Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i Real Homes

My garden isn’t quite sure what’s happened to it over the last couple of months. Thanks to all the time I’ve been spending at home, it’s been lavished with more care and attention than it’s seen in a while and is now thriving as a result. The raised beds are planted up ready to deliver a bumper summer crop of veg, the out-of-control laurel hedge is (almost) back under control, the kids have been busy creating bug hotels from whatever bits of old wood they can find, and our plans for an outdoor kitchen are taking shape and will hopefully come to fruition once we can get hold of the materials. Knowing how lucky my family is to have some outside space has made me appreciate my garden more than…

Our animal instincts are on high alert with this oh-so on-trend collection from Sainsbury’s Home. If you’re one for embracing a leopard print, take a prowl around this range. It’s fierce, feisty yet practical, too, as it’s been specifically designed for outdoor life – which as we all know, is a jungle out there.…

Chances are you’ve been spending more time than usual at home lately, so to keep you inspired and entertained, we’ve put together a fantastic book giveaway for every reader. Whether you’re using your time to plan an extension or home makeover project for later in the year, want to be more eco-friendly or are looking for some new recipes, we’ve got the perfect selection for you. Our newsstand edition often comes with a free supplement, but we’ve had to make some temporary changes due to the current climate, so we hope you enjoy these five free books worth more than £50* instead. Take a look at what’s included… THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BATHROOMS Whether you’re looking to add an en suite or transform a space for family life, there’s something…

BEST EXTENSION Have you doubled the size of your kitchen with a rear extension? Added bedrooms with a two-storey addition or built up into the loft? We’re looking for stylish spaces that have helped you make the most of your home. BEST RENOVATION Sponsored by Icynene We’re not just about extensions here at Real Homes! If you have transformed your home, whether that’s rescuing an unloved period property or remodelling for modern family living, share your project with us today. BEST HOME MAKEOVER/ REDECORATION Are you handy with a paintbrush? Love tackling a different upcycling project every other weekend? Sometimes a lick of paint, some serious TLC and inspiring, creative ideas are all you need to get your entire home up to scratch. So if you’ve got DIY prowess you’d…

WHAT MUST YOU CONSIDER? First is what style – contemporary or traditional, for example – colour scheme and material finish you want, and what your budget will allow. It’s best to have your new patio installed in spring when the project won’t be hindered by cold, damp conditions. Your garden will then be ready for summer. If you’re using an installer, plan in plenty of time to ensure your preferred landscaper is available. A good installer should be able to assist in the early stages with design advice. It’s worth noting materials often equate to around 20 per cent of the cost, with the remaining 80 per cent made up with groundworks, sub-base and labour costs. WHAT’S THE BEST MATERIAL? Porcelain, natural stone and concrete pavers are all extremely hard-wearing.…

Our outside spaces make us happy, with fresh air, nature, gardening and whiling away the sunny days with a cold drink in hand giving us a much-needed boost. With the nation’s love of all things gardening on the up in the current climate, isn’t it only right that we give our gardens a little more...pizzazz? We’ve searched high and low for the best ways to rip up the garden rule book and add wow factor to your garden, and the most effective, inexpensive way? Exterior paint. From clever stencilled patios to striped fences and vibrant colours, decorate your garden as you would any other room in your home, for an alfresco haven you won’t want to leave. Pergola power This garden brings its own sunshine! A pergola is a great…

Awash with original features yet equipped with the latest home comforts; light and spacious but with cosy areas; sophisticated yet playful; bursting with colour and pattern yet calm and homely. These might sound like contradictory descriptions, but Paul and Laura Clark have managed to strike the perfect balance between old and new in their Victorian semi. ‘We knew we wanted a period property,’ says Paul of their hunt for a new home, which began in 2012. ‘We focused our search on Stourbridge because Laura’s family are from there and it has a good stock of Victorian houses, which are more affordable there than Birmingham where we’d been living.’ Prior to the move, the couple had lived in a Victorian terrace, so were prepared for the responsibility of owning an old…

THE RIGHT ANGLE There’s no shame in wanting a modern addition for a period house. We are, after all, living in different times, with very different needs to a few centuries ago. And if you are going to carve out a new space, why not make it one that stands out? We’re talking about this glorious extension from Delve Architects, which celebrates how modern architecture can look right at home in a row of Victorian terraces. The property flows from a traditional Victorian frontage to this open-plan space at the back, which is clad with natural timber to soften the angular lines of the build. The only thing that’s missing? A string of fairy lights and a fire pit. We can’t think of a better way to spend a cosy…

