Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2023 i Real Homes

PEONIES thrive in well-drained soil in a sunny position. Integrate plenty of organic matter and don’t plant too deeply. They bloom in late spring, and are best cut for arrangements or vases when about three-quarters open. COSMOS is a classic cut flower, providing clouds of blooms from June to November, and these half-hardy annuals are easy to grow. They need full sun, moist but well-drained chalky or neutral soil. Direct sow in early May. ROSES are quintessential for beauty and scent, with varieties for sun and shade. Incorporate compost or manure when planting and feed generously as they grow. The best time to cut roses as they start to unfurl is after 3pm. ALSTROEMERIA are great-value, long-flowering perennials from summer to autumn, and last up to three weeks in the…

Long gone are the days when the choice of kitchen colours was limited to whites, beiges or greys. Now, it’s all about letting loose and creating a space that truly reflects your interior style. Most kitchen companies offer a wide choice of hues, so whether you’re after slick, modern cabinetry or something more classic, you’ll be able to add your stamp to it to suit your home. ‘The key thing to remember is that colour isn’t scary,’ advises Ruth Lavender, design expert for Benchmarx Kitchens. ‘Confidence comes when you find a colour that evokes feelings of happiness – this is how you know the hue is right for your home.’ If you’re revamping your existing units, the colour world is your oyster. Look for specialist kitchen cupboard paints, or switch…

Spending time at a luxurious spa is mind-soothing, body healing and all-round de-stressing. It’s a place to unwind and let life’s pressures fade away. As visiting one is a treat rather than a regular occurrence for most of us, we must look to try and recapture those benefits of being pampered at home. There’s a lot you can do to get that five-star spa feel on a DIY budget. A spacious showering area with waterfall showerhead is wonderfully invigorating, while switching out a cramped bath for a generous soaker tub can revolutionise bathtime. Your choice of materials can also heavily influence the spa mood. ‘Organic textures and colours are often used in spas to calm and simulate a natural environment. Materials like wood and stone are great for making your…

There’s a world of choice when you’re looking for doors to lead from a living or dining space or kitchen-diner to the garden. French doors, industrial-style designs and pivot doors are all attractive options. It’s easy to swap from dated designs or those beyond renovation, to new garden doors to fit into the same opening. It’s also possible to replace a window with a door to create extra access to your home, bring in more light and offer a better garden view. French doors are a versatile choice, allowing you to open one or both doors at a time. They can be teamed with side lights, windows or even extensive fixed glazing. Styles range from full-length glazed panels, to ones featuring glazing bars, or glass combined with solid lower panels.…

LIAM YATES, WUDDL Q Can you describe your business in a sentence? I create handmade, sustainable wildlife houses in bright, modern designs that encourage nature into your garden. Q How did you get to the point of having your own business? I used to work as a web developer and designer, which was very dull! I love nature and the outdoors, and wanted to do something that didn’t involve being stuck behind a desk. I read a fascinating article about solitary bees; and decided to try making a bee house for my garden. I sketched out a design on paper, inspired by honeycombs and my love of geometric shapes, bought a few tools and headed to my shed to experiment. It turned out so well that friends and family asked…

It’s good to talk Fling open the doors and let the outside in – or the inside out! For many of us, spending months in lockdown taught us the value of our gardens, and we’re now loving seeing our outside spaces being used for multiple purposes. This conversation set from Dunelm is the perfect stage for chilled out drinks and nibbles on the patio. ‘We’ve used textures and tones intended to be layered so you can mix-and-match pieces to give your space a unique feel,’ says Debbie Drake, Dunelm’s design director. Dressed to impress Create special moments in the everyday with new tabletop pieces from John Lewis & Partners. Ikat prints and painterly stripes in cool, coastal blues combine boho style with a Mediterranean twist. These fresh and vibrant shades…

OUTDOOR LIVING Whether covered or open, small or spacious, how you design your open-air domain will largely be determined by its position, orientation and where the sun falls throughout the day. Treat the space as an extra room, and apply the same principles of creating style and comfort indoors, outdoors. A sink-into sofa and chairs placed around a coffee table, or a dining set-up complete with decorative tableware, will all work to make it a welcome destination for gatherings. It makes sense to situate the dining area close to the house to minimise trips to the kitchen, and place furniture for lounging in a sunny spot. You can easily zone these areas to make separate spaces by using partition screens, rugs under furniture, drapes and outdoor task lighting. For areas…

