Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2021 i HomeStyle

Whether long summer days mean a chance for you to spend more time relaxing outdoors or an opportunity to crack on with bigger DIY projects best tackled in the warmer months, we’ve got plenty of inspiration for you this issue. As well as four amazing real homes (starting on page 14) full of decorating and shopping ideas to inspire you, we also have three affordable makeovers: including TV presenter AJ Odudu’s gorgeous garden room (page 98), Beam’s beautiful living room (page 104) and Stephanie’s stunning kitchen (page 110), all packed with style advice and savvy tips. And if you do need to call in the experts, don’t miss our handy guide to finding the right tradesperson at the right price, over on page 96. With socialising back on the cards,…

Start with a freshly painted colour block or whole wall – white or soft colours such as blush pink, light grey or baby blue work well. Choose your terrazzo colours, four or five are best, but feel free to use any leftover paints or tester pots. Choose your starting colour and begin with large shapes. Simply paint random designs on the wall; they don’t need to be perfect, in fact the less uniform the better, so don’t overthink it, but keep the edges fairly straight rather than curved as this achieves the best terrazzo effect. Keep the shapes roughly the same size. Leave space between your first shapes because next you want to choose another colour and make smaller shapes in between your first shade. Keep the shapes random but…

A BIT ABOUT ME I’m Evelyn Lindley, an interior designer. I live with my partner, Lee Bass, a print finishing team leader, and our three cats – Scout, Duke and Brough. I Instagram our renovation journey@evie_polkadot. WHERE I LIVE My home is a 1920s three-bedroom end terrace in Sittingbourne, Kent. We bought it in October 2019. WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE Although it had some splashes of colour, the house was mainly magnolia and had no character, but that was okay as it meant I had a blank canvas to work with. I wanted to go crazy and enjoy the process of making a home of my own. HOW I MADE IT MY OWN I brought in loads of colour using a teal and pink colour scheme along with bold…

You will need • Side table • Sandpaper • Satin furniture paint • Paintbrush • Stencil • Repositionable adhesive spray • Sponge • White furniture paint • Paper plate 1 First prepare the table. Sand the surface and legs to remove any varnish or paint and clean with a dry cloth. 2 Next, apply a coat of black satinwood paint to the table, and leave to dry. Repeat with a second coat and leave to dry. 3 Take the stencil and spray some repositionable adhesive to the back. Allow to go tacky for a few minutes. Position it on the top of the table. 4 Now pour a little white furniture paint onto a paper plate. Dab the sponge in the paint and wipe off any…

Whether you’re looking for a boho hammock, classic bistro table or a multipurpose dining set, we’ve got you covered – no matter what the British weather throws at you! From soft furnishings and garden accessories to statement furniture, here’s our pick of the best new summer garden buys. All you’ll need to do is mix the cocktails and get the barbie on! Come rain or shine This bright parasol will keep the summer glare off your face while also repelling water from any spontaneous downpours! Pair it with bright coral cushions for a hot, tropical vibe. For a reliable budget buy, head over to B&Q. They’ve released a new range of sun loungers, folding chairs and parasols in a range of sweet, summery shades. This sun lounger is lightweight and…

Add some cheer to your garden with this easy-to-make hanging decoration. The wooden slats from old pallets are perfect for this project and you only need a small amount of paint, so it’s a real stash buster. YOU WILL NEED  Scrap wood Saw Tape measure Sanding block Royal Exterior Wood Finish in Pond Green, Somerset Blue and French Lilac, £4 per 125ml, all Protek Paintbrush 6B and HB pencils Paper Masking tape Uniball Posca marker pen in Black, £3.20, Hobbycraft Drill and 12mm wood bit 2m cotton rope Scissors 1 Saw the wood into three lengths, each measuring 45 x 10cm. Smooth the surface using a sanding block. Wipe away any dust with a damp cloth. 2 Paint both sides of the wood with two coats of exterior…

Sustainability begins at home, and how you choose to furnish your space is an easy way to make life that little bit greener. Select homewares that are made from sustainable, recycled or recyclable materials. If you’re buying new wooden furniture make sure it’s FSCcertified, to ensure it comes from forests that are sustainably managed. Look for items that are sourced and made ethically and ensure those involved in producing them are paid and treated fairly – the Fairtrade logo makes them easy to spot. Chop chop Hand carved from sustainable mango wood with a pretty etched edge, this chopping board is functional enough for food prep in the kitchen and beautiful enough to serve food on at the dinner table. Grown for their fruit and harvested over a number of…

