Innehållsförteckning för March 2020 från Ideal Home

One of the most interesting things I’ve discovered from immersing myself in the Ideal Home archive, is that interiors used to be a lot simpler! Limited choice and narrower thinking about what homes should look like made doing one up relatively straightforward in the past, but now we’re literally spoilt for choice. How do we cope with the ‘style anarchy’? Luckily, interiors – like clothes – do get easier as you get older, though. You stop fretting about trends and start focusing on what suits you and makes you feel good. Not that trends are irrelevant, but spotting the ones that have meaning to you is the key to making a home that transcends budget, fads and fancies, and tells your story. It’s a pleasure being on the journey with…

MY GO-TO STORES… OKA Beautifully made furniture that makes a stylish statement. H&M HOME For accessories that look much more expensive than they are. HEAL’S This chic store’s amazing lighting collection never fails to impress. STYLIST’S NOTE…

‘It’s not true that small rooms must be painted white to look bigger,’ says paint expert Annie Sloan. ‘The same effect can be created with black. Pale colours emphasise the light, but dark colours blur the corners and edges to give the illusion of space.’ ‘I find black more rewarding on wood than walls because it can show up imperfections in plasterwork,’ says Tamsin Leech-Griffiths (number8project.co.uk; interiordesigncollective. co.uk). ‘On woodwork, I use an eggshell paint with the softest of sheens to help bounce light around a little.’ ‘Black can look surprisingly good with pastel tones,’ says Judy Smith. ‘Chalky pinks or greens with pencil lines of black at picture-rail height or as accessories is an interesting combination.’ ‘Black works really well with strong, jewel colours,’ says Helen Harlow of design…

Reinstating a fireplace will restore character to a room. Whether you decide to go faux and fill it with candles or opt for the real thing, a fireplace makes a fabulous focal point. Q How do I begin? First, decide if you want a fireplace simply as a decorative feature or as a real fire, which will provide warmth as well as looks, in which case you will need to consider the fuel type. A fireplace is usually made of three components: the surround which holds everything together, the hearth on which it sits and the insert, which is the inner section and is usually decorative. Q What advice do I need? If you want to use your fire, buy your fireplace from a reputable supplier who can advise on…

Does it pay to pay more? Knowing where you can get away with cutting costs – without compromising on the style or function of your space – is the Holy Grail of home design. Our experts share their savvy design secrets and tell us which false economies to avoid… THE KITCHEN EXPERT Simon Nairn, design director at Kitchen Culture has this advice: ‘Go for a cost-effective glass splashback behind the hob, with a worktop upstand and a quality durable paint on the rest of the walls, rather than tiling – easy to wipe clean and with the option of switching up the paint colour whenever you fancy a change.’ ‘Buying a cheap sink is not the best choice for longevity. The short-term gain of saving money can bring unwanted issues…

Suzanne Harmer, owner of This Modern Life, lives here with her partner Danny Page and children Sammuel, eight, Dixie, seven, and Bibi, four. THE PROPERTY A three-bedroom 1960s bungalow in Bedfordshire. WHAT IT COST Units.....................£1,000 Worktops and sink.......... ...............................£1,064 Appliances............£1,213 Flooring...................£440 Lighting and switches.................£568 TOTAL.................£4,285 “I love our rainbow display – although some people do put things back in the wrong place!”…

Thanks to new technology and advanced manufacturing, it is definitely time to give laminate worktops a second chance. Q What is it exactly? High-pressure laminate (HPL) is made by soaking multiple layers of decorative paper in resins to form a single layer. This is then applied to a high-density core – usually chipboard or particleboard. It’s the cheapest worktop option, mainly because it’s inexpensive to produce. Allow a budget of between £40m and £100m for premium grade laminate. Q How can I spot quality? The thickness of the laminate layer and density of the core board are good indicators. Look for a laminate layer at least 0.5mm thick and of consistent thickness. The core material should be tightly compressed with no little holes. Q What should I avoid? Laminates that…

Jo Fitzgerald lives here with her husband Mark and their children Finley, 16, Leo, 14 and Eva, 13. THE PROPERTY A five-bedroom new build in a north Devon village. WHAT IT COST Floor tiles........................£470 Wall tiles..........................£410 Paint..................................£50 Sanitaryware................£1,145 Vanity unit........................£70 Taps, shower and screen...................£1,360 Radiator.......................£110 TOTAL.....................£3,615 “I’m proud of achieving such a stylish bathroom on a budget. Everyone comments on it – especially the floor tiles”…

