Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 i Style At Home

Welcome to the last issue of 2020! Let’s face it, 2021 can only be better, and, in the meanwhile, we can all fall into the arms of the Christmas holidays and enjoy some time out. We might not be able to do things in exactly the same way we’re used to (Ma Richmond and I are emotionally preparing ourselves to see the littlest Richmonds open their pressies via Facetime rather than face-to-face), but there’ll still be gin and The Muppets Christmas Carol, and board-game binges – even if the other players are online. This isn’t only the last issue of the year, it’s also my last as Editor. This magazine is so full of the joy of home, it has been a wonderfully happy part of my life and…

After living in a tiny apartment, having the space to decorate our home for Christmas has been wonderful,’ says Fransisca. ‘Our previous home in nearby Tammisaari was lovely, but tiny at just 42sq m, so we were desperate for more space. Initially we thought about a self-build and I’d already got excited sketching out ideas for our dream house. Then by chance, I came across our new home online, took a drive and fell in love with the garden, the spirit of the place and all the potential we saw. It was five times bigger than our previous place and also had a big industrial barn that would be perfect for parties. The house was built in 1893 and the former owner had done some major renovations to it, including…

INDUSTVILLE For factory-style pendants with varying bulb sizes, creating a rustic-industrial look. THE WHITE COMPANY It has a big selection of crisp table linen and quality white dinnerware. COX & COX The lanterns, rattan baskets and sheepskins are timeless, cosy additions. JN RUSTICUS For characterful tables, consoles and cabinets handmade from reclaimed wood. PEPPERMILL INTERIORS Painted farmhouse dining tables are its speciality, along with vintage restaurant and bar furniture. FURN-ON The natural variations of the reclaimed wood furniture is great for a rustic vibe.…

The fact that Clara and Nick’s future home hadn’t been updated in decades wasn’t going to put off the pair from buying it. ‘The property was in the perfect location in Bridgend, which was exactly where we wanted to be, and it had plenty of unique features, such as the large stained glass bay windows and original fireplaces,’ says Clara. ‘We snapped it up, and because we had no experience of renovating, having only ever rented since we left home for university, we had to hit the ground running! We’ve charted our progress on Instagram @dustandbricks. No time to waste The very first thing we did, even before we received the keys, was to get tradespeople in to assess the works we wanted to do. We couldn’t afford to double…

Pink and green sit on opposite sides of the colour wheel, making them great partners for your interior scheme – Clara has used the colours both on walls and furniture to balance the living and dining space. She’s added sunny yellow and gold elements as highlights, too. Velvet upholstery creates an instantly luxe look, but layering on patterned rugs and soft throws gives a more relaxed feel with tropical prints and accessories adding a characterful spin.…

Large frameless canvases sit with ease in both modern and more traditional interiors. 1 Make your own wall art with simple hand-drawn or stencilled images and leftover tester pots. 2 Decide on the size to suit the space, and allow for enough wall area around the canvas to achieve balance within the room. 3 Art supply shops sell stretched canvas frames in various sizes; or you could make your own. 4 Hand draw or use a stencil to create images, such as flowers or leaves to achieve a simple style. 5 Using emulsion paint and a small brush, paint the shapes in shades to complement your overall colour scheme.…

1 Hang a row of festive wreaths Fill empty wall space above a sofa or sideboard with a line-up of wreaths, hung two or three in a row. Add extra glitz by weaving in a set of twinkly micro lights or wiring on mini glass baubles that echo the colour theme of your tree. 2 CREATE A WINTRY WINDOW SCENE Bring sparkle to a plain pane by adding a festive window greeting. Easy to apply, etched stickers can be cut to size and reused year after year. 3 Deck the hall so it looks jolly Start your festive scheme at the front door with a colourful array that will bring instant cheer. Festoon picture rails and coat hooks with pom-pom bunting and novelty decs. Then style the console with a…

Focus on the details and inject life into mundane sockets and light switches with a brass finish to reflect the latest trend for metallic colour accents. Warm metallics, such as gold and brass, glow against dark tones of charcoal and black – in Athina’s kitchen they match the accents in the open-plan living room. It’s easy to find brass switches and sockets in DIY shops. They come in a range of finishes, including antique, brushed brass, polished brass and satin brass, with black or white plug holes. Choose either a flat or bevelled edged plate in a contemporary, Victorian, Georgian or Art Deco style – or go screwless.…

EASIER INSTALLATION Maxtop Quartz worktops are made from solid quartz but with a unique honeycomb core that makes them lighter and easier to handle and install, as well as cheaper. TOP PRODUCT RANGE Caesarstone has unrivalled expertise and product range and its online visualiser lets you see how different colours and styles will look in situ. A QUICK FIX Granite Transformations offers topper quartz or granite worktops that fit on top of your existing worktop so there’s less mess and upheaval.…

