian Douglas fir wood flooring throughout the new space.’

Then the country went into lockdown and everything stopped. ‘At first it was hard to navigate around the restrictions, but luckily the DIY stores remained open and the time we had at home presented an opportunity to get a feel for the house and work our way through the finishing touches,’ says Claire. The master bedroom has since been given a fresh new look, with white-washed floors and pink painted panelling that provides a beautiful backdrop to Claire’s antique Ebay finds and modern pops of art – an eclectic mix that can be seen through the rest of the house.

‘I love mixing up new pieces with classic styles that won’t date and am an avid collector of art, interesting charity shop finds and trinkets for my shelves – all the things that put your heart and soul into a home and make it unique to you,’ she says. ‘We could never have predicted a national lockdown all those months ago, but it proved to be a really creative period and our short leap of faith across the road has paid off. Our home reflects all our hard work, and we couldn’t be happier with it.’

‘I LOVE COLLECTING THE THINGS THAT PUT YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO A HOME AND MAKE IT UNIQUE’

Cabinet, found at a house clearance. Table, Habitat. Newgate clock, Rocke St George.

For similar velvet armchairs, try Made.

Jute rug, La Redoute

HCNERF SEMAJ SHPARGOTOHP ROLYAT AHSIRAM GNILYTS DNA SDROW

54

Clockwise from top le ‘On our honeymoon in 2009 Nick and I were in a near fatal plane accident in Thailand. I bought Nick this “Hand in Hand” print from Etsy. They’re lyrics from Lovecats, a song by The Cure – a reminder of what a lucky escape we had and to grab life by both hands!’ The large back doors that originally led straight out into the garden now lead into the newly extended kitchen.

TOP TIP

Liven up an upcycled cabinet by decorating the back wall and filling with unusual and amusing found objects

Profile

The owners Claire Harvey, head of partnerships for Future Talent Group (@harvey_home_eclectic), her husband Nick, a telecoms account manager, and their two children, Clover, nine, and Gray, five The property A five-bed Victorian terrace in Southsea, Hampshire PROJECT COST £71,065

Below and right The side extension creates enough space in the openplan kitchen for a table and chairs. The units are from Ikea, topped with quartz-effect concrete.

For a similar rug, try French Connection

MOC.SEMOHLAER

Le and right The bespoke kitchen island, built by the couple’s builder using Bodarp units from Ikea and a salvaged warehouse floor, creates a natural division between the cooking and eating areas. Jamie also fied the Scandinavian Douglas fir wood flooring, unifying the whole space.

Chairs, Pash Classics.

Floor lamp, Olive & Fig. ‘Homies’ sign, Missing Chopper.

Worktops, Shaw Stone. White tiles, Porcelain Superstore

Claire salvaged a fireplace locally and found the marble surround on Ebay to give the master bedroom a focal point. She then had the cornicing and ceiling rose skilfully reinstated

by Alan Bailey from Alba Plastercra, the rose from a mould in a stately home in Staffordshire that was falling down.

Walls painted in Foxglove

by Victory Colours. Floor painted in Denmark White, Woca. Old ooman upholstered in ‘Belle De Nuit’ Fabric

by Christopher Farr.

Bedlinen, Habitat.

Bedside lights, Missing Chopping. Bat Cat artwork, Roo Abrook

Costs & contacts

Build work £35,000 Doors, windows and glass roof £17,100 Plumbing, rewire and radiators £8,400 Kitchen (including appliances) £6,500 Architect fees £1,600 Ceiling roses and cornicing £1,265 Marble fireplaces £1,200 Main contractor Hars, 07590 574414 Architectural technician Thorns Young Architectural, 02392 672883, thornsyoung.co.uk Plasterware Alba Plastercra, 02392 553027, albaplastercra.co.uk Steel doors Spinnaker Windows, 02392 672883, spinnakerwindows.co.uk

Above ‘The bathroom had just been updated before we bought the house and is fine for now,’ says Claire.

‘Way Out’ print, London Transport Museum. For a similar bath and basin, try Victorian Plumbing

Right For Gray’s room, Claire found a vintage wooden school desk, with li up lid and storage, plus chairs on Ebay.

For a similar paint colour, try Ultra Marine Blue, Farrow & Ball

MOVED TO SOUTHSEA 2006

Project timeline

RENOVATION NUMBER TWO 2012 PLANE CRASH ON HONEYMOON 2009

WINDOWS FITTED October 2019 MOVED INTO CURRENT HOUSE June 2019

60

KITCHEN INSTALLED June 2020

KITCHEN EXTENSION FINISHED December 2019

Clover chose her own colour scheme for her room, picking a prey combination of pink and grey paints.

Walls painted in Aershow and Pashmina, Crown.

For a similar vintage bureau, try Etsy

Emily’s top tip The woodwork in our homes is oen overlooked and instantly painted white. But giving your skirting boards, cornicing, doors, fireplaces and built-in wardrobes a splash of colour is a great way to add depth to any space

Black Sophisticated, confident and powerful, we’ve examined this statement colour to share how to make it work in your home

W

hile decorating with white is an easy, fail-safe and popular option, decorating with black is often seen as daring and bold – it’s a design decision that says statement, that says that you’ve got confidence.

But why is this? Many of us feel safe wearing black – it doesn’t show stains, it goes with everything, it makes us feel good. So why is it such a different story for our interiors? The fact is, it shouldn’t be. ‘For some people. when they wear black or surround themselves with black they can feel glamorous, sophisticated, powerful and in control,’ says Karen Haller (karenhaller.co.uk). Just like with clothes, a wall painted black, done the right way, is a foolproof means to a chic and elegant space.

But wouldn’t black paint make your room feel smaller?

‘The idea that black walls will bring the room in is a myth,’ says Kathryn Lloyd, colour specialist at Crown Paints (crownpaints.co.uk). Black absorbs light, so while this means your walls won’t be bouncing light around the room, the deep, mysterious shade comes with other benefits. ‘The light-absorbing nature of black can help walls to recede into the background to create a feeling of depth and space in a room, fostering a sense of calm and stillness,’ says Dominic Myland, CEO at Mylands Paints (mylands.com). This also means that the walls and edges are less clearly marked, making them fade into your periphery and creating the illusion of, in fact, more space.

If you want to go all out with black, you should treat it as a neutral, and embellish your dark blank canvas with other colours and textures, just as you would with white walls. ‘Black is a really exciting colour to decorate with as it allows a huge amount of freedom in the accent colours and textures,’ says

It’s the colour for you if:

1 You want a cosy and cocooning room 2 Your space is south facing with plenty of light 3 A dramatic, elegant look appeals to you 4 You want a wowfactor space

Coal emulsion paint, £45 for 2.5ltrs, Woodchip & Magnolia

Jack Black matt emulsion, £48.50 for 2.5ltrs, Little Greene Rich black matt paint, £26.12 for 2.5ltrs, Dulux Night Horizon paint, from £24.50 for 940mls, Benjamin Moore Matt black emulsion, £16 for 2.5ltrs, Dunelm

Dominic at Mylands. As far as colour matches go, black is a brilliant wing man to literally any shade. From pure white to pastel pink and vibrant yellow, the absorbent and deep nature of black lets other colours to pop and look their best. Colourful art prints, a brightly coloured armchair or even a vibrant headboard will always look their most powerful against a black wall.

For a more Nordic-inspired, subdued look, go all out with texture.

‘Using light colours and natural materials against the black will really help lift and soften. Decorative mirrors are a great solution for reflecting light too,’ says Lola Swift, interior designer and colour consultant (lolaswift.co.uk).

There are many shades of black to choose from, so always try out samples before you buy. Using black paint on all four walls creates a powerful vibe and, as long as your room has plenty of natural light, can be surprisingly relaxing. ‘The darkness of it can bring a sense of calm separation from the world outside, helping you to feel that you are in your own little cocoon – lovely!’ says Dominic.

Centrepiece splatter tray, £30, Wild Home Store

Black rattan tray table, £270, Kinfolk

Eichholtz Messina sofa, £2,240, Sweetpea & Willow

the Bold palette

HTIMS AILEMA ERUTAEF

The perfect pairing to black

Elevate your scheme with either vibrant or neutral hues 63

Do

Create contrast with brighter colours Add warmth with wooden furniture Try different shades before you buy

Don’t

Use all over in a room with lile natural light Combine with greys and blues Scrimp on paint – solid coverage is essential

the neutral palette

MO C.SEMOHLAER

Monochrome abstract shapes art print, £15, Abstract House

The rules

Style crush Sometimes we come across a product we just can’t stop thinking about – and we want to share it with you. Here’s what we’ve fallen for this month Light your fire

Question: Can you ever have too many candles?* Whether it’s a scented candle in a glass jar or a classic church candle in a holder, we believe less is never best when it comes to creating the perfect atmosphere this autumn. And what beer way to display your favourites than in these beautiful candlestick holders from the new collection at John Lewis & Partners? Don’t hang about – grab yours now, turn down the lights and get cosy, ready for the long, dark nights ahead. (*The answer’s no, btw).

65

MO C.SEMOHLAER

HTIMS YLIME ERUTAEF

Pols Potten Spartan candle holder, natural, £30; Pols Potten Spartan II candle holder, brown, £39; LSA International amber flower bud vase (with tealight holder), £26, and utility vase, £26, all John Lewis & Partners

LIGHT THE WAY

Your lighting scheme can make or break the look and feel of your home.

From creating a relaxing ambiance to zoning an open-plan space, we’ve compiled the latest looks for your bedroom, bathroom and kitchen Time to shine Ceiling lighting can be bright and therefore not the ideal choice for a restful bedroom. Fit a dimmer or opt for a statement design to provide a more decorative purpose. Go all out with a glam chandelier, oversized design or a playful pendant.

Studio brush marks double bedding set, £21; Studio Geo double bedding set, £20; Studio shaped wool rug, £110; Ngami Royal Blue mushroom LED touch table lamp, £22; Lucca five-arm pendant, £160; Elin double bed frame in mustard, £180, all Habitat

Brass cone wall light, £150, Cox & Cox

Ero green velvet and tassel drum pendant, £65, Oliver Bonas

Greta table lamp, £195, Curious Egg

Printed lamp shade with Terra base, £180, Coffee & Cloth

Gine lamp base, £145; Gine shade, £149; Tenna bedside table, £265; Sena bedspread, £449; Linda throw, £149; Sena cushion cover, £65, all Broste Copenhagen, available from Amara

Pink arch table lamp, £79, Houseof

Fisherman’s bamboo pendant lamp, £175, Beaumonde

Mood lighting

Mugli wall light with wood shelf, £99, La Redoute

Frosted Bubble 24 bauble chandelier, £199.99, Dowsing & Reynolds Wells wall light, £13.40, Habitat

67

Ridotti natural raffia floor lamp, £139, Lights & Lamps

SEMOHLAEROS#

As the evenings draw in, ensure your bedroom is a cocooning retreat with multiple layers of ambient, sculptural lights in a variety of textures

Rydal IP44 opal pendant, £258, David Hunt Lighting

Campden IP44 light, £45, Graham & Green

Brass bulkhead IP54, £415, Original BTC

Charcoal grey angled ceiling light, £159, Houseof. Nomad Noe vegan candle, £55, Cult Beauty.

For a similar planter on a stand, try Inaya plant stand, £65, La Redoute

Upton IP44 ribbed glass pendant, £225, Fritz Fryer

Long Roddy IP44 wall light, £131, Pooky

Hali IP65 wall light, £200, Lime Lace

Bathroom bliss Use lighting to distinguish zones in your bathroom for a space that can energise you in the morning and relax you in the evening

Capri IP44 wall light, £35, BHS

Iris IP44 bathroom light, £90, Homebase

68

Tela IP44 black wall light, £22, Dunelm

Testa double wall lamp, £75, Made

Looking good Illuminate your vanity area with a bright light source – downlighters or twin wall lights positioned either side of a mirror offer a shadowfree beauty spot. Consider frosted glass for a diffused glow.

Surface hugger If you have a low ceiling, opt for a flush mount ceiling light that will bathe the whole space in an evenly dispersed glow.

Look up to subtle or statement shapes that are as easy-onthe-eye as they are practical.

Hot & steamy The most humid room in the home needs careful consideration to ensure fixtures are waterproof and have the correct IP rating.

The general rule is at least IP44 around the sink and IP67 or higher in areas that are oen splashed – the higher the rating, the beer.

Smithfield matt black range: basin 60cm, £700; metal stand, £1,375; Swan neck tap, £750; Spitalfields square black mirror, £450; Semaphore Hunley porcelain tiles, £39 per m2; East Haven marble tiles; £118.94 per m2; Kate Blush emulsion paint, £45 for 2.5ltrs, all Claybrook

Light work Use task lights to illuminate prep areas such as worktops, the cooker and sink. LED strips mounted under overhead cupboards and adjustable wall lights directed at surfaces are ideal for creating a shadowfree environment.

Social hub ‘People tend to congregate around light sources, so clever placement of lighting can provide anchors for people to be together in a large space,’ says Ally Dowsing-Reynolds, co-CEO at Dowsing & Reynolds.

Bright ideas Pearl pendant light in Gunmetal, £125 each, Lighting Lover. For similar black bar stools, try the Julietta stool, £129, Made

Statement pendants in sculptural designs, punchy colours or high-sheen metallics lend themselves perfectly to grounding an island or dining table while helping to define work and social zones.