When space is tight or when an outward or inward-opening hinged door is inconvenient, a sliding pocket door makes a neat and sleek solution. Q What is a pocket door? The door slides into a cavity (or pocket) in the adjacent wall, disappearing from view when the entryway is open. The wall needs to be deep and wide enough to accommodate the width of the door. There are 10 standard sizes of door in the UK, with 762x1981mm a popular choice. Thicknesses vary between 35-44mm. Q How do I fit it? Typically, the door will slide along an upper track, available in kit form and built into the studwork wall. Alternatively, a door can slide into a steel-framed cassette, with plasterboard installed directly over its surface. Usually, the door and…

Bring the enclosed complimentary weekday ticket to the show with you. You can buy additional tickets in advance from just £10*, using the code IHMAR when you check out at idealhomeshow.co.uk or quote the code when you call 0844 858 6763 TERMS AND CONDITIONS *Normal price on the door: £20 weekday/£22 weekend. Book additional tickets before 13 April 2020. Additional ticket offer price £10 weekday/ £12 weekend. £1.70 transaction fee applies. Calls cost 7p per minute plus your company’s access charge. Children aged 15 and under go free with an adult. Includes free entry to the Eat & Drink Festival.…

KEEP IT SIMPLE A good paperwork system means filing works with you and not against you and, for me, that means one that isn’t too complex. Sub headings and colour coding isn’t a solution I’ve seen to work long term. HAVE A SYSTEM Keep a simple one-tier ‘action’ box for anything you need to get done, so you’re not wasting time finding a bill or a form that needs filling. Go for one with a lid that can be put away when not in use. BUY THE RIGHT FURNITURE Avoid big filing cabinets and instead go for a set of Bisley multi-drawers. These are my favourite and come in five, 10 and 15 drawers, so you can choose how many you need to suit your life and can be slid…

Chickpea, kale and coconut curry TAKES 30 mins SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS • 2tbsp coconut oil or groundnut oil • 1tsp black mustard seeds • 8 curry leaves • 100g fresh coconut, grated • 2 green chillies, sliced • 2cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated • 1 onion, sliced • ½tsp ground turmeric • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 300g curly kale, tough stalks removed, leaves roughly shredded • 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed • 400ml vegetable stock 1 Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves until fragrant. Add the coconut, chillies and ginger, stir for a few seconds, then remove the mixture from the pan and set aside. 2 Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onion for 5 mins over a medium heat.…

A  Abode Living 01273 621116 abodeliving.co.uk AEG 0344 561 1611 aeg.co.uk Aga Stoves agastoves.co.uk Amara 0800 587 7645 amara.com Amazon amazon.co.uk An Artful Life anartfullife.co.uk Annabel James 0345 548 0210 annabeljames.co.uk Annie Sloan 01865 803168 anniesloan.com AO.com 0344 324 9222 Argos 0345 640 2020 argos.co.uk Asos asos.com Audenza 0116 298 6393 audenza. com Axiom 0800 376 2976 axiomworktops.com B  B&Q 0333 014 3098 diy.com Bag & Bones bagandbones.co.uk Barker and Stonehouse 0333 920 1119 barkerandstonehouse.co.uk Bedeck 0333 200 7331 bedeckhome.com Beko 0345 600 4911 beko.co.uk Beliani 0870 495 2749 beliani.co.uk Benjamin Moore 01753 575756 benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk Benuta 020 3608 0595 benuta.co.uk Best Tile best-tile.co.uk Beth Pegler bethpegler.com Blinds 2go 0800 862 0464 blinds-2go.co.uk Bobby Rabbit 01143 217000 bobbyrabbit.co.uk Bohemia 0131 555 2485 bohemiadesign.co.uk Bombay Duck 020 8749 3000 bombayduck.com Bosch…

In 1953 we were... GOING TO BUTLIN’S The 1950s were a time of full employment and we were busy shopping for houses, cars, the latest labour-saving appliances and holidays. It was the heyday for Butlin’s in a time just before Brits fell in love with package holidays abroad. Its famous founder, Billy Butlin, even opened two resorts in the Bahamas. Hi-de-hi, campers! In 1941 we were... DIGGING FOR VICTORY As part of the war effort, the Ministry of Agriculture encouraged us to grow our own food, so gardens and public parks were turned into allotments. Ideal Home did its bit with these handy planting plans for the beginner. In 1945 we were... COOKING WITH POWDERED EGGS A shortage of fresh eggs led the government to boost rations with dried egg…

