Our kitchens serve as so much more than just a place to cook. They're the heart of the family home - somewhere where bags are dumped, drinks are poured and conversations are shared, so the design of these spaces must encourage a convivial atmosphere.

While it's always beneficial to be able to host more swanky affairs in your cooking space, for the day-to-day, a 'hangout' kitchen lends itself to the casual socialising we do with family and friends.

There is more that goes into creating the ultimate hangout kitchen than what meets the eye - from the best layout to lighting and decor, here's how you can encourage everyone to gather in your cooking space.

'The rise of social kitchens is likely a reflection of homeowners looking to make their spaces work harder, no longer utilising one room for simply one need,' explains Alex Woods, kitchen expert at Victorian Plumbing.

'In such a fast-paced culture, homeowners may find that they’re struggling to find time for moments of connection in a busy day, whereas a social kitchen allows for that opportunity, whilst also cooking, cleaning or preparing drinks,' he adds.

Connection is everything, and thoughtfully designing your kitchen has the potential to completely alter your daily routine and family dynamic.

'When designing a sociable kitchen, think about how you and your guests will use the space,' says Ntola Obazee, brand director at Kutchenhaus. 'An island with seating is a great place to perch with a drink while dinner is being prepared, while informal dining areas encourage guests to sit and stay a little longer.'

Kitchen layout ideas will be what makes or breaks your hangout space, but what works well will be different for every home. Kitchen islands are particularly effective for drawing everyone into the centre of the room, creating a hub to work around.

'Just like the traditional dining table, the kitchen island is designed to be an engaging area of the kitchen. Facing your guests while chatting and cooking means you can host comfortably and enjoy being part of the conversation. An island is a catalyst for discussion, entertainment and a relaxed alternative to formal seating,' explains Al Bruce, Kitchen expert and Founder of Olive & Barr.

It's not just where you gather that's important for a well-tuned hangout kitchen, it's also important to carefully assess the workhorse zones.

'People typically overlook the open spaces within a kitchen, but these are equally important. Remember to allow enough space around your island, as this allows guests and family to socialise freely. Being able to easily pull up another stool, spread out and not feel limited is an important part of creating a relaxed atmosphere in the home,' Al adds.

You can also use appliances to help ground the space, and create a true 'heart' of the kitchen.

'In the kitchen, the stove or wood burner naturally serves as the heart of the space, defining both its layout and atmosphere. Designing the room around this "hearth" creates an intuitive flow: the hob forms the active cooking zone. When the stove is lit, the kitchen feels alive and inviting; when it’s off, the room exudes a sense of calm,' says Louise Whittland, Interiors Expert at Direct Stoves.

Equally, the devil is in the detail. Whether it's a casual weeknight or you're hosting a party, ensuring you have the perfect finishing touches will encourage the hangout to last for longer.

'It's also worth considering appliances that can make hosting easier. A hot drinks station is great for serving guests without leaving the conversation, while an integrated dishwasher makes clearing up after dinner much easier, keeping dirty dishes out of sight and the kitchen looking tidy,' Ntola adds.

Shop the look

Ready to get prepped for Christmas? These 16 traditional Christmas crockery sets will be perfect in a sociable kitchen this winter.

As I learnt this week, we're officially in the season where it takes multiple days to dry a pair of jeans. And as a result, multiple days where pairs of jeans are cluttering up the laundry rack in my home. So it's time to find some innovative solutions for drying clothes faster, while helping to create a beautiful utility room that looks good too.

The built-in laundry cupboard hack that we spotted seems like the ultimate solution for winter. It means that you can keep laundry tucked away behind the facade of beautiful, colourful (if you choose) doors, but it also helps to dry clothes faster thanks to the placement of one of the best dehumidifiers.

Here's how you can achieve it too.

Built-in cupboards are a simple way to make a utility, or laundry room, look much more polished. Whether you opt for Shaker doors or something more contemporary, maximising wall space with huge amounts of storage will be the best thing you can do for your utility room storage ideas.

But it matters what is on the inside, too. One of the most genius ideas we've seen is to add a laundry rack inside your cupboards, rather than needing to suffer through having a laundry rack cluttering up the middle of the room. It's like a traditional airing cupboard, with added functionality.

Web designer, Hatty Parker, who is gradually renovating her Victorian terraced house in London, has shown us how this is done.

'Last year, we reconfigured our family bathroom and the adjoining box bedroom to create a larger bathroom, sacrificing a fifth bedroom to make space for a small laundry room,' Hatty explains.

While not in a typical utility room, placing a laundry room on the same floor as your bedroom or bathroom makes for a streamlined laundry routine.

'The idea for the drying cupboard, which sits to the right of the stacked washing machine and tumble dryer, came from wanting a cross between a traditional airing cupboard and a dedicated space where clothes could dry efficiently, but remain neatly out of sight,' Hatty continues.

'We’d been using a dehumidifier alongside a heated clothes airer for some time and found the combination worked brilliantly for drying clothes quickly, so I wanted to incorporate the same principle into a more permanent solution.'

'After doing some research, I came across a drying cupboard on Pinterest, which I used as inspiration for our own design. It features pull-out rails for hanging clothes, a dehumidifier that is plumbed into the washing machine and tumble dryer waste, and a low-wattage heating element. We also cut ventilation grilles into the cupboard doors to allow air to circulate,' Hatty explains.

There are many ways you can configure this space to work for your household, but making room for a dehumidifier or small radiator at the bottom is key to making this design decision effective. 'I'd recommend the SmartAir dehumidifier for a setup like this, as it's compact and does a great job of drying laundry. Just make sure there's enough ventilation and clearance for it to work efficiently,' Jenny McFarlane, Ideal Home's Senior Digital Editor adds.

It's a genius way to keep wet laundry out of sight, while creating a super stylish, streamlined design.

Shop dehumidifiers

While practical features are important, creating a stylish space is also key to a happy home. These are 3 colour trends that will offer serious staying power so you can be sure your money goes further.

There are often false starts in the world of kitchen appliances. That includes halogen ovens (which we safely debunked as the next big thing back in 2022) and smart connected kettles and toasters, which, safe to say, haven't caught on just yet.

Of course, there are actual game changers too, including the best air fryers, which have become a staple in British kitchens since the start of the decade and the best microwaves, which have stuck around since the 1980s.

Given that trajectory, it makes sense that the next big thing on the horizon would be air fryer microwave hybrids, but until very recently, I wasn't convinced by them at all. Here's why I've changed my tune!

Until very recently, I would've warned you off of buying an air fryer microwave for one key reason: I hadn't tried or heard of one that had a good enough air frying function. And if you're spending hundreds of pounds and chucking out two appliances to install a hybrid, that's a pretty important factor.

It's easy to see why it's been a long road to get the right technology for this kind of appliance. Our Drew & Cole Air Fryer Microwave review from 2024 highlighted the big issue: soggy chips that took double the time to cook of a normal air fryer, with a texture that was less than pleasant. Helen, our reviewer's, big takeaway from the experience was long cooking times for meagre results.

This is probably due to a few reasons, including that the shape of a microwave doesn't lend itself to crispiness (they tend to be big and cavernous), as well as the fact that they are designed to retain moisture and keep food from drying out. That's the exact opposite of what you want when making homemade chips in an air fryer.

Thankfully, that's an issue that more recent iterations have managed to smooth out. Ninja's hybrid has an air fryer setting that our reviewer said was just as good as the standalone Ninja air fryers she's tried – with chips taking 24 minutes and coming out perfectly crisp.

The same positives can be said for the Panasonic air fryer microwave that my colleague Jenny has been trying out for me. She's been won over by this clever multifunctional buy.

'What I've been enjoying most about our microwave air fryer is that it saves space on my worktop while still giving me the option to air fry,' says Jenny. 'It's really handy for reheating things like leftovers and crisping up food, although the air frying space is smaller than some standalone models.'

An enticing USP of Ninja's version is the FusionCrisp program which allows you to combine air frying and microwaving to cut down on cooking times. Helen used it in her review to cook a whole chicken, a veggie lasagne and jacket potatoes in better time than just air frying alone.

There are some downsides to this kind of hybrid. Microwaves are not known for being low-profile and none of these hybrids are exactly appealing aesthetics-wise. They're also, as Jenny points out 'a little pricier than a standard microwave too.'

But if you have a way to successfully hide your air fryer or microwave already, or if you're not overly fussed then you will have the benefit of saving space on your worktop and having one less appliance to maintain and clean.

All in all then, it's hard not to see the dawn of well-functioning air fryer microwaves as the next big thing in kitchens. Are you tempted to swap one in to your kitchen?

Content creator Lucy Kalice is one of Ideal Home's Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on cleaning, home decor and making the most of small spaces. See the rest of her articles here.

I’m a hypocrite. Last year I wrote an article talking about how I was decorating for autumn and how I thought everyone should fill their homes with cute little autumn decor bits like cute knitted pumpkins and cosy autumnal cushions. Cute right?

Well, except it’s not…not always anyway. Let me explain.

I walked into Primark the other day and the first thing I saw was the autumnal home decor. Shelves and shelves of it all. And last year I would’ve been all over that like a rash. A new pumpkin trinket dish, an autumnal mug and at least 10 winter spice candles would’ve found their way into my basket within 5 minutes of me being in there. What can I say, I love going to the shops to browse (and buy) home furnishings and decorations, it’s one of my favourite hobbies!

However, this time I wasn’t filled with the feeling of excitement I usually get. Instead I was incredibly disinterested and a little bit bored. I actually think I heard my credit card sigh with relief!

It’s not that I didn’t like the decorations, in fact quite the opposite. They had some lovely candles and I ALMOST bought a pumpkin serving dish until I had the realisation that I was probably only going to use it once and then it would spend a year in storage. This is when I got thinking…

Did I need it? No. Did I want it? Yes. But where would I store it? Would it be just another thing that I buy and then forget about by the time Autumn comes around next year? Or worse, is it nice for now but then I decide I don’t even like it next year?

And the honest answer is probably yes.

We live in a world of overconsumption. Where we are constantly buying new things, trying to keep up with new trends and spending our money on indulging on things we don’t need.

Listen, I’m guilty of it too! A new pair of trainers when I have multiple pairs at home? Yes please! A new candle just because the seasons have changed, even though I have at least 20 that I haven’t burned yet? Immediately adds to basket!

But something switched in me that day in Primark. I realised that I don’t need to buy anymore stuff… because ‘stuff’ is ultimately what it is. Toot, junk, rubbish, clutter or otherwise known as landfill chic. The more I buy, the more storage space I need and the more likely it’s all going to end up in the landfill.

I already have autumn decorations at home which are in perfectly good condition and I haven’t even gotten those out yet, so why am I thinking about buying more? It’s so wasteful!

Now this isn’t to say never buy new things (I can guarantee I will still be buying things I do not need), however…I’ve decided to be more considered with the things I do buy, especially when I have perfectly good things at home. And I think this is something we should all be doing because we don’t need to buy new every time. It would be a lot less wasteful, our back accounts would be happier and we’d probably have more storage in our homes.

So what do you think, are you in?

Underfloor heating is a popular option with those extending, renovating or even building their homes from scratch. Whether you've installed the underfloor heating yourself, or have bought a home that already has it installed, it's important you understand the factors that can impact how well it works.

While there are plenty of floorcoverings that work really well with underfloor heating, you might be tempted to add a rug to change up the room's decor scheme or add a touch of softness underfoot. But is it a good idea or should you avoid it? I asked the experts to see what they recommend.

Can you put a rug over underfloor heating?

You can absolutely put a rug over underfloor heating, but if you don't want to negatively impact how well your UFH works, you'll need to choose wisely.

'Underfloor heating can be an effective way to warm a home, but it works best when heat can pass through the floor surface and into the room,' says Scott Byrom, home energy expert at The Energy Shop. 'Adding a rug introduces an insulating layer, so choosing the right one matters. Before putting a rug over underfloor heating, check that it is compatible with both your heating system and your flooring.'

In a similar way that you can have underfloor heating with carpet, if you choose an incompatible type of rug, you run the risk of leaving your space cold and unevenly heated.

How can laying a rug impact your underfloor heating?

Before you can choose the right kind of rug to sit over underfloor heating, it's worth understanding the impact a rug can have on how well it works.

'A rug adds resistance to heat passing from the floor into the room, says Scott. 'If it is too insulating, the room may take longer to warm up or struggle to reach the temperature you’ve set. Depending on the system and its controls, this could also increase running costs.'

Adding a rug may also cause damage to your chosen floorcovering below. 'There's also the possibility of heat building up beneath the rug, especially if it's thick or has a heavy insulating backing,' adds James Higgins, flooring expert at Online Carpets. 'Depending on the type of underfloor heating and the flooring installed above it, this could cause temperatures beneath the rug to rise beyond the levels recommended by the manufacturer.

'With flooring such as laminate, LVT and engineered wood - where maximum surface temperatures can apply - it's always worth checking the guidance for both your flooring and heating system before introducing a rug.'

Are some rug materials better than others?

So if you do want to lay a rug over your underfloor heating, should you focus your search on particular materials? That, and more, says James. 'I'd recommend looking for lightweight, low-pile designs that allow warmth to pass through more easily,' he says. 'Flatweave rugs and thinner woven styles are good options, as they create less of an insulating barrier than thick, deep-pile rugs.'

'Natural fibres are not automatically suitable,' adds Scott. 'Wool, for example, is naturally insulating, so a thick wool rug can still restrict heat transfer. Equally, you shouldn’t assume that every synthetic rug is unsuitable.

'Check the backing and any separate underlay, too. Some heating manufacturers advise against rubber-backed rugs, while thick felt underlays can add substantial insulation. Choose products specifically approved for your heating system and floor finish.'

Is there a recommended rug thickness for underfloor heating?

While thinner rugs tend to be more suitable, there's not necessarily a recommended thickness you should be looking for.

'There's no single thickness that I'd recommend for every rug and underfloor heating system, because two rugs of the same thickness can behave differently depending on the fibres, density and backing,' explains James.

'What matters most is the rug's thermal resistance, which tells you how much it restricts the transfer of heat. With carpet and underlay, for example, we often look at tog ratings to understand how easily heat can pass through the flooring. The same principle applies to rugs, although not every rug manufacturer provides this information.'

If you have plans for a thick, luxurious rug, however, you might want to rethink your plans. 'Generally, thinner rugs or those with open weaves tend to allow heat to pass through more effectively than heavier, densely layered options,' adds Sam Jump, Head of Business Development at Wunda Group. 'The key factor is the overall insulating properties. Be careful to check choices of underlay as some are better than others when it comes to tog value and heat resistance.'

When it comes to tog ratings, it's best to check the manufacturer's instructions for specific guidance. 'The permitted combined TOG rating depends on the heating system and the layers above it,' says Scott. 'Some systems allow up to 2.5 TOG, while others specify a lower limit, such as 1.5. Follow your manufacturer’s guidance and include any backing, underlay or other relevant layers in the calculation.

'If the rug’s TOG rating isn’t listed, ask the supplier for confirmation of its suitability rather than relying on pile height alone.'

As Ideal Home’s Floorcare Editor, I’ve definitely developed flooring favourites over the years. And while hard floors can look squeaky clean again with a quick vacuum and mop, carpets are a whole different story. Especially in autumn, when muddy footprints and mucky paws threaten them with daily stains and discolouration.