Chelso six-light matt black opal pendant, £189, Lights & Lamps

Flora wall light in natural terracotta, £31, with Elbow wall fitting in chrome, £57, both Pooky

Mesh triple pendant, £125, Cox & Cox

T-bar smoked bronze handle, £70, Buster & Punch. For similar strip lighting, try LED kitchen worktop lighting strip, £19, Ikea

Capello short wall lamp, £175, Curious Egg

Rathborne wall light, £50, Garden Trading

Kitchen glow

Portishead clipon spotlight, £39, Iconic Lights

Make your kitchen lighting work hard with the perfect combination of functional task lighting and decorative ambient lights Isaac antique brass three-light bar pendant, £190, Laura Ashley

Governor four light bar spotlight, £119.40, där lighting

71

Bloom pink pendant, £81, What The Mood

NEHCTIK/MOC.SEMOHLAER OT DAEH ,NOITARIPSNI NGISED NEHCTIK EROM ROF

Coolicon shade in Sky Blue, £125, Loaf

The design

Clini

Need our help?

Got a DIY dilemma?

Want to sele a domestic style dispute? Send us your questions on social media or email us at rhsubmissions @futurenet.com

Whether you’re torn on two paint colours or are debating whether to extend upwards or outwards, the Real Homes team is here to answer your questions At your service

PLANTING ADVICE How can I make an indoor garden to keep my herb growing hobby going over winter?

Growing herbs indoors is a great way to bring some greenery into the kitchen – and it’s useful to have them to hand when cooking. Hardier herbs, like rosemary, can survive even in snow, but most herbs are best brought indoors and placed in a sunny window.

You could buy a set of three pots with one herb in each – say, basil, mint and oregano – or plant multiple herbs in longer containers, in which case you’ll need to group them by growing conditions. Keep them away from radiators and other heat sources, but also make sure they’re protected from draughts from leaky windows.

Q A

Meet the people ready to help with your dilemmas Kaitlin Has plenty of reno advice from her own home remodel Ellen Has practical tips and tricks to make life at home a lile easier Alison The go-to for all things DIY, with tons of wisdom to impart Annie Our shopping expert has her eye on the best buys for your home Amelia Has her finger on the pulse of all things style, kitchen and bathroom Emily Real Homes’ resident colour expert is a lover of bold hues

Hay Facade herb pots, from £29, Nest

73

ETIQUETTE ADVICE

BATHROOM ADVICE

Q A

Q A

I hate the tiles in my bathroom but don’t have the budget to rip them out and start again – what can I do instead?

There are three fail-safe methods for covering up slightly lacklustre bathroom tiles. The first is to paint them – whether that’s the same colour they already are for a refresh or a totally new shade.

The next is to paint and then use a tile stencil – a little trickier but worth it in the end. The last? Tile stickers that are the same size as the ones you’ve got. Just stick them straight on top... simple!

How many hot drinks should I be giving my builder a day? And are biscuits expected?

Hot drinks and biscuits are a builder’s fuel, so should 100 per cent be on constant supply during the day. Start at three drinks (morning, midday and late afternoon) and monitor their happiness by noticing how often they glance at their empty mug.

And biscuits? Leave a pack out and replace when they’re all gone – it’ll be sooner than you expect…

RENOVATION ADVICE

Q A

I’ve found damp in the corners of my home. How can I treat it?

There can be different causes of damp, some requiring professional attention, but there are precautions you can take yourself. Keep your house at a warm, even temperature and well ventilated. Dehumidifiers can remove excess moisture from the air. If you have rising damp, which appears as mustysmelling cold damp patches (often with mould) in the corners of external walls, it could be that the damp course is insufficient or there may not be one at all. Unless you’re confident of your building skills, it will probably need a specialist to install a damp proof course or to inject chemicals into the walls to act as one. If it’s in the ceiling corners, make sure there are no tiles, flashing or render missing or damaged on the roof or walls, or gutters broken and blocked and letting water in when it rains.

Mermaid faux tile stencils, £6.98 for two, Dizzy Duck Designs UK on Etsy

Nova antique rug in pink by Asiatic Rugs, from £74, Next

FLOORING ADVICE

Q A

I hate my kitchen floor. What’s the easiest way to cover it?

I’m a rug-in-the-kitchen kind of girl.

It softens the hard surface we spend so much of our time standing on, and also brings texture and colour to an area that’s often overlooked. With spills and messes likely, go for a flat-weave rug – these tend to be easier to clean. Another must-have is an anti-slip mat underneath. The last thing we want is any accidents!

Round Aztec design reversible outdoor garden rug, £49, Rockett St George

74

Elian printed jute rug, £99, Made

STYLE ADVICE

Q A

I need to redecorate my child’s bedroom. I want their space to feel like it’s theirs, but I also want it to be in keeping with the style of the rest of my home. How can I balance this?

There are so many amazing kids’ bedroom ideas out there. Try asking your child to pick a theme, such as animals, which you can then blend with your style.

If your home is monochrome, for example, black and white animal bedding would be the perfect compromise. Neutral walls are a fail-safe for kids’ rooms; I’d suggest showing off their personality with accessories and soft furnishings instead, because as they grow and their interests (or indeed, your style) change, these are easier and cheaper to replace. Saying that, if you’re not afraid of a statement, a mural like this can look amazing. Wild at Heart single duvet cover and pillowcase set, £32, Next

Renovated 1970s house

HOLIDAY

haven

76

SEIZNEM MLOCLAM SHPARGOTOHP SDRAWDE IKKIN GNILYTS DNA SDROW

After years of dreaming about running a holiday let, Nikki and Tom Edwards bought a tired 1970s bungalow by the sea and transformed it into a stylish modern space to do just that

This image and le The living room is long and narrow, with no direct natural light and a low ceiling. Nikki created a light, modern space with a cosy feel by using neutral monochrome tones, so textures and pops of colour with accessories. A huge sofa was a must in this room, which is five metres long.

Sofa, Swy. Rug and cushions, H&M Home.

Lightshade and long shelf, Ikea. Marble coffee tables, Everything But The Dog. Stove, Arada.

Hearth, Cast & Polish

Le These versatile shelves can be made wider or slimmer to suit the space Lamp and shelves, Made

Below This room is tucked at the front of the house.

‘I wanted to create a quiet area where guests can take time out from the rest of their group to work, read or play board games,’ says Nikki.

Desk, Swoon.

Chair, Made.

Coffee table, Atkin & Thyme.

Rug, La Redoute.

Sofa, West Elm. Light fiing and curtains, B&Q

W

hen Nikki, Tom and their two young children viewed Pebbles, a 1970s bungalow in Seasalter, they’d already done six back-to-back viewings and had two more on their list. They knew the market was competitive, having missed out on two properties in the previous few weeks. ‘We were determined not to give up,’ says Nikki, ‘so we expanded our search, looking further along the coast and stretching our budget.

We’d never have seen Pebbles otherwise; it was house fate!’

The moment they walked through the front door and saw the huge hallway and parquet flooring, they were excited. ‘It was twice as big as anything else we’d looked at with lots of outdoor space, and the light was amazing,’ says Nikki. ‘It had loads of potential without needing any structural work. It was also less than two minutes’ walk to the quiet pebble beach.’

Three months later, they got the keys and began work to transform it into a stylish holiday let with year-round appeal.

The initial plan was to spend up to £10,000 decorating and furnishing the house, getting it ready as quickly as possible to recoup some costs before doing more significant work.

However, with another national lockdown looming, there was no prospect of anyone going on holiday for a while. ‘We were in the red from day one because of the mortgage payments and insurance,’ says Nikki. ‘We needed to make the most of the time when we couldn’t rent it out. We borrowed some more money to get as much done as possible by the end of March 2021, when we were hoping we could open to our first guests.’

Nikki took control of the project, inspired by boutique hotels and Scandinavian design. She organised trades, got stuck into DIY, designed rooms and sourced furniture, while Tom took on additional responsibilities at home. ‘It was a team effort,’ says Nikki. ‘We were juggling it all with our day jobs and school closures. I’d never have got it done so quickly without the extra help at home and the amazing team at Pebbles.’

Work started in December with decoration, new flooring and carpentry. There was plenty to do in every room, with doors hanging off, skirting boards missing and an open staircase to make safe for guests. ‘Our builder, Luke, did most of the big jobs in the house, while I did smaller DIY jobs like building flat-pack furniture and putting up shelves’ says Nikki.

The biggest changes were made in the kitchen, living area and garden. ‘The kitchen was functional but it was in poor condition and the American diner style was the polar opposite to the muted tones planned for the rest of the house.’

In the living room, an old radiator was removed and replaced with a modern slimline woodburner and exposed flue. A real accent piece, it creates a cosy feel in winter.

Then, with six weeks until the first guests were due, Nikki decided to create a garden playroom. ‘I didn’t think it would be a big job as there was an existing building with bi-fold doors installed,’ she says, ‘but I was very wrong!’ The roof needed to be replaced, the floor, ceiling and walls had to be strengthened and it needed insulation before anything cosmetic could be done. ‘I probably should have put it on hold at that point, especially as Luke said he wouldn’t be able to get it done in time,’ says Nikki. ‘But I’m a dog with a bone when I get an idea in my head and, through the power of Instagram, I found Test Carpentry, who got it finished in the nick of time.’

Just hours after the paint dried on the playroom, the first guests arrived. ‘It took me about a week to recover,’ says Nikki.

‘I was absolutely exhausted after the final push of 18 hour days.

It was physical work and my whole body was stiff and sore but I loved (almost) every minute. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.’

Built-in shelves are a clever way to divide this space, creating two separate seating areas while leing natural light into the middle room.

Blue sofa, Made.

Wooden coffee table, West Elm. Rugs and cushions, H&M Home

Below and right The kitchen was done on a budget but every detail has been considered.

Touches like the cinnamon plug sockets and zellige wall tiles give it a high-end feel.

Units, Classic Kitchens Limited.

Handles and hardware, Rowen & Wren. Worktop Henderstone.

Tiles, Oo Tiles.

Sockets, Dowsing & Reynolds. Shelves, Plane & Sanded

BEFORE

Above The black steel legs of the dining table and benches work well with the concrete floor, while the light wood brings warmth and ties in with the colour scheme in the rest of the house.

Dining table, Habitat. Benches, The Handmade Furniture Company

OFFER ACCEPTED September 2020

Project timeline

NATIONAL LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCED January 2021

GOT THE KEYS AND DECORATING BEGAN December 2020

TEAM TRANSFORMS GARDEN PLAYROOM March 2021

NEW KITCHEN DELIVERED February 2021

80

INSTALLED OUTDOOR KITCHEN; FIRST GUESTS ARRIVE April 2021

Profile

MOC.SEMOHLAER

The owners Nikki Edwards (@this_e17_life), a mediator and solicitor, her husband, Tom, a solicitor, and their children, aged seven and three The property A three-bedroom semidetached 1970s bungalow in Seasalter, Kent Project Cost £60,000

The mezzanine bedroom has a boutique hotel feel with a king-size bed in plush deep blue velvet, dark wood and brass accents. By keeping it minimal with just a few key pieces of furniture, the low-ceilinged room feels sleek and spacious.

Bed and lamps, Made. Chair, John Lewis & Partners.

Bedside tables, Wayfair. Handles, Plank Hardware

A bit on the side

Keep your night-time essentials to hand with an elegant bedside table 1

2

3

1 Xavier bedside table in black wood, £119, Cult Furniture 2 Odele dark wood bedside table, £219, Danetti 3 Murphy side table, £249.99, MY Furniture 4 Zola Pine bedside table with drawer by Woood, £140, Cuckooland

82

4

An alternative to the gallery wall, a display of faux plants adds colour and texture to this seating nook.

Bench, Swoon. Plants, Ikea. Plant pots, Amazon. Throw, Made.

Cushion, H&M Home

Below The existing outbuilding was made into a storage area at the back and playroom at the front. ‘Having this room means the kids’ stuff will be out of sight when an adults-only group visits,’ says Nikki.

Outdoor kitchen, Cast & Polish

Vinyl flooring, The Colour Flooring Company. Toy storage, Mamas & Papas. Play kitchen, Great Lile Trading Company

Costs & contacts

Furnishings £22,000 Kitchen £10,000 Garden playroom £10,000 Heating and electrics £7,000 Garden landscaping and furniture £5,000 Carpentry £3,000 Decoration £3,000 Kitchen cabinets Classic Kitchens, 020 8503 4498, classic-kitchens.ltd.uk Kitchen worktop Henderstone, 01622 747040, henderstone.co.uk Building/carpentry works Luke Osmond, 07771 927030 Garden room Test Carpentry, 07976 617846, testcarpentry.co.uk Decorating Gill Murphy, 07793 766110, gillmurphydecorating.co.uk/

MOC.SEMOHLAER

Clockwise from le The concrete barbecue and bar area was designed

by Nikki. ‘I wanted to make sure guests got the most out of the private outdoor space in the warmer months,’ she explains. ‘It was made in Wales, so everything was planned over email, but it turned out beer than I hoped.’

‘And when children are here, they have a space to play in.’

HALLWAYS THAT WELCOME YOU HOME

From space-boosting paint effects to savvy storage, our guide to hallway decorating will help ensure yours makes a fabulous first impression – whether it’s on family and friends you’ve missed or the DHL driver…

T

wall between hallway and living space sometimes requires steel supports, especially if said wall carries the weight of the top of the staircase, but the results can prove gamechanging. Including internal glazing will bring ‘borrowed light’ from a well-lit adjacent room into the hallway, often with transformative effect. Also speak to an architect about changing the direction or shape of the staircase. A straight staircase can often be flipped to make the entrance area more spacious, or a dog-leg added with similar results.

