Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i Style At Home

In the week between Christmas and New Year, I settle down with a notebook and make lists of my goals, plans and dreams for the coming year. Some of them come to nothing (one of last year’s was to learn to drive, but I only managed 10 lessons…), but others fly and suddenly I’m moving forward in life! One list is all about home, with a mixture of unsexy jobs (buy a new vacuum cleaner), fun stuff (learn how to make a soufflé), and downright scary projects (redo the bathroom). Whatever home challenge you set yourself this year – from building a kitchen extension like Annie Edwards’ (p88) to cooking a vegan dinner (p110), you’ll find plenty to choose from in this issue. Enjoy – and don’t forget to share…

When it came to selecting a location to buy our next house, it was quite simply a case of putting a pin on the map,’ says Suzie. ‘The area had to have good secondary schools for our two boys Louis and Xavier, and a mainline station into London for my husband Spencer’s commute to work. A village northwest of Oxford ticked all the boxes and offered beautiful countryside on the doorstep as a bonus. But when the sale of our old house fell through on the day of exchange, we had no choice but to rent in the area, as the boys’ schooling was already in place. We moved into a picturesque, 300-year-old cottage just outside the village, and ended up renting there for nearly five years while still keeping…

1 Find a suitable branch and strip using a wallpaper scraper, then sand off any remaining bark. 2 Wrap twine around each end of the branch and knot to secure. You could also add beads before knotting the twine. 3 Create a twine loop to hang small vases or jars. Take the loop behind the branch, holding the string ends, then feed the ends up and through the loop, puling tight. Then wrap the ends around the vase, and knot. 4 Hang on a secure hook and fill vases with stems and water.…

I’m a real home bird, so when I started house-hunting with my partner Toby, I knew the type of property was more important to me than the location,’ says Lucy. 'We’d outgrown our rented flat and we also wanted a garden, as we were desperate to get a dog. I looked at hundreds of options online, but when I spotted this house, I was sure it was “the one”. When we walked in, it felt like a well-loved home. ‘I really liked the period fireplaces, the ceiling mouldings and the quirky steps, nooks and crannies. Some of the colourful decor wasn’t really me, but I knew that could be changed. We didn’t even bother viewing any other places as nothing else had the character, the space or the unique vibe…

1 Use a piece of plywood or MDF as the base of the board. Lay out rolled wadding or batting and place the board on top, leaving about a 5cm border. 2 Pull the wadding tightly over the edges and use a staple gun to secure all the way around the border. 3 Repeat the process with your chosen fabric, neatly folding the corners. 4 Turn over and, using ribbon or elastic, criss-cross over the board, securing at the back with a staple gun. 5 Use decorative or upholstery nails to pin at the crossing points of the ribbon. Finally, add picture frame hangers to the back of the board.…

I love anything to do with interiors and ever since I moved here, I’ve hardly stopped decorating,’ says Jayne. ‘Magazines, Pinterest and Instagram help me keep up with new styles and ideas, and I’ve tried lots of different looks over the years. At the moment, I’m into moody darks with pops of bright colour, but I love vintage and upcycled pieces and I’ve always been a massive Orla Kiely fan. I just go with what I like at the time, and try not to overthink things. When I first bought the house, it was a bland, magnolia box. I didn’t have a lot of money to spend straight away, but as soon as I had the keys, I ripped out the grubby old carpets and my mum helped me paint…

Transform a picture ledge into the ultimate jewellery organiser. Fix the ledge to the wall upside down and screw hooks and eyes into the front and back edges to hang jewellery from. Use the top surface to display make-up and accessories.…

There’s nothing like having children to show up your house’s shortcomings,’ says Annie. ‘So when our son Frank and daughter Martha came along, it became clear our existing kitchen just wasn’t going to work. It was small, boring and beige, but because it was usable, we ended up living with it for years. My husband Harry and I could clearly see that no thought had been given to how a family would use it and this was, after all, a family home, so it really needed sorting once and for all. Grand design The kitchen was just one element of the three-storey extension we wanted, which included a bedroom above the living/ dining area next to the kitchen, plus a loft conversion. We contacted an architect, applied for planning, and…