Even when you know how to clean carpets and rugs, it can often feel like you’re fighting a losing battle during the soggier months of the year. That’s why I’ve learned it’s best to tag-team autumn carpet care, focusing on both preventing and removing dirt and grime buildup. Personally, I can’t do that without a few handy essentials nearby.

So, I thought I’d share the four must-haves I use during the autumn and winter months to keep my carpets looking (and smelling) clean - even when it seems as though the weather outside is making that impossible.

1. Doormats at every entrance

Doormats may not be the most attractive things in the world, but they can make a world of difference to your carpets during muddy season. After all, they're designed to remove as much water and grime from your shoes (or paws!) as possible, so you don't track it into your home and onto your carpets.

And while you may question whether a doormat should go inside or outside, my advice is to opt for as much protection as possible. Pop a tougher coir doormat like this Bootscraper Black & Brown Doormat (£14 at Argos) outside your front door to scrape excess dirt off your shoes. Then, choose a lighter doormat for inside to remove moisture. Ideally, use them at every entrance, too.

As I have a dog, I personally use a moisture-absorbent microfibre doormat inside my front and back doors, as I find it much more effective at drying his paws before he walks all over my downstairs rugs. It’s also a must-have if you want to keep your hard floors clean in autumn, too.

2. A carpet cleaner (or spot cleaner!)

You probably don’t need me to tell you that the best way to clean muddy carpets is to use one of the best carpet cleaners. And if you find yourself struggling with wet and muddy carpets every autumn, I’d recommend investing in one to refresh them every so often.

However, you can clean carpets without a big machine, and smaller spot cleaners can work wonders if a member of your family has ‘accidentally’ walked over your carpets with muddy shoes. They’re grab-and-go appliances that are generally much cheaper and are better suited to smaller stains and more targeted cleaning. However, it’s up to you to determine whether a carpet cleaner or spot cleaner suits you best.

Neither could also be an option. Although I have both in my home, I often reach for this Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover (£3.50 at Amazon) when I feel like the autumn stain or mark doesn’t warrant a bigger appliance. It’s great for smaller spills and can be stashed under the kitchen sink.

3. Proper shoe storage

A carpet’s biggest enemy is shoes. And while you might get away with walking over your carpets and rugs in shoes in spring and summer, they’ll dirty up your carpets in no time when the weather changes. So, motivate yourself to remove your shoes as soon as possible by having proper shoe storage in your hallway.

You don’t have to spend a fortune, either. There are plenty of shoe storage options under £50 that give you space to store muddy shoes properly, keeping your hallway clear of mud and clutter. These include plastic or metal interior shoe racks that wipe clean easily, inconspicuous shoe cabinets that look like furniture, or boot holders you can store outside the front door.

Whatever you choose, make sure your shoe storage fits your space and the number of people (and shoes!) in your family. If you need shoe storage ideas for smaller spaces, use vertical space where you can. This 2 Shelf Stackable Shoe Rack (£7 at Argos) is a great option, as you can simply stack more racks on top if you need them.

4. A regular vacuuming routine

I may be biased as Ideal Home’s Certified Expert in Vacuums, but I don’t believe that people are vacuuming their homes regularly enough - especially during the autumn and winter months. After all, even the smallest, most invisible dust and dirt particles can become visible if they build up for too long.

This can quickly make your carpets look, feel and smell dirty, which is why you should always have one of the best vacuum cleaners to hand. By vacuuming at least once a week (although I often find myself vacuuming every day in autumn), you can pick up loose particles before they embed in your carpet’s fibres and become even harder to remove.

Focus primarily on high-traffic areas, such as your hallway, stairs, living room, and bedrooms, and use the proper vacuuming technique to clean your carpets as effectively as possible. I also use this Jiuhao Carpet Scraper (£4.99 on Amazon) once or twice a month to remove stubborn hairs, debris, or little bits of leaves that seem to make their way into my house.

Say goodbye to soggy, mucky carpets!

Interior designer Natalie Jahangiry is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on decorating a home to suit a busy family life while sticking to your aesthetic values, too. See the rest of her articles here.

I come from a long line of feeders. My dad's a chef, my mum isn't happy unless you have food and drink in hand at all times, my grandma was Persian and that's all I need to say (if you know you know!!). So it's safe to say that with all of that comes the ability to host and throw a party.

At all stages of my life, family meals have been important. Coming from a partly Middle Eastern background, it's where you catch up from the day's events, debate, share and enjoy time together. All big discussions are held around the family table, where food sets the tone and the table sets the mood. It's something I have always shared with our girls, an important part of everyday life. So you can say hosting has been built into my DNA. Which is why our kitchen / dining space was so important when we designed it… it's the heart of our home.

Acts of service have always been my love language, and hosting feels like an extension of that. Bringing everyone together, making sure everyone is fed and comfortable, makes my heart happy. It’s more than just the food, it’s creating a space people feel welcome and want to stay just that little longer.

In September, I attended a talk at Livingetc Unlocked with Pip Rich and Yotam Ottolenghi, a chef I’ve followed for years. They discussed what a dinner party looks like at Yotam’s home, and so much of it resonated with how we host as a family. Perhaps it’s our shared Middle Eastern heritage, or simply a love of bringing people together and making memories around a table. Either way, it got me thinking about sharing some of these ideas with you. So as we head into what I like to call it ‘the season of hosting’, here’s my recipe for creating the perfect backdrop for a cosy dinner party at home.

Victoria Beckham has entered the chat

Now, as I was writing this piece, the new Victoria Beckham homeware collection dropped at Westwing, so I felt it my duty to talk about it. Partly because I'm writing about hosting anyway, but also because I’m a self-confessed tableware and serveware addict… I mean, what sane person needs 100+ glasses? Because I can tell you I probably have more!

Ok, so I have thoughts. I love the simple and sophisticated style of the collection. The vibe is very minimal and luxurious and it’s totally on-brand for the Victoria Beckham empire. Chic and on trend, it plays on steel and monochrome alongside some lovely shapes and textures.

However, the price point is on the higher side (I’m not sure I want to spend £60 on one butter, dish as nice as it is) and the Westwing/VB collab claims to "reimagine the art of the table”, which I wouldn’t necessarily agree with. To me, it’s a modern nod to vintage classics we have seen before. That said, it’s refined and certainly has a place.

Personally, my hosting style is much more Ottolenghi inspired. Mixing and matching, making it personal and bringing a little history to the table with grandma’s old gravy boat or a casserole dish that has been passed down the generations. Somewhat like decorating in general. So, although there are pieces I like in the collection, will I be getting out a white tablecloth and napkins to simplify my tablescapes anytime soon? No. They can stay in the cupboard with the beige paint.

The steel effect

Having said all of the above, I do quite like steel dinnerware at the moment, however leaning towards something a little more vintage in style. I recently found some wonderful stainless steel olive coupes at the Chiswick Lazy Flea Market. I love the history that comes with vintage pieces, but if you can’t find any, you can pick up something similar from Soos Atelier.

H&M also has a great collection of chrome and stainless steel tableware at the moment. I’ve mixed in these candlesticks alongside these other ones on my own dinner table setting. I also added in these black candlesticks for drama and height. I love playing with different materials, textures and metal tones, to mix and match styles, rather than everything looking too overly coordinated.

A little ceramic charm

As a perfect partner to metallics, ceramics can often soften the look and bring character. I recently came across Honung Ceramics, a small independent brand with a playful approach to everyday homeware. What I love about the collection is that the products feel playful and decorative, with interesting shapes and earthy tones that bring something different to the table.

On my table I have showcased the ever so delightful bubble coaster and cup set in burgundy, which I think works beautifully with the cooler stainless steel and black accent pieces. The tealight holders are another great addition with that little pop of texture here and there. Candles are important to me (we will cover this further down the article… I promise!) in creating that cosy intimate dinner party vibe, so having candles at different levels works really well to set the tone. And maybe my favourite item is the ceramic wine bottle coaster(which is a touch of genius!), because even the wine deserves its own little spot at the table.

Glasses set the tone

We’ve already established that I have a slight obsession with glassware, so it probably comes as no surprise that this is one of my favourite parts of setting the scene.

And ok… I am a glass snob, and I’m not afraid to admit it (as I recently documented in this Insta post). Give me a short stumpy wine glass with a thick stem and I think I might cry. It also changes the way the wine tastes, don’t you think?! Anyway, I love a fine stem and an elegant shape in my glasses, which is why Nude Glasses really speak to my wine loving soul. Nude is a contemporary glassware brand from Turkish glassmaker Şişecam, with a focus on simple, beautiful design. The brand creates wonderfully delicate shapes with… incredibly fine stems (hallelujah). It’s the sort of glassware that feels special without being super fussy. I have opted for the large Stem Zero Elegant Red Wine Glasses in my table set up and they are a true delight all round.

But alongside this I wanted a water glass that had a pop of colour… something a little different. So I have married the delicate wine glass design with the more playful Night + Day glasses from Our Place in Rosa. They are handmade, stackable and come in a range of gorgeous colours… you can even buy a set of mismatched colours, hoorah.

Made to be served

Over the years I’ve collected quite the assortment of serveware. From presenting food for my previous family business Modern Persian Kitchen, to hosting supper clubs and dinner parties, I’ve always believed how you serve food is just as important as the food itself… you eat with your eyes first! I love blending old with new, different shapes, proportions and styles. Nothing needs to match, and I think that’s what makes a table feel interesting.

One of my favourite additions is the new Dual Handle Always Pan from Our Place. I’ve been a long-time fan of the Our Place brand, having received one of their original Always Pans years ago (10 pans and counting in my collection now, plus all the accessories!). The brand, if you haven’t heard of them, celebrates bringing people together through food, something that as I mentioned, resonates deeply with me. I’ve always loved their colours and modern designs, which fit perfectly into our home. The new pan is both functional and pretty, making it a great edition from hob to table. Because you can make the rules for hosting, and no one said cookware couldn’t be part of the table setting. Functional and pretty is a surefire win for me!

Set the mood

For me, lighting is one of the most important elements not only at a dinner party, but in a room generally. And if you have been following along you will have heard me talking about layered lighting time and time again… but you could have the most beautifully dressed table and then spot lights glaring down on it that kill the mood instantly. Turn that overhead light off and bring in softer low level lighting, and of course, candles. Lots of candles. I like playing with different heights and colours to give the table a more eclectic feel.

I’ve recently fallen in love with the glass candlesticks from Issy Granger (although they have to be kept safely on the high shelf away from the kids). Their designs are playful with a nod to unusual shapes and sculptures. The Bugle Glass Holders are particularly beautiful, alongside the Martini Glass Candle Holders. Handblown by artisans in Cairo, they are almost little pieces of art across the table. Even when the candles aren’t lit they are pretty enough on their own to leave out on display. Set alongside a few rechargeable lamps, the mood will be well and truly set to cosy.

The finer details

It’s often the little finishing touches that bring the scheme together, and there are a few final things I always like to consider.

Flowers… of course! But make it subtle. Ottolenghi touched on this during his talk and I have to agree. I love flowers, of course I do, both of my children are named after flowers, however when it comes to a dinner party don’t go overboard on a big centre piece display in the middle of the table. It makes it challenging to talk over and gets in the way of a natural flow of conversation. Instead I like to get creative, use little vases, jugs or even mugs to dot smaller bunches or single stems around the table. It’s a lovely way to add a touch of nature without having to peer at each other around a big bouquet.

Linen is another area in which you can inject personality with patterned tablecloths, napkins and placemats. You can even use a little ribbon to tie your napkins for a cute little finishing touch. And the same goes for cutlery, mix and match it with different styles around the table rather than feeling everything needs to come from one set.

Finally, let's talk about a scent to set the scene. For something a little different, why not introduce a scent to the evening? Yes, the food will eventually do most of the hard work for you here, but a lovely fragrance as guests arrive can help set the mood. Something a little quirkier than a candle is the wax warmer from The Droplet Co. A lovely way to welcome guests before the cooking aroma kicks in.

Your table, your rules

For me, it’s the smaller details that bring everything together. It doesn't need to be perfect, in fact imperfect setups make it more appealing. It just needs to be you. Let’s call it the perfectly imperfect art of hosting.

Ultimately a dinner party is about spending time with your friends and family and enjoying the company in your home. So nothing above is a set in stone rule you have to follow, but a few small touches here and there go a long way. Happy hosting!

Interior designer and content creator Rebecca Constable is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on demystifying the process of designing and decorating a home, and helping people work out where to spend and where to save.

It took us 8 years to finish renovating our bedroom. In that time we added two children to our family, lockdown came and went, and I tried out a number of careers. But, despite the very long timeframe, I’m actually glad it wasn’t something we did in a matter of weeks or months. Of course, we haven’t been sleeping in a building site for the past eight years, but rather a room that is perfectly livable, just not quite finished.

Social media has a way of making you think renovating should be quick and high impact, mainly so you can delight your audience with a drastic transformation, with just the swipe of your hand across the camera lens. However the reality of doing any kind of renovation quickly, is high stress, high cost and often a number of wrong decisions due to the first two factors.

Where possible, I prefer to renovate slowly. It may not be so exciting or impressive for those following me on instagram, but I think the end result is always better for a number of reasons.

Firstly, a slow renovation gives you the time to work out what patterns, colours and materials work together in a room. There is nothing worse than having to make a design decision, under pressure, because your trades need an answer that afternoon. I prefer to choose one paint colour, or one fabric and slowly build out the room scheme around that.

For this room we started with a fabric called Chella from Romo fabrics, which we used for the headboard. This became the reference point for the rest of our design decisions. Paint colours, fabrics and artwork were then chosen based on this initial fabric.

Secondly, a long renovation gives you time to slowly acquire furniture and items that are unique and mean something to you. When you’re trying to fully furnish a room all at once, you inevitably end up needing to buy a load of stuff. What's more, the need to complete a room often means we compromise when trying to find the right piece for the space. We go with whatever we can find in that moment, that can be delivered quickly, with the budget we have left. If you allow the room to slowly evolve you can hunt for, make, and maybe even inherit pieces that are from people and places special to you.

In our bedroom we have a painting that was painted by my grandmother. It was handed down to me by my mother, a number of years after we started renovating this room. Fortuitously, the colours worked beautifully with the fabric on the headboard and we also used it as another reference point when choosing our curtain fabric.

Thirdly, living in a room helps you work out what doesn’t work! I used to have my dressing table in the alcove by our fireplace, but of course it turned out that the light was not very good for doing my makeup there. Thankfully we hadn’t made any concrete plans that revolved around the layout. We quickly worked out that putting built-in-wardrobes in the alcoves was a far better use of space, and placing the dressing table between the windows worked perfectly.

You can’t possibly know the best layout for a room until you’ve lived with it for a while. Of course there are principles around layout that you can follow, but there is nothing quite like living with a setup to help you work out what actually works.

One of the best things about our slow renovation is that we had the time to save for some really special pieces. The antique bedside tables were added a year after the headboard, the armchair in the corner a few years after that. And we waited a long time until we could afford to have made-to-measure curtains for our bedroom. In the meantime we made do with things that we already had, not wanting to compromise on the pieces and being happy to wait until we could afford them.

