Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i Your Home

Hello! I’m delighted to be taking over here at Your Home HQ – even though our HQ is still very much virtual. I can’t wait to help you all make your homes everything you want them to be, which feels especially important while we’re spending so much of our lives in them! We’ve packed this issue with ways to make your house a retreat in these unusual times. From how to create a stress-free sanctuary in Trend Alert: Eastern Tranquillity (p18) to crafts you can unwind with in our Make it Easy guide (p57), we’re here to help you through. Our sleep spaces are more crucial than ever, as we look for somewhere ‘different’ to escape to at the end of each day. So this month’s bedroom makeovers (from p22)…

For a while, I’d been considering how I could improve the appearance of our old brown kitchen tiles without the mess and expense of removal. I saw this lovely blue and white tile wallpaper and thought I’d give it a go. It was very easy to put it up and within an hour, the kitchen was transformed – and all for just £16 per roll. Phenomenal! Dragana Farrell, by email Your Home says This is such an inventive decorating idea, Dragana. We’re obsessed with that beautiful blue and white colour combination! ★ Dragana’s letter has won her a Bunches bouquet and set of goodies worth £40!…

THINGS WE CONSIDERED ● Did it keep us cool? ● How soft was it? ● Was it good quality? PURE LINEN BEDDING, £64 , EVE SLEEP The coolest of the bunch, linen definitely lives up to its reputation as a great temperature regulator in this bedding. It’s breathable, moisture-wicking and a delight to jump into on a hot summer’s night. The material creases easily, but this is to be expected with linen and is part of its distinctive rustic charm. Reasonably priced bedding, given its quality and cooling effects. CLASSIC COTTON BEDDING BUNDLE, £99 , BEDFOLK With a refined, super-smooth finish, this bedding is, without a doubt, the most luxurious of all the sets here. The percale weave makes it particularly suitable for hot weather and though the…

Mini trend: Shell-mania Summertime usually means trips to the seaside! But if you can’t go to the beach, make the beach come to you, because this month’s trend is all about bringing a coastal vibe to your living space with sweet seashells. Whether it’s the shape, pattern or colour, shell-inspired designs are cropping up in all kinds of furniture and accessories, from conch cushions and lampshades to scallop coasters and wall hooks. So, jump on the bandwagon and bring a hint of seaside joy to your home this summer! Game, set and match Matching wallpaper and paint in one room can be a real chore. But Lick is here to make the task easier. Lick uses a limited colour palette to take the hassle out of the process and ensure…

THE DETAILS WALLPAPER £29 PAINT £18 CARPET £280 FURNITURE £139 CURTAINS £5 BED LINEN £40 TOTAL £511 SHOPPING LIST White Mist matt emulsion paint, £18 per 2.5L, Dulux. Alfresco Palm Leaf wallpaper, £14.99 per roll, Wayfair. Carpet in Dove Soft Noble, £13.99 per sq m, Ramsden Mills. Bed, £99 from Dreams – for similar, try House Bonn Upholstered bed frame in Saga Grey, £199 (double), John Lewis & Partners. Bamboo and white ladder shelves, £60 each, The Futon Company. Isla Cocktail chair in Emerald, £139; curtains in MissPrint Fern Carbon fabric, £18 per m; Clara Cotton velvet rectangular cushions in Dusky Pink, £10 each; Clara Cotton velvet cushion in Emerald, £12; Jones alarm clock in white, £12; Elements round wall mirror in black, £20; black picture frames, from £4, all…

The number-one enemy of wooden garden furniture is water, which can cause swelling and damage. Mould can also take hold of wood and frost will attack any exposed areas. Protection by waterproofing is key here – you can also add a splash of colour at the same time. Look for waterproof coatings that contain fungal inhibitors to protect the surface beneath from mould while still allowing the timber to breathe. Old coatings can be painted over if they’re water-based and repaired. Before you start adding a fresh coat, however, make sure you prepare the furniture. Start by cleaning the surfaces with a damp cloth, then allow them to dry. Next, use a stiff brush to strip off any loose paint or sand down the wood, before wiping it clean. If…

