Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Style At Home

Having just moved house, my project to-do list is insane right now, from those niggly little DIY jobs like ‘reseal the kitchen sink’ to the creative  jobs I enjoy a whole lot more, such as ‘hang a gallery wall.’ If these projects seem small-fry, and you’ve got a much bigger reno on your radar for 2021, we’ve packed this issue full of ideas and advice. From kitchen overhauls and extensions, to bathroom fixes and loft conversions, if you don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered. Finally, I’ve got a favour to ask. Our real homes and makeovers are at the heart of SEND US YOUR STYLING SNAPS ON INSTAGRAM #SAHSTYLISTS - WE LOVE TO SEE YOUR FAB IDEAS! Style at Home, and to make sure we’re bringing you…

1 Order two brass hoops of different sizes and select two wools in a dark and lighter shade. 2 Bind the two brass hoops together at the top with wool in one of the colours. 3 Simply knot lengths of the darker coloured wool onto the bottom of the larger hoop to create a wide fringe so that it comes to a point approximately 50cm below the hoop. 4 Knot the lighter coloured wool onto the smaller hoop over the darker wool hanging from the larger hoop, creating a narrower fringe the same length. It will come to a point approximately 20cm above the darker wool underneath and form a pleasing contrasting result. 5 Attach an adhesive hook in your chosen spot to display your macramé hanging.…

‘Vintage’ usually means items between 30 and 100 years old. Vintage pieces have unique character and it’s an eco-friendly way to furnish your home. There are masses of online specialists as well as sites like eBay offering second-hand furniture. Be careful buying online as you can’t inspect the item, and delivery may add to the costs. If you source from auctions, charity shops, antiques fairs and house-clearance sales, you can check the size and condition, and make sure the item will suit your space. Don’t expect perfection. You’re sure to find scratches, marks or damage. Some problems can be fixed with a little TLC, so you’ll need to decide how much wear and tear you can live with.…

We want to know all about what you love (and hate!) about the house stories you see in Style at Home every month. We want to get a better idea about what you think's working, and what we could do better, so that we can make sure we're ticking all your boxes when it comes to the real homes we feature! Pop online to answer a few questions, and one lucky reader will win £100 worth of Amazon vouchers. idealhome.co.uk/survey2021…

1 Build a bench under a bay Make the most of the floor area in a bay window with built-to-fit seating using sheets of ply. Drawers underneath add storage (great for toys) and are more practical than lift-up lids if you have little ones. Use the end section as a side table. 2 ADD CUSTOM STORAGE SOLUTIONS Tackle sloping ceilings by going for built-in wardrobes with angled doors. Storage and fittings can be tailored to make the most of every inch. 3 Update a white kitchen with glam handles Give plain units a simple refresh by switching handles and drawer pulls for luxe gold or brass designs. Pick a style the same size as the originals to match up to the fixing holes. 4 DESIGN YOUR OWN SIDEBOARD Create a…

1 First, chisel away a small piece of plaster. If the brick beneath crumbles, don’t proceed, as the wall isn’t sustainable. 2 If it doesn’t crumble, remove furniture out of the way and protect the floor with sheeting. 3 Wearing a respirator, goggles and protective gloves, break up the plaster with a crowbar or a hammer and masonry chisel. 4 Loosen debris with a wire brush, then remove any remaining plaster, dirt and oil with a thin paste of equal parts water, washing-up liquid and salt. Allow to dry. 5 Apply two coats of matt acrylic brick sealant with a roller or brush, aiming for full even coverage.…

EXPERT CRAFTSMANSHIP Trunk Reclaimed’s cabinetmakers celebrate the history and uniqueness of each salvaged plank when creating its reclaimed kitchens. GREEN CREDENTIALS New from Old makes beautiful kitchens from restored antique pine with minimal impact on the environment – including generating its own electricity and heat. SALVAGE HUNTING Tobys Reclamation offers a reclaimed timber sourcing service, makes its own kitchens, and is a treasure trove of vintage furniture, hardware and architectural finds.…