About me I’m AJ Odudu, 33, a TV presenter @ajodudu. My home is a three-bed maisonette-style flat in south-east London. My room... ‘From Zoom meetings to an afternoon yoga class and after-work drinks, it’s such a versatile space’ MY PROBLEM GARDEN When I first moved here, I added artificial grass and a patio to the outside area. It was a great start, but I wanted a reason to be in my garden all year round, not just for summer, because I really love spending time outdoors. Creating an insulated space that I could use rain or shine seemed like the perfect solution. HOW I MADE IT WORK I’ve added insulation, electricity and wi-fi so I can use the room all year round. I then divided the room into three separate…

About me I’m Beam, 34, a freelance props and interior stylist and maker of floral home decorations, which I sell on Instagram @bloomsbybeam. I live with my husband, Christian, 39, an IT specialist. Our home is a 1950s three-bedroom semi-detached house in Middleton, Manchester. I post home updates @aplacetogether. My room... ‘Having a place that looks and feels restful was so valuable to us, especially during lockdown’ MY PROBLEM LIVING ROOM Our living space had a good-sized open-plan layout, but it didn’t have much warmth or personality. I wanted to add lots of fun, happy colours to make the room more cheerful. HOW I MADE IT WORK We painted the walls and shopped around for furniture that would make the layout work better. I decorated the room with bargain finds…

About me I’m Stephanie Mitchell, a product design teacher, and I live with my partner, James Bolter, a clinical researcher. We live in a detached 1920s three-bedroom house in Reading. I keep a record of our renovation journey on my Instagram @walkintheparquet. My room... ‘Looking at the finished space, we wouldn’t change a thing. We just need our friends round now!’ MY PROBLEM KITCHEN There was only a free-standing cooker, old sink and four cupboards in the kitchen when we first moved in, and the boiler was in there too. A wall separated the space into two small rooms, and the kitchen area was covered in old wallpaper from the 60s. HOW I MADE IT WORK I wanted to create a sociable open-plan space, so we knocked down the wall…

COSY CORNER Our style is a mish mash of everything that we love. During renovations of our home, we found many period features under outdated flooring and wall coverings. In redecorating our bedroom, we created our sanctuary, where balance, harmony, form, and function unite. Dark walls are complemented by the soft pink tones of the Victorian fireplace and the hearth is full of texture and drama. An oversized mirror and wicker seat finish off the scheme. @bankstreet_terrace SUNNY SPOT We are big into colour so styling our home to complement the natural lighting in each room has been a focus for us. Our kitchen is southeasterly facing so we are very lucky that sunshine floods the room each morning, bouncing off the blue walls and casting fun shadows. Adding further…

ASPARAGUS MAC ‘N’ CHEESE PREP TIME 10 MINS COOK TIME 30 MINS SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS • 250g British asparagus, ends trimmed • 6 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs • 1 tbsp vegan red pesto • 1 tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese, grated • 350g short rigatoni • 4 tbsp Flora plant butter • 4 tbsp plain flour • 700-950ml unsweetened soya milk • 5 tbsp nutritional yeast • 75g vegan Parmesan cheese • Salt • Black pepper METHOD 1 Blanch the asparagus in boiling water briefly then refresh in cold water. Set to one side. 2 Combine 1 crushed garlic clove, olive oil, breadcrumbs, red pesto and the grated Parmesan in a bowl. 3 Cook the pasta to…

When did you launch your brand? I launched the brand six years ago and was inspired to take the leap after working for a textile design company for four years. I felt I was being overworked and underpaid and was really unhappy. I finally built up the courage to hand in my notice. From there I didn’t really know what I was going to do but I started painting and gradually built up a little print collection! Did you study design? I did a Foundation art degree and then a BA Honours in Textile Design. I’ve always loved art from a young age. My dad was an artist and my mum was really into crafts so it’s in the genes! What’s a typical day? I wake up early, usually about…

