Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2025 i Style At Home

Spring is here and everything is definitely looking brighter! While I’m not heading outside and tackling any gardening jobs just yet, the warmer weather is inspiring me to get on with a few much-needed DIY projects inside. It’s all about easy fixes and not-too-spendy spruce-ups for me, so I’ll be re-painting the hallway and stairs to freshen everything up without costing a fortune. The bathroom is next on my hit list and if it’s on yours too, then don’t miss our ‘latest looks for bathrooms’ feature on p52 with all the hot new trends and colour insights from the experts... Plus there’s Claire’s brilliant bathroom makeover on p82 and advice on how to plan the perfect bathroom layout on p88. Enjoy! Style at Home’s PET OF THE MONTH Lilly the…

Like a lot of people during lockdown, we were looking to live somewhere a little more quiet where the children could grow up in a more spacious environment,’ says Helen. ‘We had sold our house and been searching for over a year when this property came on the market – and it was in a great position right on the edge of some woods. Safe to say that we fell in love with it the moment we walked through the front door and saw the stunning panelling! We wanted a project and an outside toilet had been on Adrian’s wish list, so that was the deal clincher. We immediately walked down to the estate agent, put our offer in and jumped on a plane to go on holiday. We weren’t…

1 ADD A POP OF PATTERN Give a basic wooden bunk bed an easy upgrade by adding a panel of patterned wallpaper to jazz it up. Use offcuts of wallpaper if you have any leftover from a decor project or buy inexpensive craft paper and cut panels to size. Use grab adhesive to stick the paper in place. Give it a coat of clear varnish to seal the surface and protect it from scuffs and scrapes. 2 COLOUR DRENCH Go for bold by painting walls and bunks the same rich shade throughout. Colour drenching creates a warm, enveloping feel that is perfect for cosying up a bedroom, and by painting everything to match it helps create a more unified scheme. Hang neat, short curtains in each nook to make the…

The bathroom we inherited didn’t really work for us,’ says Claire. ‘It was a generous size with a big window, but the bath was in the middle, which felt awkward and took up a lot of floor space. There was also very little storage and the yellow painted walls weren’t to our taste. We had so much renovation work going on in the rest of the house that we decided at first not to make any major changes and just freshen up this room. That was until we discovered the bath wasn’t properly plumbed in and the shower door was broken! As the costs of fixing everything started to mount up, we opted to tackle the room properly. Looking at the layout We wanted to make the most of the…

However diligent we are at sorting and separating our bottles, cans, paper or food waste at home, it can be tricky finding somewhere to store everything while waiting for recycling collection day to come around. As with most home storage, it tends to come down to how much room there is available and finding a solution that fits the space and is easy as well as practical to use. If space is tight and you don’t have a dedicated area for recycling – such as a utility room, basement or garage – then start by finding a convenient spot to store recyclables that is easy-to-access but where it won’t be an eyesore. SET UP AN EASY-ACCESS RECYCLING HUB Convenience is a must when organising a recycling system, so that you…

PATTERNED LAUNDRY BAGS YOU WILL NEED * 70x76cm patterned fabric * Pins * Sewing machine and thread * 1m length of cord or ribbon 1 SEW AROUND Fold the fabric in half widthways, with right sides together, and pin. Machine-stitch the long edge and one shorter edge, with a 1cm seam allowance. Neaten the seams with a zigzag stitch or use an overlocker. Turn right sides out and press. 2 MAKE A CHANNEL Turn the open edge under by 1cm then 1cm again. Pin, press and machine-stitch around. Fold a cuff (wrong sides together) of 10cm and pin, then press. Measure and pin two parallel lines 5cm and 7cm down from the folded edge. Machine-stitch these lines, leaving a small gap in the lower one. 3 THREAD WITH CORD To…

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN TRAYBAKE SERVES 4 TAKES 40 MINS, PLUS MARINATING * 435g can pineapple slices in juice * 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs * 1½ onions, cut into wedges * Oil, for drizzling * 1tbsp cornflour * 100ml chicken stock * 1 small red pepper, cut into 3cm chunks * 200g baby corn, cut into rounds * 150g sugar snap peas * 275g cooked fine egg noodles * 4 spring onions, finely sliced * FOR THE MARINADE * ½ onion, chopped * 3 garlic cloves, chopped * 4cm piece ginger, sliced * 1 red chilli, roughly chopped, seeds removed if you don’t like the heat * 1tbsp light soy sauce * 2tbsp white wine vinegar * 2tbsp soft light brown sugar * 4tbsp tomato ketchup 1 With the…

