Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2019 i Style At Home

The last couple of weekends, I’ve woken up to sunshine and it’s given me a weird injection of energy toget stuff done. There’s nothing like sunlight to show up the dirt, so I’ve been running around dusting shutters and lampshades with inside-out sports socks on my hands, and clearing away the cobwebs with a broom wrapped in an old pillowcase, spritzed with spray cleaner (tricks I learnt working in hotel housekeeping, years ago!). Inspired by the ‘make-do-andmend’ attitude of our real homeowners in this issue, I’ve also stopped moaning on about my on-its-last-legs kitchen and got busy resticking and Plasti-koting the loose and chipped gloss vinyl, fixing the loose handles and rehanging the wonky doors. Looks almost as good as new! Turn to page 122 to see projects by other…

Ben and I met when we were students and, after years of living in rented flats, we bought this three-bedroom flat together in 2013,’ says Rachelle. ‘It has an attic, which is unusual for Scottish tenements, and we liked the dual character of the building, with its high-ceilinged, spacious living areas downstairs and then the cosier, sloping roof in the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. Although the flat had already been renovated, the decor was bland and dated, with magnolia walls and oatmeal carpets that looked tatty and tired. Colours we love We rushed in and decorated a lot of the rooms straight away, going for a mainly grey colour scheme throughout to give it a cohesive look. But when we started planning our wedding in 2016, we decided on a…

TK MAXX Bedlinen, kitchenware, cushions, great for one-offs – you never know what you might find. LIFE STORY An independent homeware store in Edinburgh, dedicated to contemporary Scandinavian design, with an online shop as well. ROCKETT ST GEORGE Online boutique store specialising in highly individual furniture, wallpaper and quirky accessories. H&M HOME Brilliant for simply styled basics – cushions, throws, bedlinen and rugs. Available on the high street and online. ZARA HOME A great selection of colourful tableware, linens and soft furnishings, all with a sunny, Mediterranean vibe. COX & COX On-trend homeware and furniture with a slightly rustic, Scandi aesthetic.…

When we found this house, my husband Rob and I were living in a rented, one-bedroom ground floor flat in a Warner house in east London,’ says Victoria. ‘I spent hours searching for the right property on listings websites, keen to jump on the property ladder and secure a home for our future family. Then I saw this house – it ticked all the right boxes and was the perfect doer-upper in our price range. The property belonged to a family who had lived there for 60 years – the daughter of the family showed us around. She insisted on no agent viewings, as it was important to her to sell the house to the right people. Although the interior had been pretty well looked after, the kitchen was dark,…

1 Drill a hole at the bottom of the angled section of a wooden wall bracket, another hole directly above on the top horizontal piece of the bracket and another on the end of the same piece, furthest from the wall. 2 Source a plug-in pendant light (try the selections at vendimialighting.co.uk), ensuring the flex is long enough to reach your plug socket from where you plan to mount the bracket. 3 Attach the bracket to the wall, using screws and wall anchors. Safely remove the plug from your light fitting and feed the flex through the holes, starting with the first hole on the top of the bracket, over and through the end and out of the hole in the angled section of the bracket. 4 Safely re-attach the…

Our previous house was a two-up-two-down that we did up ourselves with absolutely no prior experience,' says Alex. 'Although the location was beautiful, in a tiny Buckinghamshire village, it was remote, and I learnt that the convenience of being near shops and towns is really important to me. Six months after Sam and I got married, we were ready for our next property challenge. One day into our search, we found this house and even though it hadn’t been updated in over a decade, we were excited by its potential. Then I found out I was pregnant, and all of a sudden we had a deadline to work towards, as we wanted the majority of the work finished by the time the baby arrived. While I was on maternity leave,…

1 Work out a measurement for your yarn pieces by hanging one long length of wool over a piece of wooden dowel – the middle of the hanging will be the longest point so cut this piece to the length you’d like this to be. 2 Using this piece as a guide, cut the rest of the yarn to the same length. Take a bunch of the wool pieces, bringing the ends to meet to create a loop at the top. Place the loop at the back of the dowel, bringing it over the top to thread the ends through. 3 Repeat along the dowel, then using scissors, cut a gradient from each end to the middle.…