ABOUT ME I’m Holly Hunt, 36, and I live with my husband Giles, 39, a landscaper and groundworker, and our two boys, Albi, eight, and Ozzie, six, in a three-bedroom Victorian detached house in Stroud. We moved here in 2015. THE CHALLENGE I wanted a modern bathroom suitable for a growing family of four and to do this we needed to change everything. The original space was barely usable and far too small to fit a bath and separate shower. There wasn’t a thing we wanted to keep so we decided to relocate the room to increase its size. MY WISH LIST The floor tiles in the shower were my one must-have and we used them as the starting point to inspire the rest of the scheme. I was adamant…

Acting as a hybrid between an open-plan wet room and fully-enclosed shower cubicle, a walk-in shower offers easy, low-level access and a luxuriously spacious showering area. Why is it called a walk-in? A walk-in shower has no door – hence the ‘walk-in’ – but it does include at least one shower screen. Walk-in showers come in two main styles. The single entry has access at one end, which is great for installing in a corner or alcove. A double entry design is fixed centrally and can be accessed from either end. Should I go for a tray or tank the floor? Tanking the floor, and walls, will provide completely level access and is worth considering if you have less-abled users or want to future-proof your home. Tanking will also provide…

CHRISTMAS BISCUITS JAR YOU WILL NEED USE READY-MADE BISCUITS, LIKE THESE ONES IN THE HAPPY CHRISTMAS LUXE TIN, £48, BISCUITEERS, TO MAKE SEVERAL JARS Glass jar with lid Caster sugar Iced biscuits Glitter card Scissors Twine 1 Make your own edible snow globe by filling the bottom of a large glass jar with caster sugar to look like snow. Flour would also work, but may stick to your biscuits. 2 Bake your own or buy ready-made Christmas-themed iced biscuits and arrange them in the sugar to create a festive scene. Press down gently to make them stand but make sure you don't snap them! 3 Using scissors, cut a star shape tag from glitter card and punch a small hole in the top. Tie to the jar lid with ribbon…

BACON LATTICE TURKEY  TAKES 2 HRS 45 MINS, PLUS RESTING SERVES 6-8 1 turkey, about 5.5kg 1 lemon, cut in half 1 bulb of garlic, cut in half through the middle 2 bay leaves 2 large carrots, cut into chunks 2 onions, quartered 2 celery sticks, cut into chunks 50g butter, softened 16 rashers of streaky bacon 1 Make sure the giblets are removed from inside the turkey. Put the lemon, garlic and bay leaves into the cavity. 2 Put the chopped veg in a large roasting tray. Put the turkey on top of the veg and tuck the wings underneath the breasts. Rub the butter into the legs and sides of the bird. 3 To make the lattice, lay 8 bacon rashers on the turkey breast. Working left to…

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Rainbows have been a symbol of hope and gratitude this year, and the Pop Art collection at John Lewis & Partners is bringing us good vibes for Christmas too. Modern, kitsch and cool, the range features fun baubles and neon lights. 3 of the best… RAINBOW DECORATIONS…

ABOUT ME I’m Fransisca Lindholm, 35, an interior designer (franco.fi). I live here with my partner Björn Englund, 41, a salesman and truck driver. OUR HOME A four-bedroom 1890s wooden house in Raasepori, southern Finland. We moved here in May 2015. WHEN I MOVED IN It was structurally sound and had been fully renovated by the previous owners, but the interior felt a little too modern for our taste. AND NOW We’ve given it a muted earthy colour palette and added rustic vintage furniture to honour the age of the house. STYLE TIP I really believe that less is more and choosing good quality materials will go a long way.…

1 First, you’ll need to source a suitable door. Try eBay or local reclamation yards for a vintage door with panels that will bring lots of character to your bedroom. The door’s height will need to span the width of your bed. 2 Remove the back part of the door handle and use a hand sander with 220 grit sandpaper on the surface. 3 An optional display ledge made from round-edged timber could also be cut to fit along the top and fixed with screws. 4 Wax or paint the wood to tie into your colour scheme. You could even hang hooks on the sides. 5 To fix it to your wall, use two pairs of French cleats. These mouldings have a 45-degree slope with one half attached to the…

