Innehållsförteckning för September 2024 från Your Home

The September issue is always one of my favourites, as we report on the autumn/winter looks that are about to drop in the shops. So grab a cuppa, find a comfy spot, and get ready to indulge with a whole new season of interiors joy! Start with Spotlight On (p22), where we show you the surprising transitional hue that's perfect for the end of summer, then discover quick and easy ways to bring the biggest trends into your home on page 26. And, on page 32, we show you a decor trick adored by interior designers that guarantees a harmonious scheme, plus four ways to use it in your home. If cover star Laura's kitchen has caught your eye, then you'll love the rest of her house tour (p56) – her…

Wonder wall I have kept many cards over the years, and I thought I could make a very personalised gallery wall. There are wedding anniversaries, Christmas, birthday and Mother's Day cards. The blue hands and feet prints are from our grandchildren; the pink ones are from our recent great-granddaughter; and the poppies were my granddaughters’ embroidered gift to me. All bring daily joy – far better than being kept in a box in the wardrobe! Sandra Mathias, Warrington Megan, production editor, says: This is a beautiful way to treasure cards, Sandra! Pick of the crop I couldn't resist making these IKEA tea towels into fun cushions. Who knew broccoli and swede veg, and red and white spots, could bring such fun to a home! Vivienne Finch, Devon Michelle, homes commissioning…

BEST ON TEST 12oz coffee cup with flex sip lid in Lupine (355ml), £29, Hydro Flask Available in an array of colours, including this pretty lilac hue, this cup also has plenty of practical features to recommend it. The lid has a flexible top handle, which makes it easy to carry and leaves your hands free for grabbing your phone, purse or other essentials while out and about. The bottle itself has a durable powder coating that has stood up to repeated use – mine still doesn't have a scratch or stain on it after many morning commutes and weekend outings. I found it to be reliably leakproof during testing, although you do need to make sure you twist the lid round to the right spot to close it properly.…

COMING UP ROSES Celebrate country house style with Wallpaper Direct's latest collection, in collaboration with designer Timothy Wilman. It is made up of a whopping 91 different designs in five coordinating groups. Mix and match the wallpapers within these groups to take the hard work out of pattern matching – it's all done for you!…

EDiTOR'S CHOiCE…

Having previously each owned their own homes, Laura and her partner, Jonathon, decided to pool their resources and buy a property together. ‘We really wanted a period property in a conservation area in The Wirral,’ says Laura. ‘There are quite a lot of old houses in the area but, after looking for six months, there wasn't much coming onto the market.’ Jonathon's house in Liverpool sold first, so they were crammed into Laura's little flat nearby, feeling increasingly frustrated. ‘We even put letters through people's doors, but nobody replied.’ Finally, after a long wait, the perfect three-bedroom Victorian house cropped up in their favourite location. ‘It was love at first sight,’ says Laura. ‘As soon as I opened the door and saw the original floor tiles, stained-glass and old brass…

We loved the first home we bought,’ remembers Sharna Currington. ‘It was a two-bedroom ex-local authority terrace, and we were surrounded by a great community. When the children came along, we decided to apply for a loft conversion, but it was turned down, so sadly we knew it was time to move on.’ Sharna and her husband, Raymand, moved into their new home on 14th February 2018, and Sharna likes to joke that it was a Valentine's Day present. ‘I loved the high ceilings, original fireplaces and the stained-glass windows, and I could also see changes I could make so that the house could be made into a beautiful family home,’ she says. The couple had their work cut out for them to get it up to scratch, though. ‘The…