Plan a way to cook and keep food and drinks chilled when your kitchen is out of action. Look into buying an inexpensive mini fridge for essentials like milk, while a microwave and kettle can be plugged in anywhere for pared-back food prep while your kitchen is out of bounds. If a new floor is being fitted or the waste pipe is being relocated and you don’t have another one, it might be best to decamp to a friend’s house. Minimise the inevitable mess. Cover hallway floors with old sheets to protect them while products are being taken through the house. Ask for any cutting of tiles and plasterboard to be done outside to minimise dust, and seal off the doors to other rooms.…

Our house was rented before we moved in, so while on the surface it all looked relatively clean and neutral, albeit a little tired, we soon realised how bad its condition was,’ says Joanna. ‘However, this gave us the opportunity to strip everything out (aside from original features) from top to bottom and create a space which was totally to our taste. Starting from scratch While budget prohibited us from relocating the basin and toilet, we knew that due to the faulty sub-floor and waterlogged plaster walls we’d need to completely gut the room and start again, which gave me the opportunity to work out how to incorporate the walk-in shower of my dreams. There was a wasted space at the end of the bath behind the door which was…

Black grid wet room shower enclosure panel, £631; acrylic stone capped shower tray, £302, both Roman Showers. Godmorgon 80cm wash stand, £150; Rattviken wash basin, £100; Ivar cabinet, £45, all Ikea. Carlton back to wall toilet, £99; Chatsworth soft close toilet seat, £49.95, both Victorian Plumbing. Belle de Louvain Castello basin mixer tap, £179; The Bath Co Winchester bath shower mixer tap, £149; Dulwich riser shower system, £389, all Victoria Plum. Fog Stone Hexagon marble mosaic tiles (W48xL48xD8mm), £33.55 each; Peronda Cuban tiles in Black Block and Silver Star, £49.99sq m, all Gemini Tiles. Walls in Pale Wedgwood; cabinets in Tea with Florence; bath in Thai Sapphire, each £66 for 2.5ltr, all Little Greene. Petite Millbrook cast iron bath, £877, Cast Iron Bath Company. Finn radiator in Anthracite, from £520,…

Read through the guidelines at planningportal.gov.uk to make sure you don’t fall foul of regulations. Don’t have a toilet opening directly off a kitchen, dining or living room. Also, if you only have one toilet, it shouldn’t be accessible just from a bedroom. Contact the building control office at your council planning department if your project will include changes to the soil stack or your hot water system. Consider ventilation, especially if the bathroom doesn’t have a window that opens to the outside. Installing an extractor fan to remove steam is a good idea. Speak to an electrician or your bathroom designer about lighting before you buy fittings, to avoid costly mistakes. Any lights you fit must have the correct IP rating for the bathroom zone they’re in.…

PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES TAKES 35 MINS MAKES 14 275g dairy-free dark chocolate 175g peanut butter 300g caster sugar 150g plain flour, sifted 1tsp baking powder 150g ground almonds 175ml unsweetened soya milk 23x30cm baking tin, oiled and lined with baking parchment 1 Heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Melt the chocolate and the peanut butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, and stir together until thoroughly combined. Remove from the heat, then stir through the sugar and leave to cool slightly. 2 Fold in the flour, baking powder and almonds. Fold in the soya milk in three stages and mix until combined. Spread the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25-35 mins, or until the brownie has formed a crust, but still feels…

Upcycle a plain wooden tray using wallpaper offcuts. First, give the frame a couple of coats of paint. When dry, cut a piece of wallpaper to the same size as the inside of the tray. Use PVA glue to stick in place. Apply a thin coat of PVA on top to seal.…

The gorgeously graphic pick-and-mix Mallory tableware from Habitat brings a bit of zing to the dining table. Plump for a playful finish by layering up the dot and dash designs. 3 of the best… SPOTS AND SPLODGES…