Delayed gratification is a real thing, and it is much more fun to still have pieces arriving for our room all these years later.

Finally I am a huge believer in the fact that you do not need to wait for a space to be finished in order to enjoy it. A candle and a lamp are all it takes to make a space feel warm and cosy, even if it’s missing half the furniture or the walls have chipped paint. Invite people in, enjoy your home, don’t wait for it to be perfect.

So our bedroom may have taken 8 years to renovate, but in that time we have enjoyed many mornings, all crammed into bed as a family of five. Christmas stockings have been opened, birthday breakfasts have been enjoyed, and neither the children, nor my husband, have cared about the fact that we had stained curtains and curtain poles that looked like they could fall down at any minute. It has been a place of respite for us, in all its iterations. The lovely wallpaper and the antique bedside tables that we now have, are simply small additions to a room that has already given us so much.

If there's one thing I've learned about testing heated clothes airers and dehumidifiers, it's that using them together is one of the best ways to dry washing indoors during the colder months.

I'm a big fan of a heated clothes airer, especially at this time of year when getting laundry dry can feel like a never-ending battle. I've also learned that pairing one with a good dehumidifier is a real game changer. Not only does it help speed up drying times, but it also helps remove the excess moisture from the air, which is super important when you're trying to prevent a build-up of condensation indoors, which contributes to damp and mould.

And with Lakeland currently offering 20% off, now is a great time to invest in this laundry-drying dream team. These are the two appliances I'd recommend pairing together.

I've found out that while heated clothes airers are brilliant at drying washing indoors, they're not always the quickest option on their own. Depending on what you're drying, a load can still take several hours, particularly if you're dealing with thicker items like jeans and towels.

One trick that laundry experts recommend is using a heated clothes airer cover. It helps trap the warmth around your washing rather than letting it escape into the room, which I've found makes a noticeable difference to drying times.

There's another issue with that, though. All that moisture evaporating from your clothes has to go somewhere. That's why the experts I've spoken to recommend ventilation or running a dehumidifier alongside a heated clothes airer.

And it's a combination Lakeland's buying lead and laundry expert, Catrin Parry, recommends too. 'You'll get excess moisture from drying clothes regardless of whether you use a heated or non-heated airer, so any steps you can take to remove it will help take care of your home (and any expense) in the long run.'

Lakeland's Dry:Soon heated clothes airers have long been favourites at Ideal Home, and the Deluxe 3-tier model is our top buy in our guide. Understandably so, as it's a great option for families.

With 21 metres of drying space, there's plenty of room for family-sized loads without having washing draped over every radiator. I'd also recommend investing in the compatible cover to help trap warmth and speed up drying.

And then to complete the dream team, I'd pair it with Lakeland's 12L large compressor dehumidifier, which is capable of extracting up to 12 litres of moisture per day. It's a better-suited model for regular laundry drying than a mini dehumidifier.

Just make sure you use them both in a smallish room, keeping the doors closed and positioning the dehumidifier nearby with enough space for airflow.

And with 20% off right now, it's a good opportunity to invest in two appliances that can make laundry day a little bit easier!

Shop alternative laundry drying heroes

While neither appliance is a complete solution to the winter laundry pile, I've found that using them together makes laundry drying really effective. Less time waiting for clothes to dry and less condensation on your windows are a big win in my book!

Given the sudden drop in temperatures, making your living room - and home in general - feel cosy could not be more timely. But even though an inviting and cocooning lounge is what you’re after, there might be things making your living room less cosy right now as we speak.

That’s why I asked five interior experts what some of those common mistakes to avoid are and what cosy living room ideas they recommend going for instead. They all agreed on the same six issues listed here – but fear not, as they are mostly easy to fix.

‘The living room should be a cosy space in which to relax, socialise and spend time with loved ones, so making sure it's designed properly is key,’ says Emma Deterding, founder and creative director at Kelling Designs. ‘A living room can look beautiful, but if it doesn't feel comfy, welcoming and practical, it won't be a space you'll want to spend much time in.’

1. Bright lighting

When it comes to creating an ambiance in any given room, lighting is key. And the lounge is no exception. In fact, the wrong living room lighting ideas are usually what makes the space feel the opposite cosy most often.

‘A common mistake is relying on just one harsh overhead light – this can feel stark and harsh, which is the opposite of cosy,’ says Shelley Cochrane, accessories buyer at Furniture Village.

‘Instead of relying on one overhead light, a good lighting scheme includes multiple sources of light. A combination of task, ambience and accent lighting creates pockets of cosy lighting around the lighting room and feels welcoming and inviting.’

Aside from the light source, it’s also about going for the right light warmth and temperature. Warm white light bulbs are generally the right choice. ‘Choose warm-toned bulbs and place lamps near sofas or in darker corners to make the room feel more intimate,’ says Nicky Emlick, interior designer and creative director at Sofa.com. ‘Dimmable lighting is also a great option, allowing you to adjust the atmosphere throughout the day.’

2. Lack of texture

Interior designers, including Kelly Hoppen, always say that texture is the most important element in any space. If your living room lacks a variety of textures, it’s going to feel flat and not cosy at all.

‘One of the most common mistakes is overlooking texture,' Nicky at Sofa.com explains. 'A living room can have beautiful furniture and a considered colour palette, but if everything feels flat or is made from the same material, the space can lack warmth and depth. A cosy room should appeal to the senses, and a mix of tactile fabrics and natural materials helps create that inviting, layered feel.'

Instead, layer cushions, throws, rugs and even wall coverings in different tactile finishes for a soft and cosy feel.

3. Bare walls

‘Bare walls can also make a living room feel unfinished or lacking in personality. While a minimalist approach can work beautifully, without artwork, mirrors or other decorative details, a space can sometimes feel impersonal rather than somewhere that reflects the people who live there,’ Nicky at Sofa.com warns.

I’m currently in the process of filling my flat’s walls with art. And I can attest that the more I fill them, the cosier my space feels. ‘Make the most of your walls by treating them as part of the overall scheme. Artwork can introduce colour and personality, while mirrors help reflect natural light and create a greater sense of space,’ Nicky adds.

4. Too-small furniture

Scale is another very important aspect to get right when getting the best sofa for your lounge or any other piece of furniture. You don’t want it to be too small or too big for the room. But when it comes to cosiness, the cardinal sin is furniture - and even rugs - being too small.

‘Consider the space you are working with and prioritise the most important furniture – usually the sofa,’ says Francesca Leat, owner and head designer at Francesca Leat Interiors. ‘Sizing is key so working out a furniture plan in advance should be the priority. Furniture that is the wrong size for a space can make it feel extremely uninviting.’

Emma at Kelling Designs agrees, ‘Choosing furniture that's too small for the space can leave it feeling sparse and lacking in character.’

5. Furniture pushed against the walls

In addition to choosing the right size of furniture for your living room, the way you arrange it is also important to a feeling of cosiness – or lack thereof.

‘When it comes to the layout, most people put all the furniture around the perimeter of the room, which can leave the space feeling disconnected and lacking in intimacy,' Emma at Kelling Designs explains.

'Rather than pushing all your sofas and furniture up against the walls, why not consider floating them to help create a more inviting feel? Bringing furniture closer together and creating a central focal point with a coffee table or ottoman will help to make the room feel more intimate,’

6. Emptiness

Much like the bare walls, general emptiness in the room also reads as less cosy. ‘It's important to avoid leaving too much empty space between furniture, as this can make a living room feel quite formal and unwelcoming, rather than somewhere to relax and unwind,’ Emma at Kelling Designs says.

‘Having enough stuff within the environment to stop echoes is really important,’ says Chris Cooke, head of design at King Living. ‘If you're in a space and the echo keeps occurring, just keep adding more stuff, essentially. It will feel cosier, and sound will not reflect off the walls as much, and that will feel cosier, too.’

‘It's the small details that make a space feel welcoming,' adds Francesca Leat. 'Coffee table books, throw rugs, artwork and accessories all enhance a space and make it feel more lived in. Often these finishing touches are overlooked for fear of a space feeling too cluttered but it is that look and feel of a room being used and lived in that makes it more homely.’

My top cosy living room picks

Are you guilty of any of these cosy living room mistakes? Or is your living room all ready and set for cosy season?

Home decorator and content creator Leah Hodson is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on overhauling a home with clever DIY and decorating tricks. See the rest of her articles here.

I’ve recently gone through a full home renovation, including an extension, garage conversion and loft conversion. Unbeknownst to me when we started, this renovation would snowball and end up taking up the better part of the year! It started in January and has often felt like for every 2 steps we progress forward, we take one step back…

Thankfully, however, we have had a fully working kitchen for the last few months! This autumn, I’m focusing on the small wins and finding ways to regain control of my home through my kitchen. I’ve found practical ways to make my kitchen more cosy, yet still remain functional.

1. Chopping board

I chose compact laminate for our worktops, mainly because I wanted the installation process to be quicker and more seamless. However, part of the worktop was damaged during installation – somehow, there was a long scratch approximately 40cm long. This taught me an important lesson early, and that I need to be more careful with the worktops during daily use.

Therefore, a very functional purchase I made was the IKEA bamboo chopping board. I don’t use it as a chopping board, rather as a worktop protector! I tend to use a normal chopping board placed on top of it, just in case I accidentally slice past the board. I also like using the bamboo chopping board as a trivet, placing hot pots from the stove or hot trays from the oven whilst protecting my worktop!

Not only is this functional, however I really like using the bamboo as a worktop protector because it adds a design feature to my grey kitchen, adding some warmth.

2. Fruit bowls

I love being creative and using things in ways other than what was originally intended. Fruit bowls are a great example - technically any round receptacle can be a fruit bowl, meaning they don’t have to be boring! Using fun unexpected bowls or even wine holders create something interesting to look at, bringing a little more joy to your day.

When I was a vintage dealer years ago, I saved many interesting items that I wanted to have in my future home. One of those things was a silver pedestal bowl, which now holds my weekly supply of oranges. I also inherited a wicker wine holder from my husband’s grandmother that now holds cooking essentials like onions and garlic. The shape is perfect next to our range cooker where space is often a premium, and also adds a variation in height. Don’t be afraid to mix materials as it makes an interestingly styled worktop!

3. Trays

By zoning items together, it makes styling the worktop neater and more cohesive. Another favourite of mine is to use trays or tiles! In my kitchen, I’ve used a baking tray filled with various cooking oils and a marble tile to protect the worktop in our ‘drop zone’.

A couple years ago, I bought a gorgeous scalloped baking tray from Habitat and it’s been very well used since – so well used that I’m sad to report it now has a large crack on the side! To be safe, I’ve stopped using it for baking and instead use it to house cooking oils. This has made even the most boring plastic bottles look much better!

If you have a favourite tile but no room to install it, turn it into a tray! I fell in love with the Rosso Levanto marble tile from Mandarin Stone but didn’t have anywhere in my house that it could go. So I ordered a single full tile and turned it into a tray with some cork attached to the back. Now it protects my worktop and also groups my little trinkets I have on display nicely.

Worktops don’t have to be bare and boring, or cluttered and busy. These styling tips I use are perfect for any kitchen and find the happy medium between the two!

This Grade II–listed Georgian farmhouse has been lovingly renovated by Ffion and James Baker. Now it blends timeless country style with modern comfort, creating the perfect setting for family life in rural Cornwall.

Why did you buy the house?

‘We weren’t looking to move when it came up for sale, but a house like this one is such a rare find we knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My husband, James, is a property developer who specialises in Grade II–listed buildings, so he had the experience to take on such a specialist renovation,' says Ffion.

‘Previously, the house had been run as an equestrian centre, with land, stables and very run-down outbuildings. Inside, the decor was stuck in the 1980s, with bright red and dark green walls, but it had so much character. Our plan was to transform it into a spacious family home and also develop the barns into a holiday let.’

How did the renovation unfold?

‘It was stressful trying to juggle a young family and a full–scale renovation,' she says. 'Being a granite house, it was a challenge to keep it warm and dry, so we focused on proper insulation and a new heating system. We dug a trench through fields to install a new gas pipe. When we discovered bats living in the roof, which are a protected species, we followed conservation advice and built an alternative roosting space in our barns so they could relocate safely.

‘We restructured the internal layout by knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room to create an open–plan family space, which has quickly become the heart of our home. Over time we restored the beams, updated the bathrooms and kitchen, added wall panelling and decorated throughout in soft, historic paint shades. The project took two years from start to finish, which is quick considering how much we achieved,’ claims Ffion.

What have you learned?

‘Grade II renovations are not for the faint–hearted!' laughs Ffion. 'Although it was challenging at times, I’m pleased we stuck to our vision for the house. Many of the interior decisions were made under intense pressure, but everything has come together beautifully,' she adds.

‘Every time I drive down the lane to our home, I feel pure joy and peace. The girls love having so much space to explore, and I now run my holistic therapy business, The Healing Barn (@georgianbythesea) from one of the converted outbuildings. Next, we plan to grow an orchard and raise chickens as a nod to the farmhouse’s heritage. This is our forever home and where we all feel safe, grounded and surrounded by nature.’

Room by room

Living room

Taking down walls can turn an unworkable layout into a more family-friendly space. ‘We knocked through between the living room and kitchen. This created an archway that allowed us to preserve the original coving, and floods our home with natural light,’ says Ffion.

In open-plan layouts, use your furniture to section off areas. 'We turned one end of our family room into a dining area, and the other into a living space. I painted over the 1980s blue walls and then furnished the room with a rustic farmhouse table, and a generous L-shaped sofa which is perfect for cosy night in,' she continues.

Dining area

Ffion chose rustic wooden furniture as it adds a feeling of warmth. ‘I used to work in my mum’s interiors shop when growing up, and that’s where I fell in love with modern country styling,' she says.

Kitchen

‘The original kitchen was over 30 years old. I chose hand- painted grey units with marble worktops. James installed brick slips behind the range, which were painted in a durable finish so they are easy to keep clean,' says Ffion.

Hallway

Sandstone floors, stone tiles and wooden accessories all bring warmth to a space. ‘In our hall we had bespoke carpentry built that includes storage benches, hooks and shelving,' claims Ffion. ‘We restored the original archway and staircase, sanding back the wood and hand- painting everything in creamy tones. Then we added panelling from the hallway up the stairs,’ she adds.

Daughter's bedroom

‘This room was in poor condition, with plaster falling off the walls. We stripped it back to the brick and installed new windows, then we divided the room to add an en suite for her.'

Main bedroom

When prompted about her bedroom, Ffion beamed, ‘I love to shop for antiques that I can upcycle for our home, like this pretty wooden bedside table which I found on Facebook Marketplace,' says Ffion.

Family bathroom

Frosted glass ensures privacy while still allowing light into the main bathroom. ‘When we first viewed this house, the bathroom window was so rotten it had wisteria growing through it. We had to start from scratch.’

Get the look

My old house is a bit of an anomaly – no matter what the season it manages to stay a good few degrees colder inside than it is out. In the cooler months, even with the central heating running at full pelt, it never actually feels properly warm and, in reality, the only way to stave off the cold is to actually lean up against a radiator, stand directly in front of the open fire or, quite simply, to layer up on the knitwear.

