Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i Style At Home

FRESH IDEAS Get a brand-new look for less with our budget buys that’ll make all the difference, plus check out our £20 Challenge and turn junk into treasure! It’s summertime, so while our hard-earned money is usually spent holidaying with loved ones, our homes can end up a little neglected. So this month, we’ve packed your favourite magazine full of decorating ideas and high-street finds to spruce up your home without breaking the bank. Try our stylish room revamps for under £150, starting on page 28 - my favourite is the living room look. Need a new sofa but don’t want to spend a fortune? Go for one of our ten top picks on page 114 – all priced under £500! Also, don’t miss our brand-new upcycling challenge on page…

Are you looking for that one perfect accessory to finish off your styling? A lantern could be just the thing. Tall designs can be placed on the floor next to an open fireplace or in a hallway to add height and interest, whereas smaller lanterns can be displayed on a dining table or windowsill. Whether your style is modern or rustic, colourful or pared back, you’ll be spoilt for choice with what’s available, and they look different again when lit. We’ve scoured the high street and online to find 10 of our favourite designs, starting from just £6!…

1 TWO-TONE DESIGN With a choice of 32 painted shades, the Knightsbridge Painted kitchen is incredibly versatile. Shown in Ivory and standard oak, its solid oak-framed Shaker-style doors with veneered centre panels look stunning combined with pewter strap handles and black worktops. BUY IT A 600mm standard base unit costs from £282; a typical 8-10 unit layout for this range costs around £4,836, K Kitchens. 2 BLACK & WHITE Also available in white if black seems a little too much, Ikea’s Laxarby/ Metod kitchen is made from solid stained birch protected with a clear lacquer. Stop the room appearing closed in by choosing pale flooring and wall tiles. Wooden or wood-effect worktops will add a feeling of warmth. BUY IT Shown in Black-Brown with glazed doors, the kitchen as shown…

9am Show me the money For this month’s challenge, Laurie and Emily have been given £20 by Style at Home Editor Lizzie to buy a piece of bric-a-brac that they can revamp or repurpose into something fabulous. They head straight for London’s famous Portobello Road market to start their hunt. 10am Plan of action Faced with a busy road full of stalls and shops, selling everything from antique furniture to glassware, dinnerware and vintage gems, the girls start their search. They are soon rifling through boxes and browsing stalls to find a hidden treasure. 11am Browsing the wares At one stall, a pile of vintage books catches their eye and gives them an idea: if they were to be stacked up one on top of the other, they’d look great…

HANGING HEARTS are an easy way to pretty up any room. Add a touch of romance with Dunelm’s Chalk Collection Rustic Hanging heart, £17.99, or Wooden Heart chalkboard, £8.99. CHOOSE PRACTICAL laminate flooring and give your room a rustic edge with Quick-Step’s Calando Light Grey flooring, £17 per sq m from B&Q. MAKE A FOCAL POINT like Jen has with a big, vintage-inspired wall clock. Melody Maison has a wide selection of retro-style clocks for walls and shelves, starting from just £6.95. CREATE INSTANT STORAGE with a row of hooks to maximise your wall space. Try Ikea’s Leksvik five-hook rack for a great budget option at £10.…

Long gone are the days when sugary pastel shades were only found in little girls’ bedrooms. Thanks to fashion-led trends and interesting updates on traditional interiors, homeware designers and the high street have brought pretty pastels into the 21st century and given them fresh appeal. Here we share the low-down on turning a room, or your entire home, into a stylish, pastel-focused retreat. 1 Accent with accessories Before committing to a completely new pastel scheme, it may be worth starting small and repainting your walls in a neutral shade. Then, slowly but surely, add pretty pastel accessories – think a dusky-blue rug, a sugary-pink footstool or pops of pastel with sofa cushions. Take your time, see how it feels, and work your way up to a pastel powerhouse. 2 New…