Once the ground floor of her house was opened up, Alex kept the look bright with contemporary colours on the walls and added plenty of character with warm wood furniture and vintage finds. Texture is the key to making this freshly renovated home feel authentic. The layers of neutrals add a cosy finish from warm wood tones throughout to lived-in leather, wicker and textured cotton accessories.…

We bought our home for the sea views and its potential, but it needed extensive renovations as it hadn’t been touched since the Seventies,’ says Abigail. We were excited to transform it into our forever family home, though the existing kitchen was beyond salvaging with an unsafe boiler and limited worktop space. First things first Before we moved in, our builders tackled all the big jobs, including removing the asbestos floor tiles, rewiring, replacing the boiler and all the plumbing. We maximised the space by knocking down the wall of an old adjacent bathroom, removing a chimney breast and relocating the boiler. We kept the sink in the same position but moved the cooker which gave us more worktop space either side. Sourcing the rest I love mid-century modern design…

Natural Pacific Walnut horizontal grain kitchen units, £2,844.18; Duropal worktop in Glacial Storm (S66012 (R6480) MS), £315.82, both The Cabinet Door Shop. Hafele Wilton Oak Cup handles, £62.38 (£2.94 each), Complete Tools & Fixings. For similar flooring, try Aqua Plank white oak click vinyl flooring, £17.64sq m, Factory Direct Flooring. Hexagon Nature patterned tiles, £48.82sq m, Tons of Tiles. Hexagon white matt tiles, £157.05, Tiles Direct. Gamlesjon dual-control kitchen mixer tap, £95, Ikea. Stoves Richmond 900mm 900DFTBLK 0195 dual fuel cooker, £1,099; Britannia Intimo 700mm canopy cooker hood, £299; Rangemaster integrated dishwasher, £439, all Appliance City. Walls painted in Mizzle estate eggshell, £46.50 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. Paco medium black and white cotton flat weave rug (L200xW140cm), £80, Habitat. Vintage table, £60, Danish Homestore. Torgerd fabric (on chairs), £5m,…

The bathroom looked like a throwback to the Seventies and had a peculiar layout that didn’t flow or make sense,’ says Ffion. ‘A mirrored cabinet had been hung too high above the washbasin and there was zero storage, so the room looked cluttered. The separate loo was located next door. We decided to tackle the bathroom while we had builders in to install an extension and loft conversion. It was a very stressful time, as we’d never undertaken such a large job before, and we project-managed it ourselves. We were under constant pressure from the builders to make decisions, which didn’t give us time to focus on what we wanted to achieve with the new bathroom. Favoured flooring Our must-have product were the Bert & May encaustic floor tiles, which…

Aquadart Inline shower enclosure, £350; Aquadart Aqualavo slimline shower tray, £240, both MJ Bathrooms. Savoy Steel shower tiles in Dark Grey, £36sq m; Metro tiles in Charcoal above washstand, £24sq m, both Rovic Tiles. Grohtherm 3000 concealed shower set, £550, Grohe. Heritage Blenheim Comfort Height close coupled WC and cistern, £330, QS Supplies. Black Asquith Encaustic floor tiles, £6 each, Bert & May. Wide drawer washstand with basin, £430; Phoenix Bateau Slipper roll-top bath with taps, £936, both heritage-painted-baths, eBay. For a similar radiator, try bathroom radiator, £199, Screwfix. Washstand and bath side painted in Farrow & Ball Black Blue matt estate emulsion, £27 for 2.5L, B&Q. Walls painted in Wimborne White estate emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5L, Farrow & Ball. Tongue-and-groove panelling, £16.56 a panel, B&Q; Breatheasy Cloud Burst, £18…

RHUBARB LATTICE PIE TAKES 1HR 45MIN SERVES 6 FOR THE PASTRY 250g plain flour 2tsp mixed spice 175g unsalted butter, diced 75g icing sugar 2 egg yolks A little beaten egg or milk FOR THE FILLING 600g rhubarb, chopped into 2cm pieces 2tsp cornflour 40g root ginger, peeled and chopped 150g caster sugar 3tbsp flaked almonds 1 Put the flour and mixed spice in a bowl and rub in the butter. Stir in the icing sugar, yolks and 1½tbsp water. Knead, cover and chill for 30min. 2 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Roll out the pastry and use two-thirds to line a 23cm square loose-based tin. Line with greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake for 15min. Remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 5min.…