Clearly it’s important to choose wall finishes and flooring that can take a bit (or a lot) of wear and tear, but ‘durable’ often equals ‘hard’ so try to include a few moments of warmth and texture to soften things up. A pretty lamp with a warm light bulb can do wonders to create a welcoming atmosphere in winter, while a wicker trunk or seagrass baskets add texture alongside storage benefits. Speaking of which, do not underestimate how much storage your hallway needs. If the size of your family outweighs storage capacity be utterly ruthless about the number of shoes/ coats each person is allowed. Switch them out seasonally if you need to – vacuum-packed under the bed or stairs – throw away knackered kicks and send the unworn or unloved to charity (coats, that is, not children). It should be the pure gorgeousness of your hallway that stops guests in their tracks, not trainer mountains and groaning coat hooks.

he humble hallway is under a heck of a lot of pressure. As well as a dumping, or rather storage, space for coats and shoes, bags and satchels, post and parcels, it’s also the first opportunity to make a good impression on guests. Ideally, it will also have a nice atmosphere, so you feel glad, not sad, to come home – oh, and it should definitely be Insta-worthy. A lick of paint and a few family portraits just ain’t gonna cut it, friends. With such big roles to serve, your hallway deserves to look its best.

But before your heart starts bleeding for your poor, underappreciated hallway, and your wallet goes into hiding, there is good news. As one of the smallest rooms in the home, even a top-to-toe makeover shouldn’t break the bank. It will be the last space you tackle if renovating throughout – especially if it’s the main exit point for trades, who will definitely not respect your fancy new stair runner when traipsing through in their work boots. An extra benefit of holding out is you may be able to use up any leftover floor tiles and/or paint from previous projects. And it will look purposeful rather than penny-pinching because the best hallway décor coordinates cohesively with the rest of the house, setting the scene for what’s in store.

If your hallway is insanely poky, with barely room to swing a schoolbag, it could be worth investing in structural changes, like our case study, Emily Murray, did. Moving the

Table talk Guld Art console table, £211.95, The House Office

Lottie console table, £399, Sofology

86

Arundel large console table, £870, Neptune

NOTYALC ADNIL SDROW

For a tidy, stylish look, add a slimline console table, dressed with a lamp or two

Havana White Herald matt tile (on floor), £50 per m2; Poitiers gloss tiles, £49.99 per m2, CTD Tiles

Top Tip Hooks aren’t just for coats; use them to hang interesting items or get a set with a shelf for your plant pals

}

}

Scan for wallpaper ideas with impact for your hallway

Right Omar shelving system, from £10, Ikea

MIRROR, MIRROR As well as protecting you from the embarrassment of leaving home with food in your teeth, a well-placed mirror is the perfect light-bouncing hallway accessory. Place it as close as possible to any natural light coming into the room, either from glazing in the entrance door or rooms opening to the hallway. The best mirrors include a small element of storage, for keys or a hairbrush, but keep it slender to prevent creating a pinch point.

Tall mirrors can boost the impression of height and allow a full outfit check before you head out.

GIVE IT SOME WELLy You don’t have to go full Downton Abbey to channel boot room vibes in your hallway.

Get a relaxed, country feel using simple Shakerstyle furniture in classic painted finishes. A peg rail is perfect for dog leads and coats, and use cubby-style storage to cater for footwear in various sizes. A sisal or seagrass rug will enhance the utilitarian vibe and hide a multitude of muddy welly/paw prints. Four-legged friend, optional.

Fulton clothes rail with shelves, £65; Elements metal wall art, £30, Dunelm

Door in Crème de la Rose Easyclean matt, from £25 for 2.5ltrs; lower wall in Rebel Feature Wall paint, £14.50 for 1.25ltrs; upper wall in Chalky White matt emulsion, from £18 for 2.5ltrs, Crown

DOORS THAT SCORE When choosing a striking new colour for the front door, we tend to focus on how it looks from the kerbside, forgeing the impact of a bold colour once inside. If the rest of your home is brightly coloured, by all means go super-saturated on the front door, but if you prefer your interiors a lile calmer and more collected, try soer tones like moss green, duck egg or baby pink.

Painting out any sidelights and top windows the same shade – or the walls around the door if there aren’t any – will maximise impact, even if you’re using a subtler colour.

88

Top Tip Pop a noticeboard in your hallway – strategically positioned where it can’t be missed – and never forget an important event or to pick up milk again!

Door in Chiffon White 1, Highland Falls 2, Highland Falls 4, £16.91 for 500ml satinwood; walls in Chiffon White 1, Highland Falls 2, Highland Falls 4, £30.04 for 2.5ltrs Mixing matt emulsion, Dulux

Emily Murray interior blogger

PAINT TRICKS A gloomy hallway can make it feel like the walls are closing in on you. Painting geometric paerns that carry across several walls has an opening effect that can make the narrowest of spaces feel much wider.

Dulux demonstrates the look here using three coordinating cool colours that lend a modern, Cubist aesthetic. To make the ceiling appear taller, go dark on the boom half of the wall, up to dado rail height, and then paint the upper wall and ceiling in the same pale shade. A satin or gloss paint can help boost spaciousness and is easy-clean, too.

89

‘When we first bought The Pink House in southeast London, the hallway looked extremely beige, with laminate flooring, dirty white banisters and a poky layout. You opened the door into a wall of coats. The project to open up the hallway was completed in early 2020. It involved moving a wall and installing internal glazing to create a bigger, brighter and more welcoming hallway. I knew I wanted a traditional-with-a-twist encaustic tile. I saw this Sakura tile by Otto Tiles on Instagram and fell in love! The pink paint on the stairs picks up the pink in the tiles, and the black striped Alternative Flooring stair runner and black bannister helps keep things grounded. I kept the walls neutral, in Belgravia by Mylands, to focus attention on the tiles.

The door frames are painted Mid Wedgwood, also by Mylands, to match similar tones in the tiles. To keep the space tidy, I had huge built-in wardrobes made, plus two shoe storage drawers. A hallway is your way of making an entrance with your home and the more fun, friendly and joy-inspiring it is, the better.’

Insta: @pinkhouseliving pinkhouse.co.uk

Left Southwold carpet in Houghton Honey, from £30 per m2, Cormar Carpet Co. Hallway decorated by Lisa Dawson

ON THE TILES It may seem a tiny bit ‘public toilets’ but tiled walls are a stellar idea in busy thoroughfares, and one of the best ways to bulletproof walls against muddy paws, knocks and scrapes. Use contrasting border tiles to create a panelling effect, in shades that link with the floor tiles. Ceramic or porcelain gloss tiles are easy to clean and will reflect light.

Add a tiled trim or wood capping rail to give the top a professional finish.

BUILT IN Fied storage makes the most of every inch. Offthe-peg units, designed for kitchen, bedroom or living room use, can be just as effective in the hallway, and allow you to shut everything away behind closed doors.

Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry can be overbearing, so leave pockets of openness – with handy seating for puing on shoes. Pop some small steps inside to access top cupboards.

Somersby boot room modular storage, from £1,050 as shown, The Dormy House

)OC TEPRAC RAMROC( _NOSWAD_ ASIL_@ HPARGOTOHP

Don’t forget… your keys!

Gold wire key hooks, £12.50, Bombay Duck

90

Radha Clelland Education supervisor

‘When we moved to our new-build in the country, the hallway was magnolia all the way. It was built in the style of a barn conversion, but the stairs were new oak with no real personality, and it all felt a bit cold and “meh!”. Soon after we moved in, I was gifted a design masterclass at Abigail Ahern’s house. She convinced me to go dark from top to bottom. I’ve dressed the space simply with things I love and tried not to get too hung up about mixing styles or eras. I love a vintage treasure hunt, in real life and on Ebay.

There are a few finds from Abigail Ahern’s store, like the bulldog lamp and Renaissance-style portrait, and a bit of knackered taxidermy from antiques emporiums, too! For storage, we have a massive basket for shoes, plus storage in the bench, but most of the coat hooks are behind closed doors. I can recommend using lamps to create a cosy vibe on dark evenings, and also think it’s better to wait to find accessories you really love, rather than snapping up things that are doing the rounds, just to fill the space quickly. Be bold and have fun with dramatic paint, but don’t believe the hype that dark colours will hide the dirt – a total myth.

Still, I’ll never regret going dark; it’s completely transformed the entrance to our home!’

Insta: @ludo_and_magpie

Victorian renovation

BRIGHT &

beautiful

Caroline Duckett and Martin Agar gave themselves six months to restore their late-19th-century home, giving the whole house a fresh new look 92

The room divider was the only 1970s feature that Caroline decided to keep. Paerned floor tiles in the kitchen contrast with stripped limewashed boards in the adjoining dining room and help to mark out the two areas.

For similar floor tiles, try Tiles Direct

Profile

The owners Caroline Ducke, founder of children’s fashion label Apolina (apolina-kids. com), lives here with her husband, Martin Agar, and their daughters Veda, six, and Bonnie, five The property A two-storey Victorian terraced house in east London, built in 1890

Clockwise from above Simple open shelving displays serveware collected over the years from flea markets.

Caroline invested in high quality handles for the units, made by ironmonger WP Wakefield.

For a plain white slab kitchen, try the GoodHome Balsamita, B&Q. For metro tiles, try Topps Tiles. For a similar kitchen paint, try Easyclean Breatheasy ma emulsion in Midnight Navy by Crown

Dining chairs, Push//Pull. Natural linen tablecloth, Piglet in Bed. Handcraed ceramic bowls by Saskia Pomeroy

95

SEMOHLAEROS#

Above Well-made vintage dining chairs stand the test of time. Adding to the rustic vibe is terracoa tableware bought on holidays.

SNOITAVONER/MOC.SEMOHLAER TA EMOH RUOY GNITAVONER ROF SAEDI DNA NOITARIPSNI DNIF

C

olour and craftsmanship make an impressive double act in Caroline Duckett’s home. A short stroll from a busy London high street, the Victorian terraced house is approached by a striking Carron-tiled garden path.

Coloured light bounces off the stained glass in the reclaimed Victorian front door while inside, the mix of treasured possessions and hand-woven fabrics, alongside fine examples of traditional crafts, add rich layers of interest and beauty.

‘My eclectic style is craft inspired,’ says Caroline, who founded childrenswear firm Apolina. ‘I love to use a mix of found textiles and objects. I consider everything I buy to be an investment piece, whether it’s a piece of clothing or something we need for our house.’

Caroline had a clear vision for her home that would honour the original period of the building. She recalls how different the house was when they bought it. ‘One family had lived in the house since it was built. It had fallen prey to the dreadful 1970s trend of modernising period homes and needed a lot of work to restore it to its former glory.’

With their second baby due six months after work began, Caroline and husband Martin had a strict deadline and no wall, floor or ceiling escaped their attention. ‘We wanted to create a blank canvas of bare plaster and Victorian pine,’ says Caroline. Woodchip wallpaper and gaudy painted woodwork were stripped back before the couple turned their attention to the family bathroom. Its stylish mix of old and new was inspired by a stay in an historic hotel in New York.

‘Our bathroom in The Jane had simple little white hexagon tiles on the floor but it felt grand and cosy at the same time, so we wanted to replicate that,’ says Caroline.

There are strong global influences all over the house, which draw you into a travel narrative for Caroline and Martin. ‘A lot of our belongings are from travels, picked up in fleamarkets in New York, Berlin, Stockholm and Lisbon,’ says Caroline. ‘Looking around our home takes me back to all the places we’ve visited over the years.’

The colour palette conjures up the different places where Caroline has roots and connections. ‘We have family in Sweden,’ says Caroline. ‘Once we stayed in a little stuga (a Swedish holiday cabin) in the countryside full to the brim with mid-century antiques and textiles.

The colours of the walls were subtle and had a typical Swedish calm to them, which I love.’

The Scandinavian influence continues into the kitchen, where Caroline cleverly repurposed the 1970s room divider rather than demolishing it. ‘It just seemed like an interesting way to divide the room and provided lots of useful storage,’ she says. ‘The wood panel on the dining room side gives the space a cosy Scandi feel.’

Upstairs the girls’ shared bedroom has folkloric influences, adding yet another rich and whimsical layer to the interior of the family home. ‘The rest of the house has quite a tranquil mood but there is a nice, warm, folksy feeling in this room,’ says Caroline.

Caroline and Martin’s bedroom overlooks the garden and is peaceful and serene. ‘I favour colours that allow the furniture and objects to take centre stage,’ she says.

The spare room is the headquarters for Caroline’s thriving bohemian children’s fashion label, Apolina, which, like her home, has designs inspired by traditional craft skills. As the business is taking off, it may be time for another move. ‘We’re looking to move to a cottage or farmhouse in a country village outside London. The dream would be to have an outbuilding so I can still work close to home.’

TOP TIP

If your period fireplace has been removed, look for a replacement you can restore in specialist vintage stores or salvage yards

Above and right The living room is decorated in so blue hues, which alter the mood with the changing light. A rug from Malthouse Antiques is layered over stripped floorboards.

Walls painted in Oval Room Blue, Farrow & Ball.

