Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2021 i Style At Home

I’m kicking off 2021 in style, with two super-exciting projects I can’t wait to get stuck into. First up is my dream role as the new  Editor of this fantastic magazine. And then, on top of that, having decided during lockdown that we (my OH and our 11-year-old twins) had outgrown our current family home, I’m also moving house! My home is so much to me – it’s my creative outlet, my sanctuary, and is at the very heart of my family life. I’m so lucky that my job means I get a front-row seat when it comes to seeing the most inspiring real homes, as well as the top decorating ideas and must-have products out there. When it comes to making the very best of the home you have,…

ABOUT ME I am Colleen Roberts, 46, I own an interiors online store (@west_barn) and I live here with my partner David Fox, 51, an account manager, and my children Jack, 11, and Ned, eight. OUR HOME A four-bed, 21-year-old semi-detached house in Harrogate, Yorkshire, bought in January 2019. WHEN WE MOVED IN It was in a bad way – the window frames were rotten, the carpet was threadbare, the walls were all painted a ghastly yellow and the kitchen was falling apart. AND NOW We have redecorated throughout, laid carpets and flooring, replaced all the windows and doors, and fitted a new kitchen. STYLE TIP Grey is calming and smart and easy to accessorise.…

ABOUT ME I’m Mindy Schroor, 42, an influencer and content creator. I live here with my husband Theo, 33, a healthcare coordinator, and our children Nayla, 13, and Ravi, six. OUR HOME A four-bedroom, semi-detached house built in 1978 in Drachten, the Netherlands. We’ve lived here since 2004. WHEN WE MOVED IN The house was functional, but not charming. I like houses with creaky wooden floors and original features – this place had no frills at all! After living in it for two years, I began to add the character back in. AND NOW We’ve given it a complete makeover. I’ve painted the walls countless times, styled with eclectic, vintage finds, and made it into a unique space that bursts with colour and personality. STYLE TIP If you can’t stick…

DUTCHBONE It has a gorgeous collection of soft furnishings and a sparkly range of gold accented accessories. MADE For all the velvet – from sofas to scalloped headboards, armchairs, pouffes and footstools. MINEHEART There is always an array of iconic wallpaper designs to suit every room. Plus, Mineheart plants one tree for every roll of wallpaper sold, so you can help the environment, too. IKEA Shop here for a range of quality, colourful furniture at affordable prices, as well as a variety of festive decorations come Christmastime.…

ABOUT ME I’m Shani Zion, a stylist. I live here with my husband, Jake Fitzjones, a photographer, and our 17-year-old daughter, Marla. OUR HOME A three-bed Victorian terraced house in Camden, north London. We moved here in 2002. WHEN WE MOVED IN It was a rental property, with a flimsy kitchen, one poky bathroom and grotty flooring. AND NOW We’ve opened up the ground floor to let the light flood in and fitted a new kitchen. Upstairs, we’ve turned a guest bedroom into a spacious family bathroom and made a bedroom for Marla in the attic. STYLE TIP Keep the big things classic and simple, and go wild with accessorising! You can then update your style frequently, knowing that your big-ticket items will still suit.…

H&M HOME Brilliant for easy, affordable pieces that you can change often. Think cushion covers, trinkets and baskets. VINTERIOR An online marketplace for lovers of characterful vintage furniture and stylish second-hand pieces. MERCHANT & MILLS Browse their selection of linen fabrics for cushions and curtains to introduce pops of colour and pattern to neutral furniture. BOMBAY DUCK A go-to destination for a wide choice of patterned and glass knobs to give cabinetry a stylish uplift. ANTHROPOLOGIE Great for inspiration. Check out the quirky kitchenware and pieces with a global aesthetic. ZARA HOME Cashmere knit blankets, crochet bedspreads, washed linens; the current range of lovely slubby greys and taupes perfectly reflects the winter season.…

Painted pine cones Add a splash of festive colour by filling clear glass vases with painted pine cones – use shades of green for a natural look and layer up hues from dark to light to create an ombre effect. Alternatively, go bold with brights or subtle with pretty pastels. Supersize bauble garland Big honeycomb paper decs are a simple way to give your hallway some wow. Start with foliage and fairy lights wound around the banister, then add orbs of different sizes. Match the colours to your décor for subtle style. Row of wreaths Mix things up by replacing your usual mirror or wall art with a display of co-ordinated wreaths. Simply pin them up or hook up a fallen branch to hang them from. Try making your own…

