Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Style At Home

With all the shopping, socialising and festive prep to organise, the run-up to Christmas and New Year always seems to whizz by in a blur. But no matter how busy it all gets, one thing I do like to take my time with and enjoy is decking out the house and getting it party-ready… and I know that our lovely readers like to do the same! So this issue, we’ve focused on lots of sparkly seasonal ideas and last-minute fixes that will get your home looking festive and fabulous, from stylish looks for dining rooms (page 52) to easy ways to make a wow entrance (page 60) plus lots of low-effort, easy crafts and tablescaping ideas (from page 88). Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from the Style at…

Moving from London to Liverpool in 2018 was the best thing we ever did,’ says Charlotte. ‘My mum had moved here in 2012 when she married a Scouser, and we really liked the area when we came to visit. It’s a different way of living and a lot more chilled, so it seemed the perfect place to bring up our daughter Florence. When I found this four-bedroom Victorian terraced house in south Liverpool, 15 minutes from my mum, I felt like it was meant to be. Our previous house in east London was my childhood home, which we’d bought from my mum when she moved up north. It had three smaller bedrooms, one bathroom and a large garden, whereas this house has more space inside, an en suite and a…

1CREATE A WINDOWSCAPE Display a wintery scene on a large picture window or set of bifold doors using vinyl window stickers. Choose a snowy silhouette that will fill the bottom portion of the glass and once you’re happy with its position, remove the sticker’s paper backing and simply smooth it into place using a squeegee. Festive winter tree stickers, £68 for a set of three, Nutmeg Studio. 2 HANG LIGHT-UP STARS Pretty up a window recess with a display of paper stars and snowflakes suspended at staggered heights. Keep it simple with plain paper decorations or go for light-up designs (like these) that are combined with LED bulbs and cabling. Fix in place using adhesive hooks and conceal the wiring with a greenery garland. Strala lamp shades, from £4; cord…

CHRISTMAS GIFT TAGS Give presents a luxe finishing touch with glittery gift tags. Buy inexpensive plain card tags, or make your own by cutting cartridge paper into rectangles with a hole punched at one end. Dip the end of each tag into PVA glue, then into glitter.…

1 Jazz up gifts with paper tassels Use leftover gift wrap to make beaded tassels. Cut a strip of paper 21x10cm. On the reverse, draw a line 1.5cm from the top across the width. Using a ruler and craft knife cut vertical lines from the line to the bottom edge, around 5mm apart, across the width. Make a short loop from a piece of string, knot and leave the ends long. Thread the ends through a bead and knot to secure. Put a strip of double-sided tape along the top edge of the cut paper. Position the ends of the string below the knot at one end of the sticky-edged paper and roll tightly. Bind with string. 2 MAKE A DIY CHRISTMAS CARD HOLDER All you need to display cards in…

‘ADD DIMENSION TO WALLS BY USING MOULDINGS TO GIVE A PANELLED EFFECT. EVEN A NOVICE DIYER COULD TACKLE THIS UPDATE’ SPLURGE Blow the budget with these top picks STEAL Grab a style bargain with these budget buys…

Nothing quite welcomes people into your home like a festive wreath. While real greenery is beautiful, in our warm, centrally-heated homes it doesn’t tend to last very long. Mistletoe looks super-festive, but again, it dries out so quickly when indoors. This everlasting fabric mistletoe wreath solves that problem and the size is just perfect to be used hanging on the back of a chair or in a small window. The glistening berries add just a little touch of magic to the whole look. YOU WILL NEED * Felt in assorted shades of green * Scraps of grey felt * Green gingham fabric * Wicker wreath, approximately 20cm in diameter * Small white buttons * White glitter * Templates (see below) * Scissors * Fabric glue * Craft glue * Paintbrush * Hot-glue gun *…

Whether you love mixing up a martini in the evening or trying out a new cocktail recipe when entertaining, having the right kit to hand is essential, from glassware and drinks bottles to cocktail-making tools and ingredients. But rather than simply shoving everything in a kitchen cabinet, investing in some dedicated storage is well worth considering – and while they’ve been out of fashion for a time, drinks cabinets and cocktail trolleys are back in vogue. Naturally, there are plenty of stylish options to choose from. Any home bar storage you pick will obviously depend on how much you have to store in terms of glassware, equipment and bottles, as well as the space available, but it can also be an opportunity to add some glam by choosing an eye-catching…

