Dgdd

Expert tricks&

stylishtreats

With Halloween around the corner, it’s fitting that this issue is full of tricks and treats! But don’t worry – they are the sort that will help you transform your home into a cosy and inviting haven, without breaking the bank!

In Restyle your Staples (p41), we show you instant, easy swaps to give a room a whole new feel (amazingly, some of the ideas are totally free). Then, on page 48, we’ve a handy guide to picking the perfect rug – the right choice can elevate a scheme, and we’ve found some fab bargains.

With hybrid working and WFH the norm for so many of us now, we’ve got three inspiring home office makeovers to show you. I’m so impressed with the creativity of these DIYers, who had to turn their projects around quickly during lockdown, when workers and materials were hard to come by. Find out how they did it – and whether they stuck to budget –from page 28.

Speaking of budgets, don’t miss our expert advice to help your money go further. From ways to save on bills (p18) to how to earn an income from your home (p110) and a special cost-cutting Q&A (p116), we’ve hundreds of ideas!

MEL SHERWOOD EDITOR

If you sign up now, you’ll save 15% on the shop price, and we’ll also send you a set of beautiful Joules cake tins (worth £21.99) as a thank you for subscribing!

Find out more on page 26.

Editor’s portrait Philip Sowels

Quick swaps for an easy revamp

8Get set for Halloween with our pick of boo-tiful buys

October at home

08 This month we love Get the classic cosy farmhouse look and dial up the home comforts with plush fabrics

11 Household hints Make your home cosy for less; laundry room essentials; plus, we review multipurpose cleaners

16 Smarter shopper Cut the cost of hybrid working with our top tips

18 Focus on As energy costs rise again, here’s how to save on your bills

Homes & makeovers

28 ‘Easy colour-blocking has transformed this room’ Using her creative skills, Allie Wilson turned an unused playroom into a chic home office

32 ‘My husband’s favourite hue was my starting point’ Anne Tiainen-Harris surprised her husband Christian with a retro-inspired study in vibrant terracotta

36 ‘We knocked down a wall to create a landing office’ Charlotte and James have created an inspiring work space that looks out on to coastal views

58 Problem room: ‘I chose streamlined solutions to maximise this small space’ Abi’s bathroom has gone from cramped and tired to spacious and light

80 ‘I’ve used strong shades in a gentle, soothing way’ Inspired by modern prints, Diane Allan has been brave with colour throughout her home

86 ’We added classic elegance to our modern home’ Anna and Ryan Askwith chose timeless pieces to achieve the New England look they love

92 ‘I’ve spent years turning this into our forever home’ After finding her style, Lola Higham swapped magnolia walls for colourful panelling and paint

Style & decorating

22 Spotlight on Welcome the season with our pick of the best autumn florals, from botanical prints to faux flowers

41 Restyle your staples We show you how to tweak your interior to achieve a brand-new look on a budget

48 Choosing the right rug Shape, size, texture and practicality… here’s what you need to consider when searching for the rug of your dreams

Your features

52 Cook up a storm Create a dramatic, stylish kitchen with inspiration from the darker side of the colour wheel

60 Bright sparks From statement wall lights to LED mirrors, update your bathroom with the best lighting ideas

110 How to earn an income from your home With the cost of living going up, now’s the time to harness your property’s hidden potential to generate some extra cash

114 DIY it or buy it A step-by-step guide to making a radiator cover, or where to purchase a ready-made alternative

120 In your garden this month Feast on pumpkin and plant garlic this October, plus six of the best ornamental grasses for autumnal displays

Treat

family to

seasonal bakes

tones

autumnal florals

Spruce up your existing décor with our restyling tips

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE...

Food & drink

100 Thrifty autumn warmers Great-value meals to save you pennies and warm up those chilly nights

104 No tricks, just treats Delicious sweet and savoury recipes for a spook-tacular Halloween!

Don’t miss out!

10 Your letters All your latest home improvement and upcycling projects –don’t forget to send us your photos!

26 Subscribe to Your Home Save over 15 per cent plus receive a set of Joules cake tins when you subscribe today

64 Win! Enter our prize draw for a chance to win a Red hot-water tap from GROHE, worth over £1,500, and wave goodbye to your kettle

77 Coming next month Take a look at what’s coming up in the November issue

116 Ask the experts Our experts answer your money-saving questions

124 Prize draws We’ve got incredible prizes up for grabs, from Sophie Allport, Rothley, Viners, Swan, Zoflora and Cobra

126 Shopping guide Find out where to buy everything featured in this issue

130 Shop small Get the autumnal florals look featured on page 22, with our round-up of top indies to shop the trend

Look out for our brilliant cover stories!

70 Revamp repair recycle Recreate the starburst mirrors seen on the high street with our DIY version

76 Craft stash must haves Discover the latest news, kits and products in the world of craft

68

Set the scene for a spooky night in

Sew an autumn wreath banner

with simple seasonal makes, and learn the easy art of marbling

Lola filled her first home with colour and personality

pretty marble design

EDITORIAL

Acting Group Editor Mel Sherwood

Acting Deputy Editor Michelle Grady

Editorial Assistant Sophie Ellis

Art Editor Tricia Ball

Deputy Art Editor Beth Charlton Lucas

Senior Digital Editor Debbie Graham

Digital Editor Rebecca Messina

Digital Writer Thea Jeffreys

Staff Writer Katie Dutton

Thanks also to Rob Banino, Poppy Benner, Chris Borgman, Beth Emery, Thomas Poad, Sarah Trevor

ADVERTISING

Group Advertising Manager Laura Jones

Advertising Manager Heather Golden Business Development Manager

Phil Wallington, phil.wallington@ourmedia.co.uk

Brand Sales Executives

James Beckett, james.beckett@ourmedia.co.uk

Ava Holdstock, ava.holdstock@ourmedia.co.uk

Ad Co-ordinator Bryony Grace

Senior Ad Designers

Andrew Hobson, Cee Pike

MARKETING & PRODUCTION

Subscriptions Director Jacky Perales-Morris

Direct Marketing Executive Emma Hunter Buyer Karen Flannigan

Director of Licensing and Syndication Tim Hudson

Syndication Manager Richard Bentley Production Director Sarah Powell

Production Co-ordinator Lauren Morris

Senior PR Manager Ridhi Radia

PUBLISHING

Managing Director Marie Davies Head of Brand Marketing Rosa Sherwood Group Managing Director Andy Marshall CEO Tom Bureau

Contact Your Home at Our Media Limited, Eagle House, Bristol BS1 4ST

General Enquiries: 0117 927 9009

You can email the magazine at yourhome@ourmedia.co.uk

FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS

yourhome@buysubscriptions.com UK: 03301 358962

Overseas: +44(0)1604 973748

© Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company), 2022, member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Unsolicited manuscripts and transparencies are accepted on the understanding that the publisher incurs no liability for their storage or return. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced without permission. All prices are correct at the time of going to press. The publisher, editor and authors accept no responsibility in respect of any products, goods or services that may be advertised or referred to in this issue or for any errors, omissions, misstatements or mistakes in any such advertisements or references. Your Home is published by Our Media Ltd, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST, UK. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material. In the event of any material being used inadvertently, or where it proved impossible to trace the copyright owner, acknowledgement will be made in a future issue. Immediate Media Co Ltd is working to ensure that all of its paper is sourced from well-managed forests. This magazine can be recycled. We abide by IPSO’s rules and regulations. To give feedback about our magazines, please visit immediate.co.uk, email editorialcomplaints@immediate.co.uk or write to Legal Director, Immediate Media Co, Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, London, W6 7BT

We

tonnes of real,

rhubarb, born and bred in the British countryside, until we have enough juice to fill a third of every bottle.

gin has the countryside in.

Recreate a chic farmhouse look in your home (without the costly renovations) with Next’s autumn/winter 2022 Calm Country collection. Neutral tones complement lightly distressed wood – add pattern and texture with cushions and decorative accessories to dial up the homely ambience, too. This snug bedroom set-up will make relaxed weekend mornings 100 per cent dreamier.

love…

Make the most of October with the best things to do, see and buy this month

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL

Inject eye-catching maximalist prints into your living room with Lust Home’s cushion collection. Best known for its extravagant wallpapers, its most popular patterns have been reimagined in a variety of designs and styles. Available from 22nd September.

Palmer

5 OF THE BEST… Halloween decorations

Homeware treats to deck out your space in spooky style

1. Papercut trick or treat Halloween bunting, £9.99, Getting Personal

2. Mercury gold light up pumpkin decoration, £32.99, Lights4fun 3. Halloween biscuits plate, £14, Emma Bridgewater

4. Pumpkin serving dish, £20, studio.co.uk

5. Halloween inflatable pumpkins, £69.99, The Range

5

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

As the nights draw in, layer up lighting for maximum cosiness and flexibility. A ceiling fitting will cast a diffused glow, while a well-placed table lamp or two means you won’t have to have all bulbs blazing to illuminate your space.

Selva table lamp with 20 cm empire shade in cobalt silk, £80, Pooky; Cordless ribbed glass table lamp, £28.95, Sparkle Lighting; Elements Tollose 5 light cluster ceiling fitting, £109, Dunelm

inspiration

We’re reading…

More More More, £20

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s ode to maximalism will inspire you to be bold in creating your dream décor. Available from 15th September.

We’re following…

@our.wee.project

Expect creative DIYs, bold colours, and plenty of fun inspo from Emma Balir’s account. Emma says: ‘Each space has its own little (sometimes big!) personality, determined by use and user. We’ve given our run-down 1950s bungalow a fresh start as a bright, modern, family home.’

THRIFTY TIP

We’re listening to…

Sliced Bread

From pricey paints to air-source heat pumps, this consumer affairs podcast investigates the evidence behind the latest products and trends to find out if they really are ‘the best thing since sliced bread.’

Feature Sophie Ellis

Alchemist Bedframe in Plush Turmeric, from £1,799, Sofology

energysaving bulbs to help keep your bills down

Sofology’s autumn/winter 22 collection includes a range of seriously squishy beds that are perfect for snuggling down in when the nights get chillier.

THIS MONTH WE LOVE October 2022 9 Golden glamour

YOUR Letters

Every letter featured wins a prize!

Thanks to Clean Living, the star letter will win a Complete Cleaning Caddy full of eco-friendly cleaning products and accessories worth £50, while each runner-up receives a cleaning bundle of starter packs worth £25. Find out more at cleanlivingint.com

Star material

My home was featured in Your Home magazine back in 2007. I’m severely affected with ME and had a modest two-bedroom bungalow that I’d turned into a pretty environment. Fifteen years later, and with a limited income, my friends, family and I have redecorated most of the rooms in the house, which has also involved upcycling furniture and searching for beautiful secondhand sofas and accessories.

Star letter

Islands in the scheme

While decluttering our house we found two cupboards that I decided to use to form a kitchen island. On a shopping trip

I spotted two trolleys to use, then I added a glass tabletop I already had. My island is full of extra cupboard space, plus a trolley for wine bottles and one for vegetables.

Jean Gordon, Belfast

Sarah Jane Slack, Northamptonshire

Mel, Acting Group Editor says: It’s amazing to see how your home looked when we featured it 15 years ago. We love what you’ve done with the place since to create your dream home on a budget – well done!

Michelle, Acting Deputy Editor, says: What a savvy way to update your home and add extra storage, too!

The chance to win a prize is open to all residents of the UK, including the Channel Islands, aged 18 years or older.

Up and away

We recently did a loft conversion and I decided to paint the new stairs. This was my first time using Frog Tape and I was really pleased with the results. The paint was by Annie Sloan and I also used the lacquer to add a finishing protective layer.

We were pleasantly surprised with the results – though the top turn of the stairs was the hardest to get the lines just right!

Sarah Scott, Essex

Beth, Deputy Art Editor, says:

I love your new stairs, Sarah! They look unique and really stylish, helping to lead the eye up towards your loft space. I’m sure it was fiddly work, but the finish looks very professional.

Painted to perfection

If you paint your ceiling the same shade as the rest of the walls, the room will appear larger – this works for both dark and light walls! This room is painted in Timeless by Dulux and it’s a beautiful warm white that works for most situations. It now feels like one big, cocooning space… it makes a big difference! Try it!

Kirti, @styleiteclectic on Instagram

Sophie, Editorial Assistant, says: Thanks for the tip, Kirti – I’ll have to try this out for my next décor update. Your bedroom looks so tranquil and relaxing, as well as spacious!

Your Home, Our Media, Eagle House, Bristol BS1 4ST. Email YourHome@ourmedia.co.uk Instagram @yourhomemagazine Twitter @your_home Facebook @yourhomemag Tel 0117 927 9009

We love hearing from you! Send us your tips, projects and photos using our details below...

Household

HINTS

Freshen up your home with our handy tips and tricks

Add thermal blinds and curtains to stop heat escaping through windows

HOW TO... make your home cosy (for less)

As the evenings draw in and the temperature drops, it’s time to turn your home into a snug sanctuary. There are plenty of things you can do without taking up floorboards or ripping apart the loft – discover how to make your home warmer with our top tips…

• Firstly, make sure your heating is working as efficiently as possible. It’s recommended that your gas or oil boiler is serviced once a year (and many companies insist on an annual service to guarantee the boiler’s warranty). Prices range from £60-£120, but it could save you bigger expenses in the future.

• If your radiators aren’t heating up properly, or making loud noises, then they probably need to be bled. You can do this yourself using a radiator key that you can buy from DIY shops. Increase a heater’s efficiency further by installing specialist reflective radiator foil – this can reduce heat loss by bouncing heat back into the room. Close doors when you do have the heating on, to retain heat.

• Rather than heating every room, use electric blankets and hot water bottles to provide more focussed heat. If you’re under 65 and have no underlying health conditions, the NHS says you can have your home cooler than 18°C, as long as you’re comfortable. However, not heating your home during cold spells can lead to damp and frozen pipes, so it’s good to use the heating occasionally.

For more ways to keep your home warm for less, see page 18.

FIND OUT MORE…

Visit yourhomestyle.uk to discover cleaning hacks, how-to guides and tried-and-tested reviews

Buy it once

Now we’re reaching the end of British summertime, you may find you’re struggling to get up during the dark mornings. If so, consider investing in a sunrise alarm clock. The Lumie Bodyclock Glow 150 Wake up to Daylight Table Lamp (£199.99 from Boots) wakes you up gradually with a glowing light that progressively brightens, to mimic a sunrise. There’s also a sunset feature to help you wind down in the evenings.

HACK

We love a good cleaning hack at Your Home, but some jobs are definitely more satisfying than others. If you’ve noticed a build-up of gunk around the edge of your hob or sink that you can’t quite scrub away, try this trick: wrap a cleaning wipe around a cocktail stick, then use the stick to push out the dirt. Ta da!

Feature Sophie Ellis

Image

on Instagram

TEST…

Pink Is Life multi-purpose antibacterial spray, £1, Fabulosa

With both spray and stream options, this cruelty-free formula is easy to work into surfaces – and it’s also proven to kill 99.9 per cent of viruses. It cleaned up grease and hard water stains – it worked surprisingly well on glass, too, and left a shower screen sparkling and streak-free. The scent did divide us: it was more ‘perfumed’ than other sprays and did linger, so bear that in mind.

Whether you have a dedicated utility room or a smaller space, it’s time to move laundry chores indoors. Take the hassle out of wash days with these effort-saving buys.

1. Hang slippery items, such as socks, with ease using these pegs with detachable loops – never end up with odd socks again.

Slibb hanging clothes peg, £1 for a pack of eight, IKEA

2. If you’re short on floorspace, this heated airer will hold up to 10kg of washing and is easily folded down.

2 tier heated airer, £75, Dunelm

3. Easy to store and comfortable to carry, this basket will make light work of heavy laundry loads.

Collapsible hipster laundry basket, £19.99, Lakeland

4. Rather than wrestling with the ironing board for last-minute jobs, why not steam the odd garment instead?

Multisteam pro portable handheld garment clothing steamer, £27.99, Beldray

5. Protecting delicate items in the wash means they’ll last longer and won’t get damaged by your washing machine. Wash bags, £8.50 for a pack of three, Brabantia

6. Replace laundry detergent and fabric conditioner (and reduce your plastic use) with this scented Laundry Egg.

Laundry Egg in Fresh Linen, £9.99, ecoegg

multipurpose cleaners

Things we considered: Does it clean well? Does it smell nice? Is it easy to use?

Cillit Bang power multipurpose cleaner, £3, Wilko

Despite the heavy-duty expectations of this well-known brand, we were pleasantly surprised by its slight floral smell – quite unlike the bleach-heavy scent we anticipated. Cleansing agents such as formic acid work effectively to remove limescale, and the foam makes light work of kitchen grease. It doesn’t boast the same eco credentials as some of the other sprays, but it is good for household deep cleaning jobs.

The anti-bac starter kit, £5.99 (£1.75 refills), OceanSaver Reduce plastic use in the kitchen and bathroom (two areas where it can really stack up) with this starter kit, consisting of a spray bottle and refill tabs – although you can use a bottle you already have and save even more plastic. Drop the tab into a water-filled spray bottle and shake (we found it took a little effort) until dissolved. The ‘Ocean Mist’ releases a fresh, clean smell without being too overpowering, and it cleaned well with minimal scrubbing.

Elbow Grease all purpose degreaser, 95p, B&M

We were expecting big things from this aptly named degreaser, and it did not disappoint! Leaving a lemony scent, it cleaned well and cut through grease with ease. It’s a liquid-based spray (rather than foam) but it still performed well –particularly on oven doors and metal hobs. It’s strong stuff (it can also be used to clean vehicles and outdoor cooking equipment) so keep it away from little hands. Cheap and cheerful, it’s a useful option for tougher jobs!

‘Wren Kitchens gave us the confidence to go for something a bit different’

Rachel and James thought they knew exactly how they wanted their new kitchen to look, until they visited Wren where the designs were better than they’d imagined…

When Rachel and her husband, James, moved into their Victorian house in 2019, renovating the kitchen was one of the first things they planned to do. As a lover of interiors, it was usually Rachel who made the home décor decisions. However, preoccupied with their newborn baby and a business to keep up and running through Covid, it fell to James to take the lead with the kitchen makeover.

Thankfully, James had plenty of expert help. From his first call with Wren, he was immediately impressed by how helpful the design team were. The couple had visited other kitchen companies, but thanks to how the team guided him through the steps, James only felt secure with Wren.

FAMILY DAY OUT

With their newborn daughter, Elsie, and family dog in tow, Rachel and James visited their local Wren showroom in North Shields. ‘It was a really lovely experience,’ Rachel remembers.

To tie in with the character of their Victorian home, the couple wanted a traditional style of kitchen but with a modern twist. They had planned to go for a dark design but, after seeing the array of options on offer they changed their minds. ‘Flexibility with colours was a big thing for me,’ Rachel explains. ‘I was tired of seeing all the same-coloured kitchens, so it was important to be able to have a wide range of choice. I wanted an interesting colour on the island and when I saw the Blueberry Matt, I knew that’s what I wanted.’

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

The architects who originally planned the couple’s kitchen only provisioned a bar,

but Rachel really wanted an island so she was delighted when Stephanie, their Wren designer said it could be incorporated into the design. Stephanie also helped them to figure out the layout of the space, configure the cupboards and suggested features the couple hadn’t considered before that would be useful to the family. Other must-haves included a large fridge-freezer and a wine cooler. ‘It’s not always full but it’s a nice addition

to the space,’ says Rachel. Keen to keep things as simple and fuss-free as possible, the couple bought all their kitchen appliances from Wren, something they would recommend to other customers. ‘Wren pricematched all the appliances, so we got the best deals,’ Rachel explains.

To visualise how the finished kitchen would look, Rachel and James took advantage of the 3D renders on offer. It allowed them to make adjustments to the kitchen design and add any features they felt were missing, like a spice rack. ‘James loved playing around with the design,’ Rachel says.

BRINGING IT HOME

Getting the kitchen delivered was just as straightforward as the rest of their Wren experience, with everything delivered on time.

‘It was a very smooth process overall,’ say Rachel. One of the couple’s favourite features is the ceramic Skye sink, as well as the luxurious Calacatta Cloud Matt worktop.

‘It has a really nice texture, and it has the nicest marble aesthetic,’ she says.

As well as being a stylish space for entertaining, the new-look kitchen is perfect for day-to-day life for the family of three;

‘When I saw the island in Blueberry Matt, I knew that’s what I wanted’

Tired of the usual kitchen colours, Rachel was thrilled to see the range of shades on offer at Wren

with plenty of storage space making it easier to keep the space looking neat and tidy. The kitchen is now the hub of the home and even Elsie, now aged two-and-a-half, loves to join her mum and dad for mealtimes at the island. With the stunning transformation complete, the couple can’t believe how simple it was to turn their kitchen dreams into a reality. ‘It was such an easy process with Wren,’ says Rachel.

Feature Catriona Burns

Rachel and James’ Shaker Ermine kitchen in Moonlight Matt blends timeless charm with contemporary touches

Under-counter cupboards on the island provide extra storage space while brass details add a touch of luxe

SMARTER

A survey by Boston Consulting Group revealed 60 per cent of employees desire some flexibility over when and/or where they work. Hybrid working certainly has its benefits, but costs – from commuting to energy prices – soon mount up. Here are a few ways to keep them down…

Cut the cost of your car journey. Organise a car share or, if there are no colleagues nearby, post your route on GoCarShare or Liftshare, so others can get a lift and split the cost. Alternatively, hiyacar lets you rent your car out when you’re not using it, so you can make extra cash when working from home.

Buy a bundle of train or bus tickets. Flexible (or bundle) tickets can help you save cash if you’re not in the office every day. Each bus and train company has different ticket options, so you can choose the one that’s best for you.

Get lunch for less. Apps Too Good To Go and Olio advertise food you can use to make a cheap, or even free, packed lunch, while websites like Wowcher and VoucherCodes have offers on eating out.

Save on hot drinks. Cut the cost of hot drinks by boiling your kettle once and storing the water in a thermos for the day.

shopper SMART SAVINGS

Fab find

Always losing track of time? Then Toggl Track can help you out. The app’s time tracker reveals what you spend the most time working on, so you can plan your days and allocate your time more effectively, all in the name of learning to work better rather than more. Toggl Track also features the Pomodoro Timer, a browser extension you can try that encourages you to work in timed increments with specified break periods for better focus. And the best bit? The basic version is totally free.

16 yourhomestyle.uk HYBRID WORKING hacks

Save moneywhileyou earn it with our top tips

Buying lunch each day will add tens of pounds to your weekly budget; instead, prepare your meal at home and take it in to the office with you. This BUILT lunch cool bag costs £21.99 from KitchenCraft, and is well insulated to keep food fresh and cool for around three hours. Its showerproof exterior will survive soggy commutes, and it comes in a range of colours.

Feature Hannah Carr Photo Getty Images

Cut the cost of getting to the office and working from home with our money-saving tips

Rebel Walls

Boxall

Little Greene

FOCUS ON

Energy bills

With energy costs expected to rise again, here’s how to keep your bills as low as possible

HOW TO... cut down your bills

With the energy cap likely to increase again this month, try making some of these changes to help you reduce your electricity use and your bills…

• Turn the thermostat down by 1°C – this simple trick costs nothing and could save you around £80-£100 a year, without you noticing much of a difference in temperature.

• Switch off appliances such as TVs, laptops and games consoles fully, instead of leaving them on standby. This could save you around £30 a year. Invest in some smart plugs that you can turn off remotely from your phone.

Frequently asked questions...

Should I get a smart meter?

According to the Energy Saving Trust, smart meters eliminate the need for estimated bills so you’ll only ever pay for the energy you’ve used. They also say that being able to see how and when you’re using energy helps you to manage your usage better, resulting in lower bills and a lower carbon footprint. Which appliances use the most electricity? The Energy Saving Trust says washing machines, dishwashers and anything else that uses heated water comes out on top, accounting for around 16 per cent of your energy bill. Next is the fridge and freezer (around 12 per cent), then TVs, laptops and games

USEFUL CONTACTS

• Visit citizensadvice.org.uk to check for grants and benefits towards your energy bills.

• Compare tariffs at energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com confused.com or moneysavingexpert.com

• For advice on switching suppliers or getting help to pay your bills, visit ofgem.gov.uk

• Find tips on how to save energy at energysavingtrust.org.uk

consoles (7 per cent) and lighting (6 per cent). Cooking appliances typically make up just 4 per cent of your bill. Are there any grants or benefits to help pay energy bills? There are options available for people who have reached state pension age, have a disability, no or low income, or for those who have missed payments to their energy supplier. Find out more at Citizens Advice.

• Wash the laundry at lower temperatures and only set the machine going when you have a full load. When that’s not possible, use the machine’s half-load or eco programmes (the same goes for the dishwasher, too).

• Swap long soaks in the bath for short showers and get a showerhead with an integrated flow regulator to save water. And if you don’t already have one, get a water meter.