While I realise that this is largely due to our house being draughty and rather poorly insulated, I have a sneaky suspicion that our radiators may also be to blame – they just don't seem to be doing the job they're supposed to do.

With winter once again lurking around the corner, I'm keen to find out if there is a way of getting more out of our radiators – are we to blame for them not heating the house as we'd like, or are they at fault? I put it to the experts and they explained that it could be due to a number of issues that need resolving – which I'm sharing here, in case you are having the same problem.

1. They probably need a good clean

Cleaning the house is actually something I quite enjoy, but I'll hold my hands up and admit that there are definitely certain areas that get left out of the weekly once-over – under the beds, behind the sofas and, yes, the radiators.

According to Martin Garbutt, head of technical governance at home services platform Ding, cleaning the radiators should be the first task I tackle ahead of turning on the central heating for the first time. 'After months without use, your radiators may benefit from a little attention and care. Not only can dust affect the air quality in a room, but it can also reduce a radiator's efficiency by up to 10%.

'To remove any excess dust and debris that has built up inside the radiator, start by turning it off and allowing it to cool,' continues Martin. 'Take a hairdryer or use a narrow vacuum nozzle to blow or suck dust from inside the radiator fins. You can place a damp towel underneath to catch any falling material.

'For a deeper clean, use warm water mixed with a small amount of dish soap or white vinegar,' adds Martin. 'Wipe the exterior with a microfiber cloth, and use a long-handled brush to reach narrow or awkward areas.'

2. Bleeding the radiators is overdue

If, like me, you have noticed some of your radiators not heating up, the task of bleeding them should definitely be on your to-do list before you begin to rely on them to keep your house warm this winter.

Ian Palmer-Smith, appliance repair expert at Domestic & General, explains the importance of bleeding radiators ahead of the cooler seasons and the signs that the job needs doing. 'If your radiator feels cold at the top and hot at the bottom, this means there is trapped air inside of it that is preventing hot water from circulating – this means it needs bleeding. As well as trapped air, a noisy radiator that is making gurgling and banging noises can also be a tell-tale sign that it needs bleeding. As a part of standard maintenance, you should bleed your radiators at least once a year.'

If, once you have bled the radiators, the issue persists, Ant Langston, bathroom and heating expert at HeatandPlumb.com, has another trick to try. 'If some radiators don't get as warm as others, the bleeding has been done and the valves are set how you want them, you could have a balancing issue. On the opposite end to the thermostatic valve, you have what's known as a lockshield valve. Adjusting this slightly evens the flow out, so all the radiators in the house get an even heat rather than just the ones closer to the boiler.'

3. They're in the wrong place

I am painfully aware that many of our radiators are in totally the wrong place – mainly because I wanted to keep them hidden from view. Because they are all now tucked behind doors, beneath shelves and hidden by coats hanging from pegs, they just can't do their job. I would have been better off looking at ways to make radiators look more attractive rather than trying to simply hide them.

'It’s so important not to block radiators with large pieces of furniture like wardrobes or drawers, as this can trap the heat and cause poor heat circulation around the room,' explains Martin Garbutt.

Martin goes on to explain that as well as blocking heat from entering a room, positioning your radiators too close to certain piece of furniture can also cause further issues. 'If your bed or sofa blocks the room's radiator, the heat creates a pocket of dry, hot air right over your face, which can contribute to dehydration and things like disrupted sleep patterns.'

4. I'm not using our thermostat correctly

I'm not sure I have ever totally got to grips with our thermostat. We have thermostatic radiator valves on each radiator and a single wireless thermostat which I have never got around to programming properly meaning I just turn it on and off as needed – hardly the most efficient way to use central heating. It turns out I am making several thermostat mistakes at present.

'An easy way to burn money is by cranking the thermostatic radiator valve up to the maximum, thinking it'll heat the room faster,' warns Ant Langston. 'What this actually does is burn more energy without speeding up the process at all. The key to saving energy in the home here is to keep it at one setting and leave it to do its job.

'The same thinking applies to the main thermostat on the wall,' continues Ant. 'Try to keep the house at one comfortable temperature rather than turning it up, especially in an older or draughtier home, since that puts more strain on the boiler and ends up costing more to run.'

5. Covering them with wet washing is a bad idea

As well as many of our radiators being badly positioned, we are also guilty of stopping them from heating the room by using them to get our wet laundry dry once the washing line outdoors has been put away for the winter.

Chris Jessop, group customer relationships director at Ideal Heating, explains why this is such a bad idea. 'One of the most common mistakes I see is using radiators to dry clothes and towels. Covering a radiator restricts the flow of warm air into the room, while the moisture released from wet laundry can increase humidity and contribute to condensation on windows. Keep radiators uncovered and leave space around them so heat can circulate effectively.

So, how does Chris suggest we get our clothes dry in winter instead? 'Place clothes and towels on a drying rack in a well-ventilated room, leaving space between each item so air can circulate. Opening a window briefly, or using an extractor fan or dehumidifier, can help moisture escape and speed up drying. A heated airer is also a great alternative to drying clothes on a radiator.'

Shop winter clothes drying essentials

FAQs

Can a smart thermostat help you get more from your radiators?

I have been wondering whether we should switch to smart heating to help make more of our central heating.

Martin Garbutt explained to me that, if I do make the swap, it is important to understand how to maximise the system. 'Start by making sure your smart thermostat is properly connected to both your boiler and your Wi-Fi, as this allows you to monitor and control your heating remotely.

'Once connected, set a schedule in the app that reflects your actual routine rather than relying on default settings; this will help the built-in sensors and algorithms accurately decide when to turn the heating off or maintain your chosen comfort level,' continues Martin. 'From there, give the thermostat time to learn your habits. Many smart thermostats include learning features such as when you usually wake up, go out, or come home, and will start adjusting the temperature automatically to match.'

Radiators stopped working altogether? Don't panic, there is often a simple fix that could get them up and running again. Start by checking your boiler pressure – if it's too low your radiators will struggle to heat up properly.

Amanda Jones is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on sustainable living and decorating a home in way that is good for the environment. See the rest of her articles here.

The ‘Cottagecore’ aesthetic crept into many of our homes back in 2018. It captured our love of nostalgia, and cosiness. It gained even more traction during the pandemic, when many of us were forced to stay home, and it’s lingered ever since.

Cottagecore, romanticises and simplifies the past, tunes into our need for a slower life. I want us to push those boundaries further, embrace the aesthetic, but also adopt the mindset of our Grannies (and Grandpas). I think we have a lot to learn from them.

Most of our grandparents would have known hard times, understood scarcity. My grandparents lived through two world wars and the depression. They knew how to make a little, go a long way. There were no guarantees, on wages, food, homes, nothing was certain. If you had a surplus of anything, you knew how to make that surplus last, how to use it wisely.

So, let’s not just embrace a nostalgic aesthetic of cottagecore, let’s embrace the ethos too. Bring back those wise old sayings and learn from our grandparents. Here are a few I particularly love.

‘Watch the pennies’

‘And the pounds will take care of themselves’. I heard this a lot during my childhood, and it’s become part of my psyche. The thing is it really works. In the fast-paced world we live in, we can often discard those pennies as ‘insignificant’. It’s not hard though, to develop ‘penny watching’ habits, that don’t take up a huge amount of time or energy but can save you pounds in the process.

I always check receipts, and if I’m paying in cash, my change, mistakes can be made. If I’m running low on an item, I check supermarket offers, see if that item has been reduced, if so, I’ll buy several and stock up for the next 3-6 months. You can save a lot of money doing this. Always try and get the best deals you can, when you are purchasing something, watch those pennies, and your pounds will surely grow.

‘Save for a rainy day’

Our grandparents, especially those born before the establishment of the welfare state, would have understood the need for household resilience. Very little financial help was offered for illnesses or job losses. Today, there’s no such thing as a ‘job for life’ anymore. It’s wise then, when we can, to put some money aside, for a ‘rainy day’.

I’ve written before about building resilient homes. Part of that might include having some emergency savings put away, for a new washing machine, or to offer support during illnesses and job losses.

Another way to build household resilience is to have an emergency pantry. The Government have recommended 3 days’ supply of shelf stable food and water, which would be a good start, you can then build it up over time. There plenty of advice online on how to do this, even with a small budget.

Recently I was in a situation where I couldn’t access my bank account for a couple of weeks. Having a little cash to hand, a full petrol tank, and a well-stocked pantry, meant we didn’t have to panic, and we could still eat and travel, whilst this was sorted out. This bought home to me the importance of being prepared, those rainy days will inevitably arrive.

‘Waste not, want not’

How did we become such a wasteful society, with a ‘throwaway’ mentality. We put food that only last a few days, into plastic packaging, that will last hundreds of years.

I dislike waste, of any kind, food waste, product/packaging waste or financial waste. It’s not good for our bank accounts, or our planet.

Do you produce a lot of rubbish? For many years I tried to go plastic free, and it’s not easy. There are things we can all do to reduce the plastic waste we produce. Again, think like your granny (or grandad). Swap over to renewables. Renewable water bottles, food containers instead of plastic wrap to store food in, and bar soap, instead of hand wash in plastic pumps. Buy in bulk where you can, that reduces packaging waste. When shopping, if possible, opt for glass, tin, cardboard packaging, these can all easily be recycled. A few changes and we can all reduce what we put into our landfill or recycling bins.

Do you waste a lot of food? Meal planning, and regular pantry/cold food checks can prevent this, always use up what’s starting to soil first. Rotate panty foods, being mindful of best by dates etc. Any food peelings and vegetables can go into a home compost bin, they don’t need to go into landfill.

Do you waste money? A spending audit, just for a month, will enable you to assess what you bought, and reduce and financial waste. Write down everything you spend, what was essential, and what could you have done without. Our grandparents would have tracked their expenditures much more closely than we do, it’s so easy to spend mindlessly in the ‘click and collect’ of today’s culture.

There are so many ways we can reduce our spending by being more mindful of what we buy, I’ve written an article about how I stopped my impulse spending, which you can read here.

So, whilst I quite like the cottage-core aesthetic, I’d love us all to start thinking more like our granny did, to adopt more of her ways. To be careful how we spend our money, to be a little more prepared for difficult times, and for our households to stop producing so much waste. Our grannies were wise, we should be too.

Houseplants have come a long way from being an afterthought on a windowsill. In 2027, it looks like we're set to become even more thoughtful about the plants we bring into our homes – from choosing varieties that genuinely suit the conditions in each room to embracing plants that develop more character as they grow.

And while the lush jungle look isn't going anywhere, the next chapter of houseplant trends feels less about filling every available surface and more about choosing indoor plants with purpose. Think characterful specimens, plant patina, and greenery that can move between indoors and out as the seasons change.

There's also a growing appetite for a slower and more sustainable approach to plant parenting. Rather than constantly buying something new, 2027 could be the year we learn to appreciate plants that take time to mature, propagate the ones we already have and think more carefully about where our houseplants come from. With that in mind, then...

The big houseplant trends for 2027

When it comes to our beloved indoor plants, what exactly can we expect to see in our homes next year? We asked the experts to share the houseplant trends they think will be (ahem) taking root in 2027, and here's what they had to say.

1. Big and bold houseplants will continue to dominate

If you've been tempted by a large Monstera or statement Ficus, there's good news: the big, leafy houseplant trend shows no signs of disappearing. These dramatic plants can instantly bring a sense of lushness to a room, and their popularity looks set to continue into 2027.

'The big, green jungle look is likely to continue, with large leaved plants such as Monstera, Ficus and Dracaena top of the list,' says Morris Hankinson, Managing Director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

'The RHS has reported strong growth in houseplant sales, with Monstera and Dracaena among the most popular choices. This definitely shows these are not going out of fashion.'

Rather than seeing the jungle look as a trend that's had its moment, it seems we're simply getting better at making it work in our homes – with the right plant in the right position becoming increasingly important. And if that happens to be your birth month houseplant, then? All the more meaningful!

Shop big, bold houseplants

2. Houseplants with personality will take centre stage

In 2027, expect to see less emphasis on a houseplant looking perfect straight out of the garden centre and more appreciation for plants with something a little different about them; think unusual growth habits, sculptural shapes, trailing stems, distinctive foliage and interesting flowers can all give a plant a sense of personality.

'It looks like houseplant enthusiasts are moving towards enjoying mature plants with character, unusual growth habits, interesting leaves and flowers,' says Morris. 'Sculptural plants, trailing stems and plants that give off some real personality will take centre stage.'

Morris adds that this shift towards character could also mean we're becoming more comfortable with plants that aren't perfectly uniform – something that leads neatly into another emerging houseplant trend for 2027...

3. ‘Plant patina’ will make us appreciate older houseplants

Forget replacing a houseplant as soon as it starts to look a little different. In 2027, one of the biggest shifts could be towards appreciating the character plants develop with age.

Graham Savage, founder of Grow Urban, calls this ‘plant patina’ – celebrating the way a plant changes and matures rather than expecting it to look perfect forever. 'One of the houseplant trends I’d love to see grow in 2027 is appreciating plants for the character they develop as they mature, rather than simply how they look when we first bring them home. For me, it’s about creating houseplants worth growing old with,' he explains.

'It fits with a wider shift towards slowing down, being more considered about what we buy and moving away from the more disposable approach to consumption that we’ve seen in recent years. We’re already seeing people put more thought into buying fewer, better-quality things that they genuinely want to live with, and I think the same thinking can apply to plants.'

Shop houseplant essentials

'A houseplant shouldn’t peak on the day you buy it. Some of the most beautiful plants are those that have been allowed to grow and develop over many years. Their shape changes, stems thicken, growth becomes more established and they develop a character that is completely individual to that plant and the person who has cared for it,' Graham continues.

'There’s something much more rewarding about choosing a plant that suits your home and the way you live, then giving it the conditions it needs to thrive over time. As it grows, it becomes more individual, and the relationship you build with it becomes part of its story. And I think we’ll increasingly see houseplants being treated almost like future heirlooms; plants that we grow with, rather than buy, enjoy briefly and replace. There’s something lovely about the idea that a plant can become more valuable to us as it gets older, precisely because of the history and character it has accumulated along the way.'

It's a particularly appealing idea for anyone trying to create a home that feels personal rather than overly styled. A mature plant with a few quirks? Why, that can tell a story that a brand-new specimen simply can't, so set to work learning how to fix leggy houseplants, stat!

6. Houseplants will increasingly move between indoors and out

The traditional distinction between a ‘houseplant’ and a ‘garden plant’ is becoming increasingly blurred, particularly as UK summers become hotter and drier, so it makes sense that one of the hot new houseplant trends is the outdoor-indoor one.

Some houseplants (including the best houseplants for your shed) can benefit from spending the warmer months outdoors before being brought back inside when temperatures drop. For plant lovers with limited garden space, this also creates another way to make the most of both indoor and outdoor areas throughout the year.

'Due to the hotter summers in the UK, the difference between a houseplant and a garden plant is changing. Many houseplants can be positioned outside in the warmer months and moved back inside over winter,' says Morris. 'This will be increasingly popular as plants are moved around and grow both outside and inside at various times of the year.'

Rather than keeping plants permanently rooted to one spot, it seems 2027 could see us treating our homes and gardens as one connected growing space.