SUSTAINABLE STYLE Zuiver cork wall clock with moulded numbers, £49, Cuckooland IN THE FOLD Karlsson origami wall clock, £47, Red Candy TREMENDOUS TIMEPIECE Sputnik metal wall clock, £35, M&S LIMITED EDITION New York clock, £100, Newgate World SUPER SIZED Extra large salvage wall clock, £100, Next Home DESIGNER PIECE Masked skull clock, £60, Rory Dobner range, Amara SOFT TOUCH Lush Green velvet wall clock, £49, Audenza MONOCHROME MODERN Contemporary train station style wall clock, £225, Rockett St George…

Yes “It’s a fun way to brighten your home” Mel Carruthers, 46, lives in a four-bedroom, 18th-century farmhouse near Dumfries with her husband Chris and their eight-year-old son Finn. Mel is a professional organiser at More Organised (moreorganised.com). ‘One of my greatest joys is “rainbowtising” my books to give little pops of colour around the house. I first started doing it when I was at university nearly 30 years ago. Why? Because it looked nice. I’m not surprised the trend is finally catching on. Arranging books by colour is attractive, fun and a really simple way to brighten up an otherwise blank space. It’s something you can do with stuff you already have. Plus, it makes it easier to put things back in the right place, and teaches children to…

Colour theme Sticking to a strict colour scheme works well for a cohesive look. Mix materials, though, adding glass and metallic objects for visual interest. The zigzag Create visual balance by zigzagging your hero pieces. Larger objects will ground the groupings, and give each one space to breathe. Simple stacks Neat piles of books or magazines can make real visual impact. Vary the heights for interest, but keep them perfectly straight or the finished look will be messy and less effective. The three-height rule A rule of thumb is that things look better grouped in odd numbers of three or five. Vary the heights – tall, medium and short – for each grouping.…

1 MAKE A DISPLAY OF BASKETS If perfectly spacing frames on your wall feels like a bit of a faff, go freestyle with a group of woven platters and baskets that’ll give a white wall natural texture and warmth. 2 MIX AND MATCH YOUR DINING CHAIRS For an eclectic feel, play with shapes, sizes and materials, but if that’s a bit far out for your taste, choose one design, and combine different colours. 3 TRY A TERRAZZO WALL This trending surface is ideal for your next feature wall as its abstract pattern is super-easy on the eye and suits any modern room. Try terrazzo wallpaper, £60 a roll , Graham & Brown. 4 BACK YOUR SOFA WITH STORAGE In an open-plan space, position storage cubes or…

SIMON NAIRN, DESIGN DIRECTOR AT KITCHEN CULTURE (KITCHENCULTURE CAMBRIDGESHIRE.CO.UK ) An independent kitchen business. NEIL CURTIS, SENIOR DESIGNER AT RIPPLES (RIPPLESBATHROOMS.COM) Solutions that work with your budget. DAN RAWLINGS, SENIOR DESIGNER IN THE HOME DESIGN STUDIO AT JOHN LEWIS & PARTNERS (JOHNLEWIS.COM) A small team of talented designers. STUART PLANT, SET BUILDER AND DECORATOR (@STUARTPLANTSET BUILDING ON INSTAGRAM) He’s also appeared as a builder/ carpenter on TV shows for the BBC. DR MEG ARROLL, HARLEY STREET PSYCHOLOGIST (DRMEGARROLL.COM) Specialises in sleep behaviour. VICKIE NICKOLLS, INTERIOR DESIGNER (INTERIORTHERAPY.CO.UK) Has a focus on colour and materials. JEMMA DAYMAN, CARPET BUYER, AND DAVID SNAZEL, HARD FLOORING BUYER AT CARPETRIGHT (CARPETRIGHT.CO.UK) One of the largest British retailers of floor coverings.…

MIX & MATCH Superfront has been designing alternative Ikea cupboard fronts for more than seven years. It offers heaps of handle choices, fronts and drawers in a variety of styles. Doors in Parallels Ashton Grey and Plain Cloudy Grey, from £30 each, Superfront NATURAL MATERIALS Hølte offers three different types of cupboard front – high-pressure laminate, matt-laminated MDF and elegant wood veneer. They can make fronts for Howdens and Benchmarx kitchen carcasses, too. Rough-sawn European oak veneered cabinet fronts, from £125 each, Hølte GORGEOUS GREEN Naked Doors will paint any of its doors and drawer fronts (which fit with Ikea Metod units) in a choice of 12 colours, including this stunning on-trend shade. Ladbroke fronts in Samphire, from £114 each, Naked Doors TIMELESS WHITE If you’re looking for a more…