Style at Home has teamed up with Dunelm to offer 10 lucky readers the chance to each win a £200 gift card to spend in store. So with summer here, you can treat yourself to gorgeous outdoor furniture and fabulous accessories. From tropical botanical kitsch to Balinese styles, Dunelm has the summer trends covered – including beautiful gazebos and all-weather rattan furniture, which is stylish enough for indoor use, too. Look for garden furniture collections in Dunelm stores nationwide. But it’s not just outdoor living Dunelm has to offer. From curtains, furniture, bedding and cushions, to kitchenware, lighting and artwork, you’ll find over 20,000 products to suit you, whatever your budget. FOR MORE DETAILS or to find your nearest Dunelm store, visit dunelm-mill.com or call 0345 165 6565 TERMS &…

Metod/Maximera units with two high drawers in Veddinge Grey, from £97 for a 600mm base unit; Metod wall unit with glass doors, £114; Metod wall units with two doors in Laxarby White, £129 each; Saljan worktop, £50 for 2.46m; Boholmen sink, £60; for a similar island, try Stenstorp kitchen island, £200; all Ikea. For similar wall tiles, try Utopia Grey, £20 per sq m; for a similar tap, try Cooke & Lewis Vipacco, £103; both B&Q. Venezia oak laminate flooring, £8.99 per sq m, Wickes. For a similar blind, try Rainbow Flint roller blind, from £24.99, English Blinds. For similar bar stools, try Drift Oak & Grey, £59.99, Atlantic Shopping. Hastings print by Claire Fletcher, £25, Made in Hastings. Rainbow Love wall sticker, £55; Fun wall sticker, £55; both Dandy…

White chocolate & raspberry loaf TAKES 1HR 45 MIN SERVES 8 Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper. In a large bowl, whisk together 125g butter, 125g caster sugar, 175g self-raising flour, 1/2tsp baking powder, 1tsp vanilla extract and 1tbsp milk for 4 min. Fold in 125g raspberries and 75g white chocolate chunks. Spoon into the tin and bake, loosely covered with foil, for 40 min. Uncover and cook for 30 min until golden. Cool in the tin for 15 min. Cool on a wire rack. Drizzle over 75g melted white chocolate and top with fresh and freeze-dried raspberries.…

Smoked haddock chowder TAKES 30 MIN SERVES 4 1tbsp oil 100g pancetta, cubed 1 onion, roughly chopped 300ml chicken stock 350g smoked haddock, cut into chunks 1 potato, peeled and diced 300ml double cream 250g frozen sweetcorn, thawed 1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the pancetta and fry until lightly browned. Remove from the pan, set aside and drain on kitchen towel. 2 Add the onion to the pan and cook until browned, stirring. Return the pancetta to the pan with the stock, haddock and potato. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 min. Add the cream and sweetcorn and simmer for 5 min. Season well with salt and pepper and serve with slices of crusty bread for dipping. Pancake stack TAKES…

Prawn & mango salad TAKES 15 MIN SERVES 2 75g pack basmati rice 200g coconut milk 150g cooked and peeled tiger prawns 1/2 red chilli, finely chopped 1/2 pack fresh coriander, roughly chopped 1/2 pack fresh mint, leaves picked 2tbsp zest and juice 1 lime 1 mango, peeled and chopped 100g cucumber, halved and ribboned with a vegetable peeler 2tbsp sweet chilli sauce 1 Bring 500ml water and the coconut milk to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rice, cover and simmer 15 min or until the liquid is absorbed. 2 Place the prawns, chilli, coriander, mint, and lime zest and juice into a large bowl. Fold through the mango, cucumber and rice. To serve, drizzle over the sweet chilli sauce. Or try… PRAWN, MANGO & NOODLE SALAD Follow…

My room... ABOUT ME I’m Cassie Greenacre, a writer and blogger at cassiefairy.com. I live with my husband Andy, an artist, in a rented one-bed, bungalow in Suffolk. MY CHALLENGE The old bathroom was dated and grubby, with peeling paint and vinyl tiles. Although we’re tenants, we wanted it to feel like ours, but our budget was very limited. MY WISH LIST My priority was to recreate the feeling of being by the seaside – sitting in a beautiful wooden beach hut and looking out to sea. We live in a former council bungalow and the bathroom was very basic: simple white sanitaryware, cheap taps, exposed pipework and horrible vinyl tiles. While being perfectly functional, it was uninspiring and hadn’t been changed since the house was built; it felt very…