HOW TO style the look 1 Achieve a private tropical haven through the use of tall potted plants. Fiscus and Aspidistra plants are a great choice, just be sure to pop them in sturdy pots with a drainage hole and position them in good light. 2 Pair bold, botanical prints with wooden and natural materials to create a jungle escape. Scatter a few plush floral cushions on top of a rattan chair or add a bamboo partition and vibrant outdoor rug for extra cosiness. Joe Browns PARADISE PATIO Transform your garden into a tropical getaway with bold colours, jungle prints and natural materials The Range BLACK & GOLD Mix dark geometric prints with gold accents for a global influence HOW TO style the look 1 Balance bright…

A BIT ABOUT ME I’m Kel Harmer, a stylist and founder of award-winning interiors blog, Oh So Kel. I run creative workshops specialising in tablescaping and I’ve just launched an online interior shop too, ohsokel.com/ store. I live here with my husband, Dan, our two daughters, Isla, nine and Emmie, five, and our Goldendoodle, Cosmo. WHERE I LIVE Our home is a five-bed new-build in Portishead, near Bristol, and we’ve lived here for six years. I post home updates on my Instagram @ohsokel. WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE The ground floor was split into a separate dining room and kitchen but I wanted an open-plan space that was better for our family, and then to add colour and my personality throughout. HOW I MADE IT MY OWN We put in…

You will need • 4 square dowels • Measuring tape • 4 x 1cm L-brackets • Power drill • 8 screws • Chopping board or pre-cut circle of wood • Ruler • Pencil • Basic tool kit 1 Measure and mark 25cm from the bottom of each of your dowels. 2 Lay a bracket on each dowel so that it lines up with the marking, with the hole centred. Mark the holes, then drill pilot holes and screw the brackets onto the dowels. 3 Turn the chopping board upside down and use a ruler to draw two lines through the centre that intersect at right angles. 4 Take one of the dowels and line up the bracket so that one of the marked lines on the…

First, choose your gold. Imitation gold leaf is a lot cheaper than the real stuff, so it’s a good choice for a first project and comes in packs of 5½ inch squares. Prepare your furniture. Sand or fill any bumps or holes and apply primer to your piece to make sure it’s not porous. If it’s metal, a simple dust and good clean with soapy water should do. Mask off the area you want to gild and apply a thin, even layer of water-based ‘size’, which is the adhesive you’ll use, to the surface, making sure it’s not too thick. Most importantly, leave until it’s almost dry, but still slightly tacky. Start applying your gold leaf. It’s usually backed by tissue so lay it tissue side up and use that…

A BIT ABOUT ME I’m Esther Pillans, 28, an assistant buyer on the home textiles team at Very. I live with my partner, Lewis Jardine, 34, an insurance complaints handler. WHERE I LIVE Our home is a four-bedroom Victorian terraced house in Waterloo, Liverpool. We bought it in March 2018. You can see more of our home on my Instagram @prettylittleterrace. WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE The dark kitchen and dining room at the back of the house felt pretty gloomy, the bathroom was badly designed and there were no original fireplaces left in the house. HOW I MADE IT MY OWN We’ve restored or reinstated the original features, added panelling, sanded wood floors and went for a co-ordinated colour palette of greens, pinks, gold and marble throughout all of…

Fiskars is helping to get your outdoor space in order this summer by giving away a bundle perfect for gardeners – and exclusively to HomeStyle readers! There are seven state-of-the-art packages worth over £150 each on offer, and each bundle consists of a PowerGear X Telescopic tree pruner and an Ergonomic garden fork. Fiskars’ PowerGear X Telescopic tree pruner has been designed with the user in mind, offering a huge cutting reach of six metres. The tree pruner has a 230 degree adjustable cutting angle for maximum versatility while the extendable tool makes it easy to trim overhanging tree branches without needing a ladder. The Fiskars Ergonomic garden fork is strong enough to break down soil, as well as moving plants to their new plots. It has specially designed features…

ESSENTIAL SCENTS Wave goodbye to harmful air freshener sprays and welcome a new non-toxic range of fragrance oils to your home. Essential Drops use natural, vegan and cruelty-free essential oils to produce luxurious scents that are also effective in neutralising any unpleasant smells around the home. You can dispense the drops into your toilet bowl after flushing to neutralise unwanted odours. They can also be used to revitalise an old scented candle, add to an oil burner, intensify a reed diffuser, or even to a smelly pair of shoes that need a refresh! They come in three scents, refreshing Grapefruit and Kumquat, exotic Pomegranate and Lychee and decadent Ginger and Black Pepper. Priced at £18 each from essentialoildrops.co.uk Zest for life Cult grater brand Microplane has released a new limited-edition…

