Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2015 i Style At Home

Spring is just around the corner and it’s the perfect time to start a new project. In our great Style for Less special this month we’ve plenty to inspire you. Sometimes all it takes is to look at an item differently… and that’s exactly what our ‘21 ways to restyle what you already have’ feature is all about. Discover how we’ve turned the everyday into the special on page 62. If you’re looking to hit the shops, then check out our fabulous discounts with Muji, Secret Sales, Russell Hobbs and Dwell on page 69 ( just the thing to help you kick-start a fresh new scheme). Talking of changes, we’ve one afoot here at Style at Home. From next issue (on sale 4 March), I’ll be leaving you in the…

With longer days and warmer weather just around the corner, it’s time to get out the rubber gloves and face the dreaded task of the annual spring clean. Throw open the windows and get stuck in to a thorough cleanse of everything from bathrooms and bedrooms to curtains and carpets, so your space feels and looks refreshed. Follow our clever tips and ideas to help you speed through the process and get your home in tip-top condition. Trust us, all your hard work will be worth it! 1 Before you begin, stock up on cleaning supplies and essentials so you’re well prepared. Check through what you already have first to avoid doubling up when shopping. 2 Make a list of everything you want to achieve and what sort of time…

600mm Glendevon white base unit, £257; Lamona Ullswater 1.5 sink, £345; Gardea Swan Neck tap, £203; all Howdens. Mistral worktop in Winter Drift, around £250 per linear m, Karonia. Neff gas hob, £247; Bosch single oven, £279.99; both Currys. Metro Retro tiles in Sky Blue, 29p each, Tons of Tiles. Elite White Oak Light laminate flooring, £19.99 per sq m, Quick-Step. Fern White gloss extending dining table, £399, Danetti. String lights, £22.95, Cable & Cotton. Pantry clock, £28, Rose & Grey. Island unit painted in English Yellow Chalk paint, £18.95 for 1 ltr, Annie Sloan. For similar stool, try Xavier Pauchard Red 75cm Powder Coated stool, £59, Cult Furniture. Seat pads covered in Fredrika fabric, £4 per m; Hyfsad fruit bowl, £10; for similar vase, try Ensidig, £1 each; all…

Stitched typography Add a pretty finishing touch to your craft room or home office YOU WILL NEED Yellow card, £1.60 per 65cm x 50cm sheet, Paperchase Patons Diploma Gold DK yarn in Charcoal, £3.20, John Lewis Large-eyed needle Pencil & rubber Scissors & ruler 1 Measure and cut the yellow card to 33cm x 24cm, so it’s slightly larger than the glass panel on the Ribba frame. Draw your design onto the card, making sure it fits in the frame boundaries. If, like us, you go for a typographic design, print off the text so the letters are evenly sized and spaced. Stick to a window, with the card in front, and trace the design. 2 Thread the needle with the wool and carefully stitch your design through the card,…

Follow our handy hints for choosing your perfect chair SHAPES & SIZES Think about the overall design of the armchair before committing. Do you prefer elegant tapered legs, rounded arms or a supportive high back? Try out a few alternatives in the shop if you can. PATTERN HIT A funky armchair can be a great way to inject character into a room and create a talking point. Think about which colours and designs will work with your existing furniture but also make its mark as an individual piece. STYLIST’S TOUCH Don’t forget to add a few final details to your new armchair to make it the most inviting spot in the room. Look for a co-ordinating throw to drape over one arm, plus a cushion to tie in with the…

ThereÕs more to washing machines than just cleaning your clothes. From zipping through piles of laundry to waving goodbye to tough stains, the latest models are a one-stop shop for spotless, fresh clothing and linens in double-quick time. Thanks to a host of flexible functions, itÕs easier than ever to tailor programs to your wash load (even if itÕs mixed) and still get fab results. Reducing electricity, water and detergent costs while you wash is the other benefit of the latest models. They have increasingly efficient energy ratings and plenty of opportunity to save even more money by using the eco programs and economy options. Features for the future Even the more affordable models now come with high-end features, such as self cleaning and half-load detection, which automatically reduces the…