Amberley Rainey bought her 1960s, three-bedroom, semi-detached house on the Wirral four years ago knowing it would be a big renovation project, especially when it came to the tiny kitchen. ‘Whenever I had friends around there was only standing room for them while I cooked dinner,’ she explains. ‘I’m a sociable person and the layout was so impractical if more than one person was in there at a time. My plan was to knock down the wall separating the kitchen and dining room, and turn the space into a bright and airy kitchen-diner.’ The original kitchen dated back to the 1990s with ill-fitted MDF base units and a wood-cladded ceiling. ‘There was nothing in the old kitchen that I wanted to keep as it was very impractical. Even the floor…

‘Keeping most of your bathroom floor clear will create a look that appears bigger than it is; combine that with useful storage solutions and it’s a win-win. Single and double wall-hung vanities provide ample wash space and leave the floor free too, creating a feeling of openness. If you choose a wall-hung toilet and vanity, the floor is also easier to clean!’ John Lawless, content marketing manager, Big Bathroom Shop ‘Make use of vertical space with hanging storage. IKEA’s hand-crocheted Nordrana option is perfect for those essential everyday items that you may not want on display. You can easily organise your toiletries in different compartments to keep your bathroom a neat and de-cluttered oasis.’ Clotilde Passalacqua, interior design manager at IKEA UK and Ireland…

Found a second-hand chest of drawers in need of a little TLC? Now it’s time for the fun part! Get sanding, filling and priming, and be creative with paint for a purse-happy makeover. Combine candy pink with a hand-painted monochrome confetti effect to give it a bold, graphic look, and swap the plain handles with leather tab pulls. The result? Instagram-worthy storage. 1 Use a well-ventilated workspace and cover the floor and surrounding surfaces before you start. Remove all the old hardware from the furniture. Spray the surface with sugar soap and leave for around a minute to lift any dirt and grime on the surface. Wipe with a lightly dampened cloth. 2 Wearing a mask and gloves, sand the surface in the direction of the grain with a medium…

Q We’re in the process of buying a house with bi-fold doors and have no idea what to do about privacy at night. Any suggestions? Rebecca Kingsley, Cheltenham A Yvonne Keal, Senior Product Manager at Hillarys has this advice… Bi-folds doors are high on the wish list of many homeowners and while a wall of glass is a lovely option during the day, it can make your home feel like a goldfish bowl at night. The Intu micro system of blinds will work on 80 per cent of all bi-folds in the UK and is the perfect solution for light control and privacy. It’s a bracket system that clips behind the window bead so there is no need to drill holes or screw into the frame and, as there are…

WE ARE Faye Noble, 44, a housewife, husband Dean, also 44, daughter Jessica, 13, son Jake, 10, and Patch the dog. OUR HOME A four-bedroom detached property in south-east Essex. It was built in 1983 by the previous owners. MY TOP TIP IS If you can, set aside more money than you think you’ll need for a project. There are almost always hidden and unaccounted-for costs. FOR STYLE INSPIRATION I spend hours scrolling through images on Pinterest and frequently flick through interiors magazines. NEXT ON MY TO-DO LIST IS Jessica’s bedroom. We’re going to change the carpet in there, remove the wallpaper and add some shutters.…

Spaghetti with pea, almond and mint pesto PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes COOKING TIME 15 minutes SERVES 2 YOU WILL NEED ✔ 200g essential Waitrose Garden Peas ✔ 180g spaghetti ✔ 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ✔ 1 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Frozen Chopped Garlic ✔ 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds ✔ 1½ tbsp finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano ✔ large pinch dried chilli flakes (optional) ✔ ½ lemon zest, rest cut into wedges ✔ 10 mint leaves, shredded DIRECTIONS ■ Cook the peas in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain them and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a separate large pan of boiling water. ■ Return the pea pan to a medium heat with the oil and fry the garlic for 2 minutes until it’s…