JOIN THE DOTS Store toys, laundry, or sports kit in this brilliantly versatile basket. Spotty collapsible storage basket, £8.99, H&M Home TIN-TASTIC Pop on a shelf or counter to hide your clutter. Ferm Living Confetti tins, £29 for set of three, Cloudberry Living CLEAR WINNER Spot the contents of this neat box through the glass top. Grey concrete-effect wooden storage box, £15, Gisela Graham GREAT CRATE Stack this crate for instant storage, or fold it away when not needed. Folding storage crate in Milk Tea, £14, Bobby Rabbit HANDS ON Use this hook in a small bathroom, or as a place to pop your most-used bits and bobs. Northern Nest hook in pink, £39, Nest SHIP SHAPE Make use of an unused spot in a kid’s room with this cool…

Screen play Inject a dose of colour and pattern into your life with this easy introduction to screen-printing. Print Play by Jessie Wright and Lara Davies (£12.99, Hardie Grant) is brimming with key techniques, advice on design and picking colours, plus 24 versatile projects, including unique print designs for homeware, clothing and accessories. Each one has a difficulty rating, so you can build on the basics as your confidence grows. This jazzy pinboard is sure to bring a smile to your face in a kids’ room or home office. TRY YOUR HAND AT... PAPER CUTTING MOUNTYOUR FINISHED PAPER CUT IN A FRAME ON A COLOURED BACKGROUND TO SHOW OFF YOUR HANDIWORK Thanks to a revival of Scandinavian folk art, and with paper cutting artists like Rob Ryan making it into…

Tuck into a balanced meal With help from the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, M&S has developed a range of Balanced for You ready meals that are low in carbs, salt and fat. Priced at £4 each, there are four meat dishes (Onion Bhaji Chicken Curry; Mexican Style Beef Chilli; Beef & Red Wine Casserole; Chicken & Bacon Carbonara), two fish (Scottish Lochmuir Salmon; Aromatic Cod & Coconut Curry) and one vegetarian (Mac ’N’ Cheese). Try these Japanese treats Well known throughout Japan, mochi is a traditional cake made from glutenous rice that has been pounded until it becomes soft and chewy in texture. Little Moons has pimped its range of mochi by filling the shell with ice cream, and this month, it’s added a new flavour – Belgian…

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Give your bedroom a mini spring makeover by changing up your bedlinen to one of these fresh designs from Tesco. Whether you like geo, florals, nature or a classic stripe, there's something for everybody, so add a dose of prettiness to your trolley! 3 of the best… ACCENT CUSHIONS…

So full-on summer may not have arrived just yet, but there’s no harm in getting your home ready for it and this bold, bright and beautiful trend will do just that. Think leafy botanical prints, tropical flowers and the odd jungle animal here and there, but dare to mix in more colour than your usual lush greens, by adding pink, yellow, orange and blue to create a riot of summery hues.…

ABOUT ME I’m Rachelle Garnham, head of marketing for the fashion and shopping app, Mallzee, and I live here with my husband Ben, a maths teacher, and our Lhasa Apso Poppy. MY HOME A three-bedroom, two-floor tenement flat in a Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh, which we bought in 2013. WHEN I MOVED IN The building had been converted into flats, but the decor was cheaply done and looked dull and uninspiring. AND NOW A calm, co-ordinated colour scheme in soft grey, blush and gold looks chic and upmarket. STYLE TIP Take time to work out your style and don’t settle for items that don’t fit it. You can alter them – paint them or add some new handles – to end up with something unique without spending a fortune.…

Rachelle has created a home full of pretty knick-knacks, high-end style accessories and simple, sophisticated furniture, all on a modest budget. By starting with white walls as a base, she was able to let her personality shine through in the decor. Rachelle layered up the look with smart brass and copper touches, paired with softer pinks and more greys and whites. Pops of fresh and faux foliage bring in some life, while a little black stops the scheme from becoming too feminine.…

