Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Ideal Home

It’s that time when we’re all taking stock of the year just gone. I know it’s a cliché but 2025 really has flown, and it feels important to take a moment to reflect on my peaks, and to remind myself of how much we’ve actually achieved on our slow home reno. The lead story is out in the garden. We took an un-used space and added a new deck, then invested in a rain-proof pergola with a louvred roof. It’s easy to get hung up on the fact the space isn’t finished (we want an outdoor kitchen but ran out of time and money) but when I think about how much use this area has had since the pergola went up in May it’s been a real success story. The…

NOSTALGIC NOEL Leave room on your table for the festive feast by creating a natural focal point above. Hang greenery from a branch decorated with ribbons and a pom-pom garland. STYLE DIRECTION “Tie handcrafted decorations to the backs of dining chairs using pretty ribbons for added homespun charm"HEATHER YOUNG, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STYLE DIRECTION “Keep the walls neutral, painting in a soft smoky hue, adding cheerful colour with vintage-inspired decorations and vibrant textiles"GINEVRA BENEDETTI, DEPUTY EDITOR JOYFUL COLOUR Use a bold rug and mid-century-style furniture to give the festive folk look a modern twist; teal accents pair well with natural wood and the blue-green of eucalyptus garlands. Fairy lights and candles add an inviting glow. ADD NATURAL TEXTURES Use garlands of foraged greenery to add depth and balance to your festive folk scheme; they’re…

With so many trends targeting interior lovers at this time of year, it’s hard to know what to follow, what to ignore and what to make yours. We asked three experts – an interior designer, a colour and trend specialist and a home designer – for their advice on what’s #trending for 2026. OUR INTERIORS IN 2026 ‘This year, we’ll see homes that are as functional as they are beautiful,’ says Susie, ‘but we’ll also see an increase in spaces designed with wellbeing in mind. Once reserved for luxury projects, wellness–led design principles are becoming more accessible. From lighting schemes that support circadian rhythms to the use of colour theory to influence mood and productivity, interiors are becoming more attuned to how we feel.’ ‘We’re also seeing a strong shift…

1 CURATE ARTWORK The start of a new year is a great time to swap in some different artwork for a fresh new look. Choose some that work well together – or if you have a more eclectic group, try reframing them in matching frames for consistency. Before hanging them, lay the artwork out on the floor and move them around until you’re happy with how they’ll sit together. 2 MATCH YOUR CEILING Whether it’s your front door, window frames or a picture rail, choose a paint to liven it up and match your ceiling to it. Painting all these areas in the same colour will give you a beautifully ordered finish, whether it’s in your living room, bedroom or even your hallway. Not sure on a colour? Pick one out…

“INVESTING TIME and energy in our interior design and filling our home with lots of love, MEMORIES and fun times has made it truly SPECIAL” HOME NOTES WHO LIVES HERE? Kate Clarkson, an HR business partner and content creator, with her husband Ross, a sales and marketing director, and their children, Sophia, 11, Olivia, eight, and Francesca, five. THE PROPERTY A six-bedroom detached house in Bessacarr, Doncaster. THE LAYOUT A central hallway gives access to a living room on one side, with playroom and WC on the other. Spanning the rear of the house is an open-plan kitchen-diner and living area, with lobby leading to a utility with cloakroom. In addition to the family bathroom, two of the four first-floor bedrooms have en suites and the principal bedroom includes a…

HOME NOTES WHO LIVES HERE? Simon and Clemmie Hooper live here with their four daughters. THE PROJECT Updating a bathroom in a large Victorian property in Ramsgate, Kent, as part of a full-house revamp. TOTAL COST £25,000 When Simon and Clemmie Hooper swapped south London for the Kent coast, they were looking for more space for their growing family. ‘We were lucky to find a beautiful old house in Ramsgate,’ says Simon. ‘It had been a doctor’s surgery, then a hotel. We’ve been on a mission to turn it back into a proper family home.’ One of their first challenges was the water pressure – or lack of it – upstairs. ‘We’d always planned to give the girls the top floor as their own space, with a shared bathroom, partly…

Looking for ways to help you pay for a new kitchen? Selling your old one can prove a clever way to recoup some pennies. Interiors author and columnist Kate Watson-Smyth, who sold her old kitchen via Rehome, explains: ‘Your current kitchen is a financial liability, with rip and skip services charging roughly £500 to dispose of the average kitchen, so even if you don’t make much from selling yours, you’ll still be saving money.’ 1 WHERE TO SELL IT There are more ways to sell your old kitchen than you might think, and sometimes a speedy and convenient sale for less money is preferable to holding out for a few extra pounds. ■ ONLINE MARKETPLACES Websites and apps – such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor and Gumtree – enable you…