Fish scale tiles Meet the Tile of the Year. Lay it in any orientation you like, add in contrasting grout and team with a plain neutral so it stands out instead of taking over. Inspired by art deco design, its authenticity makes it trend-proof. Could it be the new metro? BUY THE KEY PIECES Syren tiles, £84.10sq m; Carrara polished marble tiles, from £89.09sq m; Carrara basketweave tiles, from £169.20sq m, all Topps Tiles Bowl basins Bathrooms tend to have lots of square lines, but a curvaceous basin will soften the look for a sexier, less functional feel. Plus, round basins are easier to keep clean – there are no corners for toothpaste or washed-off make-up to get trapped in. BUY THE KEY PIECES Lunar round basin, £440; brushed brass…

Lewis and Preeya had lived in their modern, developer-built terrace since 2012, but found the conservatory a waste of space. ‘To replace it, I wanted something simple, but modern and eye-catching, too,’ says Lewis. DESIGN STAGE Lewis drew up plans for an extension that required no planning permission and used standard materials. However, he did add a beautiful Siberian larch roof to the design. ‘Our strategy was to focus our costs and efforts on the roof,’ says Lewis. To do this, the couple got hands-on: ‘We took down the conservatory and demolished the back wall,’ says Lewis. ‘I helped dig the new foundations, laid the sub floor and did some of the joinery.’ GOOD CONNECTIONS ‘There was a nice moment when we showed our neighbour and her family a model…

Bubble actions Samsung ecobubble WD80M4B53IW, £529, AO.com The only thing worse than stains on washed laundry is finding them baked into freshly-dried clothes. Fortunately, this 8kg wash/6kg dryer uses a bubble-filled pre-soak to loosen muck. Plus there’s a 59-minute wash and dry for smaller loads. THE BEST BIT The inverter motor isn’t just reliable, it’s quieter, too, so is a great choice for an open-plan kitchen. One-hour wonder WDA914401, £549, Beko Need gym kit cleaned but time’s not on your side? This A-rated 9kg/6kg model has a Wash&Wear programme that takes 1kg of laundry from soiled to sparkling in just 60 minutes. The 28-minute Daily Quick wash can handle a full load of washing, too. THE BEST BIT Aquafusion technology stops wasted detergent from going down the drain,…

Moments from London’s South Bank you’ll find The Hoxton, a new super-stylish hotel that awaits your next city break. It’s right in the heart of SE1, just a short walk from Tate Modern, Borough Market, and a few tube stops from the best shopping in town. One of the most talked about openings of the past six months, it joins sister hotels in Shoreditch and Holborn that practically invented the hipster-luxe design look. Behind black Crittall-style windows on the ground floor you’ll find a lounge, bar and restaurant where you can sink into deep sage green armchairs. The real magic happens upstairs though. Seabird, a shellfish bistro and bar, enjoys an enviable rooftop location looking over the city skyline. Come for the piled-high seafood platters and tapas-style small plates. Bedrooms,…

THE ORIGINAL The blue and yellow pairing along with the dado border screams 1990s, but it goes to show that a mix of printed cushions and a Persian rug continues to be a timeless design trick. THE UPDATE Proof that blue never goes out of style, we’ve picked a deep denim shade for the sofa, with texture coming from the brushed linen rather than jacquard weave. We’ve mirrored the mix of textiles, but gone for a softer wall colour.…

The hero piece… The LBC John Lewis & Partners tells us the ‘Little Black Chair’ (or LBC) is set to be the next style icon of the dining room. The Beckett chair’s neat profile may be understated, but the lacquered beech finish, buttery beige leather seat and rattan back is a dreamy combo that means it can hold its own as a worthy investment. We keep seeing... OVERSIZED SPOTS Move over small confetti spots, these big and beautifully irregular dots are here to make a statement Look out for us at Tile Giant We’re launching our first tile range, and our edited collection is all about investing in the styles we think will last. Think timeless pattern, classic marble and vintage-style pastel glazes alongside modern…