1. Inject a touch of artistic flair Break up the clean lines of this look with lively, organic artwork or cushions featuring hand-finished designs, overlapping shapes, line-drawn faces and bold, painterly brush strokes. 2. Pare back the light fittings Mirror unfussy Scandi-style furniture with stylised lighting in warm, natural materials. Lamps feature smooth, seamless profiles in blonde wood and neutral lamp shades in cotton. 3. Go for a pastel palette For the space to flow, pair a neutral backdrop with tints of blush, mint and dove grey. The eye won’t be distracted by bold colours, adding to the serene vibe. Work in mid-toned rust or denim blue for defining accents. 4. Bring in naturalmaterials Layer the living space with textural contrast using rattan and bamboo side tables or lighting. Add…

ABOUT ME I am Salsabil El-Awais, 29, an interior designer (@seinteriors). I live here with my husband Abdullah, a personal trainer, and our son Adam, four. MY HOME A rented two-bedroom Victorian apartment in Edinburgh. We moved here in April 2018. WHEN I MOVED IN It needed re-carpeting, which the landlord did straight away. A new kitchen is planned soon too, which is exciting. AND NOW We have decorated throughout ourselves and invested in some good-quality furniture and artwork. We love living in this area and want to stay here for the foreseeable future. STYLE TIP Try to declutter regularly to display the things you love to their best advantage.…

ABOUT ME I’m Kate Beavis, 47, a marketing consultant (theindie practice.com). I live here with my husband Adam, 46, a carpenter, and our children, Herbie, 12, and Kitty, 10. MY HOME A four-bedroom detached 1920s house in Bedfordshire. We moved here in February 2011. WHEN WE MOVED IN The house was damp and decrepit. There were mid-century wallpapers, a rickety extension and worn-out carpets everywhere, even in the kitchen. AND NOW The old kitchen has been transformed into a big, bright family hub, and we’ve incorporated the old wallpapers to make each room a backdrop for our vintage accessories. STYLE TIP Fill shelves with just two or three colours, and not too many items – the trick is knowing when to stop.…

IKEA Affordable, pared-down furniture and accessories, inspired by mid-century design classics. EBAY The go-to website to buy or bid for old glassware, ceramics, toys, artwork, furniture and more. MARIMEKKO A wide selection of Scandi-designed homeware and textiles with a bold 1970s flavour. GRAHAM AND GREEN Offers plenty of choice of colourful, decorative glassware, including textured and etched styles. MISSPRINT Eye-catching graphic wallpapers and fabrics, ideal for adding a retro splash.…

Summers were spent camping on the beach in Cornwall when I was a student. I would gaze longingly at the beautiful houses dotted along the coastline, thinking to myself, “one day…”,’ says Rachel. ‘When our twin boys came along, I wanted them to experience the same happy childhood I’d had, so my husband and I began looking for a place by the sea. Finding the cottage Initially, properties in Cornwall looked far beyond our budget, but I kept an eye on the market, and one day a house came up at a price we could afford. We arrived early for the viewing and walked over the top of the sand dunes near the house, with the sea stretching out in front of us. It wouldn’t have mattered what the interior…

the STYLE RULES CREATE A BALANCED SCHEME Offset playful geometrics and abstract prints by keeping the rest of the scheme understated. Clean lines and blocks of crisp white will help patterns pop. VARY TEXTURES Balance areas of block colour by combining different materials and finishes. Contrast matt walls with gloss cabinetry and woven wicker accessories with steel appliances. BE PLAYFUL WITH PAINT Use pastel hues – candyfloss pink, minty blue and sherbet lemon – to colour-block large wall areas, then introduce smaller accessories. Team with grey seating to ground these cheery shades. TONE DOWN PUNCHY HUES Choose plain floor tiles to work as a neutral base to busier, colourful walls. Large floor tiles with tonal grout create a calm backdrop. Scandi PASTELS Lift a neutral scheme with…