Chipotle beef TAKES 2 HR 15 MIN + MARINATING SERVES 6 1kg beef brisket 27g chipotle rub 2tbsp agave syrup 3tbsp olive oil 2 shallots, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2tsp ground coriander 2tsp ground cumin 1 ancho chilli, diced 1 chipotle chilli, diced 1 cascabel chilli 400g passata 150ml red wine 1tbsp red wine vinegar 500ml beef stock 1tsp palm sugar 2tsp dried oregano Juice 1 orange Red onion, avocado and tomato to garnish 1 Rub the beef with the chipotle and syrup. Marinade for 2 hr in the fridge. 2 Heat 1tbsp oil in a casserole and brown the beef, remove and set aside. Add the remaining oil and fry the shallots, garlic, spices and chillies until aromatic. Add the beef and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook for…

Chicken salad TAKES 30 MIN SERVES 2 2 chicken breasts 1tsp olive oil 2 chicken stock cubes 150g pearl barley 100g feta cheese, diced 4 tomatoes, sliced 100g sun-dried tomatoes 2 slices bacon, grilled 3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1tsp grated lemon rind 2tbsp lemon juice 1tbsp basil, torn 1tsp thyme 1tsp red wine vinegar 3 garlic cloves, diced 1 Season the chicken. Heat 1tsp oil in a pan and brown the chicken for 2 min each side. Add chicken stock cube and 500ml of boiling water, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 min or until cooked through. Drain and shred the chicken. 2 Add the stock cube and 475ml boiling water to a saucepan and add the barley. Cover and simmer for 35 min until the liquid is absorbed.…

We made the move from south-west London to West Sussex six years ago because we wanted a country lifestyle,’ says Rosie. ‘Plus you can get a lot more for your money. We found a modern house in a lovely village just outside Lewes and lived there for three years while we looked for our “forever” home. When this house came onto the market we fell for it immediately and had our offer accepted. After altering the downstairs layout to create an open-plan kitchen-diner and updating the family bathroom, we ran out of steam. But I was desperate to tackle the second bathroom, as some of the fittings were beginning to not work properly. What goes where We thought long and hard about the layout and decided to do away with…

When it comes to a bathroom, we’d all love a large scheme to relax in, but if space is tight, Ideal Standard has the perfect solution. Luxurious touch The Concept Space range is perfect for turning a small area into a beautiful bathroom thanks to its smart, slim-fit units featuring shallow drawers and wall-hung basins. There are also six beautiful finishes to choose from to make your bathroom look and feel spacious. Style at Home has teamed up with Ideal Standard this month to give one lucky reader the chance to win £2,000-worth of Concept Space fittings. FOR MORE DETAILS visit ideal-standard.co.uk TERMS & CONDITIONS One winner will receive bathroom products worth £2,000. No cash alternative. Competition open to UK mainland entrants only. The winners will be contacted directly to…

KELLY BARRON ABOUT ME I’m 33 and I live with my husband Richard and our son Roman, in a two-bed apartment in the West Midlands. The bedroom and living room are next on my decorating list. MY LATEST HOME PROJECT… was our kitchen – I gave it a lick of white paint to freshen it up. IN HINDSIGHT… wooden flooring would have been a better option than carpet, especially with kids! NIAMH BOWDEN ABOUT ME I’m 34 and I live in a four-bed detached bungalow in County Kilkenny with my husband TJ and our four children. MY LATEST HOME PROJECT… is a lovely bureau for my bedroom, which I’m painting. I’ve also recently finished revamping a glass cabinet for our living room. IN HINDSIGHT… I should have fitted a curved…

