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She and her husband Albert Font found just that on Spain’s Costa Brava, in the shape of a two-storey house, now one of the world’s best homes, nestled into a rugged hillside a short distance from the coves and beaches of the Mediterranean. ‘It was built in the 1970s and responds to the basic lifestyle of the local inhabitants,’ says Nani. ‘It’s very simple and very white, with an unbeatable ocean view....

Warm colors are having something of a revival, so perhaps now is the time to decorate ‘sunny side up’. Unsurprisingly, a golden yellow will be at the forefront of our decorating ideas for 2022. This lively yellow color choice will have us all re-painting our homes for summer. Understanding color lies at the root of all interior design decisions. If in doubt, consulting the color wheel – and basic color theory – will ensure your decorating scheme flows effectively from room to room....

I admit that I was happy to sacrifice a larger fridge for more cabinet space, but this did come with its challenges. Or, at least, it did until I discovered this vertical storage trick. Before experimenting with this hack, organizing a refrigerator in a small kitchen had felt like quite a chore. However, this trick is as satisfying as it is practical because, of course, who wouldn’t feel self-congratulatory after maximizing storage at a minimum cost?...

Even from inside the leaves seem almost touchable. Dramatic is an understatement. ‘The main view was always to be of the pond with the woods behind it,’ explains Astrid, ‘because I’d always wanted to look out onto woodland.’ After 25 years in London, Astrid and her former husband Jamie were keen to make the break to the country. ‘We were after a more peaceful and soul-nurturing lifestyle,’ she explains, so along with daughters Olympia and Atlanta, they eventually made the move 10 years ago....

The one acre garden of Sandhill Farm House is set around the pretty 17th-century farmhouse, and when Rosemary moved there in 2000, presented the perfect blank canvas. ‘When I first saw the garden at Sandhill, I realized that the two different spaces in the front garden and the rear garden had the potential of being turned into several different garden rooms, each with its own identity and planting,’ Rosemary recalls....

So much attention in gardening is focused downwards on digging, planting and weeding flower beds and lawns. As a result, it can take a conscious effort to look upwards and appreciate the potential a garden offers for taller structures, trees and overhead planting. Vertical interest is a key factor in designing a garden because, without some height and variation in levels, the layout exists largely on a horizontal plain, and can appear flat and rather uninspiring....

Raised garden bed ideas are ideal for any keen green-thumbed enthusiast who wants to try their hand at vegetable garden ideas, or for those who would like to experiment with planning a cut flower garden. Here, we take a look at the best vegetables, fruits, and flowers to grow in your raised garden beds – you might find some surprising. What can you grow in raised garden beds? The answer is: just about anything with a rootstock that won’t outgrow vegetable garden container ideas, although this can be fixed by working out how deep to make a raised garden bed....

Room color ideas are often used as a baseline for the room, however adding bold accents of color to a space, either through home decor ideas or clever paint tricks, can help to make even the most neutral of rooms more interesting and sure to grab attention. Here, paint experts and designers have their say on the most eye-catching colors for your home and offer suggestions as to how you can use them throughout....

Taking as little as 12 weeks to fully develop, timing your picking right can make the huge difference to the results. Time it perfectly and cucumbers are simply delicious – high in vitamins, valuable antioxidants and good source of potassium, magnesium and manganese. Made up of 96% water growing cucumbers to eat is also great for boosting hydration and concentration too. Leave the fruit on the plant too long and the results can be disappointing, not just a deterioration goodness but the taste becomes distinctly bitter and unpleasant....

Ants are always scurrying around our backyards, but particularly in summer months when we open up doors and windows of our homes to let in fresh air, they can see this as an open invitation to march on in – in their hundreds and thousands. There are a number of options open to you if you’re wondering how to get rid of ants, but prevention is always better than cure, so avoid an infestation of these little insects by not placing temptation in their way....

