Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2021 i Ideal Home

I’m counting down the days until our stay at the uber-exclusive, five-star-rated, boutique retreat, Casa Young. The joy of a staycation (and I mean in the most literal sense as our new house is our holiday destination in August 2021) is there’s no packing stress, and none of those endless ‘don’t forget’ lists. Instead, I’ll spend the time I would take packing on readying the house for its guests (us). This means making sure it’s spick and span, stocking the fridge and cupboards with drinks and treats, and compiling a welcome pack full of local activities and eateries to enjoy. It may not quite have the wow factor of the stunning dream homes in this issue, but we’re making the best of what we have. The McNabney-Stevens family has a…

After 25 years in London, Fiona Lindsay had envisaged moving to a Georgian vicarage until she saw a derelict barn near the Wiltshire village where she grew up. ‘It was an abandoned shell with a corrugated-iron roof and pigeons living inside, but the amazing views clinched it,’ she says. As planning permission was already granted, architect Mike Fowler (faap.co.uk) adapted the plans and added an extra bedroom. ‘It’s essentially a giant bungalow, the opposite to the Victorian terrace we had before,’ says Fiona. ‘We wanted to preserve the beams so there are only two first-floor rooms at each end, plus a wing for the children’s rooms.’ The family rented nearby during the year-long project. ‘The roof blew off in a storm just months into the build,’ remembers Fiona. ‘We had…

Create an indoor living feature wall Adding living, breathing greenery to your space will instantly revitalize it. Here, pocket planters create a great alternative to a gallery wall - turning plants into pieces of art. Foster a calm and creative work space If you love to be around plants but haven’t been blessed with green fingers, paint walls in leafy hues, adding foliage prints, and swap real plants for no-one-will-ever-know faux. Start small with succulents Easy-care plants such as succulents are a good option, or go faux with impossible-to-spot fakes from companies such as Bloom, Oka, Rockett St George, Abigail Ahern and Cox & Cox. No surface space? Use ceilings Suspend trailing plants from a large branch hung from the ceiling above a bath or kitchen window, or create a…

LISA MITCHELL, DESIGN DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF INTERIOR STYLE STUDIO (INTERIORSTYLESTUDIO.CO.UK) Lisa specialises in bespoke residential interiors from concept to completion. She has more than 20 years’ experience. CHARLIE MARSHALL, FOUNDER OF LOAF (LOAF.COM) Loaf has been making laid-back furniture since 2008, when Charlie spent a whole Saturday trying to buy a bed. Loaf started with beds, adding sofas to its repertoire in 2012 and opening its first Loaf Shack in 2015. There are currently eight around the UK. LAURENCE LLEWELYN-BOWEN, DESIGNER AND TELEVISION PERSONALITY (LLB.CO.UK) Laurence has been a regular on our TV screens for 20 years, with his love of opulent and maximalist style. Laurence and Changing Rooms are returning to our screens soon, this time on Channel 4.…

We could all use a bit more space in certain spots in our homes. Standard, side-hinged doors, opening outwards or inwards, cut into rooms – but there are alternatives. Q What are my options? The main choices are sliding or folding doors. Sliding types include pocket doors and surface-mounted doors. Bifold doors are hinged down the centre, so they fold in two and take up less space when open. Folding sliding doors fold concertina-style and slide to one side. Q Which works where? Pocket doors slide out of sight in a cavity in the adjacent wall and suit tight spaces with stud walls, such as between a bedroom and en suite bathroom. Bifolding doors work well for small openings like narrow doorways, or on wardrobes and cupboards. Sliding, folding doors…

IDEAL GREAT DEAL…

The outdoor kitchen choice Pizza oven in Chilli Red, £1,295, DeliVita If you’re fitting an outdoor kitchen this summer, check out this beauty. Beneath the glossy fibreglass and stainless steel surround there’s a classic wood-fired clay oven, which you can leave outdoors all year round provided it’s under its snug-fitting cover (which costs £99.50). THE BEST BIT It comes in five stylish colours as well as a bespoke colour option for an extra £200. A brilliant all-rounder Dome dual-fuel pizza oven in Bone, £1,499, Gozney Made to a commercial specification, Gozney’s latest oven offers the choice of cooking with wood, gas or charcoal. You can make pizza, as well as roast, steam, bake or smoke whatever food you like. THE BEST BIT Love baking bread? The Dome has an external…

