Innehållsförteckning för Decorating Special 2024 från Your Home

EDITOR'S LETTER While making this year's Decorating Special, one theme has really stood out – personality! All the real homes, stepby-step guides and inspiring features are bursting with unique and characterful ways to help you make a home that feels just right for you. So get ready to be inspired by hundreds of brilliant ideas and practical tips – we'll be your trusty sidekick for your next project, whether it's a quick room makeover or a full house reno! This month, our real homes were all transformed top-to-bottom by savvy homeowners with creative flair. Our cover star Jessica filled her Victorian terrace with fresh, joyful hues (p62), while interior designer Tarah unleashed a daring decor vision on her home, for a look that's a riot of pattern and colour (p82).…

HOW TO… Save water around the home Celebrate World Water Day on 22nd March by changing the way you use and consume water in your home. Here are our top tips… • Update your shower head and cut your shower time down by 5 minutes. According to waterwise.org.uk, baths and showers account for the highest water consumption in the home, at around 34%. Generally speaking, a shower with an efficient shower head uses less water than a full bath, but be aware that long showers or power showers often use more! • Check for a leaky loo, which can waste between 200 and 400 litres of water per day! Installing a dualflush toilet will save water by using a less powerful flush, while a Cistern Displacement Device (CDD) placed in…

Your decorating to-dos • Give the hallway a fresh coat of paint – it's the most used space and quickly gets marked and scuffed. • Get out your toolkit and hang any pictures that don't have a home yet. • Pretty up your porch by cleaning or painting the front door and adding a new mat. • Refresh skirting boards – they might just need a good clean, followed by some small paint touch-ups. • Transform your garden with a new fence, or fix a broken one, ready for spending more time outdoors again Eco ideas Rid glass or tiled splashbacks of grease and grime with this hack from cleaning influencer, @HomewithRoo. ‘Spray with a mix of equal parts white vinegar and warm water. Pop on durable Marigolds, and wipe…

COLOUR BALANCE Crown Paints has revealed its Colour Insights for the coming year, bringing together trends in lifestyle, fashion and the environment to create four new palettes: Community, Pivot, Escape and Solutions, which features here. This palette's inspiration may surprise you – recycled materials! The warm terracotta, blues, greens and neutrals of recycled goods come together to create the perfect blend of bold and soft tones. Crafted by Crown Luxurious Flat Matt emulsion, £37.60 for 2.5L.…

SHOPPING LIST ● Smooth planed square edge (PSE) whitewood spruce timber 1.8m x 44mm x 18mm, £4.47, B&Q ● smooth planed square edge (PSE) whitewood spruce timber 1.8m x 44mm x 44mm, £7.47, B&Q ● pencil ● tape measure ● jigsaw ● sandpaper ● screws ● combi drill ● multi-surface paint ● paintbrush ● workbench ● grab adhesive (optional) ● pendant light fitting with detachable E27 socket, inline switch and plug ● light bulb HOW TO… 1 For the arm of the wall light, take a piece of 44mm x 44mm PSE timber and use a jigsaw to cut a length measuring 180mm long. For the wall mount, take a piece of 44mm x 18mm timber and use a jigsaw to cut a length 180mm long. Sand the cut edges…

SHOPPING LIST ● 3 hairpin legs and screws ● 0.5m × 0.5m piece of 12mm MDF ● jigsaw ● sandpaper ● pencil ● combi drill ● screwdriver ● craft knife ● marble-effect self-adhesive vinyl ● old credit card HOW TO… 1 Trace the around the rim of a large round dinner plate with a pencil to create a circle on the surface of a piece of MDF, then use a ruler to draw a horizontal line through the centre of your circle. 2 Draw an X over the halved circle, splitting it up into six equal sections. Turn each of the six sections into triangles by using a ruler to draw a straight line under the curved part of each section, connecting it to the other two straight lines to…

SHOPPING LIST ● Wooden bench seat ● 2.44m x 1.22m x 12mm sheet of MDF ● jigsaw ● pencil ● tape measure ● sandpaper ● 100mm upholstery foam ● spray upholstery adhesive ● scissors or craft knife ● fabric ● staple gun ● combi drill ● screwdriver ● wall mounting headboard brackets HOW TO… 1 To make the upholstered seat, first measure the top of your bench. Draw out these measurements onto a sheet of MDF, then draw another line all the way around, 5cm further out than the first pencil line. Using this outer line as a guide, use a jigsaw to cut your sheet of MDF to size. Sand the edges smooth. 2 Cut a piece of upholstery foam to the same size as this cut piece of…