My home... ABOUT ME I’m Jody Myerscough-Walker, 30, and I run my printed textiles business Bon Maison (bon-maison.co.uk). I live with my boyfriend Paul Bright, 27, a graphic designer. MY HOME We’ve rented this one-bed home in a converted Victorian post office in Winchester since 2009. WHEN I MOVED IN The whole interior was neutral, from the flooring in the kitchen to the bathroom and that’s what I liked about it. I wanted a blank canvas that I could add to, to make the place my own – I couldn’t live with someone else’s taste. AND NOW I wanted our home to feel airy and bright. Many people remember our house as the Post Office, so I wanted to make sure it looked neat and cared for. As a designer,…

Just because you don’t own your home, doesn’t mean you have to stick with the neutral, bland decorating scheme favoured by landlords across the country. Without being able to paint or paper a feature wall, it may seem difficult to fill your home with colour, without risking losing your security deposit. But where there’s a will (and Style at Home), there’s definitely a way. Luckily, you’ll find many options out there if you want to live in a colourful home without leaving a permanent mark on the property. Whether it’s with small accents, or in larger doses for a bold statement, colour will add energy and character to your space and make a big impact without the need to splash too much cash. 1 PICK YOUR PALETTE Are you a…

Our Stylists at Home say… ‘I’ve refreshed the units in my compact kitchen with a lick of Annie Sloan Chalk paint in Old Ochre. It’s a small space but it works for us.’ ‘Make the most of what you’ve got with clever storage solutions. Use drawer dividers, baskets and extra shelves to create more space.’ ‘My kitchen is cream with shabby-chic accessories but lacks work space. I’d love to knock down walls to create a kitchen-diner.’ TURN OVER FOR OUR STYLISTS’ MAKEOVERS…

RETRO STYLE If scouring antiques fairs isn’t for you, furnish mid-century schemes with the latest high-street equivalents instead, such as Ikea’s Lovbacken range. From £40 for a side table. FLOOR SHOW Bathroom flooring needn’t be dull. We love The Colour Flooring Company’s range of vibrant vinyls, £28 per sq m, and Harvey Maria’s studded rubber tiles, £49.95 per sq m. GLORIOUS GLASS Add interest to your scheme, like Laura, with coloured glassware. Check out Wilko’s quirky Irregular vase in Red or Purple, £10, and the curvy Bullet vase in Red, Blue or Olive, £8.…

Picture ledges offer a more casual look than hanging your artwork directly on the wall, and also score style points for making displays easy to change. Framed prints are the most obvious thing to prop on them – just lean each piece against the wall, letting them overlap, and use smaller frames in the foreground to add depth to your display. Small decorative accessories, such as bud vases, work well, too. Draw the eye Adding a single ledge above a key piece of furniture, such as a bed or sofa, will draw even more attention to that area and create a strong focal point. Grouping a few ledges together increases the focus. Another easy way to make artwork really pop is to paint the shelves the same colour as the…

30+ RECIPES to try this month Cherry choc roly poly TAKES 1 HR SERVES 6 Preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Add 150g self-raising flour to a bowl and grate in 75g frozen butter. Add 50g caster sugar and rub together. Mix in 50g grated white chocolate, 75ml milk and 1tsp vanilla paste until a soft dough forms. Roll out on a floured surface to 20cm x 30cm. Drain a 390g jar black cherries with kirsch, reserving the juice. Mix with 75g cherry jam. Spread over the dough, leaving a 2cm border. Brush the edges with milk and roll up from the short edge. Pinch the ends together. Wrap in a sheet of greased baking paper and bake for 45 min. Heat the cherry juice, 3/4tsp cornflour and 25g caster sugar…

