Innehållsförteckning för February 2024 från Style At Home

The start of the new year always sees me writing lists and making plans for jobs and projects I’m hoping to get done in the coming months. For 2024, I’ll be reorganising my home office to squeeze in extra desk spacenow that my daughter is often WFH. The hallway needs a fresh coat of paint ( just need to decide on a colour) and there’s a large pile of pictures ready and waiting for a gallery wall I’ve got planned. If you’ve a home wish list to tackle, there are plenty of ideas to inspire you in this issue, for jobs big and small. From clever ways with wallpaper (p66), speedy updates and room refreshes (p72) and colourful tile ideas for small bathrooms (p88). Or if it’s colour inspiration you…

Pink has been on our interiors radar for the past few years, so it’s no wonder Dulux have named their 2024 Colour of the Year as Sweet Embrace, a delicate, powdery pink. Chosen thanks to its soothing qualities, Sweet Embrace is incredibly versatile. Use it in a tone-on-tone scheme, or team it with earthy brown and orange shades for a warming combo, or nature-inspired greens and blues for a calming effect.…

Having lived in three different new-build homes, we’re now firmly in the “old and characterful” camp,’ says Derya. ‘We bought an Edwardian house in Nottingham and it wasn’t so much a conscious decision but in this part of Nottingham most houses tend to be old. We were relocating from Leicestershire for Reshid’s job and with two young children, having three good-sized bedrooms on one floor was a priority, along with a garden and open-plan kitchen-diner. When we saw this place, I was really impressed by the beautiful front door, as well as the big entrance hall and stained glass interior doors. Getting to work We moved in just before Christmas 2020 and building work began the following spring on a top-down renovation. In the first few months, we could quickly…

1 Move in under stairs Make use of an awkward under-stairs space with a built-in storage unit, or simply slot in an off-the-peg cabinet or chest of drawers to fill the space. Set out of the way, it’ll make a great spot for a drinks station, media and games hub or a hideaway for children’s books and toys. Paint the furniture, walls and surrounding woodwork to match – using the same colourway throughout is a neat way of making assorted pieces blend in, giving a uniform appearance and a sleek, streamlined look. 2 SET UP A VANITY AREA Pushed for space in a small bedroom? Make room for a micro-sized vanity unit with this clever hack. Ikea’s Hemnes shoe unit is only 22cm deep with just two legs at the…

If you’re installing an over-the-bath shower, then a shower screen or curtain is a must to keep your bathroom dry. But while both will do the job, a screen is a smarter choice in terms of style and practicality. Size up the options A shower screen is fixed securely to the wall and sits on top of the bath’s edge with a rubber seal at the bottom that stops water escaping. The design you pick is dependent on the size and shape of the bath it’s going above, plus how much bathroom space is available. Make sure the screen is wide enough and tall enough to contain the spray – especially important if installing it alongside a powerful shower – and that the seal is tight to prevent leaks. Consider…

TIME AT HOME After the festivities are over, the New Year is a great time to get the house back in order. From tidying post-party season, to catching up with essential cleaning chores that have been put on the back burner, we’ve picked a few easy tasks for starters and have some super-useful wardrobe tidying tips shared by TV’s Style Sisters too. Supersize your calendar Revamp your WFH space with a full-sized planner where you can chalk up reminders. Section off an area and paint the wall using blackboard paint. Once you have a black backdrop, use decorator’s tape to create a grid of at least seven boxes by five boxes and fill in the squares in varying shades of grey – simply mix white emulsion into the black paint.…

With Christmas festivities over, the house can often feel a little bare once the decorations are down and packed away. If you’re up for a mini crafting project to while away a winter afternoon, why not try this pretty heart wreath? It can be propped up against a wall to make your home feel a bit more cheerful again. ‘Hearts are found everywhere in Scandinavia,’ says creator Christiane Bellstedt Myers. ‘I started collecting them years ago but have narrowed down my collection to include mainly vintage hearts, particularly cookie cutters. Everywhere I go I search for these simple shapes – when I discover one it feels like finding my pot of gold.’ YOU WILL NEED * Circle of wire (look in hobby stores or make one out of strong wire)…