DISCOVER SANDERSON’S DESIGN ICONS Celebrating its classics from the archive, Sanderson’s 160th anniversary collection features heritage wallpapers and fabrics in country toiles and dramatic florals, traditional coastal and mid-century designs that have been given a colour refresh to work with the palettes we use in our homes in 2021. Need to know Accessorize meets WWF Looking for a tiger in the bedroom? Is it time to address that elephant in the room... Terrible jokes aside, that’s what the new collab between Accessorize and WWF is bringing to the home. Hand-embellished cushion covers, make-up bags and slippers are adorned with the world’s most loved animals. The collection has a focus on materials such as natural silks, organic cottons and Oeko-Tex fabrics, and a contribution will be made to WWF’s global work…

MY GO-TO STORES ● LOOM A carefully curated range of beautiful handmade rugs from all over the world. ● SAGE x CLARE Bohemian and soulful homewares inspired by Australia. ● GEORGE SMITH A tailored fabric collection offering stylish and versatile velvets, wools and linens. STYLIST’S NOTE “A few considered decorative details are all it takes to have impact in a modern scheme”LISA FAZZANI, ACTING FEATURES EDITOR…

IDEAL GREAT DEAL…

Roos and Rick started out as diehard city dwellers. ‘We had a flat in Amsterdam with a roof terrace,’ says Roos. ‘We enjoyed city life – getting coffee and walking with Pom, our first daughter, in the park. However, when I got pregnant again, we decided to look for a house with more space and a garden. We wanted our girls to grow up the way we grew up.’ They began their search for a neighbourhood, along the coast on the outskirts of Amsterdam. ‘We explored Haarlem and its surroundings,’ says Roos. ‘A house came up in Overveen, which is within walking distance of Haarlem and a 15-minute bike ride to the beach. The house felt right as soon as we stepped inside, despite it being very dark. Also, I…

OUR GO-TO STORES… ● ALEX MACARTHUR INTERIORS ‘This intriguing interiors shop in Rye, East Sussex, is one of the most inspiring places on the planet!’ ● SIDESHOW INTERIORS ‘We love this shop in St Leonards-on-Sea for its range of vintage furniture and mirrors.’ ● MCCULLY & CRANE ART & INTERIORS ‘A lot of our lighting comes from this shop in Rye, which also sells great art.’ STYLIST’S NOTE “Don’t live in a cosy cabin? Create a feature wall by cladding with reclaimed boards”MICHELA COLLING, STYLE EDITOR…

HOW ANA AND RODRIGO DID IT ‘We bought this house in 2018 as a renovation project. There were two bedrooms in the loft, but we knew such a large, bright space would make a wonderful master suite. We loved the idea of a hideaway at the top of the house and I had a clear vision for a luxurious, spa-style en suite where we could take it easy. We worked with XUL Architecture on the project. I was keen to include a steam room and seating, as well as a large bath, twin basins and a separate shower. There was a lot of structural work: creating the concealed doorway from the bedroom, and reinforcing the floor, as the tiles are very heavy. I gradually built up the look, starting with…

1 CREATE A RELAXED VIBE Decamp to the garden now the warmer weather is here and set up a living room outdoors. Choose comfy seating, like a chunky outdoor sofa or a couple of low-slung armchairs, arranged sociably around a coffee table or firepit to give the space a focal point. 2 LIGHT UP A DINING AREA Extend your time outdoors on summer evenings with a row or two of festoon lights strung above a seating area. If you don’t have any fixing points, use festoon poles to suspend lights from. 3 SET UP A POTTING STATION Create a dedicated work bench for gardening duties, so you can keep all your essentials in one place. This one includes a drawer to store loose soil in, for easy…

Dominic Cook and Alice Regester live here with their three children aged four, 10 and 13. They run a communications agency in London THE PROPERTY A three-bedroom 1950s bungalow in Esher, Surrey THE VALUE Bought for £690,000 in 2016; now worth £1,000,000 WHAT IT COST Scaffolding, skips and insurance..........£15,748 Demolition.........£8,825 Structure..........£40,994 Builder’s fees....£27,815 Windows/doors...£21,792 Plumbing...........£16,297 Power..................£9,884 Internal joinery...£2,601 Decor...................£9,933 External works...£3,030 TOTAL.............£156,919 “One of our favourite features are the floor-to-ceiling windows in our bedroom”…

