Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i Style At Home

Bank Holiday weekends are the perfect opportunity to get busy with all those decorating, DIY and garden jobs that you haven’t been able to make time for… so we’ve packed this issue full of ideas and inspiration to get you started. From speedy style updates for indoors and out (p68), to fun painting projects (p106-109), plus ideas for garden layouts (p92) and planting (p104). And for decor inspiration, don’t miss Style Book (p53) with the latest looks and trends that you’ll be seeing on the high street this summer. Some sad news to share: this will be the final issue of Style at Home. Since its launch back in 2011 as the ‘budget-friendly magazine for the modern home lover’ we’ve loved being part of your decorating journeys, sharing creative ideas…

Fruity number Cherries are having a moment in interiors right now, and it’s not just the colour popping up everywhere. From cheery cherry motifs and patterns on ceramics, glassware and artwork to jolly wallpaper and fabrics, this fruity summer trend is ripe for the picking. 3 of the best TABLE LAMPS…

My husband Jono and I decided to move back to Mumbles in southwest Wales 14 years ago because we wanted to live by the sea again,’ says Catrin. ‘Jono was a professional rugby player and we’d been living in France and a variety of other places, but by then we had two young children. After renting a property initially, we took on a Victorian terrace that had been divided into two flats and turned it back into a house. After seven years there we started to look for something bigger with more outside space, and after looking at about eight or nine places, we knew this house was the one for us. It was detached, with a view of the sea from the front, and within walking distance of the…

1 PICK A PARASOL Ideal for small spaces, parasols are a great option if you don’t want your shade to be up all the time and they’re easy to move and store. For a stand-alone parasol on a hard surface or uneven ground, use a solid weighted base to prevent it toppling over. There are lots of colour and pattern choices, and you can add fringing or ribbons to your parasol for a super-stylish outdoor scheme. 2 CREATE A CANOPY A romantic freestanding sail-style canopy is ideal if you need shade over a dining table or seating area but have nothing to fix it to. You can buy a pole kit or use lengths of wood, but remember that each leg will need to be planted deep in soil or…

1 Make a doorway planter Elevate your entranceway with a bespoke planter. This combination wall planter and house number is an easy DIY make that will look fabulous in a doorway or front porch filled with blooms. You’ll need a small crate or wooden planter and a piece of scrap wood for the backing board (simply trim this to size). Screw the board to the back of the planter, then paint with exterior paint in a colour that complements your door. Add your house number – black cast-iron numbers create a good contrast – then secure to the wall using appropriate screws and fixings. 2 SET UP A HANGING HUB Make use of an empty area of wall or the end panel of kitchen cabinetry by adding a strategically positioned…

Patchwork, crochet and chunky knits are making a comeback again! This hand-crafted look has been reinvented many times, which tells you one thing – people love the comfort that it brings (nothing gives that feeling of nostalgia like snuggling under a crochet blanket). This look is all about clashing hues and patterns, the ditsier and more colour-rich the better. Get ready to show off your latest craft stall haul, granny chic is back!…

When I moved to this house, the garden was huge,’ recalls Alison. ‘At 45m long and 7.5m wide, it was really too big to manage, so when a developer wanted to buy some of the land, I jumped at the chance. This also freed up some money to help me transform it. Going from such a large garden to a much smaller one meant I had to think very carefully about what I wanted from the space. The old garden had established fruit trees, a swing set and a large shed – but it all had to go. First steps Once the sale of the land had gone through, the developers put up a wooden fence, so I could immediately see what I had to work with. Naturally it looked…

Having a dedicated utility room with bags of space to store bulky equipment and cleaning supplies might be the dream, but for many of us with small homes and a lack of extra space, this is not an option. Stashing everything in an understairs cupboard or cramming it all in under the kitchen sink is what tends to happen, which can ultimately make cupboards messy, access awkward and things harder to find. Storing cleaning supplies where you need and use them can be a good workaround when space is tight, with kitchen essentials kept in the kitchen and bathroom supplies in the bathroom. They’ll take up less space when not stored en masse and it will save you lugging all the stuff around. Then it’s simply a matter of keeping…

HAND-PAINTED CERAMICS YOU WILL NEED * Newspaper * Selection of unglazed ceramic vases (ours are from Hobbycraft) * Acrylic paints * Paintbrushes * Clear découpage medium 1 LIFT YOUR LOOK Style shelves and surfaces with a selection of shapely ceramics, hand-painted in complementary tones to give a chic, colour coordinated vibe. Use simple unglazed ceramic pieces and inexpensive acrylic paints. 2 PICK A PALETTE Decide on your colours. Choosing shades that tie in with your room decor, such as the soft furnishings and artwork, is a good starting point. Go for a mix of two to three colours that will keep the scheme looking coherent rather than creating a colour clash. 3 CHOOSE YOUR VASES Gather your ceramics. Go for pieces in a mix of shapes and sizes, with perhaps one taller item, one…