Bodbyn unit doors, from £22 each; Hishult handles, £8 for two; Vimmern tap, £150, all Ikea. Fisher Paykel dual-fuel range cooker, £2,099, Appliance City. Bespoke oak island worktop, £250m. Oxsten mineral-effect worktop with glitter quartz, £150m, Ikea. Dualit Classic copper toaster, £199, Lakeland. For similar lights try the Dime pendant, £59, Industville. Stools, £40 each; find similar vintage school desks from £10, both eBay. Cheswick radiator is similar, £231.18, Aquabliss. Walls painted in Stiffkey Blue modern emulsion, £45 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. Similar London map, from £17, Notonthehighstreet.com. Zinc three-seater sofa, £879, DFS. Yellow furry cushion, £12, Matalan. Table, £579, Arighi Bianci. Red chairs, £60 for two, Arthur Swallow Fairs…

ABOUT ME I’m Amy McLeod, 38, and I’m a midwife. I live in a Georgian townhouse in Kent, with my husband and daughter Ruby, 13. We bought the property in November 2004. MY CHALLENGE To give our chintzy, outdated bathroom a dramatic overhaul more in line with my style, using a deep colour scheme and industrial accents. MY WISH LIST I wanted a concrete floor, vintage copper taps and a modern, freestanding bath, among many other items. Needless to say, my budget didn’t stretch quite as far as I’d originally hoped, so some compromises had to be made.…

MINCEMEAT AND MACAROON TART TAKES 55MIN SERVES 10 340g rich shortcrust pastry 2tbsp brandy 340g mincemeat 2 egg whites 170g ground almonds 110g caster sugar 60g flaked almonds Extra caster sugar and crème fraîche, to serve 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and use to line a 20.5cm tart tin. 2 Stir the brandy through the mincemeat and spoon the filling into the tart, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Whisk the egg whites until frothy, then beat in the ground almonds and caster sugar. Spoon the mix on top of the mincemeat and scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 20-25min. 3 Sprinkle a little caster sugar over the top of the tart and serve warm with crème…

Stylish terrariums are very on trend. They’re just the remedy for bringing a touch of the outdoors inside during winter and look stunning on a table or windowsill. They also need very little looking after, so why not give this simple project a try? YOU WILL NEED Glass bottle/terrarium Drainage stones Houseplant soil Moss A selection of plants Watering can 1 CREATE A DRAINAGE LAYER Add a 2cm layer of small stones to the jar. JOIN SQUIRE’S PLANTING MASTERCLASSON FRIDAY 15 MARCH FOR MORE EXPERT ADVICE 2 ADD THE SOIL Pour in a 5cm layer of soil, or more for longer plant roots. 3 PICK YOUR PLANTS Make a few holes in the soil and add your chosen plants. Miniature orchids, asparagus ferns, and variegated spider ivy are all good…

Ready, steady, sort! CHUCK OLD HERBS AND SPICES They lose flavour after a while, so if they’re past their best, bin and replace. LOSE OLD NEWSPAPERS Sort though those stacks of newspapers and magazines, separating them into keep or recycle piles. TIDY YOUR TECH Clear your digital clutter by trashing any old files taking up space on your desktop and ditch those phone and tablet apps that you never use.…

BEETROOT BURGER  TAKES 30MIN MAKES 6 2tbsp olive oil 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1tsp nigella seeds 2 sweet potatoes 200g raw beetroot, grated 100g breadcrumbs 250g cooked mixed grains 8tbsp uncooked quinoa 6 poppyseed vegan buns 4tbsp egg-free mayonnaise 70g fresh rocket 2 avocados, mashed with the juice of 1 lime Few sun-dried tomatoes 4tsp crispy fried onions 1 Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the nigella seeds, turn up the heat and cook until just golden. 2 Meanwhile, microwave the potatoes for 6-8min, until soft. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop out the flesh and put it in a food processor. Blitz until smooth. Then, add the beetroot, breadcrumbs, grains and onion mixture. Pulse to a…

