Innehållsförteckning för September 2022 från Ideal Home

EDITOR’S LETTER Clutter-free living doesn’t come naturally to me, however much I wish it would. My sentimental attachment to ‘stuff’ is a sticking point. I find getting rid of things a real challenge – both because of the memories they hold, and also because I can’t help but think they might come in handy in the future (or I might suddenly fall head over heels back in love with them. Fickle, me?). I believe that stuff is what adds personality to a home (a minimalist I will never be), but it’s about how to walk that fine line between a curated display and messy clutter. “My sentimental attachment to ‘stuff’ makes clutter-free living a challenge” Of course, there’s also a more practical side to living with less. Surfaces that aren’t…

When friends come over to check out my new home, they walk past the faux antique mirror I bought to jazz up my first flat when I was in my twenties and the pink sofa I bought to jazz up my first home in my thirties. The purple velvet chairs with gold legs, the treasured portrait of my dog: these are all things I bought over the years for various homes, and my friends have been made to admire them all. But now that I’m in the first (and hopefully the last) home I’ve moved into in my forties, I make them admire something else: I make them admire my storage. “Is this boring? A bit tragic? W ho cares? For the first time since having kids, I have a…

For where to buy items shown, turn to page 84 FABRIC CHEAT SHE ET P A IN T CHE AT SHEET CHOOSE CORK Cork roll, £5 for 30.5x61cm; drawing pins, £1.50 for 300, both Hobbycraft. Postcards, 85p each, Tate Modern Shop. Wall painted in Slaked Lime Deep absolute matt emulsion, £52 for 2.5ltr, Little Greene. A4 hardboard clipboards, £3.50 each, RE. Mia desk, £840, Ercol. Bertoia side chair, from £1,236; Paris Multi mobile in Brown, £129; Mélange Stripes 1 rug, £1,660, all The Conran Shop. No 045 LED floor lamp in Black, £115, John Lewis & Partners. Wire storage basket, £5, M&S. Small Minos terracotta pot, £69 set of three, Rowen & Wren DISPLAY MEMOS Artist’s panel unprimed, £20.75, London Graphic Centre. Covered in Pebble linen in Rose, £151m, Christopher…

1. TABLE Your dining table might just be one of the hardest working pieces of furniture in your home, not only a spot for eating, but working, entertaining and poring over the kids’ homework, too. So it needs to look great but be practical. A timber option will always be timeless and a pale wood, like this, keeps it contemporary. If you choose one with chunky legs, opt for more slender-legged dining chairs for balance. IH LOVES… ■ Next has a large choice ■ Barker and Stonehouse for stand-out styles ■ Oak Furnitureland for solid-wood designs 2. BENCH SEATING Back-to-wall seating means you can push your table up to create more floor space in a dining room and it will accommodate more people than individual dining chairs. An Ikea Havsta…

PROJECT DETAILS WHO LIVES HERE? Luba Brierley lives here with her husband Andrew and their two children, Hannah, 20, and Tom, 15. THE PROJECT A kitchen refit in a five-bedroom detached Victorian house in West Yorkshire. TOTAL COST £130,000 THE PROBLEM The kitchen was dark anold-fashioned, with no space to socialise THE SOLUTION ‘Our kitchen was dated – we put it in around 19 years ago. It was also dark and we wanted an island that we could sit around together. We looked at lots of different ways of doing the project, and spent time reading magazines and looking at pictures, so we knew what we wanted it to be like before we started. What most improved the space was taking out a downstairs cloakroom, and…

Daylight is extraordinary stuff, energy that’s travelled 93 million miles from the huge fusion reactor that is our nearest star, the Sun. It provides energy for plants and microbes, which in turn support all other living things including us. Not only is sunlight the root of all food, it’s crucial for general health. The intensity and colour of this light constantly changes to reflect the time of day, year and weather. This variation of light is key to our circadian rhythms, the internal clock of the human body, central to our wellbeing. Artificial light at the wrong colour scale and intensity at the wrong time of day disrupts our moods, sleep patterns and mental health. As beings of the sun we need good quality light in our homes at the…

