See more: World’s best homes – our page dedicated to fabulous properties The property Open to the challenge, the couple had decided to knock down an existing one-storey structure and replace it with this modern version of a cottage orné, a stylised, Romantic-era rustic retreat. The AONB status of the area meant it took four years for planning permission to be granted and a further three years for the building work to be completed....
References to Egypt abound in a pleasing mix of traditional and contemporary forms: the porch light, for example, is encased in a laser-cut shade depicting Tahrir Square, a key location in the 2011 revolution, while in the living room the mighty River Nile glistens in the treasured oil painting by Mahmoud Said that hangs above the fireplace. ‘I love being surrounded by reminders of Egypt,’ says the owner. Nevertheless, she has also embraced London –where she lives with her husband, and their daughters – with characteristic enthusiasm and creative fervour....
If landscape (and garden) design can be described as a response to a site, then a quick glimpse at the space that has been created for the residents of this premium architectural creation is enough to show how difficult that can be when the site consists of such conflicting features, materials and scales. See some of the world’s best homes – beautiful properties from around the globe The garden design Finding a visual language to sit comfortably with the combination of new steel and glass towers and the London-brick Georgian almshouses that surround site was just one of the challenges facing Gillespies landscape architect, Stephen Richards....
The bedroom is the most private room in the house, so your choice of bed should be the most personal. But there are still some key considerations when choosing a bed for your room. One that will allow you to escape from the trials and tribulations of life at the end of a long day. Whether you’re after quick tricks that you can pull off over a weekend or are in need of inspiration for a complete bed overhaul, we’ve come up with a host of bright bedroom ideas that we think will inspire you....
When exploring window treatment ideas, there are many options to choose from, however, the main categories you will come across are curtains, which are categorized as ‘soft’ window treatments, and blinds and shutters, which are ‘hard’ window treatments. For bedroom window treatment ideas, you want your chosen designs to be able to effectively block out the light so you can have a comfortable sleep space, as well as carefully considering how they can make your bedroom ideas feel more cozy, stylish and full of character....
It’s fair to say that at Homes & Gardens we’ve been championing vivid interior schemes and bold decorating ideas for some time, but a neutral backdrop can enable beautiful architecture, decorative furniture and bespoke artworks to make a true style statement within your home. Using, what Rob Whitaker, creative director at Claybrook, describes as a ‘smart neutral’ as the overall paint color for a space, is an ideal framework for stronger pops of color elsewhere....
Whether you are buying a refrigerator, a washer, or a small kitchen appliance for your countertop, these are the best retailers to make your shopping experience fast and pleasurable. From opportunities to save to retailers that stock top-range and hard-to-find brands, these are the websites you should always consult first when appliance shopping. Best places to buy appliances This is where to shop for appliances, from the best food processors and air fryers to the best vacuums for pet hair....
Exploring boho bathroom décor for your bathroom ideas can transform a clinical, functional bathroom space into a diverse environment bursting with character and charm. Your bathroom should be an inviting, relaxing space that still mirrors the rest of the design scheme in your home. Using boho bathroom décor ideas, from colorful tile designs, inviting soft textures and beautiful decorative objects, you can create an impressionable, stylish space that embodies much more than just practicality....
Several common houseplant pests can infest indoor plants – including mealybugs, spider mites, fungus gnats, aphids, whiteflies, and scale, amongst others. Most common pests can be troublesome to remove as they multiply quickly and move between plants in your collection. ‘Pests are as common a problem for indoor plants as they are for outdoor plants’ explains indoor plant expert Kate Lindley from Baby Bio. ‘In fact, houseplants can be even more susceptible to infestations for a variety of reasons, from changes in the environment to overwatering....
With such a wide array of tones available, decorating with blue, from powdery shades to bold turquoises and inky ocean hues, can create spaces that are dramatic and energizing as well as restful and restorative depending on the shade, while decorating with white can make small or dark spaces feel lighter, brighter and bigger. Match the two to decorate with blue and white in the right proportions for your space, and you have a classic combination that never dates and always feels fresh....
