Some people naturally love renovating. They get ‘the bug’ and go from house to house, taking on more challenging projects with each step. I think it’s fair to say I am not one of them – although a small part of me wishes I was. Don’t get me wrong, the fact that my husband, Marcus, and I have injected love and personality into a house desperate for some attention feels incredibly rewarding and I love showing family and friends before…
In the hopes that this may help in your project decisions, I've put together a list of 30 good and bad things I found after my husband Marcus and I have lived in the property we've renovated for a year, from the choice of tradesmen to wrong paint decisions…
Shelves cost a lot less money, make the space feel less claustrophobic, and can help add personality by having some of your favourite items on view – for me it’s all about coffee pots, typographical prints, and plants. Shelves replicate professional kitchens, keeping tools, utensils, and key ingredients close to hand.…
After weeks of steaming layers of flowery beige designs from the other bedrooms – during a heat wave, I may add – while removing scratchy carpet and dealing with the dusty residue they left behind, the three bedrooms were finally stripped back to their plaster walls and wooden floors…
Steel-framed glazing can set the tone for the rest of your décor. Why not match your taps, tiling, or other details – from your cooker to your handles – to the colour of the frames for a cohesive feel? The glazing doesn’t have to stop at your outside wall: carry it indoors through room dividers, creating a broken-plan living space to give you the privacy of separate rooms without compromising on space or light.…
When we first got the keys, the existing kitchen was miniscule, terribly tired, and connected to a separate larger dining room which had also seen better days. Once we knew having a rear extension was possible, we briefly considered knocking down the supporting wall between them to have one large open-plan kitchen-diner…
Fix items instead of replacing them, and shop with a more sustainable mindset: look for companies trying to change for the better. That’s what the renovators in this issue have done. From surfaces made out of recycled yoghurt pots to a completely vegan décor, our real homes are brimming with ideas to help you make a difference. …
My husband Marcus and I started thinking about kitchen planning and the design early on, as the builders had to know where items such as the ducting for the extractor, the sink – which needed new plumbing – and the electrics for the ovens, hob, and fridge had to go. In terms of layout, we had decided even before the build began that the dining area would be in the new extension…