COSY CUSHIONS Style up your sofa with cushions to add a pretty and luxurious finishing touch. Go for patterned designs against a block-coloured sofa to add interest and choose co-ordinating shades to tie the whole look together. FLOOR FILLER Choose a statement rug to complement your new sofa. Be bold and pick one in a contrasting shade; mustard yellow goes hand in hand with teal, or look for a putty colour and team with duck egg for a more pared-back finish. TOP TABLE Complete your look with a new coffee table. Find one with storage to help keep the top free of clutter.…

Want to update your look for less? We’ve got the perfect craft project to liven up your living room. This crochet cushion will add instant impact to your sofa, and you can choose different coloured yarns to suit your existing look. HOW TO YOU WILL NEED 3.5mm hook Stylecraft Special DK yarn in White (2 balls), Gold & Raspberry, £1.95 each, Love Knitting Wool needle 38cm pad, £3.49, Dunelm Make 48 triangles in quantities of 24 x White, 12 x Gold, 12 x Raspberry. TRIANGLES Make a slip knot onto hook with chosen colour and make 2ch. Row 1: 2dc into 2nd ch from hook. (2 sts). Turn. Row 2: 1ch (not counted as a stitch), 2dc into first dc, 1dc into remaining dc. (3 sts). Turn. Row 3: 1ch…

SIOBHAN TYLER ABOUT ME I’m 26 and I live in a rented three-bed property with my husband Sam, 27. Our home is a former mill cottage. MY PERFECT SUMMER’S DAY I would start the day with a long walk and a picnic for lunch, before returning home to enjoy a tasty barbecue with family and friends. We have outdoor sofas, so we’d all gather on these round the fire pit and relax into the evening. SHELLEY CREGG ABOUT ME I’m 33 and I live with my husband Lloyd, and our two children, in a two-bed property in Gloucestershire. It has been converted from a Victorian stable block and has lots of character. MY PERFECT SUMMER’S DAY I would spend it relaxing in my summerhouse making all sorts of lovely things…

FOCAL POINT Group together several lanterns of different heights to create a cluster on a side table or on the floor beside a fireplace. Choose designs that are similar in style for a co-ordinated look, or mix and match different styles to achieve a more eclectic display. FAKE IT Place an LED candle inside your lantern to enjoy the flickering effect of a candle without the fuss or worry of having a real flame. Try the large LED candle, £5, Tesco, for a budget-friendly option. CHIC DISPLAY Why not fill glass lanterns with something other than a candle? Make a terrarium with indoor plants – use succulents and bun moss – or fill with sand and shells for a seaside styling idea. MOVE OUTSIDE On a warm summer’s evening, nothing…

Keep hold of old cake tins and give them a new lease of life with a lick of paint and a fun stencil design. They’re great in the kitchen, but would also work well as personalised storage boxes in a study. HOWTO YOU WILL NEED Metal tin Rust-Oleum Mode spray paint in Carmine Red & Pure Aqua, £7.98 each, Amazon Scalpel & cutting mat Card White acrylic paint, £3.25, Hobbycraft Rust-Oleum stencil brush, £4.99, Homebase 1 Give your tin a wipe down with a dry cloth to remove any dust. Working outside on a dust sheet, apply two coats of spray paint to the lid and sides of the tin, leaving to dry between coats. Be careful to avoid spraying inside the tin if it will be used to store…