In 2020, aged 30, he launched his eponymous design studio, having already built a stellar celebrity client base, and he has offered his expert interior design tips to H&G for some time. In 2021 he co-founded The Expert (opens in new tab) with digital entrepreneur and friend Leo Seigal (above, right). The industry-first platform creates connections for one-to-one online consultations with over 130 respected interior designers in the US and UK as well as Copenhagen, Stockholm, Australia, and Canada....
And while corporate work spaces tend to neutral shades and plain upholstery, it’s easy to embrace more stylish material and color options as part of your home office ideas. Our home office seating ideas include desirable choices for every home office to make it a space you’ll be delighted to enter each day, along with expert advice on selecting the right designs. Home office seating ideas If you spend long hours at a desk, a desk chair that allows you to adopt the correct position is vital, but that’s no reason to opt for a look that falls down in the style stakes....
If you want to make bedtime – and yourself – feel special every night, look for simple but effective luxury bedroom ideas to provide the perfect inspiration for you to create a beautiful hotel-style bedroom in your own home. And why not? We spend around a third of our lives in bed, so it makes sense that we should make sure that we’re giving ourselves the best experience, and highest quality rest we can....
The cost of installing central air is dependent on a host of factors, including the air conditioning type you invest in, its energy efficiency, and the size of your home, so we’ve put together a guide that explains all these elements. Whether you’re upgrading on old and inefficient air conditioner, or installing a new eco cooling system, these are the details on the cost to install central air. How much does it cost to install central air?...
As well as helping against pests and diseases, cleaning flower pots can also be a useful tool in simply sprucing them up again. Pots of all material can start to look faded and dirty after a season out in the elements and, for many, it could have been many years since their last good scrub. As a keen gardener I know I have accumulated a collection of flower pots, modules, and seed trays over the years....
Whether you want to embrace fall decor ideas in smaller sections, or simply evoke cozy room and snug room ideas for the fall season that make a house look cozy, there are some simple ways you can restyle your home that won’t make your space feel like the festive section of your local homeware store. Here, designers offer their tips for decorating tastefully for fall so you can set the perfect, balanced autumnal mood....
While it is simple to wrestle your tree into your general trash for collection, there are plenty of ways to get rid of a real Christmas tree that are often easier, and much more environmentally friendly too. Here, we look at the four ways experts suggest you should get rid of your Christmas tree at the end of each season. How to dispose of a Christmas tree Your local sanitation service will collect your Christmas tree, usually after New Year’s, and failing that, there are usually drop-offs for used trees organized by the city or county, and often the place where you bought your tree will often take it back afterwards for recycling....
Whether delicate and feathery, with gently unfurling rolled heads, or bolder forms, ferns mingle well in among a range of other plants in beds and borders. You can choose from evergreen and deciduous varieties to add interest throughout the year as part of your garden ideas. Whether you include ferns in a naturalistic planting design, in woodland settings among other woodland plants, lending informality in borders, starring in stumperies, adding interest under trees, or for container gardening ideas, they are available in a range of sizes, shapes, and even colors, and bring a touch of the wild to all types of garden....
Most keen gardeners and home cooks have tried growing lettuce from seed. Easy, quick and rewarding to grow, they are a great way to bring some variety, interest and flavor to your dishes, after all there is far more choice of seed than shop-bought lettuce. They also pack far more flavor into their leaves that shop-bought produce and the sheer range of texture – from crisp and crunchy, to soft and velvety or deeply frilled – adds a different dimension to dishes....
Brimming with vitamins A, C and K plus known to help improve kidney and heart health, there’s little excuse not to find room for a parsley patch or pot somewhere in your yard. Often thought of as an annual, you grow parsley as a biennial – it produces tangy leaves in its first year and seed in the second. The two most popular types are flat (aka Italian) and curled leaved parsley....