BEST AFFORDABLE BOSCH AQUATAK CORDED PRESSURE WASHER 1.3KW 3600HA7F01 SIZE 37.5x20x40cm PRESSURE (MAX) 110 bar FLOW RATE (MAX) 330L/hr TYPE Corded PRICE £59 If you want to tackle your patio or decking on a budget, then this model might just be the ideal remedy to your dirt and grime problems. For under £60, it will help you to clean up your driveway without issue, even if it’s not fully equipped for bigger jobs (like freshening up your home’s exterior or car). Instructions are good and it was easy to put together. Compact and light to use, it comes with a three-in-one cleaning wand plus detergent nozzle that saves time by applying soap quickly. Overall, a solid bargain buy. REASON TO BUY Compact and powerful, fold-down handle and cable/hose tidies for…

Guaranteed to bring joy to your table, this gorgeous collection of ceramics and glassware is the latest from Dunelm’s Sophie Robinson collection. And the Queen of Colour hasn’t failed to deliver with a mix of jewel brights and painterly ceramics.…

We first viewed the house in 2018, lured in by the very strange floorplan, and not in any way by its beauty at the time,’ says Laura. ‘Unfortunately, the property had been stripped of all of its original features and had been patched up for decades. As we toured the ground floor of the house, we were underwhelmed by what we saw – but when we reached the top of the staircase and saw a small landing with further split stairs and an original sash window, the house won our hearts. Having fallen in love, we realised that this really could be our forever home. The location was perfect and it would be ideal for our growing family. And with my love for all things interiors, I knew it would…

1 MAKE IT PEACHY You don’t have to be a ‘pink’ person to enjoy this colour as there are so many tones to choose from, whether it’s a coral pink or punchy peach like this, which works well with most colours and feels much warmer than a pastel pink. Pick a shade for the walls and pair it with hits of orange-red, grey-blue and fresh white in the accessories and soft furnishings for a summery scheme you’ll love. 2 PAIR WITH PASTELS There’s no need to go all out with pink to get the best out of this versatile colour – pairing it with other soft, dusky shades will keep your living room feeling balanced and considered. Choose a muted pink sofa and mix in other furnishings in a soft…

SPLURGE Blow the budget with these top picks ‘TAKE NEUTRAL DECOR FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY, WITH A SPLASH OF UNEXPECTED RED ON WOODWORK’ STEAL Grab a style bargain with these budget buys…

Taking on a huge renovation project was our way of getting a bigger house, and I always knew that creating my dream hallway would be near the end of the renovation,’ says Ellie. ‘I had to stop myself from doing anything to the peach walls, white doors and concrete floor until we were ready. We’d already put in a kitchen-diner and gone up into the loft to add another bedroom and bathroom over the eight-month build. We couldn’t live there while it was happening, so we stayed with my nan around the corner for the duration. There would have been no point decorating the hallway, which used to have all the rooms coming off it, while the work was going on with so many people traipsing in and out. Making…

Tailor your design Whether you’re planning a new garden from scratch or looking at ways to improve your existing layout, there are plenty of ideas you can try to make your outdoor space flow. From dividing it into different zones and creating new flower beds and borders, to adding a new patio, you can easily improve your garden layout – just think about whether you want to tackle big jobs or would prefer to work on smaller projects. Create a seating zone with a pergola Set up a stylish outdoor seating area using a pergola. It’s a good option if you need to create a more shady spot, especially if it’s covered or has a removable canopy. Hang a few festoon lights for night time gatherings and grow climbers up…

During spring there are Bank Holidays aplenty in the calendar, so it’s a good opportunity to catch up with any household jobs, DIY or gardening projects you haven’t had time to get around to. DIY stores and garden centres often have special promotions over the Bank Holidays so it can be worth stocking up on supplies or getting a bargain on plants. Stores can get extra busy on these weekends though, so it’s worth checking if there are any ‘early bird’ deals that you can take advantage of. Get the garden summer ready With the days feeling warmer, now’s the perfect time to get outdoor spaces tidy. Start with the shed, going through it and getting rid of anything you may have stashed away in haste in the autumn –…

Annie Sloan is the queen of paint effects, transforming rooms and upcycling furniture with decorative techniques and trademark chalk paint. ‘Trompel’oeil means “deceive the eye” in French,’ says Annie, ‘and is a technique that makes painted objects appear realistic and three-dimensional. The painted panels on this cabinet are merely a series of lines in varying tones. It was a common way for Victorians to make basic furniture look more expensive.’ ‘Using a mid-tone for the base colour ensures you have a good contrast of mid, light and dark tones working together. By using dark tones (lowlights) and light tones (highlights) opposite each other on either side of a drawer or cupboard door, you can achieve a 3D quality.’ Here Annie explains how to complete the look. YOU WILL NEED *…