1 Take your hardback books out of their dust covers and stack on top of each other, until you’re happy with the height. 2 Using PVA glue, brush along all edges of the pages, inside and out, to stick them together. Place a weight on top and set aside until they are dry. Re-apply glue if needed. 3 Once dry, divide the books into three or four piles and, using spray paints in different shades (we used Navy Blue, Deep Blue, Spa Blue and Flat White Rust-Oleum Painters’ Touch spray paint, £5.49, Amazon), spray until they are covered. Leave to dry. Repeat if necessary. 4 Take the top book, open the cover and, using a half-inch drill bit, drill a hole in the center, through the pages and bottom cover.…

Croft fabric bed, from £699; Entice mattress, £499; both Dreams. Passion wallpaper, £46 per roll, Harlequin. Walls painted in Clay Deep Intelligent matt emulsion, £43.50 for 2.5ltr; and Shirting Absolute Matt emulsion, £37 for 2.5ltr; woodwork painted in Shirting Intelligent gloss, £26ltr; all Little Greene. Panama Azure curtains, from £40.94, Direct Blinds. Tullsta armchair, £80; Pax wardrobe, £679; Liatorp console table, £140; Hemnes mirror, £45; Hemnes bedside table, £40; all Ikea. Swish Modal curtain track, £124.99; Olivia lamp, £29.99; Hydrangea cushion, £24.99; Flower vase, £5.99; all Dunelm. Eva ceiling light, £62, B&Q. Chelsea Arts clock, £25, Newgate. Tamzin lamp base, £19.99; White shade, £9.99; both Homebase. Saverne bed linen, from £25 for a pillowcase; cushions, from £35 each; Riviera Duck Egg throw, £150; all Fable. House display boxes, £3 each;…

Crystal Grey Sensation Twist carpet, £22 per m, Cormar Carpets. Walls painted in French Grey Absolute emulsion, £37 per 2.5ltr, Little Greene. Carrington Two Tone double bed, £475; Three plus Four chest of drawers, £799; double wardrobe, £785; Maxine chair, £299; all Barker & Stonehouse. Downtown Stripe eyelet curtains, £453, Hillarys. Blue China Rose double bedding set, £19.99, BHS. Black office desk lamp, £35; Glass bubble tealight holders, £45 set of three; Coral sculpture, £30; Distressed white vase, £35; Glass bottle (holding paintbrushes), £5; all JFM Interiors. Large picture (framed), £99; blue wool throw, £9.99; wave vase, £7.99; wire basket (top of wardrobe), £9.99; rug, £39.99; all HomeSense. Recycled bud vases, £27 each; dipped concrete vase in White, £12.50; Milo vase, £25; zinc tray tables (used as bedside tables), £90…

Give your kitchen a mini makeover on a budget by bringing in colour and pattern with a new set of tea towels. Changing up your kitchen textiles is a simple way to try out a new look, plus they can be swapped and replaced as often as you please. Here’s our top 10 picks, starting from as little as £4.99 for three! *FOR SET OF THREE…

NEON PASTELS & WOOD Pastels don’t have to be chalky and dusky – we love the neon pastel vibe too, especially teamed with simple pale-wood floors and furniture. SUGARY PASTELS & WHITE Everything goes well with white – you can pick the sweetest of sugary pastel shades and it’ll look gorgeous and stylishly chic when surrounded by white and grey tones. SUBTLE PASTELS & METAL Nothing’s more pleasing than delicate, textured pink teamed with on-trend hints of copper and brass – and you can be as daring or as muted as you like.…

Retro revival Go for striking red for a 1950s feel that looks fab with a neutral backdrop Stylistsat Home 'I love the retro look! I’d search for an original kitchenette unit and then display all these pretty high-street accessories on it. ' Deep shades Combine blue with white for a contrasting scheme that will give your kitchen a hit of colour Stylistsat Home 'Browse in charity shops and at car-boot sales for beautiful vintage blue and white china and display on open shelves. ' Modern mix Blend grey and white to create a timeless vibe for a contemporary feel Stylistsat Home 'These pieces would look great combined with a pop of raspberry pink. Or, for a less girly option, mustard yellow is a good choice. '…

