Kayleigh Dray
Kayleigh Dray joined the Ideal Home team in May 2023, and it feels like a role for which she’s been preparing her entire life. After all, her first ever job was working at a busy local garden centre, before she became a property writer for Fine & Country Estate Agents – a job which helped fund her degree in English Literature & Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London.
She kicked off her career in magazines with an eye-opening internship at Cosmopolitan – and was able to impress her editor so much that she kept her on as a news writer. Kayleigh then went on to become part of the digital editorial team at Closer, before a successful seven-year stint at Stylist, where she took command as the site’s editor (and editor-at-large).
Nowadays, she can be found freelancing for a myriad titles about film and TV, but it’s her part time role at Ideal Home that allows her the chance to wax lyrical about her true love: gardening. She has just set to work on giving her own scrubby backyard a woodland-inspired makeover – and there’s been whispers of a vegetable plot, too!
Ideal Home Truths
Where’s your happy place?
My happy place is my tiny kitchen, as it’s the first room we put our own stamp on when we moved in. I love the clean white walls and turquoise tiles, and I’m obviously a big fan of the windowsill filled with herb pots and flowering fruit plants, too. There’s still work to be done, but I can’t help but feel proud of how pretty and functional this dinky little room has become.
What’s your home addiction?
I'm obsessed with buying plants – it’s actually been said I have a serious plant problem by more than one person. Whether it’s the time I “accidentally” signed up to a monthly plant subscription service and filled my home with leafy beauties, or the time I woke up frighteningly early to make sure I got my mitts on a coveted climbing hydrangea at our local community plant sale (hey, it’s for charity!), there’s a reason my husband now insists on a One In, One Out policy.
What is your next home project?
This house was bought at auction as a definite fixer-upper, and has been a work in progress ever since. Downstairs is almost sorted (almost), so next it’s the turn of upstairs, and particularly the so-called nursery, as the baby is still camping out in our bedroom…
Latest articles by Kayleigh Dray
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9 bedroom TV ideas to help you hide or display your screen
Want a TV in your bedroom? There's more than one way to do it stylishly...
By Kayleigh Dray
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When should you plant daffodil bulbs? Follow Monty Don's step-by-step guide
Spring may seem far off, but Monty Don says we need to start planting our daffodil bulbs ASAP
By Kayleigh Dray
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Stacey Dooley's new oversized mirror is so, so massive, and Instagram is obsessed
As if we needed further proof that maximalism is in
By Kayleigh Dray
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Everyone adores Fearne Cotton's LOVE cushion, so we tracked it down for you
Dopamine decor fans, prepare to be obsessed with Fearne Cotton's LOVE cushion
By Kayleigh Dray
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25 North-facing garden ideas that will transform how you see your outdoor space
Discover the beauty in north-facing garden ideas which will make you glad you have one
By Tamara Kelly
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Très bien! How to declutter like the French for a truly tranquil home
Forget the 'move out' decluttering method: it's time to learn how to declutter like the French
By Kayleigh Dray
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Yes, Carrie and Aidan's stylish bed in And Just Like That is from IKEA!
If this Scandi chic bed is good enough for Carrie Bradshaw, it's more than good enough for us...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Why charcoal is the secret to banishing bad kitchen smells (and how to use it!)
Desperate to get rid of a bad smell in your kitchen? Try charcoal
By Kayleigh Dray
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When to cut buddleja back if you love your perfect purple blooms
You'll need to prune your butterfly bushes if you want them to look their very best
By Kayleigh Dray
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It's official: grandmillennial interiors are in! Here's how to nail the gorgeous trend
Grandmillennial interiors are going to be a major vibe this autumn
By Kayleigh Dray
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Wildlife experts issue warning over this controversial garden sugar tip
Don't be taken in by the latest viral hack
By Kayleigh Dray
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Garden like a Scandi! Here's how to take geranium cuttings and overwinter them
Now is the time to take your cuttings and bring them indoors, pelargonsjuka style
By Kayleigh Dray
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What does your bed position say about you? Apparently more than you think...
Your bed placement and positioning choices can speak volumes about your personality
By Kayleigh Dray
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How to prune wisteria for beautiful Bridgerton-style blooms (but you need to do it now)
Your wisteria needs some serious TLC this month if you want it to shine next year
By Kayleigh Dray
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Love Monty Don's dreamy houseplant-filled shed? Here's how to recreate it
These are the best houseplants for your shed, if you want a lush garden hideaway to rival Monty Don's
By Kayleigh Dray
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Move over Alexa! Meet Hazel, the new AI assistant who's here to save your garden
It seems AI is about to start gardening...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Meadowscaping is the easy garden trend we're seeing everywhere – here's how to get started
Easy and beautiful? We're obsessed with meadowscaping, quite frankly
By Kayleigh Dray
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Monty Don says ignore the RHS, because this is the very best time to cut hedges
This is when you should *really* be cutting your hedges, according to Monty Don
By Kayleigh Dray
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How well does Wisteria grow in pots? Try this and boost your property value by 5%
Wisteria is the most beautiful climber around – and, yes, you can grow it at home in pots...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Spiders? In your BED?! We need to face facts this spider season
September and October belongs to the spiders – but what do they really want from us?
By Kayleigh Dray
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How to propagate orchids and grow this expensive (and beautiful) flower for free
Can you *really* grow an orchid from a cutting? Let's talk
By Kayleigh Dray
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The 10 best vegetables to sow in August for a bumper autumn crop
Plant these veg up and you'll be hosting your very own Harvest Festival in no time
By Kayleigh Dray
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How to propagate strawberries from runners, cuttings, and even fruit slices
Fancy making new strawberry plants for free? Here's what you need to do...
By Kayleigh Dray
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How Dawn French got us hooked on this maximalist bedroom trend
This maximalist bedroom trend is going to be a VBD – and Dawn French is already a fan
By Kayleigh Dray