Paint a feature wall ‘The delicious contrast between lighter objects against a dark background emphasises the unique qualities in the materials and the finer details you might have missed in a light-filled, colourful space’, says Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Dulux. Add a black pattern Choose a black-on-beige design to soften a monochrome scheme or blur hard lines in a kitchen or bathroom. ‘You can’t beat a good off-white against black – it looks so elegant,’ says interior designer Tamsin Leech-Griffiths. “For a softer version of monochrome, choose an ecru or off-white and charcoal or, for timeless, striking effect, a clean white and pure black”NICKY PHILLIPS , DECORATING EDITOR Go immersive ‘Black is intimate, romantic and protective in a bedroom – so paint all the walls in a rich shade…

The bay Make the most of the floor area in a bay window with a built-to-fit seat. Drawers under the seat add storage (great for gaming kit) and are more practical than a lift-up lid. The landing Turn this floor space into an overflow play area, with storage for kids’ toys. Choose a slim shelving unit with a combination of doors and open shelving so you can choose what stays out on show. The boxroom If it’s too small to function as a bedroom, it’s an opportunity to create your dream dressing area and free up space in your own room. A wall-to-wall run of chests and ceiling-hung rails will let you pack in a lot of stuff. The understair A tall kitchen unit and a matching base unit slot…

Nick and Emma had been living in a small Victorian terrace in Battersea, London, with their two girls, Minnie and Alberta. ‘We were working hard and saving up for a bigger property in a more family-friendly area,’ says Emma. ‘When I became pregnant with Federico, the need for extra space became an absolute priority, so we focussed on finding the right home. ‘We fell in love with this house the minute we saw it. In the leafy suburbs of Watford, it had once been part of a big manor house and its grounds. It had been divided into two properties in the 1930s. It’s a grand, elegant building covered in wisteria, with an incredible stained-glass window above the front door. The interior didn’t disappoint, either. It had such character and…

The Connor Brothers burst onto the art scene in 2013 under the guise of Franklyn and Brendan Connor, Missouri-born twins brought up within a cult. Two years later they revealed their true identities – childhood friends Mike Snelle and James Golding. Their latest pieces, shown here, were created in collaboration with Ideal Home’s parent company TI Media and Runway Gallery. Both are available to buy exclusively at runway-gallery.com. CREATING PROVIDES US WITH A FORM OF THERAPY We both share troubled pasts; Mike has suffered from severe depression since childhood, while James has battled with anxiety and addiction. We moved in together in 2012 and began making collages out of counter-cultural comics from the 1970s and Mills & Boon covers. It was a distraction; we were making each other laugh. “The…

Meg Brackpool lives here with co-owner Natalie Tucker. THE PROPERTY A three-bedroom Victorian mid-terrace in the town of Burnhamon-Sea, Somerset. WHAT IT COST Cabinets..............£2,400 Worktops................£300 Appliances...........£1,600 Sink and tap............£450 Flooring..................£300 Wall tiles.................£450 Dining furniture......£570 Paint...........................£80 Accessories...............£50 TOTAL.................£6,200 “We are thrilled that we’ve managed to blend our favourite looks in one space”…

Sina Luck lives here with her husband, Gavin. THE PROPERTY A two-bedroom maisonette in South London. WHAT IT COST Bath.................................£370 Vanity unit......................£595 Loo and flush plate.......£359 Taps and shower fittings............................£830 Bath screen....................£560 Floor tiles.......................£380 Heated towel rail.......£180 Micro cement wall finish...........................£590 TOTAL....................£3,864 “Starting the day in a warm, comfortable, tidy bathroom where everything works is so uplifting”…

THE PROPERTY A modern three-bed end-of-terrace house in Rochester, Kent. THE VALUE  Bought for £190,000 in 2010; now worth £310,000. WHAT IT COST Works and initial demolition..........£2,000 Ground floor and foundations.......£3,200 Exterior walls and roof....................£10,000 Windows, roof light and doors.........£10,800 Stove..................£2,800 Electrics............£2,000 TOTAL.............£30,800 “We designed the extension so we could do lots of the work ourselves and use materials readily available from builders merchants ”…

1 The modular solution This desk can be teamed with additional shelving, bookcases and consoles to create your perfect set-up. With both open and closed shelving, you can hide away essentials, but keep prettier things on show. Industrial modular desk, from £999; industrial modular open/ closed shelving, from £699, both West Elm 2 The printer station Nothing kills a stylish decor quite like a big, ugly printer. By removing one of the drawers from this Ikea unit, it creates the perfect hidey-hole, with drawers for ink cartridges and reams of paper. Swap the castors it comes with for smarter legs (try Pretty Pegs), for a less ‘officey’ look. Alex drawer unit, £99, Ikea 3 The desk with storage Put under-desk space to good use by choosing a design that comes…