• Check for draughts around windows and doors, and fit draught excluders or draught-proof kits to stop the cold air coming in while the heat escapes. Seal any cracks in floors and skirting boards, line the letterbox and block up unused chimneys. You should also ensure your loft is sufficiently insulated to meet the current recommendation of between 250mm and 270mm.

Think about switching your energy supplier or tariff to find a better deal. You can compare them on any of the price comparison websites and if there’s nothing that beats your current deal, wait until better ones become available. If your energy supplier goes bust, don’t switch until your account is moved to the new supplier, as you may find it harder to recoup any money you’re owed.

• Exchange old, energy-guzzling appliances for new ones with a higher energy-efficiency ratings, which will lower your running costs, after the initial outlay for the new gadgets.

• Get a smart thermostat so you can control your heating via a smartphone or tablet. As well as allowing you to turn the hot water and heating on or off from anywhere, at any time, a smart thermostat can also ‘learn’ how long it takes to heat your home, so no more wasted energy.

Feature Hayley Gilbert Photo Getty Images

If you doone thing...

to prevent

One in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime1. But in the last 40 years, Cancer Research UK (CRUK), has helped double cancer survival in the UK through its research.

This year marks 20 years since CRUK was formed, and 120 years since the founding of its predecessor, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. In that time, ‘gifts’ (or donations) left in Wills have helped Cancer Research UK play a leading role in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and they will continue to fund future breakthroughs.

Leading the way

More than 20 years ago, CRUK’s scientists helped prove that almost all cervical cancers are caused by a common skin virus called HPV. It is estimated that around 8 in 10 people will be infected with HPV in their lifetime, and while it mostly goes away on its own, it can occasionally cause cancer. Following this discovery, CRUK led the UK’s first trial of an HPV vaccine in the early 2000s, and later contributed to the development of the one in use today.

A 2021 study estimated this vaccine has prevented around 450 cervical cancers, and around 17,200 cases of precancerous conditions, over 11 years. It’s also reduced cervical cancer rates for women in their 20s who were vaccinated at age 12-13 by 90%. The HPV vaccine is a historic achievement for CRUK that will continue to protect thousands of women from cervical cancer – and it wouldn’t have been possible without gifts in Wills.

Justine’s story

In 2017, Justine went for a routine cervical screening, as part of the UK’s national cervical screening programme that CRUK played a key role in introducing.

Following the appointment, Justine received a letter saying she had some abnormal cells on her cervix, which would need removing.

‘At that point, I didn’t think it would be anything to worry about,’ she says. ‘But then I got called back.’

At only 29 years old, Justine was diagnosed with stage 1B1 cervical cancer and underwent treatment. Though it was successful, it could potentially have been prevented. ‘I think the HPV vaccine is an amazing development,’ she says. ‘I wish I’d had the chance to be vaccinated to potentially stop this from happening to me.’

The HPV vaccine doesn’t protect against all types of HPV. And cervical screening is another effective way to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer.

A life-saving gift

CRUK couldn’t have come this far without gifts in Wills, as they fund a third of the charity’s life-saving work. A gift of £350 buys special antibodies, which light up tiny parts of cancer cells, helping shed light on new ways to beat cancers. £2,600 could fund a CRUK research nurse for one month, and £6,000 could fund a whole research group for a day at The Cambridge Institute.

October 2022 19 Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years, but Cancer Research UK wants to accelerate this progress so 3 in 4 survive it by 2034. Gifts in Wills support the research that will help beat cancer for future generations.

Preventing cancer is just one of the many ways Cancer Research UK helps save lives, and gifts in Wills are vital to that work

Pledge

DECORATING tyle &S

Get cosy with the latest interiors trends, flip your furniture and style up your space with some pocket-friendly seasonal accessories

GET THE LOOK

Tactile textures

Transform your home into a cosy cocoon with these richly hued, tactile accessories – they’re guaranteed to make your space feel snug! Add warmth with a tufted woollen rug or layer in natural textures, like wood and seagrass, for a comforting, homey feel. Finish the look with a statement candle, et voilà! You’ve conjured up an inviting autumnal ambience.

PUT YOUR FEET UP

Embrace the joys of a retro room with Sofology’s new Mid Century Boho collection – it will inject some lived-in character to your space. Our favourite piece is the Angelo footstool, pictured below, but there’s also a three-seater sofa, storage footstool, table lamp and coordinating cushions. Prices start at £35 for cushions and £299 for furniture.

Woven wonders

Breathe new life into your sofa with Matalan’s autumn cushion collection. With prices starting at £9, they’re an instant, affordable update –simply switch out your existing cushions for one of these beauties to transform your space! We love the soft, tactile texture on this Berber design.

DAPPLED LIGHT

Add some Art Deco opulence to your hallway with Dunelm’s Easyfit Lilo Pendant, priced at £38. A new addition to the brand’s Luxe Traveller collection, its striking tortoiseshell design will revive even the most lacklustre of entryways!

Pumpkin Praline Candle, £29.99, Woodwick

Black Diamond Berber cushion, £14, Matalan

Coco Chalk Paint, £23.95 per 1L, Annie Sloan Arvid Hand-Tufted Wool Rug, £299, Cult Furniture

Square Patterned Seagrass Basket, £12.50, Oliver Bonas

Ferm Living Meadow High Pile Rug, £655, Nest

YH LOVES

Feature Thea Jeffreys

Natural Tray Top Wooden Side Table, £175, Rose & Grey

Inspired by the rich tones of changing leaves and the season’s flowers, we’re bringing nature into our homes

STYLE

Summer may be drawing to an end, but we’re not ready to close our doors to the outside world just yet – and you don’t have to be, either. By incorporating deep and rich colours with seasonal botanical prints, you can carry on enjoying the beauty of nature in your home this autumn. We’ve found inspiration from all over the high street to get you started. Leading the way is Dunelm and another collaboration with the Natural History Museum for AW22, featuring woodland flora and fauna prints galore. And with on-trend dried and faux flowers available from Matalan and Homesense, you can keep up with this stylish look all season long.

Make a statement with a patterned headboard and include colours from the design throughout your bedroom for a cohesive look Headboard upholstered in Treviso Smart Velvet, Baby Bombay in Citrus, £75 per m, Arley House

Upcycle an existing chest of drawers with pretty patterned découpage papers for a seasonal refresh RHS Botanical Drawings decoupage papers, £11.95, Annie Sloan

Scents are integral for creating mood in your home. Pick out your favourite floral notes when choosing candles for your home Simon bowl in green, £2; Gerner tray, £7.99; Jens scented candle with lid, £3, all JYSK

Feature Yvette Filer

Designed in collaboration with Southsea-based upholsterers, Hilda’s Lounge, this bold print makes a colourful statement in front of the warm fire Buttoned footstool in Carnation, £445, Winter’s Moon

Hibernate real dried floral, £13, Matalan

Joules Cambridge floral velvet accent chair in Pink Floral All Over, £749, DFS

Laura Ashley Archer table lamp with Navy Blue shade, £85.01, där lighting

Bringing botanicals into the bathroom can transform your suite into a spa-like escape

Living Canopy Beech tiles, £108.95 per sq m, Original Style

Floral patterns can work well all year round, and full-length thick curtains will help keep your home insulated, particularly during the colder months

Enchanted Garden Damson fabric, £45.50 per m, ILIV

Baby Bombay cushion in Citrus with frill trim, £75, Arley House

Flora quilted blankets, £10 each, JYSK

Accessorising with floral prints is an easy way to introduce this trend into your home, whether it’s a few subtle additions or a total takeover

Poppy Meadow trays, from £22; Bees stoneware jug, £69.50; Poppy Meadow apron, £24; Poppy Meadow mug, from £14; Poppy Meadow double oven glove, £24; Poppy Meadow pot grab, £11; Poppy Meadow tea towels, £19.50 for a set of two, all Sophie Allport

Rectangular Napkin in Rose Pattern, £2.90, Charlottes. shopping

White faux flowers, £1.49, Homesense

Song Bird patterned mug, £5, ProCook

Hello Sunshine leaf glass citronella candle, £1.50, B&M

Brass leaf napkin ring, £4.50, Heavenly Homes & Gardens

Get

look

Octavia pleated cotton lampshade, from £75, Huddle Collection

Olive Green & Pink Floral block printed tea towel, £17, Rockett St George

Faux Barberry branch, £15,

Casita Homeware

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‘Easy colour-blocking has transformed this room’

BEFORE

STEP INSIDE...

WHO LIVES HERE? I’m Allie Wilson, 49, a fashion buyer. I live with my husband, Steve, 49, an HGV driver, and our children, Maisie, 18, Alfie, 15, and Lola, 13, and our beagle, Bella. We live in a five-bedroom, 1930s semi-detached house in Chelmsford, Essex and we moved here in December 2016.

WHAT WAS UPDATED? We converted an unused dining roomturned playroom into an office. You can follow our renovation journey on Instagram @allie_wilson_home.

WHY THE CHANGE? We were all on top of each other during lockdown, and it was tricky trying to find a space to concentrate.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE? Painting only took a day, but the whole project took about two weeks as we both work full-time.

TOTAL COST £980

Allie and her husband, Steve, have always lived in Chelmsford but, as their family grew, they needed more space. So, they moved into this semi-detached property and swiftly extended it, creating a kitchen-diner and converting the old dining space into a playroom.

During lockdown, though, Allie struggled to find productive places to work from home full time, and didn’t feel inspired by her current set-up. ‘My company sent me a desk, but it was functional rather than stylish, and this space wasn’t particularly pleasant to work in as the desk only fit in the corner, so my back was facing the garden,’ she says.

It became apparent that, to be able to work constructively from home, she needed a more creative environment, so Allie decided to

Allie needed the space to be productive for work but also to feel homely. She’s pleased with how she’s balanced both in the scheme. ‘I wanted to create a stylish space, so chose colourful prints to stop the room looking too “officey”,’ she explains

To pick out the detail in the scaffold boards, Allie used Frenchic’s Browning wax, then Liming wax for a white-washed look to tie in with her soothing scheme

To boost her productivity, Allie Wilson turned an unused playroom into a bespoke home office on a budget with some creative paintwork and thrifty DIYs

transform the unused playroom space into her own stylish home office with a garden view.

THE PROJECT

Allie started by creating a moodboard to hone her ideas, and finally chose a colour scheme of greens and pinks, accessorised with lots of foliage and some rustic touches. ‘I wanted the main colour to be green, not only to complement the shades in the garden, but because it’s a calming colour and good for concentration,’ she says.

After going bold with a dark-green ceiling, Steve painted the walls white as a base colour. ‘I wanted to add some colour-blocking and discovered lots of organic patterns for

OFFICE

inspiration,’ Allie says. ‘But I actually wanted a more graphic design as I’d already painted some rectangle colour-blocks in the living room and loved the effect. So, I decided to wrap a bold stripe design around the desk and follow it around the rest of the room.’

WHAT WE DID

Using masking tape and a spirit level made painting the stripe design fairly easy, ‘though I already knew the key to getting a good edge

‘I’d have loved a velvet chair, but an ergonomic design was essential to ensure good posture as I sit at the desk for hours at a time,’ Allie says

October 2022 29 ‘The cupboards were already this colour so perfectly complemented my green scheme, though I was prepared to paint them if necessary,’ says Allie, who has added a touch of luxe with gold, textured handles

Feature & styling Lisa Moses Photos David Giles

Make an ergonomic office chair work withyour scheme by stylingit with throws and cushions

Blanket statement

‘I didn’t think too hard about the dimensions of the colour-blocking,’ says Allie, keeping it simple by using the width of the masking tape for the white lines between the green

Allie wanted the room to be tidy and clutter-free, so included lots of storage to make sure she had plenty of surface space free for vases, plants and accessories

My style tips

LAYER UP COLOUR Painting the colour-block stripes meant I could use several light and dark shades together, rather than just one, which would have felt flat in comparison. It brings energy and interest to my all-green scheme.

ADD NATURAL MATERIALS

Boost the sense of well-being in a home office by filling it with natural materials, such as jute, and lots of plants.

MAKE A DIY DESK Rather than trying to find a desk to fit, make your own from scaffold boards. This will make the most of the full length of available wall space, and you can add extra storage underneath, too.

is to pull the tape off while the paint is still slightly wet,’ says Allie.

She wanted the desk to fill the space wall-to-wall and, as the couple already had rustic-style shelves elsewhere in the house, she decided to carry the look through and put together a bespoke desk. ‘I chose three scaffold boards for the top, which we had cut to size to fit the gap. Then, we bought two B&Q kitchen cupboards, as we needed something solid to hold the boards, and it gave me lots of storage.’

HIGHS & LOWS

As Allie had started out with a moodboard, the process went smoothly, with just one minor hiccup. ‘I knew the makeover would make a huge difference to how we use the

‘This ledge is simply a £5 IKEA shelf that I waxed and flipped upside down,’ says Allie. ‘I wanted to draw the eye away from the radiator’

CEILING SMART

Create a cocooningfeel with a darkceiling, which will alsodraw the eye upwardsand add plentyof drama

room and – because the project was only cosmetic, with no structural elements – that it wasn’t going to cost too much,’ she says. ‘So, when I added a pink stripe to the colourblocking and hated it, I wasn’t too worried, as in reality it was only the cost of a bit of paint to change it.’ Instead, she decided to add extra colour using prints, candles and lush plants.

THE FINAL DETAILS

Once the room was finished, Allie turned her attention to the doors that lead into the

Soft touch

Home offices can end upfeeling utilitarian, so soften the scheme with circle motifs

living room. ‘They were white and had no character, so I decided to paint them black using Frenchic’s Blackjack, which I’ve used to upcycle furniture in the past so knew it would do a good job,’ she says. ‘Then I covered the glass with reeded film vinyl from Glass Films Europe to finish off the effect.’

This was a bit of a splurge, so added to the final cost of the transformation, but, Allie says, ‘it was a real game-changer, adding a sophisticated touch to the room.’ She loves working in this space now, ‘particularly as I can fling the doors open and enjoy the garden while working from my desk.’

3 OF THE BEST... serene greens

£6.32 from Grace

Digital Art Co on Etsy

Enjoy ever-lasting botanical beauty with floral artwork.

£17.99 from Ivyline

Display a single stem or a bunch of dried grasses in the ribbed Airlie vase.

£78 from Five and Dime

Combine form and function with the sleek Sublime table lamp in moss green.

ROOM PLAN

3.7M

2.5M

THE DETAILS

BESPOKEDESK £255

DOORS £330

PRINTS £65

PAINT £85

ACCESSORIES £245

TOTAL £980

SHOPPING LIST

GoodHome Alpinia Matt Green painted wood-effect Shaker highline 600mm cabinet door, £38; GoodHome Caraway 600mm White base unit, £41; for similar furniture legs try, 110mm GoodHome Atomia Cabinet feet, £10 for two; Colron liming wax, £20; all B&Q. Green 02 and 06 paint, £42 per 2.5L, Lick. &Tradition Beige Red Flowerpot table lamp, £145, Nordic Nest. Plant pot with face motif £12.99, H&M. Reeded glass adhesive film, from £16.97, Glass Films. Blackjack paint, £9.95 per 250ml; Browning wax, £15.95, both Frenchic. Sage Green Habitat Cabin geo print lined eyelet curtains, £22; Habitat leaf print, £15, both Argos. For a similar chair, try ProperAV ergonomic high-back mesh office chair, £59.99, Office Outlet. Kallax shelving unit, £30; Mosslanda picture ledge, £5, both IKEA. Becker grooved D-bar Brass handle, £17.95, Plank Hardware. Colourful prints from a selection, from £9.95, Desenio. For similar wicker tray, try George Home natural hand-woven water hyacinth tray, £9, ASDA. For a similar decorative jute rug, try Aftas round jute rug, £85, La Redoute.

October 2022 31 OFFICE MAKEOVER ‘This cabinet was a tired IKEA Kallax unit we’d had for years but, rather than dump it, I gave it an update with Frenchic Stone paint, then added the IKEA baskets and put it on legs from Amazon. For only £15, it’s been the easiest upcycle ever,’ says Allie

‘My husband’s favourite hue was my starting point’

To surprise her husband with a new office, Anne Tiainen-Harris mixed warm terracotta with retro wallpaper to put the bounce back into this once-bland room

BEFORE

WHO LIVES HERE? I’m Anne Tiainen-Harris, 49 (on Instagram @nordiclivingincolour), an interiors

PR and business consultant. I live in a 1920s detached home in the Chiltern Hills with my husband, Christian Harris, 49, MD of a digital marketing agency, and our daughters, Elsa, 16, and Hilda, 14.

WHAT WAS UPDATED? During lockdown we had to turn the topfloor bedroom into a home office, but there wasn’t time to decorate.

WHY THE CHANGE? Christian had a foot operation in November 2021 and was unable to climb the stairs for a while, so I surprised him by giving the office a makeover.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE? A couple of months, as I was busy with work and family life, and I wanted to take my time to avoid mistakes.

TOTAL COST £1,221

Anne took her design cues from a vintage film poster –and her husband’s favourite colour, orange – to create a personality-packed office with retro style

Desksolution

Slottingakitchen worktop off cut into the tight alcove proved to be the perfect answer when Anne couldn’t find a desk to fit

Having outgrown their previous home, Anne and Christian were keen to buy a bigger property in the nearby countryside, but didn’t want to take on anything that required building work.

Anne, who is from Finland, fell in love with this newly-renovated, neutral house, but she soon craved colour. ‘The white walls and hardwood floors instantly reminded me of houses back home,’ she says. ‘Although I love the minimalist look, it began to fight with my deeper love of colour and need for vibrancy, which began to emerge as I decorated.’

The attic office was crying out for a punchy new hue. So, Anne decided to redecorate as a surprise for Christian while he was recovering from a foot operation that meant he couldn’t climb the stairs up to the office for a while.

THE PROJECT

The office, which is tucked into the attic with a small dormer, felt closed-in beneath the sloping ceilings, while the pale blue decoration lacked warmth.

Luckily, Anne didn’t have to look too far for inspiration. ‘Christian is an exuberant, high-energy man and happens to love orange,’ says Anne. ‘It’s a bit of a running joke – even his work colleagues sent him a hamper of orange-packaged goodies after his foot

‘We didn’t have the budget to fit a solid oak floor, but the engineered wood has a top layer of real wood,’ says Anne. ‘It was our biggest expense, but worth it. The grey undertones give a fresh look’

operation!’ Anne turned to Instagram to search out tasteful orange decorating ideas. ‘I’m not a fan of orange myself so I couldn’t go all the way. Instead, I had a low-key orange in mind paired with a fresh, Scandi white.’

WHAT I DID

Anne was drawn to terracotta, liking its warmth, which would make the room feel comforting and cosy. Samples helped her find the right shade that wasn’t too pink, too red, or too dark. ‘There isn’t a lot of light in the room and I didn’t want the orange to feel oppressive,’ she says. ‘Finnish paint brand Tikkurila’s terracotta had the right earthy tone and is also eco-friendly, with a matt finish and a slight sheen that I liked.’

Anne was keen to replace the carpet with engineered wood flooring in a close match

‘There really was only one solution to where furniture went,’ says Anne. ‘There are amazing views towards Oxford from the desk, the shelves were already here, and there’s only one clear stretch of wall for the sofa’

My style tips

GET RECOMMENDATIONS

I saw the office chair on an interiors Instagram account and messaged the homeowner to ask them if it was comfortable before purchasing. It’s a great idea for important purchases like chairs and sofas.

ADD PERSONAL ARTWORK

Look for prints on days out or holidays so artwork has a memory attached to it, like my James Bond poster, bought when my husband and I were living in Amsterdam. It makes it so much more special.

STOCK UP ON STORAGE

Keeping paperwork in simple box files and baskets will prevent open shelving from looking cluttered and give you more space for decorative items.

October 2022 33 OFFICE MAKEOVER Feature Jane Crittenden Styling Marisha Taylor Photos James French

to the solid oak on the floors below. ‘In Scandinavia, carpet is a complete mystery to us as we’re obsessed with sweeping our floors clean,’ she explains. ‘The carpet had to go.’

HIGHS & LOWS

Anne began painting the room from the bottom up, thinking orange paint splashes would be easier to wipe off the finished gloss skirting boards than the other way around. ‘Painting was therapeutic and satisfying. It’s incredible how adding colour can totally transform a space,’ she says. ‘Although I needed a steady hand and a thin brush for cutting in all the corners.’

Anne took down the existing shelves so she could paint them paint white and hang the wallpaper in the alcove. She took her time as this was her first go at wallpapering, learning along the way to have the strips cut and ready before she pasted the wall so that the paste didn’t dry out. ‘I had three wallpaper widths to line up, but the tapered corner was the fiddly bit,’ she says. ‘I’m such a perfectionist, I spent ages sticking small pieces into the gaps like a jigsaw so the pattern looks cohesive.’

THE FINAL DETAILS

Anne’s last challenge was to make sure that the layout was functional in the awkward space. She upcycled where she could, bringing in a pale-grey sofa no longer needed in the dining room. This became an ideal place for taking a break or a phone call. A white cabinet had been in the spare room, and she also purchased a comfortable desk chair.

The vintage James Bond film poster is a cherished piece of the couple’s history and

Christian’s favourite James Bond film poster happened to pick out the orange and offered a hint of blue, inspiring Anne to bring in the turquoise cushion, blue wire side table and blue-grey blind. ‘I love the energy that comes from using contrasting colours,’ says Anne

‘Shop’ the rest ofyour home for keypieces – Anne moved asofa in from the diningroom, and a cabinetfrom the spareroom

Shopping tip

34 yourhomestyle.uk OFFICE MAKEOVER ‘Strong colours need light and airiness to be appreciated, so I used a crisp white on the ceiling to bring out the terracotta,’ says Anne. ‘Orange and blue are punchy, so I toned them down with natural accessories like the neutral rugs’

Wallpaper power

Use a bold wallpaper on a feature wall or alcove to add a splash ofprint without overwhelming the space

was bought in Amsterdam, where Anne and Christian both lived when they first met.

‘Throughout the project, my main consideration was Christian’s reaction, so I was very happy to see his huge grin when he saw the finished results,’ says Anne.

Anne’s decision to wallpaper the alcove came late on, after spotting the 1970s print on Instagram and having a ‘light bulb’ moment. ‘Terracotta is a very powerful colour and, combined with the funky wallpaper, has the matching energy to make the room pop,’ she says

‘It’s a small room that’s perfect for his big personality,’ she explains. ‘He really loves showing it off to colleagues when he’s working from home.’

3 OF THE BEST... retro prints

£65 per roll from Bobbi Beck

Create an eye-catching feature wall like Anne, using a bold wallpaper in bright shades.

£24.99 from Gisella Graham

Retro circles in sky blue are a softer take on the classic 1970s look, but no less groovy.

£22 from Gail Myerscough

We’re digging this 1970s-inspired print, which comes in four colourways to suit your scheme.

THE DETAILS

PAINT £120

WALLPAPER £43

CHAIR £249

FLOORING £500

FLOORLAMP £220

LAMPSHADE £49

RUG £40

TOTAL £1,221

SHOPPING LIST

Joker silky cover wall paint in Terracotta N405, £15.59 per 1L; Siro matt ceiling paint in Paper F497, £14,27 per 1L, both Tikkurila. Groovy Baby wallpaper in Sunset Pink and Sunrise Orange, £43 per roll, Lust Home. Deluxe office chair with low backrest in Vintage Tan, £249, Cult Furniture. For a similar sofa, try Arlo small sofa, £549, John Lewis & Partners. PS cabinet in white, £80, IKEA. Kahrs Oak Porto flooring is similar, £42.99 per sq m, Flooring Supplies. For similar lamp shade, try Litecraft Farmhouse natural woven 35cm lampshade, £49, B&Q. Rattan tripod lamp, £220, Tine K Home. Round jute rug, £39.99, H&M Home. For a similar cushion, try Nirvana cotton cushion in Teal, £14.99, Homescapes. For a similar cushion try Malini zig zag cushion, £18, Cult Furniture. For similar side table, try Bergeson side table in terracotta, £73.99, Wayfair. For a similar poster, try James Bond Dr No movie poster, £17.50 for an A3 poster, Gallery Print & Art. For a similar blind, try Tuiss Aquamarine Roman blind, from £136 for 1 x 1m, Blinds 2go.

October 2022 35 PLAN

‘We knocked down a wall to create a landing office’

BEFORE

INSIDE...

WHO LIVES HERE? I’m Charlotte Summers, 29, a Property Manager, and I live here with my fiancé, James Lawrence, a Real Estate Associate, 31, and our Pomsky, Simba. We’ve lived in our semidetached, 1950s home since August 2020, after purchasing it in February 2020.

WHAT WAS UPDATED? A large landing space and box room was knocked through to create an open-plan home office.

WHY THE CHANGE? I needed to create a space where I could work from home with lots of built-in storage, natural daylight and a creative environment.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE? It took six months in total to renovate the house, from when we purchased the property to when we moved in.