‘Bright colours, bold prints and fun accessories will brighten your space come rain or shine’…

‘Wood tones and metallic accents bring added interest to a pretty pastel scheme’…

Something sweet Satisfy your dad’s sweet tooth with the Cake or Death x Toast Ale Father’s Day Brownies gift set. Brewed with Divine cocoa powder, Toast’s Chocolate stout is bursting with chocolatey richness. Each set includes six brownies – our favourite is the Nutella Hazelnut – and is priced at £19. SOMETHING LONG-LASTING If your dad’s day doesn’t start until he’s had his cup of Joe, then the Coffee Lover’s Starter Kit from Paddy & Scott is the gift for him. For £22.50, he’ll receive four bags of freshly ground coffee in four different roasts and a week’s supply of coffee brew bags to enjoy on the go. Something boozy Raise a glass to a top dad with a can of craft beer from People’s Captain. Founded by rugby player,…

LATEST RELEASE At affordable furniture retailer Nöa & Nani, family is at the forefront of every new idea. From practical, sturdy beds to indispensable storage, playful designs meet functionality in each item, made with both children and adults in mind. We particularly love these colourful side tables. The round design means no sharp-edged corners and the dual shelf provides handy extra storage, making them ideal for smaller spaces. The pastel shades coordinate with modern and vintage themes, and work as a wonderful canvas for colourful ornaments, trailing plants and eye-catching table lamps. To see their huge range of family-oriented furniture and accessories, visit noaandnani.co.uk NEW COLLECTION British design house Woodchip & Magnolia has teamed up with broadcaster, author and fashionista Fearne Cotton to create a beautifully eclectic range of wallpapers…

Plan your base. For a crisp, classic look, you can’t go wrong with a linen tablecloth, while a wipe-clean colourful PVC is a good option if you’ve got kids over for tea. You could also use kraft paper, which you could then decorate with hand-written messages and doodles, or if you want to go for a table runner, a stylish scarf, fabric offcuts or a strip of wallpaper are creative options. Bring texture and depth to the table with lots of layers. Table runners, placemats, napkins and different-sized plates and glasses made from contrasting materials will add extra interest. Introduce height with candlesticks and tall flowers. Style for the season. Use a mix of mini pumpkins for autumn; sprigs of holly and acorns for winter; pastel-painted eggs and daffodils for…

A BIT ABOUT ME I’m Antonia Richards, an occupational therapist. I live with my husband, Carl Curtis, a computer programmer, and our two children, Isaac, 15, and Georgia, 10. I Instagram my renovation journey @all_things_interior_. WHERE I LIVE My home is a three-storey, three-bedroom, 1960s townhouse in Heald Green, Stockport. We’ve lived here since 2014. WHAT I WANTED TO CHANGE The design of the house didn’t make full use of the space available as the ground floor was an integrated garage. We knew that we would need to change the layout to make it work better as a family home. HOW I MADE IT MY OWN We reconfigured the whole house and incorporated the ground floor into the main living space. Then I added lots of colour and decorated using…

You will need • Sticky-back plastic • Side plates • Paintbrushes • Acrylic paint • Sticky tape • Gold or silver leaf • Nail varnish remover • Small circular craft mirrors • Matt spray varnish • Superglue • Picture hanging strips 1 For the leopard-print plate, attach a strip of tape across the centre of a plate. Paint one half of the plate pink. Leave to dry then paint another layer. Once dry, splatter white paint on top. Remove the strip of tape. With the black paint, apply different shapes in random sizes to create a leopard-print effect. Paint multiple layers of the black for complete coverage. Before the paint fully dries, add small flecks of gold and silver leaf to the black shapes, being careful not to smudge…

When sourcing a fireplace that suits the style of your home, ask your neighbours to see if they still have the original in situ or search Rightmove for sold houses on your street. Although you might not be able to find the exact same design that would’ve been in your house, there are plenty of reclamation yards that can help you find a close match. Alternatively, check online selling sites for renovators who are ripping out fireplaces locally. You’ll get a better price if they need it out of the way quickly. If your home is Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian, there are a huge number of different styles to choose from during those eras. Late Victorian and Edwardian fireplaces usually had tiled inserts, which require a larger opening. Georgian styles…