BEFORE YOU BUY ■ A sofa can be a really useful zoning tool in an open-plan layout, helping to create designated areas for dining or relaxing. Chaise sofas, corner sofas or modular sofas in an L-shape or U-shape are useful, or – if you have the space – you can switch up the usual layout of the sofa facing the fireplace or TV, and have two similar-sized sofas facing each other to create a space that works better for socialising and entertaining. ■ Most sofas either have foam-filled or feather cushions. Foam bounces back into shape and provides a seat with more resistance, while feather creates a deeper cushion to sink into but will need plumping regularly. Many manufacturers combine the best of both worlds, by wrapping resilient foam cushions…

A good-quality sofa can last for decades. Even if the upholstery looks a bit tatty or dated, or the cushions have gone a bit flat, the frame usually has many more years of service left. New upholstery or even (less costly) loose covers can give your sofa a completely fresh look and feel, generally at a fraction of the price of an equivalent quality new one. 1 HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? ‘The cost of reupholstering a sofa varies according to the size, style and shape of it and the fabric you choose but can start from as little as £800,’ says a spokesperson at Plumbs. This may be even less if you go through an interior designer, as part of a larger refurbishment project. ‘Providing your existing piece is…

Talking to your kids about money Understanding money is an essential life skill – children can even earn a Scouts badge for it. But according to research from the University of Cambridge, money habits are set as young as age seven, meaning that money lessons start at home. Not sure where to begin? Our money expert Kalpana Fitzpatrick shares her top tips on how she talks about money with her two boys. SPEAK OPENLY If you were told it’s rude to talk about money, it’s time to break the taboo. Money is not a forbidden subject – it’s one that you and your kids should discuss at the dinner table. This could be about the cost of the energy their gadgets use, how you pay bills or pocket money. The…

GILL’S TIP Finish off scallops with a trickle of truffle oil – it takes them to another place IDEAL HOME TIP Try this with plums instead of apples – depending how ripe they are, they may need a little longer to bake ■ Find these recipes and more in Outside: Recipes for a Wilder Way of Eating by Gill Meller (£30, Quadrille). Photographs by Andrew Montgomery Plum, pear, fig, hazelnut, lovage & goat’s cheese salad SERVES 4 READY IN 10 MINS 12 ripe plums, halved and stoned ● 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered ● 2–3 ripe figs, quartered top to bottom ● Small handful of lovage, leaves picked and roughly chopped ● 100g soft goat’s cheese ● 50g toasted hazelnuts, crushed FOR THE DRESSING ● 3tbsp extra-virgin olive…

HADLEY FREEMAN JOURNALIST & AUTHOR A Guardian columnist and features writer, Hadley has also penned four books. She’s just moved house – a new project! NICKY PHILLIPS STYLE EDITOR Nicky brings over 25 years’ experience to the table, and has been part of the Ideal Home family for 21 years. CHARLIE LUXTON ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER Charlie juggles his roles as director of Charlie Luxton Design, TV presenter and public speaker. KALPANA FITZPATRICK MONEY EXPERT An award-winning financial journalist, Kalpana is a regular guest on TV and radio, and editor of themoneyedit.com. FEARNE COTTON BROADCASTER & AUTHOR TV and radio presenter Fearne’s Happy Place podcast is now in its ninth series, with over 40 million downloads.…

WHERE TO BUY 1 Muse Blue Shapes rug (or runner), from £71, The Rug Retailer 2 Wooden hooks, £10, Matalan 3 Society of Wanderers Lagoon Stripe full ruffle cushion cover, £49, Antipodream. 4 Thao rattan side table, £199, La Redoute 5 Optimist nibble bowls, £8.25 for three, Habitat 6 Blue vase, £34.99, H&M Home…

HOME NOTES WHO LIVES HERE? Kristina Rosing, partner in Ragnar Watches & Jewels and creative director of Rosing Fine Jewellery, lives here with fiancé Niklas Stentoft Klug and sons Alexander, five, and Felix, two. THE PROPERTY A three-bed detached villa built in 1918, in Charlottenlund, Denmark. Having outgrown apartment and city living in the heart of Copenhagen, Kristina and her fiancé Niklas were ready to embrace their next life stage. ‘We loved the city, the atmosphere and being close to restaurants and shops,’ says Kristina, ‘but when our son Alexander was born, we hankered after a house with a nice little garden in a peaceful area, where the air was fresher, and where we could start our new life as a family. This place ticked all of our boxes, and…