TOTAL COST £1,234

Charlotte Summers and her fiancé, James Lawrence, were looking to swap busy London life for the calm Sussex coast, and as soon as they viewed this spacious 1950s home, they fell in love with its idyllic location. ‘Although the house was in desperate need of modernisation, it had a breathtaking aspect overlooking the South Downs and the sea beyond,’ says Charlotte.

They couldn’t wait to get started on the renovations but, a few weeks after getting the keys, Covid lockdown rules came into force. Working around the restrictions, the couple spent evenings and weekends gutting the house. After opening up the kitchen and dining room, flooding the space with light, they were ready to tackle the upstairs rooms, starting with an awkward box room at the far end of the landing.

THE PROJECT

The couple had originally planned to turn the room into a walk-in wardrobe for Charlotte. ‘We had a chat with our structural engineer, though, and he explained that if we wanted to convert our loft space in future, we’d need

DIY ideas

space into a stylishly practical home office like Charlotte’s

1. Get the look of bespoke, built-in shelving without the outlay by repurposing kitchen units and adding DIY shelves.

2. Create a wall-mounted desk from MDF to give you more floorspace than a free-standing one, then paint it to match your scheme.

3. Make a long desk work for two people by adding drawers in the centre to create two distinct workspaces and boost storage.

to get rid of this bedroom to make way for a staircase,’ Charlotte says. ‘That’s when we had the idea to knock down the wall and turn the area into an open-plan office.’

The pair had already knocked a wall down on the ground floor. ‘Opening up downstairs instantly changed the feel of our home and we

Charlotte salvaged the chairs from her dad’s office. She upholstered them in bouclé fabric, inspired by on-trend designs for a fraction of the price of buying new

Charlotte Summers and James Lawrence got rid of an unused box room to make way for an office on their landing with views over Brighton’s coastline

were confident we could do the same up here,’ recalls Charlotte. ‘Making the most of the view from the landing made sense, as it’s a big selling point of this house.’

WHAT WE DID

They initially furnished their new landingmeets-office space with a simple desk and chair. ‘We wanted to get the rest of the house finished. So, it wasn’t until January 2021, when we had both been working from home for months, that we decided to finish the office,’ Charlotte says.

The layout grew out of the decision to place a desk under the window. ‘But we couldn’t find one we liked, so we made our own from MDF,’ she says. They placed an old IKEA chest of drawers in the middle to create a double desk. ‘Then we used leftover panelling from our kitchen renovation so the drawers would match the cabinets,’ says Charlotte.

They also added built-in storage to keep it clutter-free. ‘At this point of the renovation, I’d never used a power tool or a saw before,

Task lighting is an office essential. Look for flexible, adjustable options like this sleek lamp Charlotte found in Homesense

Feature & styling Maxine Brady Photos Bee Holmes

This area of Charlotte and James’s home was a tiny box room. Knocking down the wall to create a large landing space has turned this dark corner into a light-filled workspace for two

Set a business like tone with smart black accessories,but add greenery andgold to soften the look so it still feels like home

and chic

so building the shelving was our first difficult DIY project,’ Charlotte says. ‘I thought I’d make it as easy as possible by using flatpack kitchen units.’ Once the units were fitted, the couple made shelving from sheets of MDF, put coving at the top and skirting on the bottom, and then painted all the woodwork.

HIGHS & LOWS

Their plasterer had already skimmed the landing and box room before the couple decided to knock down the wall. ‘We were left with a patch missing in the remaining plasterwork, but there was a plaster shortage and we couldn’t find any materials to finish the job. We had to fill it ourselves and make do in the short term,’ recalls Charlotte.

Lockdown caused other issues, too. They couldn’t be in the house when the tradespeople were, so had their carpenter and builder in on rotation during the day, before Charlotte and James could return in the evenings. Luckily, they were able to stay with Charlotte’s family while the work was being done. ‘All our spare time was spent at the house doing DIY jobs,’ says Charlotte.

THE FINAL DETAILS

Once all the carpentry was completed, Charlotte could enjoy making it an inspiring

To highlight her artwork, Charlotte installed batterypowered wall lights. The artwork is a mix of prints from indie shops and special, meaningful pieces – the map of Africa shows the location where the couple got engaged three years ago

On the case

Wanting to add colour to her monochrome home, Charlotte found this green velvet chair on Amazon. The suitcases are filled with her collection of cherished photos, mementos, and plane tickets

Rather than cluttering up shelving with files and folders, keep office bits and bobs instylish vintage look suitcases

The slimline console table was a lockdown project that Charlotte made out of leftover kitchen worktop and hairpin legs

space. ‘Travelling is one of my passions, so I fixed the wooden map of the world to the far wall. Now I can daydream about my adventures during my lunch break,’ she says.

The transformation from a cramped, redundant space to a calm working environment is finally complete. ‘I wanted the area where I work to be soothing,’ says Charlotte. ‘I get so much enjoyment working up here now. I can watch the world go by or soak in the ocean view from my desk. It makes me feel connected to where I live.’

3 OF THE BEST... map motifs

From £40 from Fy!

Pinpoint fave destinations or the location of your next adventure on this simple but stylish cork globe.

Approx £11.34 from Balvi

A perfect pen pot for any globetrotter, complete with a fun aeroplane magnet.

From £39.99 from Getting Personal Plan your ultimate, once-in-a-lifetime getaway with this colourful ‘bucket list’ world map.

Charlotte makes a display of pretty stationery, while the rest of her office paperwork is stashed in drawers and cupboards

ROOM PLAN

THE DETAILS

SHELVING £290

DESK £35

OFFICECHAIRS £28

PAINT £91

FLOORING £250

RUGS £55

LIGHTING £85

ACCESSORIES £400

TOTAL £1,234

The wooden wall map is by a Ukrainian company called Enjoy The Wood, which Charlotte found on Etsy

SHOPPING LIST

Walls painted in Brilliant White, £17 per 2.5L Dulux. Woodwork painted in Grey 02, £42 per 2.5L, Lick. Shelves made from MDF sheets, £42.95 each, Wickes. GoodHome Caraway kitchen wall cabinets (used as base cabinets), from £42 for an 800mm wall unit, B&Q. Handles, £13.99 for 10, Amazon. Desk made from MDF, £18.45, Jewson. Tuscan oak laminate flooring, £250, UK Flooring Direct. Wooden wall map, £190, EnjoyTheWood on Etsy. Table lamp, £30, Homesense. Grey fluffy rug, £24.99, Aldi. Battery-powered picture lights, £44.99 each, Lighting Direct. Future is your motivation print, £15, The Wall Stylist. Leather magazine rack, £30; Gold plant stand, £30, both Matalan. Sheepskin rug, £30, Jacobs & Dalton. Bouclé fabric, £6.99 per m, eBay.

Think about what motivates you when choosingoffice artwork – travel fan Charlotte chose a large scale world map

October 2022 39 Designed to inspire

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*Based on study led by RGU’s Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment, Heriot-Watt University & Icynene | Sept 2018.

Restyle your STAPLES

Interiors looking tired? You don’t need a complete overhaul – simply give the focal-point furniture in your home a budget-friendly makeover with just a few stylish tweaks. Let us show you how…

Feature Yvette Filer

COFFEE TABLE Restyle your

BARGAIN hunt

Switching around the accessories on your coffee table can keep it looking fresh. You don’t need a lot here – a plant, scented candle, and a photo frame is a good start. Pop these on a decorative tray for an organised look, alongside a stack of books or magazines. Add a rug underneath to help elevate the space, too. And the best time to pick up some of these new pieces? End of season sales, which run periodically throughout the year. Alternatively, head to outlets or discount shops like Homesense.

Beige Henna Black terracotta vase, £44, Heavenly Homes and Gardens. Polperro Gooseberry rug, from £45, Weaver Green. Black and Gold 8 x 10 photo frame, £24.99, Auburn Fox. Misted Mushroom vase, £55, Sweetpea & Willow

GET thrifty

Colourful cushion covers and throws can completely uplift your sofa, but so can styling around the space – so think about adding pouffes, lighting and artwork. ‘Old picture frames can look fabulous with a lick of paint for a gallery wall,’ suggests Lynne Lambourne, a sustainable interior designer. ‘British Heart Foundation stores are a great place to source unique furniture and homewares. Go in with an open mind and look at pieces with fresh eyes. With a bit of imagination and creativity you can give items a new purpose.’

Mustard velour pom pom cushion, £16, M&Co. Floating flowers poster, from £10.95, Desenio. Pink charity blanket, £14.99, Homesense

Torres 3-seater chaise in Darwin Sky, £2,349, Sofology

Ringo storage drum in Mossymere Norfolk cotton, £270, Sofa. com. Cath Kidston pure cotton Darling cushion, £45, Marks & Spencer. Raiden Persian wool rug multi, £189, Housecosy. Dutchbone Eileen side table, £169, Cuckooland

White Mulberry art print, from £30, Curating Cambridge. Kiefer floor lamp in Black & Antique Brass, £68.40, där lighting. Tate The Green Earth Victor Pasmore cushion from £24.99, We Love Cushions. Pink and Blue knitted pouffe striped footstool, £34.99, Homescapes. Jacquard high stretch box cushion slipcover in Light Blue, £65.99, Wayfair

Circular lurex placemat in Red, £4.50, Walton & Co. Blue ridged dinner candle, £2 for two, Primark. Block check tablecloths, £11.99 each, Homescapes. Fresh Vintage scalloped rattan tray, £12, Habitat. Colourful candle holders, £20 for four, Joe Browns

SAVE

DINING TABLE Restyle your

Faux lilies in flared vase, £59.95, Collecting Seashells. Woven round placemats with trimming in Blue and Natural by Washein, £32 for two, Fy!. Anton Studio Designs SoHo glasses, from £22.55 for two, Not Just Jugs. Rattan charger plate in Brown, £14, Rebecca Udall. Rufus 3lt bar pendant in Antique Brass, £150, Laura Ashley

Spend

Poppy Meadow fabric placemat, £11, Sophie Allport. Ithaca salt and pepper shakers, £12 for two, Garden Trading. Marseille Duck Egg table runner, £45, Weaver Green

SHOP your home

A table runner or cloth can work wonders on a tired-looking dining table – you could even make your own with some spare linen, or wipe-clean fabric if mealtimes get messy in your home. Seasonally themed place settings add a special touch for occasions like Easter, Christmas and birthdays – but otherwise vases, candles and objets d’art can work well as table centrepieces. You might be surprised to find how many of these items you already have in your home. Try moving accessories around to see where they’d be better suited.

Vanilla striped organic cotton tablecloth, £58, Rose & Grey

DECORATING

GO vintage

Second-hand shopping is a fab way to bring character into your kitchen, and there’s a treasure trove of quality pieces to be found if you know where to shop. ‘Do a little homework on what you’re looking to buy – Instagram and Pinterest are great places to start,’ says Carl Morenikeji, Director of vintage lifestyle brand, Scaramanga. ‘Have a budget in mind when shopping and don’t forget to factor in the cost of delivery.’

Painted reclaimed wooden shelves,

Grow your own indoor herb kit, £7.99, Sue Ryder. Hibernate jug, £11, Matalan. Set of patterned bowls, £19.99, Homesense

Ivory stoneware pestle and mortar, £16, Marquis & Dawe. Rainbow natural fibre cachepot, £21.99 for two, Wayfair. Natural acacia wood chopping board with marble detail, £21, Dibor. Aged terracotta pots in wire basket, £22 for three, National Trust. Gold measuring spoons, £19.95, Hudson Home

Faux

cactus,

James.

scale

, £37.99,

, £66

Bobbi Beck. Flowers

caddies, £29.95 for three, Annabel James

SAVE

Restyle your

HALLWAY CONSOLE

Spend

Resin and wood cupboard knob, £6.50, Natalia Willmott. Gold Tree of Life wall-mounted coat hook, £9.99, Homescapes. Annie Sloan with the RHS decoupage papers in Mint, £11.95, Annie Sloan. Bamboo round mirror, £10, B&M

Faux olive tree, £80, Hudson Home. Fresh Peach emulsion paint, from £21 per 1L, YesColours. Sia medium Antique Black lantern, from £60, Rose & Grey

Small Sand double handle Athena vase, £16.95, Collecting Seashells. Faux Stag Horn small fern plant, £29.99, Dowsing and Reynolds. Seagrass chevron Teal lined basket, £24.99, Ivyline. Scallop ceramic glasses tray, £12.50, Oliver Bonas

Try DIY

Make a grand entrance by styling up your hallway console with a handy basket, some hooks and a trinket tray. A mirror above can help brighten up the space, as could a fresh lick of paint on the sideboard. ‘Even the smallest details can make a difference, if you’ve only got a little leftover paint from a past project,’ says British artist, colour expert and founder of an eponymous paint brand, Annie Sloan. ‘Add a stripe or two, or try your hand at stencilling, to breathe fresh life into your home.’

Oxford large console table in Little Boy Blue with a natural oak top and turned legs, £735, The Painted Furniture Company

MIX and match

The key to creating a cosy bedroom is all about layering, and an eclectic mix of your favourite patterns can help transform your bed into a place you can really relax in. ‘Combining a selection of prints and toning colours not only creates a beautiful depth and texture, but allows you to add a truly personal stamp,’ says Daniela Boleto, Design Director at Camomile London. Why not try switching up your bedding, or reupholstering your headboard? Keep a consistent colour

Summer floral art print, from £5, Skudaboo. Jahia geometric pillows, £7, Mad About Mid Century Modern. Global Sunburst Geo double bed set, £24, Habitat

your

Glenda ceramic table lamps, £45 for two, där lighting. Tapu halfmoon Black and Natural rattan king-size headboard, £129, MADE. com. Farah linen bolster cushion in Rust, £20, Rhoom

Laura Ashley Rufus single wall light, £35, dar lighting. Pure new wool blanket in Avocado, £89, Heating & Plumbing London. Mousa half-moon headboard, from £399, The Headboard Workshop. Yellow bench, £149.99, Homesense

Foxlease wallpaper, £35 per roll; Millhouse light, £50; Bobbin bedside table, £250; Bobbin double bed frame, £599; Scalloped edge duvet set, £65; Oxlisa embroidered quilt, £180; Bronte by Moon herringbone throw, £95; Velvet cushion, £25; ANYDAY Skye jute rug, from £150, all John Lewis & Partners

Muse MU13 retro rug in Orange, from £71, The Rug Retailer

There’s nothing cosier than a sheepskin rug – warm and soft underfoot, it’s bound to bring plenty of warmth and comfort to a room

Taupe sheepskin rug, £45, Idyll Home

Choosing the right rug YOUR EXPERT GUIDE TO

There’s a huge amount of choice when it comes to rugs, which is great… if you know what you’re looking for. To find one that ticks all the right boxes, ask yourself these four quick-fire questions

1WHAT MATERIAL AND TEXTURE AM I LOOKING FOR?

Natural or synthetic? Thick, cosy pile or lightweight, flatweave? Suitable for the season or all year round? Answering these questions is vital when you’re choosing a rug. ‘The material will dictate the texture, and the texture will affect the look and feel of a room, so keep this in mind when choosing a rug,’ says Therese Germain, Director of Core Product for Ruggable. ‘For instance, natural-wool shag rugs will add a stylish and a luxurious feel to a living room, while flatweave jute ones bring warmth and rustic texture to a kitchen.’

If you change interiors seasonally, a cotton rug may be better than a thick, woollen one. Cotton rugs have slender yarns and bring a light, airy feel to a space. It’s not as durable as jute, wool, bamboo or polyester, but it’s more budget-friendly.

Jute natural circle rug, £69.99, Carpetright

Look for rugs made from recycled and recyclable materials to ensure your scheme has as little impact on the environment as possible

Maia re-jute rug in Soft Black, from £149, Ruggable

Maestro wild ochre rug, from £29.99, Carpetright

2IS IT PRACTICAL?

Before you consider the rug’s style, it’s best to think about what practical aspects you need. It may not be the most exciting part of the process, but you’ll be grateful in the long-run, knowing you’ve chosen a durable rug that’s easy to care for.

‘I recommend durable, stainresistant rugs that are machine washable for busy spaces,’ advises Therese Germain of Ruggable. ‘These are best for high-traffic areas because they’re easy to clean and will stand up to spills – ideal for homes with children and pets. Chenille rugs are also good for high-traffic areas, such as kitchens, as they have a low pile that’s less likely to be worn away.’

Other factors to consider are whether the rug is suitable for underfloor heating, has an anti-slip backing, and is reversible.

Chaly Indian-style 100% cotton rug, £90, La Redoute

Top tip Drape a small sheepskin rug over a wooden or rattan chair for cosy autumn texture

3WHAT DIMENSIONS DO I NEED?

For practical and aesthetic purposes, think about the size and shape your rug needs to be. First, measure the area you want it to cover to avoid the ‘floating’ look (where a much-too-small rug sits seemingly by itself in the centre of a room). Instead, you want the rug’s size, shape, colour, and pattern to feel as if they’re working to bring all the other elements in the space together.

‘Always measure the space first and consider the room’s current layout,’ says Therese Germain. ‘Determine if you need a large rug to lay under all your furniture, such as an entire living room set, or a small rug to sit beneath just a few pieces, like a coffee table. Once you’ve decided on the area you’d like your rug to cover, mark it with easy-to-remove tape, then use the tape to draw out other rug sizes until you work out the optimal dimension.’

When it comes to choosing a shape, rectangular is a popular option, but it’s by no means your only choice. A circular dining table may be better complemented by a large round rug. ‘The shape of rug you choose should depend on the room’s size and layout,’ says Tasha Green, Founder of Weaver Green. ‘For example, you can choose a long, narrow runner for a galley kitchen or hallway, but a large rectangular rug in a living or dining area to delineate the space.’

This Seventies-style, retro-chic rug pairs bright colour with an elaborate pattern that’s softened with its gently curving corners

Elements Viggo wool rug, from £99, Dunelm

4WHAT DESIGNS AM I DRAWN TO?

Now for the most exciting part: picking the design! ‘There are hundreds of styles to choose from out there, from plain and colourful designs to patterned and muted tones,’ says Weaver Green’s Tasha Green. A rug can bring personality to a space and tie a scheme together by picking out certain colours or patterns in your décor and echoing them.

If you like to experiment with looks, then a rug is an easy, dynamic and relatively inexpensive option, as Carpetright’s Buyer, Punam Chada, explains: ‘A rug is the perfect way to introduce pattern and colour to a space. If you’ve kept walls and furniture simple, selecting a rug with a striking print or confident colour will add personality-filled design to plain décor. Should your tastes change or trends move on, a rug is one of the most impactful yet affordable pieces to swap out for a new design.’

Featuring a traditional design and woven, machine-washable yarns, this rug ticks all the boxes, from practicality to style

Nomad taurus rug, from £169, Weaver Green

ferm Living jute Dots rug, from £35, Naken Interiors

Smokey blue rug, from £72, The Braided Rug Company

Kentucky geometric rug in Mustard £69, Housecosy

Feature Sophie Demetriades

Sahara rug in Black, £43.99, Walton & Co

Kitchens &

BATHROOMS

WILD beauty

Ca’ Pietra has collaborated with one of our favourite artists, Clarissa Hulse, to create a range of beautiful tiles inspired by flora and fauna. Though an investment buy, the Wild Botanicals tiles (right) are made up of nine intricate designs, giving endless pattern possibilities. Also in the collection are Jungle Hexagon, which has a tropical feel, and the watercolour-style Willow design. All are suitable for walls and floors.

AMBER ACCENTS

John Lewis & Partners’ Natural Contemporary collection takes inspiration from the changing season – think a rich colour palette, plenty of wooden textures and a Scandiinfluenced simplicity. Dress your table accordingly with crockery, glassware and accessories.

Cotton napkins

Plastic not fantastic

Reduce your plastic use in the bathroom with Original Source’s aluminium bottle and shower gel refills. Available from Tesco, the bottle is £4.50 and the 1L refills are £3.29. Each refill pouch uses 85% less plastic (based on weight compared to four plastic shower bottles) and can be recycled in selected stores (visit originalsource.co.uk/ snip-to-recycle/ to find your nearest).

FRY FOR A BARGAIN

It’s fair to say that air fryers are now a must-have kitchen gadget, but if you remain unconvinced, The Range has launched its own version – at a much lower price than its costlier rivals. We predict the white and rose gold 3.5L air fryer, available for £59.99, will be a sell-out, so snap one up quick.

Ca’ Pietra x Clarissa Hulse Wild Botanicals tiles in Green

Ca’ Pietra

Feature Sophie Ellis

Cook up

Whether your space is big or small, create a dramatically dark kitchen using a colour palette of inky blues, forest greens and charcoal greys

If you want to create a cosy but contemporary kitchen, take inspiration from the darker side of the colour wheel. Once deemed too gloomy for our homes, moodier shades make a kitchen feel stylish yet snug. They aren’t reserved for larger spaces, either – use dark colours in smaller spaces by contrasting with lighter-coloured worktops and tiles. The question is, will you dare turn to the dark side? Those tempted by the twilight, read on…

Opt for a matt finish to create a sophisticated scheme

Regal Select Matte in Hale Navy, £27 per 0.94L, Benjamin Moore

Co-ordinate kitchen cabinets to window frames and cornices to draw the eye upwards

Axstad blue shaker kitchen, from £925, IKEA

Match cabinetry to wall panelling for a heritage-inspired look – this kitchen was originally cream Preloved kitchen, £3,995, Used Kitchen Exchange

Moody hues

‘Shaker-style painted cabinetry takes colour especially well and adds depth to the look and feel of your kitchen. Deep blues and greens provide a smart aspirational finish that works well with brushed brass, copper or nickel accessories.’

Ben Burbidge, Managing Director of Burbidge Kitchen Makers

Walbrook

Easyclean

Glossy tiles will bounce light around the room, which will prevent your kitchen from looking too dark

Mountain

Feature Sophie Ellis

GoodHome Zanthe brass

kitchen

Bright idea

‘With dark interiors, layering lighting is even more important, as you can adjust the illumination depending on the time of day and task at hand. Don’t obstruct windows either, since the soft glow of kitchen ceiling lighting and natural lighting will make the space feel light and airy, even if cabinetry or walls are dark in colour.’

Marketa Rypacek, Managing Director of Industville

Contrast dark cabinets with white worktops and touches of gold, like Jen (@march_on_ magnolia on Instagram) has Siena bar stool, £89, Dunelm

Use furniture to make a statement in an otherwise neutral kitchen, if you don’t want to go all-out with bold cabinetry colours

Highgate rustic oak and painted large larder, £1,149.99, Oak Furnitureland

La vie est trop courte poster, £13.95, Desenio

Rust-Oleum kitchen cupboard paint in Empire Red, £22.99 for 750ml, Decorating Centre Online

Vadholma kitchen island, £429, IKEA

The little things

Get the luxe look for less by using woodeneffect tiles

Friston wood effect matt brown tiles, £19.95 per sq m, Walls and Floors

Textures such as concrete and brick add a cool industrial edge Soho in Arboretum Green, from £4,663, Magnet

Add bright metallic finishes for a luxe contrast Polished brass crystal double dimmer switch, £76.67, Wandsworth Electricals

‘Adding pops of colour to the kitchen doesn’t involve committing to a full kitchen paint job or redesign. Colour can be introduced through a cast-iron casserole dish sitting on the hob or some open shelving, or dressing a table using deephued table linens and dining sets.’

Sarah Savery-Smith, Brand Director at ProCook

Maisie tea towel, £9, MM Linen

Stoneware oven dishes set in Reactive Green, £44 for a three-piece set, ProCook

Winter vegetable oven glove, £5, Matalan

Enamelled cast iron Dutch oven in Purple, £44.39, Amazon Basics

10 OF THE BEST: Hot water taps

Upgrade your kitchen tap and make the eco-friendly choice with one of these practical, yet stylish, additions

Are you planning a kitchen makeover?

If so, you may want to consider including a hot-water tap. Not only do they make your life easier when it comes to making a brew, sterilising baby bottles and boiling water for cooking, they’re also quicker and cheaper than boiling a kettle and more eco-friendly too.

‘Quooker taps use very little electricity and give impressive energy-saving results,’ says Quooker managing director, Stephen Johnson. ‘Thanks to their advanced technology, it takes only 10 Watts to keep water in the tank at 110°C, while the average kettle uses 2,200 Watts to boil 1.7L of water. You’ll save time by having boiling water available within seconds, but you’ll also be saving money on your energy bills.’

When it comes to deciding which tap is best for you, however, the choice can be a little overwhelming. You’ll need to decide if you need hot water or boiling water. Many of the taps on the market allow you to set the temperature range between 75°C and 99°C, but only a handful dispense 100°C boiling water. So, if you need true boiling water, this will help to narrow down your selection.

Next, consider what size water tank you need. For example, a 2L boiler tank can

provide four cups of hot water in an instant, which is ideal for making a round of tea or filling a small saucepan. Larger households may need a bigger boiler tank so that there’s always hot water ready the moment it’s needed. Boiler tanks are often installed in the cupboard beneath the sink, so ensure that you’re happy to give up that storage space before making the purchase.