Complete your new season scheme by switching up your room fragrances. Taylor Perlis, Fragrance Application Evaluator at Yankee Candle, talks us through her favourite scents for summer... ‘Fragrance has the power to uplift your mood, bring a sense of comfort, and even transport you somewhere else. Scent can also change the vibe of your living space and provide a much-needed refresh each season. If you want your home to have that just-cleaned feeling, look to sparkling, bright fragrances filled with grapefruit, lemon and other zesty citrus fruits. To make your space feel fresh, but still cosy, try a textural blend that is reminiscent of clean linen or your favourite soft blanket. For an extra boost of comfort, look for vanilla, musk and amber notes. Over the past year, our homes…

In the pink Eaton House Studio in Essex is lovingly known as ‘The Pink House’ for its absolute dedication to the colour. Their new range of eco-friendly paints means you can create a ‘pink house’ of your own. We love the Magic paint formula, £5 for a 60ml tester, which can be used on nearly any surface, from fabric to uPVC, without the need for priming. eatonhousestudio.com PAPER PLANS Plan your makes in a scrapbook that’s as pretty as the things you’ll create. The Personalised Scrapbook Kit gift set, £39.95, includes a scrapbook that comes personalised with luxe gold lettering, as well as a gold pen, coloured paper, washi tape and an all-important glue stick. marthabrook.com Top the tables Hot, dry summer days are the perfect time to work on…

With climate change and its effects hitting the headlines almost daily, more and more of us are inspired to make changes to the way we live to reduce our carbon footprint. We can all take steps to reduce our impact on the planet, but it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some effective ideas on how to make your home more environmentally friendly, from simple eco swaps to longer-term investments around the home. Choose eco-friendly paints Adding colour to your walls doesn’t mean adding to the planet’s problems. Nowadays there is a wide range of eco-friendly paints on the market to help you decorate with a clean conscience, from milk paint to chalk paint, mineral paint to clay paint. But what makes a paint eco-friendly? As…

NICEIC The UK’s leading certification body for electricians is NICEIC – the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting. Any electrical work undertaken should always meet the requirements of BS7671. Hiring a NICEIC registered contractor ensures your electrical work is compliant and safe. Head to niceic.com. GAS SAFE REGISTER This is the official list of gas businesses who are registered to work safely and legally on boilers, cookers, fires and all other gas appliances. By law all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register. To find a Gas Safe registered engineer visit gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer. CIPHE The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering is the professional body for the UK plumbing and heating industry. CIPHE members are vetted before being accepted so you can be confident that you will…

Bring the inside out Make it as homely as your indoors. Lay down a cosy rug, pile on the pillows and have blankets and throws to hand for when the sun goes in. A mix of lighting, such as fairy lights, candles and solar lanterns, will make it a more inviting space at night-time too. The only way is up If you don’t have a big surface area, take your garden vertical. Go for a living wall, pot plants on a bare fence or, if you’ve only got a window to work with, hang plants and string lights from a curtain rail. In the zone Whether it’s a sunbathing strip, a siesta spot or a pop-up bar area, create different areas with room dividers, rugs, coverings – like a parasol…

Neutral ground There’s always a pastel colour of the moment – lilac is everywhere right now – so stick to grounding neutrals that won’t date for big furniture pieces, like your sofa. Build up pastels with accessories that you can easily swap and change as trends come and go. Stylish contrast Bring texture and added interest to the look by teaming soft colours with wood tones and metallic accents. Pastel-coloured dining chairs with wooden legs or lighting with a metallic finish make an impact. Pair up Match pastels with a mix of prints and patterns. Candy colours against graphic lines make an eye-catching contrast and you can’t go wrong with an animal print or polka dots.…

Pretty but practical Don’t have things in your scheme just for the sake of it – make sure everything has a purpose, and looks good too. Glass jars of dried ingredients on open shelving, fancy bottles on a glam drinks trolley or rustic kitchen utensils hung on wall hooks all serve a practical purpose while adding extra style to the space. On show There’s no need to hide certain elements you might normally want out of sight. Features like exposed light bulbs and visible cords will give your scheme an edge so celebrate them and incorporate them into the look. Let in the light If you want to increase the sense of space, maximise the amount of light. Bi-fold doors out to the garden, like the ones Steph has, will…