William Morris print curtains and Mirakel print cushions, Josef Frank. Vintage coffee table Push//Pull. Vases, Saskia Pomeroy

Hanging out

Add texture, colour and character to your walls with a cra-inspired woven hanging 1

2

3

1 Kapli wall tapestry, £30, La Redoute 2 Kilbo Hemp wall hanging, block print, £120, Rose & Grey 3 Hanging Sunset canvas wall art, £3.50, Primark 4 Retro chic wall hanging, £37.99, Wayfair

97

4

MOC.SEMOHLAER

HTIMS YLIME TIDE GNIPPOHS RECNIW YNNEP SHPARGOTOHP NOSBIG NYLHSA SDROW

Le Caroline reinstated a Victorian fireplace for a living room focal point. The vintage-inspired sofa from Laura Ashley and a linen curtain divide the space from the playroom.

Caroline runs her children’s fashion label, Apolina, from what would have been the master bedroom in their home.

Stripped floorboards and white walls create a calm work space.

The vintage leather chair is from Homeplace.

Right Vintage embroidered textiles collected over the years are a source of inspiration for Caroline’s label, Apolina. Her sketch books are brimming with ideas for her childrenswear.

Bath, The Cast Iron Bath Company, painted in Breakfast Room Green, Farrow & Ball. For mosaic tiles, try Tiles Direct

MOC.SEMOHLAER

Above In the bathroom, the reproduction rolltop bath looks in keeping with the Victorian home.

Le and above The pastel colour scheme and Söndagsmorgon wallpaper by Josef Frank brings an air of tranquillity to Caroline and Martin’s bedroom.

A traditional Welsh handcraed vintage bedspread from Pembrokeshire brings back more holiday memories for the couple.

Below and boom right Colourful and whimsical wallpaper makes a dreamy backdrop in the girls’ room.

A collection of artefacts create

a playful vignee. The hand-painted artwork of animals was from a cra market in Delhi.

Vårklockor wallpaper, Josef Frank. Leopard head, Quail Ceramics

Above Having the top bunk doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the fun. Caroline has arranged colourful pictures, interesting ornaments and bright bags high up around the head of Veda’s bed.

Amelia’s top tip If there’s one room where you can go wild with your decorating, it’s a kid’s room. Whimsical prints like this wallpaper can grow with your child. Wall hangings are a stylish feature, so go large – and they can help to dispel noise, too!

ADVERTOR IAL The Korniche bi-folding doors complement the award-winning roof lanterns

Bring in the light with beautiful new bi-folds K Made for Trade has expanded its Korniche range of roof lanterns to include doors, for the perfect pairing orniche is famed within the glazing industry as an awardwinning range of roof lanterns.

Now the makers of the industry-leading rooflight, Made for Trade, is expanding its expertise by launching bi-fold doors that are every bit as impressive.

Combining the same flair for engineering and design innovation, the Korniche bi-folds complement the aluminium lanterns on an extension project, drawing light from outside and above into the added space.

This expansion of Made for Trade’s offering has been described by business manager Chris Wann as an ‘incredible opportunity’ for the glazing trades to deliver them as a package for the benefit of home renovators.

‘If we can provide what we believe to be the best bi-folding door on the market at the best prices, our customers can add real value to their installations and benefit from less time on site and more money in their pockets.’

Korniche bi-folds’ many advanced features make them a superior product in the glazing market. These include enhanced security standards, with a Yale 3 star locking barrel and Fuhr main door lock, to reassure homeowners of their safety. Further security is offered in an ergonomic shootbolt handle, which can’t be back driven from the outside if the doors are left unlocked.

The doors glide smoothly open and closed thanks to a unique roller bogey with floating axle across the two stainless steel tracks, and the load is spread to reduce wear from regular use.

There is also a pin-sharp approach to the finish. Bradley Gaunt, Made for Trade’s managing director, says, ‘I don’t think consumers appreciate spending money on a product that only works great – they expect it to look great, too.

What can let it down is overspray on the thermal breaks visible when looking at the sashes end on. It detracts from the quality feel. You wouldn’t expect your

101

car tyres to have overspray from your wheels and this isn’t any different.’

To stop this, any profile seen in this way will have each half of the profile painted first and rolled together with the thermal break second for a clean look The traffic door handles have been bespoke designed to match the shootbolt handles for seamless style Made For Trade’s reputation for service and reliability in providing roof lanterns to customers will continue with the new bi-fold doors. They all come in protective packaging with an easy-to-follow installation guide, and have a 10-year warranty as standard.

This attention to detail is driven by the hope that Korniche bi-fold doors will become synonymous with quality, and the one homeowners ask for by name when ordering new doors.

Find more details about Korniche bi-folding doors at madefortrade.co or call 01642 610799. See Korniche at the Homebuilding & Renovating Show at ExCel on stand E112 on 24-26 September 2021.

Are you ready to move away from fast homeware and towards more artisan-made pieces, choosing quality over quantity? Jennifer Morgan asks what we need to do to embrace a ‘buy once, love forever’ approach

D

interesting objects, a curated gallery of curiosities that tells a story about them.’

‘There’s definitely a move towards timeless interiors, where people choose to fill their homes with pieces that have meaning,’ agrees Kay Prestney, stylist and sustainable interior designer (kinshipcreativedc.co.uk).

‘I am passionate about sustainable interior design and using natural materials in our homes, both for our own health and that of our planet. Choosing handmade, crafted pieces that have been produced using locally sourced natural materials is a part of this process and also helps support other small businesses, while creating unique and characterful, timeless interiors.’

In such an ‘artisan’ look you’ll find pieces expertly and lovingly made using traditional techniques. ‘We love the pieces that go into such a scheme because we can see the time, care and craft that has gone into producing them. They are works of art and masterpieces in their own right,’ says Anna Schmidt, owner and founder of ALSO Home and Elä Life, who tries wherever possible to use smaller factories and producers to maintain traditional techniques and skills. ‘We’re becoming much more aware of our throwaway culture, which is damaging our planet. By buying products

103

MOC.SEMOHLAER

YENTSERP YAK HPARGOTOHP

o you feel it? There’s something in the air… something that’s spreading hope and humanity, along with an appreciation of the world around us. You could say it’s a new positivity. We’re talking about how – as consumers – we’re beginning to edge away from cheap, massproduced items to more mindful purchases.

We are falling back in love with the crafted, the artisanal, the handmade – and using such pieces to create homes with heart.

‘An overload of cheap, mass-produced items and the wide availability of superfast shipping has led consumers to think more mindfully about their consumption,’ says Kate Usher, senior consultant at TrendBible (trendbible.com). ‘You can also trace this back to the likes of Marie Kondo, who encouraged us to rid our homes of clutter and only keep things that spark joy in our lives. One of the biggest trends we’re tracking at the moment is a move away from homogenous interiors, particularly for Millennials and Gen Z. Almost every home now has its own Insta account; people want to be different, and they want their homes to be a more personal reflection of their interests, style and taste. Buying a whole “room” from a large retailer no longer appeals; they want a home filled with

)RETTEB EHT ROF( EMOH RUOY SEGNAHC STEP GNIVAH WOH :HTNOM TXEN

The appeal

that’ve been crafted beautifully using natural materials, we’re less likely to get rid of them.’

‘Movements such as Fashion Revolution have shown the ugly truth in supply chains, while events like the Rana Plaza factory collapse have made us more conscious of the impact of fast consumption,’ adds Kate. ‘The rise of Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, where short-form media content and videos show the artisanal processes of crafts like pottery throwing or woodturning, have increased our awareness and appreciation for crafts.’

Designer-maker Steve Brüün (bruun. uk.com) agrees that buying artisan is a more unique and personal purchase. ‘People often know or follow the maker so are more strongly connected to the products. Before Covid, when we sold at fairs and markets, it was great to see people enjoying how tactile many of our products are, or watching them choosing the grain they like best. Our pieces are made with love – and made to last.’

for artisans abroad if we buy their products.

Usually this also means they can stay in their rural villages, close to their families, and continue age-old traditions.’

But of course, this is an ongoing shift that will take time and effort, as Kate explains; ‘Although purchases of crafts have increased in the last decade (a Crafts Council report says that our passion for craft has increased craft sales from £883m in 2006 to over £3bn in 2019), so has the market for homewares from high-street retailers, where you can get the look of artisan pieces for a fraction of the cost. So, while there is a trend at the moment for artisanal style, I think we still have a long way to go towards actually investing in and supporting global artisans.’

It is a fact that artisan costs more, too, which is the biggest barrier to growth for the artisan market, says Kate. ‘Handmade and better quality means more man hours, which obviously pushes the price up,’

‘ARTISANAL PRODUCTS LIE AT THE H E A R T O F S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y. W E S H O U L D SUPPORT MAKERS OF TIMELESS PIECES’ ‘We really need to encourage this narrative that purchases are for life and we should all buy less,’ says Kay. ‘Pieces should be saved for, anticipated and treasured and not be impulse buys that are discarded when a trend passes.’ Kay loves finding different purposes for old items and giving them a new lease of life. ‘I love to collect artisan pieces from my travels, too, which fills my home with happy memories while supporting fellow creatives.’ Artisan pieces are more likely to move us emotionally, as Kay adds: ‘They have a human and environmental narrative that’s totally missing from anything that has been mass-produced. Artisanal products lie at the heart of sustainability, and we should try to support the makers who create timeless pieces using environmentally friendly, renewable materials and processes.’

‘I think the very nature of hand-crafted, slower-paced production should mean that natural materials and methods are used rather than those that will damage our planet,’ adds Anna. ‘If we can move away from the throwaway culture that we’ve been living in for so long, it’s much more sustainable for the planet and therefore our future. It’s about balance – if we can buy some products from the UK, this helps local artisans and is more sustainable without the environmental impact of shipping. However, we can also bring about wonderful improvements to the quality of life

Take a considered approach to buying for the home

1

NICK JAMES DESIGN Nick makes timeless, thoughtful furniture with a statement twist that’ll last a lifetime.

Delphinium five multi-pendant light, £288, Lam Lighting LAM LIGHTING Lam’s lighting range is made from sustainable porcelain in the east of England using traditional crasmanship.

she adds. ‘Smaller pieces, though, give people the chance to invest in crafts and own something unique – interest in unusual ceramic sculptures, vessels and wall hangings is definitely growing.’

‘Quality products take time and money to produce,’ agrees Anna.

‘Producers and artisans should be paid a fair price to make products using their finely honed skills and crafts. We should always question why something can be made cheaply – it’s our responsibility as consumers. When you think about all the components to make products and ship them to the UK, if something is very cheap, you have to question its quality and the price that the producer was paid for it.’

This is something retail and brand expert Mary Portas has picked up the baton for in her new book, Rebuild: How to thrive in the new kindness economy (Penguin, £14.99).

Mary explores how the way we live, buy and sell are changing. She writes: ‘If we embrace the new landscape, look for a new model that considers real human needs and the society that feeds us, then we could be looking at a whole new horizon. The quantity of shops may go down but the quality will go up.

If this sounds like a rallying cry, then that’s because it is.

This is our moment to create change.’

104

5

SLOW makers

2

3

WE ARE NOMADS Jane has introduced the UK to the work of talented African artisans; their baskets are woven by the Baniwa people.

Handmade English walnut bread board, £50, Interlude Handmade INTERLUDE Labelling her pieces as ‘handcraed objects for the everyday’, Alex’s wooden goods encourage you to slow down.

4 5

SALT WEAVE STUDIO Rebecca weaves her stunning collection of throws in her studio in Bradford, the textile heartland of Yorkshire.

Aire throw, from £195, Salt Weave Studio

Garden transformation

Saving summer

Turning their garden into a Miami-inspired chillout space was a game changer for Kel and Dan ahead of a staycation summer

S

ometimes timing is everything in renovating. When Kel Harmer and her husband, Dan, decided they needed to tackle their garden, it was with the idea of making something more appealing to look at through their windows than a bland, uninspiring space – and also of capturing some of the buzz of their recent holiday to Miami, with a riot of vibrant colours and chilled lounge seating. But having completed it just as lockdown imprisoned us all in our own homes, it came to mean so much more than they could have imagined – extending their horizons beyond their back door and giving them an outside escape they could enjoy as a family.

Kel takes us through the ideas behind their outdoor living room that saved an extraordinary summer.

Profile

‘We had reconfigured the whole of the house indoors and had bi-folds and a kitchen window facing the garden, and we really wanted something nicer to look at. The plot is about 10 by 8 metres and it was half grass and half patio slabs. One half is fenced and the rest of it is brick with the garage at the back. We also have the plain wall of an electricity substation jutting into the garden, so we decided to make a feature of it. We started by painting all the masonry brilliant white, which really brightened the space.’

Miami nice

‘The style inspiration came from a Florida road trip we took just before lockdown. We went to Miami and Palm Beach and I loved all the Art Deco buildings and the colour; I wanted to bring a little of that home with us. I introduced it into the house with a vibrant palm print across the main wall in the kitchen, which is also where you look out into the garden, so it felt like we were bringing the outdoors in and vice versa. I wanted to continue that Miami feeling right through and out to the garden.’

REMRAH LEK SHPARAGOTOHP SENOJ NOSILA SDROW

The owners Kel Harmer, founder of online homeware and inspirational living brand Oh So Kel (ohsokel.com; @osk_living and @ohsokel), her husband, Dan, operations director in a medical engineering company, their daughters, Isla, nine, and Emmie, five, and Cosmo the goldendoodle pup The property A modern threestorey townhouse in Portishead, Bristol project cost £3,700 for the garden makeover

A better outlook

106

107

108

Home movies

‘I planned a space in the garden that felt like you could live in it – not just somewhere for the children or for when we had a barbecue.