If you’re looking to upgrade an existing tap, consider a 4-in-1 model that provides filtered cold or hot (or boiling) water, as well as regular hot and cold water. These are particularly useful for cutting down on one-time-use plastic water bottles and also encourages you to drink more water for a healthier lifestyle. The 3-in-1 models are just as efficient, although they don’t offer filtered cold water, so if that’s something you want, then it’s worth adding it to your list of requirements.

Safety is another important feature with all instant hot- and boiling-water taps. Many models boast a two-stage safety mechanism to ensure that nobody can accidentally dispense boiling water without intending to – a feature that offers peace of mind for households with children or those who are more vulnerable.

Find modern functionality in a traditionally designed tap, available in three finishes – antique brass, chrome and brushed nickel. It offers hot and cold water, as well as filtered steaming hot and cold water on demand, reducing your need to buy bottled water and adding to the tap’s green credentials.

• 75-98°C hot and filtered water • 2L tank

• Free installation • Two-stage safety handle

HOTCUP WATER DISPENSER, RRP £39.99, BREVILLE

Not technically a tap, but not a kettle either, this dispenser sits somewhere in between with its quick-boil action and handy one-touch operation – perfect for those who can’t lift a heavy kettle. It can boil up to seven cups without needing to be refilled and has a manual stop button so you’re always in control. A great-value, energysaving option that sits neatly on the countertop.

• Fast-boil function • Anti-limescale filter

• 1.5L/7-cup water tank • Easy to set up

ALEXANDRIA 4-IN-1 INSTANT HOT WATER TAP, FROM £799, METHVEN

Get hot and cold water and filtered near-boiling and cold water at the push of a button with the sleek Alexandria tap. The tap features a cool-to-touch spout and a hotwater delay function that helps to avoid scalds. Plus, you can choose the filter that’s best suited to you based on whether you live in a hard- or soft-water area.

• 2.4L water tank • Seven pre-set temperatures (75-98°C)

• Quiet functionality • Safety features

HERITAGE INSTANT HOT WATER TAP IN COPPER, £699,WODAR

Perfect for a traditional-style kitchen, but in a modern copper finish, this hot-water tap system costs only 3p a day to run. It has a compact tank that sits conveniently below the sink, and a carbon filter to remove limescale and impurities in the hardest of hard-water areas.

• 2.4L water tank • 75-98°C temperature range

• Safety button • Five-year warranty

PRONTEAU PROTRAD 4-IN-1 HOT WATER TAP, FROM £949,ABODE

FLEX ALL-IN-ONE TAP, FROM £1,300, QUOOKER

The pull-out hose gives the Flex boiling-water tap versatility in the kitchen for food prep, as well as cleaning. It has a 270° rotating spout to the hose, but its safety measures prevent boiling water being released while the hose is extended. Polished chrome, stainless steel or black options mean you can have boiling, hot and cold water in a style that’s sure to match your kitchen’s scheme.

• Dispenses up to 100°C boiling water

• Handy, flexible pull-out hose

• 3L and 7L water tanks available

• Combine with the Quooker CUBE for chilled and sparkling water

QETTLE ORIGINAL 4-IN-1 TAP, FROM £495, QETTLE

This simple-to-use tap dispenses hot, cold, filtered cold and filtered 100°C boiling water in a sleek, classic design. Keen DIYers can install the tap in no time, before using its true boiling water to sterilise bottles or make the perfect cup of tea – all with the peace of mind provided by the tap’s two-stage safety mechanism.

• Dispenses up to 100°C boiling water

• 2, 4 and 7L tanks available • Two-stage safety feature • Easy to install

ARMSTRONG MINI INSTANT HOT TAP WITH COLD FILTRATION, FROM £1,347.36, PERRIN & ROWE

This tap dispenses hot and cold filtered water and has filtration technology to limit the build-up of limescale – great if you live in a hard-water area. The anti-scald locking mechanism makes this a top choice for a family home, too.

• Adjustable temperature from 75-98°C

• 2.4L water tank • Eye-catching design

• Eight finishes available

4N1 TOUCH TAP, FROM £1,449, INSINKERATOR

Available in chrome, velvet black or brushed stainless-steel finishes, the 4N1 Touch tap is the ideal choice for a retro-fit and comes with an installation kit. At the touch of a button it can dispense cold, filtered water for 30 seconds, but will also produce steaming-hot filtered water, as well as regular hot and cold.

• Push-lever safety locking mechanism • Compact 2.5L water tank

• Adjustable temperature from 88-99°C

• Available in L, J or U shapes

BOWER INDUSTRIAL BRIDGE GUN METAL 3-IN-1 INSTANT BOILING WATER TAP, £549.95,VICTORIAN PLUMBING

Complement an industrial interior with this eye-catching model that provides hot, cold and near-boiling water in an instant. The 360° swivel spout makes it extremely versatile, and it also boasts a child-safe spring lock. The compact boiler sits in the cupboard under the sink without taking up too much storage space.

• Adjustable temperature from 75-98°C

• Interactive touchscreen boiler • 2.4L water tank

• Industrial-style design

RED HOT WATER TAP, £1,662.79, GROHE

Delivering water up to 99°C, this tap is sure to make life easier. A high, swivelling spout combined with the pot-filler mode to dispense 3L of hot water at once is a great addition. A holiday mode caps the temperature at 60°C, while the filter cleans the water to prolong the life of the tap.

• Energy-saving holiday mode • Smart child lock

• 3L and 5.5L tanks available

• Spout swivels 150°

Berry

INSIDER INFO

THE HOMEOWNER I’m Abi Bunney, 58, and I’m a property consultant. I moved into my flat in May 2020 and have regular visits from my sons, George, 24, and Henry, 21.

THE HOUSE A twobedroom, ground-floor Victorian garden flat in Twickenham.

THE PROBLEM I inherited a terrible layout. The toilet was right next to the bath – far too close – and there was a bulky corner vanity unit that had seen better days. Everything in here was dated and the shower over the bath was feeble, with just a rail and a grubby shower curtain.

THE SOLUTION I ripped everything out, replaced the bath and invested in a quality shower and screen, which can be folded back. Then I added a streamlined vanity unit with a toilet set into it, and gorgeous tiles and accessories.

‘I chose streamlined solutions to maximise this small space’

Before

REGULAR FIXTURE

The bath filler tap is placed on the side of the bath (under the towel), away from the shower, so there isn’t too much brassware in one place to create visual clutter

Downsizing from a three-bedroom house in nearby Teddington after both of her sons moved out, Abi Bunney was pleased to nab a garden flat. ‘I knew both the kitchen and bathroom needed replacing, but I factored that into the cost.’

Working as a consultant for commercial properties and having done up several homes in the past meant Abi was full of ideas, but she tackled the kitchen first before moving onto the bathroom. ‘The bathroom needed gutting and the layout changing,’ says Abi. ‘It’s got a nice big window and I did toy with the idea of putting in a separate shower where the big airing cupboard is, but it was

Abi Bunney took on a cramped and dated bathroom and found a stylish fix for its tricky layout, with space-saving built-in sanitaryware and a light, bright décor scheme

more important to me to move the washing machine in there to free up space for a slimline dishwasher in the kitchen.’

After realising the only option for the new bath was in the same position as the old one, Abi set about upgrading the shower. ‘I went for a lovely powerful shower and a large, well-made shower screen. When my two sons visit, they tend to splash a lot, but I made sure the screen was also one that would easily fold back out of the way, as I love a long soak in the bath.’

Abi also solved the problem of the oversized vanity unit by sourcing a neat one that incorporates the sink and toilet. Better yet, it came in a similar finish to the floor – a distressed, wood-effect vinyl that she’s also used in the kitchen and hall.

With all the sanitaryware in place and the walls painted white, Abi was desperate to

CONTEMPORARY CALM

Compact furniture, distressed wood-effect flooring, soft blue tiles and little splashes of colour create a relaxing feel in a small bathroom

inject some colour. ‘I love blues and greens, and I found some gorgeous tiles, which are all slightly different colours and remind me of the sea, so I put them all around the bath.’ Having bought some green towels, Abi wanted to add one more stand-out colour as well. ‘I’ve got an Abigail Ahern print, which I received as a birthday present a few years ago, but it’s been sat in a cupboard since I moved. It really works on the large wall. It’s got bright orange lettering, which inspired me to buy some orange towels as well. I love it in here now.’

DUAL USE

Give yourself plenty of options with a large overhead shower as well as a hand-held attachment, which also comes in useful for cleaning

NEUTRAL BASE

Choosing grey flooring and white walls gave Abi the opportunity to add personality with artwork and a rainbow-hued laundry basket

SHOPPING LIST

Bette Starlet 165 x 70cm bath, £812.58; Hudson Reed 1,200mm combination sink unit and toilet, £774.50; bath filler, £145, all Doble Bathrooms. Liberty Hinged inline bath screen in silver chrome, £912.88, Roman Showers. Platinum digital shower £579, Mira Showers. Signature Brushed Oak Grey flooring, £37.99 per sq m, Quick Step. South Bank Pewter gloss tiles, £54.18 a sq m, Johnson Tiles. Lunar heated towel rail, £401.76, Radiating Style. Pure Brilliant matt emulsion in White, £16 per 2.5L, Dulux. Spa coral bath towel, £14; hand towel, £6, both Habitat. Green bathmat, £6; green hand towel, £4; basket, £12, all IKEA. Relax sign in resin, £8; plant in Geo pot, £14; Elements Matt Black pedestal mirror, £20; Artificial Fern in Rattan Pot, £10; Elements Soft Touch Teal Soap Dish, £4; Elements Soft Touch Teal Tumbler, £5, all Dunelm.

TOTAL COST: £4,160

SURFACE STYLE

The wide countertop lets Abi add some colour with a couple of artificial plants and favourite decorative pieces, such as a Jonathan Adler striped jar

Feature Stephanie Smith Photos David Giles

BRIGHT sparks

with fittings, accessories and decorative details that suit the space perfectly

The streamlined proportions of these industrial-inspired pendants make them ideal for a compact bathroom or for doubling up over paired basins. Their high IP rating means they can be used close to a water source. Hang them just above a mirror to minimise glare

Brooklyn brass outdoor and bathroom IP65-rated pendant, £80, Industville

Maximise storage and light by choosing wall-hung modular units with integrated low-level lighting. The base lighting on this basin unit casts a warm glow over the wall and floor beneath, creating a relaxing ambience Halifax Oak 1010mm washbasin unit with LED light, £927; mirrored cabinet with LED top and base lights, £832; tall cabinet, £438, all from the Pelipal Series 6110 range, InHouse Inspired Room Design

FIRST steps

Bathroom lighting needs to be versatile enough to cope with all your family’s daily demands – everything from brushing your teeth and getting ready to leave the house to sleep-inducing bedtime soaks. But whatever style of lighting you choose, it has to be safe for use in close proximity to water, which can be determined by its Ingress Protection (IP) rating. IP ratings let you know how well sealed an electrical device is against moisture, the higher the rating is, the more the device is protected. A light inside a shower needs a rating of at least IP67, whereas IP44 is sufficient for a light above a basin.

Alter the mood in an instant with smart downlights that are dimmable, wi-fi- and Bluetooth-enabled, and can be controlled via an app or paired with voice-control devices. These long-lasting, low-profile lights are IP65 rated, so suitable for steamy rooms 4lite Wiz Connected LED fire-rated downlight, from around £29.99, Screwfix

‘Lighting should be thought about early in the process of your bathroom revamp, before any plastering or painting. The first thing to consider is the positioning.’

Mary Buchanan, Creative Director, Laura Ashley Lighting and Mirrors

Choose statement wall lamps for traditional rooms, as they’ll be punchy enough to stand out against patterned backgrounds

Baby Roddy IP44-rated wall lights, £105 each, Pooky

Jean single IP44 wall light in chrome, £33, BHS

Caden semi-flush antique brass opal glass IP44 ceiling lamp £102, där lighting

BATHROOM IDEAS

High-gloss wall tiles in a pale shade enhance both natural and artificial light by reflecting it around the room, making the space seem airier and brighter Colmar Rustic white gloss 300 x 100mm wall tiles, £35.04 per sq m, Victorian Plumbing

5a Fifth Avenue chromeplated lotion dispenser, £14, Dunelm

IN THE mix

‘Go for a mix of ambient lighting for evenly illuminating your bathroom space, accent lighting for drawing attention to your bathroom’s aesthetics, and task lighting for everyday grooming’

Giuliano Ghidini, Consumer Commercial Leader, Signify UK&I

Add glamour to your bathroom with an eye-catching fitting that provides both task and accent light. This one can be installed on a wall or ceiling – mount it above a mirror to give your make-up routine a glow-up

Laura Ashley Prague IP44-rated 3lt wall light in satin brass, £95, där lighting

This walk-in enclosure incorporates motionactivated, low-level LED lighting along the edge of the glass, for a soothing showering experience. It’s triggered when someone enters the room, so you won’t need to switch on the main light during nocturnal visits Ambient Walk-In enclosure, from £483.60, Lakes

Lancaster IP44 stainless steel swanneck wall lantern, £30, Iconic Lights

Upton ribbed glass IP44 pendant in antique brass finish, from £255, Fritz Fryer

Pampas Soft Sheen waterproof paint, £46 per 2.5L, COAT Paints

Revive IP44-rated cross arm ceiling light in Satin Brass/Opal Glass, £69.95, Victorian Plumbing

RAK-Tanzanite LED IP44-rated mirror with touch-sensor and de-mister pad, £224.95, UK Bathroom Store

Laura Ashley Howard IP44 wall light in polished chrome, £50, där lighting

Placed either side of a mirror, these nautical-inspired brass wall lights will provide sufficient light for a cloakroom and can also cope with highly humid conditions Devonport IP65-rated down lights, £160 each, Garden Trading

Astro Sagara IP44 wall light in Matt Black, £116.57, Dusk Lighting

Invest in an illuminated mirror above the basin and you’ll soon wonder how you ever applied your make-up without one. Look out for de-mister functions to cut down on cleaning times

Mode Rodia LED illuminated 700 x 500mm mirror with de-mister and charging socket, £259, Victoria Plum

WIN

GROHE Red

hot-water tap worthhot-water tap worth

Bag yourself the ultimate kitchen accessory: a kitchen tap that delivers kettle-hot water on demand! Wave goodbye to having to wait for the kettle to boil and free up sought-after counter space with the GROHE Red kitchen tap, which delivers 99°C water at the touch of a button.

Featuring sleek controls, a smart ChildLock and an energy-saving holiday mode, the GROHE Red is the perfect addition to a busy family kitchen. Each GROHE Red comes with a filter to protect against limescale and impurities, while the medium-sized boiler instantly provides up to 3 litres of kettle-hot water for convenience and ease.

The Red’s high spout makes filling pots easy, and it has a swivel range of 150° for further flexibility. Its kettle-hot water function is activated via the child-safe buttons, but standard hot and cold water is controlled via a slim, forward-rotating lever.

THE PRIZE

GROHE is giving Your Home readers the chance to win a GROHE Red duo tap (L-spout model in Chrome) with M-size boiler, worth £1,662.79. The GROHE Red tap requires an 230V power supply, cold mains water connection and under-sink space of 35 x 35 x 50cm for installation.

FIND OUT MORE

To explore the range, and for more information, visit grohe.co.uk/en_gb

YOU CAN SLEEP BETTER

with the amazing Suspension Pillowwith the

WHATEVER your sleep problems, the dream of a good night’s sleep has now become a realitythanks to a breakthrough invention - the Gx Suspension Pillow. All conventional pillows flatten significantly during sleep - becoming less supportive and more uncomfortable as the night progresses. The result of this is disturbed and broken sleep, frustration and the fruitless search for a better pillow. That search is now over!

To stop the flattening we’ve come up with a solution that’s so simple it’s ingenious. By the clever installation of ‘double X’ internal ties we have produced the world’s first pillow to retain much more of its plumped shape all night long.

Harley

I

honestly say that

of

as being quite unique in

support

pillow

The ties work to pull the pillow in and up so that your head and neck are gently cradled and supported in softly sprung comfort. As well as having the revolutionary internal ties, the pillow shell is 100% cotton with our superb hypoallergenic Polycoz filling, and we have added a unique integral air vent to help keep you cool through the night.

As if all these benefits were not enough, you can purchase the pillow with our 30-night comfort guarantee – total satisfaction or your money back*. Tens of thousands of delighted customers have already rediscovered the benefits of a great night’s sleep, why not join them? Now available with a special 25% saving for Your Home readers,use code YH5.

Unique internal tie technology maintains shape throughout the night

Stays plump all night long

Provides comfort and support Integral air vent keeps you cool Luxurious 100% cotton shell

Hypoallergenic Polycoz filling

Designed and made in the UK

Choose from Medium-soft or Medium-firm

Most sleepers prefer Medium-soft however if you prefer a firmer pillow choose Medium-firm

This was Sylvia’s promise to you...

A generation ago, a woman named Sylvia made a promise. As a doctor’s secretary, she’d watched stroke destroy the lives of so many people. She was determined to make sure we could all live in a world where we’re far less likely to lose our lives to stroke.

She kept her promise, and a gift to the Stroke Association was included in her Will. Sylvia’s gift helped fund the work that made sure many more of us survive stroke now than did in her lifetime.

Sylvia changed the story for us all. Now it’s our turn to change the story for those who’ll come after us.

Stroke still shatters lives and tears families apart. And for so many survivors the road to recovery is still long and desperately lonely. If you or someone you love has been affected by stroke – you’ll know just what that means.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. You can change the story, just like Sylvia did, with a gift in your Will. All it takes is a promise.

You can promise future generations a world where researchers discover new treatments and surgeries – and every single stroke survivor has the best care, rehabilitation and support network possible, to help them rebuild their lives.

Will you make that promise to generations to come? Please, leave a gift in your Will to the Stroke Association.

Find out how by calling 020 7566 1505 or email legacy@stroke.org.uk or visit stroke.org.uk/legacy

Rebuilding lives after stroke

The Stroke Association is registered as a charity in England and Wales (No 211015) and in Scotland (SC037789). Also registered in the Isle of Man (No. 945) and Jersey (NPO 369), and operating as a charity in Northern Ireland.

YOUR HOME

Check out this month’s round-up of crafty projects

Add a burst of style with this fun upcycling project

68 EASY AS 1, 2, 3!

Make a trio of bewitching decorations to get into the spirit of spooky season

70 REVAMP REPAIR RECYCLE

You’ll hang this statement starburst mirror with pride once you’ve made it it’s an ideal rainy afternoon project

72 SEW SIMPLE

Use the technique of appliqué to craft a woodland-themed fabric banner

74 TRY SOMETHING NEW

Add colour and creativity to your home by discovering marbling stylist and interiors addict Zeena Shah shows you how to decorate candles

76 CRAFT STASH MUST HAVES

Explore the art of glassblowing during a half-day workshop, learn pyrography techniques and projects with a new book, and transform old pieces of furniture with an upcycling kit

Easy as 1,2,3

Spread some spooky charm around your home with these trouble and toil-free Halloween makes

A plaster-effect wall makes a frightfully good backdrop for a Halloween display, and provides a stylish, earthy finish all year round. Ours is the Pale Pink Concrete mural from Wallsauce, from £30 per sq m

Top tip Head to yourhomestyle.uk to download the templates for these ghoulish designs

PUMPKIN CANDLE HOLDERS

1

Lay down some newspaper to protect your surface and spray paint the bases of the bell jars black (do this outside or somewhere that’s well ventilated). Allow to dry fully.

1

Download and print the cat, bat and spider templates. Cut out the templates and trace them onto black card, you’ll need one of each of the bats, one of each of the larger spiders and two cats. Cut out a few of the small spiders too. Bend the bat and spider shapes slightly to give them a more 3D feel. Use the glue stick to glue the two cat pieces together then fold out the tabs on the paws in opposite directions.

2

Wrap your tealight with clingfilm to protect it. Make a ball of clay about the size of a small orange and then make a dent in one side. Press the tealight into the dent and then push it down until it’s sunk fully into clay.

2

Pull out the tealight and then use a clay tool to cut vertical grooves at 3cm intervals around the outside of the clay. Shape the edges to give the candle holder a pumpkin-like appearance and smooth it out with a splash of water. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make two more candle holders and allow them to dry fully.

3

Use the glue gun to make web-like strings of glue inside the jar and stick a couple of small spiders to the sides. Use sticky tape to attach some invisible thread to the back of the bats and larger spiders. Use the glue gun to attach the threads to the tops of the jars so that the shapes hang inside. Glue the cat to the base so it stands up. Finish by placing the jars onto the bases.

MOON WREATH

1

Begin by forming your vine wreath garland into a crescent moon shape and then tie it with string to hold it together. Go outside and protect a surface with newspaper, then spray the wreath with the black spray paint. Spray the paint on all sides, being sure to cover it entirely, then allow to dry.

2

Cut out the larger spider template, trace it onto your card and then cut out. Bend the spider slightly to give it a more 3D feel. Use sticky tape to attach a length of invisible thread to the back of the spider and then tie it onto the wreath so it hangs inside the crescent. Cut out a few star shapes from the pink glitter card.

3

Arrange your flowers, leaves and stars on your wreath and use a glue gun to stick them into place. Use the glue gun to create web-like strings of glue inside the top edge near the spider.

3

Once dry, use your acrylic to paint one pumpkin charcoal black, one mid grey and one light grey, then allow the paint to dry.

Apply a second coat of paint if required.

Insert your flameless tealight to finish.

Feature Heathet Nugent Main photo Steve Sayers Styling

Tricia Ball and Beth Charlton Lucas

REVAMP REPAIR recycle

Make a stellar new addition for your home with this statement starburst mirror project, upcycled from wood shims

Starburst mirrors are all over the high street, so why not make the look your own with this DIY version? All you need are some wood shims, a plain round mirror, and a free afternoon (plus glue-drying time). You can arrange the shims to your own design, so every mirror made using this tutorial will be unique. Once it’s constructed, apply varnish to a selection of the shims to give it a little depth and detail – then you’re ready to add a burst of style to your wall!

SHOPPING LIST

1First, sand the wood shims. To make this starburst, we arranged the shims into two segment designs (one with the shims on their sides, pointing inwards towards the centre; one with them flat on their backs, pointing outwards), which we repeated all the way around. Play around with a few arrangements to create a design you like.

2

When you’ve found an arrangement you like, repeat it until the circle is complete. You may find that it doesn’t quite line up, there are gaps, or it’s asymmetrical, so adjust it until you’re happy with it, and ensure the mirror covers any gaps in the middle. You can check this by laying the mirror on the arrangement and making sure you can’t see through to the surface beneath.

3

A rough circular guide will help to keep the starburst as symmetrical as possible, especially when you’re adjusting and gluing it. On a surface big enough to fit the starburst, draw around the mirror. This line can be used to make sure the mirror sits within the starburst and that there won’t be any gaps. Count how many times your shim pattern repeats and divide the guide circle by that number.

To assemble the starburst, first gather each section of shims and glue them together individually. Pre-gluing the sections before assembling the starburst avoids fiddly

adjustments of individual shims. When the sections are dry, place them around the circular guide according to the divisions you marked out in step 3. When all the sections are in place, glue these larger parts together to form the full starburst. Ensure the glue dries fully by leaving it for at least 48 hours.

Find a circular object slightly larger than the mirror, but not so large that it overlaps the edges of the assembled starburst. Place it on the hardboard and draw around it, before roughly cutting it out with a handsaw. Cut the disc out more precisely with the hacksaw and sand down any rough edges.

After 48 hours, flip the glued starburst and apply glue to the back of it. Use a paintbrush

to evenly brush glue into any gaps. Place the hardboard disc centrally and put a weight on top to help the glue penetrate the wood. Allow 24 hours before removing the weight.

7

Use a paintbrush to apply varnish to some sections of the starburst, then leave to dry according to instructions. We only varnished some of the shims to bring out the detail.

8

Generously apply double-sided tape to the back of the mirror, to ensure there is enough contact for adhering it. Peel the backing tape off and position the mirror centrally on the assembled starburst.

9

Hang using a picture hook and eyelets and string (the wall you’re hanging it on will need a wall plug and screw).

Top tip

If you have time, leave the glue to dry for a few days to make sure it’s as strong as possible

Project and step photos Luke Green Main photo Steve Sayers Styling

Tricia Ball and Beth Charlton Lucas

SEWsimple

Appliqué a banner with a leaf wreath and enjoy the rich colours of autumn at home

Nothing says ‘autumn’ like the golden tones of fallen leaves and with this leaf banner you can bring the joy of a woodland walk into your home. We made this one in linen to dial up the rustic, natural look, and used a few different leaf shapes in shades of mustard, orange, red and burgundy to make it as varied as real leaves. The leaves are appliquéd using a sewing machine – you can use a straight stitch for an easy sew, or wavy lines to add detail. Once you’ve mastered the technique, you can make a different banner for every season!