‘Be authentic to the original building, make the most of any existing features and stick to the specific period – for example, fit a Victorian-style fireplace in a Victorian house as an Art Deco model won't look right. New reproductions are often cheaper than period items but reclaimed are even better as they have a story behind them. In a new home, accessories such as lighting, switch plates and radiators can be very effective at adding character.’ George Clarke, architect and TV presenter Our expert says… ‘Lighting is one of the most impactful ways to add character to a home, whether new or more traditional. In a new build it can be particularly underwhelming –recessed LED downlights are fine for kitchens and bathrooms but can make what should be a…

One way of getting the luxurious look of a real copper bath is to cover the outside of an enamel bath in copper leaf. Copper is a very warm and rich, gingery red colour and, as it's a shiny metal, emits light. To soften its appearance, something cool and deep is needed underneath, to show through. Here, Annie Sloan has used chalk paint in Florence – a coppery green colour, similar to verdigris, like the Statue of Liberty. SHOPPING LIST ✔ Annie Sloan chalk paint in Florence ✔ medium oval brush ✔ water-based gold size ✔ flat synthetic brush, to apply the gold size ✔ sheets of copper leaf ✔ talcum powder (optional) ✔ dry, firm but soft-haired brush, to push down the copper leaf ✔ clear wax ✔ soft,…

CHEESE PLEASE Thanks to cries from its customers, Charlie Bigham's has expanded its vegetarian range to include a Four Cheese Macaroni. Cheesier than the original (and without the bacon), this dish features tangy Barbers Cheddar, slightly sweet and nutty Emmental, umami-rich Regato and creamy Mozzarella, all combining for a satisfying cheese pull. It's topped with more cheese and a parsley crumb. Serve it with a lightly dressed, crunchy garden salad for a midweek dinner, or with a glass of crisp white wine for a Friday night treat. Priced at £8.50 from Waitrose & Partners.…

CUT OUT & KEEP! Spinach and feta filo pie ■ PREPARATION TIME 25 minutes ■ COOKING TIME 50 minutes ■ SERVES 6 YOU WILL NEED ✔ 1 red onion, sliced ✔ 3 garlic cloves, sliced ✔ 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ✔ salt and pepper ✔ 3 x 260g packs Waitrose Essential spinach, washed ✔ 100g Greek natural yoghurt ✔ 200g feta, crumbled ✔ 3 salad onions, sliced ✔ 1 lemon, zest ✔ ½ x 20g pack dill, roughly chopped ✔ 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten ✔ 270g pack filo pastry ✔ ½ tsp sesame seeds DIRECTIONS ■ Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Sweat the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp of oil with a pinch of salt for 6-8 minutes. Put the spinach in a…

8/10 Using this floor cleaner was simple – the cap was easy to undo yet secure, and the dilution measurements are clearly written. The lavender blossom scent was fresh and not clinical – it smelt like spring had been brought in. However, the fragrance is subtle, so more product is needed if you want a long lasting effect. It dried very quickly, leaving no residue. It even got rid of a slippery area, where a shoe cleaner had been sprayed. Overall, an effective product, especially for the price, but if you prefer a stronger scent, you may get through this bottle quite quickly. 9/10 This eco-friendly, refillable cleaner has a honey-like consistency and its super concentrated formula means it's brilliant value. This did make it a little tricky to measure…

CONSUMER NEWS HELP WITH home improvements There is financial support out there, so check if you're eligible If you are on a low income, there are grants available to make home improvements and buy white goods. Use online grants checkers, like turn2us.org.uk or lightningreach.org, which match your info to any grants that you can apply for. Find your nearest charity or furniture project offering secondhand appliances, furniture and IT equipment at reuse-network.org.uk and there's lots on offer at freecycle.org and ilovefreegle.org. There's also help with home improvements for low income, disabled or elderly households through your local Home Improvement Agency via foundations.uk.com. They can assist with decorating, DIY or building flat-pack furniture. Did you know? According to Fair Fix, recent research shows that a new boiler could see you secure…

STYLE FILE If your space is sunny at midday, congratulations! You have a south-facing room. These rooms are arguably the easiest to decorate as you don't have to do much to make them feel bright and airy. However, that doesn't mean that they can handle everything. South-facing rooms can receive very strong light for extended periods of the day, which makes some shades feel too fierce. Decorate these sunny spaces using cool shades with slightly grey undertones. These undertones will be balanced out by the sunlight, so they won't feel dingy. Instead, the cool notes help to dampen down reflections and will make sure your space feels calm, even at midday. When choosing your colours, bear in mind that the light in these rooms will have a slight yellow tint,…