MULLED PEAR, REDCURRANT AND SPICED PRALINE TRIFLES MAKES 6 TAKES 2 HRS, PLUS CHILLING * 75cl bottle red wine * 150g soft brown sugar * 2 sachets mulled wine spices* 6 small pears, peeled * 50g frozen redcurrants * 6 gelatine sheets * 600ml fresh custard * 200g ginger cake * 300ml double cream * FOR THE PRALINE * 50g caster sugar * 50g chopped blanched almonds, toasted * ¼tsp mixed spice 1 Bring the wine, sugar and mulled wine sachets to a boil in a large saucepan, stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the pears and simmer gently for 15 mins until tender. Leave to cool. 2 Remove the pears from the pan, cut into quarters, discarding the cores, and place in a bowl. Pour 250ml of the wine…

BEST MACHINE OVERALL NESPRESSO VERTUO CREATISTA DIMENSIONS H32.1xW22.8xD41.7cmWATER TANK CAPACITY 2ltrsPRICE £649.95 With the pod know-how of Nespresso and the beauty and functionality of Sage coffee machines, this collaboration between the two offers the sleekest pod coffee machine on the market. During testing we found that this machine more than just looked the part – it produces excellent-tasting espressos and lattes that were so easy to make, thanks to the self-operating milk frothing wand, which can be operated manually or run auto-programs on, as well as a moveable drip tray to suit whichever coffee cup you’re using. As you might expect with a Sage machine, it is pricey, but it’s simply too good not to earn the top spot on the list. Another downside is that you’re limited to using…

1 ADD CHRISTMAS LIGHTS For an easy way to elegant shelving, lights are a great choice. Weave strands of sparkly fairy lights around books and festive ornaments to create an instant cosy glow, or make your display feel more magical with an assortment of LED candles, glittery stars, light-up houses and Christmas lanterns dotted on shelves. TruGlow LED pillar candles, from £19.99 for three, Lights4fun. 2 LINE WITH GREENERY Arrange a twinkly display of candle votives and rustic metal lanterns against a backdrop of natural foliage. Use trimmings of fir or spruce from the tree, positioning a few larger branches at the back of shelves and grouping different-sized vessels in clusters at the front. Fill in any gaps with shorter lengths of greenery, adding sprigs of holly, pine cones and…

After outgrowing our family townhouse it was time to upsize, so we went to view a new housing development planned for the edge of our village,’ says Kerry. ‘There were only a few properties available in the style we liked and to secure one meant buying off-plan, which involved putting a deposit down before the house was built. At this point we didn’t even know how much it would cost but we loved the design and size, particularly the open-plan living area, so we decided to take a chance, and as our place sold quickly we moved into a rental while waiting for our new home to be built. Luckily, living locally meant I could follow the work-in-progress; first some bricks went up, then a window went in, and it…

Having bought my parents’ home from them in 2019, we were keen to make changes,’ says Heather. ‘Moving from a new build, we loved the 1930s character and knew we could reconfigure the layout and add a two-storey extension to create a fourth bedroom and bigger kitchen. After decorating the two reception rooms, kids’ bedrooms and bathroom, we finally turned our attention to the galley kitchen. We’d wanted to live here for a while and see how we used the space. Planning the layout Originally we’d intended to make the kitchen a lot bigger and incorporate our second reception room. However, we realised we needed a working room that you can shut the door on and not be surrounded by cooking smells while watching TV. It also meant we could…

FRILLED STOCKINGS YOU WILL NEED * Cardboard template * Fabric * Scissors * Pins * Sewing machine and thread * Ribbon 1 USE A TEMPLATE Start by folding your chosen fabric so it’s pattern on pattern. Use a cardboard template to cut out a stocking shape approximately 43x22cm (33cm at widest part of the boot); this includes a 1cm seam allowance. Sew the pieces of fabric together down the long straight side. 2 MAKE THE RUFFLE Cut a piece of fabric roughly 86x17cm. Sew a folded and pinned hem along both edges. 3 GATHER TOGETHER Now open out the stocking and sew the frill along the top of the stocking. This time have the open stocking pattern side up and the ruffle pattern side down, gathering as you go to create the frilly look. 4 STITCH IN PLACE…

While the run-up to the holiday season can be hectic, the time between Christmas and New Year feels calmer and less frantic. Devoting some of your downtime to catching up on admin, tackling a to-do list or having a post-Christmas declutter can be rewarding, though bingeing on box sets and festive leftovers does have its merits too – no-one here’s judging! But if you can’t wait to take the decorations down and get the house tidied, our expert packing advice will help you get organised, plus we’ve party tips for setting up a buffet table and how best to tackle the clean-up after. Give your party table the wow factor Put together a showstopping buffet table as the centre of your celebrations. Decide on a colour or theme and then…