Pear & pecan pie TAKES 1 HR 25 MIN SERVES 8-10 375g dessert pastry 2 pears, peeled, quartered and cored 3tbsp caster sugar 60g butter 140g light muscovado sugar 50g golden syrup 150ml double cream 2 eggs, beaten 125g pecan halves, chopped 1/2tsp smoked salt 1 Preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Roll out the pastry and line a 23cm fluted tart tin, trimming off any excess pastry. Prick the base with a fork, line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 min, remove beans and paper and cook for 10 min. 2 Put the pears in a saucepan, cover with water and add the caster sugar. Bring gently to the boil, reduce to a simmer for 15 min, drain and pat dry on kitchen paper. 3…

1 Making plans It’s finally time to tackle the second bathroom and, as it’s next to our bedroom, Jack and I are going to claim it as our ensuite! We have a bath in the family bathroom, so decide to remove this and replace it with a large walk-in shower. The decor is very uninspiring and not in keeping with the age of our house, so I’m really keen to give it a period look. 2 Choosing the tiles I haven’t settled on a colour scheme yet, but I know that I want slate on the floor if our budget allows. The tiles that we use for the shower have to complement these and I conclude that green, blue or cream would all work well, but as soon as I…

PHONE Call 0904 160 0654 and leave your answer, name, address and phone number. BT calls cost £1.53. Calls from other networks may be higher. TEXT SAHWIN1 followed by a space and your answer, then your name, house number and postcode to 87088*. Texts cost £1.50 per entry plus your network charges. POST Fill in the coupon and send to Ideal Standard/SAH March Competition, PO Box 502, Leicester LE94 0AB. ONLINE Visit housetohome.co.uk/competitions Phone lines open on 27 January 2015 and close at midnight on 11 March 2015. Postal entries must arrive by 14 March 2015. SP: Spoke Ltd 0333 202 3390.…

From a jug of seasonal flowers to a single blowsy bloom in a reclaimed bottle, fresh flowers are a great way to add colour to your home, show off your styling skills and impress your friends. Fresh floral arrangements needn’t be expensive either – a bunch of supermarket flowers can be divided up into smaller bundles and used to add life to dull corners, while befriending your local florist is also a good idea. Take their expert advice on what’s in season, what still has life left and what greenery you can buy to make a few carefully chosen hero flowers go that bit further. Pick an accent colour Hannah has used fuchsia pink as an accent colour for her floral displays, both in the living room and kitchen-diner, with…

Want a different way to add character to a plain wall? Then give our charming stag’s head a go – all you need is a simple kit and your choice of pretty découpage papers. We think this would look fab in a hallway, plus it’s a great project to try with the kids. HOW TO YOU WILL NEED MDF stag head, £5.99, eBay White paint Paintbrush PVA glue Decopatch paper, £3.79, Hobbycraft Craft knife & cutting board 1 Take the separate pieces of the MDF stag head and paint each one white. Leave to dry. Choose the Decopatch papers you’d like to use and decide which patterns you want on each part of the stag head. 2 Using PVA glue and a paintbrush, stick the Decopatch paper to each individual…

GIVE FURNITURE a fun revamp with a touch of paint in a vibrant fluorescent shade like Jody has. Check out Rust-Oleum Neon paint in Pink, Green or Yellow, £4.99 for 125ml, Homebase. A RENTED HOME with neutral decor can easily be given a personal touch by introducing colour and pattern with throws and cushions. Take a look at Bon Maison for its fab range of prints. CREATE STORAGE space that doesn’t compromise on style, like Jody has, with wicker baskets and vintage suitcases. Take a look on eBay or in second-hand stores for similar pieces.…

Add a splash of colour to your kitchen with a bright seat pad to jazz up plain dining chairs and refresh your look. We love the geometric print on this bold fabric – perfect for injecting both colour and style. HOW TO YOU WILL NEED Foam chair pad, from £3.50, Ikea Hubba Bubba triangle/hexagon fabric, £6.13 for 50cm, eBay Pencil & pins Fabric scissors Light Grey piping, £2.99 for 2m, eBay Sewing machine Neon Pink velvet ribbon, £1, Tiger Needle & thread 1 Measure and cut the foam pad to fit your chair. Fold the fabric in half and place the pad on top. Draw around the pad, adding on 2cm all the way around. Cut out two pieces. 2 Pin the piping to one patterned piece of fabric’s right…