Shortbread cake TAKES 1 HR + FREEZING SERVES 8 Whizz 300g strawberries until smooth, sieve into a bowl. Heat 250g caster sugar with 125ml water in a pan until dissolved; boil for 7 min. It should feel sticky when a spoonful is left on a plate for 15 sec. Whisk 4 egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly pour in the syrup, whisking until stiff. Whip 350ml whipping cream to soft peaks, fold into the meringue with the purée, pour into a tub and freeze until firm. Mix 250g sliced strawberries with 3tbsp icing sugar and leave for 2 hr at room temperature. Grease a 20cm round cake tin, line with clingfilm. Layer the ice cream and 250g crushed shortbread as shown Freeze, serve with strawberries. Mint choc ice TAKES 25…

Mousse cake TAKES 1 HR + CHILLING SERVES 8 4tbsp caster sugar 2tbsp kirsch 3 sponge flan cases FOR THE MOUSSE 5 gelatine leaves 400g strawberries 100g caster sugar 2 egg whites 300ml double cream Icing sugar 1 Dissolve the sugar in 4tbsp water in a pan over a low heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 min. Leave to cool slightly then add the kirsch. Trim the top rims off the flans. Put one in the base of a lined 18cm cake tin. Brush over a third of the syrup. 2 For the mousse, soak the gelatine in cold water. Purée the strawberries, pass through a sieve. Stir in the sugar. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. In a bowl, whisk the cream to soft peaks. Squeeze…

Pretty flower motifs are big news this summer and can be adapted to suit any scheme, whether it’s vintage, retro or contemporary. These new season designs are oh-so stylish and make it easy to work florals into your decor to create the look you’ll love. You can include as many flowery prints as you want in a wide range of colours, or keep the mood understated with just a few well-chosen pieces. Finally, arrange lots of fresh blooms throughout your home for the perfect finishing touch. 1 Start off by thinking about colour. The palette you go for will influence which floral designs you choose and will also be the base that anchors your whole scheme. 2 When working floral prints into your home, think about the scale of the…

Premier Barmby single-ended bath, £127.76; Eurostream Ora basin taps in Chrome, £22.40; Premier Series 1 bath/shower mixer tap, £30.59; all Bella Bathrooms. Large-format poster, £77.50, Stress Free Print. Rough-sawn pine, £40, Coastal Building Supplies. Treated sawn timber, £36.60 per pack; feature wall painted in Crown Breatheasy silk emulsion in Tropical Ocean, £18.47 for 2.5ltr; all B&Q. Satin Yacht varnish, £9.45 for 750ml, Wilko. Porto Lighthouse fabric, £14.99 per m, Falcon Fabrics. Bamboo bath bridge, £28; Rubberwood loo seat, £15 (sale price); both John Lewis. Loo roll holder, £4.50; Beach Hut light pull, £1.65; both Mumfords of Southwold. For a similar first aid box, try First Aid tin, £29, Store. For similar mirrors, try Porthole mirror, £72.95, Coastal Home. For a similar storage box, try the Beach Huts design, £15, John…

KEEP CLUTTER AT BAY Search for miniature suitcases, similar to those stacked on Lori’s desk, to stash your stuff. We like Vintage Floral storage suitcases, £6.99 for set of three, from The Works. CREATE A MID-CENTURY VIBE Look for out furniture inspired by high-end designers. Check out the Eames Style RAR rocking chair, £59, from Vita Interiors, and add a cushion or two for colour. SEEK OUT ON-TREND BARGAINS For graphical cushions like Lori’s, head to Dunelm. We love the Ochre Revival cushion, £12.99, and Medina cushion cover, £5.99, available in Yellow, Navy and Mushroom.…

Have you ever dreamt of creating an authentic period style in your home but aren’t sure which features are original to the era of your house? We’ve compiled a handy guide to get you started. Take a look at which styles epitomise each distinct architectural period, from the 18th century right through to the 1950s, and see how you can recreate the look yourself. Discover the beautiful original features that give your home its character and learn how to work them into your modern-day decorating. If you need to restore features that have previously been removed, try browsing antiques and junk shops and architectural salvage yards for the details that will make all the difference to your look. Georgian 1714-1837 INFLUENCES Georgian style was all about channelling simplicity, symmetry and…