ABOUT US I’m Clara McGillan, 31. I’m a secondary school teacher and I live here with my partner Nick, 35, a geography lecturer. OUR HOME A 1930s three-bed semi in Bridgend, South Wales. WHEN WE BOUGHT IT The house was stuck in the 1930s style-wise and there had been some very quirky updates made to it. AND NOW It’s still a work in progress, but we’ve got a much brighter, more modern home. STYLE TIP Pick colours that you love. Our colour palette is pink, green, yellow and grey because these colours give a sense of happiness, and your home should make you smile. Being colourful and adventurous can be daunting, but if you love colour, then do it!…

Before moving here, we lived in a terraced house with high ceilings and sash windows, but when we became empty-nesters, we decided we’d like a new style of home and a fresh challenge,’ says Meg. ‘We were already in Oxfordshire and liked the area, but we wanted a rural location, with plenty of space both inside and out. ‘We had been living on a busy main road and the thought of a peaceful location was very appealing, so we were fortunate to find a property on a one-acre plot in a small village with beautiful countryside just on the doorstep. A change of scene We had been looking for a complete contrast to our previous home; something more modern, with square rooms and straight walls. This property was a dated…

For a simple, understated focal point, create a feature wall adorned with a natural garland. Once you have chosen the perfect, eco-friendly paint colour for your feature wall, use a brush or a paint edge trimmer to cut in around the edges for a neat finish. Using a roller, large brush or paint pad, fill in the remaining wall. To make the garland, gather outdoor finds; Meg used feathers. Using a needle and cotton, carefully sew loops through each piece. Thread on to a length of string or ribbon, creating an attractive garland to fix to the wall.…

the STYLE RULES KEEP IT LIGHT Brilliant white walls create the feeling of a light, bright space, even in winter. Paint a fire surround in the same shade and reflect light with a statement wall mirror. CREATE A WARM WELCOME Contrast polished surfaces with cosy textures. Layer a mantelpiece with snow-tipped foliage and place faux fur throws and pillows on seating ready for snuggling up. STICK TO NEUTRALS Pile a stone coloured sofa with textured cushions, adding a little extra sparkle for the season. Sheer curtains with a subtle pattern are ideal in overlooked rooms as they let light in but keep prying eyes out. GO FOR GLAMOUR Mirrored furniture and accessories create a modern feel. Add to the glamour with white, silver and antique gold decorations. Frosted…

Theo and I had both been house-sharing in southwest London and when we decided to move in together, we wanted to stay in the same area. We viewed this basement flat and were delighted,’ says Athina. ‘Flats in London are expensive and often have poky rooms, so we were really pleased with the open-plan living space. Choosing the scheme Although we loved the open-plan concept, the living room needed smartening up and I wanted the kitchen to blend in so it felt like one room. I’m not a huge fan of colour, so we painted the living room walls dark grey and brought in dark wood and black accents in the furniture. I had my sights set on black or charcoal grey kitchen cupboards and was really pleased when I…

Ringhult cabinetry in High-Gloss Grey and Kungsbacka cabinetry in Anthracite, £2,000; Tutemo ash open cabinet, £25; Eneryda cup handles, £9 for two; Bagganas knobs, £5 for two; Havsen inset sink, £115; Bosjon mixer tap, £100; Livslaga gas hob, £150; Finsmarkare microwave combi, £600; Finsmarkare forced air oven with pyro steam function, £800; Matalskare extractor, £165; Omlopp lighting strips, £25 each; Hektar ceiling track, £25; Vaxmyra LED spotlights, £9 for two; Tradfri dimmer kit, £10; Skararp marble-effect quartz worktop, £450sq m, all Ikea. Artisan gloss white tiles, £71.20m, Topps Tiles. Fintorp knife rack, £7; Smaata chopping board, £10, both Ikea. Industrial pole with hanging baskets, £115, Maisons du Monde…

1 Add character to your bathroom by making a washbasin stand; it requires good diy skills, but is worth the effort. 2 Cut a wooden base to size, then sand and varnish it. 3 Choose a countertop-mounted sink that works with the proportions of the base; think about the space around the edge for soap and toothbrushes. 4 Cut a hole in the base that’s big enough for the waste pipe. Measuring is key, but the basin should sit nicely over the hole. 5 Attach your chosen poles and fixings for the legs, measuring a comfortable height, to the base. The unit can now be fixed to the wall and plumbed in. Find more tips on how to create a modern monochrome bathroom at idealhome.co.uk…

EASY CLEANING Soak.com stocks frameless shower panels from £87.99, all treated with an EasyClean finish that repels water and prevents staining. MODERN DESIGN Frontline’s black grid walk-in shower panels feature a digitally integrated grid pattern to achieve the on-trend industrial look without the dirt-trapping potential of metal framing. STURDY SUPPORT Aqata has developed a ceiling fix column that attaches from floor to ceiling for secure installation of its shower panels, without compromising the frameless look.…