1Draw some leaf templates on paper or card.

If you don’t feel confident drawing them yourself, Google ‘leaf shapes’ and print some out. Once you've drawn a few templates for differently shaped leaves, use them to cut out a selection of leaves from the squares of felt, ensuring you have a good mix of colours.

2

Cut out two panels measuring 43 x 28cm from the linen fabric. These will form your banner. To create the point, mark the centre of the bottom, then measure 10cm up on each side. Draw a diagonal line from each 10cm point on the sides down to the centre of the bottom and trim away the corners.

3

To create the front panel, take one of the linen fabric pieces and position your felt leaves in a wreath shape around the centre, overlapping one leaf on another. Measure to ensure your wreath is central, and try out a few arrangements until you find one you’re happy with. You may find it helpful to draw a circle as a guide for your wreath shape.

unstitched to give the wreath texture. We did this with wavy lines of contrast stitching to add extra detail.

clip this into place. Sew all the way along, 2.5cm from the edge, to stitch the channel in place.

4

Once you have decided on the leaf layout that you like, pop a dab of glue behind each leaf to hold them in position before you sew them down.

Sew around the wreath to hold the leaves in place, leaving the edges of the leaves

Place the front appliquéd panel right side (RS) down over the back panel of the banner and pin it into place before sewing the two sides and along the bottom pointed edge, leaving the top edge open.

Trim across the corners, being careful not to cut your stitching, and turn the banner RS out. Fold in the raw edge at the top of the banner, then fold it over by a further 3cm to create a channel for the wooden dowel. Pin or

8

Thread the wooden dowel through the channel and knot the cord at each end. Attach your tassel at the bottom point, using a needle to thread it through the fabric before tying a knot to hold it in place. You can use a ready-made tassel, or make one yourself with embroidery thread by wrapping it around a piece of card, tying matching thread through one end, snipping the threads at the other and wrapping some more thread around the strands to create the traditional tassel shape.

To sew a neatpoint ,andliftthepresserfoot turnthefabricbefore continuingupthe other side

Top tip

Go on an autumn walk and forage for real leaves to use as templates for your felt ones

Project and step photos Samantha Claridge Main photo Steve Sayers Styling Tricia Ball and Beth Charlton Lucas

TRY something new

Pretty marbled candles are the perfect addition to a stylish tablescape, setting the scene for relaxed dinners and lunches. This project uses water marbling with enamel paints. As with all water-marbling techniques, you’ll begin by making a water bath with distilled water, which can either be bought or made at home. Then add your paint – enamel paints dry very quickly, so it’s best to pour them in spirals or circles to create instant patterns without any manipulation of the water. You can test the colours out in a smaller water bath first, to see how they disperse.

Top tip

Marbling is messy, so

1

SHOPPING LIST

✔ White taper or dinner candles

✔ Lint-free cloth ✔ Rubbing alcohol

✔ A shallow tray or bowl to fit the candles in comfortably ✔ Room-temperature distilled water ✔ Disposable gloves

✔ Scrap paper or newspaper ✔ Enamel paints in 2-3 colours ✔ Candle holders

Make sure your space is well ventilated before starting the marbling process.

2 Using the cloth and a little rubbing alcohol, wipe the candles clean. This will give you a clean surface to marble onto.

3Fill the tray with about 2.5cm of distilled water, or if using a bowl, fill it two thirds of the way up with water. Use scrap paper to skim the water to remove any lint or dust.

Shake and open all the paints before you get started to avoid delays during the process. Cover the bath evenly with the first colour, pouring as close to the water as you can.

4

5

Now work the remaining colours into this layer. Remember to pour in circles to create an instant pattern that requires no stirring.

6

When you are happy with your design, gently lower your candles into the water, making sure to catch all of the marbling ink. If you’re a beginner, try this out with a piece of paper first, as shown, before you marble the candles. Blow or gently pull away the excess ink on the surface of the water bath, before removing your candles. The ink will start to turn gloopy as it dries, so pull away these strands from your work if any start to appear.

7

Leave each candle to dry standing upright in a candle holder for a few hours, before you use them.

Start with a colour theme for your tablescape, matching candles and other accessories to your tablecloth and napkins

Top tip

When marbling coloured candles, consider how the colours work together and maybe reduce the palette to just two colours, with the third being that of your candles

Never leave a lit candle unattended

GET inspired

This is an edited extract from Marbling by Zeena Shah, a book filled with creative marbling projects to inspire you to live a more colourful life. You’ll learn how to give everything a marble makeover, from postcards and envelopes to scrunchies and loungewear. Quadrille, £15.

Project Zeena Shah Photos ©Kristin Perers

Craft stash

MUST HAVES

Treat yourself and your home with our pick of projects for October, guaranteed to keep you busy the whole month through

Workshop

BLOW YOUR MIND

Explore glassblowing with a half-day taster session that’s just right for beginners. You’ll start by gathering hot molten glass straight from the furnace and shaping it into two objects, such as a colourful bauble or a paperweight. After your creations have completely cooled, you can collect them, or have them carefully packaged and posted to you (for an additional charge). The Glassblowing Taster starts at 10am on Sunday 16th October at The Glass Hub, Stowford Manor Farm in Wingfield, Wiltshire and costs £130. Visit theglasshub.com for details.

Picture perfect

Reminisce about summer beach days all year round with the help of this Devon Seascape painting kit, by artist Victoria Obolensky. In the video tutorial included, she reveals her tips and tricks for creating realistic clouds and waves. The kit also comes with a pre-outlined canvas, acrylic paint and brushes, a sponge and stepby-step instructions. Get the kit for £28, from MasterPeaceAtHome on Etsy.

On reflection

Looking for a fun, family-friendly project that’ll produce something to brighten up your walls? Try this pretty mirror. It’s 15cm in diameter and made with a self-adhesive wooden ‘blank’, shaped glass tiles, non-toxic grout and finished off with a hanging ribbon. Choose your favourite from three pretty colourways. Pick one up for £20.95 from craftyyoucraftyme.com.

Bold and beautiful

Take old pieces of furniture from tired to terrific with the help of professional upcycler, Marcie K, and her Upcycle Clearly Creative kit. It comes with a 28-page guide and access to an online tutorial that teaches you how to paint a bold leopard-print pattern onto tables and chairs, using the resin and pigments in the kit. Grab one for £49.94 from glasscastresin.com.

Pyrography – or woodburning – is so hot right now, and you can get in on the act with this fab book from Canadian expert and nature lover, Court O’Reilly. Her Woodburning Workshop takes you through all the essential techniques you’ll need to make 10 beautiful projects – including a floral chopping board and a detailed owl decoration. Then you’ll be well on your way to dreaming up your own designs. Priced at £12.99, the book is available to buy from searchpress.com.

Reader

HOMES

Take a peek inside reader homes filled with stylish finds and fresh decorating ideas

See your

For a colourful twist on Scandi style, Diane Allen used warm hues in a soft, calming way

Have you just finished decorating your home? If so, we’d love to see your photos and, who knows, it may even be featured in a future issue. You can share them on Instagram using #YHlovemyhome and #YourHomemagazine

With creative DIYs and pops of colour, Lola Higham transformed a dated semi into her forever home

October 2022 79 home here!

Anna Askwith brought charm and character to her modern property with classic décor

Colourful Scandi semi

‘I’ve used strong shades in a soothing, gentle way’

Diane Allan has peppered her Glasgow semi with a mix of warm spice, soft pastels and bold blues for a vibrant take on Scandi minimalism

Diane and Craig moved into their Glasgow semi in October 2020. ‘We moved here from a flat nearby as, prompted by lockdown, we realised how very important a garden was to us,’ Diane explains. The house was in reasonable condition, with no structural work needed, but Diane – who studied surface pattern design before training as a teacher – knew she wanted more colour.

‘All the doors were grey,’ she recalls, ‘so we just wanted to put our own stamp on it.’

Each room is different, but the thread running through the house is the use of gentle yet earthy colours. ‘I wanted to be brave and avoid feature walls,’ Diane says. ‘My intention

Diane has enjoyed the process of transforming her house from a blank canvas into a home that reflects her style

LIVING ROOM

Diane has painted the walls in Brassica by Farrow & Ball – a dark, sophisticated lavender shade – and displays a selection of framed prints from Juniqe on a picture shelf so she can change them up easily

OUR MUST HAVES For a similar sofa, try the Connie sofa, from £799, Marks & Spencer. Anderson coffee table, £225, Next. For a similar lamp, try the Asher wooden floor lamp, £175, MADE. com. Tabares loop/hooked Ivory rug, from £34.99, Wayfair. Apartment round wall mirror, from £55, Dunelm. Walls painted in modern emulsion in Brassica, £56 per 2.5L, Farrow & Ball

A few high-contrast colours paired with furniture and accessories that have simple, clean lines and shapes help tie Diane’s scheme together

INTO THE FOLD

Add a folding glass door between two spaces for a flexible ‘broken plan’ layout that still allows natural light through

COME ON IN

WE ARE Diane Allan and Craig Thomson. I’m a primary school teacher, and Craig runs an outdoor education business called Operation Play Outdoors. I share our home on Instagram @deeshousetohome.

OUR HOME IS a three-bedroom, 1930s semi on the outskirts of Glasgow.

OUR BIGGEST MISTAKE was painting the spare room blue. It just felt cold. I have since redecorated and added a burnt-orange accent wall, which has really warmed the space up.

Patterned cushions from Habitat and H&M Home add an instant splash of colour to Diane’s navy velvet sofa

FOR INSPIRATION I look at Instagram and Pinterest. I’m always looking for ideas that are achievable and affordable.

Living room

GROUND FLOOR

Kitchen

Bedroom

FIRST FLOOR

Bathroom Study

REAL HOME October 2022 81 Dining room

‘I select furniture and accessories very carefully and my experience in retail taught me to love the art of display’

Feature Alison Gibb

Photos Douglas Gibb

was to commit to the colours I chose and enjoy wrap-around walls in every room. But I didn’t stick to that and I chose an accent colour in some of the rooms.’ All the white walls are painted in Great White by Farrow & Ball, which Diane rates as the perfect neutral backdrop.

AN INSPIRED PALETTE

The result is colourful and comforting, which was exactly what Diane wanted. She has been bold with some of her colour choices, combining heather purple, dark cobalt, sage green and terracotta, and she puts that boldness down to her time in India working for a textile company after she graduated.

‘It was an amazing experience and stayed with me,’ she says. ‘Seeing shades of spices alongside pinks and blues in vibrant patterns is everyday routine in India. The sights and sounds never leave you.’ She’s also a collector and loves flea-market finds. ‘I worked in a gift shop at one point and I think that started me off,’ she recalls. ‘I hate clutter, though; I select furniture and accessories very carefully and my experience in retail taught me to love the art of display.’

Now they’re fully installed, the new French doors flood light into Diane’s dining room. A radiator cover cleverly disguises an old radiator while also providing a handy shelf for Diane’s displays

DINING ROOM

Thanks to the glass doors at one end and new French doors at the other, this room now links the living room with the garden. The back wall is painted in Blue Dusk from Valspar. ‘I love this pop of dark blue that you don’t notice until you’re in the dining room,’ says Diane

OUR MUST HAVES Passion Navy Light Blue rug, from £74.99, Wayfair. Sombre abstract canvas print, £100, John Lewis & Partners. Nissedal mirror, £55, IKEA. Anderson oak-effect sideboard, £450, Next. Ring-shaped ceramic lamp base, £49.99, H&M Home

‘I typically have a starting point for each room. It might be an artwork or a piece of furniture that I am particularly fond of’

Apply the principles of streamlined Scandi style to a colourful scheme with a palette of three to four key shades, for a minimal look

KITCHEN

For a budget update, Diane painted the cabinets in Blue 07 from Lick and freshened up the walls with Valspar’s New Born Blush. The tiles were black, so Diane primed them before painting them with white tile paint. The finishing touch was wrapping the laminate worktop with a faux-marble vinyl

OUR MUST HAVES d-c-fix Marble-effect vinyl film, £6.50 per roll, B&Q. Habitat artificial snake plant, £20, Argos. One Coat tile gloss paint in White, £18 per 750ml, Wilko. La galerie l’art poster, from £9.95, Desenio

Diane bought the worktop vinyl on a whim, but is thrilled at how it has brightened up the kitchen with very little effort

When putting together a scheme, Diane will take cues from one stand-out piece. ‘I typically have a starting point for each room –it might be an artwork or a piece of furniture that I’m particularly fond of – and I take the décor from there,’ she says. A fan of graphic, fine art prints, she cleverly mixes bargain finds with more expensive pieces from favourite artists. ‘I’m a big fan of Tom Pigeon, and a company called Abstract House. I like to arrange pieces on picture shelves, knowing I can mix things up and change things around whenever I want,’ she adds.

FLEXIBLE LIVING

The folding glass doors between the living and dining rooms are kept open most of the time, but the fact that they can be closed is very useful. ‘Open-plan, with options, is always a good solution. When we were both working from home, for instance, we did need a bit of privacy and separation,’ she explains. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, one of which serves as a study. ‘The extra space is a real luxury. It has been great to be able to spread out a bit,’ Diane says.

The couple’s biggest challenge was installing the French doors that lead out

REAL HOME October 2022 83 SCANDI COLOUR

MASTER BEDROOM

There was already a wall of useful built-in storage when Diane and Craig moved in, allowing her to concentrate on the décor. ‘I wanted to create a rustic mood in here, so I painted the walls a soft sage and selected furniture and accessories made from natural materials,’ Diane explains

OUR MUST HAVES Björksnäs bed frame, from £389, IKEA. For a similar peg shelf, try the Haus Projekt floating shaker shelf with hooks, £43.99, Wayfair. Jimi chest of 6 drawers, £550; Fatouh bedside Berber-style rug, £35, both La Redoute

Diane has a passion for creating artful displays throughout her home, but says she is careful not to accumulate clutter

TWO FOR ONE

A shelf with pegs gives you two display options. Style the shelf with hats, vases and plants, and hang baskets and pretty artworks from the pegs

to the garden from the dining room. They were let down by their tradespeople halfway through, which made the whole process much more stressful than it needed to be. ‘Also, the alcove in the living room had a curved opening at the top and we wanted it squared off, but again the tradespeople we chose left without finishing properly,’ Diane says. ‘I think they’re just so busy catching up since lockdown, and it’s affecting everything.’

Despite these two tests of patience, they’ve settled in quickly, helped by the fact that Diane was brought up in the area. ‘I went away for university and then travelled, but this is a great place to live. So, when we decided to settle down, it was an obvious decision and very much feels like home,’ she says.

Looking ahead to the future, all there is left to do is to complete the garden, which Diane is relishing. ‘We’re giving ourselves plenty of time to plan,’ she says. ‘I’m enjoying designing it while learning about planting and landscaping, and we’re hoping to do as much as possible ourselves.’

‘I like to arrange pieces on picture shelves, knowing I can mix things up and change things around whenever I want’

BATHROOM

The bathroom is Diane’s favourite room: ‘We have just finished it – we gave it a lot of thought and I’m delighted with how it has turned out,’ she says. Diane picked up a lovely geometric print from Hatch Glasgow to complement the floor tiles

OUR MUST HAVES Semaphore Enterprise floor tiles, £39 per sq m, Claybrook Studio. Glina green gloss ceramic wall tiles, £22 per sq m, B&Q. Malvern oak shelf with bracket, £8, B&M. Tallinn Halifax Oak vanity unit, £272, Wickes

SPARE BEDROOM

Taking inspiration from the colour of the duvet set and cushions, Diane painted the feature wall behind the bed in a warm orange shade. She also added handles from Amazon to the chests of drawers to tie the look together with the rest of the room

OUR MUST HAVES Hastings bed, from £249, Marks & Spencer. Esme tufted cushion in Ginger, from £8; Inka African duvet cover set in Brick, from £16, both Furn. Orange 02 matt emulsion, £42 per 2.5L, Lick Paints

rattan

Where Saints

wooden

Timeless reno

‘We added classic elegance to our modern home’

Anna and Ryan Askwith have transformed a previously rented property into a refined oasis of calm, taking inspiration from understated New England style

Having started off in a flat, Ryan and Anna Askwith have worked their way up to a five-bedroom detached home via a terraced townhouse – all on the same modern estate in Gateshead. ‘We’d walked along this street many times and thought this was our dream home, but it had always been rented out,’ says Anna. ‘However, when it came back on the rental market, we asked the estate agency if the owner would consider selling. They said no at first, but the next time it was up for rent they said yes.’

Ryan, from South Shields, and Anna, from Poland, first met each other in Germany on a twinned-town school exchange trip, 20 years ago. ‘This was pre-social media and I was only 16, but we wrote to each other and kept in touch,’ says Anna. ‘Three years after that first meeting I visited on an open ticket and never returned home!’

The five-bedroom detached house was just around the corner from Anna and Ryan’s previous townhouse. They’d always wanted to live there and had great plans for the interior

KITCHEN

Dated laminate units and yellow walls were banished to make way for an all-white kitchen.

‘The layout hasn’t really changed, but I really wanted deep pan drawers and Howdens was the only place that did them in the right size,’ says Anna. ‘I had my heart set on marble worktops, but was advised to choose quartz as marble can get marked easily’

OUR MUST HAVES Chelford white kitchen units, POA, Howdens. Smeg dualfuel range cooker, £1,269, AO.com. Hug rug woven diamond rug in Natural, from £79.99, Woven

The first thing the couple chose was a wood herringbone floor, to give them a classic base. ‘It took me a few weeks to research the fitting, but it’s one of my favourite things I’ve done in the house,’ says Ryan

NEUTRAL GROUND

To stop a neutral scheme looking bland, mix in plenty of different textures for visual interest and cosy comfort

COME ON IN...

WE ARE Anna Askwith, 37, a specific learning difficulties co-ordinator, my husband Ryan, 36, a civil servant, and our rescue pup, Loui.

OUR HOME IS A detached, fivebedroom house in Gateshead, built in 2003. We moved here in November 2019.

Anna has accessorised with classic striped tea towels, lush green plants, and natural materials like wicker to pick up on the warm tones in the wooden floor

OUR BEST BARGAIN Using IKEA Pax wardrobes saved us a lot of money and we were able to achieve custom-fit dressing rooms for a fraction of the price of built-ins.

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

REAL HOME October 2022 87 Dining

‘We’d already made our minds up about buying it, so the viewing almost didn’t matter. We knew we’d rip everything out and start again’

Feature Karen Wilson Photos Katie Lee

‘We wanted an eight-seater table as we love entertaining,’ says Anna. ‘This industrial design from IKEA was a great price and fits the space perfectly.’ Ryan made the huge wooden mirror from some sliding-door wardrobes he found on Gumtree

CHIC ACCENTS

Invest in classic pieces of furniture, then accessorise with cushions and throws that can be changed up easily if you want a new look

DINING ROOM

Simple, sheer curtains at the patio doors ensure the dining area is flooded with light from the west-facing rear garden. ‘Our next jobs are to build a cobblestone patio off here, and create a pergola at the back of the garden with a corner sofa,’ says Ryan

OUR MUST HAVES For similar ceiling lights, try the Simeon 3-light crystal chandelier by Etta Avenue, £279.99, Wayfair. For a similar chair, try the Mandy dining chair in Grey, £89, Dunelm. For a similar mirror, try the Libby wall mirror, £299.99, Oak Furnitureland. For similar curtains, try the Silverlönn sheer curtains, £14, IKEA

With a shared vision for a relaxed, New England-inspired interior, they were eager to get their teeth into a project and weren’t deterred by the tired décor, which had dated laminate flooring alongside magnolia, yellow and purple walls. ‘We’d already made our minds up about buying it, so the viewing almost didn’t matter,’ explains Ryan. ‘We knew we’d rip everything out and start again.’

ENTERTAINING MADE EASY

A few days before moving in, the pair visited to measure up and found the ceiling had partly collapsed due to a leak. ‘We wanted the house so much, we didn’t care and still went ahead,’ says Anna. ‘We loved the size and potential to make it open-plan downstairs.’

Nothing had been updated since it was built in 2003, so the property needed rewiring, new plumbing, flooring and plastering throughout. The couple did most of the work themselves, including plaster-boarding the ceilings, after their builder pulled out due to lockdown. ‘Ryan used to be a joiner and we have an “I’m sure it can’t be that difficult” attitude to most jobs,’ explains Anna. ‘So, we only needed to pay for materials and the jobs we absolutely couldn’t do ourselves, like the electrics, plumbing and tiling.’

A supporting wall between the living room and dining room was knocked through to create the open-plan entertaining space Anna and Ryan had envisioned. The couple then added architrave around the opening to make it look like it had always been there

As well as converting the garage into a cinema room, a non-supporting wall was removed between the kitchen and dining room, and a supporting wall opened up between the living and dining rooms to make the space more open-plan. ‘I had help from a builder friend with the steel beam and the brickwork for the garage, but we did everything else,’ says Ryan. ‘The new layout is perfect for entertaining, as we can eat in the open-plan dining room, have a drink on the sofas and then move into the cinema room for movie or karaoke nights later on.’

COHESIVE CHARACTER

Re-fitting the kitchen, utility and four bathrooms was a big, disruptive job. ‘We wanted to get the messy jobs done first, but doing all the bathrooms at the same time was a nightmare,’ says Anna. ‘At one point we had two new baths standing in the middle of the living room.’

With a ground-floor cloakroom, two bathrooms on the first floor and another on the top-floor, the style of each bathroom was kept simple. While they all feature white tiles, they’re a different shape, texture and formation in each space. ‘I didn’t want them all to look exactly the same, but still wanted a cohesive link between them,’ says Anna.

A new log burner, brick tiles and a reclaimed cast-iron fire surround from eBay have transformed the living room. ‘Ryan really wanted one,’ says Anna. ‘I used to think it was the kind of thing that looked nice in a pub, but I’d never really wanted one at home. Now I love it – it’s amazing in winter when we’re watching a movie as it’s so cosy’

LIVING ROOM

Anna ordered a large bespoke mirror to fit in the alcove online. ‘We were going to have drawers, but with the coffee table it would’ve felt too busy’

OUR MUST HAVES GoodHome Skanor natural oak solid wood flooring, £48 per sq m, B&Q. Cast Tec Juno 5 wood burner, £999, Direct Stoves. Brody coffee table £349, Swoon. For a similar sofa, try the Levico large sofa in boucle ivory, £1,719, Barker & Stonehouse. For a similar footstool, try the Stocksund footstool, £229, IKEA

Anna and Ryan couldn’t wait to pick out new pieces of furniture that suited the space better, such as the extra-deep cream sofas and an industrial-style coffee table for the bay window. ‘This is a lovely spot for sitting with my morning coffee and enjoying the sun,’ says Anna

‘Ryan used to be a joiner and we have an “I’m sure it can’t be that difficult” attitude to jobs we’ve never attempted before’

The huge, super-king-size bed is the only thing the couple kept from their previous home. ‘We really wanted a relaxed feel with no clutter, so decided to have separate dressing rooms instead of wardrobes in here’

Although she loves the neutral look, Anna knew an all-white colour palette would’ve felt a bit flat. ‘Adding layers and textures makes the space feel more cosy and balanced,’ she explains

MAIN BEDROOM

The décor flows through from the bedroom to the ensuite bathroom, where a double vanity with marble top takes pride of place. ‘It’s one of my favourite things in the house,’ says Anna. ‘I love the classic, elegant style’

OUR MUST HAVES Camille Ivory bedside table, £49.50, Dunelm. For a similar stool, try the White fleece stool, £49.99, TK Maxx. For a similar bed, try the Reece Chesterfield upholstered sleigh bed in Mink velvet, £546, Bed World

MASTER BATHROOM

Surprisingly, the master bathroom’s flooring was inspired by a visit to Alcatraz, where Anna and Ryan saw it in the canteen. ‘As we were making our way through San Francisco, we noticed that same tile everywhere and knew we’d love to have it in our bathroom,’ says Anna

OUR MUST HAVES For a similar bath, try the Finsbury freestanding bath, £559.99, Bathroom Mountain. Titan Blanco hexagon mosaic tiles, £65.89 per sq m, Al Murad. Charleston vanity unit with marble top, £2,299, Rubeza

Style-wise, the pair has the same tastes. ‘We adore TV shows like Fixer Upper and Dream Home Makeover, so took our influence from them,’ says Anna. ‘It’s a characterful and cosy New England look, but without making a newish house look like an old property. We wanted a home that’s timeless so that when we look back at the photos in a few years’ time we won’t wonder, “What were we thinking!?”’

LEARNING CURVE

The couple has learned a lot from the renovation. ‘I spent a lot of time researching. For instance, I found the same floor tile three times cheaper by shopping around,’ says Anna. ‘You have to plan every detail. If you’re caught off guard, you can be forced into making silly, snap decisions and then regretting them.’