Ringhult high-gloss Grey units with Tyda handles and Bredskar sink, £2,447; Hällestad aluminium-effect worktop, £640; Tjena files in Pink, £4 pack of two; Ribba gloss frame in Grey, £5; all Ikea. Della brushed steel mixer taps with pull-out spray, £153.98, Bath Empire. JLRCSS104 dual-fuel range cooker in Stainless Steel, £999; JLBIHD623 chimney cooker hood, £279; both John Lewis. Cooke & Lewis glass splashback in Fuchsia, £105, B&Q. Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint, £11.99 for 750ml, Homebase. Flamingo wall print by Andy Audubon, £215, Kristjana S Williams. Windermere salt & pepper mills, £32.49 each, Cole & Mason. Utensil jar, from a selection, £6, Tesco Direct. Bella scales, £48.99, Typhoon Housewares. Vinyl self-adhesive letters, £4.95 per pack, eBay. Soap dispenser, £10.07, Crate & Barrel…

Chevron pinboard Never forget or miss a thing with our fab organiser YOU WILL NEED Cork pinboard, £1, car-boot sale Pins & tape measure Washi tape, £2 for two reels, Hobbycraft (or narrow masking tape) White acrylic paint, £1.50 for 59ml, Hobbycraft Paintbrush 1 Use a row of pins to mark a line widthways across the centre of the board. Stick a piece of tape to a bottom corner and up to the centre line. Add a second piece of tape from the corner above and overlap where the points meet. Trim the ends of the tape to make a neat point. Repeat, leaving equal-sized gaps between each chevron. 2 Gently paint over the board and frame, brushing over the lengths of the tape. Once the board is covered, remove…

Treat yourself to 20% off in store at Muji and discover its simple, traditional Japanese designs. Take your pick from durable products including furniture, home accessories, clothing and health and beauty products. By eliminating unnecessary production methods and wasteful packaging, Muji offers consistently good prices on all its ranges – you will be spoilt for choice. TO RECEIVE YOUR 20% DISCOUNT take this voucher to your local Muji store. Find your nearest store on muji.eu. Terms & Conditions This offer entitles you to receive 20% discount on all full-price items from 28 January to 10 March 2015. Offer redeemable in all Muji UK stores (excluding Selfridges and House of Fraser) but excludes sofa beds and CD players. Only one voucher may be used per customer, per transaction but a single…

No matter which room in the house needs updating, a striking patterned armchair could be just what your space is missing. And the best thing about this makeover is that it doesn’t require any time-consuming prep work or messy painting – simply measure the space you want the armchair to go, then check out our pick of the best designs and get ordering! Our top 10 includes graphic prints in bold shades, classic stripes and everything in between, starting from a pocket-friendly £149.99.…

Keep on top of appointments and jot down reminders and lists on these nifty chalkboard stickers. Why not allocate one to each day of the week for a fun and stylish wall calendar? Or encourage children to get creative by cutting out interesting shapes and sticking them to their bedroom wall so they can doodle. HOWTO YOU WILL NEED Fablon Chalkboard sticky back plastic, £8.99, Homebase Pencil Heart & paper/ pegs templates Scissors 1 Take your sticky-back plastic and lay it on a flat surface with the chalk side facing down. Weigh down at either end using books to stop it curling up, if necessary. 2 Draw a design of your choice onto the paper side of the sticky-back plastic using various templates; we made a heart shape and different-sized…