ABOUT ME I’m Victoria Hargreaves, 35, and I’m an occupations communications manager. I live with my husband Rob, 37, our little boy Oliver, two, and our cat Hendrix. MY HOME A two-bedroom Victorian terrace in east London. We moved here in November 2015. WHEN I BOUGHT IT Having spent our savings on buying the house, we had no money to extend. We took on all the DIY and decorating work ourselves, except plumbing and plastering in the bathroom. AND NOW We’ve installed a new kitchen and bathroom, and updated every room with pops of colour and upcycled vintage furniture. STYLE TIP Don’t be afraid to tackle DIY jobs yourself – it might be much easier than you think!…

ARTPOSTERS.COM An affordable piece of art such as a poster will stamp personality on any wall in your home. Victoria’s Campari print was a sale purchase and cost just £10. LA REDOUTE Famous for adding French style with its selection of cosy rugs in a range of textures – sheepskin, Berber, shaggy or geometric. WALLACE COTTON This contemporary, New Zealand-based interiors company is Victoria’s go-to for luxurious, naturally crafted bedlinen. Steal her look with Hydrangea duvet, £140 for a single set. GEORGE HOME You can add a riot of fun and colour to your bathroom with animal prints like the Parrot shower curtain, £6. ROCKETT ST GEORGE Display your favourite jewellery and accessories on a range of quirky, animal-inspired hooks and knobs, as seen throughout Victoria’s home.…

ABOUT ME I’m Alex Reid, 29, I own nursery interiors company Missing Cargo (missingcargo.co.uk). I live with my husband Sam, 31, and our one-year-old baby, Camilla. MY HOME A three-bed 1950s semi in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire that we bought in 2016. WHEN WE BOUGHT IT The house had been rented for years and was in a bit of state, with grubby lino floors and brown floral carpets. AND NOW The ground floor is a bright, open-plan space. We added a kitchen extension, turning the existing kitchen into a utility room. STYLE TIP Shelves made from inexpensive reclaimed wood are great for filling up large wall spaces to display anything you like.…

WICKES The DIY store offers its own kitchen design service. Alex chose the Tiverton natural oak Shaker-style range in slate matt. EMMAUS A charity working towards ending homelessness and poverty, its shops are stocked full of wonderful decor items for the home as well as appliances. ROCK & CO GRANITE The company specialises in producing luxury stone worktops. DEBENHAMS A good source of affordable designer homewares and accessories. BOKA PRINT A huge range of quirky prints and posters, as well as a bespoke service for larger, personalised prints, canvases and wedding stationery.…

the STYLE RULES Create a free and decorative half-height wall Be playful with paint by creating a blurred border between warm copper and plaster pink. DITCH STRAIGHT LINES Paint the entire wall in a pale colour. Once dry, add a deeper shade to the bottom half. Blur the line between with visible strokes using a dry brush. CREATE CONTRAST Geometric print textiles and wall art create a contemporary look that contrasts the fluidity of a brush stroke border. PICK NEUTRAL FLOORING Lay a natural carpet with a striking geometric print rug in co-ordinating colours. the STYLE RULES Use bold blocks of colour to make an instant impact Team a single vivid shade with geometric designs in high-contrast black and white. GO HALF AND HALF For a…

ABOUT ME I’m Abigail Pride, 40, and I live with my husband Rob, 39, and our six-year-old twins Agnes and Wilfred. We live in a four-bed bungalow in Brighton. This is our third home together and the kitchen was done as part of a whole house renovation in 2015. MY CHALLENGE We started by stripping out the asbestos flooring and old units to create an empty shell. We wanted to maximise the space, making it a family-friendly room with space for a dining table. MY WISH LIST We were after a mid-century inspired kitchen, filled with vintage details and lots of clever styling all on a tight budget.…

Ripping out a fireplace you don’t need can seriously boost the amount of usable space in your kitchen, and frees up the perfect spot for a lovely large range cooker, as well as extra cabinetry and storage for all your pots and pans. How’s it done? If you’re only taking out a ground floor fireplace, you’ll need to insert a steel lintel to carry the weight of the chimney stack above. ‘Some builders use steel gallows brackets, but not all Local Authorities permit them,’ says Steve McSorley, director of civil and structural engineering at Thomasons. A wood lintel can also be used, but nothing really beats steel. Can I remove the whole of the chimney? Yes – doing this creates extra space in the bedrooms and loft, too. But, it…