A  Abigail Ahern 020 7354 8181 abigailahern.com Abode Living 01273 621116 abodeliving.co.uk Abstract House abstracthouse.com ACR 0121 706 8266 acrheatproducts.com Amara 0800 587 7645 amara.com Amazon amazon.co.uk Amtico 0121 745 0800 amtico.com Appliance City 0115 965 1937 appliancecity.co.uk Aquabliss aquabliss.co.uk Ardingly International Antiques & Collectors Fair 01636 702326 iacf.co.uk/ardingly Argos 0345 640 2020 argos.co.uk Arthur Swallow Antique & Home Shows 01298 27493 asfairs.com Asda 0800 952 0101 asda.com Audenza 0116 298 6393 audenza.com B  B&Q 0333 014 3098 diy.com Bloc Blinds 0800 107 5535 blocblinds.co.uk Bobby Rabbit 01143 217000 bobbyrabbit.co.uk Bonordic bonordic.co.uk British Ceramic Tile 01626 834774 britishceramictile.com British Heart Foundation 0116 232 4195 bhf.org.uk Bronte by Moon brontebymoon.co.uk C  Carpetright 0330 333 3444 carpetright.co.uk Christy 0845 758 5252 christy.co.uk Cox & Cox 0330 333 2123 coxandcox.co.uk Creative Tops 01536…

Update your tired, chipped, and cracked dinnerware with this fabulous, luxe-look set from Matalan. The smart marble effect makes this crockery pretty enough to keep on display on a sideboard, stacked on open shelving, or piled up on a worktop. 3 of the best… COPPER KITCHEN BUYS…

Terrazzo – a speckled composite material – is taking interiors by storm, covering everything from wallpaper to pendant lights. Originally used for flooring in 16th-century Italian palazzos, terrazzo is a mix of glass, marble and stone chips set in polished concrete, lending itself perfectly to beautiful floor tiles, but also as a motif on softer accessories like cushions or rugs.…

ABOUT ME I’m Suzie Williams, 47, and I live with my husband Spencer, 53, and sons Louis, 13, and Xavier, 11. MY HOME A Seventies four-bedroom link-detached house in Oxfordshire, which we bought in January 2016. WHEN I MOVED IN The interior had dingy carpets and dated wallpaper and, except for the kitchen, hadn’t been updated in nearly 40 years. AND NOW We’ve given every room a cosmetic overhaul and restored original features like the beautiful parquet flooring. The decor has a Scandi-inspired edge and colourful art that makes it personal to us. STYLE TIP Choose a cohesive set of colours to run through your home and help tie the different spaces together. Even one or two accent hues will help to create flow.…

With original parquet flooring lending instant character to her interior, Suzie kept it simple with streamlined Scandi-inspired pieces, open shelving and striking soft furnishings to add personality. A restrained palette of black, white, grey and blush creates a seamless flow, while pattern and character is layered onto the pared-back base with a cohesive collection of graphic wall art in unfussy geo designs.…

ABOUT ME I’m Lucy Dolke, 20, and I’m a student. I live with my partner toby rashley, 22, and our long-haired Dachshund, Honey. MY HOME A three-bedroom victorian terraced house in Gosport, Hampshire, which we bought in August 2016. WHEN WE BOUGHT IT the house had multi-coloured kitchen tiles, a yellow living room and purple main bedroom that weren’t my taste. the dark bathroom needed a refresh. AND NOW the look is classic but contemporary, with country elements in calm neutrals and relaxing greens. We’ve given the bathroom a period-style makeover. STYLE TIP Mirrors add light, create a strong focal point and can fit easily into any scheme.…

