While the first robot vacuums were pretty basic, the technology’s hugely improved in recent years. The latest designs boast advanced Artificial Intelligence, piles of sensors, voice control, app control, self-emptying, clever room mapping, and even mopping. They take it one step further than the best cordless vacuum cleaners. Where cordless vacs let you clean all over the house, these little guys take it hands-free, doing all the work for you....
Do you want Harry Styles simultaneously in the living room and kitchen? No problem! And there’s no need to run intrusive cables from one speaker to another. Of course, Sonos isn’t the only option when it comes to multiroom sound systems, and you can’t partner a Sonos wireless speaker with a non-Sonos model, but the sheer variety of Sonos speakers, from soundbars to portables, and their undoubted quality, makes the brand difficult to resist....
Primrose Hall Peonies have the widest selection of rare and unusual peony varieties for sale in the UK. SeeThe RHS announce virtual Chelsea Flower Show 2020 They are a thriving British nursery growing herbaceous peonies, tree peonies as well as Itoh peonies on five acres in Bedfordshire. The Plant Heritage Society has awarded the nursery the National Collection for Itoh varieties, these are all currently growing in the field ready to flower every Spring....
Is it gimmicky to know the precise number of particles on your floors? Perhaps. Is it reassuring to know your floors are cleaner than they were before? Absolutely. I’ve been using the Dyson regularly since it launched in March 2021, and it remains one of my favorite vacuums to date. Not only are my floors visibly cleaner, but I also enjoy slinging the V15 Detect around my hardwoods to spot-check every last surface, with a generous long-lasting battery that gets me through all my cleaning routines....
‘We’re in an energy transition, and while 100 percent renewable products have existed for a while, customer confidence, installer experience and the incentives necessary to drive widescale change still have some way to go,’ says Christian Engelke, technical director at Viessmann (opens in new tab). However, that’s all changing as demand for eco-heating options continues to rise, and the options themselves continue to grow. ‘Renewable and conventional heat generators can be combined with intelligent controls deciding which is the more efficient source to activate based on environmental and economic factors,’ Engelke says....
Another key source of optimism was the Festival of Britain which inspired a renewed focus on all things British. The magazine began speaking to a younger audience with suggestions for furnishing for the first time and working with small spaces. It even launched its own interiors problem page. One simply sent in details of the size and aspect of your room, listing existing furniture and fittings and then the furnishings editor (later editor) Psyche Pirie would reply with a stern brief that left little room for your own personal touch....
We asked a host of designers to share their design no-nos – from corner baths to excessive animal print – so you have a heads-up on what not to do. See: Interior design tips – decorating secrets for the world’s top experts 1. Upcycling beautiful old furniture to reflect a faddy trend ‘We’re always asked by clients if they shouldn’t use something in their design because it’s a trend and may go out of fashion soon,’ says Athina Bluff, Founder and Senior Designer at Topology Interiors (opens in new tab)....
Look around a room – it is often the soft furnishings that will define the aesthetic. From window dressings to sofa upholstery, we take a look at some key considerations to have in mind when choosing upholstery fabrics, including a few of our favorite suppliers. See: Living room ideas – 25 inspiring ways to decorate and furnish your space 1. Choosing the best fabric for sofa upholstery? Consider practicality ‘One of our most frequently asked questions is how to find balance between practicality and style....
There are two types of raspberry plant – summer-fruiting, which produce fruit from June – August and fall-fruiting, which fruit from August to October, or up until the first frosts. The summer fruiting variety requires planting in rows along a supporting structure, often with a post and wire system, and has specific pruning requirements. There are also types that are ideal for vegetable container garden ideas or small vegetable garden ideas....
See: Herb garden ideas – for wonderful ways to cultivate herbs ‘Thyme is one of the most useful and cheerful plants to have in a garden,’ says Judith Hann, in her book Herbs: Delicious Recipes and Growing Tips to Transform Your Food (opens in new tab). ‘I plant thyme alongside other plants which flower at the same time in early summer, just for its looks alone.’ Though grown around the world, thyme is native to the Mediterranean, and so prefers full sun and well-drained, low-fertile soil....