ABOUT ME I’m Ffion Francis, 34, and I live here with my fiancé Oliver Speck, 36. We’re both on a career break to travel. MY CHALLENGE The original bathroom was an eyesore and the layout was dysfunctional, making it feel cluttered. The loo was separate and I was dying to knock through, create some space and light and decorate in a modern classic style. MY WISH LIST I wanted encaustic floor tiles to drive the look, and a mix of old and new fittings. We chose tongue-and-groove instead of wall tiles due to budget, which in hindsight I’m glad about, as it complemented the traditional vibe.…

You can’t move for inspiring encaustic tiled hallways on Pinterest and Instagram, and the patterns available are to die for. They do take a little extra effort to fit and maintain than regular ceramic or porcelain tiles, but we reckon they’re totally worth it. What are they? Traditionally encaustic tiles were made from inlaid pieces of coloured clay, pressed together to form patterns and then fired. Nowadays, they tend to be made from cement, in a similar inlay method using coloured pigments and then hardened using a hydraulic press and left to cure naturally. Why are they a good choice? Since the colour is inlaid not just painted on, the design stays intact even when the tiles get worn down. Perfect in high-traffic areas like hallways, most people think they…

Fit a grout-free splashback Protect kitchen walls from inevitable spills and avoid damage by fitting a new double-sided tile splashback from Worktop Express. This contemporary herringbone design features a barrel-aged wood effect laminate on one side and a pale salvaged wood colourway on the reverse. The splashbacks are quick and easy to install and are more hygienic than regular tiles, because there’s no grout to keep clean – the trickiest part is choosing which side of the design to use. Upgrade timber decking Get your outdoor entertaining area bank-holiday ready by upgrading to sustainable HD Deck XS composite decking. The durable boards are made from responsibly sourced hardwood flour and recycled plastic bottle caps, making them low maintenance, splinter-free and environmentally friendly. What’s more, you can use your existing decking…

Learn how to create your own typography wall art at The Makery's Brush Lettering workshop. Head to John Lewis & Partner's flagship store on London's Oxford Street on 23 May, and get to grips with the basic strokes, before making your own A5 design. Under the expert guidance of Emily from Written By Emily, you'll be able to write anything from favourite quotes to special names and dates. You'll also take home a brush pen, guide and practice sheets, all for £48. Book your place at themakery.co.uk…

MAPLE BACON & CHEESE PANCAKE STACK  TAKES 20MIN SERVES 6 25g salted butter, melted and slightly cooled 225g plain flour 2½tsp baking powder 1tsp caster sugar 250ml milk 2 eggs Sunflower oil, for brushing 12 rashers maple-cured bacon 6tbsp grated Monterey Jack cheese A little maple syrup, to drizzle 1 Using a balloon whisk, beat together the butter, flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, eggs and 1tsp salt. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30min. 2 Brush a non-stick frying pan with a little oil and, when hot, add a dollop of pancake mixture. When you see bubbles appear on the surface, turn the pancake over and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan, separate each pancake with a square of greaseproof paper and cover the stack with foil…

GEORGE HOME Desert oasis Escape to warmer climes with sun-baked shades, terrazzo prints and cactus motifs MORRISONS Folky florals Style a pretty country scheme using ditsy blossoms and patchwork prints MARKS & SPENCER Artisan blues Set a tranquil scene with indigo blues, botanical themes and painted ceramics IDEAL HOME AT VERY Global mono Create a modern scheme with copper accents and contrasting patterns…

1. Layer lustre Look for accessories with soft, reflective finishes, such as rose gold and iridescent. Precious minerals have ditched their hippy rep, so gold-trimmed agate and rose quartz will give a glam nod to nature. 2. Decorate with cherry blossom A couple of tall stems in white or soft pink will add a little Eastern-inspired minimalism and simple greenery to your room. 3. Add crisp, colourful bed linen Instead of vintage florals or chinoiserie designs, try a modern update with a large, painterly floral – it’s still feminine but hot fuchsia adds a bit of sass. 4. Finish with a touch of gold Look for golden finishes on furniture and accessories to give your simple scheme a little polish and shine. Oriental elegance GET THE LOOK…

1 Start by picking out a favourite phrase, inspiring quote or even a short poem for your piece. 2 Using a computer, experiment with typing in some wording, trying fonts and font sizes to create different effects and playing around with layouts and colours. 3 Print out your work on inexpensive printer paper until you’re happy with the alignment and sizing, then swap to a slightly thicker cartridge paper or lightweight coloured card that will give a better-quality finish. 4 Frame your artwork in a simple clip frame, mounted or unmounted depending on its size. To create a luxe look, try spray-painting the frames gold, as Rachelle has, before positioning your artwork in them.…