BEST FAN-POWERED MODEL JML DRIBUDDI INDOOR AIRER WASHING 18 items on hangers SIZE H160xW70xD70cm WATTAGE 1200W TIMER Yes FOLDABLE No, but it can be dismantled PRICE £79.99 This fan-powered heated clothes airer circulates warm air within its zip-up cover to dry washing in super fast times. It has six poles at the top of the airer that you can hang coat hangers from, meaning drying space is more limited. However, on testing, we were extremely impressed with the drying times. Plus, hanging garments eliminates creasing and reduces the need for ironing. The downsides are that the fan does make a fair bit of noise and the setup is time-consuming. Unless you have the space to leave the airer set up, then there is five minutes of work in slotting it…

Primark GRANNY CHIC Choose vintage styles and floral prints for a nostalgic tablescape John Lewis & Partners COLOUR BLOCK Style a clean and contemporary office space with pops of colour B&Q SCANDI LUXE Team natural textures with luxurious fabrics Habitat CIRCUS BRIGHTS Create a cheerful children’s bedroom scheme…

Being able to walk to the beach is one of the best parts about living here,’ says Nareece. ‘We’d been looking for a larger home but couldn’t afford the next size up in London where we were living at the time – so moving to Folkestone, where we’d be close to the sea and to the children’s grandparents, seemed like the obvious solution. However, in order to get the size of house that we wanted, there were some compromises to be made – namely in the condition of the property. This place had been rented out for 20 years and the previous tenants had adapted some of the downstairs rooms due to mobility issues. We knew the house was going to need a lot of work, but it had some…

SPLURGE Blow the budget with these top picks ‘CONTEMPORARY-SHAPED PIECES GIVE THIS TERRACOTTA COLOUR PALETTE A MODERN EDGE’ STEAL Grab a style bargain with these budget buys…

Extend the tiling Create the illusion of extra space in a small bathroom by extending tiling from walls onto the floor. With no breaks or change in colour to interrupt the sight-line, walls and floor merge into one for a seamless look that feels more expansive. Running floor tiles up the side of a bath is another way of creating a similar effect Use tiles sparingly Bold colours and loud patterns can feel too overpowering in a small bathroom and make the space feel crowded. Get round this by focusing on just a small area, such as a tiled splashback or inside a shower, rather than taking tiles wall-to-wall. You’ll still get a hit of colour or pattern and it will work out less pricey too. ‘DIRECTIONAL FLOOR TILES WILL…

PEANUT WREATH YOU WILL NEED * Woven wreath *Small birdhouse * Florist’s wire Peanuts in shells * Winter berries Ribbon 1 START WITH A RING Source a woven wreath of around 30cm diameter and secure a small birdhouse in the middle with wire – we used a rustic reed one and trimmed it to fit. 2 THREAD WITH NUTS Cut a few 20cm lengths of wire and thread with peanuts in the shell, leaving 5cm of wire at either end. Attach one end of each length to the back of the wreath, wrap around the front, then attach the other end at the back. Continue at intervals, attaching more peanuts around the wreath. 3 FINISH WITH BERRIES Push winter berries in through the twigs for colour and interest – we…

CRANBERRY PANETTONE PUDDING SERVES 6 TAKES 1 HR * 250g fresh or frozen cranberries * 90g sugar * 250g panettone, sliced * 60g butter, at room temperature * 2 eggs * 100g golden caster sugar * 150ml single cream * 1tbsp vanilla extract * ½tsp ground cinnamon * YOU WILL NEED * Pie dish 1 Heat the oven to 160C/Gas 3. Heat the cranberries and sugar very gently in a pan with 2tbsp water. Stir from time to time until the sugar has dissolved. Cook for 5 mins until the cranberries pop and become tender. Leave to cool. 2 Spread the panettone evenly with butter, halving any slices if they’re particularly large. 3 Crack the eggs into a jug and mix together with 90g golden caster sugar, cream and the…

SALMON MAC ‘N’ CHEESE WITH KIMCHI SERVES 6 TAKES 40 MINS * 250g macaroni * 50g butter * 3tbsp plain flour * 500ml whole milk, warmed * 300g cheese (mix Cheddar, Gruyère and whatever needs using up), grated * Grating fresh nutmeg * 200g kimchi * 2 hot smoked salmon fillets, flaked * 3tbsp panko breadcrumbs * Chives, chopped (optional) * YOU WILL NEED * 30x20cm oval ovenproof dish 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/ Gas 7. Boil the macaroni in a pan of salted water for 2 mins less than the pack instructions; drain. 2 Melt the butter in a large pan, then stir in the flour and season. Cook for a few minutes, then slowly whisk in the warmed milk until smooth and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir…