The family upgraded from a city apartment to this much larger Colonial Revival style house, and called upon Melinda Kelson O’Connor Design to help make it feel like home. ‘The clients wanted to create a modern yet warm and welcoming aesthetic while respecting the character of their 1911 stone home,’ said Founder Mindy O’Connor. ‘They have a large family, host most holidays, and entertain friends, so must-haves were ample seating with beautiful but enduring and durable materials that can handle kids and real life,’ said O’Connor....

‘Yeraki was a basic beach house in 1981, when there were very few foreign-owned properties on the island,’ explained Liv Wallers, Co-Founder of Yellow London, who was enlisted by brothers Henry, Will and Nick Cookson to update their family home on the island of Corfu. ‘The clients wanted to modernise the look of the property whilst keeping the charm of the beach house,’ said Wallers. ‘The villa expanded room by room over the years but always as a low key beach house....

Mainly coming with an 8-inch blade, a chef’s or cook’s knife is an all-rounder, able to chop or cube, peel or mince, dice or slice everything from tough vegetables and meat to delicate fruits and herbs. Here, we select our seven favorite chef’s knives, from budget picks to premium blades to heavy-duty workhorses. While each may fulfill certain criteria or be ideal for a particular task, what they all have in common is their role as your go-to blade and best friend in the kitchen....

Your couch not only needs to look good and match your style, but it also needs to provide an inviting space where you can relax and unwind; as well as deliver on a practical front, working with your lifestyle to offer everyday comfort and functionality. As a central seat space in the home, there are many things to consider when exploring living room sofas, such as upholstery choice, seat construction, and leg height, as well as other factors such as size, multifunctionality, like our best sleeper sofas, and how the design will be used in your home day to day....

In our best grills guide, we have analyzed and tested products from brands such as Weber, Traeger, Char-Broil, Z Grills, Everdure and Kamado Joe, covering an array of different designs, sizes and functions to suit any gathering. If you are a newcomer to the grilling game, key things to consider include: the space you have available and what size grill will fit best, your chosen grill fuel type – our guide to the best gas grill has more on this....

Aromas such as lavender or vanilla create a safe and relaxing atmosphere, working wonders on the mind, body, and soul. A handful of us might seek out cinnamon-based scents reminiscent of childhood days; others drift towards rose petals and find themselves transported that way. Of course, when choosing a home fragrance, it all boils down to personal preference, but the upside to that is some fail-safe scents are guaranteed to make your home smell nice and bring comfort and joy into your rooms (and lives) – that’s why we’re here....

When it comes to home comforts, few things beat the luxury of well-made bedding. Brinkhaus has been developing and crafting high-quality duvets and pillows since 1847. See our news section for more recent events and current releases Pick from the finest goose down and feather duvets, soft fibre-filled quilts and natural combinations of wild silk, new wool and cashmere, while hypoallergenic Medicott-treated Egyptian cotton covers are perfect for those sensitive to house dust allergies....

A timeless Christmas decorating idea, a Christmas card is one of the most personal ways you can spread merry Christmas cheer to your loved ones, and choosing the right card design can often be a tricky decision! To help with your Christmas card ideas this holiday season, we have created a list of our top 12 favorite designs and the best places to shop online. Whether you want to create a personalized design with a family photo or choose a classic Christmas scene, there are many different ways you can send season greetings to your friends and family....

So, we have created a kitchen cleaning checklist, with tips, tricks and advice that the world’s top cleaning experts swear by, so that you can work out how to clean a kitchen with ease – and cut down on the time you spend doing it. Plus these kitchen cleaning tips will make life a little greener in the process. From the shiniest of sinks to fresh-as-a-daisy garbage disposals, we’ve got cleaning tips to tackle every surface and every corner....

The Delish by Dash Stand Mixer wowed me when it came to mixing liquid ingredients as well as bread dough, but I needed to be more involved when it was time to beat butter. The Bowl Shift Level is meant to move the bowl over so that the beaters and dough hooks can mix closer to the sides. While I found that moving the bowl from side to side helped most of the time, it wasn’t effective at all with the butter....