DOOR TO DOOR Transform the look of your windows and doors in seconds – and without a drill – with the Pasadena Perfect Fit from California Shutters. They are specially designed for uPVC windows, clipping directly onto their brackets, rather than within a frame like traditional shutters. The collection is available in two shades of white – Arctic or Cotton (pictured here) – and comes with 64mm slats and an offset tilt rod as standard. Pasadena Perfect Fit shutters are available at californiashutters.co.uk and start from £66 per sq m. Our expert says… ‘Check whether you're eligible for governmentbacked grants or funding. The ECO4 Funding Scheme offers free insulation, heat pumps, boiler replacements and even solar panels; the Great British Insulation Scheme provides free insulation measures like cavity-wall insulation, loft…

My home office is in my living room – what decor tricks can I use to separate the spaces? Lisa Jones, editorial design manager at Dunelm, offers her advice on ways to make an office area work in your living space… ‘You can create a separate home office in a living space in a variety of ways. Use room dividers, like screens or bookshelves, to create a physical barrier between the two, place rugs or arrange furniture to create distinct areas. For more visual separation, try colour-coding or using different wallpaper, with smaller additions like lighting and wall art to give the different areas their own identity. Folding desks that you can tidy away at the end of the day are a smart temporary option; or, for something more permanent,…

Sausages & lentils with apple & sage YOU WILL NEED ✔ Oil for cooking ✔ 6 well-seasoned butcher's sausages ✔ 2 tsp fennel or caraway seeds (optional) ✔ 2 large onions, chopped ✔ 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped ✔ 3 celery sticks, chopped ✔ 200g celeriac, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks ✔ 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced ✔ 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika ✔ 200g puy, green or brown lentils ✔ 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped ✔ 3 sprigs of thyme ✔ 2 tbsp English mustard ✔ black pepper ✔ 1 tbsp tomato purée ✔ 800ml vegetable or chicken stock ✔ 100g kale or cavolo nero, coarse stalks removed, chopped ✔ salt For the topping ✔ 1 large eating apple ✔ 12-15 sage…

FOR STOCKISTS SEE p120 HOT FROM THE HIGH STREET John Lewis & Partners Breathe new life into traditional schemes with the Classic collection. It's packed with bold tones, heritage prints and statement stripes. Charlotta Elgh, partner & director of design, home, says, ‘Our colour of the season is “Rebel Red”. Hints and touches of this hue in any room can instantly elevate a space.’ Sleeping beauties Make life a bed of roses with Piglet in Bed's new bedding collection. The ‘Into the Meadow’ range features Piglet's first ever floral linen bedding, with prints drawn from the Design Library Archives. These new styles pair brilliantly with plain designs. Midnight Cottage bedding, from £29 for 2 pillowcases, Piglet in Bed GOLDEN GLOW Raise a toast to the end of summertime with the…

Your September to-dos 1. Prolong the life of your kettle by descaling it, especially if you live in a hard-water area. Fill with 50% water and 50% lemon juice or distilled white vinegar, boil, then leave to sit for 20 minutes. 2. Spruce up your recycling area. Clean behind bins and boxes, wipe them down inside and out, and replace with new ones if any are broken. 3. Thoroughly vacuum any dark, undisturbed areas such as underneath furniture and along skirting boards, before carpet beetles have a chance to chomp through your carpets and soft furnishings. 4. Inspect windows and doors in your home to ensure they are properly sealed. If you spot any cracks or gaps, recaulk them to reduce heat loss. 5. Tidy and organise your garage before…

HOW TO… cut down your kitchen waste Food waste is bad for the environment and for your pocket. Here are five easy ways to use up scraps and reduce how much food you throw away… • Make a shopping list and stick to it. Plan your meals ahead of time, checking your cupboards, fridge and freezer first to make use of food you already have and avoid doubling up. Some supermarkets have a handy meal-planning tool where you can source recipes, tailor a weekly plan to your family's tastes and dietary requirements, then shop online for the ingredients. • Freeze any food that's about to go over. Stale bread can be blitzed up, stored in a freezer bag and used for breadcrumbs on pasta bakes and gratins. Frozen veg scraps…