Habitat SPRING SCANDI Brighten up with simple designs and subtle pastels Dunelm COLOUR DRENCH Saturate your interior decor in delicate lilac shades M&S CASUAL CLASSIC Create a laid-back look with timeless style Next DOPAMINE HIGH Bring joy to your scheme with optimistic, vibrant colour…

1 THROW SOME SHADE Make your dining area the focal point with a standout light fitting positioned centrally above the dining table, rather than centred in the middle of the room. Size is key when it comes to the light fitting – too small and it could look lost, but too large and it could overpower the table and look off-balanced. Aim for a fitting approximately one-third the width of the dining table. 2 DOUBLE UP Fill the space above a longer table by hanging a pair or trio of matching pendant lights in a row. Position so that the spacing between the lights is even and ensure that each pendant is roughly the same distance from the table edge. Keep to matching shades or pendants to give a uniform…

As a lighting designer and maker I work with interiors and material designs daily, so it’s always part of my every day,’ says Emer. ‘So when we moved into our house, it didn’t faze me that it needed to be fully renovated. Although it was in good condition and had all its original fireplaces and beautiful ceiling detail and cornicing (which is what we fell in love with), the space didn’t work for us as it was. We started off by knocking down the wall between the reception rooms, which had become a dumping ground. Then we started updating the bedrooms, and it wasn’t long before we submitted planning to convert the loft. Moving ahead Once planning was approved, we had an L-shaped loft conversion built, complete with a master…

Design a colourful feature wall A ledge creates a dado-like divide – and the opportunity to use a trio of colours. Three complementary shades turn panelling from a basic backdrop into the main design event in a room. Give it a twist… Create an ombre effect using tones of one shade from dark to light up the wall. Get airy stairs with vertical slats Replace traditional stair panels with vertical battens for a contemporary feature that allows light to move through the house. Matching stair treads in the same wood keeps the look cohesive. Give it a twist… Swap this dark and dramatic look for a cheerful rainbow of colour across the slats. Create a uniform panel gallery Adding verticals at regular intervals to traditional horizontal panelling creates frames along…

Unlike fabric blinds, which can get damp and mildewed in steamy bathrooms, shutters allow extra ventilation with their louvred slats, so they’ll dry more quickly. They’re also easier to wipe down and keep clean. Choose wisely While painted wood or MDF shutters are fine in well-ventilated spaces, for rooms with high humidity, moisture-resistant shutters are more practical. Made of ABS plastic, polymer or polyvinyl, they are waterproof, so the slats won’t rot or warp when they come into contact with water or steam. Decide on a style There are several types; which you choose is down to style and the level of light you want. Full-height shutters cover the whole window and open as one unit. Tier-on-tier shutters look similar, but the top and bottom tiers open independently. For windows…

Now’s the perfect time to get ahead and make a start on some spring cleaning and tidying jobs that have been put off over winter. A free afternoon or just a spare hour here and there is plenty of time to tackle a few key tasks, such as giving bedrooms a seasonal once-over and putting away winter bedding and clothes, or re-organising cluttered cupboard space. Or why not blitz the bathroom and clear out unwanted toiletries? Then you can claim back the storage space. Make flowers last longer An arrangement of pretty flowers is a lovely way to inject some colour into tired rooms. Keep them fresh by putting into water as soon as you get them home, even if you don’t have time to arrange them straight away. Before…

With doors feeling a little bare once festive wreaths have been taken down, now’s the perfect time to brighten up your porch or entryway again with an eye-catching wreath that will bring a smile to your face every time you walk in the door. Spring flowers are perfect for bringing a shot of colour and joy to any space and here, we’ve created a vibrant seasonal wreath using the sunshine yellow of mimosa flowers with some cut branches of pussy willow for added texture, but you could use in-season blooms and foliage you prefer. YOU WILL NEED * A base wreath * Selection of spring flowers * Flowering branches (look for woody stems to make it easier to push them into the wreath) * Pruning shears * Length of coloured…

BEST BUDGET MULTI-COOKER TEFAL CY505E40 ALL-IN-ONE PRESSURE COOKER/MULTI-COOKER CAPACITY 6ltr PRESETS 12 COOKING FUNCTIONS Pressure, steam, slow cook, simmer, brown, bake, baby food, rice, porridge, reheat PRICE £129.99 A great choice at an affordable price. We loved the control panel, which made it easy to choose the right mode, plus there’s a lot this multi-cooker can do. It made delicious, fluffy rice, while the recipe book made it easier to get to grips with the functions. The compact design is a winner for smaller kitchens and using the browning program before switching to the pressure cooking mode was useful for making a tasty beef stew. One issue we had was the lack of an obvious start button. Instead there’s an icon, which you need to find in the manual. REASON…