Much as many of us would love for our homes to be full of interesting features, the reality is that these are often lacking. Perhaps a previous owner thought it a good idea to rip out the original Victorian or Edwardian fireplaces and picture rails – believe it or not, this was a trend in the 1960s and 1970s – or maybe you live in a modern or brand-new house that was devoid of personality to start with. Here's our how-to guide to help you go about restoring or adding character, no matter the age of your home or your decorating budget. 1 Put up panelling on the walls Timber or MDF panelling can lend a traditional feel to interiors along with depth and texture, creating shadows as the light hits…

Q What's the best way to clean my driveway? Nick Ee, product and training manager at Black+Decker has over 10 years’ experience working in the power tool industry. He says… ‘Cleaning a driveway typically involves removing dirt, stains and debris. The most suitable cleaning method depends on the type of driveway surface you have and the nature of any stains. Using a pressure washer is an effective and efficient way to clean your driveway – simply use the pressure washer with a detergent designed for your particular surface and get to cleaning. Before applying any cleaner or solution to the driveway, I'd recommend testing the pressure settings in a small inconspicuous area to ensure compatibility and to prevent potential damage to the surface or grout. For those living in a…

Inspired design I have always been inspired by the furniture makeovers in Your Home, so when I needed a small set of drawers for my lounge, I found some paint and drawers on Facebook Marketplace and set about sanding and painting! I'm really pleased with how it turned out and thank you for the inspiration. @julesj_my_thrifted_home, Instagram Mel, editor, says: You're right to be pleased, Jules! This makeover is gorgeous and it looks perfectly at home in your beautiful living room. Star letter Holiday hooks I enjoyed your ideas for wooden coat racks (March issue) and thought I'd share ours. My husband and I sourced coat hooks from our travels – so they would bring us good memories of trips with friends. We then purchased a lovely piece of ash…

Perfect finishing touch to any Easter bake!…

CONSUMER NEWS DECORATING special Frequently asked questions… Is it really worth spending on good quality paint? If you can afford to, buying better quality paint may save you money in the long run, as well as giving a much better finish. Cheap paint may cost less but it's likely that you'll have to apply many coats, which adds up. A good quality paint should require fewer coats, which means less paint and less cost. It will also look far better, especially in different lights at different times of the day. What can I do with offcuts of wallpaper? If you have any wallpaper left over from a project or you find some tucked away in the garage, there are so many things you can do with it. You can frame…

STYLE FILE As in east-facing rooms, the light in west facing rooms changes dramatically through the day. These spaces are shaded in the morning and brighten into the evening. If you can see the sun setting from your room, it will be west facing. Evening light tends to be quite ‘warm’ with rich, golden notes. This will make colours look more yellow than they first seem. You can even out this effect by decorating the rooms you use in the evenings using colours with blue undertones. West-facing bedrooms require a little extra thought. Because the light in the mornings will be subdued, warm colours, like pink and yellow can add some much-needed get-up-and-go. But, in the evening, these hues will become much richer. You can choose to embrace that warmth…

STEP INSIDE… WHO LIVES HERE? Salma Chatto, 33, a web designer and content creator @chateauchatto, my husband Stuart, 38, a civil engineer, and our children Taliah, four, and Ilyas, one, plus our two cats, Indie and Lexie. We live in a four-bedroom house in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, which we bought in March 2021. WHAT WAS UPDATED? Our living room was outdated and bland, with magnolia walls and laminate flooring. We gave it a full makeover, doing all the work ourselves, adding lots of storage and personality. WHY THE CHANGE? We wanted it to be a room that felt cosy, and somewhere we wanted to relax. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE? As we could only work around our jobs and looking after Taliah, who was one at the time, the project took…

KITCHEN VARIETY If your dream kitchen has classic Shaker style with a modern feel – perhaps a touch of colour and a slim frame – then look no further than the new Ambleside range from Magnet. The soft teal hue has real character that will stand the test of time. It also features new foil technologies to imitate a sleek-painted timber, giving that premium aesthetic for a fraction of the cost. As the heart of the home, the kitchen needs to be enduring as well as stylish, and Ambleside has been designed with both durability and longevity in mind. Prices start from £1,673 or £18 per month on finance.…

Jessica Collins and her husband Oliver J had been considering making the move out of London for a while. ‘I've always wanted to live by the sea, as I find it calming and it resets me,’ explains Jessica, ‘and our daughter starting school spurred us to leave our London home and discover a new life in Hove.’ The couple were initially planning on renting to ensure the move was right for them, but, Jessica explains, ‘rental properties were either far too expensive or horrible and, with two small children, I really wanted somewhere that we could make feel like home.’ By chance, while visiting friends in the area, Jessica spotted this place for sale and was told the estate agent was showing people around that day. So, after a three-minute…