NEED A CHRISTMAS CARD IN A HURRY? WHIP UP ONE OF THESE DESIGNS IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES! BUTTON GREETINGS CARDS YOU WILL NEED Grey card Selection of white buttons Glue Fine black pen Adhesive pearl gems 1 To make the snowman card, fold a piece of grey card in half and lay flat with the fold at the top. Alternatively, use ready-made card blanks. 2 In the bottom right-hand corner, attach a large white button using strong glue. Add a smaller white button on top as the snowman’s head. 3 Use a fine black pen to draw details like the snowman’s hat, scarf and arms. Add pearl adhesive gems to the rest of the card to look like falling snow. 4 To make the hanging baubles card, fold a…

Love your leftovers This bloomin’ brilliant Sage & Onion Festive Bloomer from Jacksons is the ideal loaf for the ultimate Boxing Day turkey sarnie! It has an intense sage flavour that complements the meat splendidly. Add a few pigs in blankets, a generous dollop of cranberry sauce, some leaves and you’re all set! Cheat’s eats! PIP & NUT’S DELICIOUS FESTIVE GINGERBREAD ALMOND BUTTER (PIPANDNUT.COM) COSTS £3.95, WITH 25P DONATED TO THE HACKNEY FOODBANK Christmas dinner and all the trimmings has never been simpler. We are big believers that everyone should enjoy Christmas to the fullest. So if toiling away in the kitchen isn’t your idea of fun then Cook has come to the rescue! Its tasty festive range includes absolutely everything you’ll need, including this magnificent Stuffed Crown of Turkey.…

Reclaimed wood panels, pallets or even floorboards can be attached to your wall using panelling adhesive and nails to create a rustic feature wall with impact. If you prefer a 1970s retro vibe, try Acupanel acoustic wood panelling from The Wood Veneer Hub – it has the added bonus of reducing noise levels. A budget alternative is to cut MDF into 30mm strips spaced 18mm apart and finish with a clear matt varnish. Painting the wall behind a dark grey will give that ‘shadow gap’ effect. Peel and stick wood boards are a quick and easy way to get the look (try Plus Timber) or choose wood-effect tiles, such as the Mora oak range from Topps Tiles. If your DIY skills are lacking, cheat it with wood-panel effect wallpaper instead.…

LOVE FRANKIE It has a great range of quirky furnishings. I adore its statement lamp shades with decadent fringing. It’s a great shop for finding inspiration. GECKO HOME DECOR A carefully curated collection of unique, ‘don’t need, must have’ pieces for your home. It always has a good range of affordable, industrial homeware. PAVOT BLUE INTERIORS For fab dried flowers, real sheepskin rugs, cushion covers and all things bohemian decor-wise. KOLAB CONCRETE It makes the most amazing and colourful home accessories out of concrete. Think coasters, trays, pots and so much more. DUNELM With both practical and stylish items for every room in the house, Dunelm always stocks a wide range of affordable pieces. IKEA A great one-stop shop for all of your basic items and essentials – it’s especially…

ABOUT ME I’m Meg Dobbie and I am a graphic designer. I live here with my husband Phil, an engineer. We have two children, Miles, 27, and Alice, 25, who both now live away from home. OUR HOME A four-bedroomed 1990s barn-style, semi-detached house in Oxfordshire. WHEN WE MOVED IN The property was dated, with lots of pine. But we saw the potential and relished the idea of a new project. AND NOW The light-filled rooms have a modern Scandi feel, which I love. The house is tranquil and a pleasure to spend time in. STYLE TIP I’m a strong believer in only using items that add to a room. By choosing simple designs, I can ensure that pieces go well together.…

COX & COX An inspirational selection of timeless furniture, lighting and accessories to create an easy-to-live-with style. HOME BARN Browse a wonderful selection of decorative items, plus reclaimed and vintage furniture, in a 17th-century barn in Buckinghamshire. THE OLD FLIGHT HOUSE A stylish antiques, vintage and interiors centre full of exciting special finds – and perfect for a spot of lunch too! GARDEN TRADING Chic, contemporary and classic furniture, lighting and decorative pieces for both interior and outdoor spaces. IKEA Scandinavian design at affordable prices, ideal to mix with modern or traditional interiors.…