Time to reflect Gokvalla is a new collection from Ikea inspired by the festival of Ramadan. With the emphasis on reflection and celebration, the range includes colourful textiles, festive tableware and decorations in rich colours and intricate patterns inspired by Islamic art and the cycle of day and night. 3 of the best CHEERY MUGS…

My husband and I are both Welsh, and we’ve lived in the Cardiff area for many years,’ says Rhian. ‘Our previous home was a 1930s semi, which we totally renovated and decorated and which served us well for eight years. But with three small children, we started to crave a bigger garden, off-street parking and more space to be together as a family. We saw this house up for sale and went to have a look. It needed a lot of work as it had so many issues, and some of the rooms were smaller than the ones we’d be leaving behind. It was advertised as a four-bedroom property, but the third bedroom had basically been chopped in two to make two smaller bedrooms. And there had been some strange…

1 LINE-UP A LEDGE Combine storage and display with a shelf running along the wall behind a bed. Timber panelling is an easy fix for bedroom walls that are less than perfect and makes a stylish decorative treatment when painted a bold colour or a muted neutral. Simply add a narrow picture ledge on top to provide a space for lining up pictures and prints or showing off pretty knick-knacks. 2 GO OVER THE TOP Build bespoke storage to go around a standard headboard. Simply swap two standard bedside tables for a pair of slimline shelving units – they’ll use exactly the same floorprint but offer stacks more storage potential with extra drawers and open shelving. Position either side of the bed and finish off by adding a floating shelf…

1 Build a storage wall Use modular wall-mounted cubes to build a bespoke wall of storage. Tailor it to suit your room shape or storage needs, whether for crockery, glasses and linens in a dining room, books and media kit in a living room or towels and toiletries in a bathroom. Vary the shapes and sizes of your cubes to create a visually interesting arrangement and mix it up with one or two different colours or contrast finishes. Add doors or drawers to some of the cubes so you can hide less-than-lovely items away and leave some of the cubbies open-fronted so you can display more decorative pieces. 2 CRAFT COLOURFUL COASTERS Make coasters using piping cord. Cut cord into 200cm lengths, snipping each end at a 45° angle. Dab one…

Hardly a colour to go unnoticed, it’s not surprising that red is on everyone’s radar this season. Following the viral ‘unexpected red’ theory – that adding anything red into a room where it doesn’t necessarily match, will automatically make it look better – our appreciation for the bold hue has reached new heights. Take note that too much red can overpower a room, but used sparingly it can raise its energy, pairing with pinks or earthy neutrals, or simply dotted into whatever your existing scheme is!…

Consider your needs Your bathroom layout is largely going to be dictated by the shape and size of the space, plus the way in which you use it. If it’s a family bathroom, then a bath might be an essential, but if it’s an en suite for two, then a walk-in shower might be a better option. Don’t be restricted by how you currently use the space – try to visualise how you would like a new scheme to function. Assess the space Take a good long look at your current bathroom and decide which components work well, what you prioritise the most and then the bits of the bathroom that don’t work or which you rarely use. Are there any extras or luxuries that would make your bathroom that…

STRAWBERRY AND LEMON DREAM CAKE SERVES 8-10 TAKES 1 HR 30 MINS PLUS CHILLING OVERNIGHT * FOR THE SPONGE * 185g caster sugar * 3 large eggs * 75g plain flour, sifted * FOR THE LEMON LAYER * Juice of 2 lemons * 50g caster sugar * 2 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water * 75g half-fat crème fraîche * 150ml light double cream * FOR THE STRAWBERRY LAYER * 300g strawberries, hulled, plus extra, to serve * Juice of 1 lemon * 75g caster sugar * 3 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water * 150g half-fat crème fraîche * 225ml light double cream * YOU WILL NEED * 23cm loose-based springform cake tin, greased and lined with baking parchment * 20cm loose-based non-stick cake tin 1 Heat the oven…

BEST FOR BED SHEETS DRY:SOON 3-TIER DELUXE HEATED AIRER CAPACITY 15kg of washingSIZE H132.5xW74xD70cmWATTAGE 300W TIMER? YesFOLDABLE? Yes, folds down to 8cm deepPRICE £249.99 If you need a heated clothes airer with a large capacity, then this is the airer for you. It can handle 15kg of washing, thanks to its 21m of drying space. It’s also one of the best options for drying large items like trousers, sheets and towels, as they can be more easily draped over its three tiers of heated shelving. The eye-level control panel makes for easy use, and an auto shut-off timer means you don’t need to worry about remembering to switch it off. Although sizeable once erected, the aluminium frame folds down to just 8cm deep, which makes it easy to tuck out…