Our first home in London was a 1970s maisonette and it taught us valuable lessons about creating a flexible living space and the importance of storage,’ says Ohana. ‘When our children were two and four, we decided to move to Lewes, East Sussex, where I grew up. We wanted a house with light and space near both the town and the countryside, so we could walk everywhere. Our mission was to apply everything we learned in our first home to our new home. The way it was When we made our move to the country, we chose an Edwardian house in good condition, but it was outdated and the flow of the downstairs was poor. The kitchen was at the back, in a cold area, and the living spaces were…

Walls in Strong White modern emulsion, £47.95 for 2.5ltr; window and back door in Down Pipe estate eggshell, £64 for 2.5ltr, both Farrow & Ball. Kitchen units, £6,100; table and bench £730, all Ashley Johnson. Arctic White Corian worktops, £290sq m (including fitting); Mixa 871M sink, £500, both Isurfaces. Dynapro drawer runners by Gras, from £24.95, SDS London. Pistachio easy fit monobloc chrome tap, £172, Bristan. FTU 3807 I XS 77h V2 stainless steel kitchen hood, £499, Franke. AEG HGB95520YM gas hob, £329, Appliance City. JLBIOS641 single oven in stainless steel, £329; Miele G 4203 SC white freestanding dishwasher, £599, both John Lewis & Partners. Coolicon copper light shades, £85 each, Artifact Lighting. Hanging bulb fixtures, around £80 each, Urban Cottage Industries. Festoon lights, £60, David Rose Lighting.…

The more prepared you are at the start of a kitchen renovation, the more likely it is to succeed as a space that’s both practical and beautiful. From choosing a layout and including plenty of storage to selecting fixtures and fittings, careful planning will prevent costly mistakes further down the line. Getting the right layout for your space is key to getting your kitchen right. It may look fantastic, but if it fails to function as a workspace, it’ll be a huge disappointment. A kitchen designer will be able to advise on a layout that looks good and works perfectly. Before thinking about a design, it helps to have an idea of room formations. Every space is different, but most suit one of five basic layouts... Galley Usually a long,…

Besides boosting your home’s floor space, an extension can pave the way for a reconfigured layout that complements your lifestyle. A cleverly-conceived project also has the potential to increase your home’s value. Here are some key factors to bear in mind… Is my home suitable? Obviously you need space outside to extend into, but equally you don’t want to eat into too much of the garden. Also, if there’s no external access to the site, and going through the house is a no, forget the idea. Public or shared drains and utilities running under your garden may also cause complications. Do I need an architect? While it isn’t essential to bring a professional on board, a designer’s vision will help you make the most of the space you have available.…

ABOUT ME I’m Joanna Thornhill, 39, an interiors stylist and writer (joanna thornhill.co.uk). I live in an 1890s terrace in Walthamstow, London, with my partner Paul Hughes, 40, a TV development executive. We moved here in 2012 and initially gave the dilapidated bathroom an inexpensive makeover, but it took us seven years to get round to properly renovating it. MY CHALLENGE The floor wasn’t level, which was causing the tiles to crack. There was no built-in storage, aside from a rotting under-sink unit. MY WISH LIST I wanted a separate walk-in shower, and to create better built-in storage. I also hoped to bring more unity to the room through design, and create a smarter space.…

The average UK bathroom measures just 2.5sq m; roughly the size of two king-size beds. Add windows, awkward alcoves and restricting soil pipe positions into the mix and the space can get very tight. Happily, there are space-saving fittings designed to make planning a small bathroom easier. Where do I start? First, draw up a list of essentials. Every bathroom needs a loo and basin, but do you need a bath? Many estate agents still advise keeping the bath, particularly if it’s the only one in the house, but if you are ‘shower people’, rip it out. You only need a 90x90cm footprint for a decent shower, while a standard bath requires 170x80cm. What if I want it all? A two-in-one shower-bath is a great compromise. The showering area in…