Shades of blue are well-known for inspiring feelings of calm and promoting relaxation, but they can also make a fabulous statement that oozes style and sophistication, not to mention a good dose of dopamine too. As we move into a new season, a palette of bold blues and darker green-blues are the ideal choice for the transition, helping to keep any room in the house looking fresh and comforting. You'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to finding the accessories to bring blue into your scheme, from artwork and bedlinen to lighting, storage and textiles. Be brave and colour-drench your room to achieve the wow factor, or give a more subtle and restrained nod to the latest go-to shade with a few key pieces – the choice is yours.…

BEFORE STEP INSIDE… WHO LIVES HERE? I'm Laura Cave, 44, a furniture artist and content creator, @lauracavehome, and I live with my husband Alex, 44, our sons Rowan, 13, and Rufus, 11, and our two cats, Coco and Ghost. My home is a four-bedroom Victorian house in Gravesend, Kent. WHAT WAS UPDATED? We created a fully functioning outdoor kitchen and transformed a scrappy piece of grass into a chic outdoor living room. WHY THE CHANGE? The garden was unkempt and ugly. The large patio was made up of utilitarian slabs, and next to the house was a disused ramshackle brick building. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE? The idea has been there since we moved in, but the design evolved over six months and the actual build took a couple of…

SUPERSIZE STYLE If you want to make a statement in your bathroom, Hyperion Tiles’ new range of patterned tiles could be just the thing. Why not introduce a luxurious marble effect to walls and floors with these Lux Noor Apple tiles? Made from porcelain with a gloss finish, these extra-large tiles have a contemporary look, with striking veining and a soft and sophisticated green shade. Find them at hyperiontiles.co.uk, priced at £52.94 per sq m.…

When it comes to choosing a new tub, there's not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Some will need a hardworking tub to withstand excitable, splashing kids, while others might want something much more serene and spa-like. Whatever your needs, there's something to suit you, and the floorspace you have available. Don't instantly disregard anything before speaking to a professional, as there's often a solution – compact freestanding baths, or walk-in shower baths, for example – that could fit into your space. And once you have that perfect bathtub in place, learn how to make the most of your bathing experience, whether you want to relax your aching bones, soothe sore skin, or refresh your mind… EXPERT TIP ‘Wall-mounted bath-fillers are a great choice, as they're designed to support an understated look that…

SHOPPING LIST ● Bedside cabinet with drawer ● tape measure ● pencil ● jigsaw ● combi drill ● orbital sander ● old rag or kitchen cloth ● Black gloss paint ● paintbrush ● scissors or craft knife ● natural rattan webbing ● staple gun and staples ● thin decorative wooden beading ● mitre block ● glue gun ● Black finger edge pull handle HOW TO… 1 Take the drawer out of your bedside cabinet. If possible, remove the front of the drawer. Use a tape measure to mark a 1.5cm frame around the outer edge of the drawer front – you'll be using this as a guide to cut out the central section for the rattan insert, so ensure this doesn't overlap with the sides of the drawer. If so,…

SHOPPING LIST ● Bench ● jigsaw ● sheet of 1cm-thick MDF ● tape measure ● block of upholstery foam ● upholstery spray adhesive ● fire retardant wadding ● scissors ● staple gun ● upholstery fabric ● combi drill and screws ● upholstery nail strip HOW TO… 1 If you're re-covering an upholstered bench, first carefully remove the old upholstery fabric and foam. 2 Using a jigsaw, cut a piece of 1cm-thick MDF to the same size as the top of your bench. Then, cut a piece of thick upholstery foam to the same size as the MDF and attach it to the top of the MDF using upholstery adhesive. 3 Cut a piece of fire retardant wadding that's roughly 10cm larger than the foam piece on all sides. Lay the…