WHERE TO BUY 1. OUTDOOR SOFA Domkapa Bondi sofa with armrests, £3,025, Sweetpea & Willow 2. FIREPIT Firetable in Halva, £4,650, Solus Decor 3. CONCRETE PLANTERS Rounded concrete plant pots, £299 for a set of three, Out and Out 4. GARDEN SCULPTURE Flamingo vintage brass sculpture, £293.66, etsy.com 5. DOUBLE DECK CHAIR Ravenna double deck-chair, £195, Cox & Cox 6. OUTDOOR TABLE St Mawes ten-seater reclaimed teak table, £1,400, Lagoon IDEAL HOME LOVES… STRUCTURED PLANTS Musa acuminata ‘Basjoo’ This Japanese banana plant creates a dynamic stand-alone focal point. Allium With its graphic rounded heads, this popular plant makes a great structural addition to borders. Dryopteris (wood fern) The trailing fronds add texture to a contemporary hanging basket.…

Water your garden the natural way Made using recycled plastic and wind energy, we know of no other water butt that is as eco-friendly and smart as this one from Dutch brand Elho. Connect it to your drainpipe using a diverter (not included but costs as little as £6 from a DIY store) and it’ll collect water every time it rains, which you can reuse to water your garden. And the best bit? The top features a recess that doubles as a planter. Genius. Green Basics rainbarrel, £139, Elho Clean clothes without washing Whether you’re on holiday or want a quick refresh, a spritz of Day2 dry wash spray (£6.41 for 200ml, Amazon) revives fabric with a ‘just washed’ feel. Add pattern to a dull patio Patio in need of…

TIDY SURFACES Putting the items you use daily or more frequently on your counter side or in the most easy to access place is sensible – trays always make things look neat too. DON’T OVER BUY Try not to have too many products at one time. The trick is always to have the minimum amount, so there are less belongings to manage. Have what you need, with one spare. KEEP STORAGE SIMPLE Don’t over complicate things. If something isn’t on display you may forget you have it and buy more – try and use storage that doesn’t hide things away. CREATE ORDER Keep drawers, cupboards and baskets arranged in categories so things are easy to find. Use drawer and shelf dividers – keeping things in sections means you’re never fighting…

COLOUR RIOT Oversized, finely drawn fronds in refreshing shades create an energetic repeat with a contemporary feel. Yasuni in Paprika/ Kiwi, £65 a roll, Harlequin at Sanderson DARK JUNGLE Inspired by an antique tropical conservatory, this design depicts luscious teal leaves on a deep navy backdrop. Eden in Midnight, £65 a roll, Graham & Brown FEMININE SHADES Vertically trailing foliage in a delicate palette of green and pink promises to lend softness to a scheme. Tropicane in Rhubarb, £111 a roll, Paint & Paper Library at Wallpaperdirect GLAM METALLICS Bold botanical motifs in charcoal and gold on a neutral vinyl paper make this design both versatile and durable. Arthouse Jungle in Black/Gold, £15 a roll, Wilko GREEN PARTY Create a jungle look with layered banana leaves in a fresh green…

Keep it simple Give brick tiles a twist by arranging them in horizontal stripes of ice cream colours for a fun kitchen splashback Dial up dining Match the stripes on a sheer linen curtain to the wall colour, choosing a stronger shade so that the pattern pops but doesn’t dominate Balance pattern Go for plain walls to allow visual ‘breathing space’ around busier areas. The rattan sofa arms echo the eye-catching striped curtain panels Create a space for display Make a feature of shelving with a statement bookcase in vivid yellow – the perfect spot to show off a collection of sculptural ceramics Make it flexible Paper a folding screen for an easy alternative to a feature wall – a scalloped design offers a softer take on stripes Channel hotel…

Custom-made design Cut a piece of reclaimed wood to size and sand smooth. Seal with wax, oil or varnish and allow to dry. Spray-paint a set of hairpin legs in your chosen colour and leave to dry. Apply a second coat, if needed. Position the legs on the underside of the table top and screw into place, taking care not to split the wood.…

MY GO-TO STORES… ● HAY It’s a classic Danish brand inspired by art, architecture and fashion. ● SISSY-BOY A Dutch home and fashion brand that’s great for affordable accessories. ● URBAN NATURE CULTURE This Amsterdam homeware collection is all about sustainability. STYLIST’S NOTE “If a coffee table feels too overbearing for the room, a nest of tables is a flexible alternative”MICHELA COLLING, STYLE EDITOR…

Does your living room need a redesign? Whether you’ve plans to invest in new furniture or looking to rejig what you have, highlight features or give it a style boost, there are plenty of designer tricks that can help you make the most of your living room’s potential. We asked our favourite experts to share their tips… I’M ARRANGING MY LIVING ROOM, WHERE DO I START? ‘I’d always start with what the actual lines of sight are when using the room and how you use the room,’ says TV presenter Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Charlie Marshall, founder of Loaf, agrees: ‘It’s all about understanding how you’re going to use the room. You may use yours for watching telly, the kids doing homework, reading a book as well as entertaining friends. This will…