Having a strong vision and sticking to their guns has clearly paid dividends. ‘Your plumber or tiler might persuade you to go for

‘It’s a characterful and cosy New England look, but without making a newish house look like an old property’

Placing the desk in the middle of the room, rather than pushed up against the wall, leaves plenty of wall space for handy picture shelves. ‘We don’t really have a lot of personal photos elsewhere, but in here we’ve displayed lots of photos from our travels to places like America and Dubai,’ says Anna

GUEST BEDROOM

The couple have layered calming shades of white, blue, natural and grey to create a relaxed, New England-style bedroom for their guests. ‘Since the pandemic, we are now able to fully use the space and have friends and family stay over,’ says Anna

OUR MUST HAVES Tyssedal bedside table, £99, IKEA. Apartment leaner mirror, £130, Dunelm. Eden grey round table lamp, £22.99, The Range

the easy option,’ says Anna. ‘Ours wanted us to have a standard shower tray, but I really wanted a wet-room feel. Although it was more work and cost more, it was worth it because it looks great.’

Despite the challenges, the project quickly became a hobby they could both partake in. ‘We didn’t really experience the isolation and boredom of lockdown, as we were doing our day jobs and then doing five or six hours on the house, for six months,’ says Ryan. ‘And we actually had a lot of fun doing it together.’

The pair loved having his-and-hers walk-in wardrobes in their previous home, so have sacrificed the two smallest bedrooms to give them a dressing room each. ’I couldn’t share a wardrobe with Ryan now,’ laughs Anna. ‘We added skirting boards and mouldings to customise the flat-pack wardrobes and make them look more fitted’

STEAL

Creative refurb

‘We’ve spent years turning this into our forever home’

Swapping a rented property for your first home is a big life change, but Lola Higham was more than ready for the challenge. Fed up with renting, Lola and her husband, Alan, decided to plough their savings into buying this 1970s, threebedroom house in Preston. ‘We wanted a house with character that we could transform to reflect our style,’ she says.

The couple was impressed with this house’s generous outdoor space. ‘We were blown away with the large garden. There was potential to add an extension for when the time comes to start a family, so that was a great selling point for us. It was in a brilliant location, too,’ she explains. ‘We bought this house knowing it was potentially going to be our forever home.’

Unfortunately, though, the décor inside was in a poor state. Every wall was painted magnolia, and there were dark carpets throughout. The main bathroom had an unattractive, cream jacuzzi-style bath, alongside a cream toilet and sink. The limestone conservatory floor always looked dirty regardless of how well it was cleaned,

Although dreary inside, Lola and Alan saw that the house had the potential for extending, and were excited to transform it with colour

REAL HOME 92 yourhomestyle.uk Most of the art was found either on Desenio or from independent businesses on Instagram. Lola has hung the artwork in a random pattern for an eclectic look. As the prints were inexpensive, she can afford to swap them out over time

CREATE FOCUS

Build a gallery wall around a central piece, like Lola’s clock, to help bring different artwork together as a cohesive whole

Rather than rushing to decorate their first home, Lola Higham and her husband, Alan, saved and planned for four years so they could create their perfect space

LIVING ROOM

Lola furnished her living room with pink and green sofas, which pop against her white walls. ‘Choosing different coloured sofas, rather than a matching pair, makes a statement and looks a little different to the norm,’ she says OUR MUST HAVES Outline large statement clock, £62, MADE.com. Doe 2 seater clic clac sofa bed, £489.99; Sherlyn side table by Blue Elephant, £187.99, both Wayfair

Painting over the original white marble fireplace and hearth with black paint has elevated the look of the living room. ‘I must have painted it 20 different colours before I decided on this shade,’ laughs Lola

COME ON IN

WE ARE Lola Higham, 32, a Quality Assurance Associate and my husband, Alan, 32, a Tax Accountant. We live here with our continental giant pet rabbit, Blue.

OUR HOME IS A 1970s three-bedroom, semi-detached house, in Preston, Lancashire.

MY BEST BUY The console table in the guestroom, which was £200 in the sale at Wayfair.

SHOPS I LOVE ARE Wayfair, B&Q, ShopMeraki, MADE.com, Vivense London, Argos, Danetti, Dunelm and H&M Home.

‘I’ve gained a greater understanding of my style. I’ve had so much fun mixing and matching prints’

GROUND

Feature Maxine Brady Photos Katie Lee

and the kitchen had old cabinets and a tiled splashback that Lola hated. ‘Every room felt gloomy and tired,’ she says.

FILLED WITH COLOUR

The couple lived with the house for four years while they saved up money to renovate it. ‘I didn’t want to start decorating and then have to stop if we ran out of money or find that my style had completely changed later. So we lived with the awful décor until we could afford to change it.’

As a new homeowner, Lola didn’t want to rush the process. ‘I wanted our home to be filled with colour, but I didn’t want to make bold decisions that we might regret,’ she says. ‘Instead, I took my time finding out my home style. I gathered inspiration everywhere, saving ideas that I might use later.’

In 2019, the couple were ready to tackle their first big renovation project – the main bathroom. They ripped out the old bathroom and replaced it with a walk-in shower and a modern suite. With one room under their decorating belt, they turned their attention to the rest of the house. First step was painting the whole house from top-to-bottom in white. ‘I wanted to banish the beige!’ Lola says. ‘It took a couple of months. All our spare time was spent up ladders with a paintbrush.’

They hired a builder to renovate their kitchen. All the internal doors were replaced, and what was a window leading into the conservatory was removed and turned into a breakfast bar area. The wall cabinets were ripped out and the sink was moved to give views over the garden. Sadly, nothing in this house was simple: ‘When the wall tiles were

pulled off, we found out they had been double tiled,’ Lola explains. ‘We also discovered the conservatory floor needed levelling. It ended up being a far bigger job than we imagined.’

THIRD TIME LUCKY

The kitchen project took over six months to complete. ‘Our original builder left us with no water for a whole month. In the end, we hired someone else to finish the job, but he let us down, too. Finally, the third builder we hired got the job done,’ she says. ‘We ended up losing money on this project. That was a steep learning curve for us.’

In the meantime, Lola and Alan chipped away at other projects, focussing their energy on the upstairs. They ripped up the old carpet, sanded and painted the staircase and landing, and added a smart runner. The landing was

White B&Q Shaker-style units have transformed the kitchen into a light and bright space. Lola made it her own with new handles and a marble-effect glass splashback, then finished it off with navy walls, using Annie Sloan paint

By changing the kitchen layout, Lola has created a handy dining area in her kitchen. Wooden panelling adds natural texture to this space, while pendants over the table create a nice light for entertaining

EARN YOUR STRIPES

To jazz up an on-display washing machine, give it a thrifty, stripy makeover with self-adhesive strips

KITCHEN

Lola replaced the old overhead wall cabinets with a single long shelf, opening up the space and making a handy display area

OUR MUST HAVES Ultimate white gloss marble-effect porcelain floor tile, £25 per sq m, B&Q. Wire ‘Coffee’ word art, from £6, Chlo Rigby Designs. Glass splashback in Liquid Gold, from £32.99, Premier Range

On the back of the breakfast bar, Lola handpainted a contemporary mural she saw on Pinterest, using sample tins of paint to achieve the look. She bought the velvet and gold bar stools from Danetti

Moving the sink has completely changed the layout of the kitchen, opening up the space even further. Lola chose a traditional butlerstyle ceramic sink and a brushed-gold tap from GAPPO for a classic look

‘I didn’t want to start decorating and then have to stop if we ran out of money or find that my style had completely changed later’

wallpapered, and the house finally started to take shape. By the time Lola started to decorate the master bedroom, she was feeling much braver about using colour and pattern in her home, ultimately deciding on a Scandistyle wallpaper for this room.

PERSONAL STYLE

The couple’s most recent project was the living room. However, within months of having new carpet fitted, their pet rabbit, Blue, had eaten chunks out of it. ‘We had no choice but to put down new wooden flooring, which my lovely father-in-law fitted for us, and we actually prefer it,’ Lola reveals. She filled the room with colourful furnishings and added a gallery wall. Lola also painted the marble fireplace black for a more modern look.

MASTER BEDROOM

By keeping the furniture in her bedroom a neutral shade of grey, Lola created the perfect backdrop for her collection of embroidered cushions and throws from Dunelm and Very

OUR MUST HAVES Deco geo rose cushion cover, £6, Dunelm. For a similar face cushion, try the Retreat abstract cushion, £12, also Dunelm. For a similar plant, try the Monstera, £19, IKEA

SPARE BEDROOM

Inspired by Instagram, Lola installed the panel behind the bed and painted it green before hanging wallpaper above it. She’d seen a rattan bed online, which she decided to recreate in the guest bedroom for a fraction of the price. ‘I found the rattan webbing online and used it to upcycle a cheap bed frame so it looks like a designer one. Little projects like this saved us so much money‘

OUR MUST HAVES GoodHome Fusca white terrazzo effect textured wallpaper, £17 per roll; Colours teal & black mosaic tile effect vinyl, £11 per sq m, both B&Q. Emerald Glade matt emulsion, £28.79 per 2.5L, Dulux

This renovation has taught the couple a lot. ‘I’ve gained a greater understanding of my style and I’ve had so much fun mixing and matching prints,’ Lola says. Now that the bulk of the hard work is done, she’s proud of what they have achieved. ‘Our home is a true reflection of our personalities. It makes us hopeful for what the future will bring.’

BATHROOM

The first renovation project Lola tackled was her grey bathroom. With its walk-in shower, it’s now a relaxed space that has a classic style. She updated the shower screen with black washi tape to create a Crittall effect, painted the vanity unit pale pink to add warmth to the space, and finished the look off with gorgeous gold handles

OUR MUST HAVES Ceramic face vase, £12, Dunelm. Zebra tufted 2 pack cotton hand towel in Blush, £8, Habitat. Straw basket in Grey, £10, B&M

the eye along a hallway or landing by painting just a strip of bold colour, rather than the whole wall

orange colour

STEAL

‘I wanted to banish the beige! It took a couple of months. All our spare time was spent up ladders with a paintbrush’

Food &

3 WAYS WITH… kale

Use this leafy green in a variety of dishes – its slightly bitter taste when raw becomes peppery goodness when cooked

For an on-the-go breakfast, add 2 handfuls kale, ½ avocado, some lime juice, a handful of frozen banana chunks, a medium-sized chunk of ginger, 1 tbsp cashew nuts and a splash of water to a smoothie maker and blend.

To make a hearty one-pot dinner, heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Squeeze 6 sausages straight from their skins into the pan, then break the meat up. Sprinkle in 1 tsp chilli flakes, then fry until the sausage meat is crisp around the edges. Remove from the pan. Tip 500g gnocchi into the pan, fry for a minute or so, then pour in 500ml stock. Once bubbling, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in 100g chopped kale. Cook until the gnocchi is tender and the kale has wilted. Grate in 40g parmesan, scatter the sausage meat over the top and serve.

For a tasty side dish, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6. Spread 400g kale on 2 baking trays and drizzle with 1 tbsp sunflower oil. Scrunch with your hands to distribute the oil. Mix 1 tsp Chinese five-spice, 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp sesame seeds and sprinkle over the kale, then roast for 7 minutes. Toss, then roast for a further 5 minutes until crispy.

DAIRY-FREE DELIGHTS

The English Cheesecake Company has teamed up with Violife to create three new vegan-friendly cheesecake flavours so everyone can enjoy an indulgent treat. Choose from Double Chocolate Cookies and Cream, Smooth Vanilla with Lotus Biscoff or Salted Caramel Cheesecake Sundaes, all priced at £3.75 from Sainsbury’s.

Try me…

For those of you fed up with scraping the last bits of peanut butter out of the jar, Whole Earth has launched a new Drizzler bottle. Pour over pancakes and porridge or drizzle over toast. Take your pick between Super Smooth Peanut Butter or Golden Roasted Super Smooth Peanut Butter, priced at £3.30 from Asda.

Drink me…

Take a calming moment out of your day with a mug of Pukka Herbs’ latest tea, Breathe In. Blended with eucalyptus, field mint, ginger and honey, the naturally caffeine-free concoction will warm you up when you’re feeling under the weather or need to wind down. Priced at £3 from Tesco.

In the UK, we waste over half a million tonnes of dairy products every year, but lots can be frozen. Freeze milk in its bottle to use in sauces or for baking. Grate hard cheeses like Cheddar before freezing, then use straight from the freezer for sauces or to top lasagnes. And pop butter in the freezer as it is – keep salted butter for six months and unsalted for one.

Buy me…

Mary Berry’s new cookbook Cook and Share (£27, BBC Books) includes over 100 fuss-free recipes to enjoy. It accompanies her new TV series, so it’s the perfect time to cosy up and recreate your favourite recipes. Available to buy from Waterstones.

October 2022 99 THRIFTY

Discover our favourite foodie finds this month, then read on for thrifty autumn warmers and Halloween-themed recipes

DRINK

Feature Sophie Ellis Photo Getty Images

THRIFTY AUTUMN WARMERS

Make your pennies go a little bit further with these delicious budget recipes that feed the whole family

Sweet potato chilli

YOU WILL NEED ✔ 6 sweet potatoes (250g each) ✔ olive oil ✔ 1 tsp cumin seeds ✔ 1 x 95g jar of chipotle chilli paste ✔ 500g fresh or frozen chopped mixed onion, carrot & celery ✔ ½ a bunch (15g) of coriander ✔ 3 x 400g tins of black beans ✔ 3 x 400g tins of quality plum tomatoes ✔ 60g feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Put a large, deep casserole pan on a medium-high heat. Peel the sweet potatoes, placing them in the pan as you go. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the potatoes start to turn golden.

■ Push the sweet potatoes to one side, add the cumin and let it sizzle, then spoon in the jar of chipotle chilli paste and add 2 jars’ worth of water. Tip in the chopped mixed veg, finely chop and add the coriander stalks, reserving the leaves, then bake for 1 hour.

■ Remove from the oven and add the beans, juice and all, then the tomatoes, scrunching them in through clean hands, along with 1 tin’s worth of water. Stir well, then roast for another hour, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

■ Season, then – if enjoying straight away – crumble over the feta and tear over the coriander leaves, to serve. Enjoy as is, batching up extra portions to stash in the fridge or freezer for future meals.

Recipe and image courtesy of ONE by Jamie Oliver, published by Penguin Michael Joseph

© Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2022 ONE).

Photography: © Richard Clatworthy, 2022.

Nutrition per portion: energy, 229kcal; fat, 3.4g; saturated fat, 1g; protein, 8.8g; carbohydrates, 38.8g; sugars, 13g; salt, 0.6g; fibre, 12g

PREPARATION TIME 12 minutes COOKING TIME 2 hours SERVES 12

TOP TIP

Reheat some chilli until piping hot, then spoon over crunchy tortilla chips and grate over a little Cheddar cheese, finishing with some jarred sliced jalapeños and fresh coriander or baby mint leaves, if you’ve got them.

PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes

COOKING TIME 40 minutes SERVES 4

Roasted mushroom salad

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 8 small portobello mushrooms ✔ 2 pears ✔ olive oil

✔ red wine vinegar ✔ 80g blue cheese ✔ 2 tbsp shelled unsalted walnut halves ✔ 1 lemon ✔ 80g radishes ✔ 2 x 250g packets of cooked basmati & wild rice ✔ 1 x 80g bag of watercress, spinach & rocket ✔ optional: extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Peel the mushrooms, saving the peel, and place them in a large roasting tray. Quarter and core the pears, add to the tray and dress with 1 tbsp each of olive oil and red wine vinegar, then season with sea salt and black pepper.

■ Turn the mushrooms stalk side up, then roast for 30 minutes. Crumble over the blue cheese and walnuts, and roast for another 10 minutes.

■ Meanwhile, finely grate the lemon zest into a bowl, squeeze in the juice, then finely slice and add the radishes. Add a pinch of salt and scrunch to quickly pickle.

■ Heat the rice in the microwave according to the packet instructions, then tip on to a serving platter.

■ Finely chop the mushroom peel and salad leaves, stir through the rice with the dressed radishes, then season. Sit the roasted mushrooms and pears on top, spoon over any juices from the tray, and serve with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if preferred.

Recipe and image courtesy of ONE by Jamie Oliver, published by Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2022 ONE). Photography: © Richard Clatworthy, 2022.

Rosemary roast chicken

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 1kg free-range mixed chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on, bone in ✔ 3 cloves of garlic ✔ 3 leeks ✔ 3 sprigs of rosemary ✔ 250ml nice cider ✔ 400g tin of butter beans ✔ 30g Stilton ✔ 3 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Put the chicken into a large, cold, shallow casserole pan and place on a high heat. Fry for 10 minutes, or until golden all over, turning regularly, while you peel and finely slice the garlic, and wash, trim and very finely slice the leeks.

■ Pick and roughly chop the rosemary leaves, then add to the pan with the garlic and leeks, season with sea salt and black pepper, mix well and cook for a couple of minutes to soften slightly.

■ Make sure the chicken is skin side up, then pour in the cider, half-drain and add the beans, and roast for 45 minutes, or until the chicken pulls easily away from the bone.

■ Move the pan to a medium-high heat on the hob. Add the Stilton and crème fraîche. Mix well, simmer for a just few minutes, then you’re ready to serve. Serve as it is, or with a side of steamed greens.

Recipe and image courtesy of ONE by Jamie Oliver, published by Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2022 ONE). Photography: © Richard Clatworthy, 2022.

Nutrition per portion: energy, 514kcal; fat, 28g; saturated fat, 9g; protein, 46.7g; carbohydrates, 15.3g; sugars, 5.3g; salt, 0.5g; fibre, 6.1g

Nutrition per portion: energy, 399kcal; fat, 16.4g; saturated fat, 5.7g; protein, 13.2g; carbohydrates, 53g; sugars, 8.9g; salt, 1.5g; fibre, 5.3g

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes COOKING TIME 60 minutes SERVES 4

Sarah Trevor

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes COOKING TIME 45-60 minutes SERVES 4

Kale mac and cheese

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 1 tbsp olive oil ✔ 1 onion, finely chopped ✔ 180g pack curly kale, shredded, tough stems removed ✔ 2 garlic cloves, crushed ✔ pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste ✔ 225g wholewheat penne or fusilli ✔ 250ml milk ✔ 1 vegetable stock cube, made up to 250ml ✔ 20g cornflour, mixed with 3 tbsp cold water ✔ 150g 30 per cent reduced-fat extra mature Cheddar cheese, grated ✔ ½ tsp English mustard powder ✔ 150g 0 per cent fat Greek-style yogurt

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion and kale for 8 minutes, adding a splash of water to stop the kale from sticking. Stir through the garlic and cayenne for the last minute. Set aside.

■ Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the pack instructions. Drain well.

■ Pour the milk into a large saucepan, bring just to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir through the stock and cornflour paste. Heat for 1-2 minutes until thickened, then remove from the heat.

■ Toss 125g of the cheese with the mustard powder, then stir into the milk mixture until melted and smooth. Stir in the yogurt and season lightly. Add the pasta and veg and carefully stir to coat

■ Transfer to an ovenproof dish, scatter with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Recipe and image courtesy of Tesco, tesco.com

Squashy bottom soup bowls

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 4 small round squash, such as onion or kabocha ✔ 200g Gruyère or similar, grated ✔ 200g Parmesan, grated ✔ a few gratings of nutmeg ✔ 4 small thyme sprigs ✔ 800ml double cream ✔ salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 190°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 5. Slice the top inch or so from the squash. Keep to one side as this will serve as your lid.

■ Scrape out the pulp and seeds with a spoon, and you should be left with a hollow bowl. Place the squash in a baking dish.

■ Divide the cheese between the 4 squash, add a grating of nutmeg, a small sprig of thyme and add the cream until it fills two-thirds of the cavity.

■ Season with generous turns of black pepper and a cautious amount of salt, keeping in mind the saltiness of the cheeses. Pop the lid on and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, until tender.

Recipe and image courtesy of Riverford Organic Farmers, riverford.co.uk

GET AHEAD

Follow the recipe up to adding the pasta and veg to the cheese sauce, then freeze it. To reheat, defrost overnight in the fridge, then bake for 20 minutes until golden.

PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes COOKING TIME 45 minutes SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes COOKING TIME 35 minutes SERVES 4

Pear frangipane cake

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 100g butter (plus extra for greasing the tin)

✔ 100g caster sugar ✔ 2 eggs ✔ 100g Doves Farm Organic Self Raising White Flour ✔ 2 tbsp lime juice

✔ 100g ground almonds ✔ 3 ripe pears ✔ 1 tbsp demerara sugar

DIRECTIONS

■ Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas Mark

5. Rub some butter around the inside of a 20cm/8in round cake tin, or insert a baking liner.

■ Chop the butter into small cubes. Put the butter cubes and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sieve the flour into the bowl and mix well.

■ Add the lime juice and ground almonds and stir to combine. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top.

■ Peel, core and slice the pears and arrange them around the surface of the cake. Scatter the demerara sugar over the top and bake for 50-55 minutes.

Recipe and image courtesy of Doves Farm, dovesfarm.co.uk

TOP TIP

Serve warm with cream or custard as a delicious dessert.

Blackberry crumble

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 400g blackberries (or 200g blackberries and 200g sliced Bramley apples) ✔ 65g granulated sugar

✔ 30g ground almonds ✔ 170g plain flour ✔ 75g light brown soft sugar ✔ 80g unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Place the blackberries (or blackberries and apples) in a baking dish. Sprinkle over the granulated sugar.

■ Put the almonds, flour and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Chop the butter into small pieces, add it to the flour mix and, using your fingers, rub the butter in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the mixture over the blackberries and gently press down.

■ Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with clotted cream or soft scoop vanilla ice cream.

Recipe and image courtesy of Aldi, aldi.co.uk

PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes COOKING TIME 50-55 minutes SERVES 6-8

NO TRICKS, JUST TREATS

Serve up a spook-tacular feast that the kids will love

PREPARATION

TIP

This recipe can be adapted for a mid-week meal by using the puff pastry and filling to make one large sausage roll. Increase the baking time and check the centre is piping hot.

Spooky sausage rolls

YOU WILL NEED ✔ 180g Quorn Cocktail Sausages, finely chopped ✔ 1 apple, grated ✔ 1 small carrot, grated ✔ ½ small courgette, grated ✔ 1 tsp English mustard ✔ salt and pepper ✔ flour, for dusting ✔ 250g light puff pastry ✔ 1 egg, beaten For the tomato dip ✔ 300g cherry tomatoes, quartered ✔ 1 tbsp tomato purée ✔ 1 tsp red wine vinegar ✔ 1 tbsp English mustard ✔ ½ tsp sugar

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/ Gas Mark 7. Place the cocktail sausages, apple, carrot, courgette and mustard into a bowl and mix well. Season to taste.

■ Dust the work surface with flour and roll the pastry into a rectangle about 25 x 45cm, then cut in half lengthways.

■ Divide the sausage mix in two and spread one half along the middle of one pastry sheet. Brush the bottom edge of the pastry with egg and fold the pastry over. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat to make a second roll. Brush with egg and cut each roll into 10. Line two baking trays with baking paper and spread the rolls out evenly on them.

■ Cut three incisions into the seam of each roll to create a ghostly look. Using a chopstick, make two eyes and a mouth.

■ Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

■ To make the dip, place the tomatoes into a small pan. Add 1 tbsp water, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the heat and blend until smooth. Pass the mix through a fine sieve back into the small pan.

■ Add the tomato purée, vinegar, mustard and sugar. Bring to the boil and reduce for 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens to reach ketchup consistency. Season and serve in a ramekin. Spoon 1 tbsp of the dip into a piping bag and pipe a dot of ketchup into the eyes of each ghost.

Recipe and image courtesy of Quorn, quorn.co.uk

Mummified sweet potato, cheese and pancetta tart

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 500g sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 2cm cubes ✔ 1 tbsp olive oil ✔ 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves ✔ 65g pancetta ✔ 1 onion, thinly sliced ✔ 2 tsp soft light brown sugar ✔ 3 eggs ✔ 300ml double cream ✔ 125g cheddar, grated ✔ 1 tbsp butter ✔ 1 pack of ready rolled shortcrust pastry ✔ 3 slices of cheddar ✔ A handful of sunflower seeds

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC Fan/Gas Mark 6.

■ Toss the cubed sweet potato in the oil and thyme and place on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until browned and cooked through.

■ Meanwhile, fry the pancetta until golden, then set aside. In the same pan, fry the onion until softened and translucent, then stir through the sugar, until dissolved. Take off the heat.

■ Whisk together the eggs, cream and grated cheese. Grease a 25cm fluted flan tin with butter. Roll out the sheet of pastry so that it fits the tin.

■ Lift the pastry sheet over the flan tin and press into the sides of the tin. Cut off the

overhanging pastry and cut this into long thin strips – these will be used to ‘mummify’ the top of the tart.

■ Prick the base of the pastry with a fork, then line with a circle of baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, tip out the baking beans and remove the baking parchment. Bake for another 5 minutes.

