Innehållsförteckning för Apr-15 från House Beautiful

STYLE INSPIRATION

LOOKS YOU’LL LOVE PLEASING PASTELS * Introduce subtle ice cream shades, such as these pale pink chairs, to a monochrome scheme for an instant update that’s bang on trend. * This beautiful panelled wall, painted in crisp white, exudes elegance, while the stripped wooden floor keeps the room feeling relaxed and informal. If you don’t have wood panelling, create the effect with Library Panel wallpaper, £85 a roll, Cole & Son. * Placing a huge, low-hanging pendant over the table in a complementary neutral shade will add drama to your space (above). Under the Bell pendant in Grey Felt, £499; Adaptable table in Black, £1,450; Visu chair with wire base, £199; Visu chairs with wood base, £259 each; all Muuto at Skandium. * Accessorise with neutral vases, pots and picture…

4 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

WONDERFUL WALLS

SMOOTH IT OUT If you’re planning to paper a room, walls will still have to be filled and sanded, as with painting (see previous page). A lining paper will help to cover small imperfections. If walls are uneven, this will show through the paper, so you may need to get them replastered if they are in poor condition. MEASURE UP To calculate how many rolls of paper you’ll need, measure the width and height of the walls to work out the number of ‘drops’. B&Q has a handy online wallpaper calculator to help – see diy.com. Rolls are generally 10m long and 52cmwide, but allow for any pattern repeat (how frequently a shape appears in a strip of wallpaper – this info will be on the label) that will cause…

2 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

CAREFULLY CRAFTED

PRACTICAL PROJECT NEEDLE WORK Tapestry or cross-stitch is a good starting place for a beginner, as these are worked on canvas with holes to guide needle placement. Kits are available with a printed guide on the canvas and all the wools, and stitches can be kept simple until you get the hang of it. Tapestry involves covering the whole canvas, whereas embroidery is an added detail or pattern where the base fabric is visible. Embroidery is stitched on linen or cotton and you can either work your own drawn design, or iron a transfer onto a napkin or other plain fabric item. KNITTING AND CROCHET All you need is wool and needles – or a crochet hook – and off you go. If you don’t have a friend or family…

2 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

IN THE ZONE

OFFICE Wall space Define a work area or divide it from the rest of a room with plywood sheets. These have an attractive woodgrain surface that is the perfect backdrop for a noticeboard or wall-mounted filing trays. Structural spruce plywood sheet, £30.06 for W1,220mmx L2, 440mmx D12mm, Wickes. Fjallberget chair, £150; Galant desk, from £49; Kvissle wall newspaper racks, £15 each; all Ikea. 1 White out For a calm, ordered space you can’t beat an all-white scheme, especially if your desk is in your kitchen or living room. Pared-back furniture and accessories will help the work zone blend with the rest of the room. Similar Harry Bertoia-inspired chair, £125, Coco Interiors. You Are Loved print, £35, Bodie and Fou. 2 Screen shot Striking framed prints in the same colour palette…

1 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

PAINT PERFECTION

PICK YOUR PAINT Walls Emulsion is used for internal walls and comes in a variety of finishes. Use matt if you want a flat finish. If you prefer a slight sheen, try satin. Hardwearing matt formulas, such as Intelligent Eggshell from Little Greene and Endurance+ Matt by Dulux, are a practical choice for busy areas such as hallways or children’s rooms as they can be repeatedly wiped clean without causing any damage to the surface. For the kitchen and bathroom, you can get special formulas designed to withstand the inevitable moisture in these rooms. Emulsion can be painted straight onto clean walls that are painted with matt, but satin surfaces require a rub down first to ensure a good finish. Woodwork Treat knots on new wood with knotting solution to…

2 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

DIY FIXES

PRACTICAL PROJECT FOLLOW THE DRILL If you want to hang a picture, resist whacking a nail in the wall – fix it securely instead. Mark where you need the screw to go with a pencil, then select the right size drill bit for the screw. Use the drill’s hammer action to make a hole in a solid wall and insert a wall plug and then the screw. Plasterboard requires specific fixings (masonry screws will pull straight out). Fat screws with wide grooves will bore straight into the wall if you use a screw driver, while others need a hole drilled first. Always check that the screw type is strong enough for the job. When hanging heavy items, the screw needs to go through the plasterboard and into the wooden stud…

2 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

FEEL AT HOME

LIVING ROOM Display time Interesting or unusual objects have greater impact if displayed together rather than separately. Add quirkiness to your living room with a wall display of curios found at fleamarkets, such asmini blackboards or empty frames – anything you find interesting and that is linked by theme or colour. Bingley two-seater sofa in Pigeon, £1,030, sofa.com. 1 Coastal charm Give your living rooma relaxed, contemporary look with a pair of smart floor seats. High-density foam from Any Foamor The Foam Shop can be cut to size – expect to pay around £70 for H30cmxW80cmx D60cm. Choose a fabric that works with the colour of your sofa and make a simple box cover. Finish by linking all your seating with bright striped cushions. Contrast crisp, clean fabrics with these…