GRAHAM AND GREEN Convex mirrors are great for adding interest and creating a sense of space. Try small round convex mirror, £39.95. WALLPAPER DIRECT Wallpaper sets the sophisticated tone of Lucy’s bedroom. Get the look with Albany Symmetry Vertex wallpaper, £29 a roll. LIGHTING DIRECT Boost the country vibe and make a style statement with classic, metal fisherman’s pendant lights. At £24.95, the Searchlight silver-finish pendant is a brilliant buy. HOBBYCRAFT Personalise your home or create an inspiring message with copper wire letters, just £3.50 each. WICKES Add a standard lamp for a choice of lighting moods with Wickes’ Eglo Black/Copper Tripod floor lamp, £68.…

ABOUT ME I’m Jayne Stonely, 43. I live with my younger son Harry, 20, and cavapoos, Margot and Dolly. MY HOME A three-bedroom Nineties terrace in West Thurrock, Essex. We moved here in February 2003. WHEN WE MOVED IN The kitchen was dark and the units were coated in grease. There was an old archway through to the dining room and a little porch cutting into the living room. The carpets were dated and most of the walls were magnolia. AND NOW The ground floor is now open plan, so it feels much bigger and brighter. I’ve replaced the bathroom and kitchen and changed the decor more than once! STYLE TIP Avoid a cluttered feel by grouping accessories in threes or fives, with tall items at the back.…

the STYLE RULES Style an urban oasis in geo and blush Design an on-trend bathroom with lush plants, an angular suite and graphic tiles. GO MAXIMAL WITH TILES Showcase geo tiles on both walls and floors, in mono and blush hues for a contemporary choice. Add to the urban feel with a white-painted brick wall. PICK A MODERN SUITE Choose an angular-framed unit and basin, and team with modern matt black taps. Save space with a wall-hung toilet. INTRODUCE GREENERY Frame images of leafy palms and arrange planters filled with steam-loving tropical greenery. the STYLE RULES Go contemporary with geo prints and dark tones Update traditional sanitaryware with bright accent walls, smart storage and mono accessories. GO BOLD ON WALLS Contrast a white suite with a…

ABOUT ME I’m Annie Edwards, 36, and I live with my husband Harry, 41, and our two children Frank, seven, and Martha, five, in a detached five-bed Thirties house in Cheshire, bought 11 years ago. MY CHALLENGE We needed to create a space that our young family could enjoy as it grew and where we could have room to entertain. It had to make best use of the space and be a place to prepare food, eat and relax. MY WISH LIST I wanted an island to act as a casual dining area as well as to provide storage because I chose open shelving instead of wall units. I also wanted to be ‘green’, with plenty of insulation and energy-efficient appliances.…

Finding clever ways to conceal ducting, beams and plumbing work can sometimes pose a problem in a kitchen, but with the industrial trend such a big look right now, there’s no need to cover them up. Does my cooker hood need ducting? Cooker hoods can be set up in two ways: either to extract air from your kitchen and expel it outside, or to recirculate it. Extraction is a more effective way of removing steam and cooking smells especially if you have a large cooker, but requires the hood to be mounted on an external wall (or where a ventilation hose can be run to the outside), while a recirculating hood can be installed anywhere, such as above an island. Why would I leave ducting exposed? Generally, when installing an…

Walls painted in Valspar’s Dinner Jacket walls and ceiling paint, £28 for 2.5L, B&Q. Rhino classic polished concrete black vinyl flooring is similar, £18.99sq m, Carpetright. Charlotte Edwards black Richmond freestanding bath is similar, £900, JT Spas. WC, £400, Victorian Plumbing. Vero washbowl, £150, Duravit. Work bench (used as sink unit), £145, Mayfly Vintage. Mirror, £20, eBay. Rotvik pendant light, £45, Ikea. American tin tiles, £30 each, Ardingly Antiques Fair. Boring Things print, £20, King & McGaw. Landscape painting, £50; red chair, £50, both HomeSense. Attitude face artwork, from £16, Lush Eclectic. Botanical cushion, £10, H&M Home…