When Simon Gould decided to return to the UK after years of working in the Far East, he set out to find ‘somewhere beautiful to live that would be a nice place for my three children to come and stay’. On a visit to the New Forest he found just the spot he’d been searching for and, although a derelict set of farm buildings might not be everyone’s first choice, Simon could see the potential and eventually persuaded the farm owner to sell. ‘My kids were horrified when they first saw it,’ he laughs, ‘especially when they came across a cow in one of the barns.’ Having commissioned a local architect, Simon then began ‘an interesting journey’ starting with almost a year of negotiating with the planners. ‘There was already…

A Abode abodedesigns.co.uk Abode Living 01273 621116 abodeliving.co.uk Albert & Moo 020 8088 8280 albertandmoo.com AluSplash alusplash.com Amara 0800 587 7645 amara.com Amazon 0800 279 7234 amazon.co.uk Amtico 0121 745 0800 amtico.com Andy Thomas Artworks andythomasartworks.co.uk Annabel James 0345 548 0210 annabeljames.co.uk Annie Sloan 01865 247296 anniesloan.com Anthropologie 00800 0026 8476 anthropologie.com/en-gb Antipodream 07391 514622 antipodream.co.uk Argos 0345 640 2020 argos.co.uk Artisanti 0345 259 1410 artisanti.com Audenza 0116 298 6393 audenza.com B B&Q 0333 014 3098 diy.com Beaumonde 01202 707770 beaumonde.co.uk Bedfolk bedfolk.com Benchmarx Kitchens benchmarxkitchens.co.uk Benjamin Moore 01753 575756 benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk BHS 0333 005 0070 bhs.com Big Bathroom Shop 0345 122 7569 bigbathroomshop.co.uk Blinds2go 0800 862 0464 blinds-2go.co.uk Block Design 01503 230003 blockdesign.co.uk Blooming Artificial 0800 9777 589 bloomingartificial.co.uk Bobby Rabbit 0114 321 7000 bobbyrabbit.co.uk Bombay Duck 020 8749 3000…

A scheme that projects a feeling of peace is much sought-after in interior design at the moment and it’s a look that’s epitomised by Eastern-inspired décor. This trend for tranquillity is influenced by homewares and culture derived from Japan, China and ancient Persia. One of the key elements of the décor is its use of natural materials and plants that originate from these countries to promote a sense of calm. Think stoneware vases, orchids and bamboo. As well as mindful serenity, another hallmark of the style is its simplicity through its links to the traditional Chinese practice of ‘feng shui’. The term literally translates to ‘wind-water’ but the concept behind it suggests that balancing the energetic forces in your surroundings will help you achieve a measure of inner peace. So,…

Tap into this Waiting around for the kettle to boil can be frustrating, especially as we do it seven times a day on average. Abode wants to change the way you make a cuppa with its Pronteau range of taps. As well as providing regular hot and cold water, Pronteau taps can instantly deliver water at 98°C, thanks to an efficient two- or three-litre boiler fitted below the work surface. Both the time it takes to boil the water and the amount of energy consumed in the process are reduced simultaneously – something we can definitely raise a mug to! The Pronteau range delivers practicality and aesthetics with contemporary, traditional and professional looks available to suit all tastes. We’ve got our eyes on the modern-looking matt black Prothia Quad.Prices start…

WHO LIVES HERE? Amberley Rainey (@raineysresidence), 36, an office manager for an entertainment and technology company, lives in this 1960s three-bedroom semi-detached house on the Wirral. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH YOUR OLD KITCHEN? ‘Everything – it was tiny and not at all practical, with no space for entertaining my friends.’ WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE NEW ROOM? ‘My bargain £400 kitchen from eBay. And the kitchen table, which means I can sit with my friends.’ WHAT DID YOU LEARN DURING THIS PROJECT? ‘Be inventive. I managed to get a very expensive kitchen for next to nothing by shopping around.’…