Put a bow on it Ribbons and bows are having a moment this Christmas… and we’re here for it, from oversized door bows and clip-on ornaments to flowing tree toppers and pretty painted tableware, which will see this trend continuing long after the tree has come down. 3 of the best GINGERBREAD BUYS…

When we bought this place in 2016, we actually only moved four miles from our old house,’ says Nicky. ‘Looking for more space and a garden for the children, this house ticked all the boxes, even though it needed redecorating from top to bottom. There wasn’t room for a bathtub in the family bathroom, so removing a chimney breast gave us the extra space we needed. Other than that, there was no major building work required – just a huge project to transform the decor. Smart space We loved the layout of the house straight away. The front door enters onto the hallway, with a large living room/diner to the right. A staircase at the back gives access down to the lower ground floor, where the kitchen and breakfast room…

1 TRY A HALF TREE Give the impression of a regular tree with a neat space-saving half-sized option that can slot into the corner of a room or even fit on a landing. With only the front section of tree on show, the illusion of fullness is created while taking up much less floor space. And with fewer branches to decorate, it will require half as many decorations too. 6ft pre-lit half Christmas tree, £40, Habitat. 2 SLOT IN A SLIM TREE Like the idea of a hallway tree but don’t have room for a full-sized one? A pencil tree makes a super-stylish compromise with its tall height and slender shape. This one offers dense, bushy branches to decorate or string with lights, but with a compact footprint that won’t…

Light the way in Ensure that the entranceway looks fabulous day or night with an array of twinkling lights to make the front door sparkle. Arrange a garland of lights to frame the doorway and finish off by attaching a pre-lit wreath in pride of place. Give it a twist… Make your front path even more magical with a pair of majestic light-up reindeer positioned on either side. Garland stairs with festive greenery Make the staircase the focal point of the hallway with a lavish garland swagged down the length of the banister. Join two garlands to create extra fullness and attach to the handrail using cable ties. Give it a twist… Tie oversized ribbon bows at intervals to decorate the garland, leaving long tails to trail down the banisters.…

Islands are often large and centrally positioned, so they make a natural focal point in any kitchen. But if you want your kitchen island to have greater standout appeal, then a bold choice of colour, unusual finish, worktop material or hardware is guaranteed to boost its visual impact. Choose a bold colour While the style of an island should generally complement the rest of the kitchen cabinets for consistency, this doesn’t mean a strictly matching look. Using colour is a fabulous way of making a kitchen island stand out, either by choosing a bold contrasting paint for cabinetry, picking a punchy metallic finish (as Heather has) or going against the grain with a timber in either darker or paler tones to make the island more prominent. Experiment with curves Change…

Every party table needs a centrepiece, whether it’s for Christmas and New Year gatherings, birthday celebrations or other seasonal festivities throughout the year. And this colourful tiered cake stand is a unique, one-of-a-kind design that can be put together for next to nothing using pretty coloured plates, vintage glassware or thrifted finds. YOU WILL NEED * Three plates of different sizes: dinner plate, side plate and saucer * Two decorative glasses * Small glass bud vase * Ceramic glue or a hot-glue gun * Small tins (to use as planters) * Colourful mini poinsettias 1 ARRANGE YOUR PIECES First work out the order of your glasses and decide whether you want to place them with either the base or the rims facing upwards/downwards. We have positioned ours with the rims facing…

CORONATION COCKTAIL BUNS MAKES 10 TAKES 15 MINS * 2tbsp crème fraîche * ½tsp curry powder * 1tsp mango chutney, plus extra for spreading * Small bunch coriander, finely chopped * ½ small red onion, finely chopped * 150g cooked prawns, roughly chopped, some reserved for garnish * 10 mini brioche buns, we used St Pierre mini brioche buns, halved * 4 lettuce leaves, shredded * Bombay mix 1 In a medium-sized bowl, mix the crème fraîche, curry powder, mango chutney, coriander and onion together. Season to taste, then add the chopped prawns and gently stir to combine. 2 Spread mango chutney in each bun, then add lettuce and a spoonful of the prawn mixture. Top with a sprinkle of Bombay mix. CRISPY DUMPLINGS AND DIPPING SAUCE MAKES 12 TAKES…