Fill your borders and beds with our collection of pretty geraniums – they’re amazingly hardy and create beautiful ground cover. And, with our offer, also great value for money. Very easy to grow, so perfect if you’re new to gardening, geraniums thrive in either borders or containers. They’re also pest resistant, drought tolerant and can grow in any type of soil. When famous gardener Margery Fish was asked for the secret of gardening, she answered ‘the secret is, when in doubt, plant a geranium’. OUR OFFER Buy these three plants for £15: Geranium phaeum, Geranium Rose Clair and Geranium versicolour OR buy the Ultimate Collection (six of each) for just £24, saving £12, AND receive three FREE Geranium Brookside*, worth £15. TERMS & CONDITIONS All plants will be despatched in…

AMAZING ASTERS Choose these blooms for late-season interest Also known as Michaelmas daisies, these versatile plants are a relative of the daisy you see in your lawn and are attractive to butterflies and bees. They’re hardy, easy to grow and perfect in pots and borders, producing vibrant flowers from late August to late November. Our offer includes the varieties Red Robin, Coombe Violet, Lassie, Algar’s Pride and Blauglut. The average height and spread of the plants is 60cm to 90cm. OUR OFFER Buy five plants (one of each variety) for £14 OR get the Ultimate Aster Collection of 15 (three of each) and save £22. LOVELY LAVATERA Plant easy-to-grow lavateras to attract bees. This cottage-garden favourite, also known as the tree mallow, blooms with large disc-shaped flowers from June through…

= mail order available ABC Amara 0800 587 7645; amara.com Amazon amazon.co.uk Annabel James 0845 548 0210; annabeljames.co.uk Argos 0845 640 3030 Art.co.uk 020 8435 6556 Artylicious artylicious.co.uk Atlantic Shopping 0121 230 1644; atlanticshopping.co.uk Autentico 01233 878303; autentico-chalk-paint.co.uk B&Q 0333 014 3098; diy.com Barker & Stonehouse 0333 355 9324 Bella Bathrooms 0191 303 7771; bellabathrooms.co.uk BHS 0344 411 6000; bhs.co.uk Bloomingville bloomingville.com Bluebellgray 0141 221 0724; bluebellgray.com Bombay Duck 020 8749 3000; bombayduck.com Bombus 01227 751615; bombus.co.uk Carpetright 0330 333 3444; carpetright.co.uk Cath Kidston 0845 026 2440; cathkidston.com Clarke & Clarke 01706 242010; clarke-clarke.co.uk Clas Ohlson 020 8247 9300; clasohlson.com Coastal Building Supplies coastalbuildingsupplies.co.uk Coastal Home 01625 578105; coastalhome.co.uk Contemporary Home (The) 0845 130 8229; tch.net Cormar cormarcarpets.co.uk Cotton Bunting Company (The) 01245 363310; cottonbunting.co.uk Cox & Cox 0844 858…

KEEP TOES COSY and add texture to your living room by popping a rug under your coffee table. The Popcorn rug, from £219, Marks & Spencer, ties the tones of the grey scheme together. FINISH OFF a beautiful staircase with a smart runner and elegant stair rods. Head to Roger Oates and check out its stainless-steel designs, which start from £42 for a 73cm-wide rod. GIVE FURNITURE a new lease of life with paint. Elizabeth asked The Furniture Recycling Shop to upcycle her stepdaughter’s pine bed, wardrobes, chest of drawers and bedside tables. Prices start from around £75. BOLD PRINTS are a great way of adding impact to plain kitchen walls. Art.co.uk has lots of affordable designs – the Campbell’s soup print costs £44.99 for a 61cm x 102cm poster.…