Bethany Childs, a pilates instructor, lives with her husband Clancy, a technology executive, and their children Beckett, eight and Archer, five. THE PROPERTY 1930s terraced four-bedroom house in North London. WHAT IT COST Kitchen units.....£30,000 Appliances...........£3,593 Worktop...............£4,000 Tap........................£3,000 Sliding door.........£9,000 Sink..........................£548 Lighting................£2,000 Floor tiles.............£3,000 TOTAL.................£55,141 “We love entertaining and that was a big part of the brief”…

Ana Gross lives here with her husband Rodrigo and their children, Sophia, 12, and Felix, nine. THE PROPERTY A six-bedroomed Victorian semi in north London. WHAT IT COST Washstand............£1,700 Bath.......................£3,701 Basins......................£396 Taps......................£3,270 Shower kit............£1,500 Floor tiles..............£3,100 Wall tiles..................£850 Steam generator...£3,539 Shower and steam room screens................£4,000 TOTAL...............£22,056 “I love the steam room and shower area; it’s our own secret space”…

SCANDI STYLE Skagerak plank bench, £1,169, Amara ORNATE CURVES Garden bench, £69.99, Homesense MODERN RATTAN Hampstead bench, £400, Garden Trading HAND WOVEN Calamus rattan bench, £425, La Redoute COLOUR POP Indu bench in Yellow, £95, Habitat SNUGGLE UP Wooden firepit bench, £395, Rose & Grey EASY TO STORE Folding bistro bench in Greengage, £120, Garden Trading TRADITIONAL TEAK Marl three seater bench, £895, Graham and Green…

1 IT’S IDEAL FOR MODERN HOMES Use a premium-grade cladding with as few knots as possible and a hidden fixing system. 2 YOU DON’T HAVE TO TREAT THE TIMBER It will fade to silver-grey over time, but there are products which will speed up the weathering process. 3 YOU CAN STAIN IT For this project, we used UV resistant Osmo Country Colour in Charcoal. 4 CHOOSE FROM A VARIETY OF FINISHES Different woods, from Canadian red cedar to Scottish-grown larch, create a variety of looks, as do different building profiles and ways of fixing the timber cladding. 5 ALWAYS CHECK BUILDING REGULATIONS Timber cladding may need to be treated for fire resistance. If in doubt, check.…

5 GAME-CHANGING BUYS The products you need to tame a busy bathroom and create a serene, spa-like space where everything is in order 1 THE SLIMLINE TROLLEY Store essentials on a neat storage cart that can be wheeled from bath to basin to shower, so you won’t need to double up on supplies. Choose a slimline design that can be tucked out of the way when not in use. Nissafors trolley, £25, Ikea 2 THE WALL-HUNG CADDY Cluttered countertops can look messy, so make use of wall space above a bath or basin to store must-have products. A wall-hung caddy will keep bottles contained and looks neater than open shelves. French cane shelf towel rail, £20, Dunelm 3 THE ‘IN-SHOWER’ STORAGE Keep shampoo and shower gel to hand on this…

Fried cheese toasties with potato, bacon and pickled jalapeños SERVES 4 READY IN 25 mins INGREDIENTS • 3 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and halved • 3tbsp heaped butter, softened, plus extra for frying, if needed • 8 slices of good white bread (sourdough is ideal) • 8 slices of streaky bacon • 250g grated Cheddar cheese • Pickled jalapeño chillies, drained, to taste 1 Boil the potatoes in plenty of well-salted water for about 15 mins, until tender. Drain, cool, then cut into 1cm slices. 2 Butter each slice of bread using two-thirds of the butter. Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan over a moderate heat and add the bacon. Cook for 2 mins on each side, until crisp. Remove from the pan, leaving the fat behind. 3 Assemble the four sandwiches with…

“They’re a super-lush statement and there’s no other way you could get such tactile 3D texture. While a genius use of space for compact gardens, patios and balconies, they can also quite literally bring the outside in, especially in a room next to the garden. A living wall extends that outdoor feel even with the doors closed.”MICHELA COLLING, STYLE EDITOR “I’m not one for creepy crawlies so I can’t help but think of everything that might be lurking beneath the leaves! I can barely keep a houseplant alive and I imagine a living wall is fairly high maintenance, so I wouldn’t fancy being left with a sad, brown area. I guess in that case, faux is the way to go!”STEPHANIE DURRANT, FEATURES EDITOR…