Greek-style lamb TAKES 4 HR SERVES 4 1.5kg shoulder of lamb 1tbsp oil Finely grated zest 1 lemon 2tsp dried oregano 1 garlic bulb, cloves separated 2 onions, sliced 300ml Moscatel 1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3. Using a sharp knife, make slits through the lamb fat, stopping at the flesh; do this all over. Pour over the oil, add the lemon zest and oregano, season, then rub in well. 2 Put the garlic and onion in a large roasting tin. Lay the lamb on top, then pour over the Moscatel. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 4 hr, basting occasionally. Top up with a cupful of water every hour or so to prevent the tin from drying out. 3 Rest for 15 min before carving – the…

SHOPPING LIST MEAT & FISH * 4 chicken breasts * 240g chorizo * 4 sea bass fillets * 8 slices Parma ham FRUIT & VEGETABLES * 4 pears * Large bunch thyme, parsley * Large bag rocket * 4 sweet potatoes * 400g Tenderstem broccoli & mixed green beans * 1 garlic bulb * 4 lemons * 240g spinach * 4 courgettes * 200g kale * 24 cherry tomatoes * 3 bananas DAIRY * 4 goat’s cheese rounds * 240g ready-grated mozzarella * 2 eggs * Butter * 142ml double cream * 300ml whipping cream GROCERY & FROZEN * Olive oil * 60g walnuts * 2 x wholemeal baguettes * Cranberry sauce * Red wine vinegar * Penne pasta * Pine nuts * Fennel seeds * 2 x 420g tins…

‘We love our house (it was once my gran’s), but the bathroom is perhaps a little too vintage! It needs a modern makeover.’ Katie Kafizas, London ‘My bathroom is in need of a glam makeover – or at least basics like a shower, loo and a new home for the washing machine!’ Anna Brosnan, London ‘This is what our bathroom has looked like for 10 years! It’s always been on our to-do list but we’ve never got round to it.’ Helen Hutchinson, Liverpool ‘We bought our house in July and ripped out a partition wall. We now have a big gap as all our money went on replacing the floor.’ Emma Walker, Worcestershire…

My home... ABOUT ME I’m Hannah Preedy-Lunt, 40, and I live with my husband, Alan Lunt, 50, a finance director, my daughter Rebecca, 14, and our son Oliver, nine. I also have two stepdaughters, Avril, 22, and Paige, 20. I run a home accessories company, Pink Hannah (pinkhannah.co.uk). We also share our home with Basil the Labrador and Oscar the cat. MY HOME A four-bedroom, end-of-terrace property in Tockington, Gloucestershire, built in 1964. We bought it in November 2003. WHEN I BOUGHT IT We loved the location beside the green, but the interior was too dull for my taste and the kitchen-diner was tiny. AND NOW We extended downstairs, creating a kitchen-diner, plus a utility room, playroom and shower room. We also renovated the bathroom upstairs and decorated throughout. STYLE…

1 ACCENT COLOUR This neutral living room already has one accent colour – zesty lime cushions on the sofa – but flowers are a great way to add a contrasting shade. Magenta peonies provide an unexpected colour hit when displayed with white flowers in a neutral ceramic jug. HOW TO Arrange the flowers in your hand first until you are happy with the shape, then trim the stems to the same length, pop in your jug and place on a tray. 2 POTTED PLANTS Cyclamen are great for perking up corners of your home, thanks to their delicate heads and thin stems. Magenta or white ones are most common, and a great seasonal buy. Tie a ribbon around the pot for extra style points. HOW TO Pop a potted cyclamen…

Tame a chaotic wardrobe Put unused space to good use with the right organisation Tidy away shoes Keep footware in their boxes so they don’t get crushed. Add a photo of the style on the front so you can see at a glance what’s inside. Or, if space is tight, store pairs in an over-the-door organiser. Swap wire hangers For more support replace them with stronger designs and see page 51 for a clever way to reuse wire ones! Hang belts Screw cup hooks on the back of a wardrobe door to hang belts from the buckIe, or fit a slide-out rail to the side. Sort scarves For £4.50 you can organise scarves by looping each through a section of Ikea’s Komplement hanger. Keep knitwear neat Don’t hang jumpers and…