We’ve zoned it and have an L-shaped outdoor sofa and fire pit where the sun hits most of the day with awnings above for that living area feeling. I’ve got colourful furniture out by the fireplace, which is somewhere to sit and have coffee, but there’s still somewhere for the children to play with the summerhouse and playhouse. The fireplace wall is also where we’ve set up the cinema. We already had a projector that we were using inside and I pegged a sheet onto the wall to see what the quality was like – it worked perfectly! There was an advert for a drive-in movie out in Miami, but we’d just missed it – so I may have been thinking about that subliminally when I set it up.’

Well timed

‘We started work on the garden at the beginning of lockdown in March and had the furniture delivered and the screen up by May. It was an absolute game changer for us.

We spent the whole of the summer out there; eating, working and watching films. It was like having an extra room. When a few of the restrictions were lifted, I invited friends round to watch Dirty Dancing. I think as a family we embraced being home a lot more than we would have done and considered ourselves lucky that during lockdown we had a space outside we could enjoy.’

109

Costs

John Lewis & Partners furniture £1,200 Summerhouse £800 Wayfair furniture £750 Awnings £360 Rugs £250 Screens £240 Paint £100

BEFORE

Getting creative

‘We did all the work in the garden ourselves.

I sourced the fireplace on Gumtree; it cost £12.

I upcycled it with the same paint I used on the summer house, which was Fresh Rosemary by Cuprinol.

The mirrors came from our old house and were black and white, so I used Annie Sloan paint to bring some colour through. That whole space cost about £30!

The string of lights over the sofa create a ceiling effect. It’s nice to have them on at night when the firepit’s going and we’re watching a film.’ shopping list Corner sofa and coffee table, Wayfair.

Awning, Wilko. Fireplace, Gumtree. Chairs, low table and hanging chair, John Lewis & Partners.

Woven footstool, white lamps and mirror above flower boxes, Ikea.

Wall panels, Screen with Envy. Cushions and throws, Oh So Kel and Homesense. Festoon lights, Amazon. Rugs, Maisons du Monde and Benuta. Round table/ fire pit, Outback BBQs

New directions

‘There’s still work to be done. We’re converting the garage for me to use as a work space. I’d always dreamt of selling my own homewares, so when my freelance work started getting a little unstable during lockdown, it spurred me on to make that leap and launch a collection of candles and trays.

Oh So Kel has grown from there to become my full-time job. We’re having bi-folds put in the conversion, so it’ll be another extension of the garden and the children can go in there and play, and we can have barbecues.’

ADVERTOR IAL

Brighten up your walls with perfect papering W Make decorating easier with the right tools and transform your home

allpaper is making a comeback, and with so many beautiful patterns and colours to choose from, and advancements in design and application, it’s easy to see why.

Wallpaper can bring elegance, fun personality and style to a room.

However, the idea of wallpapering can be intimidating to many people. The thought of wrestling with long strips of sticky paper or trying to align a detailed pattern may make them too nervous to try hanging it themselves –but the right tools and the correct preparation can make this daunting task a lot easier.

Just follow these top tips for a bubble-free finish every time.

Harris wallpapering tools are available through most DIY stores; visit harrisbrushes.com/ stockists for details. For more information about decorating projects, go to harrisbrushes.com.

Top tips for papering

plumb bob seles at the boom. This will give you a straight line to hang against. Use some timber cut to size to draw a pencil line between the two.

4 Measure the height of the wall then roll out that length of paper on the Seriously Good Paper Hanging Table, plus 100mm each end, and cut with the Seriously Good Paper Hanging Scissors. Mix some paste and use the Seriously Good Paste Brush to paste the back of the wallpaper.

Leave it to soak in for up to 10 minutes.

5 Present the paper to the wall and line up with the pencil line. Use the Seriously Good Paper Hanging Brush to smooth the paper to the wall.

Work from the top centre of the paper

down. Finally, use the Seriously Good Paper Hanging Snap Knife to trim the excess lengths at the top and boom.

6 Repeat the process with the second piece of paper, moving it up and down the wall until the paern matches the first piece. Press down and smooth with the brush. Smooth the join with the Seriously Good So Seam Roller.

7 When papering round a door frame, start by hanging the piece as normal.

Using scissors, cut a diagonal line in the paper following the corner of the door frame. Smooth it into the edges of the door and trim with the trimming knife. For more details, see harrisbrushes.com/how-to-guides/ how-to-hang-wallpaper-2/

1 Wallpapering can be messy, so move the furniture out and lay a Seriously Good Double Protection Dust Sheet down, taping it in place. Remove old wallpaper, fix any holes or cracks and make sure the walls are smooth.

2 When buying the wallpaper, check that the rolls have matching batch numbers. Different batches can have very slightly different pigments, which could ruin the paern when they’re next to each other on the wall.

3 Starting in the centre of the wall, make a pencil mark at the top. Hold the Seriously Good Plumb Bob against it and make another mark where the

111

Project of the month TWO-STOREY EXTENSIONS

If your home is full to bursting, extending up and out could be the perfect solution, creating a bigger house without having to move. We reveal how it can be done

SNOISNETXE/MOC.SEMOHLAER OT OG ,SAEDI DNA ECIVDA EROM ROF

TURN OVER TO READ ABOUT THIS INSPIRING TRANSFORMATION FROM SMALL ANNEXE TO FAMILY HOME 113

SE M O H L A E R O S #

YHPARGOTOHP LARUTCETIHCRA HTIMS WEHTTAM SHPARGOTOHP IJEDEDA AWULOEFI SDROW

A

property while works are completed, which will further save you money. This will be quite an undertaking so it’s important to seek advice from a professional such as an architect or architectural designer: you can even choose to go with a design and build company. Whoever you work with, make sure they have experience in tackling similar projects and understand the processes so that you end up with a newly expanded home that’s perfect for you.

dding a two-storey extension to your property is a great option for expanding a home, perfect for multi-generational families that haven't the budget or simply don’t want to move. You might have a house that you’re growing out of, but it’s in a fantastic location with great views. You can capitalise on the latter by adding a two-storey extension and take the stress and costs out of buying a new house.

If planned well, you might also be able to stay in the

GLOSSARY PLANNING PERMISSION

A request made to the local council to carry out building works on your property/garden

PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT

Works that can be undertaken on a property or garden without needing to request planning permission

PARTY WALL

A shared wall that separates two adjoining buildings.

Built on the boundary line, it demarcates ownership A PP RO

V ED

CHANGE OF USE CLASS

Use classes range from A to D, with shops falling under A and housing falling under category C

BUILDING REGULATIONS

A set of standards that should be adhered to when renovating or building a new property m2

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY

A planning charge on new developments or builds adding upwards of 100 square metres of space

TOP TIP GO WITH THE FLOW Think about how you’re going to connect the new with the old.

In this house, a set of stairs has been installed in order to reach the upper floors. Layout is important as you’ll inevitably end up with darker spaces at the core of the home: in this property, they’ve been used as utility or bathroom areas.

Contemporary cottage Architect Sasha Edmonds’ house was originally a chauffeur’s coage to a larger house next door, built in the 1930s. It was subsequently used as a granny annexe. A divorce led to the site being split in ownership, with the large house on one side and the annexe on the other.

'We purchased the house in 2018 and fell in love with the site, which was large, secluded, south facing and full of amazing mature trees,' explains Sasha. 'We needed more space as the coage had a tiny living room and kitchen-dining room on the ground floor, two small bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, as well as a massive conservatory on the south side that the previous owner had added on in 2006.

We wanted four bedrooms, and to change the whole outlook of the house so that it connected to the garden and made beer use of the south-facing aspect.

'We needed to be able to live in while the work was done, and the old layout lent itself well to this.

TOP TIP The wraparound extension was designed to be CLEVER CLADDING another two-bedroom The style, proportions and materials house added onto used for your extension may be limited the side/rear of the by what your local authority will agree existing coage, to. They should either match the original with three points house or contrast it. If it’s the laer, add interest and create a distinct separation of connection. We between old and new with contemporary built the extension timber cladding. This project has two while living in the types of design – a chevron and vertical paern – that contrast against the existing white brick coage.

original building, moved into the extension while renovating the coage, then connected the two together.

‘When the previous owners had split the land, they hadn’t applied for Change of Use planning approval for the annexe to become a separate dwelling. We had to do it as part of our planning application and were hit with a hey Community Infrastructure Levy bill right at the outset, which had a big impact on our budget.

'A local contractor built the shell for us and did the beautiful chevron cladding.

We undertook a lot of the interior work ourselves – such as fiing the kitchen and floor, decorating and tiling.

‘The living/kitchen/dining space at the back is the heart of the house, and with the large sliding doors to the south, rooflight to the west and slot window to the east, it’s flooded with light all day. The original kitchen is a utility with a bathroom above, pushing the less-used rooms into the darker northern end of the house, freeing up the sunnier spaces for living rooms and bedrooms.’

Before you start

q A q A q A

How much will it cost?

Expect to pay from £1,500 to £2,500 per square metre.

How long will it take?

On average, an addition like this would take 16 weeks.

Do I need planning permission?

A two-storey extension is likely to require planning permission, and definitely will if it is on designated land, such as in a Conservation Area. Visit planningportal.co.uk for details of what is allowed.

115

TOP TIP WORKING WITH PERIOD PROPERTIES Older properties oen throw up a lot of surprises right from the outset, so it’s important to appoint trades that are familiar with how these houses are built.

Have a contingency plan and budget and don’t forget to make sure you have permission to make changes. To get around restrictions, you might have to make sure your addition is sympathetic to the existing part of the house.

Cutting the cost of your project DIY-savvy homeowners have been able to save thousands on their project costs by recruiting a builder to construct the shell of the structure, engaging expert trades to carry out first and second fix works and then finishing the interior fit-out, painting and decorating themselves. Other budgetfriendly options include buying standard units rather than going bespoke – for example, windows, doors, kitchens and standard format tiles. Paying for the labour and sourcing materials yourself can help you save on the mark-up builders usually add to materials when they quote. And why not consider buying reclaimed and second hand, or reusing and upcycling furniture and fiings from the existing property?

TOP TIP

LET IN LIGHT Doors and windows will have an impact on the finished look of your two-storey extension and should either contrast completely with the existing house (think glazed extensions added to period homes) or complement those of the original house as closely as possible, both upstairs and down.

Dark spaces in the middle of the property can be lightened with rooflights or sun tunnels.

Costs & contacts

Project cost £180,000 Architect Liv Architects, 01485 522000, livarchitects.co.uk Builder Fi Construction, 07775 930517 Construction time 10 months

116

TOP TIP RENEWABLE TECH If you’re doing an extensive renovation that will improve the thermal efficiency of the building, consider installing green tech as part of the build. By fiing an air source heat pump with underfloor heating in place of the old oil central heating, this house is warm and comfortable all year round.

INTERIOR FINISHES Make a neutral palee look and feel more interesting by using layers of texture. Here they’ve been introduced using timber, concrete, painted exposed brick and copious amounts of glass to the rear to let light in. Accessories and furnishings such as plant pots and the table legs offer pops of colour and add playfulness.

Are two storeys better than one?

Adding a double-storey extension can work out to be a great investment, especially if you need space but can't afford to move. Compared to a single storey, it can provide further sleeping quarters and bathroom or office spaces. The good news is that excavation and the roofing costs won’t change whether you opt for a single- or double-storey extension, making the per square metre cost of a doublestorey extension much lower than the cost of a single storey.

Scan to find more extension inspiration

}

MOC.SEMOHLAER

}

TOP TIP

ADVERTOR IAL

This like-for-like model of your home can be a game changer for a project. Each professional you bring on board can explore your home in detail without the need for another site visit. Even more exciting? The model helps your architect design in 3D.

The joys of 3D

‘As a designer, I love working in 3D,’ says Nick Stockley, head of design at Resi.co.uk. ‘Homeowners can really appreciate designs when they’re not just flat lines on a screen. Using their online dashboard, Resi customers can take a virtual tour of their future spaces at their leisure, so they’re sure their project is heading in the right direction.

Also, my team can use the digital models to double-check measurements without having to revisit the site.’

However, it’s not just architects who are fans of this new technology.

Contractors love having a 3D model during the tendering stage. Not only can they troubleshoot potential site issues, but they can also put together a more accurate quote.

An affordable advance

Use lasers to give your project the edge Prepare for success by using a 3D laser scanner for your survey and create an extension to impress

NOXID ENNAEL HPARGOTOHP

O

ften the first step of your project, measured surveys are vital as they gather up the measurements and photographs your architect, planning officer, contractor (and much more!) will use throughout your design journey.

Given how important this step is, it makes sense that you want the best service possible.

Explore new technology

Commercial grade 3D scanners are a new way a surveyor can measure up your home. Rather than simply measuring the dimensions of your property, these lasers convert the entire space into millions of data points – essentially creating a digital twin of your home.

119

Though the technology has reached the market, 3D laser surveys aren’t widespread across the UK. The scanners themselves do require a large purchasing investment and many surveying companies are unwilling to make this commitment for small-scale residential projects.

But there are options out there, and they don’t have to break the bank either. Some companies, such as Resi. co.uk, an all-in-one home improvement platform, offer 3D scanning at prices similar to those of traditional surveys.