■ Layer the cooked onion into the base of the tart. Scatter over half the sweet potato and pancetta. Pour in the egg and cream mixture, then scatter over the remaining sweet potato and pancetta.

■ Lay the pastry strips over the filling, to create a bandage effect. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until just set and golden on top. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

■ Meanwhile, use a small cookie cutter to stamp small eyes out of the slices of cheese. Place these on the slightly cooled tart peeking out from between the bandages. Place a sunflower seed in the centre of each piece of cheese for the pupils. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe and image courtesy of Seasonal Spuds, seasonalspuds.com

PREPARATION TIME 1 hour 20 minutes COOKING TIME 45 minutes SERVES 6

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes + soaking COOKING TIME 25 minutes SERVES 4

Pumpkin fries

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 1 pumpkin, peeled and deseeded (approximately 800g pumpkin flesh) ✔ 2 tsp The Pantry Cornflour ✔ 1 tsp Stonemill Curry Powder For the dip ✔ 75g Brooklea Greek Yogurt ✔ 100g Bramwells Mayonnaise

✔ 1 tsp Stonemill Paprika ✔ 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced ✔ sea salt, to serve

DIRECTIONS

■ Cut the pumpkin flesh into thin chips. Put them in some cold water to soak for at least an hour (to remove some of the starch).

■ Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/ Gas Mark 7.

■ Meanwhile, make the dip. Mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, paprika and garlic together.

■ Drain the pumpkin chips and pat dry. Mix the cornflour and curry powder together and sprinkle over the chips. Toss to evenly coat.

■ Space the chips out on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for around 20-25 minutes, turning once, until they’re crisp and slightly browned. Serve with sea salt alongside the garlic dip.

Recipe and image courtesy of Aldi, aldi.co.uk

Feature Sophie Ellis

Cobweb cheesecake

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 200g digestive biscuits, blitzed or bashed into crumbs ✔ 60g butter, melted ✔ 600g full fat cream cheese ✔ 150g icing sugar

✔ 100ml double cream ✔ 150g white chocolate, melted ✔ 50g milk chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS

■ Add the biscuit crumbs to a bowl and pour over the melted butter. Mix together.

■ Press the biscuit mix into the bottom of a 20cm round springform tin to make a base.

■ In a bowl, add the cream cheese, icing sugar, double cream and melted white chocolate. Whisk together well. Pour over the base and spread evenly.

■ With either a piping bag or a spoon, use the melted milk chocolate to make parallel circles on the cheesecake – start from the outside and work into the middle. (5-6 circles should be plenty).

■ Use a cocktail stick to drag lines from the outer chocolate circle in towards the centre to create a cobweb effect.

■ Set the cheesecake in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours before serving.

Recipe and image courtesy of Aldi, aldi.co.uk

PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes COOKING TIME 10 minutes + chilling SERVES 2

Spiced pumpkin seeds

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 80g raw pumpkin seeds, leftover from a cooked or carved pumpkin ✔ 4 tsp olive oil ✔ 2 tsp ground cumin ✔ 1 tsp smoked paprika ✔ pinch of sea salt

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Remove any stringy bits from the pumpkin seeds and rinse well with cold water. Pat dry with kitchen paper, removing as much moisture as possible.

■ Toss the seeds in a bowl with the oil, cumin, paprika and salt until evenly coated. Spread out on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Recipe and image courtesy of Tesco Real Food, realfoodtesco.com

PREPARATION + COOKING TIME 20 minutes + chilling SERVES 6

PREPARATION

TIME 20 minutes

COOKING TIME 25 minutes SERVES 8

Spooky mummy rice crispy pops

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 360g Divine 85% Dark Chocolate ✔ 60g smooth peanut or almond butter

✔ 60ml golden syrup ✔ pinch of salt ✔ 60g rice pops cereal ✔ 70g icing sugar

✔ edible sugar eyes or sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

■ Place a set of ice cream silicone moulds in the fridge so they’re cold.

■ Melt half of the chocolate (either over a pan of simmering water, or in a microwave in 30-second bursts), then line the cold moulds with half of the chocolate, working your way up the sides. Freeze for 10 minutes then use the rest of the melted chocolate to do a second coat. Return to the freezer for 5 minutes.

■ Meanwhile, melt the nut butter and golden syrup in a large saucepan and stir until smooth. Add the salt and cereal, then mix together.

■ Divide the rice pop mix between the chocolate-covered moulds and press it down firmly to make a smooth top. Insert the lolly sticks and place in the fridge for 10 minutes.

■ Melt the remaining chocolate, then pour over the rice pop layer to seal the edges and completely cover the cereal. Return to the fridge for about 20 minutes, or until the chocolate is set. Once set, carefully remove the chocolate covered rice crispy pops from the moulds and place on a plate or tray.

■ Stir together the icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp water to create thick icing and place in a piping bag. Snip the end off so you have a small hole. Pipe over the icing sugar to make a bandaged mummy effect and add edible sugar eyes or sprinkles.

■ The pops will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Recipe and image courtesy of Nourishing Amy for Divine Chocolate, divinechocolate.com

Vegan pumpkin cake

YOU WILL NEED

✔ 300g pumpkin, chopped into small chunks ✔ 50g chia seeds ✔ 160ml maple syrup ✔ 225g plain flour

✔ 50g caster sugar ✔ 1 tsp baking powder ✔ ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ✔ pinch of salt ✔ 180ml Solesta olive oil ✔ 150g icing sugar, sifted ✔ yellow and red food colouring ✔ 25g almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts, chopped ✔ 25g dried cranberries or apricots

DIRECTIONS

■ Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4.

■ Boil the pumpkin in a little salted water for 10 minutes until soft. Drain well and mash.

■ Put the pumpkin mash into a bowl, sprinkle over the chia seeds and pour over the maple syrup – mix well and allow to soak.

■ Put the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in another bowl. Whisk well.

■ Pour the olive oil into the pumpkin mix and stir together. Add this to the dry mix and beat to combine

Put the cake mix into the mould and bake for 25 minutes. Test with a wooden cocktail stick – the stick should come out clean. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.

■ Mix the icing sugar with a little warm water and a little of the food colourings until you have thick but pourable icing. Drizzle over the turned-out cake Scatter the nuts and the dried fruit over the top.

Recipe and image courtesy of Aldi, aldi.co.uk

PREPARATION + COOKING TIME 50 minutes MAKES 8-10 LARGER POPS

†UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages call charges from mobile phones will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. Lines are open Mon to Fri 9am-5pm. Overseas please call +44 (0)1604 973 746.

*Prices including postage are £4.99 for UK residents, £5.99 for Europe and £6.99 for Rest of World. Please allow up to 28 days for delivery from the on sale date of 27th September 2022

IMPROVEMENT Home

BACK TO nature

Soak up the benefits of the great outdoors with Naturewall’s natural oak and black SlatWall, from £149.99. Featuring a natural oak veneer on black felt backing, these easy-to-install wooden panels will instantly add depth and character to any space. Finish the look with earthy accessories and plenty of greenery, and you’ll have a cosy sanctuary to spend the autumn months in!

GO WITH THE FAUX

If splashing out on expensive flooring doesn’t work with your budget, you don’t want to miss Lifestyle Floors’ new DenverTex collection. Cleverly designed to replicate luxury wooden flooring, the vinyl is priced at £35.99 per sq m and is available in 12 finishes – including Aurora, the gorgeous Herringbone-inspired design pictured. The flooring features an innovative textile backing and comes complete with a 15-year warranty, so you can rest assured that your floors will be looking their best for a long time to come.

Top-notch terrazzo

Elevate your interior with Pushka Home’s new brass terrazzo doorknobs, priced at £15 each. Perfect for transforming a tired bedside table or dated kitchen cabinets, the knobs are made from solid brass that’s guaranteed to catch the eye, with black, grey, white or white fleck detailing. They’re also finished with a clear lacquer coating to stop fingerprints tarnishing them, so they’ll stay looking good-as-new for years.

GORGEOUS GLOSS

Breathe new life into a lacklustre bathroom with Tile Mountain’s new Manacor range. Available in Blush Pink, Mercury Grey, Basil Green and more, each tile features a gorgeous glossy finish that’ll make your bathroom feel open, airy and light. Use them in one small zone to create a striking feature, or tile from floor to ceiling for added drama. Priced at £35.95 per sq m.

Transform tired kitchen cabinets, fix up your flooring and bring the outdoors in with these new ways to give your home a boost

Feature Thea Jeffreys

HOW TO EARN AN INCOME FROM YOUR HOME

Use your home to generate some extra cash by renting out a room, converting a garage into storage space, or selling energy back to the grid. Here’s how…

We’re all feeling the pinch right now. With the price of pretty much everything going up, including the energy cap again this month, earning some extra cash would definitely help take some of the pressure off. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to take on an extra job, as, for very little effort, you can use your home to make some extra money. It’s called ‘passive income’ and it’s a great way to supplement your salary, whether it’s by renting out a spare space or generating your own energy. Here are six ways to use your home to bring in a few more bucks…

GET A LODGER

If you’re lucky enough to have a spare bedroom, consider renting it out to a lodger. Taking in a lodger can work well if you live alone or as part of a couple and don’t mind having another person around who shares your living spaces (unless your spare room has an en-suite). You can earn up to £7,500 a year tax-free from renting to a lodger, and even more depending on your location and amenities. You’ll need to pay tax on any earnings above that figure though. Interview candidates beforehand, ask for references and check them. Draw up a tenancy agreement and set some house rules. Ask friends and neighbours if they know anyone who may be interested, place an advert locally and check social media. If you have a mortgage, you may need the lender’s permission first.

A parking space is valuable in cities, so rent yours out when you’re not using it, with an agency such as JustPark

‘As the cost of living crisis bites, people are looking for new ways to boost their income.

Airbnb was born during an economic crisis to help people afford their homes and, 15 years later, more families across the UK are doing the same.’

Amanda Cupples, General Manager for the UK and Northern Europe, Airbnb

Ourexp er tsay s

BECOME AN AIRBNB HOST

Let out some space in your home on a short-term basis by posting it on Airbnb. By doing so, you could earn around £6,000 per year. If you live in an area that people want to visit – for example by the coast, in a city, near a popular tourist destination or a sporting venue, such as Wimbledon – you can earn more. Go to airbnb.co.uk and click on the ‘Become a host’ link. It will take you to a page that tells you how much other hosts in your area make and let you check out Airbnb’s free aircover, which includes liability insurance, damage protection, deep-cleaning protection and more. Hosts must be able to offer a minimum of 30 days availability over the next 12 months. Also bear in mind that Airbnb charges a service fee of 3-5 per cent for every booking confirmed.

RENT YOUR DRIVEWAY

Make money by renting out your driveway or parking space, through the JustPark parking app. The first £1,000 you earn is tax-free and with just a few clicks, your driveway can be set up online and available to rent. Drivers who use JustPark are registered and verified, so you’ll know whose vehicle is in your space and you don’t have to do a thing. The price you charge is up to you, and you can check comparable listings to get an idea of the going rate.

JustPark will charge a 3-per-cent fee for each booking you receive. You don’t need to be at home when the driver arrives; just provide the address and any other details the person parking in your spot may need. You can also set it up so that the spot is only available on certain days, adding and removing availability when it suits you.

INSTALL SOLAR PANELS

Generating your own electricity is an especially timely idea, given that the energy price cap is expected to increase again in October. By installing solar panels, you can not only save money, but earn it too. Generating your own electricity means you’ll be using less from the grid and, therefore, reducing your energy bill. But, under the Smart Export Guarantee scheme, you can also sell some of your electricity back to the grid. The initial purchase and installation of the panels is expensive (around £6,500 on average), but can result in quite a saving on bills, if nothing else. The amount you can earn will depend on the company but, on average, the Energy Saving Trust estimates a typical household can make between £80 and £110 per year.

A traditional shepherd’s hut makes an ideal Airbnb The Cabin, from £35,000, Plankbridge

USE YOUR GARAGE FOR STORAGE

Instead of leaving your garage lying empty, make money from it by hiring it out as a storage space. Companies such as Stashbee connect people with stuff to store, to people with spare space where they can store it, whether short- or longterm. Simply create your listing for free and publish it on the site (stashbee.com). Potential renters can then make an enquiry or book directly, and you benefit from the extra cash, as well as £1,000 insurance for the items while they’re in your care. Check the earnings calculator to see how much you could generate – an average is around £1,488 per year and the first £1,000 is taxfree (and Stashbee charges a 5 per cent fee for each booking). Renters use the spaces for storing boxes, bulky household items, furniture or sports equipment.

If you have room in a converted outbuilding, consider letting it out to a local yoga class Monogrammed Om yoga mat, £45, Initially London

CONVERT AN OUTBUILDING

By converting an unused outbuilding or annexe you could lease it out to a local business. You could turn it into an office space, complete with an electricity supply, plumbing and wi-fi, or a more simple area for Pilates or yoga classes. There may be certain planning implications on your property, however, so check with the local council to see if you need permission for a change of use. You may also need to let your mortgage lender know, so be sure to do your research before you make any commitments. Leasing spare space like this will help bring in more income for you and may also create some economic activity in your area, which can be especially useful in rural communities. Visit simplybusiness. co.uk for information on the permissions and insurance cover you may need.

USEFUL CONTACTS

• There’s plenty of advice about taking in a lodger at citizensadvice.org.uk

• For the tax implications on earning money from your home, head to gov.uk/run-businessfrom-home

• Visit airbnb.co.uk to find out how to become a host.

• Rent out your parking space or garage with justpark.com or stashbee.com

• Find the latest Smart Export Guarantee information at ofgem.gov.uk

Earn money by generating your own energy from solar panels. Otovo can install panels that make the most of the sunlight hitting your home

Rent your garage out as a storeroom SmartStore by Orthex stackable water resistant boxes, from £26.50, John Lewis & Partners

It’s a great way to generate an income

an eyesore and was only ever used as a party pad by my two daughters,’ says Lisa. ‘Lockdown gave us the opportunity to give it a new lease of life.’ Together with her partner, Robbie Munro, who has a background in construction, along with an architect friend, she came up with a design for a one-bedroom, open-plan studio, which Lisa would turn into a shortterm holiday rental.

Lisa Weidner has had a variety of jobs during her career, including a stint as a jazz singer. ‘Unfortunately, lockdown put paid to that and, as I was approaching my fifties, I decided to find something I could do to earn an income on my own terms,’ she says.

The answer lay at the bottom of her garden, where an old recording studio, built by her ex-husband, had fallen into disrepair following a flood. ‘It had become

With its own access along the side of Lisa’s garden and an attractive paved area leading to the glazed front door, the newly restored building is perfectly private

Though the original footprint is the same, everything else has been transformed, from the curved internal walls to the rooflights, raised floor with underfloor heating, external cladding, new front door and covered veranda at the back. Lisa’s especially pleased with her bold décor scheme as she was determined ‘not to turn it into a cutesy country cottage’. She’s also gone the extra mile to provide everything for her guests’ comfort: a super-king-size bed; a large, wall-mounted smart TV;

a dishwasher and wine fridge in the kitchen; and even an outdoor hot tub with its own heated shower.

Despite the appearance of luxury, the interior was completed on a budget, with Lisa and Robbie sourcing fixtures and fittings online. Lisa found some greatvalue pieces at VonHaus and the kitchen units are from Howdens. ‘The worktop is the cheapest they sell and I didn’t like it at first. But when the walls were painted, it seemed to blend in and looked perfect,’ says Lisa.

Having decided to market ‘The Hideaway’ through Airbnb, Lisa was lucky to get lots of advice from friends who were already using it. ‘They helped set me up, gave me pointers and then it was up to me,’ she says. ‘The website is quite selfexplanatory and there’s always someone to answer any queries. It’s a great income stream and I can’t recommend it enough.’

Visit bit.ly/TheHideawayAirbnb

The old, purpose-built recording studio had been left in a sorry state following a flood

Lisa, who was recently given ‘super host’ status, finds her Airbnb business both manageable and enjoyable, as well as providing her with an income

Lisa has created a luxurious space for her guests to enjoy with comfortable seating, a well-equipped mini kitchen and a spacious bedroom and shower room

Feature and photos Gill Rothwell

Creating a one-bed studio at the bottom of her garden in Portmore, New Forest, allowed Lisa to generate extra income through Airbnb

RADIATOR COVER

Although they’re essential for heating, radiators aren’t always the most attractive of fixtures. But a cover can make them enhance your décor, rather than detract from it. There are plenty of options available to buy, but we’ve sourced a simple step-by-step project to follow if you feel like having a go at making your own.

By building your own radiator cover you can make it to the precise dimensions you need to ensure it fits your radiator snugly. But you can also paint or stain it in the colour or finish of your choice, so that it matches or contrasts with the rest of your scheme.

As well as looking good, a radiator cover has practical benefits, too. Most provide a handy shelf to display ornaments, but more importantly they also eliminate the risk of small children touching a hot radiator, while still allowing the heat to circulate.

SHOPPING LIST

Top tip

Radiator covers tend to also conceal the valves. If you want to access them without taking the cover off the wall, cut a small access panel in the relevant side

1

Measure the height, width and depth of your radiator and add 2cm to each measurement. The extra space will allow the cover’s frame to sit slightly away from the radiator in order to avoid trapping heat.

2

Use the radiator measurements to work out the dimensions of the frame. You’ll need

two panels of MDF to cover both ends, from top to bottom. You’ll need another two 10cm-tall pieces that are long enough to span the full width of your radiator. The top of the frame is left clear to allow the heat to escape.

3

Work out the number of slats you’ll need and the spacing between them. These will be

placed vertically across the front of the radiator and horizontally across the top. Remember: the slats need to fit the exterior of your frame, not your radiator. Use the measurement for the height of the frame to work out the length you need for the front slats and the depth of the frame for the top slats – both will need a slight

We show you how to disguise a radiator with a stylish cover, and suggest some alternatives you can buyit

overlap to form the joint at the top edge. Then decide on the width of timber – we used 38mm wide. We made the spacing between slats half the width of each slat, but it can be whatever width you choose.

4Collect materials from your local DIY store. Many stores will offer a free cutting service, so you can get the MDF panels and slats cut to your measurements.

5Build the frame. Secure the left, right and two front panel pieces of MDF together using the right-angle brackets and short screws. Attach one front panel to the bottom of the two end pieces, and the other to the top. You may also need to cut away a small area at the bottom of the end panels to accommodate skirting boards. This can be done using a hand saw.

6Collect together all the slats for the front and cut a 45° angle across the top of each one. This can be done using a mitre saw or a hand saw and mitre box. Attach the slats to the two front MDF panels using pin-head nails, starting from one end and working your way along the full width of the frame. Make sure that each slat is attached with the 45° angle at the top and facing inwards. A piece of wood cut to the size of the gap you want to leave can serve as a handy guide to keep the spacing equal.

7

Collect together all the slats for the top and cut a 45° angle across one end of each of them. Attach the angled end of a top slat to each of the angled ends of the front slats using some strong adhesive, creating a neat, 90° joint for each one.

8Once the adhesive is dry, sand down any rough edges, especially where the top and front slats meet.

9

Prime the entire frame using a quickdry undercoat. Leave to dry thoroughly, then paint the radiator cover in the colour of your choice. You may need a couple of coats, depending on the brand of paint you use.

10Once the paint is completely dry, place the cover over your radiator. Use rightangle brackets on each side to secure it to the wall if necessary.

This project was provided by Carla Elliman, a graphic designer with a love for all things bright, colourful and contemporary. She lives with her partner Fraser and their cat Bramble in a small semi-detached house in Chester. For the past few years Carla has been showcasing the renovation of her and Fraser’s first home on Instagram. For more information on the renovation and this project check out Carla’s Instagram account @carlaelliman.

or buy it?

Unfinished, ready for you to paint in any colour you like, this smart radiator cover comes in various sizes, the smallest of which has internal dimensions of H82 X W78 x D19cm.

Ressie radiator cover, from £35.87, Wayfair

With a handy drawer that’s useful for keys and other essentials, this cover is designed to fit radiators up to H65 x W71.5 x D16.5cm in size. It’s also available in cream and black.

Banbury mini radiator cover, £99, Dunelm

TOOL school

Whether it’s skirting boards, door frames, or timber for other DIY projects, a mitre saw is the best tool for making angled cuts. Prices start at around £50 for a basic model, but spend a little more and you can get features such as laser guides and integrated clamps. If you plan to cut larger pieces of timber, look out for sliding models, such as the Mac Allister 1500W Corded Sliding Mitre Saw from B&Q, which has a mechanism that allows the blade to move backwards and forwards for a greater cutting width.

SHINE ON

Accommodating a radiator up to H80 x W106 x D16cm, this elegant design features hand-cut, bevelled white glass panels and doubles up as a console table. Anastasia white glass radiator cover, £249.99, MY Furniture

HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECT October 2022 115 Mac Allister 1500W 220240V 210mm corded sliding mitre saw, £89, B&Q

Save time by choosing one of these smart designs

Lisa Hibberd

ASK THE

Our team of experts answer your home improvement questions

QMy bathroom tiles need a refresh – how can I do this myself? Can I paint them?

Kate Edwards, Perth

A Rachael Meadowcroft, Product Manager at Ronseal, says…

You certainly can paint your tiles. Specialist tile paint is a must-have if you’re looking for colour, even coverage and protection against the damp and mould that comes with everyday bathroom use. Ronseal’s one-coat tile paint range can be used on old or previously painted

tiles so is suitable for most interior tiled surfaces.

To use it, wipe the tiles clean first, then apply the paint with a brush, working in one vertical direction. Paint up to the grout line and check coverage after 24 hours.

If you’re painting over a dark colour, you may need to apply a second coat. Once the paint is dry, use a grout pen and cleaner, repairing any damage as you go.

QCan I install loft insulation myself? I’m a fairly experienced DIYer. Lia Everell, Swansea

A Joanna O’Loan, Knowledge Manager, Energy Saving Trust, says… Insulating your loft is a great way to reduce heat-loss in your home and can pay for itself many times over its 40-year lifetime. If the space is easy to access and has no damp or condensation problems, it may be possible to install insulation

yourself by laying mineral wool insulation. The first layer is laid between the joists – the horizontal beams that make up the floor of the loft – then another layer is laid at right angles to cover the joists and make the insulation up to at least 270mm.

If your loft space is prone to damp and condensation, is difficult to access, or if you’re planning to use it as a living space, it’s best to get professional advice. For a typical semidetached home, installing loft insulation to a depth of 270mm could save you £255 on your energy bills a year.*

*Figures based on a gas-heated home and calculated with the April 2022 price cap.

Ronseal One Coat Tile Paint in Ivory Satin, £23.15 per 750ml, Amazon

QSome of my furniture looks a little run-down and doesn’t suit my décor anymore, but I don’t want to splash out on new pieces. What can I do to update them?

Steph Akinsanya, Greater Manchester

ASophie Hill, Marketing and Insight and Innovation at Rothley, says… You don’t have to break the bank to freshen up your home décor: upcycling furniture you already have is a cost-effective way to add a new feature to your home. If you haven’t done a lot of DIY before, start small by giving old furniture a lick of paint or add some self-adhesive vinyl. Many paint companies do sample-size pots, which are perfect for when you want to stick to a budget and you won’t have lots of paint left over.

Another way to freshen up an old piece is by adding hardware to it. Removing the traditional wooden legs from a chest of drawers and adding long hairpin legs can completely transform it and give it a new purpose in your home. You can have some fun with paint samples here, too, to create a colourful design that’s also practical.

Rothley 2 pin hairpin leg, 350mm in Antique Brass, £14.50, Ironmongery Direct

@the_shoestring_home on Instagram

A Ceri McMillan, home insurance expert at GoCompare, says… The cost of home insurance can vary, not only due to the factors that affect your quote – such as your age, the contents value and level of cover, the location of your property and its construction features – but also due to variation between providers. When it comes to getting cheaper home insurance, our biggest tip is to shop around before you buy. We always recommend comparing policies before accepting a renewal: if it’s been a while since you last renewed, you may save money.

While many of the factors that affect your quote aren’t things you can change – like your personal details and location – there are some things you can do that may help keep the cost down. Opt to pay annually, if you can afford to, as you may be charged interest on monthly payments. Buy a combined home and contents

policy, as this is generally cheaper than two separate policies from different insurers. Only get the cover you need by making sure you estimate rebuild costs accurately, and carefully work out the value of contents insurance you need for

your possessions. The most important thing is ensuring your policy offers the right level of cover for you – not too much and not too little. So, read the policy documents carefully before making your decision.

A Mark Lane, TV presenter and gardening expert for Stannah, says… With the smell of bonfires, mists lingering in the morning air, and the last remains of warmth in the soil, October is a great month to get outdoors and get your garden into shape.

Trees and some shrubs are best bought and planted when they’re bare-rooted – these plants have been lifted from the growing field and had the earth washed off their roots. Bare-root plants need to be planted as soon as they arrive, but because they haven’t been grown on in a container sitting in a nursery, they can be bought for a fraction of the cost of a potted plant –sometimes a third of the price.