SHOPPING LIST ● Wicker, seagrass or rattan basket ● plug-in long pendant light cord set ● ceiling swag hook ● decorator's tape ● paint brush ● Black acrylic paint ● craft knife ● PVA glue HOW TO… 1 When choosing your plug-in pendant, consider the location of the socket you'll be plugging it into, as well as whether you'd like your pendant cord to drape, or hang tautly. If you want it to drape, you'll need a longer cord length. Also ensure the hook you're using is the right type for your wall and the weight of the light fitting. 2 Run a line of decorator's tape around the outside of the basket about 1.5cm in from the bottom edge. Using a small brush, paint a line of black acrylic…

Improving a home's Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating reduces its I carbon emissions, makes it more comfortable to live in and easier to sell, and can increase its value. However, as a new study by Rightmove has highlighted, the biggest motivation for making green changes is to cut our energy bills, which can vary by thousands of pounds across similar properties with ratings at different ends of the scale. If your home is one of the 18 million UK properties that needs an EPC upgrade, here's what to do… Replace your boiler Heating and hot water make up over half the average household's energy use, and a lot of that energy will be wasted in those with old boilers. Modern condensing boilers are far more efficient as they recycle gases…

Watercress, orange and fennel salad ■ PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes ■ SERVES 1 (or 2 as a side/starter) YOU WILL NEED ✔ 1 large orange ✔ 1 bulb of fennel ✔ 50g watercress ✔ 1 shallot ✔ 30g feta, crumbled ✔ flaked almonds DIRECTIONS ■ Peel and thinly slice the orange. To do this easily, cut off the ends of the orange so it stands up on your chopping board and slice the skin off, taking off as much of the white pith as possible. Cut into thin slices. ■ To prepare the fennel, trim off the stalks, cutting them close to where they connect to the bulb, and slice off the root. Remove the tough outer layer (if present) and then slice very thinly – a mandolin is good…

How to make ■ PREPARATION TIME 2 minutes ■ SERVES 1 YOU WILL NEED ✔ 30ml gin ✔ 15ml lemon juice ✔ 15ml simple syrup ✔ Champagne To garnish ✔ lemon twist DIRECTIONS ■ Pour the gin, lemon juice and syrup into a shaker, along with some ice, and shake until the outside of the shaker is cold. ■ Strain into Champagne flute and top up with Champagne. Add a twist of lemon to garnish. PREP WORK For the simple syrup, gently heat equal parts water and white sugar in a pan, bring to the boil and stir until combined. Leave to cool before using…

A Abode 01226 28 34 34 abodedesigns.co.uk Accessorize accessorize.com Aery aeryliving.com Aldiss aldiss.com Alpha alpha-innovation.co.uk Amazon amazon.co.uk Annabel James 0345 548 0210 annabeljames.co.uk Annington annington.co.uk Anthropologie anthropologie.com/en-gb AO 0161 470 1200 ao.com A Place for Everything 01244 680501 aplaceforeverything.co.uk The Appliance Depot theappliancedepot.co.uk Aqara 01384 414 200 aqara-shop.co.uk Architect Your Home architect-yourhome.com ARRAN 01563 852401 arran.com B B&M bmstores.co.uk B&Q 0333 014 3357 diy.com Barker & Stonehouse 0333 355 8206 barkerandstonehouse.co.uk The Bath Project thebathproject.com Bathroom Mountain 01782 405047 bathroommountain.co.uk Beanbag Bazaar 0800 988 1286 beanbagbazaar.co.uk Bella Freud 020 8964 4900 bellafreud.com Bellway bellway.co.uk BHS 0333 005 0070 bhs.com Big Green Egg 01962 793 800 biggreenegg.co.uk Bobbi Beck 01209 440089 bobbibeck.com BottleSoc bottlesoc.com Brabantia brabantia.com/uk Bradford Bathroom Co 01274 732933 bradfordbathroomcompany.com By The Pines bythepines.co.uk C Ca’ Pietra 01380 735886 capietra.com…