‘Because of the time savings and the quality they produce, we’re able to offer 3D laser surveys at a cost-effective price – essentially because it makes our lives much easier for the rest of the journey,’ explains Lisa Westmacott, head of pre-design at Resi. ‘Because we look after everything from architectural design and building regulations to helping customers find a contractor, we want to make sure we understand every facet of a property, right from the very start. Ultimately, what’s good for the customer is good for us!’

To learn about 3D laser scanning, architecture and more, visit Resi.co.uk to book a free consultation or call 020 8068 4811. To get a quick quote for your architectural design, go to resi.co.uk/quick_quotes/new

xxxxxx

KERB APPEAL 10 STEPS TO UPPING YOUR

Now we’re welcoming guests again, you want them to see your home at its best. Follow our tips to help make that first impression a great one

1

Update your door

Upgrading your door can be a simple fix but it’s amazing the impact it can have. Weathered wood covered in peeling paint hints at a house that hasn’t been well cared for, while dated uPVC strips the home of character. If the door is still solid beneath the wear, you can transform it easily by sanding it down, painting it and polishing up the door fixtures. However, a new door could be a good investment for its visual appeal, improved security and energy efficiency.

Choose one with glazed inserts or panels and it can light up a dark hall.

Tend the garden

Do you give your front garden the same aention as your back garden? The former can be neglected as we busy ourselves making outside living spaces that only we or our friends get to see, so they look wild and unkempt to passers by. Spending time weeding beds, cuing grass and trimming bushes can instantly neaten things up, and is an easy way to increase the worth of your house. If you’ve sacrificed the grass for gravel or slabs for parking, you can arrange plants in pots by the door, hang baskets or plant borders – but don’t forget to keep them well watered.

TOP TIP WHAT LIES BENEATH Taking your house back to brick by stripping off cracked render, pebble dash or old paint can reveal handsome brick and aractive detailing. Use a specialist as it could involve using corrosive substances, and to avoid damaging the brick.

Driveway block paving in Autumn, POA, Bradstone

NWORB & MAHARG ,RTL1 ROF 43£ ,LLEHSGGE ROIRETXE SSERTSID NI NOSMAD ETISOPPO HPARGOTOHP- SENOJ NOSILA ERUTAEF

3

Make glazing gleam Keep windows well maintained. Cleaning them is a quick and satisfying job, though if you don’t have a head for heights, get a window cleaner for the upper floors. If your wooden windows are flaking, repaint with an exterior wood paint; the cost will be exceeded by the value it adds. You can even update uPVC windows by spray painting in an on-trend RAL colour, such as anthracite grey. If your windows are single glazed or the seal on your double glazing has failed and panes are misting, make replacing them a priority.

4

Space to park Having off-street parking can increase the value of

your home by more than 10 per cent compared to similar properties without it. However, simply parking on what used to be your front garden could make it look like you’ve abandoned your vehicle. Making a driveway for one car will cost around £3,500, and you will need to apply to your local authority for a dropped kerb, which can cost between £800-£1,200. If you already have a drive, restore its paern and colour by pressurewashing away dirt and grime pressed in by tyres.

121

5

6

Fence it in Broken fence panels or empty pillars that once

held gates can make a home feel unfinished and uncared for. So make your entrance a lile grander with new garden gates and fencing. From ornate designs to the natural appeal of timber, there are a variety of gates to suit your scheme without feeling too imposing or unwelcoming. If you can, try to combine with matching fencing or railings for a cohesive look, or choose a style that complements existing walls or panels. Ornamental metal rails won’t add as much privacy as more solid wooden fencing but they will appear in keeping with a period property. A new gate can also help up your security, particularly if it’s automated.

Frame the front door

A new porch can add character and dimension, and offer extra space

TOP TIP

}

}

See more ideas for improving your home’s exterior

BEAUTIFY YOUR BINS Multiple bins are a necessary evil, but they don’t really enhance the look outside our homes. Conceal them in wooden, willow or even metal bin stores. This will also protect them from animals rifling through them at night.

7

Look to lighting

Outside lighting isn’t just for turning your front lawn into a Christmas wonderland. It can be used year-round to create appealing effects. Outside lights are a useful security feature, especially if they react to movement and are combined with a camera. A light by the door, either traditional or modern, is inviting to come home to in winter.

You can also have lights that highlight the house, in the garden focused on planting or marking the gate/driveway. Dusk to dawn lights have sensors that allow them to turn on and off automatically.

122

Sharp rendering contrasts with rustic brick.

Weberpral M on coat render in Chalk, POA, SaintGobain Weber

)TFEL( EEL EITAK HPARGOTOHP

Add character to a featureless frontage – and a practical rain shelter – with a porch or canopy. A simple canopy is a relatively inexpensive addition but it can frame the front door to make it more of a feature, and blend with the existing house by echoing the roof style. A more substantial porch can be a distinguishing detail, modernising the exterior. It is also useful; creating precious extra space to store outdoor items such as shoes, coats and umbrellas.

A porch introduces another front door for more security and soundproofing, and keeping your home warmer.

8

Clad the front Layering up with cladding can make your old home look like new,

hiding mismatching bricks and replacing grim old finishes. Timber or timber-look cladding can enhance a particular feature, create contrast between levels, or give a fresh look all over. Materials can range from inexpensive uPVC to laminate, composite, timber (including sowood and hardwoods, which weathering only enhances as they age naturally) and fibre-cement cladding, which is extremely hard-wearing and looks like authentic lap boards.

Coastal chic with Cedral Lap in C05 Grey, available from £35 per m2, Cedral

TOP TIP FIX YOUR GUTTERS Broken or cracked guers look unaractive on a house, while those blocked with leaves and debris can cause damp as water is sluiced down walls rather than the drainpipes.

Keep them clear and working properly.

9

Render youR hoMe A more ambitious update to

10

a house, rendering typically covers at least half and possibly the whole of the exterior. It can protect brickwork, conceal an extension join and give a smooth, modern feel to a dated home. It’s also useful for insulating as it cuts heat loss through external walls. It is possible to paint render but choosing one that is throughcoloured means it won’t fade.

Render can recapture classic period looks, such as the crisp white of Art Deco or ashlar stone on Georgian homes.

Lead the way

123

MO C.SEMOHLAER

A cracked concrete path creates an unfavourable first impression, and weeds can thrive in the gaps.

So smarten up the steps it takes to get to your door.

For modern homes, look at large format slabs. If you have a Georgian or Victorian home, make a statement from the start with colourful tiles, intricate patterns and precise mosaics. Team it with a colourful front door and welcome mat.

Brompton Goodwin tiles, V&A collection, around £49.99 per m2, The Branded Tile Company

COMING NEXT MONTH in your new

EEL EITAK HPARGOTOHP

Stunning real homes packed with ideas to steal How to cosy up your home for autumn Expert advice, from modernising a period home to decorating 101 – plus a guide to en suites And more! Style tips, latest trends and best buys

On sale 7 October

NEWS PROJECT

Lavazza A Modo Mio Voicy, £249, Amazon

The latest ideas, trends and essential buys for your kitchen, bathroom and renovation

‘ALEXA, MAKE ME A COFFEE’

We’re used to virtual assistants doing our bidding, but they couldn’t keep us caffeinated – until now! Lavazza’s new Voicy is a coffee machine with built-in Amazon Alexa tech. Just say the word and it’ll brew up your favourite drink and keep an eye on how many capsules you have. It can even play your fave tunes for a blissful coffee break.

Hands free

Geing the tap temp just right can be a waste of water if we let it run while balancing hot and cold. Grohe’s digitally enhanced tap gives an exact reading of how warm the water is to cut out the guesswork.

A sensor-controlled eco-spray, activated by passing a hand over the top of the spout, reduces the pour to four litres a minute.

Mix it up

Grohe Plus digitally enhanced tap, £814.80

On the fence Fencing prevents garden anarchy and

SENOJ NOSILA ERUTAEF

pets running all over the neighbours’ lawns. Charles & Ivy are bringing glamour to our green spaces with intricately patterned composite fencing and panels. These modern designs can be used to zone gardens, define borders or liven up a plain wall. You can even design your own fencing with an online tool for a bespoke look. Prices start from £50 for a decorative panel

MOC.SEMOHLAER

Open-plan kitchens have everything on display, so your units need to be as stylish as the furniture you’d pick for a living room. The Arcos Mix by Schmidt mixes and matches colours and finishes to create storage and work surfaces with character. This scheme even has a traditional walk-in larder to tidy away small appliances and food. Schmidt kitchens start from £10,000 incl. delivery and fiing

Chip off the block Terrazzo is the on-trend flooring that goes with everything. Made up of chips of material, it’s easy to pick out one or two key colours and match tiles or bathroom furniture to them. Porcelain Superstore has two new terrazzo-inspired collections: Flecks White is a showstopper with its big shards of tan, grey, blue and beige in large-format porcelain tiles, while Portico is subtler with muted shades of beige, brown and taupe in a cement seing.

Shower star

Mira has been making showers for 100 years, designing the world’s first thermostatic valve to ensure safer showering. A century on and it’s still pushing the ablution boundaries – this time with the Mira Beacon Dual, which lets you know when the water is just right via a soft halo of light. There are four spray settings for you to enjoy an invigorating or relaxing experience to suit your mood. The Mira Beacon Dual is from £330 at B&Q and Screwfix

Flecks White, 90x90cm, £50.40 per m2, Porcelain Superstore

Shell out

yerG elpeetS

dapyliL

130

eulB mrahC

ggE kcuD

attocarreT

If you’re planning an autumn room refresh, dip into Dunelm’s new own-brand eggshell paint range. Suitable for wood and metal, it’s steam resistant and easy to clean – perfect for kitchens and high traffic areas. It costs from £15 for one litre

Make a splash Love the natural

look of wood in the kitchen but worried about it warping when wet? This ‘walnut’ geometric splashback – a warm complement to the coloured units and brass accents – is really patterned aluminium, which is water resistant and very practical.

Part of Bushboard’s new Alloy range, it’s one of a dozen designs that include marble and herringbone tiles.

LAY IT OUT

Mahew Brown, head of sales for Palio Express by Karndean (karndean.com), on laying the perfect floor

q A

How does the floor need to be prepared?

It depends on the fitting format you choose. If you’re installing over an existing hard floor, such as tiles, or have an uneven subfloor, we’d recommend opting for a rigid core format, which can be laid directly on top.

This means less costly subfloor preparation and the upheaval of taking time out to lift an existing tiled floor. If you decide on a loose lay format, this must be installed on a smooth and flat floor – so the quality of the subfloor is important.

It’s great to have the flexibility to choose which format best suits your room and preference, but it’s a key consideration before picking your final floor design.

Alloy Walnut geometric splashback with Options Nagoshi Pine worktop, £265 for 3050x600mm splashback, Bushboard

Soak it up Give your bathroom a fresh (and fruity) centrepiece with a bath painted the gloss or ma colour of your choice. Victoria + Albert’s new RAL colour service lets you personalise the exterior of its freestanding baths to coordinate with the rest of the room. This Traffic Orange shade is part of its industrial-inspired palee. Pescadero bath in a ma finish, £3074.40, UK Bathrooms

FLOOR SHOW

131

Should flooring be FIRST BEFORE UNITS? Flooring ought to be fitted last to ensure a neat finish and avoid any accidental damage when moving or installing kitchen units.

Kickboards on units can be fitted so they hide any expansion gaps required by your flooring, too. For example, our Korlok and Palio Rigid designs can be fitted so the expansion gap is under the skirting board. Alternatively, our colourmatched scotias (floor trims) are available if you aren’t planning on replacing your skirting board. With loose lay, there is no need for an expansion gap and the floor to be fitted tight to the skirting board.

q A

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH a patterned floor?

There are multiple ways depending on the design and style you’re looking to achieve, but they can be slightly trickier than a straight lay floor to install.

A popular choice is herringbone, and this can be achieved in a full-length plank using our Palio Loose Lay collection. We recommend DIYers start from the centre point of the room.

Loose lay and rigid core allow the flexibility to achieve a staggered, brickbond or diagonal pattern, too.

MOC.SEMOHLAER

Carpet buying has got a glow up as Carpetright launches The Floor Room. Unveiled at a flagship first store on Toenham Court Road, it offers a salon-style experience with an edited collection of flooring and fun new technologies – like the interactive Design Studio and vending machines dispensing samples and treats. See carpetright.co.uk/ the-floor-room

q A

ADVERTOR IAL

Amore electric shower in gloss black, from £196, Triton

Make a splash with an efficient shower A

Save water and money without compromising on performance

greener bathroom is something we should all aspire to as we look at ways to cut our water and energy usage. But there’s no reason being more eco-conscious should impact on the pleasure of our bathroom experience. Triton’s electric showers prove you can have performance and style while still being kind to the planet – giving you a cleaner conscience.

And they offer a cost-effective way of managing your water and energy costs. Here are five reasons why you need an electric shower in your life:

showers 1Electric are sustainable

In a Triton electric shower, you’ll only use as much hot water as you need and no energy is wasted heating water that you won’t. An electric shower takes cold water directly from the mains and heats it in a central element right before it comes out of your shower. This means the energy that’s spent keeping water warm in traditional systems is saved.

showers 2Electric are cost-effective

Opting for an electric shower will not only help you cut down on water and energy wastage, ticking a big

Amore electric shower in gloss white, from £196, Triton

environmental box, it will save you money as soon as you switch.