5. Plants will become part of our wellbeing routines

Houseplants have long been associated with creating a calmer, more welcoming home (there's even one houseplant that helps reduce dust), but in 2027 we'll likely become even more conscious of how our relationship with plants affects us.

That could mean creating dedicated plant-filled corners for reading or relaxing, bringing greenery into bedrooms, or simply using plants to make rooms feel more connected to nature, particularly for those without much outdoor space.

'Expect to see more about caring for plants in a way that also promotes good wellness. From plant-filled snugs to bedroom greenery and making sure homes with plants not only look better but also make us feel better,' says Morris. 'This will be especially important for people who have limited outdoor space.'

The emphasis here is less on creating a picture-perfect indoor jungle and more on making greenery work as part of everyday life. Easy peasy!

FAQs

And there we have it; the houseplants trends of 2027 have given us plenty to think about! Which will you be taking on board?

Reimagining a compact galley kitchen for modern family life is a challenge that faces many owners of period homes.

The most common solution to overcome a compact galley kitchen is to extend.

While this does open up the space, there is a real art to uniting the old and the new, something that was obvious to Anna Hope the minute she stepped into the poorly-designed galley kitchen extension in her Victorian townhouse.

Marrying the modern extension with period property

Like so many homes of this era, Anna’s kitchen was located in a modern extension.

‘The kitchen had white gloss cabinets, a cream tiled floor and dark worktops. It was so cold and sterile, and I felt like I would be forever cleaning the space rather than enjoying it,’ says Anna. While the room had lots of natural light – thanks to several roof lights, glazed French doors and windows – this only added to its stark, unwelcoming feel. ‘It wasn’t somewhere we could enjoy as a family, says Anna.

As part of the extension, the previous owners had incorporated a narrow downstairs bathroom against the back wall. ‘Not only did this feel odd, plonked in the corner of the kitchen, but it also meant the working space was reduced to a small, narrow rectangle,’ says Anna. ‘The rest of the house is really well proportioned, so the kitchen felt very out of place.’

Recreating the room

Stripping the space back to basics, Anna worked with designers at Harvey Jones to recreate the room’s floor plan, demolishing the bathroom walls and creating an L-shape run of cabinetry to establish a better use of space.

This served as a blueprint for the local building company, which set about bringing the vision to life – knocking down walls, rerouting the plumbing, relocating the bathroom under the stairs and removing the existing fixtures and fittings.

‘We rewired the space so we could choose where to position the lights and sockets. We also filled in the spotlights as they felt really clinical and I knew I wanted reclaimed antique lighting.’

In addition to reimagining the sense of flow within the kitchen, Anna considered how the modern extension would connect to the original house, both practically and in terms of design. Replacing the door between the kitchen and the rest of the house with a curved archway instantly created a smoother transition between the old and new, bringing architectural interest to the extension. ‘The arch turned a slightly odd, tall rectangular doorway into a lovely soft feature that reminds me of Georgian orangeries. It makes my heart sing,’ says Anna.

Adding warmth and building character

Usually, renovation projects see windows being added to make the room feel brighter; however, Anna went for the opposite approach, filling in several windows and roof lights to create a cosier feel. ‘To compensate, we enlarged the window that used to be in the bathroom so it could hold a traditional Victorian sash windows,’ adds Anna. In a thoughtful tribute to the home’s history, the doorway’s original lintel was cleverly repurposed as the windowsill behind the sink.

Raw terracotta tiles, sourced from Floors of Stone, were another nod to history, both grounding the room and setting the tone for its warm, rich colour palette. The muted plaster pink on the walls brought a softer element and proved the perfect partner to the darker cabinetry designed and fitted by Harvey Jones – Farrow & Ball's Studio Green, available at B&Q, is a similar colour.

‘I especially love the little details in the cabinetry,’ says Anna. ‘It has an intricate beading which makes it feel a bit more elegant than the classic Shaker-style that you see everywhere at the moment.’

Introducing antiques

While the bones of the kitchen brought warmth and a heritage feel, it’s the one-of-a-kind pieces that make this space truly special. ‘I believe that, ideally, everything should have a homemade feel and like it has a real story behind it,’ says Anna.

The island, a 100-year-old French dough-bin table, takes pride of place – its unusual silhouette and painted trim immediately catching the eye. A Victorian dresser – a lucky Instagram find – and a Georgian buffet from Vinterior add to the heritage charm.

‘I wanted every element to look like it could be an original feature of the house. That meant opting for aged brass finishes and searching for hardware that felt in keeping with the property’s age,’ says Anna.

‘I also wanted lots of soft furnishings, so added cupboard curtains and worn-in Persian rugs that deliver a soft, inviting look.’

The finished space feels both homely and nostalgic, while still proving to be a practical engine room for this young family. ‘Everything works so much better,’ says Anna, ‘and it’s such a joyful place to spend time in.’

Get the look

This feature first appeared in Period Living Magazine. Click here to subscribe.

It is fast getting towards that time of year when, for many households (my own included), tensions break out about the use of the central heating – largely concerning when it can feasibly be turned on for the first time, how long it should be left on for during the day, and when it actually isn't needed.

As from 1st October 2026 the Ofgem Energy Price Cap increased by 3.6%, which equates to an average additional £60 a year to most typical household bills. While this might not sound like a huge increase, with pretty much everything else getting more and more expensive, it is definitely one most people could do without, meaning looking for ways to save energy at home has become more important than ever. There's another increase predicted for January 2027 too.

If anyone knows a thing or two about keeping a house warm and cosy in cold weather, without constantly having the central heating blasting away, it is the Scandinavians – and, luckily for you, I've been in touch with a couple of perfectly-placed experts to get all their secrets for staying nice and toasty in the face of freezing temperatures.

What are Scandinavian winters like?

Before getting stuck into how the Scandinavians keep a house warm in winter without relying on central heating alone, it is useful to look into quite what makes them experts in the field – namely their long, cold winters.

Niki Brantmark, author of the blog My Scandinavian Home, is a Londoner-turned-Scandinavian, who now lives in Malmö with her Swedish husband and three children. She explains what winters are like. 'Scandinavia is a vast region, stretching from the south right up into the Arctic Circle, so the climate varies enormously depending on where you live. Even here in the south, winters can feel bitterly cold, particularly when you factor in the wind chill. It is the kind of cold that really drives you indoors. Further north, of course, conditions can be far more extreme, with deep snow and temperatures well below zero. While skiing in Hafjell, Norway last year, I experienced -30°C!

'The other thing is that Scandinavian winters are not only cold, but very long and very dark,' continues Niki. 'The days become incredibly short, particularly the further north you travel, and winter can feel as though it stretches on for months. I think that is one of the reasons Scandinavian homes become so important during this time of year. You need to create an environment that helps you not just survive winter, but endure it comfortably and embrace it.'

1. They prioritise good insulation

One of the most important things to Scandinavians is ensuring that, rather than trying to beat the cold once it is inside their homes, they keep it out in the first place – and this means ensuring spaces enjoy high levels of insulation.

Swedish-based political scientist, author and international affairs expert Daniel Schatz explains how they approach the task of reducing heat loss. 'Swedish winters are long, dark and cold, with temperatures frequently below freezing and considerably colder conditions in the north. But one thing that often surprises British visitors is that Swedish homes generally feel very warm inside.

'The key difference is that Swedes tend to focus on keeping the home warm rather than constantly finding ways to keep the individual warm,' continues Daniel. 'Swedish houses and apartments are generally well insulated, with double or triple-glazed windows, good draught-proofing and efficient heating systems. Increasingly, heat pumps are used in houses too.

'The Scandinavian approach isn’t primarily about clever products for surviving a cold house,' adds Daniel. 'It is about designing and insulating homes so that they retain heat efficiently in the first place. A well-insulated home requires less energy to remain comfortable, so keeping warm and reducing energy consumption do not necessarily have to be competing objectives.'

2. Draught-proofing is non-negotiable

Draughts really are the enemy when it comes to keeping energy bills lower and your house warmer – running your central heating in a bid to keep warm while allowing all that lovely heat to escape out and cold air to seep in is madness.

The Scandinavians take draught-proofing seriously, as Niki Brantmark explains. 'Doors and windows are generally expected to seal properly, and worn seals or gaps are dealt with rather than simply turning the heating up.

'This is a particularly easy and relatively inexpensive fix – just check the seals around windows and doors,' continues Niki. 'Replacing windows can be incredibly costly, but replacing worn weatherstripping or sealing strips and dealing with obvious draughts is much more achievable. A traditional draught excluder at the bottom of a door can help too.'

Shop draught-proofing essentials

3. Windows and doors stay shut

While here in the UK we have all been embracing the concept of house burping in order to give our homes a short, sharp burst of fresh air and reduce the risk of mould and damp, according to Niki Brantmark, the Scandinavians are firm believers that windows and doors should stay closed during the winter. 'Something I noticed very quickly after moving to Scandinavia is how conscious people are of keeping the heat inside the house.

'In the UK, it is quite common to have a window slightly open when you sleep, even in winter, or to stand chatting in an open doorway saying goodbye to guests. That is much less common here during the colder months,' continues Niki. 'Scandinavian homes are generally very well insulated and designed to retain heat, so you become surprisingly conscious of letting warm air escape unnecessarily.

'I remember being slightly horrified the first time my husband practically snapped the front door shut the moment our guests had stepped outside. There was no long goodbye lingering in the doorway,' adds Niki. 'He explained that when it is bitterly cold outside, even having the door open for a short time lets a surprising amount of warmth escape, and that warmth then needs to be replaced. So winter goodbyes tend to be rather efficient!'

4. Lighting is used to create a sense of warmth

A sense of warmth within the home doesn't just come from how it feels to physically spend time in, but also from the ambience it gives off – and this is something that the Scandinavians are very aware of during the chilly, darker months – addressing it largely through their lighting schemes.

'Warmth here is not only about the physical temperature of a room. It is also about how a space makes you feel. The Danish idea of hygge, Swedish mys or Norwegian kos are all incredibly important during winter,' explains Niki Brantmark. 'Lighting is a huge part of this. You will rarely find a Scandinavian sitting room illuminated solely by one stark overhead light. Instead, there will usually be several lamps dotted around the room at different heights, creating little pools of warm, golden light and bringing life to even the darkest corner.

'Candlelight is important too,' reveals Niki. 'When there is so little natural daylight, candles bring a wonderful flickering warmth into the home. You will see everything from tea lights and chunky pillar candles to tapered candles and oil lamps, often even in guest bathrooms. Lamps are also commonly placed in windows, which creates a lovely welcoming glow when you arrive home on a dark winter evening.'

5. Interiors are designed to keep things cosy

The approach the Scandinavians take towards their home decor helps with keeping things cosy too, with a strong focus on using plenty of layers of snug materials throughout.

'People often adapt their interiors accordingly. Out come the sheepskins, wool blankets, extra cushions and heavier textiles, creating somewhere you genuinely want to curl up for the evening,' says Niki Brantmark. 'And because shoes are generally left at the door in Scandinavian homes, warm feet are essential. Slippers and thick knitted wool socks are winter staples. I have even visited homes where there is a basket of cosy socks or slippers by the entrance for guests.

'Natural materials such as wool are particularly effective in winter because wool fibres trap tiny pockets of air, creating insulation between your body and the colder air around you,' continues Niki. 'It also helps regulate temperature and can absorb moisture without immediately feeling damp, which is why wool works so beautifully for blankets, slippers, socks and sheepskins. Layering textiles has a similar effect in the home. Rugs soften cold floors, and blankets and cushions make it easy to keep yourself warm without necessarily turning the heating up further.'

Shop cosy interior must-haves

6. Ventilation is a key part of a comfortable Scandi home

While reducing heat loss by addressing draughts and insulation is important in colder climates, ventilation remains an important part of keeping a home comfortable.

'The aim is not to seal a home completely, but to prevent unwanted draughts while still allowing fresh air to circulate,' explains Niki Brantmark. 'This is particularly important in winter when we spend so much time indoors, and especially when burning candles. Many Scandinavian homes are designed with controlled ventilation in mind, so you can retain warmth while still maintaining good air quality.

'Good ventilation helps prevent a home from feeling stale or damp and allows fresh air to circulate without necessarily leaving a window open for hours at a time. In a well-designed home, insulation and ventilation should work together rather than against each other,' adds Niki. 'Improving ventilation can be as simple as making sure existing vents are clear, using extractor fans properly in kitchens and bathrooms, and briefly airing rooms rather than leaving windows open for long periods. The aim is to eliminate unwanted draughts, not fresh air altogether.'

7. Winter is seen as something to embrace

Finally, rather than bemoaning the cold and the dark, the Scandinavians are far more likely to lean into it and, in doing so, strive to make their homes feel like a great big hug – so what are their secrets to a cosy home?

'There is a mindset of embracing winter rather than constantly fighting against it. Winter becomes a time to slow down, rest and recuperate, whereas summer tends to be about being outdoors and making the most of the long days,' explains Nikki Brantmark. 'The emotional aspect is important. Warm, low-level lighting, candles, tactile materials and comfortable places to sit completely change how you perceive a dark winter evening. Instead of the darkness feeling bleak, it gives you the opportunity to create a cosy, relaxing atmosphere.

'In my experience, the Scandinavian home really comes into its own in winter. We spend so much more time indoors than we do during the summer, so there is a real focus on transforming the home into an incredibly cosy, comfortable and inviting space. That is really at the heart of the Scandinavian approach,' adds Niki. 'Rather than wishing winter away, you create an environment that makes you really enjoy being indoors.'

FAQs

What are the easiest ways to keep warm without central heating?

There are so many useful techniques to steal from the Scandinavians when it comes to keeping warm at home naturally.

'Investing in a good-quality wool blanket is probably one of the easiest places to start. Wool is naturally insulating, breathable and incredibly durable, so a beautiful blanket can last for years. Wool rugs are another great investment, particularly if you have wooden, tiled or stone floors, as they add both physical warmth and softness,' advises Niki Brantmark. 'I am also a huge fan of sheepskins. They are wonderfully warm and can be draped over an armchair, dining chair, bench or the end of a bed.

'On the practical side, draught excluders, sealing strips for windows and doors, thermal curtains and blinds are all simple things worth looking into, particularly in an older home,' adds Niki.

'There are also smaller habits,' picks up Daniel Schatz. 'Thick curtains, rugs and plenty of lamps and candles make rooms feel warmer and more comfortable during the dark winter months.'

While there is bound to come a time when you'll have to turn up the thermostat, it is still work looking at all the ways to delay turning on your central heating first – you'll be pleased you did when the energy bills come through.

Home decorator and content creator Grace H is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on colourful home design, mixing vintage pieces with new and making personality-filled spaces. See the rest of her articles here.

So, you’ve decided to decorate and, naturally, the first place you turn is social media. You start scrolling, saving and pinning images for inspiration. I do this myself regularly, and it can be a brilliant source of ideas. But are we missing a trick?

It’s all too easy to keep scrolling without really taking in the details. We save image after image, but how often do we stop to think about why something caught our eye in the first place?

There are so many other places to find inspiration, away from our iPhones and Pinterest boards. Sometimes, the best ideas come when we’re not actively looking for them at all.