Repurpose milk bottles into pretty bud vases. Measure the circumference and cut strips of wrapping paper to size. Wrap around the bottles and stick at the back. Finish with decorative tape or baker's twine. Fill with water and pop in spring stems.…

1 Protect the area not being painted by masking it off. Then prep the area that will be painted by lightly sanding all over. Wipe off any dust. 2 Choose your paint – chalk paint will give a super-matt finish, eggshell or satinwood are durable options with a low sheen, and gloss will give a hard-wearing, high shine effect. 3 Paint two to three coats to provide an even finish. 4 To add the wallpaper backing, remove any handles or shelves (depending on where you’re applying the paper). Cut the wallpaper to size, apply an adhesive such as wallpaper paste or PVA glue to the area, position the wallpaper, and carefully smooth out any air bubbles. 5 Neaten any untidy edges with a Stanley knife. Once the sideboard is completely…

Victoria has brought personality to her renovated Victorian terrace by filling it with upcycled furniture and vintage-inspired finds. Mid-century shapes and geometric prints create clean lines and allow her quirky collectables to shine. The look is brought up to date with industrial touches in the form of copper lighting and rustic shelving, while plenty of houseplants soften the scheme.…

1 Measure the length of the shelf you want and saw the scaffolding plank to size. 2 Sand the length of wood to your preferred level of smoothness. The rougher the finish, the more rustic it will look! 3 To stain the wood, use woodstain sparingly with a brush. Try Colours Oak Satin Woodstain, (£24, 2.5L B&Q). 4 Budget-friendly black metal brackets for your shelving can be hard to come by, so Alex buys hers in silver and spray-paints them black. Always check the brackets will support the weight of the wood plus anything you decide to put on the shelves. 5 Before attaching the brackets to the wall, take care to ensure there are no electrical wires where you are about to drill. Secure the brackets in place, use…

We're always on the lookout for real homes packed full of affordable ideas. If you're proud of what you've achieved, why not share your ideas with other Style at Home readers, so they can be inspired, too? It's easy to get in touch – snap some pics on your phone (sitting room, kitchen and one bedroom are a must…) and send them to us via email or social media – see below. EMAIL styleathome@ti-media.com  FACEBOOK facebook.com/styleathomemag INSTAGRAM #sahstylists TWITTER @styleathomemag…

1 Add pattern with a pretty blind Jazz up a bedroom with a plain scheme by hanging a patterned blind to add colour and interest. Choose a design with a neutral background so it doesn’t jump out into the room too much. 2 TOP TABLE Rid yourself of chipped, mismatched crockery and replace with a smart set in a pretty muted shade. Throw in brass cutlery to transform your table in an instant. 3 Make flowers go further Pick up a bunch of inexpensive supermarket flowers and divide into several groups or just two or three stems, then display them in jam jars with some greenery from the garden. 4 Mix ’n’ match For an eclectic look in a dining room, choose a combo of dining chairs in different styles…

Update handles to sleek brass pull bars or more relaxed retro wooden cup handles like Abigail’s. Revamp original or replica retro dining chairs or stools by upholstering seat pads in a mid-century colour palette of ochre, green or teal. Source original ceramics from charity shops, boot fairs and eBay or look for modern pieces with a throwback feel, relief patterns, geometric prints or that feature naive illustrations inspired by Fifties and Sixties designs. For a contemporary twist on mid-century style, go for tiles with a geometric design in muted tones such as grey or blue, or choose a white 3D design. Danish-inspired layered shades or origami-style pendants bring a designer edge to the space.…

Show off the ultimate shelf candy with the stoneware Bloomingville Carla teapot in red, £16, Scandinavian Design Center Create a 3D-effect splashback using these contour shadow hexagon tiles, £32.95sq m, Walls and Floors Prep food on a long wooden chopping board – it looks great on display, too, £12, Sainsbury’s Home Add Scandi style with this Wild & Wolf Folklore print tea towel set, £11.50 for two, Hurn & Hurn Hang a clever paper-fold style pendant like the Clyde easy-fit lampshade in white, £40, Habitat Introduce a modern edge with the Edmonton black kitchen mixer tap, £49.95, Victorian Plumbing Cook up delicious dinners using the Stoves Richmond S900DF dual-fuel range cooker in black, £1,499, John Lewis & Partners Bring a splash of colour to a windowsill with the Orla Kiely…