The up-front cost of buying a Triton electric shower is surprisingly affordable when you consider their modern aesthetics and touch-screen controls, but the value for money doesn’t stop there. From the day you invest, you’ll be saving money on water and energy bills.

styles to 3many choose from

Triton offers dozens of electric shower designs, in all colours and finishes. There’s a brushed steel or gun metal for those who want to match their taps. Alternatively, pair the electric shower with your tiling in gloss white or black. The Aspirante line has soft-touch buttons to make adjusting the temperature easy, and the power button unmissable. That means you’ll no longer need to explain how your shower works to visitors, or get confused when your partner has left it at a different temperature.

133

showers 4Electric are high tech

Electric showers can be incredibly innovative. For example, the Amore range offers a sleek digital display to make showering straightforward.

This includes a touch-activated dial to control temperature, and a digital on/off button. Thoughtful touches such as the rubber edging mean your fingers won’t slip on the dial when adjusting the temperature.

enough 5There’s hot water for all

Triton’s electric showers take cold water directly from the mains and heat it up in a central element, housed within the sleek and compact shower panel. This not only means you don’t need to hook up to a specific supply of hot water, but that you’ll never run out of hot water – even if you’re the last in the queue to grab your morning shower. For more details about Triton showers, go to tritonshowers.co.uk

kitchen extension

Inspired by flowers

O

Former florist Claire Sankey used her colour knowledge and creative eye to form an open-plan space that complements her social lifestyle

ur interior design choices should be both a reflection of who we are and a springboard for how we want to be. More often than not, the colours and patterns we choose reflect our personality, while it’s the architectural choices that enable us to, as they say, live the dream. Claire’s colourful home is bursting with energy, creativity and nature. It was her background in wedding floristry that inspired her decorating choices, and a desire to entertain easily at home prompted this open-plan kitchen extension.

We’ve chatted to Claire to find out how she made it happen.

RENREVAT ACISSEJ GNILYTS KOONS SIRHC SHPARGOTOHP HTIMS AILEMA SDROW

Right Interior designer Jade Maria found vintage dining chairs and covered them in mustard fabric. ‘We also chose a modern, barely there design so they wouldn’t block the view,’ says Claire.

Pendant light above table, West Elm. Dining table and black and white dining chairs, Ton BEFORE

134

An open-plan kitchendiner and living area allows Claire and Michael to chat to their friends and family while cooking.

Porcelain Chevron oak floor tiles, Wood & Stone Floors.

Pendant lights, Decode.

Armchair, West Elm

In the kitchen area, the terrazzo worktop is fun and unique. It makes a real statement and reflects Claire’s creative personality.

Worktop, Diespeker.

Tap, Franke. Kitchen units, Huon Kitchens.

Oven, Siemens. Bar stools, Fest Amsterdam

eno petS

OW T p e t S

EERHT petS

1 2 3

Staying put

Give and take

A green base

‘We spent a long time looking to move house, but we couldn’t find exactly what we needed. This made us question why we wanted to move in the first place, and the answer was not that we didn’t love the house, but that the downstairs space wasn’t working for us. The house was very top heavy, across three floors.

Michael and I are really sociable and love hosting dinners – there are always people coming and going – and our old layout, with little communal space, made this difficult. There was nowhere to relax in the kitchen, and we were left separated from our guests when cooking. So with that, the penny dropped and we decided to stay put and renovate instead.’

‘Our garden is really important to us and we didn’t want to lose any of it. I had a garden workshop where I ran my own floristry business. As I no longer use this, we removed the workshop, which freed up some garden space and enabled us to take some back for the extension. Having lived in the house for a while, we knew exactly what it needed to maximise natural light, so we chose the positioning of the roof lights and picture windows ourselves. We stayed in the house throughout the extension and I must say, it wasn’t fun. Luckily my cousin was our builder, so he was very sympathetic to our needs.’

136

‘Having looked at so many potential new homes, I’d developed a serious case of silver, white and grey fatigue.

I wanted my décor to be bold and different. We spotted the green sofa very early on in the process and decided it would be the first thing we’d order.

We chose the House of Hackney floral fabric for the end, and these shades became our swatch for our other design decisions to revolve around. As with foliage in a bouquet, green is a great base colour as it works well with all other colours, so I knew green cabinets would allow me to play around with everything else. We also live next to a country park and this was a great way to connect our space to the outdoors.’

Profile

The owners Claire and Michael Sankey, who both work in property development, live here with their dog, Max The property A five-bed new build in Brentwood, Essex project cost £82,895

The colours are cohesive throughout the entire space, drawing the scheme together for a room that flows perfectly.

Green sofa, Sofa.com. Coffee table, Tom Dixon. Rug, Floor Story. Sofa cushions, House of Hackney and Asda

my kitchen IN

Claire chose soer colours for the living room. ‘This is a space for calm – it’s where we go to relax, and there’s a log fire so it’s really cosy in winter,’ she says.

5

Wall painted in Green Smoke, Farrow & Ball.

Footstool, Swoon.

Rug, Wendy Morrison.

Sideboard, West Elm

1

Favourite thing about the kitchen?

‘The natural light.’

2

Most-used accessory?

‘The boiling water tap.’

Asprey brushed gold boiling water tap, £499, Intu Boiling Water Taps

3

Favourite book on your kitchen shelf?

‘The Cook’s Companion by Stephanie Alexander. It was a wedding gi and we still make recipes from it 15 years on.’

4

Go-to feel-good breakfast/ brunch?

‘Poached eggs on sourdough toast with lots of pepper.’

Stoneware Flower Trellis plate, £8.95, Rex London

4 5

5

R U OF petS

EVIF petS

What one thing in your kitchen couldn’t you do without?

‘The worktop space!’

Algiata ma grey stone effect worktop, £32.67 per m, B&Q

Collaborative effort

The end result

‘As a creative person, everyone said I’d be able to design my own interiors scheme, but I really wanted someone to brainstorm with, so we headed to Bark to hire an interior designer.

When I saw Jade Maria Interiors, I just loved her style and knew it would fit really well with us. I made a mood board and she put her own stamp on it, being receptive to what we wanted while pushing us outside of our comfort zone. Because the kitchen was only six years old we simply spray painted the doors, and Jade Maria sourced the stunning terrazzo worktops – they’re one of my favourite things about the space as we chose the colours of all the stones.’

‘I absolutely love our home now and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. We did go over budget, but when you’re going through that amount of upheaval, you get to a point where you think, actually, it is worth paying a bit more for exactly what you want – like our bespoke worktops, for example.

There was a lot of persuasion there with the husband, but I’m glad we went for it! My best interior design advice is to trust your instincts. If you see something and you like it – do it. Don’t think, ‘that’s a bit risky’; it pays off in the end if you just push yourself that little bit further. Your interiors should reflect you as an individual, not anybody else.’

138

Costs & contacts

Build cost £32,350 Professional fees £16,645 Glazing £13,250 Furniture £12,400 Decoration and worktops £8,250 Architect Spatial Design Architects, 01277 222510, spatialdesignarchitects.

Interior designer Jade Maria Interior Design, 07710 675295, jademaria.co.uk Builder LN Construction, 07738 019128, lnconstructionuk.com Decorator Craig Webster, 01277 261699 Rooflights Roof Maker, roof-maker.co.uk Bi-fold doors Bifold Shop, bifoldshop.co.uk

LET’S TALK…

Shaker-style kitchens A

Full of character, charm and history, the Shaker-style kitchen is a timeless design choice. Here’s how to give the classic look a modern spin and make it work for you

lthough the Shaker kitchen style originates from the 18th century, make no mistake – it still very much remains a popular design choice. The timeless look of the Shaker-style doors provides a blank canvas for the rest of your kitchen scheme, and so lends itself to versatility and contemporary

personalisation. The style embodies the principles of the Shaker religious movement; this means embracing all the nooks and crannies of your space, so that each and every item and design feature has a clear purpose. There are many ways to add a contemporary edge to this classic look, from choosing bold cabinet colours to completing the

look with metallic door handles; from selecting a contrasting worktop to going vibrant with your wall tiles.

This handy guide will show you the ways you can shake up your Shaker kitchen, whether you’re designing a brand new space from scratch, or seeking inspiration for quick and easy updates.

TOP TIP Choose open shelving to display decorative ceramics, recipe books and plants

140

Handle with care The handles of a Shaker door are an important finishing touch that can change the whole look and feel of the space. The choice of handle can add a modern flourish to a traditional style, as shown here with these ma black bar handles. For a traditional country look, choose brushed metal cup handles, or add warmth with wood.

Embedded handles are a great option for a more seamless finish.

Chester Shaker kitchen in ma grey, price on application, Wickes

AYAHSUR HALULLAT ERUTAEF

Eye for detail Once you’ve chosen your Shaker-style cabinets, there are additional ways to enhance the scheme further. A Belfast or farmhouse sink like this is the perfect accompaniment to a Shaker kitchen, oozing character and charm. The large, deep bowls form a visual focal point in the space, and are very practical when dealing with masses of washing up. Display utensils in warm metallic shades, as well as pots, pans and chopping boards, to make the space feel homely. K1 Kitchen, from £25,000, Brookmans

Camouflage organisation The Shaker design is one that provides a multitude of smart storage solutions.

A good portion of your kitchen appliances, such as the dishwasher, can be hidden neatly behind a Shaker door.

The pantry can be pulled out, puing an end to searching for the olive oil and spices that linger at the back of your cupboard. Other storage ideas include using wooden benches with storage underneath, or collapsible pop-up tables aached to the wall if you’re tight on space. Shaker kitchen, from £12,000, Devol

}

}

Head here for more Shaker kitchen inspiration

TOP TIP Be savvy with your storage – from built-in chopping boards to glass cabinets and island baskets, plan what you want to put where right from the start of the design process

colour pop The recessed panels of a Shakerstyle kitchen were originally designed to be hard wearing and long-lasting.

Synonymous with character and depth, the door style also provides ample opportunity for personalisation with colour. Be it a unique deep mustard like this, a popular striking blue, or a rich green, vibrant colours give the style a new lease of life. We love seeing more than one colour used on the doors as well, oen with a darker shade on the floor cabinets and a lighter shade up top. Chilcomb paintable handless kitchen, price on application, Howdens

TOP TIP

If your room is on the larger side, choose two cabinet colours so as not to overwhelm the space

Wood is good The term ‘Shaker style’ comes from The United Society of Believers in Christ, a community in 18th-century England, more commonly known as the Shakers.

Guided by the principles of simplicity, honesty and utility, they created the Shaker-style kitchen for its practicality and longevity. Their primary material was wood. Rustic and simple dining tables with wooden benches oen accompanied the Shaker kitchen, again celebrated for their practicality and simplicity. When choosing a type of wood, the shade and style can make a huge difference to the overall look and feel of your space. Dark timber can provide a cosy, warm atmosphere, exposed grain can create a rugged and country feel, and light-coloured pine can open up your space and make it feel brighter. It’s a good idea to seal exposed wood to protect it from splashes and make it last longer.

Low lit Create an inviting ambience with pendant lights. They can be a wonderful way to accentuate your Shaker kitchen while allowing you to give the look a modern twist. Low hanging lights above the island or dining table are a great way to shed some light on the areas where you spend the most time, providing a warm and ambient glow that’s perfect for socialising. Combine pendant lights with brighter spotlights – these provide a brighter light to the whole room, making them ideal for cooking. Charnwood kitchen in Denim Blue and Dusk Blue, price on application, Mereway

142

Tiles with style With the modest nature of a Shaker kitchen, wall tiles can be a niy way to add some paern and interest to your design and create a real feature. Here, the monochrome paerned splashback forms a focal point for the space, instantly drawing the eye and giving the kitchen a welcoming, homely feel. Ceramic and porcelain tiles are durable, long-lasting and easy to clean. If your tiles are covering a small space, it’s worth investing in a design you love, as the fun paern will bring you joy every time you look at it. Mornington Beaded kitchen, from £12,000, Second Nature Kitchens

Worktops

SEMOHLAEROS#

Never underestimate the power of work surfaces – they can completely transform the appearance and practicality of a kitchen, so it’s important to consider all your colour and material options before deciding. Because the Shaker embodies simplicity, the worktop can be a great opportunity for contrast, creating a more striking overall appearance. Worktops come in an array of materials.

Granite worktops are the most hardy and long-lasting, while real marble provides a bright and luxurious quality. Cheaper alternatives such as laminate can look good, but they may not last as long as natural stone.

SNEHCTIK/MOC.SEMOHLAER OT OG ,SAEDI NEHCTIK HSILYTS EROM ROF

TOP TIP

Install LED downlights or strips beneath your wall cabinets or extractor fan to provide a low light directly onto your work space. Here, the light shines on the hob, providing a glow where it’s needed most.

Island focus Kitchen islands come in many shapes and sizes, providing as much storage or worktop space as you need.

If you want your kitchen to be a social hub for friends and family, an island provides the perfect place to gather around, for everyone to perch at a bar stool, cook or eat together. In a small space, go for a portable island with wheels, which can be tucked away when not in use.

In a larger room, a built-in design can provide ample storage and maximise your space. Infinity Plus Shaker kitchen in Jade and So Coon, from £3,363, Wren Kitchens

A GUIDE TO

Garage doors Transform the look of your home – and even up its security – with a new and improved garage door

Raw V e98 flush in Fumed Oak with matching up-andover garage door, POA, Urban Front

Original solid timber doors, from around £7,500 plus VAT, Rundum Meir.

Project by John Pardey Architects

B

)MUDNUR( SREVIHC DRAHCIR HPARGOTOHP HCNIF NELLE SDROW

esides investing in a fancy front door and adding fresh render or cladding, installing a new garage door is one of the most effective ways to up the kerb appeal of your property.