Unplugged observation

We’ve just returned from Greece, and my camera roll is filled with beautiful colours found in the most unexpected places. A raspberry-coloured streetlight, a weathered old fishing boat, the saturated colours of fresh produce at the local market, old buildings painted in rust and white, and railings in that unmistakable shade of Greek blue.

Tiles, native plants and painted shutters all feed the imagination, encouraging creativity and a little out of the box thinking.

Where could I use these colours? Why do they command my attention? What exactly has captured my imagination? Is it the colour itself, the way it sits alongside another shade, the texture, or perhaps the feeling it evokes?

It also helped that I switched my phone off for the week. I felt more present and able to soak up the details around me, rather than moving through the day feeling visually overstimulated. I noticed so much more when I wasn't constantly looking at a screen.

Wearable inspiration

I’ve touched on this before, but the clothes I choose to wear often have just as much influence on my home as the interiors I save online. Red stripes, contrasting colours, lived-in pieces sitting alongside newer additions…there’s usually a reason we’re drawn to certain combinations. So why not consider bringing them into our homes, too?

You already know you like these colours, patterns and textures because you choose to wear them.

I save so many images of outfits on my phone (often spotted on people going about their everyday lives), but it's not necessarily the outfit itself that interests me. It might be an unexpected colour combination, the introduction of an interesting textile, or a particular accessory that makes the whole look work.

Rather than copying the outfit, I can take those little details and translate them into a room scheme. Perhaps it's a combination of colours I wouldn't normally put together, a clash of patterns, or the way different textures sit alongside one another. Inspiration doesn't have to come from interiors to work beautifully in them.

Lessons from the landscape

If a colour combination can be found in nature, it's a pretty good place to start when putting together a scheme. As the seasons change, so does the palette around us, and budding plants, flowers and changing foliage can be a wonderful starting point for a room.

On a recent stroll through my local park to get my daily caffeine fix, I stopped for a while and really took in the details. A wrought-iron bench with wooden slats sat alongside autumnal leaves. Vibrant red geraniums popped against foliage that was just beginning to turn, while above me, a clear, crisp blue sky was scattered with clouds in the softest off-white.

It sounds simple, but there was so much inspiration in those little combinations. The contrast between the painted metal and natural wood, the vibrancy of the flowers against the changing leaves, and the softness of the clouds against that clear blue sky.

You don't need to go looking for a perfectly put together colour palette. Sometimes, you just need to stop, look around and notice what's already there.

The power of print

You can't beat riffling through your favourite interiors magazine with a cuppa in hand and time to kill. There's something about the way you absorb information from a physical publication that feels different to scrolling on a screen.

The colours feel more considered, and you start to notice the details: cupboard handles, wood grain, texture, patina. They seem to jump out at you. More importantly, there's space for your eyes to rest. You're not constantly moving on to the next image, searching for the next thing to save.

I still order some of my favourite interiors magazines and love the satisfying thud of them landing on the doormat. I put them to one side until I know I have time to put my laptop away and properly enjoy them. It's become a little bit of me time, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

There's nothing quite like flicking through the pages and suddenly landing on an image that makes you think, this is so me. I still tear pages out of magazines and pop them into a folder alongside fabric samples, ready to refer back to when I'm working on a scheme.

There's something about having something tangible in your hands that sparks creativity in a different way. You can revisit it, compare it with other ideas and see how it makes you feel, without the distraction of another notification or an endless scroll.

So, how do you take all this inspiration and turn it into a room scheme?

Mostly, by playing.

Get your paint charts out and hold together the colour combinations that have caught your eye. Introduce fabrics and textiles inspired by nature and see how they sit alongside your paint samples. Borrow cupboard handles to test out different finishes. Try artwork, hold up ceramics and slowly begin to layer things together.

There is no right or wrong answer. Just play.

I always order fabric samples when I find something I like online. More often than not, they look or feel different from how I imagined when they arrive (for better or worse!). But that's part of the fun. A fabric can spark an entirely new idea once you can see its true colour, feel its texture and hold it alongside other materials. It's something a flat image on a computer screen simply can't replicate.

When I'm feeling uninspired or overwhelmed, you can often find me rummaging through my fabric drawer. It's the physical things I keep coming back to, rather than scrolling through Pinterest in the hope that something will suddenly click.

From there, I can start to build a scheme, introducing layers and asking myself questions as I go.

Is this finally the moment to use that raspberry shade I spotted on the streetlight in Greece? What about adding a glossy finish to contrast with the softer textures, like the painted metal on the park bench? Ooh, I have a dress with these colours in it… what other shades does it bring together? Could I introduce those into the mix, too?

These are the kinds of questions I find myself asking when I'm putting a scheme together, and not one of them requires social media.

Don't get me wrong, I still love a good scroll and there's absolutely a place for it. But sometimes, we can become so caught up in collecting inspiration that we forget to actually experience it.

The next time you're thinking about decorating, try putting your phone down for a while. Look at what you're wearing, take the longer route through the park, flick through a magazine or simply notice the colours and textures around you.

You might be surprised by what catches your eye when you're not looking at a screen.

And who knows? Your next favourite colour combination might not come from Pinterest at all. It might come from a raspberry-coloured streetlight in Greece.

With nights drawing in and temperatures dropping, I am all for trying an energy-saving hack to keep my bills under control. But does closing curtains early actually save energy at home?

This is a crucial question to answer, especially considering the fact that energy prices rose by 4% in October and are predicted to rise by anywhere between 16 and 25% (depending on the predictions you look at) come January.

Martin Lewis has long advised people to close their curtains as soon as the sun goes down but if you're still waiting to be convinced of the impact it can have on your energy usage, I've started doing it again in my home over the last week, and this is what happened.

Does closing your curtains early save energy?

Yes, closing your curtains early can save energy. It can help to block draughts and reduce heat loss through your home's glazing. This in turn leaves your home feeling warmer, meaning you're less likely to pop your central heating on for an extra hour or two in the evening or use an electric heater or oil-filled radiator for longer than necessary.

Better still, this passive energy-saving method doesn't cost a penny!

'Closing your curtains at dusk is a simple way to help keep your home warm as temperatures drop,' says Stuart Middleton, So Energy's Consumer Energy Expert. 'Windows can be a source of heat loss, so drawing your curtains creates an additional layer of insulation that helps slow the rate at which heat escapes. Thick, well-fitting or thermally lined curtains can be particularly effective.

'The amount of energy you could save will depend on your windows, the type of curtains you have and how well insulated your home is, so it’s difficult to put an exact figure on the savings from this habit alone. However, it’s a simple, low-cost change that can help keep your home comfortable during the colder months without relying as heavily on your heating.'

And I can confirm this hack definitely works. I've long adopted this curtain-closing strategy, and I can definitely feel that my house feels warmer for longer in the evening, without needing to resort to whacking the heating on for another hour.

I measured the temperature in front of my closed curtains and behind them, and found a 2°C difference once the sun had gone down, especially in the rooms where I have thermal curtains. Had my curtains been open, the whole room would have been considerably cooler.

What time should you close your curtains to save energy?

For this hack to work most effectively, you need to close your curtains just before it gets dark. Today, for example, the sun is due to set at 4.52pm where I live, so I set myself a reminder to close my curtains at about 4.30pm. This may get earlier as we get deeper in to winter, so it's worth checking the weather app on your phone for the sunset time.

By closing curtains at this point, you get maximum benefit from any solar gain during the daylight hours, and keep the heat in once the sun goes down and temperatures plummet.

If you tend to be home at this time of day, then setting a reminder on your phone is a pretty simple way to remember to nip round and close the curtains at the optimum time. But what if you aren't?

Fortunately, there is a way to automate your curtain closing. Using a device like the SwitchBot Curtain 3 (£99.99) will allow you to set up schedules to open and close your curtains at the exact time you want, whether you are home or not.

Ideal Home's Digital Editor Becky has been using hers for the last couple of months: 'I added the SwitchBot Curtain 3 to my living room curtains a few months ago and used the schedule function to help control the temperature in my home. In summer, I scheduled them to open when it was cooler and close during the hottest parts of the day. Now for autumn and winter, I've adjusted the schedule so that they close as soon as it gets dark at night to keep the cold out and ensure I always come home to a cosy space.'

Does the type of window treatment make a difference?

In my experience, the kind of window treatment you have makes a big difference to how warm your room remains when the curtains have been closed.

In my home I have a mix of thermal curtains and blinds, fabric or wooden blinds, and standard curtains and I have found there is a marked difference in how well they each keep the heat in.

For me, the best of the bunch by a long shot is my thermal curtains and blinds, followed by my wooden blinds, with my non-thermal curtains and fabric blinds coming in last place. Even though we're not in the depths of winter yet, there was a 2°C difference in front and behind my thermal curtains and blinds, just under a degree difference in front of and behind my wooden blinds, and half a degree in front of and behind my standard curtains.

Fortunately in the rooms I spend the most time, I have these Berlin blackout and thermal curtains from Dunelm (from £15), but I will definitely be upgrading the standard curtains in my guest room before Christmas!

Nothing ruins a room's look quite like a clothes airer covered in washing. And having tested and used more clothes airers than I care to remember, there's one design that still stands out for all the right reasons.

The Joseph Joseph Eclipse clothes airer might not be new, but I haven't come across another that makes drying laundry look quite so stylish.

Unlike traditional clothes horses and even the best heated clothes airers, which leave your washing on full display, the Eclipse cleverly conceals it behind a neutral fabric screen. It's a super simple but ingenious solution to the household eyesore that is drying washing indoors, especially in the colder months.

The clever thing about the Joseph Joseph Eclipse is that it looks more like a snazzy room divider than a clothes airer. The neutral fabric screen hides all the washing hanging behind it, meaning you don't have to spend your evenings staring at socks, towels and underwear drying in the corner of your living room.

Behind the screen are three tiers of drying space, offering 14 metres of hanging room in total. The shelves can be folded down individually to accommodate longer items, and it has wheels that make it easy to move about.

It's also really easy to put together, which is a bonus. My only slight gripe is that the fabric screen needs a good iron to get rid of the creases before it looks its best.

I realise complaining about having to iron something designed to make laundry look more attractive is a little ironic (I didn't do it, by the way, but I will steam it now that it's put together!), but it's worth bearing in mind if you're hoping to have it looking picture-perfect.

At £135, it's not exactly a budget buy, especially since it doesn't have a heating element to help speed up drying times, but what you're paying for is the design and ability to disguise something that's usually a sight to behold.

Shop good-looking clothes airer alternatives

The Joseph Joseph Eclipse isn't going to make the whole process of drying copious amounts of washing any faster, but it does make the whole process a lot easier on the eye.

And when I'm drying laundry all day, every day in winter, there's a lot to be said for an airer that doesn't take over the look of your living space. It might be a tad on the pricier side, but I haven't found a nicer airer that combines practicality with style better!

Let's face it - we all want our kitchens to look much more expensive than what we've actually spent. Whether you're in a rental that needs some polishing or your kitchen reno budget hasn't gone as far as you hoped, there's no need to worry – lighting can be your saviour.

Kitchen lighting ideas are a seemingly small feature, but they're one of the most important. Lighting has the ability to completely alter the ambience of a room, and choosing the right lighting can turn a stark, uninviting space into one filled with warmth.

The same can be said for making a kitchen look expensive. The wrong lighting will cheapen a scheme, whereas subtle, hidden lighting techniques will ooze luxury from every corner.

'Successful kitchen lighting is about creating the right ambience for different moments throughout the day, from practical lighting when preparing meals to a softer, more relaxed setting in the evenings,' says Tom Raffield, founder of Tom Raffield.

A single overhead light might be a useful source of light, but it's not going to help to transition your kitchen from day to night, or from cooking to hosting.

Layered lighting is the key to achieving a scheme that has versatility and easily transitions to meet your needs, rather than causing frustration.

'A considered approach can transform how a kitchen looks and feels, with subtle details like under-cabinet lighting adding warmth and depth,' Tom continues.

While the 3-layer lighting rule is great guidance for creating a dynamic lighting set-up, it doesn't speak to the power of hidden lighting enough.

Adding lamps to a kitchen acts as a source of warmth and adds decor, but sometimes we want all of the perks of illumination without adding more clutter to our kitchens. This is where opting for clever, hidden sources of light comes into play.

For a more seamless finish, integrated lighting can make a real difference. From subtle lighting beneath worktops and along horizontal and vertical recess rails to illumination beneath wall units, shelving and inside drawers, these thoughtful details can shine a light on your kitchen and help create the perfect ambience, while making everyday tasks a little easier,' explains Ntola Obazee, brand director, Kutchenhaus.

Adding thin LED strips underneath shelving, whether open shelving or within cupboards, is one of the easiest ways to add an instant premium touch to a kitchen. It makes built-in cabinetry look much more luxe but also aids visibility.

Hidden lighting along the bottom of cabinetry also adds light to walkways and creates atmosphere - particularly upon evenings spent hosting. Choose where you position this carefully - it will have a high impact when used sparingly around an island to accentuate the centre of the kitchen.

Shop hidden lighting

Autumn is the best time to upgrade your kitchen lighting - for a quick weekend project, I've hunted down the best rechargeable wall lights from Dusk that mean you don't even need to call an electrician.

I don't know about you, but as the weather begins to cool and the nights draw in, my mind is turning to cosying up my home.

Cold temperatures and dark and gloomy winter days mean more time inside, and that means interiors need to work harder to cheer us up and create a sense of snug warmth we can retreat to.

Nowhere is this more important than in our bedroom design ideas. As such, I've asked the experts how to give a bedroom a winter glow-up. These are the five non-negotiables interior designers recommend to cosy up your sleep space.

And thankfully, as interior designer Katerina Tchevytchalova, founder of interior design studio K'Arte Design, points out, this doesn't mean a complete bedroom overhaul or a big budget.

Instead, these are simple and affordable tweaks that have a big impact and can instantly make your bedroom feel warmer, cosier, and more cocooning.

1. Layer, layer, layer

'You don't need to redecorate to make a bedroom feel cosy for autumn,' says interior designer Katerina, 'it's really about layering and warming up what's already there.'

'Start with textiles,' Katerina says. 'Swap in a heavier throw and a few extra cushions in warmer, richer tones like terracotta, olive or deep clay.'

'Since it's the natural focal point of the room, start with the bed itself,' agrees interior designer Lara Clarke, founder of Lara Clarke Interiors. 'Swapping in a heavier-weight duvet, a knitted throw and a mix of cushion textures instantly makes the space feel more inviting, and it's the easiest seasonal update to change back come spring.'

2. Consider what's underfoot

When it comes to layering textiles, don't forget to think about what's underfoot as well as on top of the bed.

'If you have hard flooring, a wool rug underfoot makes an enormous difference to how the room feels the moment you get out of bed,' says Katerina.

'Underfoot, a soft, textured rug does a huge amount of work,' agrees Lara. 'A rug warms the room both visually and physically first thing in the morning and adds a layer of depth that a plain floor simply can't. If you have the budget for one seasonal buy, this is where I'd put it.'

3. Swap out your bedding

When it comes to the textiles you use in your bedroom this winter, our interior experts also recommend thinking texture, texture, texture.