ABOUT ME I’m Emily Pickering, I live with my husband Matthew, daughter Scarlett, 11, and son Jacob, 10. We have a four-bedroom, late 19th-century Victorian terrace house in Hove, East Sussex. We moved here in June 2009 from a modern mews house in Victoria Park, London. MY CHALLENGE To transform a dated and poorly laid out kitchen into a spacious, light and flexible space that connects seamlessly with the garden. MY WISH LIST A space that was comfortable to hang out in most of the day. We love to entertain, so it was important to have room for a big kitchen table, too.…

Although we’d looked extensively, we had only put in offers on two of the 70 houses we’d viewed over a six-month period,’ says Melissa. ‘The day we arrived to view this house, it had a long queue of people waiting to view it, too. I loved it and we put in an offer the same day, and were thrilled when it was accepted. At that first viewing it didn’t look like the house needed much work. We thought a lick of paint and a bit of personality would do. But, when we moved in five months later and all the furniture had been removed, it looked very different, and at that point we realised a second viewing would have been a good idea! Makeshift stopgap Like the rest of the…

Panelling and walls in Railings modern emulsion, £49.95 for 2.5ltr; fire surround in Sulking Room Pink modern emulsion, £49.95 for 2.5ltr, both Farrow & Ball at B&Q. Wall in Banana Leaf Mono, £17 a roll, I Love Wallpaper. Busca Silver flat mirror tiles, £110sq m, Topps Tiles. Underground White tiles, £11.99sq m, Tile Mountain. Rhino Classic Flanders Beige Brown vinyl flooring, £19.99sq m, CarpetRight. Square SE bath, £130, Homebase. Mode 8mm bath screen, £199, VictoriaPlum.com. Rozin bathroom shower in Antique Brass, £130, Amazon.co.uk. Vintage Singer table, £50, Gumtree. Reclaimed brass Beaufort London basin taps, £25, eBay. Butler & Rose Beatrice brushed brass pop-up bath waste and overflow, £39.99, Drench. Try medium PoppyField rug, £125, French Connection Home. Round rug, £19.99, H&M Home. Round mirror, £80, eBay. Rustic vintage old-style toilet…

1 Decide what type of tree you want, as this will affect the final look. Certain varieties will bring a traditional scheme to life, while others will lend themselves to a more contemporary, Scandi style. Consider height, too – if you’re going for a glam-luxe vibe, a tall tree gives an elegant look. 2 You usually need more lights than you think to make your tree really sparkle, so before adding baubles and decorations, switch them on to check it has a good covering of lights. 3 Make the tree part of the Advent countdown. Bake homemade treats or wrap numbered mini presents in brown paper and tie to the tree with ribbon. 4 As a rule, the larger the bauble, the lower down it should be. Start with the…

See in the new year with a clink of Elysia glasses. The vintage-inspired coupes feature intricate cut glass detailing that will bring Gatsby vibes to the occasion, even if it's scaled down this year. 3 of the best… COCKTAIL ACCESSORIES…

A timeless classic in the world of fashion, it’s no wonder that animal print is seeing another resurgence on the interiors catwalks this season, and finding its way into our Christmas décor, too. From luxurious leopard prints to chic monochrome zebra stripes, have fun introducing a few accent pieces into your scheme for a classy, rather than garish, take on the trend.…

BELLAGIO STONE Offers a bespoke service with a wide range of quality stone surfaces, including worktops. KELLY’S ART STUDIO She makes wonderful, hand-painted, personalised plaques, such as the ones we have hanging in our bedrooms. LOVE MILLY For pretty candles, diffusers and melts made from soy wax and oils, and with beautiful fragrances, which you can use in any room. NIDDAL For quality windows and doors and an excellent fitting and after-sales service. CALVERTS CARPETS An excellent company for a wide choice of carpets and floor coverings at a good price.…

THIS MONTH’S Do it Create a winter village scene by arranging house-shaped tea light holders on a tabletop. Add bottle brush trees and hang star decorations from above to look like the night sky. Pop LED tea lights in the houses to make them come to life.…

Rent a Christmas tree. Love a Christmas Tree delivers a Nordmann Fir to your door from their family farm in Leicestershire, you decorate and enjoy a real tree for the Christmas season, then they’ll pick it up and replant it. Go for recycled giftwrap, brown paper or reuse last year’s. Foil and glitter can’t be easily recycled, so avoid these if buying new. Or, wrap presents in fabric. Invest in a reusable advent calendar and fill it with unique gifts each year. Go traditional with chocs, or branch out with natural toiletries or personalised vouchers.…

