Heather Young
Heather Young has been Ideal Home’s Editor since late 2020, and Editor-In-Chief since 2023. She is an interiors journalist and editor who’s been working for some of the UK’s leading interiors magazines for over 20 years, both in-house and as a freelancer.
Heather’s interest in magazine journalism started at school, after a work experience placement at Empire film magazine. In her final year at York University where she was studying English Literature and History of Art, Heather attended a careers talk given by the then deputy editor of Country Living magazine and that was her lightbulb moment. She could combine working in magazines with her passion for interiors – something she’d loved even as a child (redecorating her bedroom was the present she requested for her 12th birthday!).
Heather first joined the Ideal Home team in 2006, where she oversaw the magazine’s real homes and makeovers features.
After going freelance following the birth of her twins, Heather continued to write for Ideal Home, as well as other leading homes titles. Heather was also an early adopter when it came to blogging and social media, launching her own award-winning interiors blog in 2011.
With experience art-directing a large number of shoots, both still photography and video content, Heather has also appeared in front of the camera, creating and presenting craft and DIY videos both for her own channels and for clients.
Heather rejoined the Ideal Home family four years ago and became Editor of Ideal Home and Style at Home at the end of 2020.
Heather and her family moved into their Victorian home in Surrey – a former hospital porter’s lodge – just before lockdown 2 at the end of 2021. It’s got great bones, but Heather’s keen to put her stamp on it. A keen DIYer, Heather has had to accept that progress is slower than she’d like, as she juggles the redecoration and renovation with work and busy family life. Heather recently completed a kitchen renovation, knocking through to the garage and removing a chimney breast to put in a huge wall of floor-to-ceiling sliding doors.
Ideal Home Truths
We've just completed a kitchen extension project, so the renovation budget is running a little low right now! We didn't plan to tackle the garden this year, but after installing huge sliding doors in the kitchen to enjoy the view outside, we've decided we've got to give the mud pit left behind after the building work a good facelift this summer.
Latest articles by Heather Young
-
Are these the best hotels in Britain? Step inside and find out!
Celebrating the Good Hotel Guide 2016 Cesar Award winners, we delve into this elite collection of boutique hotels, country lodges and regal castles for a closer look
By Heather Young
-
Cottage industry: Kirstie Allsopp to rent out her Homemade Home in rural Devon for up to £3,500 a week
When it comes to finding the best place for a beach holiday in the South West, Kirstie Allsopp’s classic country cottage in Devon could be just the thing you need...
By Heather Young
-
From maisonette to mansion: Liz Hurley’s old pad is up for sale, and it’s a far cry from the grand hall she recently bought with Shane Warne
Once, the poor girl had to hold her togs together with safety pins, but Elizabeth Hurley has come a long way – as the contrast between her former London flat and her new country estate shows
By Heather Young
-
Step inside this Middle Earth Hobbit house, on the market for £200,000
Calling all Lord of the Rings fans! Middle Earth could be closer than you thought...
By Heather Young
-
David and Victoria Beckham bid fairwell to 'Beckingham Palace' for a cool £15 million
The stunning Hertfordshire property - dubbed Beckingham Palace - has been snapped up by a new owner following Posh and Becks' decision to up sticks and move to London
By Heather Young
-
Stake your claim – Castle Dracula is up for sale
Whether your allegiance lies with Bram Stoker, Anne Rice or Stephenie Meyer, this Transylvanian castle surely has to be the nosferatu devotee's ultimate fantasy home.
By Heather Young
-
Step inside this beautiful coastal home on 'Britain's best beach'
The ultimate surfer's paradise! This gorgeous Cornish house is on the market at Portreath beach
By Heather Young
-
Commuters save a whopping £3,000 on property each minute further out of London. That commute's not too bad after all, eh?
New stats show that for every minute you sit on a train, house prices fall by thousands. Better buy a good book!
By Heather Young
-
Kids reckon a three-bed home costs £3,000 – but would only buy if it came with a treehouse!
We only wish they were right
By Heather Young
-
Inside Harry Styles' former Hollywood home above Sunset Strip
The former One Directioner sold his enviable mansion above Sunset Strip in LA in 2019
By Heather Young
-
WHS Competition: Win £250 of John Lewis vouchers
Summer days are on the way and we're celebrating by giving away £250-worth of John Lewis vouchers
By Heather Young
-
5 Benefits of home air conditioning
Promotional feature with Mitsubishi Electric
By Heather Young
-
Be inspired by this rustic new-build house
Property: 2008 new-build, oak-framed house in Kent, England.
By Heather Young
-
Step inside Susann's open-plan family home
Takes a tour around an open-plan family home, filled with stylish furniture and ideas in this photo gallery from Style at Home. Find more homes in the house tours galleries at housetohome.co.uk
By Heather Young
-
Take a tour around a colourful Scandi eco home
Open living is the theme of this contemporary home, built by Swedish house experts Jorntrahus and designed by stylist Maggie Colvin.
By Heather Young
-
Step inside Ken and Deirdre Barlow's home
Recognise this kitchen? The designer Sophie Wyatt took the hinges off the cooker to represent Deirdre's... ahem... unbalanced personality.
By Heather Young
-
Step inside an arty converted dairy home in west London
Artistic accents on a white background create the cool, spacious feel of a contemporary gallery on this west London home. See inside some of the most beautiful homes with Livingetc and for even more inspiration, visit housetohome.co.uk
By Heather Young
-
Step inside this idyllic Sussex farmhouse
Country Homes and Interiors takes a peek inside this 18th-century Sussex farmhouse. Click through our photo gallery for ways to create this modern country look. For more house tours and decorating ideas, go to housetohome.co.uk
By Heather Young
-
These 'Judges' Houses' really do have the X factor!
We go behind the scenes at the amazing locations used by the X Factor judges
By Heather Young
-
X-Factor finalists move in to this sweet £7 million pound pad: take the tour!
Contestants move into this luxury mansion ahead of 8 gruelling weeks of live shows.
By Heather Young
-
From dishwasher loading to cupboard stacking: 9 arguments every family has at home
Which of these pushes your buttons?
By Heather Young
-
Step inside Charlotte's French-inspired home in Hampshire
A far cry from the derelict property she bought in 2012, Charlotte's glamorous living room is a stylish and comfortable space with beautifully restored original features.
By Heather Young
-
Take a tour around a compact Shaker kitchen
This compact kitchen has been designed around a generously sized angular peninsula. Bespoke Shaker-style tulipwood cabinetry has been painted in a neutral shade to keep this small space feeling light and bright
By Heather Young
-
Take a tour around a neo-classical home
Take a room-by-room tour around beautiful Homes & Gardens readers' homes. This week we look inside a neo-classical home for stunning decorating inspiration. Be inspired by this family home with a traditional feel.
By Heather Young