MOVIE NIGHT Missing your trips to the cinema to see the latest blockbuster? With this idea you can bring a slice of the big screen action to your home with an outdoor cinema set-up, plus you won’t have to fork out for overpriced popcorn either. Bonus! All you need is a large sheet, four hooks or wooden pegs and a projector. Choose your ideal cinema backdrop – the side of a shed or a fence panel are good options, although you might want to smarten it up first with a coat of paint. Next, screw four wooden pegs or hooks into the shed or fence to create a large square, then attach each corner of the white sheet to them, keeping the fabric taut. Connect your projector to your streaming…

Whether you’re doing a spot of DIY or just hanging out in the garden, good tunes are a must. So we’ve rounded up what the RH team are tapping their toes to this summer Amelia Smith I went to see the musical & Juliet in January and I’m still listening to the soundtrack. The upbeat songs give me so much life – perfect for running in the sunshine. Ellen Finch Vampire Weekend has been my go-to summer soundtrack for years, and their most recent album, Father of the Bride doesn’t disappoint – dip a toe in by listening to ‘Harmony Hall’. Laura Crombie I’ve been listening to the La La Land soundtrack while painting my garden furniture! The first song is called ‘Another Day of Sun’ and it’s sooo catchy...in…

WHY NIKKI’S HOME CAUGHT OUR EYE As soon as the Real Homes team walked into Nikki’s house on a sunny day in September last year, we were head over heels in love. Her extended Victorian terrace is a lot of people’s dream home: a light, bright kitchen-diner, social garden, cosy living room and spa-like bathroom. It’s taken a lot of work, of course – Nikki and her husband, Tom, tackled a floor at a time, stopping to save up for the next stage of the build in between. And while the house looks magazine-ready now, Nikki’s learned valuable lessons to get to this point. The first is to trust your gut. The spacious family bathroom was borne from a compromise: Nikki opted to sacrifice a bedroom for her dream spa-like…

Dust down your decking and get ready to glow with some additional pops of lighting. We forecast these lanterns will brighten your day…and your evening LIGHT UP Bring a little pared back charm to your outside space with the House Doctor Ova bamboo lantern, £31, Abode Living SHINE ON Take time to unwind next to this trend led, pastel-toned Savanna blue lantern, £90, Sweetpea & Willow SOAK UP No need for matches with this urban design, Adelaide solar lantern, £27.99, Lights4Fun…

If working with wood, first sand down the surface. ‘A sandpaper with a P180 or a P240 grade will work best, sanding in the direction of the grain,’ says Matthew Brown, technical consultant at Sadolin and Sandtex. Brush away the dust, clean thoroughly and ensure your surface is completely dry before picking up your paintbrush. Always begin with a primer for a smoother finish, before applying your base coat. Consider your timings, too. ‘If painting in early spring, beware damp mornings and cold, humid evenings that could allow moisture to get trapped in your paint, causing discolouring known as blushing or blooming,’ says Matthew. ‘In the height of summer, avoid painting in direct sunlight in the hottest part of the day – 8°C is your ideal outdoor painting temperature’…

Whether it’s a true glass box, a minimally framed design, or a more traditional conservatory, a glazed extension can be an attractive addition to your home. But with few or no conventional walls, and often with a glazed ceiling, these types of extensions throw up particular challenges. That’s why, for a glazed extension, it’s advisable to work with an architect with experience of similar projects to the one you envisage – be it entirely glass or with a frame. Bear in mind that while opting for a conservatory can be a less expensive route to take, other types of glazed additions are almost sure to be a more costly way to increase your home’s size than a conventional solid structure. But while the demands of good design and higher bills…

If you love to cook, or even if you hate it but prefer not to starve, at some point you’re going to have to decide on appliances for your new kitchen extension. You’d think specialising in kitchens for nearly 20 years would put me at an advantage on this score. But sometimes too much knowledge is a dangerous thing. Particularly for the health of our sickly bank balance. I get to see a lot of cool appliance tech and, generally, fall in lust with it. My husband Nick cooks perhaps thrice a year and cares more about crocuses than cookers (he’s not a gardener, either). I knew I’d have my work cut out getting what I wanted. Like any good negotiator, I started by preparing a wishlist of priorities. I…

1 ENJOYING SHARED EXPERIENCES ‘My kitchen island is great for weekly baking sessions with Thomas’ 2 WHERE EVERYONE COMES TOGETHER ‘The table, a space to eat, work or just relax’ 3 ESSENTIAL FOR SUNDAY MORNINGS ‘Plenty of worktop space for a good coffee machine and a bean grinder’ 4 PERK OF HAVING EXTRA STORAGE ‘A whole drawer full of spices for curry building sessions’ 5 BEST FOR SIMPLE PLEASURES ‘The windows, for letting in light, watching the birds and just feeling like you are outside’…