LOOKS THAT LAST STYLE DIRECTION “Even a very detailed wallpaper like this works on all four walls if you choose a subtle neutral colourway" NICKY PHILLIPS, STYLE EDITOR STYLE DIRECTION “Indulge in images of maps, flora and fauna, insects, books, boats and architecture… they’ll all look at home here" NICKY PHILLIPS, STYLE EDITOR CHOOSE NEUTRALS Classic shades of caramel, chocolate, coffee and cream all work brilliantly as the base colour for this globe trotter style. For balance, try adding deeper tans and corals to enrich the look, with extra pops of black or deep greys for a smart finish. MIX UP PATTERNS Adorn your home with a clever clash of motifs: butterflies with fauna, maps with floral, geometrics with herringbone. Use a base of plains on sofa upholstery and bedlinen…

MURAL FOCAL POINT Fall in love with a mural like you would a piece of art and make that the basis of your scheme. The best place for a bedroom mural is behind the headboard. Measure the height and width of the space, for the mural company to fit the image. For the adjacent walls, take a colour from the mural; blue is good for the bedroom as it’s de-stressing. Here, the dark blue shade in the dressing area creates dramatic contrast, while a paler sky blue would give a lighter, breezier feel. SECONDARY COLOUR This scheme features a clever trick that interior designers often use. While a navy blue or emerald upholstered bed might be the obvious co-ordinating choice, it is the inspired use of the blush pink –…

“Wallpapered ceilings are great for adding drama” Whenever I visit a building of interest with my kids, the first thing I say to them is ‘don’t forget to look up’. The fifth wall has been a bit of a talking point for a few years with everyone painting their ceilings, but now it’s wallpaper’s turn. Gone is the paint-the-ceiling-white advice – now it’s all about colour and pattern. James Greenwood, brand and interior expert at Graham & Brown agrees. ‘It’s easy to overlook the ceiling, but a beautifully papered wall above your head creates huge impact.’ This transformational style can be tricky to create, and unless you’re super-experienced at wallpapering, I’d advise getting the experts in. The best rooms for wallpapered ceilings tend to be bedrooms, dining rooms and cloakrooms.…

PROJECT DETAILS WHO LIVES HERE? Myai Lynam lives here with husband Ian & children Paddy, nine, Tommy, seven, Eva Mei, six and Erin Mei, three THE PROJECT A family bathroom refit in a five-bedroom Victorian semi in Blackheath, southeast London TOTAL COST £20,000 THE PROBLEMThe bulky built-in units overwhelmed the space and made it dark and cramped THE SOLUTION ‘With a busy household we needed a practical solution that could also be a space to get away from it all. No structural work was involved so we didn’t need planning and we did have another bathroom in the house so that eased the pressure. We used builders we knew from before so had every confidence they would get things done with a minimum of fuss. Our designer Samantha Watkins McRae…

HOME NOTES HOMEOWNERS Simon Boyley, an IT director, Adrian McKeen, an account manager, and their son Oliver, 8 PROPERTY A detached 1930s three-bedroom house in Hayes, Kent ARCHITECT Marienne Pachonick Architects (mariennepachonick.com) BUILDERS Build Up City Construction (@buildupcity_) TOTAL COST £259,535 THE PROBLEMThe kitchen was small and disconnected from the dining room, with an old extension that was dark and cold THE SOLUTION ‘As well as renewing almost every aspect of this house,’ says Marienne, director at Marienne Pachonick Architects, ‘the biggest improvement was to add a kitchen, seating and diningarea in an extension that extends beyond the width at the rear. When the pandemic hit, I adjusted the plans to include a study area for working from home. Simon and Adrian wanted a feeling of spaciousness, to maximise…

Anew sofa can totally transform a room so knowing how to measure up before you buy helps you whittle down your choice and find your ideal style. Not only does a new sofa have to fit your desired space perfectly, but it’s also got to get through your front door, and possibly up the stairs and round tight corners first. We asked the experts for their advice on what to consider. 1 THINK ABOUT HOW YOU USE THE ROOM First things first, think about how you plan to use the space. ‘Ask yourself what your living room is going to be used for,’ says Charlie Marshall, founder of Loaf. ‘Some people have separate living rooms but a lot of us have knock-throughs where it’s off the kitchen/diner, but whatever the…