When Lisa and Paul first moved in together – when Lisa's son, Elliot, was nine – the couple originally moved into what had been Paul's parents’ Victorian cottage. ‘We totally renovated it, but I really wanted a home that we could choose together. So, after nearly 20 years together, we began to look for our forever home. As Elliot had moved in with his girlfriend, we didn't need a big house, and I immediately fell in love with this place the moment we stepped through the door,’ says Lisa. ‘I loved the large box bay window in the living room, but I particularly loved the stairs and original floor tiles in the hall, which reminded me of my first home when I was 21.’ SEEING THE POTENTIAL The couple had…

When Tarah and Scott met on a rollercoaster ride in Las Vegas seven years ago, he already owned this house. Originally from Vancouver in Canada, and having previously lived in London, Tarah moved in with Scott three years ago, and she's been putting her own spin on the place ever since. ‘I first saw the house a few months into our relationship, and I could see that it had loads of potential for bringing in pattern and colour,’ she says. ‘When I first moved to the UK in 2019, my focus was doing up my flat in London, as that was where Scott and I spent the majority of our time together. However, when lockdown happened, I made the decision to move to Salisbury full time.’ A FAMILY AFFAIR This…

PEACOCK PANELS Panelling is one of the top decor trends of the 2020s, and Walls and Floors has just introduced a new line to its ready-made acoustic range – Peacock Blue. These panels feature a subtle peacock feather pattern, adding that extra design element to a key trend, while their sound-absorbing qualities will reduce echoes in larger spaces. What's more, they are quick and easy to install – it only takes one person to get them on the wall. The panels measure 2400 × 600mm and are priced at £99.95 each.…

Arm yourself with the proper kit to get the best results for your next painting or papering project If you're about to embark on a spot of decorating this spring, you need to kit yourself out with the right tools, not only to carry out the job, but also to prep the area beforehand, to ensure you achieve a perfect finish. Whether you need to remove old wallpaper, strip paint from your woodwork or get tooled up to paint and paper your walls, read on to discover the best tools for the job, no matter what your budget. How to prep a room for painting Nick Parsons, UK test painter for Harris Brushes, has these prep tips: ‘When it comes to painting your walls, preparation is key. Remove furniture and…

DAISY, DAISY… Bring a touch of summer colour into your life a few months early with a little help from the beautiful new Asteraceae collection from Annabel James. This elegant range of gardening accessories features watercolour illustrations of flowers from the Asteraceae daisy family, which have a starring role to play in our gardens as summers become longer. We love the way the herbs pots (£14.95) will look on the kitchen windowsill, while the gloves (£17.50) would make a fab gift.…

FOOD & DRINK One-pot leg of lamb with redcurrant jelly glaze YOU WILL NEED ✔ 3 parsnips (about 300g), peeled and quartered ✔ 1 tbsp olive oil ✔ 4 Charlotte potatoes (about 400g), cut into wedges ✔ 200g radishes, trimmed ✔ 1 garlic bulb, halved ✔ 5 sprigs rosemary ✔ salt and pepper ✔ 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly ✔ Waitrose Boneless Extra Trimmed Welsh Half Leg of Lamb (about 750g) ✔ 200ml fresh chicken stock (ensure gluten-free) DIRECTIONS ■ Preheat the oven to 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas mark 4. Put the parsnips in a large roasting tin and sprinkle over ½ tbsp oil. Season and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the potatoes, radishes, garlic halves and rosemary sprigs to the tin. Toss together in the remaining ½…

Something to sip… TOP TIP To make your own almond milk, soak the nuts and blend them with water. Find a nifty nut milk maker on p13! How To Make ■ PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes + freezing ■ SERVES 1 YOU WILL NEED ✔ Approximately 150ml almond milk or any other plant-based milk ✔ 1.5 (very ripe) bananas ✔ 1 tsp nut butter ✔ 1 tsp coconut oil ✔ 1 flat tbsp raw cacao powder ✔ ¼ avocado (fresh or frozen) ✔ ¼ cap almond essence (optional) DIRECTIONS ■ Peel the very ripe bananas, cut them in half and freeze overnight – or just keep them in the freezer until you want to use them! ■ Place all the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. ■ Top…

SAVE Spend Splash Use sunshine yellow to give small, dark areas, like alcoves, a burst of energy TOP TIP…