Give an inexpensive chest of drawers a new lease of life with fresh paint, then add pattern, or personalise with new accessories. Browse Anthropologie and Homebase for new handles. Sparkling glass knobs give a chic finish, or go for a minimalist vibe with leather loops. Add a pop of pattern by cladding the drawer fronts with offcuts of funky patterned wallpaper. Refinish the wood by lightly sanding, then applying a coat of varnish or oil to revitalise vintage cabinetry. If painting, chalk paint has a matt finish, while gloss paint will make your piece shine.…

1 Go bold with festive brights Swap traditional berries and fir for super-bright baubles and metallics to complement a modern scheme. Keep to two or three key colours for maximum impact – hot pink, turquoise and orange – mixed with frosted silver and sparkly gold. 2 SERVE DRINKS WITH A SPARKLE Invest in a mirrored tray – handy when you’re serving drinks and nibbles – or as a table centrepiece stacked with glassware and glittery baubles. 3 Colour-match Christmas decorations Get crafty and have a go at making your own decorations for a tablescape or to hang on the wall. Use tester pots to paint mache stars in different shades or try making simple cone trees from circles of coloured paper. 4 SWITCH TO WINTER BEDDING Work a little magic…

Walls in Pure Brilliant White matt emulsion, £9.99 for 2.5ltr, Dulux. Wall tiles, £32.99sq m; floor tiles, £25.99sq m, both Tons of Tiles. Knoxhult units, from £170 a unit, Ikea, is similar. Worktop, from £150 a panel, Moso Bamboo Surfaces. Sink, £299, Schock. Tap, £120, Sterling. Cooker, £450, Bosch. Lights, from a selection at Heal’s, Edwards & Hope, Plumen and Lighting Styles. Parker table, £900, Habitat. Chairs, from £74.95 each, Stone Butterfly. Bifolds, £4,000, A1 Glass & Glazing…

ABOUT ME I’m Melissa Asante-Crook, 40. I work in HR and office management and am a contemporary collage artist with an Etsy shop called Nook & Crook. I live with my husband Steven, 45, an engineer, daughter Mia, 22 and son Cooper, four. We bought our Tunbridge Wells home in 2018 and have slowly updated it. MY CHALLENGE The bathroom was big, however the walls were uneven – one didn’t even meet the ceiling – and the paintwork had seen better days. MY WISH LIST My dreams of a vaulted ceiling, walk-in shower and moving the basin to beneath the window had to be shelved when we saw the high quotes. Instead, our DIY scheme made the most of what we could do on a shoestring.…

Finding an off-the-peg design that suits your style, isn’t always easy, so why not consider repurposing a vintage piece, like a sewing machine stand, just like Melissa has. Can I use any furniture? Choose something solid and sturdy to support the weight of the basin – it’ll be heavier once it’s filled with water. Consoles, dressing tables, desks and even sewing machine stands all make great bases – or consider a sideboard, cupboard or chest of drawers if you need the storage. Which style basin should I go for? The easiest option if you’re adapting your own piece of furniture is a countertop basin or bowl which sits on top of the vanity unit. You’ll need to cut holes in the countertop for the waste and taps. Do I need…

CASE STUDY Perfect for whatever needs a home. Set of two vintage-style trunks, £120, Bundleberry at QVC FRUITY FIND Crafted from handwoven rattan, this also comes in a pear shape. Ferm Living storage basket, £75, Nest MILK AND MORE Getting milk delivered to your door? Pop this nostalgic metal crate on your doorstep. Milk bottle holder in Grey, £8, Dunelm KEEP AN EYE ON STUFF Hang items like bags, scarves and jewellery from this lightweight metallic rack. Brass eye wall hooks, £27.95, Graham and Green ROUND UP Just the ticket for keeping wreaths intact or cable lights from tangling until next year. Wreath storage bag, £25, Store BEAR HUNT Encourage little ones to help tidy all those new Christmas toys away. Rope bear storage basket, £8, Argos IT’S A WRAP…

IF YOU HAVE PETS OR SMALL CHILDREN, STAY SAFE AND SWAP REAL FLAMES FOR BATTERY POWERED FLOATING CANDLES Your Christmas table is the focal point of your festive scheme as it’s where family and friends will gather to eat, drink and be merry across the season. With sustainability and affordability at the forefront of our minds, why not make your centrepiece from items you might already have around the home? Here’s our guide to creating a classic centrepiece. YOU WILL NEED Glass trifle bowl Shallow glass bowl Rosemary sprigs Mini pine cones White berries Leaf sequins Floating candles 1 PICK YOUR BOWL Choose a clear glass bowl with a foot such as a trifle bowl – the larger the bowl the more candles you’ll be able to float. Give it…

MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON TAKES 1 HR 40 MINS SERVES 6 450ml mushroom stock 2 sprigs each rosemary and thyme, plus extra thyme to garnish 15g dried porcini mushrooms 2tbsp olive oil 150g shallots, peeled and halved 2 garlic cloves, crushed 4 carrots, sliced 1tbsp tomato purée 1tbsp plain flour 200ml red wine 850g mixed mushrooms 1 Heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Bring the stock to boil. Add the herbs and porcini mushrooms. Remove from the heat and let the ingredients infuse for 30 mins. 2 In a large pan, add the oil, shallots and garlic. Cook on a low heat for 10 mins, until they start to colour and soften. Add the carrots, tomato purée and flour. Cook for 2 mins. Slowly add the wine and stock, mixing well, until…

Wilko SUGAR PLUM LUXE Glittering metallics meet candy hues for a feminine festive look George Home SANTA’S RESORT Create a whimsical seasonal scheme with kitsch motifs in classic red and white Next Home SERENE NEUTRALS Combine natural shades and cosy textures for a grown-up festive feel Dunelm FOLKY BRIGHTS Step into a Scandi-inspired Christmas with cute characters in contemporary shades…

Keen to find a new home for herself and her sons, Jack and Ned, following her divorce, as soon as Colleen drove into this estate she knew she wanted to live here. ‘It was near the boys’ schools, close to their dad’s home and was in an ideal location for my business,’ she says. ‘The house had been neglected and needed everything doing to it, but my ex-husband and I had done a lot of work on my previous home, a converted barn, so having to renovate didn’t faze me. I just wanted it all finished in time for Christmas. First steps Despite the state of the house we moved in straight away, in January 2019. The walls were painted in a ghastly yellow, the carpet was threadbare with holes…

1 Buy a wooden letter. Choose fabric that will cover the letter front and back with a margin of about half an inch all around. Choose a strip of fabric for the trim allowing an extra two inches in length. 2 Glue a square of wadding to the top of the letter then trim around it. 3 Cut the fabric into two equal pieces then place the letter on top of the wrong side of one piece of the fabric, wadding face down. 4 Glue the edge of the fabric to the letter, making sure that the fabric is taut. With a curved letter, as you go round, snip the fabric at an angle to be able to fold and glue the edges down smoothly. Glue the corners, then snip…

I live in my husband’s childhood home, which I wasn’t sure was a good idea at first,’ says Mindy. ‘I worried Theo’s siblings wouldn’t like us making changes to the house that they’d grown up in, but they thought it was a great idea. And after viewing countless other properties, we realised we could make this house work for us. Theo’s parents had converted the garage into a spacious eat-in kitchen, the living room was a good size, and no major work was needed. The house was in really good condition, so all we did was sand and finish the dark wooden floors and paint the walls white, before I started decorating. After living in 17 houses (including a caravan!), it’s been nice to finally put down roots in the…

YOU WILL NEED: 9 paper takeaway bags with silver foil lining OR plain white paper bags Glue stick Scissors 1 Draw a T shape on the first bag with glue. Stick the next bag directly on top, making sure open ends are all on top of each other. Repeat eight times. 2 Cut the open ends into a point. Then cut some triangle shapes into the sides of the bags. 3 Unfurl the bags into a snowflake shape. Double over a piece of washi tape to stick the final sides together. 4 When it’s time to take the decoration down, simply remove the washi tape, close and store for next Christmas.…

Originally, we’d put in an offer on a house the next street over,’ says Shani. ‘By the time that fell through, we’d already fallen in love with this area of north London, and knew this was where we wanted our first proper family home. ‘Luckily, this house came onto the market almost immediately and we snapped it up. It had already been converted back into a single dwelling after decades as flats, but the renovations were cheap. The kitchen was flimsy and much of the Victorian character inside had been stripped away, but we saw that it had lots of potential. It was filled with light and the bedrooms were all a good size. We were happy to take our time to transform it into the home we wanted. Sociable…