Back to black Good design is becoming as important as usability says bathroom hardware expert Grohe, as users demand a more customised space to spend their precious me-time in. ‘People are looking for solutions that give them convenience and functionality but that can be designed exactly to their personal taste,’ explains Benjamin Kraus, leader of categories at Grohe. Tapping into this, Grohe has extended its Colours Collection, adding Matte Black and Phantom Black to the palette, so bathroom buyers can easily update a tired or plain scheme, and add a little extra flair to their sanitaryware. The new additions are priced from £28.28 for a Grohe Start robe hook in Matte Black. Maximum impact The compact dimensions of the ‘smallest room’ offer a great chance to go big on décor.…

EXPERT ADVICE ‘Splashbacks come in a variety of materials, including glass, stainless steel, stone and ceramic tiles. If you like to cook often with oils and spices, choose an option that’s easy to wipe down. If it’s to go behind a gas hob, avoid laminate splashbacks in case of heat damage. Use the splashback to add colour, pattern or the sheen of metallics; to update a kitchen quickly and affordably; or to highlight a feature – like a range cooker,’ says Dawn Filkins, head of creative at Smile Kitchens…

LEADING LADIES Who run the world? We all know who – so celebrate wonderful women everywhere with a gallery of goddesses. Mix with stylised flower prints to soften the scheme LOUD & PROUD Fun, badass and in your face – this wall art packs a huge dopamine hit of playful style. Pick these types of prints and cause a stir in your living space CALM CORNER Pared back, muted tones come together harmoniously in a curated collection of artwork. Framed in whites and pale woods, the colour-themed prints create a well-balanced wall…

TRANSFORMED SCHOOL DORMITORY PROFILE THE OWNERS Dani Sandels, a content creator, and her husband, Tom, a company director, live here with their children, Cooper and Banks, plus their Great Dane, Frank, and French Bulldog, Ruby THE PROPERTY A maisonette in a converted school dormitory, built in 1950, in Ottershaw, Surrey PROJECT COST Approx £50,000 A beguiling blend of trailing house plants, tactile ceramics, colourful glassware and natural woven elements, the Surrey home of Dani and her husband, Tom, feels simultaneously energising and relaxing. Its welcoming feeling is not new, however. Part of a converted school complex, this home was, in fact, once occupied and deeply cherished by Dani’s grandparents, both of whom treasured the building’s communal gardens. The house was eventually sold, but a quirk of fate brought it back…

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY This August sees the return of two popular RHS events – the RHS Hyde Hall Flower Show, Essex (2-6 August), and the RHS Rosemoor Flower Show in Devon (18-20 August). At each event, expect dazzling flower displays, specialist plant nurseries and a programme of expert talks, plus explore the beautiful host gardens and enjoy delicious food. Visitors to the Hyde Hall show can also browse the work of over 20 artisans in the Craft in Focus marquee, while Rosemoor will be hosting live music. Access is included with general garden entry, which starts at £13.85. Book online at rhs.org.uk Hang time Whether you’re looking to catch a few rays, or to lie back and admire the fruits of your garden labour, the new Strawberry White garden…

STATEMENT TILES This playful and vibrant side-return extension has created a light and modern kitchen and living space at the back of the house. It has turned the ground floor from dark and uninviting to bright and open plan. Bursting with personality, the exterior is clad in blue encaustic tiles, with a frameless pivot door leading to the garden. Inside, light wooden floors and pastel walls have been paired with coral structural beams, dusky-blue kitchen units and vivid terrazzo worktops. CHECK MATE A marriage of old and new, this beautiful, budget-friendly side extension comes complete with a modern glazed roof panel that lights up the dining area. The rear wall is finished with industrial-style, steel-framed windows and doors that open the space up to the garden. A smart chequerboard floor,…

EXPERT ADVICE ‘Shutters are a versatile solution for windows of almost any size and shape, and are at home in both modern and more traditional interiors. They can offer a crisp simplicity and make rooms feel less cluttered – ideal for smaller spaces. Reducing heat loss by up to 62 per cent, they keep spaces warm in winter. They also let you control the amount of light coming in – making them perfect for reducing glare in a home office, or creating shady living areas when it’s hot,’ says Yvonne Keal, senior product manager at Hillarys…

THE PERFECT BLEND Cladding is the perfect choice for helping a new extension blend in with the rest of the house. It can easily cover any mismatch between old and new brick work, and instead make a real feature of the outside of the addition. Here, long-lasting and hardwearing fibre cement cladding by Cedral creates a pleasing contemporary contrast to the original property. The fibre cement has the look and feel of real wood, but is able to withstand the harshest weather conditions without needing regular maintenance – just a wash down to keep it clean. The vertical lines of the ‘planks’ echo the frame of the patio doors, while the dramatically dark colourway, which won’t fade and need repainting, makes the garden greenery really pop. ALTERED STATES Real wood…