Simple, classic and with plenty of character, wooden kitchens never go out of style, making them a great investment for your home. While traditional designs may be just the ticket for a country kitchen, Shaker-style doors are the most versatile option and look as good with modern accessories as they do with retro buys. Whether you pick a natural timber finish or add a splash of colour with paint, most can easily be given a new lease of life with a thorough oiling or a new shade when you fancy a change. Smart shopping Not all wood kitchens are created equally, so it’s important to find out what material each is made from. Doors that are constructed entirely from solid wood tend to be more expensive, so it’s common to…

Well-travelled living room Combine market bazaar finds with rustic pieces for a far-flung feel 5 ways to get the look Don’t be afraid to mix and match your patterns – as long as your key tones are all there, it’ll look fab. Stick to dark, distressed and vintage woods for an earthy feel. Fill your space with deep leafy greens, to bring in a touch of the tropics. Chevrons and ikat patterns sum up this style – add them with soft furnishings. Finish the look with copper accessories and lots of well-thumbed travel guides. Our top picks Glass lantern with rope, £7.99; copper-effect glass tealight holder, £4.49; cushion, £14.99; all Dunelm. Silver tray, £20; bamboo basket, £18; both John Lewis. Black and Gold candle holder, from £4, Sainsbury’s. Copper canister,…

Vintage deckchair Enjoy the summer in style YOU WILL NEED Deckchair** Rust-Oleum gloss spray paint in Sun Yellow, £9.49 for 400ml, Homebase 2m Waltzing deckchair canvas, £12 per m, The Stripes Company Scissors & pins 2 x 70cm ribbon Cushion pad 1 Remove the sling. Spray the frame with a coat of paint, then another when dry. Lay the new fabric flat on the floor and place the old sling on top. Cut to size, adding extra at either end to fold over, plus a seam allowance of 1.5cm. Fold and stitch each short edge to make a channel. Thread the dowels through. 2 To make the cushion, cut 40cm of fabric. Fold ribbons in half and place fold at cut edge of the fabric, 7cm in. Pin in place.…

We spend a third of our lives sleeping, so it pays to invest in a good-quality mattress, ensure we have super-cosy bedding and that the room is comfortable and the perfect temperature. However, with warmer nights now upon us, getting a good night’s sleep can be a problem for many of us. Leaving the window open isn’t always an option due to outside noise and, for some, hay fever, meaning it can be tricky to maintain a cool bedroom during the night. One solution is to keep curtains drawn while you’re out during the day. This will reduce the chance of the sun overheating the room. Smart choices Ensuring you have enough sleep is essential for a healthy lifestyle, so set a regular bedtime and stick to it, then your…

MIX & MATCH Group several tea towels together on a rail or hooks to make up a pretty collection. Go for different patterns in a common palette to pull your look together. OUT TO DRY Choose decorative hooks for hanging your tea towels and make them part of your kitchen styling. Try Notonthehighstreet.com for a wide selection of individual hooks and rails to suit your scheme. SHOW OFF Keep spare tea towels on display, rather than hidden away in a kitchen cupboard. Fold neatly and display on open shelving, or stack in little bundles in a pretty basket. And why not fold one over your oven door handle, like Jen has done? This will show off the pattern beautifully and also allow it to dry off after you’ve used it.…

Add a personal touch to your home and have a go at our easy DIY project. Why not stencil on the date of an anniversary, or your favourite song lyrics? HOWTO YOU WILL NEED 2 x stripwood pine pieces, £3.12 for a 900mm x 92mm x 10.5mm piece, B&Q Ruler & pencil Jigsaw Clamps Wood glue Gently Sky paint, £4 for 60ml, Little Greene White acrylic paint Paintbrush Alphabet stencils, £6, Hobbycraft Saucer Sponge 1 Measure and cut the wood into three 40cm length pieces with a jigsaw (or have it cut in your local DIY store). Glue the pieces together side by side, slightly staggered, and clamp to hold in place. Leave to dry for two hours. 2 Apply a coat of blue paint to the wood and leave…