■ PRUNE YOUR GARDEN… Guy Barter, RHS chief horticultural advisor says now is the time to prune back hard if you want your plants to look better than ever: ‘Prune anything that is deciduous, but leave evergreens until spring because they need their leaves to keep them alive. Deciduous plants lose their leaves in the autumn, all their food reserves are in their roots, so you can prune them without depleting their energy.’ He advises to prune back apples, pears and soft fruits. It’s the perfect time to prune wisteria, too. ■ AND YOUR INDOOR PLANTS Author and professional gardener, Ellen-Mary Webster suggests pruning back leafy plants, such as hypoestes, coleus and tradescantia. We recommend tackling geraniums, spider plants, rubber plants, peace lilies and fuchsias, too. Garden must-haves WHERE TO…

1 RECORD YOUR GOALS Set your home resolutions for the year ahead, whether it’s a promise to finally repaint your bedroom, or a commitment to pot new plants in the garden in spring. There’s no better time than the new year to think about the domestic tasks you’d like to tick off, no matter how big or small they may be. 2 DECLUTTER KITCHEN CUPBOARDS Once the chaos of Christmas has subsided, spend some time sorting through your cupboards to get your kitchen back on track. Use up any leftover festive food, tidy away your seasonal tableware and make space for new items that you may have received as gifts. 3 DEEP-CLEAN YOUR SOFA After a month of festivities, there will most likely be some crumbs and stains hidden on…

Sustainable swaps It’s hard to avoid waste at Christmas, but while we all try to reuse as much as possible, there are a certain number of buys that can’t be avoided. For Christmas crackers with useful gifts, Cox & Cox’s beautiful handmade crackers feature seed balls, sweet pea seed packets and wooden plant name markers. The company also boasts a large range of recycled papers, including a sugarcane wrap, made from the fibrous waste of sugar production that can be reused again for presents throughout the year and recycled at the end of its life. “Cox & Cox’s wide natural ‘silk’ paper ribbon is not only decorative, but it’s made from sustainable mulberry pulp” FAIRTRADE DECS There are plenty of ways to give back at Christmas, and buying charity decorations…

RICK’S TIP I recommend looking out for large filo sheets, such as the Theos brand, which is available in supermarkets and online Braised fillet of haddock with chestnut mushrooms & chestnuts SERVES 4 READY IN 40 MINS ● 600ml chicken stock ● 100g unsalted butter ● 3 shallots, finely sliced ● 75ml dry white vermouth ● 100g vacuum-packed chestnuts, sliced ● 100g chestnut mushrooms, sliced ● 2tsp lemon juice ● 4 x 150–175g haddock fillets, skin on ● 20g Pecorino Sardo cheese, finely grated ● A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 Pour the chicken stock into a wide pan and boil rapidly until it is reduced by half. 2 Melt half the butter in a pan that has a lid and is large enough to hold the fish…

STYLE STATEMENT Joy of missing out DFS has captured the essence of January – restful, slow and cocooning – in this mountain hideaway-inspired collection. The perfect excuse to have nowhere to go and nobody to see! The look has a Vermont cabin aesthetic, with rich chestnut and conker tones combined with mossy green and heather accents. Buttery soft leather, chenille, woven tartan and short-pile velvet all invite you stay off-grid a while longer. The Minka accent chair (shown above) is a hero piece; covered in a cosy moss-coloured chenille, it’s beckoning for a snuggly throw and a good book. IH LOVES... Crochet decorations Mistletoe sprigs, £15, Talking Tables What to do this month... READ Followers of @courtneyadamo will already be familiar with Courtney and Michael Adamo, their beautiful home and…

What the experts say... Designers and stylists share their views ‘Mid-tone greens can easily create a relaxing scheme. In some lights, they can read grey notes, which make them feel effortlessly modern, too.’ PATRICK O’DONNELL, BRAND AMBASSADOR AT FARROW & BALL ‘Soft, evocative tones of eucalyptus offer a timeless and versatile palette for home offices. For a more contemporary and grounded feel, pair it with a rich, charcoal black. This contrast brings a graphic edge, adding definition and structure, while still allowing the softness of the eucalyptus tones to shine.’ RUTH MOTTERSHEAD, CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT LITTLE GREENE ‘This colour is associated with nature and provides a sense of organic tranquillity. Shades like eucalyptus give a calming feeling, due to being colours that we’re used to seeing outside.’ LUCY STEELE, PAINT…