Insulate your windows Keep the cold out of your bedroom with these smart rollers from Bloc Blinds. Precision cut to fit your windows, the BlocOut range will reduce heat lost out of the window by up to 43 per cent, and they’re perfect for kids’ rooms, too, thanks to their clever spring-operated system that is completely chain-free. Plus, they’re just as handy in the summer, as they also block out sunlight. Choose from a range of 113 different fabrics, including both patterns and plain colours. BlocOut blinds in Glimmer Metallic Blackout, from £45, Bloc Blinds SPLIT LOGS FOR YOUR WOODBURNER WITH EASE BY HAMMERING DOWN ON THE ROUGHNECK WOOD GRENADE (£15 FROM B&Q) ADD A SIMPLE RADIATOR SHELF Perfect for narrow hallways, this smart unit will help you eke out…

Things have come a long way since engineer Hubert Cecil Booth invented the vacuum cleaner in 1901. Puffing Billy was a petrol-powered beast of a machine, but it was hugely popular, although you did need to book an appointment to get your carpet cleaned. These days you can just whizz around your home with a cordless in minutes! Upright or cylinder? Uprights are best for large, carpeted rooms, while cylinders are nimbler and greater for getting under furniture. Cylinders also come with a wider choice of attachments and tend to be smaller. But, some upright designs do have a separate hose and nozzle attachment, too, great for upholstery and getting into small spaces. Think about where you plan to store the vacuum as some need a charging base and a…

Book art Visit any charity shop and you’ll see rows of old, unwanted books. That’s where designer Clare Youngs steps in. While damaging books is a no-no for most of us, Book Art (£12.99, Cico Books) features 35 clever projects for repurposing pages that have seen better days. There’s something for all skill levels, with tools and techniques kept to a minimum. This pretty paper rose would make a heartfelt Valentine’s gift. Pick up a copy and find out how to make beautiful gifts from unloved novels and magazines (yes, even your old copies of Style at Home!). TRY YOUR HAND AT... POM-POMS Many of us remember spending hours as a child winding yarn around cardboard discs to create fluffy pompoms… Now you can recapture that magic, as pom-poms are…

Try these new meat-free marvels If going veggie is one of your New Year’s resolutions, then Charlie Bigham’s latest range will help you flex your flexitarian muscles. The four new dishes – Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni, Sweet Potato and Bean Chilli with Mexican Rice, Veg Lasagne and Cauliflower Macaroni Cheese – all serve two. Available from Ocado, Tesco and Waitrose. Dumplings with a difference Want a quick dessert that takes minutes to make? Asian-inspired food chain Itsu has just launched a sweet version of its popular frozen gyoza, packed with scrummy fruity fillings. Choose from Chocolate & Banana, Caramelised Apple and Sweet Berry flavours, and simply pan-fry the dumplings in a little butter before serving them hot with a great big dollop of vanilla ice cream. Dessert dumplings, £3.50 for…

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GEORGE HOME Global explorer Take inspiration from far-away lands, with warming shades and ethnic motifs ARGOS Midnight opulence Marry rich jewel tones with luxe textures to create a glamorous look TESCO Vintage f lorals Create a nostalgic scheme with elegant shapes and watercolour blooms MORRISONS Geo Scandi Update Nordic style using laid-back blues and greys, combined with angular shapes…

Check for any protruding nails, hammer them down, and level any dips or holes with filler. Use stripper to remove old paint or sand any varnish with fine sandpaper to prep for painting. Remove dust and mask off areas that don’t require painting. Start with a coat of wood primer. Once dry, paint the stairs, starting from the top and going with the grain of the wood. Once fully dry, paint another coat for complete coverage.…