A bench is a versatile seating solution for a hallway, conservatory, garden room or porch – and it can add a much-needed injection of colour and print, too. If your bench doesn’t have a cushion, or has an existing one that’s seen better days, get out the sewing machine and whip up your own to transform a plain seat into a statement piece. YOU WILL NEED • Main fabric: see instructions for quantity • Foam: 3.5cm deep x bench width x bench length • Pattern paper • Matching thread • Sewing machine • Pins • Scissors 1 Measure the bench and cut the foam to size. It is always best to cut it a little larger first, then trim it to fit to avoid it being too small. Once it…

With their two children growing up, more space was becoming something of a necessity for Maxine Hale and her husband Gareth. ‘We wanted more room and we were keen to stay in this area,’ says Maxine. ‘Beyond that, we were open to any possibilities.’ The couple looked at various options before picking a traditional Edwardian family house. The position was ideal and Maxine loved the elegant proportions, pretty period fireplaces and spacious, light-filled rooms. The property was a complete contrast to the contemporary, open-plan home they were living in however, and needed renovating and redecorating. ‘There were floral wallpapers, old carpets, a worn kitchen and an old-fashioned pink bathroom suite,’ says Maxine. ‘We couldn’t really keep any of it.’ As most furniture in the house they were living in had…

WE ARE Niamh O’Carroll, a PR consultant, her husband Paul and their teenage children, Cian, Tara and Barry. MY TOP TIP Small spaces can feel much larger if you choose your colour palette carefully and use it to decorate every area so there are no jarring changes. I chose white and shades of blue to create a tonal range that’s light and fresh. I’M MOST PROUD OF Taking a dull and dreary 1980s garage conversion and transforming it into a comfortable, modern living apartment. I LEARNT That building projects such as this can spring unpleasant surprises on you. Finding that the original construction didn’t have proper foundations was unexpected and led to a complete rebuild at the back, which definitely wasn’t in the budget. If I was doing a similar…

All dressed up I found a shabby, yellow dresser in a local second-hand furniture shop. Despite how run-down it looked, I liked it and saw some potential. Using Rust-Oleum chalk paint in Anthracite and Clotted Cream, plus some new knobs, I completely transformed it into a dresser that gives me joy whenever I look at it! Maureen Raud, by email Your Home says What a wonderful transformation, Maureen! This must look so lovely in your home, and it’s a great storage solution too. A-door-able I wanted to share a photo of our spruced-up PVC front door. It was white originally, but after two coats of specialist paint from B&Q it looks like a new front door! As it’s worked so well, we’re now going to tackle our garage door too.…

When Kate Maunders, 30, and husband Phil, 35, moved into their three-bedroom semidetached home in Essex, they knew it needed a fair bit of work. Luckily, it didn’t deter the couple in the slightest and they slowly began to renovate the Victorian house. Priority went to the living room and kitchen before the pair turned their attention to the upstairs, where the first stop was the guest bedroom as it needed the least amount of work. ‘There wasn’t anything too intimidating to tackle in this room,’ recalls Kate. ‘The messiest part was skimming and replastering the textured ceiling, but we got someone in to do that – my DIY skills don’t stretch that far! Aside from that, the work was purely cosmetic, which made a nice change to the rest…

THE DETAILS PAINT AND WALLPAPER £253 FURNITURE £335 DOOR KNOBS £30 LIGHTING £13 BLIND £36 TOTAL £667 SHOPPING LIST Walls and wardrobe in Dorchester Pink and Loft White absolute emulsion, both £47 for 2.5L; chair in Blush intelligent eggshell, £32 per litre, all Little Greene. Holden metallic feather pattern wallpaper, £12.99 per roll, I Want Wallpaper. Cane window blind, £36; Square glass doorknobs, £7.50 each, both eBay. Chest of drawers, £225; wooden chair, £20, Scott’s Furniture Mart. Lierskogen bedside tables, £45 each; Torared pendant lamp shade, £13; Ikornnes mirror, £20; Smidie dyed sheepskin, £35; Ludde sheepskin, £29; Blomdoft candles, £4.50 for a set of three; Sanela pink velvet cushion cover, £5, all IKEA. Blush pink linen duvet cover, king size £130.50; standard linen pillowcases £14.40 each, Secret Linen Store. Washed…