Platters Dish up a festive feast on one of these spacious beauties Napkins Dress up a place setting with pretty linens Flutes Toast the new year and loved ones in style Candlesticks Bring a little light to your sit-down get-togethers Dinner plates Offer the perfect background for the main event…

“We’ve contrasted SIMPLE, stripped-back architectural expression with HANDMADE and artisanal materials, which develop PATINA over time” HOME NOTES WHO LIVES HERE? Architect Alex Wright and his partner Chelsea Nelson, an interior designer, plus their son Rufus. THE PROPERTY A contemporary-meets-Victorian new build in east London. The couple designed and built two side-by-side houses, completed in 2021. THE LAYOUT On the ground floor are the living, dining and kitchen areas, plus a cloakroom. The first floor has the main bedroom and a bathroom, Rufus’ room and a utility. On the second floor is a spare bedroom, office and wet room, plus sauna and bathroom. Life does feel rather surreal for Alex and Chelsea, who went from renting a flat to finding a piece of land, building two houses and living in…

Q & a If you live in a house with an existing but underused subterranean space, a basement conversion could be key to extending your living space. However, unlike garage or loft conversions, converting a basement has a unique set of challenges that need to be overcome in order to ensure results that stand the test of time. For starters, you will need to waterproof the space and make sure there’s adequate ventilation so it doesn’t succumb to damp and mould. Then there’s the issue of adding insulation so that your basement is warm and dry. And with basement conversion prices high, it’s important you consider whether it’s a financially worthwhile project. If you are looking to make a financial return on your project investment, you’ll want the value…

Your bathroom space might not be sprawling, but it deserves just as much attention as a large one when it comes to choosing everything from your wall colour to your taps. The great news is that there is no reason why you have to feel restricted to plain, neutral floor coverings – some of the most beautiful small bathrooms feature bold colours and strong patterns, which are all the more impactful owing to the compact nature of these spaces. 1 TRY TWO-TONE FLOORING Sometimes it is better to combine two types of flooring in a limited space, as this can help to define the different areas, however small the room might be. Consider tile and a wood or wood-look flooring for instance. ‘Wood flooring adds warmth and a touch of…

"Vacuum mop rollers will eventually need replacing. If you’re worried about ongoing costs, pick a machine that includes spares"LAUREN BRADBURY, CONTENT EDITOR BEFORE YOU BUY ■ Vacuum mops essentially combine the suction power of vacuum cleaners with the wet cleaning functionality of mops. This offers quick, convenient clean-ups on hardwood floors, which often need a level of TLC that vacuuming or mopping alone can’t handle. ■ Unlike a regular mop, which can push dirt, grime and larger debris around your floor, vacuum mops use suction power combined with rotating rollers and clean water to pick up dirt while simultaneously cleaning your floors. This means that you’re essentially vacuuming and mopping your hard flooring at the same time. ■ Before investing in a vacuum mop, it’s important to consider the run…

Your garden may be looking a little bare and lifeless at this time of year, but there are plenty of houseplants that you can fill your home with to bring some colour to your space. Whether you like to add fragrance with scented bulbs, make a splash with traditional showy red blooms or prefer something in white that’s more cool and minimal, you’ll find what you’re looking for here with our pick of the best houseplants to add life to your home this season. PAPERWHITES The traditional paperwhite narcissus is so strongly scented, it will fill the house with fragrance for weeks. A great choice as a cut flower, it also works well as an indoor plant, as it will come out far earlier than the garden variety to give…

Chilly weather, dark days and post-holiday blues – it’s not surprising that many of us find January a tough month. However, there are small ways you can use your home decor to counteract these blue feelings, such as incorporating ‘happy triggers’ into your decor. Adding them to your surroundings is a surefire way to give your home a mood-boosting makeover. Counsellor Leonie Holmes explains, ‘Emotional triggers are intense and typically distressing psychological feelings and sensations brought on rapidly by memories, objects, people and general sensory stimuli. There are also positive triggers that we experience. ‘Certain positive triggers can release “feel-good” or neurochemical responses in the brain, such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. We can learn to identify our positive triggers and then reinforce them through adapting our environments and daily…

YOU WILL NEED ● A roll of kraft paper (or any plain paper) ● A large potato ● A sharp knife ● Paint If you’d rather make your own wrapping paper this Christmas, take a roll of brown kraft paper and make your own. Slice a large potato in half and carefully score a festive shape. Cut away the potato around the design, so the shape is raised. Dip into paint and stamp the motif onto the paper. Stamp several times before re-coating it with paint and repeat until the paper is covered. Leave to dry.…