Lofts don’t get a lot of love. Stuffed with ‘just in case’ junk and things that haven’t seen the light of day for 20-plus years, they are often ripe for renovation. Clear yours of its clutter and you can turn it into somewhere that is both functional and beautiful. Is my loft suitable? Ideally your loft should be 2.2m or higher at the mid-point. If yours is lower, you might want to reassess. There’s no minimum room height dictated by building regulations, but there is for staircases and access. A workaround is lowering the ceiling in the room below – you’ll have to fit a new floor in the loft as part of the conversion, so this isn’t as drastic a project as it sounds. Next, look at any obstacles…

Sleep with a clear conscience If you’re looking to start the new year with a fresh set of bedding, why not make an eco-friendly choice with Sainsbury’s Sleep More Sustainably range. Made from a blend of recycled polyester and BCI cotton, a total of 48 recycled plastic bottles go into making one plain double duvet set. Plus, with prices like £8 for a pair of pillowcases, you’ll be saving your bank balance as well as the planet. Pink floral double duvet set, £23; plain blush double fitted sheet, £12, both Sainsbury’s Home LISTEN UP: BRIGHT IDEA Combining high-quality sound with a good-looking home accessory, this table lamp doubles up as a smart Wi-Fi speaker. Created as part of an Ikea and Sonos collaboration, the speaker allows you to stream radio,…

TROLLEY DOLLY Wheels make it easy to keep crafting essentials close to hand. Coral three-tier storage trolley, £28, Hobbycraft NATURAL CHOICE Embrace the fruit basket trend (sorry, it won’t contribute to your five-a-day!). Pineapple storage basket, £30, Next Home HANDY HOOKS Multiple knobs in pastel shades have a smart yet practical Scandi appeal. Hanging rack in metal and wood, £6.99, H&M Home SNEEZE SAVIOUR Hide away dreary cardboard boxes beneath these stylish iron and acacia wood covers. Tissue boxes, £25.99 each, Zara Home BEAUTY BASE Neatly store jewellery and make-up in the different compartments. Gold and glass beauty storage organiser, £39, Oliver Bonas NEW ARRIVAL A compact nursery must-have that converts into a desk or dressing table. Mack + Milo Arlie changing table, £292.99, Wayfair COLOUR POP This pretty pot…

Bagel mania It’s official, we’re clean out of lunch ideas. But luckily these fancy new bagels from the New York Bakery Co are providing us with much-needed inspiration in the form of two decent new arrivals. Take your pick from Four Cheese, which is loaded with mozzarella, regato, cheddar & red Leicester, or the iconic Everything bagel. This one really does have it all: poppy and sesame seeds as well as caramelised red onion and roasted garlic. Deli bagels, 360g, £1.80, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose SUPER SEEDS Snacking just got an awesome upgrade. These tantalising seed assortments are great for an energy-boosting nibble. They are bursting with goodness and have been expertly collated to be beneficial to your immune system. too. We can't get enough of the zingy chocolate-coated goldenberries…

Argos RURAL SCANDI Create a modern country scheme with simple lines and soothing shades of grey John Lewis & Partners MODERN HERITAGE Take influence from global traditions boasting rich shades and archival patterns Very ABSTRACT BLUES Graphic shapes team with shades of deep cobalt for a modern retro feel George Home GLOBAL SIMPLICITY Combine natural textures and delicate blush tones for a sophisticated ambience…

Everywhere you look at the moment, there’s a face looking back at you! Homeware has taken on a life of its own as abstract features peer out from ceramics, textiles and glassware. From modern linework to 3-D interpretations, there’s a friendly face waiting to be picked off the shelf ready to be brought home to join the family.…

1 Decide on a simple panelling style. Choose something to suit the period of your home – it could be contemporary or traditional. 2 Measure the area and work out your exact requirements by drawing onto the wall in question. 3 Take your specifications to a store such as B&Q where they supply MDF strips cut to your exact measurements. You might need to phone and make an appointment. 4 Apply the panels to the wall with a strong adhesive. Sand the edges for a more bespoke result, but remember to wear a mask. 5 Apply a coat of primer first, then paint with two coats of eggshell in your chosen colour.…