If yours is dented, chipped or just in need of some TLC, it might be time for a refresh. You can generally make simple repairs yourself – head to realhomes.com for more on this – and even use paint to breathe new life into it, but if it’s beyond redemption, it’s time to invest in a something new.

The good news is that garage doors come at a wide range of prices, so you'll be able to find one for your budget. The most basic styles can be ordered from your local DIY store, many of them untreated so you can paint or varnish them in any shade you like. If you're looking for something a bit

fancier, though, then there are plenty of options to suit your needs, from compact space-saving rollers to smart and secure electric doors. And, of course TOP TIP – because it's about form as much as STYLE & SUBSTANCE it is function – The style of garage door you there's also a wide choose will depend on the type of range of finishes, house you have. Traditional Georgianfrom traditional style pressed panel doors are common, panelling to but more contemporary styles like thin, sleek and modern vertical panelling and chevron designs are increasingly popular. If you have a slatted designs. period home, try carriage-house-style Over these double doors; modern glazed pages, we're delving designs are also an option into how to choose for newer properties. the right type and style of door for you – plus showcasing some of our favourite designs.

146

External bespoke 44mm TriComfort WK3601 garage doors in Cobalt Blue, from £1,674.90 for 1400x1900mm, Direct Doors

TOP TIP MATERIAL MATTERS There’s an extensive choice of materials for your garage door, most requiring lile maintenance. Steel is the most common and cost-effective option, while lightweight aluminium is great for manual doors, though it can be damaged more easily than other materials. Wood is also popular but requires maintenance; it’s also more expensive than other options. If you love the look of wood, you could try vinyl or wood composite.

Need to know

Q A Garage door, from £4,000, Origin

How much does it cost?

According to Checkatrade, a replacement garage door costs an average of £850, including installation, but prices can go up to £2,500 or more for electric doors. Prices depend on the size and design of the door, the mechanism, any electrical work involved, and the location.

Do I need planning permission?

You generally won’t need permission as long as the door is of the same size and similar design to your old one.

However, if you live in a listed building, you will need to check.

Q A

What options are on offer?

The most common types of garage door include: UP AND OVER: A traditional style of door, this door extends

147

MOC.SEMOHLAER

Q A

outwards before tilting up and into the garage using a manual or electric mechanism.

SECTIONAL: One of the most popular designs, a sectional door has horizontal sections that bend at the hinges, so the door can be rolled up and curved to follow the contour of the garage – perfect if you’re short on space on your driveway.

ROLLER: Similar to sectional garage doors, these open vertically by rolling around a drum, so they use even less space – but they’re also more costly.

SIDE HINGED: A simple design, these doors open manually to the side, and oen look like barn doors.

SIDE SLIDING: Perfect if you need ceiling space, these slide to the side and are useful for nipping in and out, as you can simply open it slightly to make a human-sized gap.

TOP TIP MANUAL OR ELECTRIC? Manual garage doors are oen cheaper, but an electric door offers the convenience of being opened at the press of a buon – no more dashing out in the rain to open it up! They can include alarm systems to offer extra security, but the upkeep requirements are greater than a manual door as you’ll have to look aer the mechanics of the electrical kit, too. You can also retrofit an existing garage door with an electric door kit.

Tavole overhead sectional garage door, from £8,750, Deuren

Kaitlin's top tip If you’re on a budget, painting your existing garage door can refresh the look of your house at a low cost. Before you start painting, clean the door and fill and sand any cracks or dents. If your door is bare wood or metal, you’ll need a specialist primer, then an exterior wood or metal paint for the finish. For a truly professional finish you could try spray painting, but it requires a bit more prep work.

}

}

Scan here for our full guide to painting a garage door

Hörmann Series 2000 steel up-andover garage door, style 2601 Elegance in Anthracite Grey, from £950 excl. VAT and fitting, Hörmann

149

FOCUS ON

Internal doors Open yourself up to a wide choice of styles for interior doors and set the tone for your home

Best for versatility ▼ For an understated appearance, try the natural simplicity of oak. This American white oak veneer over a solid core door is unfinished so you can simply stain to show off the grain or paint to match your décor. The paern of grooved vertical lines gives a contemporary feel. XL Joinery internal oak unfinished Suffolk essential 6P door, £89, Leader Doors

Best for industrial style The timeless Criall-style door, with panes of glass divided by metal-look frames, is a design that works for exterior or interior doors.

When combined with another on-trend look for glazing – reeded glass – the effect is striking. Chelsea 4 panel reeded glass door, from £478.23, Direct Doors Best for making space The open- or brokenplan look is perfect for sociable family living.

But once a wall’s down, it’s hard to go back.

Glass bi-fold doors are the ideal solution. They glide into place when you need separation and fold back when you want space to entertain.

Choose glazed bi-folds and they can shut out the noise without shuing out light.

These are from £1,200 per sash plus VAT, Origin

Three TOP TIPS Use this helpful guide to find a door you’ll adore What’s inside Internal doors are usually constructed from solid wood, solid core or hollow core. Solid wood has a quality feel but can be pricey and requires maintenance. Solid core is a durable and affordable engineered wood. Hollow core is wood or fibreboard over honeycombed cardboard or plastic. Cheaper and easy to fit, they have less insulation and soundproofing.

150

Clean it up If you have a period property and the original doors are missing, you can search reclamation sites for an authentic alternative. However, you may be faced with layers of paint to remove. If you want to DIY, you can try sanding (if it’s only a thin layer), using a heat gun to melt and peel it off or applying a chemical stripper. Sending it to be dipped and stripped could be quicker.

SENOJ NOSILA ERUITAEF

The full package Doors can be sold separately or as a doorset, which includes a pre-hung door in a frame together with all the hardware needed. They’re more expensive but can be quick and easy to fit. If you already have a frame or lining, you’ll only need a door or ‘leaf’, sometimes called slab doors. Door frames can also be bought separately in pieces and then trimmed to fit.

Best for tight spaces The traditional type of wooden bi-fold is a real space-saver. The size of a regular door, it folds in half as it opens and tucks away rather than swinging aside – good for more confined areas or to divide linked rooms. The Dordogne bi-fold door has a smooth moulded finish you can paint to suit your scheme.

From Howdens, it is POA.

IN THE FRAME Marc Husband, project design lead at Leader Doors (leaderdoors.co.uk), advises on picking a door

Q A Best for hiding away Make your doors disappear entirely – until you need them – with a pocket door that glides into the wall. For a contemporary interior, an architrave-free style with minimal jambs and concealed hinged door frame gives a flush finish and clean lines for unobtrusive, less-is-more style. Syntesis® flush pocket door system, from £295 plus VAT, Eclisse

What should you consider when buying?

When purchasing a new door, you should first think about the material/finish you’re looking for – whether it’s oak, white, black, grey or something else. There is lots of choice so knowing exactly what you want will make the process much quicker. The design is just as important. Whether it’s contemporary, classic, shaker or cottage – again, having a clear idea of the look you want to achieve will help you narrow down your options. The size of your current doors/openings is hugely important. Not every door comes in every size, so you may be limited to what you can purchase.

Q A

Are there minimum or maximum sizes?

Traditionally internal doors are as small as 78 inches tall and 18 inches wide and can go anywhere up to 80.3 inches tall and 36.4 inches wide, as standard. Most doors will be within this range. It is possible to go smaller and larger, though, depending on the product, as suppliers can offer bespoke made-to-measure ranges of doors.

Best for rustic appeal The barn door offers a classic country look.

As impressively large as they can appear, the sliding design keeps them flat to the wall. The heavy metal track and hangers at the top enhance the rustic effect. Made bespoke

by The Main Company with finishes to suit modern or traditional schemes, the bespoke sliding barn doors start from £390.

Q A

151

MO C.SEMOHLAER

Best for en suites Keep the light flowing through rooms while still offering privacy with a sliding door that has a subtle design. JeldWen’s Infinity collection of so-close glass sliding doors are made from 8mm toughened safety glass and have a choice of two screen-printed paerns for discreet screening.

Perfect for an en suite or bathroom, the Infinity range starts from £600.

Is it easy For a DIYER to fit a door?

It’s easier than you’d imagine to fit your own internal door when replacing an existing one. It becomes harder if you’re creating a new opening from scratch. With all internal doors, you’ll need to create hinge cut-outs and cut-outs for the locks/latches and handles.

Some doors come pre-finished and ready to hang, whereas others are unfinished or primed, meaning they will need one (primed) or two (unfinished) steps to finish the door first to protect it from humidity changes. Fitting it into an existing frame should be quite easy to install. If the door is too big for the opening you may need to trim it down, but be careful as this could jeopardise the style and design.

THE EDIT

Soup makers

Cosy up and keep healthy with heart-warming lunches packed full of goodness. These handy helpers will make it a whole lot easier

Judge electrical soup maker, £145, Horwood

Soup maker and blender, £149.99, Ninja

Von Shef multifunctional digital soup maker, £54.99, VonHaus

Soup maker plus, £140, Cuisinart

153

What to do 1. Toast coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan on the stove, before grinding or crushing.

2. Add the buernut squash, sweet potato, red onion, garlic, chillies and crushed seeds to your soup maker.

3. Add stock up to the maximum line before turning on the soup maker and seing to the smooth function for around 20 mins.

4. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.

5. Serve with a swirl of double cream or fromage frais and add a sprinkling of fresh thyme.

MO C.SEMOHLAER

REWOT EPICER HTIMS AILEMA ERUTAEF

Compact soup maker, £49.99, Morphy Richards

Soup maker, £59.99, Tower

You’ll need n 1 medium buernut squash, peeled and diced n 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced n 1 red onion, peeled and chopped n 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed n 1 red chilli, chopped, including seeds n Tip of tsp chilli flakes n 1ltr vegetable stock, fresh or cubed n ¼ tsp toasted coriander seeds n ¼ tsp toasted cumin seeds n Salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

SREKAM ETALOCOHC TOH TSEB EHT HTIW PU MRAW :HTNOM TXEN

COOK’S Butternut CORNER squash, sweet potato and chilli soup

THE EDIT

Shower panels

Wave goodbye to your boring shower room and hello to these fancy wall panels – an easy way to inject elegance and pattern into your space 3

4

5

6

7

8

REYLLOC EINNA ERUTAEF

1 Classic Cappuccino Stone unlipped panel, £225 for 240x120cm, Victoria Plum 2 Linda Barker Salvaged Plank Elm panel, £267.83 for 240x120cm, Victorian Plumbing 3 Positano Blue Terrazzo panel, £205.44 for 244x58cm, Rubber Duck Bathrooms 4 Navy herringbone acrylic panel, £399.99 for 244x122cm, Cladding Store 5 Mermaid Elite Abruzzo panel, £190 for 242x60cm, Wickes 6 Splashwall gloss beige rings panel, £370 for 120cm, B&Q 7 Showerwall scallop Coral Reef gloss panel, £374.48 for 240x90cm, BOD 8 Wetwall Elite Ravello panel, £159 for 242x60cm, Homebase

155

MO C.SEMOHLAER

2

NISAB TNEMETATS A HTIW HSALPS A EKAM :HTNOM TXEN

1

THE EDIT

Robot vacuums Cleaning gets a lot easier with an ankle-high little robot helper that’ll do your dirty work for you

SELFEMPTYING

Roomba® i3+ with automatic dirt disposal, £699.99, iRobot

360 Heurist with Intelligent SLAM navigation, £799.99, Dyson

REVIEW CORNER

Proscenic 850T robot cleaner and mop with 3000Pa strong suction, £231.88, Amazon

Medion MD 19510 robotic vacuum cleaner with wet mop function, £199.99, Robert Dyas

SUPER SLIM

Best robot vacuum Robot vacuums run round floors like self-cleaning pets, sucking up crumbs and hair. Our pick of these close-up cleaners was the Proscenic M7 Pro, which vacuums and mops.

Easy to set up, it just needs a Wi-Fi connection and a wall to aach the docking station for it to recharge.

It uses lasers to memorise the floor layout and sensors to guide it round, avoiding obstacles and steps. You can even set zones that need concentrated or minimal cleaning.

SPECIFICATIONS Best for: Strong suction/ mop function Control: App and Alexa Baery life: 150 mins Area covered: Up to 300 square metres per charge Suction power: Max 2700pa RRP: £399 from Amazon

SENOJ NOSILA ERUTAEF

REASONS TO BUY ● Zone seing ● For pet hair and carpets ● The option of self-emptying Ecovacs OZMO920 robot vacuum with mop and Alexa/app/Wi-Fi, £399.98, Amazon

RoboVac 11S slim 2.85” robot vacuum, £189.99, Eufy

156

●

REASONS TO AVOID Self-empty base costs extra

sunday project Stuck for ideas this weekend? Get your DIY fix and delve right in with our quick and easy ways to update your home for less

Flower power

NIWDLAB NAJ HPARGOTOHP HTIMS AILEMA SDROW

Who says wallpaper’s just for walls?

If you live in a rented house, or you simply don’t want to commit to an entire wall of bold paern, look to revamp your furniture instead.

This plain wardrobe has been turned into a statement piece at minimal cost, and it really couldn’t be any easier to do. Measure and cut your wallpaper to size (if you have some leover from a previous project, all the beer!) and apply using decoupage glue or Command strips. Press down firmly, and for extra durability apply a coat of sealant to protect from scuffs. For a similar wallpaper, try Allure, £65 per roll, Wallpaper Direct

162