'In winter, I always recommend a linen or brushed cotton bedding change,' says Katerina. The best brushed cotton bedding is a particularly cosy choice as its fluffy fibres mean none of the chill you can get from smooth cotton bed sheets during the colder months.

Alternatively, the best linen bedding has a slubbier texture than cotton that achieves a similar effect, just with a little less snuggle-factor.

4. Create a cosy glow

'Lighting is the other easy win,' says Katerina. 'Overhead lighting can feel quite clinical, so bring in a couple of table lamps or a floor lamp instead, and if your bulbs allow it, opt for a warmer colour temperature. It instantly makes the space feel softer and more restful in the evenings.'

'Swap out any harsh overhead light for a mix of table lamps and wall lights on a warmer bulb temperature,' agrees Lara. 'It changes the whole mood of a room in minutes and makes it feel more like a retreat than a functional space to sleep in.'

5. Don't forget the windows

'If your bedroom allows it, a heavier curtain fabric or an additional layer like a sheer behind a main curtain helps stop windows from feeling like a cold void once it gets dark earlier,' says Lara. 'This makes the whole room feel more cocooning.'

In fact, many design experts recommend 'window-stacking' during the colder months, which means layering up your window dressings as Lara suggests.

You might use a thermal blind next to the glass, a sheer fabric like Lara suggests to soften the window during the day, and then a thicker curtain to keep things warm and cosy during the night.

And as a bonus tip when it comes to creating a cosier bedroom, 'don't underestimate scent,' says Katerina. 'A candle or diffuser in a warm, woody fragrance signals the season has changed just as much as anything visual does.'

Ultimately, as Katerina sums up, 'these are all small, affordable tweaks, but layered together they completely transform how a room feels to be in.'

And as the temperatures outside my bedroom window continue to plummet, I think these simple tricks to cosy-maxxing a sleep space are exactly what's needed.

I'm sure we all remember the cottagecore trend - pretty pastels, rustic finishes, ditsy florals, and whitewashed floorboards reigned supreme in country kitchens, creating a homely, lived-in look that we knew and loved. Slowly over time, these kitsch cottage-inspired touches have given way to a more sophisticated approach to country kitchens - one that still has its roots firmly in the aesthetic, but is determinably sleeker.

Country kitchens don't have to be situated in a wood-beamed cottage anymore to have the same cosy, inviting effect. Shaker kitchen ideas are for everyone, and the grown-up beaded cabinetry look is making our kitchens feel more design-led.

From earthy palettes to thoughtfully planned storage, these three upgrades to the cottagecore trend will make a country look fit right in to 2027.

1. Choose skinny Shaker cabinets

In trend-led country kitchens, cabinets look much more swish and put together than in old-school cottage cooking spaces.

'Shaker cabinetry has always been a natural choice for country kitchens, with its timeless design and understated detailing lending itself beautifully to the relaxed, welcoming feel of a farmhouse home,' explains Al Bruce, founder of Olive & Barr.

For a more refined look, skinny Shaker cabinetry is perfect. As Al explains, 'Its slimmer frame creates a cleaner, more streamlined finish, while retaining the character and craftsmanship of the traditional Shaker style.'

2. Opt for earthy shades

Colour is just as important when planning a more sophisticated country kitchen. While pale blues and pinks still prove to be popular choices, recent kitchen trends show that we're moving away from pastels and towards earthy hues and natural materials.

'Materials are just as important when creating a country kitchen. Natural wood cabinetry, handcrafted with traditional dovetail joints, adds warmth and character, while soft whites, warm creams, and muted greys provide a timeless backdrop,' Al adds.

'For those looking to add more depth, earthy greens and rich blues pair particularly well with darker woods, such as walnut, creating a scheme that feels both classic and considered.'

3. Plan for modern life

Country kitchens are built for functionality. Whether you're on a working farm or just like to lean into the aesthetic, kitchens have to be practical for modern life, so you need to think carefully about kitchen storage ideas.

'While open shelving styled with ceramics and wooden chopping boards can add character, consider how practical it will be day to day, particularly around cooking areas where dust and grease can build up,' says Nadine Kimani, brand kitchen expert for Kutchenhaus. '

'Instead, introduce one or two areas of open shelving to display favourite pieces, while keeping everyday essentials neatly tucked away behind cabinetry. Kitchen islands and dressers also offer opportunities to introduce decorative touches without compromising on storage or functionality,' she adds.

Looking to start thinking about a new kitchen for 2027? These are the 2026 kitchen colour trends that I predict will have longevity.

Al fresco gatherings aren't just for summer – if you know how to transition your garden for outdoor living in autumn, you'll have a cosy venue for guests and the family.

Temperatures are plummeting by the week, but with a few outdoor living room ideas, you can continue spending time in your garden for even longer. Shelter, warmth and light are essentials for outdoor gatherings in autumn – and a few accessories can make the setup even cosier.

Here are a few ways I'm transitioning my garden for outdoor living this autumn.

1. Shelter

Rain can totally spoil our social plans, especially at this time of the year – but not if you make use of a few garden shade ideas that double up as autumn weather protection.

Those could be as simple as a huge garden parasol, or as clever as a motorised awning that retracts as and when you need it to. I've got my eye on PERGOLUX UK's awnings, which are currently £75 off when you use the code AUTUMN75. They come with handy integrated LED lighting, and an optional wind sensor that automatically retracts the awning in severe weather (so you know when it really is time to head inside!).

Just make sure you can use a patio heater under a pergola or gazebo before you crank up the heat. Speaking of which...

2. Outdoor heating

Autumn is a chilly season, especially as we enter November, but outdoor heating will allow you to enjoy the outdoors no matter the temperature. You might prefer a patio heater that keeps temperatures consistent, like the Kettler Kalos Copper Lantern Electric Patio Heater from John Lewis, or a classic fire pit that adds to the ambience.

‘To keep the chill at bay, heating options form the heart of any cold-weather gathering,’ says Lucy Hewitt, marketing campaigns manager at British Garden Centres. ‘Sleek steel fire pit bowls and traditional chimineas all provide instant warmth while creating a dazzling visual centrepiece for roasting marshmallows and sharing stories.’

If you're after a classic fire pit bowl, I love this Idbury Fire Pit from Garden Trading.

3. Solar-powered lighting

Garden lighting ideas can completely transform an autumn garden. This season, it’s all about cosy, sustainable lighting that’s as decorative as it is practical on dark evenings.

‘Solar-powered festoon lights are an elegant choice for outdoor spaces all year round,’ says Claire Bassett, lighting trends expert from Lights4fun. ‘In autumn, I would style them around bare-branched trees – the lights would highlight the natural shape of the branches after the leaves have fallen, bringing a beautiful sense of structure to the garden.’

We’ve been hanging these solar-powered lanterns from the trees in our garden for a cosy, rustic effect. Claire recommends warm white fairy lights like these Lights4fun Warm White Carnival Solar Festoon Lights for this time of year because ‘they create a cosy, classic glow that brightens long and dark evenings.’

4. Cosy accessories

Transitioning a garden for outdoor living in autumn wouldn't be complete without some cosy accessories. They can refine any garden furniture idea, turning the whole area into a comfortable hub for relaxation and social gatherings.

‘Creating a winter-ready outdoor lounge starts by making your garden seating into something that wants to make your guests linger,’ says Lucy from British Garden Centres. ‘Nestling deep cushions, faux fur throws, and thermal blankets onto seating creates an inviting sofa nest that rivals the comfort of any indoor living room.’

With a few shelter, heating and lighting ideas, you can easily transition a garden into a cosy space for autumn outdoor living.

Suzy and her family have lived in their home for three years, but from the outset the bathroom never quite worked. ‘It was very plain,’ Suzy says. ‘White tiles, white towels.’ The bigger issue was less visible. ‘The thermostat for the shower was broken,’ she says, ‘so we had to lower the water temperature of the whole house so the kids didn’t burn themselves!’

Taking on the renovation herself felt like a natural step. ‘I’ve always done DIY,’ Suzy says. ‘Ever since I was a child, I’d help my parents with bathroom makeovers or decorate my sister’s bedroom.’

Over time, she’s tackled more ambitious projects. ‘I’ve been able to get more adventurous, and as the spaces have got bigger, it’s been really exciting.’ Stripping out the old bathroom proved to be the biggest challenge.

‘It was all tiled completely into the wall,’ she explains. ‘Whoever fitted it had cemented everything in, so I had to chip it off by hand. I thought it would take a week off work to finish, but it turned into a five-week project,’ she says.

Once everything was removed, new challenges emerged. ‘We were left with uneven walls, so I tried my hand at plastering.’ Family support played a key role. ‘My father-in-law has been very helpful. He’s really skilled with all sorts but particularly plumbing and electrics,’ she says. ‘It was amazing to spend time with him and learn those skills.’

The room was rebuilt with a more practical layout. ‘We redirected the pipes so they sit at the top of the bath,’ she says. Bathroom ventilation was another priority. ‘There was previously no extractor and some damp, so we exposed an air brick and wired in an extractor through the ceiling, linked to the lighting.’

The classic vanity was a bargain buy. ‘I was looking at vintage vanity units online, all costing hundreds of pounds, and thought I could make one myself. I found a £25 chest of drawers from a charity shop and turned it into a basin unit. We kept the original bath and refreshed it by replacing all the sealant.’

Once all the tiling and furniture had been completed, it was then time to decorate. ‘I painted the window frame to tie everything together,' says Suzy, 'then I added artwork.'

The result has been worth all the hard work. ‘Blood, sweat and tears have gone into the project,’ she says, ‘but we’re really happy with the end result; I’m so proud of it. And the brushed brass shower, taps and finishing touches (all from Drench) are just so beautiful.’

The finished space even impresses the youngest member of the family. ‘Our six-year-old took a friend upstairs for a bathroom reveal,’ Suzy says. ‘They know how much work went into it.’

Get the look

Nothing screams cosy quite like a log burner crackling away in the corner, leaving the room bathed in a warm glow.

If you've been dreaming of a wood burning stove for years but have reached an impasses because of your home's lack of chimney, the good news is all may not be lost.

While log burner ventilation is crucial to an installation that meets the building regulations requirements for appliances like this, you can achieve a compliant result, even if you don't have a chimney.

Can you still have a log burner if you don't have a chimney?

Yes, you can absolutely have a log burner if you don't have a traditional chimney, but you will need some way for the smoke to be safely taken away from your home.

'A twin-wall flue system is the go-to solution for wood-burning stove installation in a home without a chimney,’ says Adam Leah, Founder and Director of Direct Stoves. ‘Essentially, this system acts as an artificial chimney, providing a safe exit for the smoke and fumes. Twin wall flues typically comprise two concentric metal tubes with insulation in between. They can run either through the home or externally along the outside.

'When deciding on the route of the flue, there are two options: an internal or external system. An internal system travels inside the home, usually through a room or loft, and exits through the roof. It’s slightly more efficient when it comes to heat retention but involves more internal work. Whereas with an external system, the flue runs outside the building; this is typically easier to install, and there is less disruption to the home’s interior.'

But there is another option, that might especially suit those looking to add character to their home. 'Another option is to build a false chimney, this can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your wood-burning stove, by creating a characterful setting; ideal for rooms lacking an original chimney structure,' explains Adam. 'Not only does it create a focal point, but it can be used to cleverly hide the flue system.'

But as you make your aesthetic choices about the direction of the flue, you will need to consider the technical aspects too, as Jon Butterworth, Director at Arada, explains: 'An exposed flue will need to have a minimum height of 4.5 metres whether it is internal or external.

'You will need to check that the termination point material is suitable for the flue and flashing kit to be fitted; wood, metal and brick would be ideal, but for obvious reasons, glass and plastic would not.'

When it comes to the process and cost, this can vary depending on the complexity of the project, says Adam Pederson, MD at Topstak: ‘The process typically involves a certified installer, a HETAS-registered engineer, who surveys the route, installs the flue and issues a Building Regulations compliance certificate.

'Costs vary by the complexity and length of the run, but a typical installation ranges from around £1,500 to £4,000 including labour. Disruption is relatively minimal compared to traditional chimney construction and most installations are completed in a day.'

Where can you put a log burner if you don't have a chimney?

If you're worried you might be limited on where you can put your log burner, the good news is that you might have more flexibility than you think.

'The flue can exit through a wall or the roof, which means a stove can be positioned in a room without a traditional chimney breast,' says Adam Pederson. 'The key limitations are building regulations around the flue route, clearance distances from combustible materials and planning considerations if the property is listed or in a conservation area. An external flue running up the outside of a building is often the simplest and most cost-effective route where internal installation is complicated.'

Are there kinds of burners that don't require a flue or chimney?

While log burning stoves will need some kind of flue in order to expel the smoke, there are other options that will suit homes where adding a flue just isn't feasible.

Bioethanol fires offer a completely different proposition,' explains Jon Butterworth, Director at Arada. 'Instead of solid fuel, they burn liquid bioethanol - a renewable fuel derived from plant by-products. One of their biggest advantages is that they don’t require a chimney or flue as they produce no smoke, soot or ash.

'This makes bioethanol fires particularly appealing for modern homes, apartments or spaces where installing a flue system isn’t possible. They are typically easy to install and can offer a sleek, contemporary aesthetic.'

But if your stove's heat output is the primary driver behind your decision, then this may not be the option for you.

'While bioethanol fires provide beautiful, real flames, they generally produce less heat output than wood or multi-fuel stoves,' reveals Jon. 'They’re often chosen for ambience rather than as a primary heat source. Fuel can also be more expensive per kilowatt hour compared to seasoned logs.

'For homeowners prioritising design flexibility and simplicity over high heat performance, bioethanol may be the right fit.'

For a real budget and renter-friendly alternative, electric stoves that offer a realistic flame effect and decent heat output are another option. They require no set up or ongoing fuel purchases, and can simply be plugged in and you're ready to go.

As the evenings and mornings suddenly got much darker, I looked at my bathroom with a fresh set of eyes. What once felt clean and fresh in the summer now feels stark and uninviting as the temperature has dropped, so I've been on the hunt for small touches to help bring warmth back into my bathroom.

When I was introduced to Quince's linen shower curtain, I knew it was the small tweak that has the potential to turn a practical necessity into a feature that creates texture and adds cosiness to a bathroom. This took me on a hunt to find other soft shower curtain ideas, made from cotton too, that achieve the same goal.

Here's why you should consider this for a winter bathroom upgrade.

It's safe to say that most shower curtains are uninspiring and a bit grotty. They're a needs-must type of purchase, but I'm a big believer in the fact that functional items should, and can, be stylish too. It's tricky to bring in many decorative touches in a bathroom, so it's essential to make those practical picks pretty if you want to upgrade your space.

A shower curtain firmly falls into this category. While you might have had a cheap and cheerful plastic curtain in the past, there's really no need for this, and a simple switch will make the whole room feel more high-end.

This is where linen and cotton come into play. They're heavyweight materials that feel instantly luxurious in a bathroom, and introduce a rare softer texture that isn't too common in a bathroom.

'We believe that everyday essentials should be beautiful and well made, but not feel like a luxury reserved for special occasions. A linen shower curtain is one of the simplest ways to make a bathroom feel more elevated and considered,' explains James Rubin-Smith, head of home at Quince.