ONE A roll-top bath is the centre piece of modern heritage-style bathrooms. But which material is best? Acrylic is the least expensive, easy to clean and lightweight. Cast iron is more traditional and will be a longer-lasting investment. The bath water may take longer to heat but will be slower to cool. You must be sure your floor can bear the weight. TWO Add a modern twist to a heritage-style bathroom by updating your accessories. ‘A contemporary cabinet handle will bring a unique and graphic element to a traditional vanity unit,’ says Zoe Jones, visual content manager at Roper Rhodes. ‘Round mirrors work as a contrast while matt black taps bring an instant contemporary touch.’ THREE Shower rooms are perfect for our fast-paced lives, but they work with heritage-style elegance,…

Warm weather means more time outside. Hurrah! And creating your personal paradise in the back garden is simple with QVC UK’s latest collection, Desert Sunset. It’s bursting with fun garden accessories and furniture, from parasols to living walls. Tiki time has never been this easy.…

BETH MURTON is the editor of Real Homes magazine. Passionate about all things home-related, she’s renovated a 1930s house into a modern family home, and is always looking out for fresh ideas. JASON ORME is editorial director of Real Homes and author of The Self Build Dream, and has advised thousands of homeowners on their renovations. He has totally remodelled his 1960s home. LUCY SEARLE is the global editor-in-chief of Realhomes.com. After a career on a number of homes mags and websites, she’s dedicated to bringing us online homes inspo aplenty.…

SEEN ON SCREEN If you are furnishing the outside like you do the inside, with cushions, rugs and soft lighting hanging from the pergola, shouldn’t what separates each zone be as beautiful as wallpaper? Screen With Envy has stunning Arabic-inspired dividers and trellises adorned with floral patterns and botanical prints Made from wood composite, durable and weatherproof, the screens start from £85. A LICK OF PAINT Who hasn’t spent hours in DIY shops, staring at tins while trying to pick the perfect paint colour, or turned walls into a patchwork of discarded testers? Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, so new décor company, Lick Home, has tried to keep things simple, curating a collection of just 49 paint colours (and 25 wallpaper designs) to choose from.…

YES ‘You have to give people the opportunity to put things right’ Amanda Dagnall (@schoolhousetohome) lives with husband John and one of their three children in a period cottage in Yorkshire ‘I think you have to get people back in to sort a problem out. If you bought something you were unhappy with, you’d go back to the retailer to resolve it. If they don’t, you take it higher. You have to give people the opportunity to put things right, though you might not have much faith in them if they’ve done such a bad job in the first place. ‘We had a company come to turn a bathroom into a wet room. It was a nightmare. The ceiling wasn’t stripped properly and they just plastered over paper, a wall…

Exterior paint is designed to withstand all that the British weather throws at it. But, there are things you can do to help it stay looking good. ‘Apply a maintenance coat on top of your existing paint for extra protection,’ says Matthew Brown, technical consultant at Sadolin and Sandtex. You should also immediately fill in cracks and try to keep surfaces clean, as dirt attracts moisture, which attracts more dirt. Regular maintenance can prevent a larger job in the future. Always check that exterior paint has a weather protection guarantee…

Plants and turf, Newbridge Nurseries and Squires Garden Centres. Lawn, Sussex Lawns. Sahara Buff Indian Sandstone paving and shingles, Nyes Building Supplies. Summerhouse materials and railway sleepers, Lawsons. Summerhouse painted in Ronseal Sage garden paint, and fencing painted in Cuprinol Ducksback Silver Copse, both B&Q. Dining table and chairs, BHS. Riviera parasol, Supremo Leisure. Decking scaffold planks, Dorton Reclaim. Folding chairs and table, Plant Theatre. Bliss water feature, Foras. Metal panel, Habitat…

Iridescent shine Add some rainbow joy to your every day with the most funky finish there is Hidden treasure Golden and copper kitchen sinks are high on our radar at the moment, and this Belfast design is a real stunner. You’ll never begrudge doing the washing up again if you can look down at this warm metallic shine. Vellamo designer Belfast sink in brushed copper stainless steel, £719.98; Harbour Icon kitchen mixer tap in brushed copper, £179.98, Tap Warehouse ROUND UP If you’re lucky enough to have an island hob, don’t let a bulky extractor fan ruin your look. This new circular design from Caple is so elegant, it’s almost futuristic. The contemporary island hood extracts odours from the ceiling for reduced noise and increased pressure, making for a highly…

RENOVATING a home is a unique opportunity. It’s not something to rush into, and it’s rarely something you can delegate to someone else. If you’re extending or doing large-scale work, it’s also probably the most money you’ll spend outside of buying the property. It’s scary to part with cash and make huge changes, but you have to be brave and throw yourself into it. That’s why Julie approached her kitchen renovation with a motto of sorts in her mind. As she told her husband, ‘We’re only going to do this once.’ Tasked with transforming their ground floor into an extended space fit for open-plan family living, the couple carefully considered every decision, from colours and materials to budgets. They were able to spend in the places it mattered most by…

FOR MORE OUTDOOR INSPIRATION, VISIT REALHOMES.COM/GARDEN…