When it comes to soil improvers, you can’t beat leaf mould. Gather up the fallen deciduous leaves and either store them in an open-sided bay to allow rain and air to circulate, or place the leaves into black bin bags, add water from a watering can, tie the bag up, make some holes in the bottom with a garden fork for drainage and leave it in a corner of the garden until next year. When the leaves have composted down, you’ll

be left with a gorgeous crumbly mix that will bring life back to old soils and plants.

Some plants turn to ‘mush’ when the autumn rains come so cut these back to the ground and add them to your compost. Remember to mix green waste (kitchen scraps and plants) with brown (leaves, hay and pine needles) and avoid cooked foods, meat and dairy. Add water, turn regularly and in a few months you’ll have garden compost to add as a mulch in the spring.

WE NEED YOUR QUESTIONS!

If you have a DIY or maintenance question, write to Ask the Experts, Your Home, Our Media Limited, Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST or email yourhome@ourmedia.co.uk

QWhat can I do in my garden now that will save me money later?

Jess Parr, Kingston upon Hull

QHow can I save money on my home insurance? Niamh Scott, Norwich

Photos Getty Images

ONE OF THE EARLIEST

WALLFLOWERS – sure to make you smile with the eye-catching explosion of vivid colours and fabulous fragrance from early spring to early summer. The sweet fragrance can be enjoyed when these compact and bushy plants fill borders or patio containers beside doors or alongside pathways. Cheery by name and cheery by nature – a great source of early nectar for visiting wildlife whilst they wait for summertime. Fully hardy annuals. Your order is coveredbyourNoQuibbleGuarantee and will be confirmed together with a copy of our latest catalogue. Your bareroots and bulbs will be delivered in October, the perfect time for planting.

Total

UPDATES Garden

Plant

OF THE MONTH

Add some seasonal interest to your patio or eye-catching colour to your beds and borders with Acer Palmatum ‘Emerald Lace’, also known as the Japanese Maple. This spectacular plant has delicate, lime-green leaves that unfurl in spring and tinge with a golden red through summer. But it’s in autumn that they truly shine, by turning a deep red. Plant your small tree into moist, fertile soil in the garden, or use a soilbased potting mix in a large container. It’ll eventually reach a height of 3-4m. Priced from £14.99 from Thompson & Morgan.

FROM TINY ACORNS…

Do your bit to protect smaller garden birds during the cold winter months with this delightful acorn-shaped birdhouse. Although it’s early for nesting season, by introducing this house to a nice, sheltered spot in your garden now, smaller, cavity-nesting birds, such as wrens, can get used to their new home, before spring arrives. The 3cm entrance hole is a perfect size for them and helps to keep larger species from invading their space. Simply take off the decorative lid should you need to get inside to give it a clean. The Acorn Bird House costs £26 from A Place for Everything.

A cut above

Dead-heading and pruning will be even more of a joy when you use these lightweight but hard-wearing secateurs. Endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, you can be sure of both a sharp snip and a comfortable grip. Plus, they’re extremely pretty to boot. We just love their bold blue handles and the matching navy holster adorned with delicate meadow blooms and butterflies, which are taken from illustrations that date back to 1815. Buy them for £21.99 from Burgon & Ball.

BREAK IT DOWN

Unsure what to do in your garden and when? Then you need this handy guide. Illustrated with beautiful linocut artwork, it takes you through each month, with advice on which tasks to complete. The Gardener’s Yearbook by Martyn Cox is published by Mitchell Beazley and costs £18.99.

Keep garden birds happy and healthy this autumn, plant late-flowering perennials, and turn over for your seasonal garden jobs to-do list

Feature Sarah Trevor

In your gardenTHIS MONTH

The Harvest Festival is traditionally celebrated on a Sunday close to the autumn equinox, which, this year, falls on Friday 23rd September. Farmers across the country will be busily gathering in their crops around this time so you can expect to see displays bursting with plump, colourful produce showing up everywhere from shop windows to village halls towards the end of September and into early October.

Pumpkins and winter squashes are among the most popular autumnal produce, with winter squashes having hardier skins than summer varieties. They store well over long periods and are very versatile in the kitchen, so gather in these fruits as they ripen.

Dropping temperatures are a signal that it’s time to plant garlic, which needs a period of cold in order to develop. Always buy named varieties of certified disease-free garlic from a

Feast on pumpkins and squashes – theykeep for ages andwork in a wide variety of dishes

October bestows a mosaic of jewel-coloured autumnal foliage and luscious berries across the land

Feature Louise Midgley

Photos Getty Images

HOW TO… plant up winter containers

The trick to making a beautiful winter display is choosing a variety of different-coloured foliage plants. Look for evergreens in shades of lime green, ochre, silver and purple (such as heucheras and ornamental grasses) and intersperse these with winter-flowering heathers, hellebores and pansies to lift the arrangement with pretty bursts of colour.

Stand the containers on pot feet, so that excess water from heavy bouts of rain can drain away freely, and don’t forget to position the containers where they’ll be appreciated the most.

WHYNOTTRY?

Lift tender perennials and overwinter them in a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory.

Enjoy the changing colours of the leaves, but keep an eye out for any that end up falling on to your lawn

Plant heucheras to ensure your beds are filled with plenty of colourful foliage throughout the colder months

Sow garlic in the autumn to allow the lower temperatures to help it develop. Place each clove about 2.5cm deep in nutrient-rich soil with the narrow end pointing up

garden centre, as the garlic stocked in supermarkets may carry diseases. Plant each clove into freedraining soil in a sunny site. Keep the soil weed-free and water it during dry periods in spring. The garlic should be ready to harvest when the leaves turn yellow in early summer.

Autumn also means leaves falling – good news for your soil, but not your lawn. Earthworms will deal with leaves that fall on beds and borders, but any that fall on the lawn should be raked up to prevent them killing the grass. Use them to make leafmould, which is a great soil conditioner (it’s a slow but simple process; find instructions on rhs.org.uk).

Supplementing the natural food birds find in your garden with seeds and fat balls helps keep them plump and warm during the colder months. The Vivara Leto Smart Feeder only allows lightweight birds to access the food, which is ideal if larger birds and squirrels are eating the food you’re leaving out. It costs £34.95 from vivara.co.uk.

SIX OF THE BEST

SIX OF THE BEST Ornamental grasses

For graceful movement, an array of muted tones and structural forms throughout the year, shop our edit of ornamental grasses – many look their best during the autumnal months.

1.Stipa gigantea

Stipa gigantea, the golden oats grass, is among the tallest of the grasses, reaching heights of around 2.5m. Plant it among lofty perennials such as Verbena bonariensis or Gaura lindheimeri and its weightless, arching branches will mingle seamlessly with theirs.

2.Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’

The upper part of the linear leaves of this deciduous grass are suffused with cranberry tones, which deepen to burgundy in late autumn, before becoming dormant in winter. ’Rubra‘ may need some protection in very cold parts of the country.

3.Miscanthus nepalensis

Give this Miscanthus a sunny, sheltered spot in well-drained soil and you’ll be rewarded with tall, golden flower plumes, which arch gracefully above lush green foliage. It’s native to the Himalayas, hence its common name Himalayan Fairy Grass.

4.Carex oshimensis Everest (FiWhite)

A useful clump-forming perennial that has dark green leaves and silvery-white variegated margins. This versatile plant suits being planted in the front of the border, as well as in pots that sit on the patio.

5.Stipa tenuissima

A truly tactile plant that you’ll want to run your fingers through at every opportunity. Commonly known as Mexican feather grass, this semi-evergreen plant will fill the gaps between herbaceous perennials either singularly, or running through the border in drifts.

6.Lagurus ovatus ‘Bunnies’ Tails’

Little furry flowers on the end of short stems give this dwarf variety its charming common names, bunnies’ tails or hare’s tails grass. Not only is this plant suitable for drying, it also makes the perfect foil for bunches of cut flowers from the garden.

Stipagigantea raises its tuftyheads to lofty heights.

grasses inearly spring, just asthe new shoots are coming through.

A TOUCH OF THE PRAIRIE

Ornamental grasses have enjoyed a monumental rise in popularity since the Dutch garden designer, Piet Oudolf, let them take centre stage in his prairie-style planting schemes. Their versatility of shape and form complements both traditional and modern garden designs, and they make great specimens to be grown in pots. Most require a position in full sunlight and free-draining soil, although a few can cope with a little shade and moisture-retentive soil.

Amazing PRIZES UP FOR GRABS!

You don’t have to sacrifice style for safety with Rothley’s latest range of bathroom grab rails – and to celebrate the launch of the brand’s new range of accessories, we’ve got 15 pairs of grab rails to offer to Your Home readers who enter this prize draw.

The latest collection from Rothley combines function and fashion: ideal for those who need a little extra assistance around the home but want it to come with a touch of sophistication too.

The grab rails come in two lengths, 305mm and 457mm, and a selection of beautiful finishes including Antique Brass, Antique Copper, Matt Black, Matt White, Polished Copper and Pewter.

For more information, and to see the full range, visit ironmongery direct.co.uk

Your Home is teaming up with iconic cutlery brand Viners to offer you one of six chances to win an Eden 24-piece cutlery set. Featuring smooth rounded handles with elegant curves, the set is beautifully presented in a wooden box and ideal for creating a chic tablescape.

The stylish cutlery has been made with stainless steel and crafted to have the perfect weight and balance so each piece feels comfortable in the hand.

The collection contains lustrous properties that are rust-resistant and dishwasher-safe and comes with a 50-year guarantee.

For more information, visit viners.co.uk

Known for its beautiful hand-illustrated prints, Sophie Allport is celebrating its 15th year. To mark the occasion, the renowned British brand is offering two lucky Your Home readers a £250 voucher to spend on sophieallport.com!

Inspired by the countryside, the latest autumn/ winter 2022 collection includes the Woodland Walks print in collaboration with the National Trust. Available across textiles and crockery, the range evokes chilly days of walking through crisp forests and adds a cosy touch to your home.

For more information, and to view the collections, visit sophieallport. com

Queen of Clean, Lynsey Crombie, has joined forces with Swan to create an exciting new range of cleaning appliances. The Pretty in Pink range features an easy-to-use carpet cleaner, a lightweight vacuum and hand-held steam cleaner, all of which are powerful and efficient, and look great.

To mark the launch, Swan is giving Your Home readers a chance to win one of two prize bundles containing all three products. The hand-held accessories will make cleaning a breeze – they’re ideal for last-minute spruceups, especially useful as we enter the time of year when unexpected guests might be arriving. Each appliance is lightweight and easy to store – great for keeping a squeaky clean home.

For more information, visit swanbrand.co.uk

Garden specialist Cobra is offering three bundles of garden machinery to Your Home readers, so you can keep your garden looking spectacular all year round. With 40V of cutting power, the MX3440V cordless lawnmower offers the ultimate in lawncare. With five adjustable cutting heights, it enables you to tackle longer grass as well as achieve a superb low finish, so your grass stays picture-perfect. The MX3440V also has the added benefit of folding handles, taking the stress out of transportation and storage with restricted space.

The QS2500 quiet shredder is also up for grabs, helping to shred garden waste in pieces of up to 40mm in diameter. Its low noise levels and ergonomically positioned controls make garden clear-ups a breeze!

For more information, visit cobragarden.co.uk

WIN

To celebrate 100 years of clean homes, Zoflora is giving Your Home readers the chance to win one of 10 Zoflora cleaning bundles, each of which includes the Sweet Pea limited-edition fragrance. Sweet Pea is a delicate blend of sweet pea flowers and honeysuckle on a comforting woody base and is only available for a limited period.

In 1922, Zoflora developed the first fragranced concentrated disinfectants containing essential oils from real flowers.

Today, Zoflora is used in millions of households by people looking to keep their homes hygienically clean and beautifully fragrant. Its range of cleaning products leave a long-lasting fragrance while killing 99.9 per cent of viruses and bacteria.

For more information, visit zoflora.co.uk

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1 The closing date for the promotions is 13th October 2022 at 11.59pm. 2 The promotions are open to all residents of the UK, including the Channel Islands (except the Swan prize draw, which is open to mainland UK residents only), aged 18 years or older, except Our Media Limited’s employees or contractors and anyone connected with the promotion or their direct family members. 3 For the full list of Terms and Conditions, visit yourhomestyle.uk/win. 4 For the Rothley prize draw, both grab rails must be the same finish, subject to availability. Delivery is included but installation is excluded. 5 For the Sophie Allport prize draw, the gift card is valid for one year. 6 *The Sophie Allport discount code is valid for UK residents only, from 1st-28th September 2022. The discount code is not valid on sale items, gift vouchers, made to measure curtains and blinds or service charges, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. 7 For the Viners prize draw, delivery is included. 8 For the Swan prize draw, delivery is included. 9 For the Zoflora prize draw, each bundle contains 7x Concentrated Multipurpose Disinfectant, 7x Multipurpose Disinfectant Cleaner, 7x Disinfectant Mist and 5x Antibacterial Cleaning Wipes (including 1x Sweet Pea fragrance in each product). Delivery is included. 10 For the Cobra prize draw, delivery is included.

Shopping GUIDE

AA Place for Everything

01244 680501

aplaceforeverything.co.uk

Abode abodedesigns.co.uk

Abstract House 020 8099 9243 abstracthouse.com

Airbnb airbnb.co.uk

Al Murad 0113 322 8075 al-murad.co.uk

Amazon amazon.co.uk

Amos Lighting + Home 01392 877737 amoslighting.co.uk

Amtico 0121 745 0800 amtico.com

Annabel James 0345 548 0210 annabeljames.co.uk

Annie Sloan 01865 770061 anniesloan.com

AO.com 0161 470 1100 ao.com

Argos argos.co.uk

Arley House arleyhouse.com

Art Gallery Fabrics liveartgalleryfabrics.com

Asda 0800 952 0101 asda.com

Auburn Fox auburnfox.co.uk

B

B&M 0330 838 9000 bmstores.co.uk

B&Q 0333 014 3357 diy.com

Barker & Stonehouse 0333 010 2353 barkerandstonehouse.co.uk

Bathroom Mountain 01782 405047 bathroommountain.co.uk

Beaumonde beaumonde.co.uk

Bed World 020 3946 3800 bedworld.net

Beldray beldray.com

Benjamin Moore benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk

BHS 0333 005 0070 bhs.com

Blinds 2go 0800 862 0464 blinds-2go.co.uk

Bobbi Beck bobbibeck.com

Bobo1325 07852 990697 bobo1325.com

Boots boots.com

Brabantia brabantia.com/uk

Breville breville.co.uk

Buck & Bear buckandbear.co.uk

Burbidge Kitchen Makers 02476 671600 burbidgekitchenmakers.co.uk

Burgon & Ball burgonandball.com

CCa’ Pietra 01380 735885 capietra.com

Camomile London camomile.london

Carpetright 0330 333 3444 carpetright.co.uk

Casita Homeware casitahomeware.com

Claybrook Studio claybrookstudio.co.uk

Clean Living cleanlivingint.com

Where to buy everything in this issue

COAT Paints coatpaints.com

Collecting Seashells collectingseashells.com

Cotton Clara cottonclara.com

Crafty You Crafty Me craftyyoucraftyme.com

Crown Paints crownpaints.co.uk

Cuckooland cuckooland.com

Cult Furniture 020 8185 6960 cultfurniture.com

Curating Cambridge curatingcambridge.co.uk

Ddär lighting 01295 672234 darlighting.co.uk

Decorating Centre Online decoratingcentreonline.co.uk

Desenio 020 3318 2047 desenio.co.uk

DFS 0333 999 9777 dfs.co.uk

Dibor 0800 408 0660 dibor.co.uk

Direct Stoves 0161 516 7642 directstoves.com

Doble Bathrooms 020 8898 1001 doblebathrooms.com

Dowsing & Reynolds dowsingandreynolds.com

Dulux 0333 222 7171 dulux.co.uk Dunelm dunelm.com

Dusk Lighting 01392 363200 dusklights.co.uk

Eecoegg ecoegg.com

Eliza Doodle Designs elizadoodledesigns.com

Ella James 01572 759190 ellajames.co.uk

Emma Bridgewater emmabridgewater.co.uk

Enjoy The Wood enjoythewood.com Etsy etsy.co.uk

FFabulosa myfabulosa.co.uk

Farrow & Ball 01202 876141 farrow-ball.com

Ferm Living fermliving.com

Flooring Supplies 0800 999 8100

flooringsupplies.co.uk

Frenchic 01276 469757 frenchicpaint.co.uk

Fresh Start Living 07483 864633

freshstartliving.co.uk

Fritz Fryer 01989 567416 fritzfryer.co.uk

furn 0113 543 1381 furn.com

Furniture And Choice 0333 015 0000 furniturechoice.co.uk

Fy! iamfy.co

GGallery Print & Art 01908 01577

galleryprintandart.co.uk

Garden Trading 01993 845559 gardentrading.co.uk

George Home 0800 952 0101 direct.asda.com

Getting Personal gettingpersonal.co.uk

Gisela Graham giselagraham.co.uk

Glass Films 0800 970 6366 glassfilms.eu

GlassCast Resin 01782 450300 glasscastresin.com

GoCarShare gocarshare.com

Green Retreats 01296 325777 greenretreats.co.uk

GROHE grohe.co.uk/en_gb

HH&M Home 0344 736 9000 hm.com

Habitat 0345 640 2020 habitat.co.uk

Harvey Maria 0330 330 1231 harveymaria.com

Heating and Plumbing London heating-and-plumbing.com

Heavenly Homes & Gardens heavenlyhomesandgardens.co.uk

Hiyacar hiyacar.co.uk

Homescapes 0121 368 0051 homescapesonline.com

Homesense homesense.com

Housecosy housecosy.com

Howdens howdens.com

Huddle Collection huddlecollection.com

Hudson Home hudsonhome.co.uk

Hudson Reed 01422 417100 hudsonreed.co.uk

I

Iconic Lights 0161 837 6092 iconiclights.co.uk

Idyll Home idyllhome.co.uk

IKEA ikea.com

ILIV 01772 651199 iliv.co.uk

Industville 020 7971 7871

industville.co.uk

Initially London 0800 156 0878

initiallylondon.com

InSinkErator 01923 297880 insinkerator.co.uk

Ivyline 024 7633 9180 ivylinegb.co.uk

JJacobs & Dalton 012845 578951 jacobsanddalton.com

Joe Browns joebrowns.co.uk

John Lewis & Partners johnlewis.com

Johnson Tiles 01782 575575

johnson-tiles.com

Juniqe juniqe.co.uk

Just Fabrics justfabrics.co.uk

JYSK 0330 088 3818 jysk.co.uk

LLa Redoute laredoute.co.uk

Lakeland lakeland.co.uk

Lakeland Furniture

lakeland-furniture.co.uk

Lakes 01684 853870

lakesshoweringspaces.com

Laura Ashley darlighting.co.uk/laura-ashley-lighting Lick lick.com/uk

Lifestyle Floors 01675 433518 lifestyle-floors.co.uk

Liftshare liftshare.com/uk

Lighting Direct 0345 646 1137 lighting-direct.co.uk

Lights4fun 01423 816040 lights4fun.co.uk

Lumie lumie.com

Lust Home 0808 169 1796 lusthome.com

MMM Linen uk.mmlinen.com M&Co mandco.com

Mad About Mid Century Modern

madaboutmidcenturymodern.com

MADE.com made.com

Made to Last made-to-last.co.uk

Magnet magnet.co.uk

Marks & Spencer 0333 014 8000 marksandspencer.com

Marquis & Dawe 01925 767611 marquisanddawe.co.uk

MasterPeaceAtHome etsy.com/shop/ MasterPeaceAtHome

Matalan matalan.co.uk

Melody Maison 01302 741000 melodymaison.co.uk

Methven methvenhottap.com

Mira Showers 0800 001 4040 mirashowers.co.uk

Modish Living 01273 499057 modishliving.co.uk

Modutti modutti.com

My Furniture 0800 092 1636 my-furniture.com

Mylands mylands.com

NNaken Interiors naken.co.uk

Natalia Willmott 07949 240470

nataliawillmott.co.uk

National Trust shop.nationaltrust.org.uk

Naturewall 01482 833479 naturewall.com

Next 0333 777 8000 next.co.uk

Nöa & Nani noaandnani.co.uk

Nordic Nest nordicnest.com

Not Just Jugs 020 7254 9996 notjustjugs.com

Nunido nunido.co.uk

OOak Furnitureland 0800 440 2254 oakfurnitureland.co.uk

OceanSaver ocean-saver.com

Octopus Books octopusbooks.co.uk

Office Outlet officeoutlet.com

OKA oka.com/uk

Oliver Bonas 020 8059 2414 oliverbonas.com

Original Source originalsource.co.uk

Original Style originalstyle.com

Orthex orthexgroup.com

Otovo otovo.co.uk

PPelipal inhouseltd.co.uk

Perrin & Rowe perrinandrowe.co.uk

Plankbridge 01300 348414 plankbridge.com

Plank Hardware 020 4571 0322 plankhardware.com

Pooky 020 7351 3003 pooky.com

Porcelain Superstore porcelainsuperstore.co.uk

Primark primark.com

ProCook 0330 100 1010 procook.co.uk

Pushka Home 020 3056 7556 pushkahome.com

QQettle 01603 875464 qettle.com

Quick Step 028 3025 0477 quick-step.co.uk

Quooker 0161 7685900 quooker.co.uk

RRAK Ceramics 01730 237850 rakceramics.com/uk/ Rebecca Udall 01904 439658 rebeccaudall.com

Rhoom rhoom.com

Rockett St George 01444 253391 rockettstgeorge.co.uk

Roman Showers 01325 328033 roman-showers.com

Rose & Grey roseandgrey.co.uk

Rubeza 0800 955 0028 rubeza.com

SSadolin 0330 024 0298 sadolin.co.uk Sainsbury’s sainsburys.co.uk

Scaramanga 01334 657642 scaramangashop.co.uk

Screwfix screwfix.com

Search Press 01892 510850 searchpress.com

Signify signify.com

Skudaboo etsy.com/uk/shop/ Skudaboo

Sofa.com 0345 400 2222 sofa.com

Sofology 0344 481 8181 sofology.co.uk

Sophie Allport 01778 560256 sophieallport.com

Sparkle Lighting sparkle.lighting Splashback.co.uk splashback.co.uk

Spoiled Life Store spoiledlife.co.uk Studio.co.uk studio.co.uk

Sue Ryder 0800 917 8123 shop.sueryder.org

Sweetpea & Willow 0345 257 2627 sweetpeaandwillow.com Swoon 020 3139 6332 swooneditions.com

TTesco tesco.com

The Braided Rug Company braided-rug.co.uk

The DRH Collection thedrhcollection.com

The Glass Hub 01225 768888 theglasshub.com

The Headboard Workshop 01291 628216 theheadboardworkshop.co.uk

The Painted Furniture Company paintedfurnitureco.co.uk

The Range 0345 026 7598 therange.co.uk

The Wood Veneer Hub 01525 851166 thewoodveneerhub.co.uk

Thompson & Morgan thompson-morgan.com

Thorndown Paints 0800 023 5654 thorndown.co.uk

Tikkurila 0131 334 4999 tikkurila.co.uk

Tile Mountain 01782 223822 tilemountain.co.uk

Tine K Home tinekhome.com

TK Maxx 01923 473561 tkmaxx.com

Toggl toggl.com

Tom Pigeon tompigeon.com

UUK Flooring Direct 02476 012840 ukflooringdirect.co.uk

Urban Front 01494 778787 urbanfront.com

Used Kitchen Exchange usedkitchenexchange.co.uk

WWalls and Floors 01536 314730 wallsandfloors.co.uk

Wallsauce 01772 284110 wallsauce.com

Walton & Co waltonsofyorkshire.co.uk Wandsworth Electrical wandsworthelectrical.com

Wandsworth Sash Windows 020 7924 7303 sashwindows.london

Waterstones waterstones.com

Wayfair wayfair.co.uk

We Love Cushions 020 8801 5491 welovecushions.co.uk

Weaver Green weavergreen.com

Where Saints Go wheresaintsgo.co.uk

Wickes wickes.com

Wilko 0800 032 9329 wilko.com

Winter’s Moon 01243 781127 wintersmoon.co.uk

Wodar wodar.com

WoodWick woodwick.yankeecandle.co.uk

Woven 020 8124 7111 woven.co.uk Wowcher wowcher.co.uk

YYesColours yescolours.com

4lite 4liteuk.com

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Tales from the Hoop

ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT

Floral gold wreath, £35; Bea stoneware plate, £17.50; Filipa recycled cotton floral throw, £28

domesticsciencehome.co.uk; 7a Talbot Square, Stow-on-theWold, Cotswolds GL54 1BQ; 01451 263106

Domestic

stoneware

and

to

Sophie Ellis

‘We’re an

for elevated

and timeless vintage finds to make modern life that bit better.’

Ruby Friel, Still Life Story