See: Home makeover ideas – simple ways to transform your home ‘The selection of art is an intensely personal and often costly process,’ says Emma Sims Hilditch, founder and creative director of Sims Hilditch, who is something of a plate wall expert. ‘For those looking for a more economical and slightly different way to fill a blank space in a room, then a plate wall is a great solution and is easier to do than you might think....
Real trees, meanwhile, can be uneven by nature plus, even if you haven’t taken a real tree straight from the backyard, transporting it can squash branches leaving it looking skinnier than it really is. Eleven months of storage won’t do the branches of an artificial tree any favors. And whether it is a pine, fir, spruce, or faux a full tree will make your Christmas tree ideas look their best and the tree the showstopping feature it should be for a living space, dining room, or the entrance to your home....
Whether you’re new to juicing, or consider yourself a devoted juicer, we suggest you consider the compact, personal-sized Hurom HP Slow Juicer, an attractively designed machine that churns out flavorful, nutrient-rich juice. When it comes to juicing, especially slow juicing, Hurom typically comes to mind as the best of the best. They design some of the best juicers and best cold press juicers available. Hurom is well-known for its Slow Squeeze Technology that rotates at just 43 RPM with a vertical auger to crush and then squeeze out the juice (similar to how you would hand-squeeze an orange) instead of shredding fruits and vegetables with high-speed blades like centrifugal juicers and blenders....
When mature, Japanese maples are some of the best trees for privacy, making them an essential addition to your backyard ideas. ‘Japanese maple trees are the epitome of beauty, gracing upscale landscapes of fine gardens throughout the United States and Europe,’ says Tammy Sons, owner of Garden Delights Nursery (opens in new tab). ‘They are highly sought-after trees, and are generally low maintenance.’ With shades ranging from bright yellow through to deepest red, acers are truly the best trees for autumn color....
Garden expert and presenter Joe Lamp’l – or Joe Gardener as he’s known to viewers – knows all about the high reward of succession planting – ‘you can harvest food grown in your soil for more of the year than you ever dreamed possible.’ Here are his top tips for using this technique successfully in your backyard. 1. Grow more than one variety of the same crop Succession planting can be as simple as growing multiple varieties of the same vegetable, Joe explains in his blog (opens in new tab)....
‘Foxgloves are really easy to grow from seed’ encourages Monty Don in a recent Gardener’s World video (opens in new tab), but don’t expect flowers in the first year. Since foxgloves are biennial, the plants will root and produce foliage in their first year, then remaining dormant throughout winter before erupting into beautiful blooms the following year. If you want instant impact you can buy established plants or specific hybrid plants which will flower this year....
The collection of ten designs, launching 12th January 2023 across the US and Europe is a love letter to William Morris’ previous designs and an ode to the close working relationship between the creative Morris and The Emery Walker House. The patterns offer a touch of considered English romanticism to any home, and we don’t there has ever been a better time to decorate with pattern. Here, we have spoken to Jessica Clayworth, lead designer at Morris & Co....
See more of the world’s best homes from across the globe The Kaufmann House was designed in 1945 and built in 1946 by Austrian-born architect Richard J. Neutrals for Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. – an American department store tycoon – as a winter vacation residence away from his Pittsburgh home. A decade earlier, the same entrepreneur commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to build Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. Richard Neutra is one of the most important modernist architects of the 20th century....
Located in Desert Palisades, one of the most coveted gated communities in Palm Springs, this newly built contemporary home was designed by award-winning architect Sean Lockyer, of Studio AR&D. It’s one of three iconic homes in the community, with another being the last design by Ray Kappe, a leader in the California modernist movement. See: World’s best homes – explore the globe’s most spectacular houses A large polished concrete kitchen anchors the home and is the perfect spot for entertaining....
See: The Obama house – tour Barack and Michelle’s new Martha’s Vineyard home Sela Ward purchased the apartment, located at 16 Crosby Street, along with her husband Howard Sherman, for $4.2 million in 2016. The apartment, which the couple has completely renovated, is now listed for $5.795 (opens in new tab) million with Mark Schoenfeld and Joseph Pullen of The Corcoran Group, New York. The apartment epitomizes Soho sophistication, complete with 14-foot ceilings, cast-iron columns, and white-washed exposed brick....