Fake a reflection Use made-to-measure glass (a classic New York apartment trick), reflective tiles, or mirror-effect wallpaper (as pictured) to help boost light in a dark nook and increase the overall sense of space. Serving nook Put even narrow alcoves to use with short lengths of worktop or scaffolding planks to hold tableware and condiments – saving you going back and forth to the kitchen. Statement shelving Make book storage more beautiful – but just as functional – by wall-mounting cube or box shelves in a diagonal pattern. Paint them the same shade as the wall for a streamlined effect. Picture show Narrow picture ledges make a gallery space for artwork, postcards and decorative items that you can change with the seasons. Match the ledges to your wall to make…

ABOUT ME I’m Athina Bluff, 28, an interior designer and founder of Topology Interiors (@topology interiors). I live with my partner, Theo McInnes, 28, a photojournalist, in a one-bedroom basement flat in southwest London. We moved here in April, 2018. MY CHALLENGE The kitchen wasn’t to my taste, but the main problem was the lack of work surface and storage. The layout needed replanning and we wanted to improve the light. MY WISH LIST Improving functionality was top of our list. We wanted a design that blended with the open-plan living room.…

Practical, durable and stylish, quartz is a strong contender if you’re seeking a low-stress work surface for your kitchen. What is quartz? A man-made surface formed from mineral quartz mixed with resins and pigments, it’s also known as composite or engineered stone. The ratio is around 90% quartz to 10% binding and colouring agents. Why should I choose it? Quartz is considered more durable, heat resistant and easier to maintain than natural stone. It’s less porous, which means it’s more resistant to stains, as well as chips and scratches and the surface only needs to be resealed occasionally. And because it’s very dense and compact, bacteria doesn’t grow or spread as readily, making it hygienic too. What colours can I choose? One of the main benefits of quartz is that…

With this house, it wasn’t just a case of a simple update; we had to completely gut the property,’ says Holly. ‘But it was quite freeing to be in a position to make decisions that didn’t compromise with the previous owner’s taste or renovations. The original bathroom was tiny and as wrecked as the rest of the house, and it was too small for our growing family. I wanted a much bigger, lighter space, and as we’d already decided to redesign and extend the whole house, it made sense to move the bathroom next door to the smallest bedroom and knock through to make it slightly bigger. This meant we could keep the old bathroom in use while we did the work, so even when the joining wall was removed…

Double-ended roll-top bath with leg set, £399.95; Nuie wetroom screen, £79.95; try Turin Black heated towel rail, £99.95, all Victorian Plumbing. Shower, £35; sink tap, £15; bath taps, £20, all eBay. Antique Black bronze brass bathroom wall waterfall shower and tap set TFB410, £238.99, UK Taps, is a close match. Matte Black Lynx single-lever Monobloc tap, £29.99, Wayfair. Chester retro Antique Black hand-shower mixer tap, £96.99, Homary. Craquele White wall tiles, £29.99sq m, Tile Mountain. Popham Design Backgammon Oyster and Milk cement floor tiles, £197.31sq m, Day True. White stone resin oval bathroom washbasin, £139.99, Homary. Poles and joiners for the basin stand, prices start at £1.28 for a Short Tee tube, The Metal Store. Clarity close coupled toilet with seat, £79.99, VictoriaPlum.com. Ferm Living bathroom shelf, £55, Utility Design.…

CHOCOLATE ORANGE TRIFLE TAKES 25 MINS, PLUS COOLING SERVES 10 3 medium eggs, plus 2 yolks 50g caster sugar 4tsp cornflour 450ml full-fat milk 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds removed 8tbsp Cointreau or Triple Sec 500g chocolate chip brioche, cut into 1cm slices 700g clementines, peeled and sliced into rounds 600ml double cream 4tbsp icing sugar TO DECORATE Zest of 1 orange Chocolate curls YOU WILL NEED 3ltr trifle bowl 1 Whisk the eggs, yolks, caster sugar and cornflour together. In a pan heat the milk, vanilla seeds and scraped pod until steaming. Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, before returning all to the pan. Remove the vanilla pod. 2 Cook over a gentle heat, whisking until the custard is thick, bubbling and smooth. Decant…

PAPER FOLIAGE WREATH YOU WILL NEED USE OLD SHEET MUSIC OR NEWSPAPER STUCK ONTO CARD TO ADD EXTRA CHARACTER Satin ribbon Polystyrene wreath base Pins Card Decorative papers Scissors 1 Wind a wide satin ribbon around the wreath base until completely covered, then pin the ends on the back to secure. 2 Cut leaf templates from card – we used three sizes. Trace the templates to cut around 90 leaves from different decorative papers. Fold the paper to cut several leaves at once. Crease each leaf down the centre. 3 Secure groups of leaves to the wreath with pins, working in one direction and overlapping them so the pins are hidden by the tips of the next group (you can adjust their position later). Pin a ribbon to the back…