BEFORE YOU BUY ■ A click-clack sofa bed is one where the sofa’s backrest and seat fold flat to become the sleeping surface. If made of solid foam these designs can be the firmest for sleeping. The ‘bed’ also tends to be quite low to the ground once the sofa bed is unfolded, and your guests will be sleeping directly on the sofa surface unless you add a mattress topper. Click-clack sofa beds often have a contemporary look, and upholstery options will be more limited. However, they’re generally the most affordable, have the shortest lead times, and are the most compact if floor space is a consideration. ■ A pull-out sofa bed looks the most like a traditional sofa. Seat cushions are removed and a folding bed frame pulled out,…

“Ruggable’s range is anti-shed, anti-scratch and will not stain or fade” Sustainable luxury Ruggable, the washable rug company, has expanded Re-Jute, its eco collection of rugs and runners. As the name suggests, the range is made to emulate the look and feel of a jute rug, while being partially made from up to 182 recycled water bottles. Each rug or runner is made up of two pieces: an anti-slip rug pad topped with a removable (and washable) cover. So when your flooring is looking worse for wear, there’s no need to replace it, simply split the two pieces apart and pop the cover in the washing machine. COMPOSTING MADE EASY Hozelock has created a canny (and compact) garden composter with its new EasyMix 2-in-1, £169.99. Measuring a petite H60xW50xD65cm, the…

TV presenter and judge of the Great British Bake Off, Paul Hollywood, lives in Kent with his girlfriend Melissa WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE TIME OF THE DAY AT HOME? Morning, because it’s the time with me and the cats. I’m normally up by seven- I find it very difficult to lie in ever since I started baking. I have two beautiful Maine Coons, so I normally feed them first thing and they come sit on my lap and give me a bit of attention. WHERE’S YOUR HAPPY PLACE? My garden. Weirdly I really enjoy cutting the lawn. I’m a bit like Forrest Gump on my sit-on mower! I enjoy the monotony of it, without having to think. I also do a lot of cooking outside. I’ve got a pizza oven which…

NEED TO KNOW Colours to lift your mood We all know that the way we live now has changed somewhat dramatically over the past few years. Multi-generational households, renters of all ages and working from home more regularly have all helped to inspire Crown’s autumn-winter palette for 2022, where colours have been carefully considered to ensure they work for all occupants. Whether you want to bring your individual style, transform a living space or just paint areas of your home that are often unexpected, their three trends – Altered, Conscious and Define – allow you to express who you are, while being good for our wellbeing at the same time. What to do this month... LISTEN Snoop around the homes of famous guests such as Vanessa Feltz, Vogue Williams, Scarlett…

HOME NOTES WHO LIVES HERE? Maya Hendrix, a teacher and jewellery designer (sarcastikjewels.com), lives here with her daughter, Nina, 10, and Africa the cat. THE PROPERTY A four-storey Victorian townhouse in west London. THE LAYOUT The kitchen, dining room and a garden room are on the ground floor, with the living room and a TV snug on the floor above. The basement has a playroom, a further snug, a utility room and a guest suite. The top floor has two bedrooms, both with mezzanines, and a bathroom. After relocating from Paris to this West London townhouse, Maya Hendrix has transformed every room with clever storage ideas, eclectic vintage finds and cheerful pops of colour. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU MOVED IN? ‘The house was really different when I moved…

What the experts say... Colour consultants share their views ‘Sage is made by adding blue to green, making it a fresh and cool colour. Most rooms will benefit from it, as it is neither too bold nor too light, and is a great base to add stronger shades to. It pairs really well with pink, a combination found naturally in flowers.’ FRANCESCA WEZEL, FOUNDER, FRANCESCA’S PAINTS ‘Neutrals with a hint of colour, like a pale sage or olive green, are both subtle and powerful, lifting a space while retaining a sense of tranquillity. Try choosing two harmonious colours, such as our Gray Mirage and Misted Green. Paint the lower part of the wall using the darker tone and the top in the paler colour to create an understated simplicity.’ HELEN…