SALMON TACOS SERVES 2 TAKES 20 MINS * 1tsp olive oil * 2 skin-on salmon fillets * ¼tsp chilli flakes, plus extra for garnish (optional) * 1 romaine lettuce, shredded * Juice ½ lime, plus extra wedges to serve * ¼tsp honey * 2tbsp natural yogurt * 1tbsp coriander, finely chopped, plus extra leaves for garnish * 4 soft taco wraps * 1 ripe avocado, stoned, peeled and sliced 1 Drizzle the oil over the salmon and scatter the chilli flakes on top. Heat a sturdy griddle pan until hot. Put the salmon skin-side down on the griddle and cook for 5-6 mins – the skin will protect the delicate flesh. Turn the fish and allow it to finish cooking in the heat of the pan off the hob. 2…

B&M WILD BLOOM Spring into a palette of petal-inspired pastels Dunelm NATURAL MINIMALISM Edit your scheme with a pared-back aesthetic George Home DARK EXOTICS Embrace dark, inky tones and animal motifs Primark COTTAGE GARDEN Be inspired by headily-scented country gardens…

1 SLOT IN FURNITURE Using an alcove to fit in a piece of freestanding furniture is a great way to maximise the space, particularly a dressing table or desk. A mirror positioned inside any alcove will help to bounce light around and make the space seem larger. If standard-sized furniture is too big for your recess, you might try scouring eBay or even getting a carpenter to custom build a piece for you. 2 CREATE A BOOKCASE There’s no better place for books than an alcove, especially if they’re within easy reach of your desk. Yes, you can opt to stack them on regular shelves, but why not make a feature of how you display your books with a quirky design like this? To help the shelves blend in, paint…

We’d actually been living in the area for a while before we bought this house,’ says Nina. ‘It’s part of a small luxury development, set in plenty of land on the site of a former bungalow that was knocked down. The funny thing is, the bungalow was at the end of the garden of our old house and we objected to planning permission being granted! The developer started laying out his plans back in 2017 and once we saw them, and the four bedrooms arranged over three levels, with three bathrooms, a large kitchen-diner and plenty of outside space, we thought “hang on, that could suit us down to the ground!”. Planning permission was granted, despite the objections, and we snapped one up. Planning changes Because we’ve been involved right…

Paint a backdrop Propping picture frames on a sideboard is a simple way to display artwork (that can easily be updated), but if it’s getting visually lost, paint a panel of colour on the wall behind for a gentle contrast. Give it a twist… Boost the effect by using two contrasting colours on the wall behind your display area. Reach highs and lows In a space with an uninterrupted sightline, like hallways and landings, go big on your display and hang frames above and below eye level for impact. Give it a twist… Choose pieces of art on a single theme, such as botanical prints, line drawings or black-and-white photos. Match your colour mounts to the wall For a display with a softer, more harmonious feel, choose wooden frames and…

TRY THIS... Plan ahead for summer soirees in the garden and make these easy fragrant place settings to pretty up your table. Use tea light holders or thrifted teacups and add a mini display of seasonal blooms. Simply fill your container with a little moist sphagnum moss and poke the stems into it. Add a name tag made using a piece of card and a small twig.…

There’s nothing quite as lovely as a summer meadow – so it’s no wonder that meadow-style planting in domestic gardens has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years. Thankfully, you don’t need acres of ground to grow native wildflowers – you can create a mini-meadow in a patch as small as one square metre. For a successful meadow there are a couple of things to consider. Firstly, aim for diversity. Even in a tiny meadow you can attract a surprising number of different insects – the secret is to choose a seed mix with a large number of flowering plant species. A ratio of around 80:20 grass to wildflowers is normal, but some mixes feature more blooms. Knowing when and how to cut it back is also important. If…

COCONUT CREAM TART SERVES 10 TAKES 15 MINS, PLUS CHILLING * 2 x 160ml cans coconut cream, chilled in the fridge * 4tbsp icing sugar * 150g dairy-free coconut yogurt * 2tbsp passion fruit curd * 1 sweet pastry case * 1 golden kiwi and 1 regular kiwi, peeled and sliced * Toasted coconut flakes 1 Drain any liquid from the coconut cream and discard. Place the coconut in a bowl with the icing sugar and beat using an electric whisk until thick. Fold in the yogurt and half the passion fruit curd. 2 Spoon the coconut and passion fruit mixture into the pastry case and spread to the edges. Top with the rest of the curd and lightly swirl using the end of a teaspoon. Chill in the fridge…