The TV chef and his wife, Sarah ‘Sas’ Burns, alternate Christmases between their homes in Padstow, Cornwall, and Sydney, Australia WHAT PART OF CHRISTMAS PLANNING DO YOU DISLIKE MOST? Shopping. Technically, this is easy because everything can be delivered, but I always forget that the delivery slots are booked up weeks in advance. I’m often racing around Tesco on Christmas Eve. I’ve never forgotten to buy an important Christmas Day food item, but I often worry I don’t have enough and go out for more sprouts. Then I have lots left over! WHAT SMELL SAYS ‘CHRISTMAS’? Wood fires and candles, but beeswax, not scented ones. My memories of childhood Christmases are some of my fondest. Nothing can replace the wonder of our Christmas tree, because we had real candles. They…

My delicate glass tubes add class and sparkle…

Wrap it up Get the prettiest, gossamer-sheer look with a length of white organza fabric. Fix it in place invisibly with drawing pins, trimming it with silk ribbon and a sprig of gypsophila. Give it a twist… Go for a luxe look with a long length of glossy scarlet satin, or think ‘bah humbug!’ with black and white stripes. Hang a cluster of baubles Pick five or seven large baubles in the same colour, but mismatched styles. Add a couple of smaller decs in a contrasting colour and shape. String together with narrow ribbon and hang up. Give it a twist… Make it fun by clustering three supersized disco-ball baubles. Super-boost a basic wreath Start with an extra-large plain wreath ring, add an artificial pine spray to create a trailing…

1. ADD FESTIVE DETAILS Christmas may have gone but there’s still call for some of the table décor, like crackers, mini trees and even a bauble or two at New Year. Select your theme and colour scheme and choose some pieces that complement it, along with some beautiful crockery and table linen. For similar Christmas crackers, try Regency Mistletoe luxury Christmas crackers, £78 for six, Nancy & Betty 2. HANG DECORATIONS Nothing says ‘New Year’ quite like some glittery garlands, which will help to put everyone in the party spirit and make great photo backgrounds. Hang them on a wall so you can see them from your table and opt for more than one design to make your display more of a statement. New Year’s Eve set, £80, Meri Meri…

HOME NOTES WHO LIVES HERE? Rachel Ashfield, who works in education, with partner Peter Titley, a housing officer, and their two dachshunds, Mabel and Matilda. THE PROPERTY A three-bedroom semi-detached cottage previously belonging to the Crown Estate, built circa 1870, in rural Leicestershire. 1 “Make a fireplace the focal point” ‘I discovered the cottage’s story as I peeled back the layers. We opened this fireplace, adding reclaimed terracotta hearth tiles and a new fire surround.’ BUY THE KEY PIECES Charlottesville pine surround, £218, B&Q. Painted in Paris Grey chalk paint, £26.95 for 1ltr, Annie Sloan. Wicker lined log basket (for Christmas tree), £149.98 for two, Ivyline 2 “Embrace the quirks and character” ‘The low doorway and step down from the second living room into the kitchen is just one of…

KITCHEN NOTES WHO LIVES HERE? Natalie Murton lives here with her husband, Tim, and their daughter, Marnie, three. THE PROJECT Complete gut renovation of a Victorian terrace, removing a downstairs bathroom and creating a kitchen suitable for modern family life. TOTAL COST £35,000 When Natalie Murton, her husband Tim and their three-year-old daughter Marnie moved into their Victorian terraced home in Shoreditch last May, they faced a major renovation project. It hadn’t been lived in for years and the kitchen was in dire shape. ‘The old floorboards were rotten with holes, and the bathroom at the back had damp and mould,’ says Natalie. ‘Naively, I thought we were just going to need to make a few repairs and knock through a wall or two, but then the entire back of…

Are you looking to replace an open fire with a more efficient way of heating your home? Or maybe you’re keen to add an additional form of heating over the colder months? As well as providing an efficient form of heating, a wood-burning stove adds style, character and a focal point. With its combination of heat and the visual impact of roaring flames, there’s nothing better when it’s cold outside than snuggling up in front of one… WHAT TYPES ARE THERE? Wood burners are self-contained heating appliances designed to produce heat inside your home by burning wood. The fire is contained in the body of the stove, which is usually made from steel or cast iron. The heat created radiates into the surrounding space. Smoke created by the fire leaves…