Get a chic, designer-look wardrobe without the hefty price tag. Remove the inner panels from wardrobe doors and replace them with cane sheets. There’s no need to wet-stretch the cane, just pull it taut and staple in place on the back of the door.…

Moving from a small, rented flat in Hackney to a two-up, two-down Victorian cottage in Walthamstow felt like a very grown-up step for us when we bought our first property together in 2014,’ says Nicky. ‘Tom and I were lucky enough to inherit a small amount of money and were keen to get our foot on the property ladder. Staying in Hackney, we could have only afforded a tiny one-bed flat, so we widened our search to Walthamstow Village, where we were able to stretch to a little two-bedroom cottage with a small courtyard garden. At the time it felt so much further out of London, but it was a proper little house, and we loved the area – with its cobbled parade of artisan shops and old-fashioned pubs, it…

Wow with a mural An expanse of wall is perfect for showing off a large-scale frieze and a fabulous way of creating drama in a dining room. Keep furnishings simple to showcase the design. Give it a twist Wallpaper the ceiling with a statement mural, leaving walls plain, to create a gallery space for artwork and open shelving. Makeover furniture Customise a chest of drawers or cabinet by covering drawer and door fronts with patterned wallpaper. Cut panels of wallpaper to size, lining up the pattern if you can, and secure with grab adhesive. Give it a twist Cover just the sides of a chest or cabinet in wallpaper to create impact from a side view. Jazz up a staircase Apply wallpaper to the risers of your stairs to create…

Manav and I moved from our previous terraced house as we wanted more space for our visiting family from India, who often stay for a month at a time,’ says Kopal. ‘On the surface, this semi-detached house looked fine as all the rooms had been decorated white, but after we moved in, we discovered it wasn’t in such great condition. We were a little naïve! We’d lived in a new-build before and had no renovation experience, so didn’t know the warning signs to look out for. Starting out We discovered both bathrooms had poor water pressure – something we hadn’t noticed when doing the viewings as it hadn’t occurred to us to turn on the taps. The problem was down to narrow pipes and the water tank in the loft,…

STORAGE While wall-to-wall cabinets provide plenty of storage potential and will keep a kitchen looking neat and orderly, if there’s no visual interest to draw the attention, the space can often end up feeling a bit stark. Open shelving offers the perfect way around this issue, providing space to store essentials and decorative items, while bringing colour and personality to the kitchen too. The arrangement of shelving you choose will depend on the style of your kitchen as well as its size and layout. Options range from a fitted kitchen that incorporates stacked shelves to a free run of open shelving on a empty wall. MAKE IT OPEN Wall units on both sides of a small kitchen can crowd the space and make it feel dark and enclosed. Replacing a…

STRIPED STORAGE JARS YOU WILL NEED * Porcelain paints * White jars * Decorator’s tape * Flat brush 1 MIX PAINT Upgrade plain white ceramic jars with a cheery coloured band at the bottom. Start by blending white and coloured porcelain paints to get your chosen shade, opting for the same colour for all, or mixing it up with a few different colours. 2 ADD COLOUR Use decorator’s tape to mask off the bottom section of the jars (which will create your coloured band). Then apply your mixed paint to the jars with a small, flat brush. PAINT-DIPPED SERVERS YOU WILL NEED * Wooden spoons * Emulsion paint Gorilla glue/shellac * Decorator’s tape 1 APPLY PAINT Use decorator’s tape to mask off the end sections of two wooden spoons or…

Poor lighting will make any room feel dark and cheerless, but in a small living room the effect will be magnified, making the space feel darker, gloomier and smaller. Get it right though, and well-planned lighting can make a world of difference, creating a room that feels warm, cosy and inviting. It will also open up the space so it feels brighter and bigger, with a welcoming ambiance. Layer lighting Dark corners and poorly lit areas will make a small room feel even more enclosed and poky, but layering light throughout the room can have the effect of stretching the space visually. Ambient light is the first layer to consider. This includes natural light from windows as well as general background lighting from pendants and chandeliers. Used on its own,…