Style at Home has teamed up with Joe Delucci’s to give one reader the chance to win a month’s supply of gelato worth £100. Delicious flavours include Berries & Cream and Coconut, available from Tesco and Joe Delucci’s parlours. Email styleathome@timeinc.com with ‘Gelato’ in the subject line. Include your name, address and telephone number. Opens 6 July 2015 and closes 12 August 2015. For full T&Cs see page 129. One entry per person. Prize cannot be exchanged for cash value. One winner will receive a 5ltr tub. Choose from 30 flavours.…

SHOPPING LIST MEAT & FISH • 4 mackerel fillets• 12 slices chorizo• 4 chicken thighs• 100g smoked bacon• 500g beef mince• 86g pack salami FRUIT & VEGETABLES • 1 lemon• 125g tenderstem broccoli• Bunches mint, rosemary& coriander• 2 courgettes• 1 red & 1 green chilli• 2 garlic bulbs• Bunch rocket• Bunch asparagus• 4 shallots & 2 red onions• 200g raspberries• 4 potatoes• 1 red & 1 yellow pepper• 1 avocado• 2 tomatoes DAIRY • 375g mozzarella• 100g Parmesan• 500ml tub vanilla custard• 150ml double cream• 150ml soured cream GROCERY & FROZEN • Wholegrain mustard• Olive oil• 400g can mixed bean salad• Red wine & balsamic vinegar• Tomato pizza sauce & pesto• 2 x 145g packs pizza base mix• Sun-dried tomatoes• 2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes• Sugar• Spaghetti & pasta• 6 gelatine leaves• Fruit cordial• 8 amaretti biscuits• Almond extract• Icing sugar• Toasted flaked almonds• Chipotle paste• 400g can red kidney beans• Beef stock cubes• 400g can cherry tomatoes Monday Mackerel superfood salad TAKES 15 MIN SERVES 4 3tbsp wholegrain mustard 4tsp olive oil Zest…

Big bathrooms are a luxury many of us can only dream about – a freestanding bath in the middle of the room, complete with roaring fire and sumptuous armchair is on everyone’s wish list, right? However true that may be, we think compact bathrooms can be just as gorgeous. A small space doesn’t have to look cluttered or cramped when you incorporate a few clever tricks of the trade – your room can soon ooze style and sophistication, even if all you have is a shower room to experiment with. A couple of space-saving tips mixed in with a display of gorgeous accessories and textiles will turn the most modest of bathrooms into an enviable space in minutes. Plus, throw in a few clever storage ideas and your bathroom, however…

Could your living room do with a little TLC? Then a new sofa may be just the thing for an instant revamp. For many of us, the sofa is the focal point of the room, so it deserves to stand out. A smart, simple design will instantly add character, so we’ve been busy bargain hunting and found 10 of our favourite designs, all for under £500 each!…

Georgian Chippendale-style cabinetry and furniture is iconic of this era, so look out for elegantly curved legs and ball-and-claw feet to recreate this refined style. Finish with a chaise longue for a luxurious look. Victorian Choose plump, overstuffed furniture for a Victorian-style living room. Button-back sofas and armchairs in luxurious fabrics will epitomise the look, as will lots of fringing, decorative detail and framed pictures on the walls. Edwardian Wicker furniture became a staple in Edwardian homes to channel a more informal vibe to the previously ornate Victorian era. Style a corner with a wicker chair dressed with pretty cushions. 1930s Find a glass-fronted display cabinet to showcase your finest china and prized possessions. Art Deco was still very popular during this era, so work bold geometric designs into your…

Bring the outside in Inject some colour with pretty flowers and foliage Garden finds Don’t spend a fortune on flowers if you have an array in your garden. Cut a few stems and arrange in a simple glass vase. Pick flowers at night or in the morning, add plant food to extend their life and always snip the bottoms at an angle. DIY pot-pourri Pick petals and buds after the morning dew has evaporated and place on tissue paper to dry out. Pop in a large bowl with a fixative (dried lavender), add essential oils, seal in a jar and after four to six weeks, it will be ready to use. In miniature Create a tiny indoor garden of potted plants, herbs and succulents in a small greenhouse. Glass jars…