THE DETAILS WALLPAPER £255 PAINT £96 CARPET £500 BLINDS £213 FURNITURE £98 ACCESSORIES £289 LIGHTING £293 TOTAL £1,744 SHOPPING LIST Flamingos wallpaper 112/11041, £85 per 10m roll, Cole & Son. Walls painted in Stiffkey Blue estate emulsion, £47.95 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. Walls painted in Valspar colour matched pink emulsion, £24 for 2.5L, B&Q. Jupiter twist carpet in Platinum, £22.99 per sq m, Carpetright. Bedside lights: for similar try Mercury Row Cutright desk table lamp, £56.99 each, Wayfair. Colours Melito white feather ball light, £34, B&Q. Throw: for similar try lightweight polyester velvet bedspread in soft grey, £64, John Lewis & Partners. Pink velvet cushions, £19.99 each, HomeSense. Pink patterned cushion: for similar, try poppy field cushion, £32, French Connection. Broadway star table lamp in black, £99, Made.com. Fern…

LAMINATE You’ll find that the bulk of kitchens have laminate worktops, that is Formica bent around chipboard with a sink cut into the top. It lasts a reasonable amount of time and can cope with up to 160°C, although you wouldn’t want to put a cast iron pan on it straight from the oven. Laminate worktops occupy the lower end of the budget and it’s definitely true that you get what you pay for. Look for brands like Formica and Duropal – these may be slightly more expensive than others, but the price will be worth it for the quality. GRANITE, SLATE AND MARBLE These worktops all look beautiful, depending on your kitchen style. Marble will need looking after, however, as it may mark and stain relatively easily, so factor…

Apollo slab worktop in ice white, £2,305, Benchmarx (included in joiner’s costs). Kitchen units, £400; pitch pine potbank wares boards (shelving), £30; tap, £24.99, all eBay. Belling range cooker, £799, John Lewis. Stainless-steel sink and drainer, £60, Screwfix. Chalk Farm Metro tiles, £45, Walls and Floors. Baletrio Quattro laminate flooring in Old Oak, £10 per sq m, Total Floors. Stainless-steel lighting bar, £24.99, Amazon. Melamine paint, £12 per litre, Wilko. Wimborne White eggshell paint, £64 per 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. Textured cross-hatch lavender cushion (on sofa), £8; blue-lustre wine glasses, £4 each; ceramic storage jars, £6 each; pink utensil pot, £8; pink plates, £2.50 each; yellow ombre vase, £10; pink plant pot with stand, £12; belly basket, £10; purple faux hydrangeas glass vase, £16; diamond-textured tea towels, £4; spatula set,…

DECOUPAGE FRUIT BOWL Make a bowl as colourful as the fruit inside with tropical decoupage SHOPPING LIST • Wooden bowl • PVA glue • White paint • Gold paint • Patterned wrapping paper • Large paintbrush • Small paintbrush • Spray paint • Black marker pen 1 Use a workspace in a well-ventilated area and cover the surface you’ll be working on with a bin liner or newspaper. Turn the bowl upside down and evenly cover the base using a thin layer of spray paint. Leave to dry, then continue adding layers to achieve an even coverage, letting the paint dry thoroughly in between each one. Neatly cut out shapes from the patterned wrapping paper. Lay them out on a flat surface, arranging them as you’d like them to appear…