1 Trace the template by drawing a line vertically down the shade. Place the lampshade, with the line facing downwards, on a sheet of paper and trace along the top and bottom edges as you roll the shade over the paper until you reach the original line again. 2 Cut out the template, double-checking it fits the shade. 3 Lay your fabric pattern side down on a flat surface, place the template on top and trace the shape, leaving 1cm hem allowance top and bottom, and cut out. 4 Attach the fabric to the shade using strong double-sided tape or fabric glue (both available from Hobbycraft). Fold over the surplus fabric to make a neat hem.…

1 True blue Swapping an old bed set for something fresh can give your room a whole new personality. If you already have pattern on your wall, go for something simple and chic to make sure the room doesn’t become too busy. 2 WEEKEND PROJECT Rather than paint an entire wall, why not stencil metallic or textured paint in stripes, squares or circles onto a neutral-coloured base to add drama and shimmer. 3 Crafty idea For an easily-changed alternative to a padded headboard, hang two cushions from a curtain pole above the bed. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, make your own – if not, use ready-made seat pads with ribbon ties. 4 Hide & seek For a headboard with accessible storage, cover an MDF board with black gloss…

1 Decide first whether you’ll hang your plates with adhesive discs or wire hangers. Measure the back of your chosen plates to ensure you have the corresponding hanger size. When you’re happy, position the hanger on the plates. 2 To perfect the layout, make paper templates by drawing around each plate and cutting out the circle. Position them on the wall with masking tape until you’re satisfied with the layout. 3 Using a drill, make a hole through the template into the wall, around 2cm below the top of the plate. Insert a rawlplug and screw, leaving the screw standing out a little from the wall. 4 Remove the paper templates and hang your plates in place.…

For years, my bathroom had been at the bottom of my to-do list, with every other room in the house taking priority,’ says Amy. ‘Before I got around to giving it a makeover at last, it had a shabby-chic look, with a grey tiled floor, cream walls and duck-egg blue accents. It was characterless, and not my cup of tea at all. When we moved here in 2004, the scheme was tolerable, but my tastes have evolved dramatically since. Now, I favour dark hues and an eclectic mix of furnishings, so I made it my mission to infuse the bathroom with those elements. Function first Before I could begin giving the room a new look, I had to think about how the space would function. We already had a freestanding…

Ditch the same dull off-the-peg fixtures and fittings that everybody else has, and give your bathroom some reclaimed, old-fashioned charm by sourcing and fitting a set of vintage bath or basin taps. Why not just buy new? Aside from their character and charm, older taps are often superior in quality to their modern counterparts and are likely to outlast them. Taps were traditionally made of solid brass, which was stronger than modern brass, and then plated with a top coating, such as chrome, nickel, pewter or gold plate. Old taps can be re-plated or the brass polished if the original finish is badly worn. Will they work OK? While a little cosmetic wear and tear is all part of the charm, when it comes to older taps, it’s the inner…

Lay parquet in a flash Herringbone and triangular parquet designs can look stunning but are usually a fiddly nightmare to lay. But what if you could get the look an easier way? The new herringbone luxury vinyl tile range from Lifestyle Floors has the pattern set within long planks rather than in individual pieces. Start with a clean, dry and flat subfloor (the vinyl can be laid over ceramic tiles, too) and fit a line of planks together using a click-and-lock system (no adhesive required), cutting pieces to fit and snapping them off. Build row by row until the floor is covered. Try this multitasking tool Held just like a pen, Dremel’s versatile Stylo+ has rotating interchangeable heads, so you can carve, engrave, polish, clean or sand a variety of…

POWER It used to be that the higher the wattage, the greater the suction, but energy regulations have limited the max power to 900W, forcing brands to find new ways to clean without wasting energy. CORDLESS CLEANING You can now find brilliant cordless designs powerful enough to be used as the main vacuum. Even cheaper portable designs can have a good battery life. FLOORING New labelling on all machines show how good at hard floor or carpet cleaning a model is. Rated A-G, it's an at-a-glance way to find one that will work well in your home. WEIGHT Upright vacuums are harder to move than cylinders, so go for a light one if you can, especially if you have stairs in your home. FILTER If you suffer from allergies, look…