2 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

KEY INGREDIENTS

Geometry lesson Use large hexagon tiles against a bold painted wall for a simple yet striking look. The appeal of geometric tiling is the wonderful undulating effect at the top, which dips and rises above the worktop. Hexagon Rustic Travertine tiles, £81.56 a square metre, Topps Tiles. 1 Completely floored A kitchen floor can start to look scruffy long before your units wear out. For a quick and affordable fix, think about vinyl sheet flooring, which is easy to lay (fitting costs should be low if you don’t want to do it yourself). A whitewashed floorboard effect can be had in the shape of Classic Oak 24125 vinyl sheet flooring, £19.99 a sq metre, from the Select range, Moduleo. The wide ‘boards’ look contemporary and will make a space feel…

1 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

BASIC KIT

Dust sheets Cover all furniture and the floor, securing with masking tape. Use plastic sheets to protect surfaces from wet paint. Filler Ready mixed is easy to use, avoids waste and dries quickly. Fill larger holes in layers to avoid cracking. Allow to dry, then sand flat with fine sandpaper. Filling knife The blade will push filler firmly into holes and remove any excess neatly level with the surface. Caulk It’s best to use flexible decorator’s caulk around door frames and on the top of skirting boards to fill gaps and cracks (don’t use standard wall filler as this is likely to crack). Sandpaper Have a selection of coarse, medium and fine for different surfaces. Stirring tool Paint must be stirred right to the bottom of the tin before use…

5 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

STITCH IN TIME

CREATIVE SPACE Find an area, such as a corner of a room or spare bedroom, where you can sew comfortably (with a machine if you have one) in good natural light with an iron nearby. Have a tool kit on hand (see box, far right, for what you need) with cut fabrics laid flat on a table, or on the floor if you’re short of space. SEW CONFIDENT With a few basic skills you can create unique cushion covers or home accessories in a few hours. In time, you can progress to making your own curtains. Simple projects that use square or rectangle shapes and require a few rows of straight stitching are a good place to start. It will take just a morning to make a cushion cover with…

2 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

SLEEP TIGHT

BED ROOM Modern frame A four-poster bed brings a sense of opulence and drama to a room. You’ll need to check the ceiling height to ensure your chosen bedstead will fit comfortably. For a contemporary effect, avoid hanging drapes around the frame. This dark wood Flores kingsize four-poster bed, £1,350 from John Lewis, has a beautifully detailed headboard – layer it up with intricately patterned linens for an exotic look. 1 Hang it all Even simple hooks can make a design statement if they’re lined up in neat rows. A wall of storage gives you somewhere to hang tomorrow’s clothes and hats and scarves. Fit rails and shelves below to keep shoes and bags orderly. Bjarnum folding hooks, £9.50 for three; Grundtal rail, £4; Grundtal wall shelf, £12; Stave mirror,…

2 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

BATHING BEAUTIES

BATH ROOM Ocean ombre A freestanding bath is a stylish centrepiece that becomes a showstopper if you paint the outside a strong colour. Take inspiration fromcoastal scenes and shade the side in graduated tones. Sand the surface with medium, then fine-grain sandpaper. Using oil or water-based paint, start with the strongest colour at the base, then add a paler shade that fades out to the white background. Feather the paint into the next shade with a brush, then go over it lightly with a small roller. It’s best to test your technique on a piece of board first. Pure cotton white and blue towels, from £4.99 each; Santorini baskets, £20 for a set of two; all BHS. 1 Standout flooring If you change just one thing, consider adding patterned floor…

2 min

House Beautiful|Apr-15

STOCKISTS

WHERE TO BUY Annie Sloan 01865 247296; anniesloan.co.uk Any Foam 0800 193 4488; anyfoam.co.uk Aria 020 7704 6222; ariashop.co.uk Art.co.uk 020 8435 6556 B&Q 0333 014 3098; diy.com Bathstore 0800 023 2323; bathstore.com BHS 0344 411 6000; bhs.co.uk Bloomingville 01243 533012; bloomingvillestore.co.uk Bodie and Fou 020 8450 5600; bodieandfou.com Brume 01364 73090; brume.co.uk BS Bamboo 01282 863088; bs-bamboo.co.uk clippings.com 020 7060 7422 Coco Interiors 0844 884 5988; coco-interiors.co.uk Cole & Son 020 7376 4628; cole-and-son.com Cox & Cox 0844 858 0744; coxandcox.co.uk Dormy House (The) 01264 365808; thedormyhouse.com Dulux 0333 222 7171; dulux.co.uk Ely Rustic Furniture 0783 325 9715; elyrusticfurniture.co.uk Fishpools 01992 636465; fishpools.co.uk Fiskars 0121 7960 444; fiskars.co.uk Foam Shop (The) 0845 366 5824; thefoamshop.co.uk George Home 0800 952 3003; george.com Go Wallpaper gowallpaper.co.uk Graham& Brown 0800 328 8452;…

1 min