MEET THE EXPERTS RUPERT ANTON, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE CARPET FOUNDATION ‘I love to see carpet providing the unexpected, such as a pop of colour or pattern.’ ALEXANDRA FOX, HOME DESIGN STYLIST, JOHN LEWIS & PARTNERS ‘I would always recommend laying rugs on hard flooring, but they can work equally well over carpet, too.’ LOLITA COLENSO, LOLITA COLENSO DESIGN ‘It’s easy to forget that these days carpets can be a key form of artistic expression and are no longer boring.’ Carpet and rugs have so many benefits, from sound absorption to adding colour and style, yet we often leave decisions about such an important element of our homes to last, confused by the jargon, let alone working out the price. We asked an interior designer, a carpet expert and a home…

1 TRY AN OMBRE BACKDROP Whether you’re painting a plain wall or panelling, have a go at a graduated colour look for a hefty dose of drama (without having to deal with fiddly paint effects). Either use Frogtape for a crisp edge or blend the shades using a criss-crossing action with a dry paintbrush. 2 HOW TO REFRESH A KITCHEN ISLAND WITH WOODEN PANELLING If your island is looking a bit tired, give it an instant lift by covering it with wooden battens. ■ Give the surfaces a good clean and protect the floor with dust sheets. ■ Cut battens to size to fit between the worktop underside and the floor. If you want to paint or varnish them, do this first and leave to dry. ■ Using strong…

There are few things more satisfying than creating a perfectly organised space that turns even mundane chores into enjoyable tasks. Utility room design is the perfect example of this. Instead of a messy room hiding away clutter, it can become something rather beautiful. ‘We’ve noticed a shift in the number of people looking for a bespoke utility room solution,’ says Alex Main, director at The Main Company. ‘Often an extension of the kitchen or living area, utility rooms provide an ideal storage space, great for busy families or homeowners with pets who need custom-built storage to meet their needs. Hooks, cupboards, shelving and a sink can all be incorporated to create a unique design.’ WHAT IS A GOOD SIZE FOR A UTILITY ROOM? The size of your utility room will,…

Putting in a downstairs loo is one of the most practical renovations you can do, plus it can add around 5% to the value of your home. If you have young children, entertain regularly or have elderly visitors, this little room is a godsend. Installing one isn’t as expensive as you might think – but it’s not easy to DIY, as it requires plumbing experience. DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT IT TO GO Once you’ve decided to add a downstairs loo, the first thing you need to consider is where the best place for it will be. For instance, you may be able to convert a cupboard under the stairs, in which case you’ll need to measure, measure, and measure again. Alternatively, installing a toilet at the end of a hallway,…

With constant use, kids clambering, pets sleeping and the occasional trays-on-laps dinner scenario, it’s hard to keep sofas spick and span. And when it comes to cleaning one rule does not fit all. A lot depends on the sofa fabric and whether the covers are fitted or loose. Maintenance is also key. Vacuum or brush your sofa weekly to avoid any accumulating dirt dulling its colour or causing wear. Always deal with spills right away, dabbing them with a paper towel or soft cloth, rather than rubbing, which can push the spill deeper into the fabric. CLEANING A LEATHER SOFA 1. Wipe away dust After vacuuming, dust with a clean cloth. It’s best not to use water or a cleaning agent as some types of leather can be delicate and…

Over the years, art has been seen as somewhat of an exclusive world. One that requires money, knowledge and an understanding, but luckily that concept has started to slowly slip away. Growing up in a working-class home in the suburbs of London, I had a feeling that I might not be the sort of person that fine or modern art was aimed at but I also had a natural love for it and a very talented father who taught me to draw and paint. A sign writer by trade, he has a natural flair for colour and perspective and is still to this day unbelievably skilled when it comes to painting letters by hand. I used to sit in his workshop watching him glide his paintbrush over huge boards to…

THINK ABOUT HOW YOU USE THE SPACE The best advice is to think about what you mainly use the garage for. While traditionally a place to keep the car, most of us tend to park on the drive now, so think about how the garage can be used more effectively. Next comes decluttering. Always do this before buying any kind of storage so you know what you are left with and what system you’ll need. You can also measure up more accurately. GO FULL HEIGHT WITH SHELVING Using the area right up to the ceiling is a great way to use every inch of space. High racking shelves attached to walls are a brilliant way to organise garage content, and any boxes used should be measured to fit. My favourite…