Skint after Christmas? Page 130 will help you SAVE on your water bills; get your FAMILY organised with one of the fab calendar sharing apps listed on page 131; if you’re struggling to CUT DOWN on your SPENDING, page 136 can help; page 137’s guide to PARENTAL CONTROLS is a must-read if you’re worried about what your kids get up to ONLINE; and now that Christmas is almost over, find out how to PACK YOUR DECS away neatly for next year on page 139……

BEFORE YOU BUY ■ Soup makers are an easy way to whip up several bowls of soup without the hassle of multiple pots and pans. Functionality varies depending on the model, but many of them can make both smooth and chunky soups, as well as smoothies, pasta sauces and baby food, too – anything that needs blending. ■ As all soup makers have automated settings, they take the heavy lifting out of making soup; you just add the ingredients, press a button and they make the soup for you. You can find models for as little as £35, but these tend to be quite basic and have their flaws (for example, the contents tend to burn at the base or they don’t blend as smoothly as you might want). Spend a…

Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also one of the most chaotic. But with a little planning, you can be safe in the knowledge that all your decorations will be ready to go year after year. These storage ideas will prevent smashed baubles, squashed wreaths, missing tree lights and broken Christmas trees. But before you can store your decorations, you must remove them with care. ‘Place towels or throw blankets around the base of the tree in order to catch any fragile pieces that may fall as you remove them,’ advises Mac Harman, founder of Balsam Hill. ‘It’s a good idea to work from the bottom of the tree up as working from the top down may mean you knock lower-hanging decorations. Whatever your…

While many plants are hibernating for the winter, the humble snowdrop takes centre stage. Flowering between January and March, these delicate, gently nodding flowers are often a welcome sign that spring is on the way. But if planted at the wrong time and in the wrong location, snowdrop bulbs could turn your dream garden into a disaster. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIME Snowdrops offer delicate and beautiful winter blooms, but only if you plant them at the right time. Steve Chilton, garden expert at LeisureBench, says, ‘The perfect time to plant snowdrop bulbs is between September and November, but it really depends on how the year pans out weather-wise and temperature-wise.’ Steve says that you can still plant snowdrop bulbs in late November: ‘provided you do so before the ground freezes…

I s there a particular high street store you make a point of visiting because it always smells amazing? Maybe you’ve found a signature scent for your home, or you’re all about fragrance zoning to give each space in your home its own special mood? A beautifully scented home can lift our spirits, whether it’s a waft of fragrance from a diffuser as we open the front door or the candle we light as we sink back into the bath. ‘The olfactory nerve is directly linked to the part of the brain that monitors memories and emotions. As such, scent affects mood, concentration, memory recall and our feelings. In fact, 75% of all emotions generated every day are due to smell,’ state the experts at Mood:Media. Research shows that fragrance…

Festive entertaining and hosting made easy Have a stress-free Christmas dinner with our prep-ahead inspo, table setting shortcuts and hosting hacks. Alternative Christmas tree ideas Don’t have room for the real thing? Or fancy trying something different? We have a host of quirky ideas to suit any room, so you can still create a festive scheme full of magic without a traditional tree. Kitchen extension tips If you have big plans to extend your kitchen next year, this guide is for you. Whether you plan to extend on a budget, are looking to add some luxury to your home, or only plan to make a small addition, our expert guide has all the info you need on how to make the most of a kitchen extension from start to finish.…

January is often considered the most depressing month. Daylight is scarce, the weather is cold and damp, we’re in the thick of the comedown from Christmas and everyone’s bank balance is looking well and truly diminished. As a result, we tend to hibernate indoors for the whole month to save some cash. At the same time, our homes are looking a little bare and sad now that the decs are down, and with all this negativity piling up, it’s completely understandable why people get the January blues. So, in order to start off 2026 on a positive, we’ve gathered more than 50 easy decorating ideas for every room in your home that take little to no effort. Some are super-quick fixes, others are mini projects that you can complete in…

1 DON’T FORGET THE FIFTH WALL The concept of the fifth wall reminds us to look up and add life to a once-overlooked surface. Stick to simple decor on your four walls and experiment by adding paint, wallpaper or panelling to your ceiling for a pop of personality. 2 CREATE A COSY CORNER Make good use of otherwise unused space in your home by carving out a snug nook for when you need some ‘me time’. Create a built-in window bench to enjoy the benefits of natural daylight streaming in, or simply layer tactile textures into an existing cocooning corner (and include a perch for a cuppa). 3 ADD A PLAYFUL LAMP Table lamps not only brighten dark corners, they’re also a simple way to liven up a space with…