Create a fun memo board. Gather six cork tiles and paint two in bright colours, and one in magnetic chalkboard paint. Cover another with gift wrap to create a pocket, one with string and the last with textured fabric. Glue onto card, then hang with string.…

Paint is a great tool for revitalising a marked or stained wooden floor and it’s a job you can easily do yourself. Invest in specially-formulated floor paint for a durable, washable finish. 1 Clear all the furniture out of the way, then sand the floorboards lightly, getting right into the corners and up to the edges. Wipe all the dust away, and once the floor is dry, it’s ready to paint. 2 Apply the paint around the edges of the room first, then paint the rest of the floor, starting in the farthest corner from the door. Two coats will give a longer-lasting result, and you can touch up or repaint whenever required.…

ABOUT ME I’m Rachel Nogueira, an architect (andarchitects.co.uk) and I live here with my husband Manuel, an architect, and our twin sons, Victor and William, 13. OUR HOME A four-bed, 400-year-old detached cottage in Cornwall. We bought the property in 2007. WHEN WE MOVED IN We had to save up before we could afford to begin refurbishing, so we painted the walls and lived in it as it was. AND NOW In 2012, we gained planning permission to begin the renovations. We worked with local builders and craftsmen to create a stylish family home. STYLE TIP Live in your home for a while before renovating. We knew exactly what we wanted by the time the work began.…

Sleeping platform Don’t just store books – make them an essential part of the decor with a purpose-built bed like this. It has a shelf-depth backing board and wooden dividing struts to create book nooks for all your favourite titles. A great solution for children, students and avid readers alike. Styling station A panel of cork board fixed to the wall above a chest or vanity unit is a clever way to hang jewellery and free up surface space. Cut the cork to fit between the brackets of a wall shelf, and keep storage boxes and baskets on top. Loop necklaces over smart pins, while earrings can simply be pushed into the cork. Open wardrobe Fix a basic drawer unit (minus the drawers) to the wall to provide deep storage…

ABOUT ME I’m Ohana Banerjee, 45, and I live here with my husband Ben, 43, and children Anissa, 13, and Sebastian, 11, in an Edwardian five-bedroom detached house in East Sussex. We moved here in October 2010 and it is our second home together. We merged three rooms to create a kitchen, dining and living space three years after we moved here. MY CHALLENGE Our galley kitchen was small, cold and felt cut off from the rest of the house. MY WISH LIST We wanted to create an open-plan kitchen and living space downstairs that didn’t feel too utilitarian, where we could all be together cooking, working and relaxing. My must-haves were natural light, organisation and style.…

Besides reducing your carbon footprint, using reclaimed wood is the fastest way to create a fashion-forward kitchen that’s loaded with laid-back, rustic charm. The grain is much denser, and thus tougher, than modern fast-grown timbers, too. What are the benefits? Reclaimed timber is low maintenance and ages beautifully. Any damage can be sanded away and re-oiled, or left intact for a little more history. It comes in various forms, such as old flooring planks, scaffolding boards and railway sleepers, so the scope for creating an individual and unique kitchen is endless. Is it expensive? It depends on the type of timber. Old scaffolding planks and sleepers are generally cheaper than solid oak beams, for example. Timber that cost less to begin with, such as pine or upcycled pallets, will usually…

The working triangle dictates where the three key elements of hob, fridge-freezer and sink sit in your kitchen and is an important consideration to reduce the distance you have to walk when cooking. You move between these three features all the time when preparing meals, so they need to be in a practical arrangement and within easy reach of each other. Ideally, the sides of the triangle created by these three points should be no more than 2.7m and no less than 1.2m long.…