1 Start by attaching horizontal battens to the wall. Aim for three, one at floor level, one level with the top of the tongue-and-groove panel and a third in the middle of the other two battens. 2 Make sure the battens are level, then mark the positions on the wall. Mark drill points, then drill the holes, plug and screw in place. 3 Starting left, fix the first plank in place by nailing a panel pin through the batten. Use a spirit level to check the plank is vertical before fixing to the other battens. Continue with planks across the width. Finish with capping at the top and skirting at the bottom.…

Create a tiny eco system and try making your own terrarium. Demijohn container, £8, Wilko Give a nod to Victoriana with this plant illustration. Botanical wall chart, medium, £18, Love Frankie A chalky painted frame brings some vintage character. Oval mirror ribbed in antique taupe, £68, Grand Illusions Boost lighting above the mirror using a wall-mounted light. Century double wall bracket in polished chrome, £81, Där Lighting Pair neutral walls with a patterned floor for maximum impact. New England mono star decor tiles, £51.68sq m, Tile Flair Not enough window ledges for plants? Go for suspended pots instead. White dip glaze hanging planter, £9, Albert & Moo Upcycle a freestanding unit with a lick of paint. Graphite chalk paint, £19.95 for 1L, Annie Sloan A handy hideaway for toilet rolls…

TWO FOR ONE A handy 18m of space and a removable wing to hang from a radiator. 2-in-1 dryer, £29.99, Vileda TALL BOY Compact and holds up to 5kg of wet washing. Addis extendable airer, £34.99, Robert Dyas WILKO’S NEW ECO ‘DOESN’T COST THE EARTH’ CLEANING RANGE IS AVAILABLE INDIVIDUALLY OR IN A PACKAGE OF SIX ITEMS FOR £12.50 HOT STUFF This heated model costs just 4p an hour to run. Minky airer, £50, Argos…

FOR MORE EXPERT ADVICE, LOOK OUT FOR SQUIRE’S HANGING BASKET MASTERCLASSES THIS MAY Hanging baskets are a stunning way to display a variety of plants. They make a real statement in the garden and will add plenty of colour and interest. You can plant summer hanging baskets from April, but make sure to protect your plants from frost. If this isn’t possible, wait until late May or early June. Just follow these simple steps… YOU WILL NEED Lined hanging basket (the bigger the better) Terracotta pot or bucket Scissors Multipurpose compost A selection of plants 1 PREPARE YOUR BASKET Place your basket in a terracotta pot or on a bucket to stabilise it while you work. Snip a few holes in the liner, which can be plastic, moss, coir or…

A  Abode Living 01273 621116 abodeliving.co.uk Addis 0800 515 300 addis.co.uk Albert & Moo albertandmoo.com Amara 0800 587 7645 amara.com Amazon amazon.co.uk Andshine 01736 366568 andshine.co.uk Annie Sloan 01865 803168 anniesloan.com Appliance City 0115 965 1937 appliancecity.co.uk Argos 0345 640 2020 argos.co.uk Audenza 0116 298 6393 audenza.com B  B&Q 0333 014 3098 diy.com Ban.do bando.com Bathstore 0800 023 2323 bathstore.com Beko 0345 600 4911 beko.co.uk Bert & May 020 3744 0776 bertandmay.com Blinds 2go 0800 862 0464 blinds-2go.co.uk Bobby Rabbit 01143 217000 bobbyrabbit.co.uk Bosch 0344 892 8979 bosch-home.co.uk C  Ca’Pietra 01380 735886 capietra.com Carpetright 0330 333 3444 carpetright.co.uk Cloudberry Living 0330 123 3301 cloudberryliving.co.uk Complete Tools & Fixings 0115 784 6837 comptools.co.uk Composite Prime composite-prime.com Cox & Cox 0330 333 2123 coxandcox.co.uk Crown 0330 024 0281 crownpaints.co.uk Cuckooland 01305 231231…