Enjoy the garden for longer this summer by making your own stylish fire pit. There’s nothing nicer than watching the sun go down in the evening while sitting around a real fire with a drink and some good company. Not only does a firepit keep you warm, but you can cook on it too. Follow these simple steps to make this fire pit in a weekend. YOU WILL NEED Essential * Bricklaying trowel * Mixing bucket * Bricks * Mortar * Render * Plastering trowel * Gravel * Galvanised wire mesh Useful * Gloves * Mask * Sponge * Spirit Level * Coarse-grade sandpaper * Masonry paint * Tin snips or pliers 1 Measure and plan First decide where the fire pit needs to be, making sure it’s not too…

WE ARE Maxine Hale, 52, husband Gareth, 47, a financial advisor, and their children, Ed, 15 and Nell, 13. OUR HOME Is a four-bedroomed, detached Edwardian house in Plymouth, Devon. MY FAVOURITE ITEM Is the two-seater kitchen bench made from tip-up cinema seats. I’d been after some authentic cinema seats for ages, so when I spotted a couple in a local vintage furniture shop, I snapped them up. They’re really comfy. MY BEST BUY Was the big rug in the living room, which was a steal at £85 from Very. It breaks up the dark grey carpet and brings texture and light into the centre of the room.…

3 ways with… Cherries * For a simple cherry jam, put 1kg pitted and halved cherries into a pan with 600g jam sugar and the juice of 1 lemon. Simmer over a medium heat for around 40 minutes until thick. To test if it’s ready, put a spoonful onto a plate that’s been cooled in the freezer and leave it for a minute, then lightly poke it with your finger. If it wrinkles, it’s ready. Spoon the jam into sterilised jars and seal. * Put your jam to good use with some filled breakfast muffins. Heat your oven to 180°C and line a muffin tin with paper cups. Beat 100g butter with 140g caster sugar into a light, fluffy mixture. Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time, before adding…

Privacy made pretty Is your outdoor space lacking in privacy and in need of a little embellishment? If so, you might want to take a look at Screen With Envy’s beautiful range of outdoor screens and trellises. Designed with the latest interior trends in mind, these screens prove that gardens can be super stylish and off limits to prying eyes at the same time. Whether you want to create your own jungle sanctuary with a botanical design or invite a taste of the East into your garden with a pattern inspired by Arabic architecture, the choice is yours. All the Screen With Envy screens are made from a durable wood composite, but maintain the texture and appearance of natural wood. For a completely unique piece, bespoke designs are available upon…

‘There will usually be conditions attached to how these types of properties can be developed. They might be restrictions on internal things that may affect how you plan a kitchen space and if the property is listed, you need to stick to those conditions. Trust your architect for advice and consider what you want to keep and what can be removed. Timber, for example, needs to be looked after but you can use colour and different finishes to bring in a modern twist.’ David Conlon, founder of En Masse Bespoke Interiors, enmasseinteriors.co.uk…

Light, strong and very, very long Sick of wrestling a heavy, inflexible hose around the garden? Then Hozelock’s new Tuffhoze might be just what you’re looking for. Made using an inner PVC core and woven ‘Tuff-Fibre’ textile outer layer, the new Tuffhoze is not only highly durable but also flexible and up to 50 per cent lighter than traditional hoses – a combination that makes it easy to manoeuvre into all of your garden’s nooks and crannies. Its two-part construction allows it to handle high-pressure water flows of over 40 bar (580psi) while keeping it flexible enough to be coiled up tightly for storage without kinks forming. The Tuffhoze comes in 12.5m, 25m and 35m lengths and has a 30-year guarantee. Visit hozelock.com to find out more. From field to…

A FRIENDLIER CUPPA A reusable cup is better than a disposable one, but a reusable cup made from rice husk instead of plastic is best of all. The husk is the outer shell of a rice grain and it’s one of the most abundant forms of food waste in the world. It can, however, be turned into a durable, waterproof, biodegradable material, making it perfect for carrying teas and coffees. It’s also great for carrying stylish designs, as this collection of rice husk cups from Emma Bridgewater shows… Easy on the eye and the conscience Made with recycled leather off-cuts and woven with natural gold and silver coloured yarns, this rug is not only fabulous looking but durable too. More importantly, it’s a good buy for ethical shoppers, as the…