ADDING VALUE Estate agents often consider the number of bedrooms and bathrooms when quoting value, but floor area is also considered. According to uswitch.com, depending on the size and quality of the extension, in the right location £20,000 of building work could add more than £50,000 to the value. ENHANCING LIGHT Extending will provide the chance to increase the amount of daylight in a house via skylights or roof lanterns, or add patio/bifold doors to create a greater connection with the outside. GETTING CREATIVE An extension is a great opportunity to put your own stamp on your house. Depending on budget and space, there are a wealth of design possibilities, as well as interesting building materials, including plenty of sustainable options. RIBA (architecture.com) has an online architect-matching service to help…

1 Source enough ready-made picture ledges to fit across one whole wall (you’ll probably have to go longer than required, then amend one to create the exact fit). 2 Starting from one side, screw in the ledges until the remaining space is shorter than the final ledge. 3 Using a handsaw, cut away the excess length from the final ledge before fixing into the gap. 4 Saw a decorative wooden trim to the same total length of the fitted ledges, then attach across the front with wood glue. 5 Using some wood filler, fill in the joins between the individual ledges before sanding and painting.…

After the kitchen, the bathroom is probably the most important room in the home in terms of resale value. As we want more from our down time, the status of the bathroom has been raised – no longer driven by purely practical needs, many of us are renovating ours with relaxation and pampering in mind. As well as simple renovations, extra bathrooms and en suites are also proving very popular. Whatever your reason, installing a new bathroom is a serious undertaking and can often be deceptively tricky, requiring quite an array of fittings and skill, often in a very compact space. Careful planning from the start will prevent costly mistakes down the line. Plan the layout Start with a scale plan of your space. Measure carefully, and include features such…

CREATING SPACE Whether your family is growing or you’re in need of a some additional square metreage, a loft conversion offers a whole extra room. If you’re planning to use the conversion as an extra bedroom, consider trying to squeeze in an en-suite, too. ADDING VALUE A loft conversion can increase the value of your home by up to 20% and can be used for anything from a bedroom to a home office. It may seem like a costly investment at the time, but when it comes to moving on, you’ll have boosted the property’s value and will hopefully make your money back. It’s unlikely converting a loft will require planning permission, although there are exceptions. SAVING THE GARDEN Now more than ever, an outdoor area is an invaluable commodity.…

COVER UP Ensure even paint coverage with matt white emulsion, which fades from pink to white. Dulux Magic White matt emulsion, £30 for 5ltr, Wilko PRO UPCYCLER A simple yet effective way to apply detailed designs to furniture paint projects. Meadow Flowers stencil, £17.95, Annie Sloan VISUALISE IT Take the guesswork out of choosing wallpaper patterns. Graham & Brown decorating app, download for free via the Apple Store…

BUCATINI AND MEATBALLS  TAKES 30 MINS, PLUS CHILLING SERVES 2 200g free-range pork sausages ½ small onion, finely chopped 1tbsp olive oil ½ garlic clove, crushed ¼ fresh or dried chilli, finely chopped Handful of large basil leaves 200g tinned plum tomatoes 1tbsp tomato purée ½tbsp dried oregano ½tbsp balsamic vinegar 150g bucatini pasta 20g Parmesan, grated 1 Squeeze the meat from the sausages into a bowl and add 1tbsp of the chopped onion. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and combine thoroughly. Form the mixture into 6-8 equal-sized meatballs, then chill in the fridge for 20 mins. 2 Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the remaining onion for 5-7 mins, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and chilli, and continue cooking…

PEACH SWEET The perfect soft drink – a fizzy, peachy dream in a bottle. The London Essence Co White Peach & Jasmine Crafted Soda, 500ml, £1.85, Ocado and Tesco FANCY THAT We have a crush on this – the balance of sweet and sour is utter perfection! Luscombe Organic Rhubarb Crush, 74cl, £3, Sainsbury’s CLASSIC TASTE Serve in a jug with ice and lemon slices for the nostalgic essence of summer. Bottlegreen elderflower cordial, 500ml, £3.50, major supermarkets…

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