Make use of the dead space under your staircase by creating a cosy library nook. Think about shelving options. Open and floating shelves look less bulky than cabinets and you can mount them to fit a range of book sizes. Make sure to measure your tallest books first before installing the shelves. Choose a comfy, low-to-the-ground armchair if space allows, or go for a stool with a funky patterned seat cushion to perch on while you browse. Save valuable floor space by installing a wall lamp and angle the beam to brighten up your corner and ensure there’s plenty of light to read by. Finish off the reading area by accessorising with a rattan basket to store cosy blankets.…

the STYLE RULES START WITH A NEUTRAL BASE Muted sage green paint on the walls creates the perfect backdrop for dark walnut and leather furniture, without dominating the room. CO-ORDINATING DETAILS Embrace a traditional look with a neutral tartan carpet and leather seating. To enhance country cottage vibes, carry the pattern through to your cushions and wrapping paper. TIMELESS COLOUR PALETTE Conjure up a classic Christmas scheme with seasonal foliage arranged along the mantel and tree decorations in festive shades of berry red, forest green and antique gold to complement the look. ADD SPARKLE Silver accessories give the look a contemporary twist. Go for high-sheen lighting, glitzy picture frames and shimmering baubles. Highland HIDEAWAY Add warmth with traditional checks and forest hues the STYLE RULES…

Having always wanted to live by the sea, we relocated to Hove in 2009 when our daughter Scarlett was just a year old. Our son Jacob was born shortly after the move,’ says Emily. ‘The house was structurally sound, but the inside was dated. It needed a complete internal makeover. I’m an interior designer (emilypickering.com), so for me this was the perfect opportunity to put our stamp on it and make it the family home we’d always imagined. The big changes The kitchen was the room we would spend most of our time in, so this is where we made the biggest changes and spent the most money. A curved archway split the kitchen in half, the room was cramped and the flow felt wrong. The kitchen appliances weren’t in…

Unlike sliding or French doors, bifolding designs stack neatly out of the way, providing gloriously open access to the garden – and an expansive feeling inside. What size do I need? The size of your aperture will determine the number of doors – try to go for as few as possible for uninterrupted views. Odd numbers look best – three or five works. For everyday access, make sure there is a single lead door that can be opened without having to slide and stack the whole set. Which materials are best? uPVC is the budget-friendly choice and it now comes in more modern black or dark grey finishes to mimic the on-trend steel look. Sadly, uPVC isn’t as strong as wood or aluminium, so the door frames will be thicker…

Choose a Victorian- or Edwardian-style washbasin on legs for an instant period look. Fit fluted glass wall lamps that look classy and traditional, or a central chandelier to create some drama. Go for aged brassware instead of shiny chrome; it will gain a lovely patina over time. Hang an oversized wooden mirror with a decorative frame, or a collection of smaller ones in gold and bronze frames, to create a charming feature wall. Black and white square tiles laid in a Victorian pattern are a timeless choice.…

FRENCH 75 TAKES 10 MINS MAKES 2 FOR THE LEMON SUGAR SYRUP Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon 3tbsp caster sugar FOR THE COCKTAIL 100ml gin Sparkling wine Thyme, to garnish YOU WILL NEED Cocktail shaker and ice cubes 1 To make the lemon syrup, put the lemon zest and caster sugar into a pan with 3tbsp water. Bring to the boil and gently simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Strain and add the lemon juice. This can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for a few weeks. 2 Pour the gin and 2tbsp of the lemon syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake to blend thoroughly, then strain into two glasses, top with sparkling wine and garnish with a sprig of thyme.…

When choosing a Christmas tree for your home there are lots of things to consider. Here are our top tips on how to find the one that best meets all of your needs. How do I know if it’s fresh and good quality? Needle retention is a good indicator of a tree’s freshness. To test it, lift the tree by the trunk and tap it on the ground. If too many needles fall off, look for an alternative. What do I need to do when I get it home? If you buy a cut tree, saw off the bottom 2.5cm of trunk and then stand it in water for as long as possible before bringing it indoors. This will keep it looking fresher for longer. Does it need water? As…

SO SIMPLE We love the classic starter of smoked salmon served on buttered brown bread, with dill and lemon. When the salmon is this good it doesn’t need more. Luxury Smoked Salmon, 300g, £5, Iceland The main event If, like us, you’re a leg person, then these slow-cooked turkey legs are the dream, as they just require reheating on the big day. The succulent meat comes with a rich turkey gravy. Slow-cooked Turkey Legs, 1.7kg, serves four, £12, M&S IT’S ALL GRAVY You could spend hours roasting the giblets and reducing the wine, or you could fool them all with this delicious gravy. We know which we would rather! Potts’ Turkey Gravy With Madeira & Sage, 350ml, £3, Ocado NICELY SPICY These crispy swirls of filo yumminess are filled with…

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