We're reading… Man with Hammer by Greg Penn Join Greg as he restores a whopping 30-room Georgian mansion on a shoestring budget and pick up the tricks he's learned along the way. We're following… @ourbearshome We love a good IKEA hack, and Kate's account is full of inspiring projects that we can't wait to try out. ‘I take great joy in making something look more expensive and getting that look I want for less,’ says Kate. ‘I love using preloved elements and budget finds, making them look more bespoke’ We're watching… Great British Home Restoration We've loved following the stories of these non-residential buildings being transformed into stunning homes. The last few episodes air this month, and you can catch up with the rest of the season on channel4.com.…

BEST FOR QUiCK TRiPS Strawberries Rice Husk Travel Cup (435ml), £10, Emma Bridgewater This mug keeps my tea toasty for up to an hour. It hasn't been designed to keep drinks hot for a long time, so I'm really impressed by its heat-retaining properties. It has a silicone sleeve to insulate hands from heat and a silicone lid, the warmth of which indicates how hot your drink is. It's lightweight and easy to carry, but it doesn't have a waterproof closure, so be careful of spillages. If you want to chuck it into your bag after use, you need to make sure it is empty and dry first. This cup isn't dishwasher safe, but it's easy to clean by hand. It's made from rice husk, so it's ecofriendly. It will…

Improved circulation ‘Warm water can improve blood circulation, which helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and organs. Gently massage your limbs while in the bath to stimulate blood flow further, and help relieve muscle tension’ Detoxification ‘Bathing in warm water can help your body release toxins. Epsom salts contain magnesium sulphate, which can help draw out impurities from your body and leave you feeling refreshed’ Skin health ‘Adding natural ingredients like oatmeal is soothing for the skin and can help with conditions like eczema, while coconut milk contains lactic acid, which gently exfoliates and moisturises’ Mental clarity and mood enhancement ‘Quiet time can be an excellent opportunity for mindfulness and meditation. Use peppermint, eucalyptus and black pepper essential oil to heighten your mood, and play soft music…

UNIQUE PIECES Create an eclectic mix of accessories and decor, just like Emily, with each one telling its own story while helping you to create a new one in your home…

MIX IT UP When adding print, buy matching items, such as pairs of cushions, in the chosen pattern to create a symmetrical, hotel-like look for your home…

With ‘big coat season’ nearly upon us, the entrance to our homes becomes full to the brim with extra shoes, clothing and accessories for all the family, so getting on top of this space now can make all the difference. Hallways tend to be small and narrow, so multi-purpose furniture that is both aesthetically pleasing and practical will make a worthy addition to this area. We've found a selection of furniture, accessories and handy solutions to help you streamline your hallway – so, however big, small or awkward the space, you can create a calm and welcoming entrance. How to banish the chaos Tired of tackling an obstacle course of belongings every time you step foot in the hallway? Then it's time to cut the clutter and have a good…

TUTTI FRUIT-TREE This understated little evergreen shrub is in fact a superstar fruit tree from South America. Pop it in full sun and a sheltered spot and watch it grow up to 2.5 metres. Each summer it will show off its flowers – white petals surrounding a starburst pinkred centre – before bearing its remarkable fruit in the autumn. This tastes like a luscious medley of pineapple, guava and strawberry – hence its nickname, ‘the fruit salad tree’.…

THAT'S A WRAP Summer may be coming to an end, but you can still enjoy tasty barbecue food well into September. These new plant-based Seekh Kebabs from SHICKEN will get your taste buds tingling, whatever the weather! This ultimate lamb alternative is crafted from allergen-free pea protein and a traditional marinade, with garlic, ginger, green chilli, garam masala and more. Simply grill or pop in your air fryer, then serve with naan and raita for a delicious dinner – whether you're vegan or not. SHICKEN Seekh Kebab Skewers are priced at £4.99, shickenfoods.com.…

SAVE Spend Splash TOP TIP Just like in real life, choose veggies in a wide range of colours for the greatest impact…