'Unlike plastic or polyester options that have been a mainstay for far too long, linen has a natural texture and soft drape that instantly makes the space feel warmer and more relaxed, more like a boutique hotel than a functional room,' he adds.

While the appearance of cotton and linen is ultra stylish, they're practical too - so you can have it all.

"Linen is also a practical choice. It's naturally breathable, and its texture softens beautifully over time,' James continues.

Neutral colours of cotton and linen shower curtains add a lived-in, pared-back look, but it's also a great opportunity to add colour and pattern. 'For me, a ticking stripe is timeless, introducing subtle pattern and character to make a bathroom all the more welcoming,' recommends Lucy Uren Purdy, founder of Rowen & Wren.

The start of autumn is the perfect time for a bathroom refresh - these budget bathroom ideas will provide plenty of inspiration for affordable updates.

Strategist and content creator Francesca Swan is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on the concept of 'Everything' and what makes a home special to you. See the rest of her articles here.

It's now my firm belief that in every renovation, there is one room that acts as both carrot and stick as you wade through the often sludgy, seemingly endless weeks or more often, months of your project.

The proverbial carrot is the big shiny dream that literally keeps you going. A vision of one room so perfect for your needs, your home, your life, that you constantly think of it; quite often it will be the one room you have finished designing and maybe buying things for, long before the dream is due to become a reality.

The stick, however, is that this then acts as a measure against which all renovation progress is made or not made. Just HOW much longer before that meticulously imagined mirage can be realised and all will finally be well in the world? Well, in my home at least. You get the gist.

With this comes both extreme excitement, joy, optimism and crucially motivation. The flip side is frustration, annoyance and sheer desperation.

I exaggerate of course, however dramatic intent aside, I feel sure all renovators can or will at some point experience this to some extent.

In our case, the hallowed space was our living room, and in true carrot and stick style, of all the many rooms and parts of the project, this one has truly lived up to the legend.

Creating our forever home and Everything living room

We both have ADHD, which screams very loudly against chaos. We like space and organisation and have struggled (also argued a LOT!) in previous homes with overfilled multi-purpose rooms.

The kitchen/diner/living room also serving as an office? That was fun. The spare room which frequently and frantically morphed between wardrobe/dumping ground/office/guest room/gym. A veritable nuclear bomb in more ways than one.

We waited a long time to be able to do something about it, and moving to this apartment was our chance to create a Forever home.

Whilst it was very similar in style, proportions and original features to our beloved old apartment, it also had a large garden, which allowed us to extend and build, fulfilling our long-awaited and hard worked for ambition of a room for everything.

Well, almost everything. I’m not allowed a Christmas room. The other half very firmly put his foot down on that. Hopefully not on a box of my vintage baubles.

But we do have a primary bedroom suite of connected rooms with a partitioned room for just the bed, walk-in wardrobes, a vanity area and bathroom, separated from the main apartment.

A new extension creating a spacious kitchen/pantry/diner and connecting to a new office. A separate summerhouse annexe creating another office, a gym and a guest suite.

And the crowning glory, a living room, filled with books and art, lots of comfy seats and expansive leafy views. No desk. No dining table. Just pure relaxation and joy.

This will be the room where our beloved Everything feeling can be protectively nurtured and thrive easily. Walking in will immerse us in immediate joy, contentment and escapism, resetting our fraught nervous systems and gently pulling us into being present.

It will be a warm, communal space for us to spend time alone, together and with friends and family, as we lay around relaxing, napping, chatting, listening to music, reading, watching films, playing games. A seat or comfortable cushion for everyone, perfectly lit for every situation, art and books to spark conversation (not that it’s massively needed in our circle of exuberantly chatty characters; the other half and I probably being the worst culprits!).

That was our carrot as we embarked upon this two year project – the room we dreamt of and couldn’t wait to bring to life. But, of course, it’s been the longest to materialise and jeez, has it been one very spiky stick.

Learning the lessons from our old apartment

The living room in our last apartment was very similar to this in terms of dimensions, proportions and features, but thanks to our small kitchen, it had to double up as a dining room as well. This of course somewhat squashed the beauty of the room, its purpose and how we wanted to live in it.

I’d also made unforced errors. I didn't unify the alcove joinery; on one side we built cabinetry to enclose the TV, with bookshelves running up to the coving. However, the other alcove, with the same shelving, didn’t have the matching cabinet. This asymmetry bugged me constantly and disproportionately.

And then there was the cheap replica fireplace, which we never got around to sorting out. It stood out like a sore thumb against the craft of the original features and drove me wild.

The cased opening worked brilliantly to create open-plan living and connect the room to the central atrium of the kitchen and hallway, whilst also being sympathetic to the period property. However, the layout of the adjoining rooms meant it had to be right aligned, which obliterated any chance of symmetry and always annoyed me, even though there was no way around it. Can you tell I’ve got a thing about symmetry yet?

We took advantage of the grand bay window and its expansive views down to the sea by building a window seat, which handily served as a dining nook. But it interrupted the flow of the room and ate up floor space I would much have preferred to use for a chair I had squirrelled away in storage, waiting patiently for the perfect home. My poor chair waited a few more years before that opportunity arose…

These were all the things I held in my mind when we viewed our new apartment for the first time and walked into a practically identical living room, ripe with potential.

Two problems, one architectural solution

We approached the build and renovation in two phases. Phase one was renovating the existing apartment. The primary bedroom suite shot up in no time, creating a much-needed sanctuary from the works.

Next was the living room. Once first fix had been completed it was onto creating the cased opening. This was essential, not just for our preferred open-plan style, but also to revive the hallway.

Albeit a long and majestic space with sweeping high ceilings and intricate coving, it had zero natural light. Not ideal for both the entryway and connecting backbone of the apartment; linking the primary bedroom suite, living room, eventual home to a cloakroom, then leading into the new extension with its kitchen/pantry/diner.

The living room is southwest facing and graced with a lusciously verdant view of huge trees, through which elegant red brick mansions can be glimpsed. Every moment offers the experience and full effect of the seasons and weather. The sun may creep round mid-morning and bathe the whole room in glorious light, or perhaps a ferocious storm will lash the huge windows with rain, whilst the trees sway buffeted by strong winds. All of this can be enjoyed from this vantage point; brilliant for a living room and even better for an entry hall.

Structural engineer engaged, plans approved, the work on our grand new cased opening commenced. This time, it centred precisely to the middle of the wall, facing the fireplace and providing the perfect sightline from the front door into the garden. The borrowed light transformed this once dingy and dark space creating a welcoming and dynamic hallway.

Restoring the dream

Then onto restoration. Whilst a beautiful apartment blessed with original features, years of neglect meant it had fallen into a sad state of repair.

Thankfully, and somewhat miraculously the huge ornate ceiling rose was in near perfect condition, however the same could not be said for the delicate lace-like cornice. Thankfully we found a wonderful local restoration expert, who magically vanished the gaping holes, making it like new.

The wooden fireplace was replaced with the original Carrara marble fireplace reclaimed from our bedroom, lovingly restored to pristine glory by yet another highly skilled and passionate local craftsperson. Finished with a woodburner and Italian slate hearth, the room finally regained the majesty of its former days, ready to begin its new chapter as the warming heart of our home.

Never forget the importance of good bones

Those of you who regularly frequent my fortnightly tales will be familiar with my obsession for good bones. Those permanent fixtures and fittings that subtly elevate a space, stand the test of time and importantly, create cohesion throughout a home.

In my case, it was back to my old faithfuls to complete the living room, bringing back the quality stars that had shone in the old apartment and already taken their place in the primary bedroom suite. If it ain’t broke…

First up, laying my much-loved Flooring Superstore Cambridge Bavarian Oak Chevron flooring – there might have been actual tears the day this went down and the sunshine brought the golden tones of my new floor to softly glowing life. This flooring lives in every room of our apartment, including the summerhouse, and in further testament to my love for it, we also used a similar version of darker oak in the old apartment. It’s a decision I take pleasure in every time my bare feet caress the soft grooves and grain of the wood.

Radiators came in the form of my favourite bronze Paladin Bartholomew from Trade Radiators. We all know that radiators can be design features, as well as functional and this one definitely understood the brief. Softly curved, yet statuesque and elegant, it lends a period-friendly architectural detail and acts as an unexpected, yet stunning sculpture.

Last but not least, bronze switches and sockets c/o my go-to Corston Architectural. An investment, certainly, but with slim profiles, elegant form and subtly sophisticated materiality and finish, one worth making.

Joinery at any cost

Restoration complete and bones in place, it was onto the joinery and my longed-for shelves to release my books from their prison in storage.

The phasing of the extension build, and therefore our kitchen, required a makeshift solution in the living room to see us through three months whilst work was completed. I refused to allow any overspill into the bedroom suite, holding fast in the belief we needed to protect one space from the creep of chaos.

So, the living room became our de-facto one room living space.

We bought two handy portable kitchen units and installed temporary shelving, which could be used as part of our setup and then finished properly when the time came. We then created two zones; a small seating area with our sofas, and a kitchen with a dining table, also acting as a desk, with numerous boxes and materials stacked in any free space. As you can imagine, I was in hell.

However, when planning our survival room, I knew one wall would remain untouched, so embarked upon a typically Francesca plan of pushing through with installation of beautiful cabinetry and shelving on either side of the fireplace. When they were fully decorated, we decided to paint the wall too. Note the singular there. Yes, dear friends, I finished one side of the room perfectly, whilst the rest of it was basically a dumpster hellfire.

It made sense to me; I rescued some of my books from storage and set them up to striking effect in their new home. When sitting on the sofa, looking at the magnificent fireplace and watching TV (neatly encased in cabinetry mirrored perfectly in the other alcove – live it, learn it), you could almost imagine the room was finished. Just keep those blinkers on and block it all out. In truth it did kind of work and I was happy to take any wins or small signs of progress I could.

I won’t bore you by regurgitating the torturous details, however needless to say planning delays meant three months turned into nine. I repeat, NINE months of our waking life squeezed unceremoniously, noisily and dustily into this one room. The motivational carrot of my dream room was a distant memory, and instead I had a very hard beating from the stick reminding me daily just how far we were from finishing.

Eventually the kitchen was completed, and we gradually reclaimed the space. The units and the table went. The sofas were rearranged. We could actually walk around the room without sustaining minor injury and a sort of calm started to settle.

It was time for the rest of the joinery. Matching bookshelves running up the ceiling on both sides of the cased opening, also mirroring the joinery on the facing wall. This creates a very pleasing symmetry, not to mention finally enough storage for our books.

I won’t linger on the point the shelves are already near full to bursting. We'll cross that bridge another day. And no, it doesn’t mean I will stop buying books.

Bringing our Everything living room to life

As we finally reach the end of our two-year project, (I know I’ve written those words many times before, however this time I actually think it’s true) the living room is within grasping distance. The boxes are clear, things are slowly coming to life, and we can finally see the living room we've imagined for these past few years.

In my next column, it’s onto completing the decoration; lighting, furniture, soft furnishings and art. All the incredibly sexy things I’ve been dreaming about for three years, which are now mostly bought, and some already in situ, such as my Vogue magazine coffee table of dreams.

In the meantime, we’ve realised that although it’s a rather wondrous experience every time we begin to complete and use a room properly, this one is even more special having been so long in the making and through so many different incarnations.

We’re falling in love with our home that little bit more. All the memories of stress and horrific never ending expense have started to fade away.

We could not wish for a stronger feeling of Everything. It’s in every single corner, every clean line of joinery, the soft curves of the marble fireplace, the view onto the autumnal trees in our garden and beyond. And there’s even more to come when we finish decorating and dressing it.

We feel like we belong here. We now know without a shadow of a doubt that we have made the right decision, and it definitely has been worth it. Phew.

If you’re working on your lawn this autumn, I’d like to introduce you to one tool in particular: a compost spreader.

The Outsunny Compost Spreader, which is currently £57.99 at B&Q, was an absolute game-changer in our lawn project, evenly spreading lawn seeding soil in a fraction of the time it would usually take. It’s such a simple piece of kit – a rolling cage that you push along the lawn to lay topsoil and compost – and it’s ideal if you’re reseeding your lawn and need a fresh, even base for grass seed.

Here’s a little bit more about the Outsunny Compost Spreader in action – and why it’s a must-have for lawn renovation projects.

Whether you’re sowing grass seed on a blank canvas or hoping to fill in bare patches before overseeding your lawn, topsoil is an essential part of a lawn renovation regime. You could spread the soil by hand, straight out of the bag, of course – but that can be tiring and time-consuming.

When my partner spotted a compost spreader online, it went straight on our wish list. First of all, it looked really satisfying to use – watching the lawn get coated with even layers of soil was very pleasing to the eye – but it also looked like a much more efficient way of doing it.

Well, I can confirm that the Outsunny Compost Spreader lived up to our expectations. The huge mesh basket has a 75L capacity, so there’s room for plenty of topsoil (we used Westland’s Lawn Seeding Soil, which you can order from Marshalls Garden) – and that means you can cover more ground between refills.

Once you’ve filled the basket with soil, you simply close the hinged door, lock it with the double locking clamps and start pushing the spreader to roll the basket along your lawn. It takes a bit of welly, depending on how much soil you’ve loaded, but it gets easier once you build some momentum.

What followed was a thin, even layer of lawn seeding soil distributed smoothly over our lawn. It almost looked as though the garden was dusted with fresh soil – and we barely had to level our lawn once we’d finished. From there, we used the Miracle-Gro Drop Spreader to evenly sow grass seed.

We also loved the fact that you don’t need to turn the spreader around every time you complete a lap of your lawn – you just flip the handle to the other side of the roller, wiggle it slightly, and carry on in the opposite direction of your last lap.

The Outsunny Compost Spreader needs to be assembled before you use it, but it was easy enough to put together – a few clips, pins and bolts, and we’d attached the U-shaped handle to the cage. It’s also made from rust-proof, corrosion-resistant metal, so it’ll withstand the elements during the colder months. The only downside is that the basket collects larger pieces of bark and debris, so you'll need to empty it between refills.

All in all, the Outsunny Compost Spreader proved to be an invaluable tool for preparing our lawn ahead of seeding. It's simple but really good at what it does – and it saves so much time if you're preparing your lawn for autumn and winter.

Autumn lawn essentials

If you’re after a time-saving tool that spreads topsoil or compost evenly over your garden, the Outsunny Compost Spreader is an absolute must.

Home decorator Ammarah Hasham is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts infusing her rental house with plenty of personality. See the rest of her articles here.

I think I have reached the level of maturity where I have come to realise that the things we use on a daily basis deserve far more consideration than those we bring out occasionally, such as fancy guest towels and decorative centrepieces reserved for special gatherings. Don’t get me wrong, I love a seasonal refresh as much as anyone, but over time, I’ve come to appreciate the value of investing in good-quality everyday essentials rather than spending hundreds on things that barely make it out of the cupboard.

In my house, it’s the sofa, cushions, duvets and pillows that rarely get a moment's peace. Our two cats are fully convinced that everything belongs to them and we are merely borrowing it. I must admit, though, there was once a time when I’d buy a cushion purely on the basis of colour or pattern, and would give almost no thought to what the insert was like. You live and learn that what goes inside a cushion plays a key role in making furnishings look expensive and considered. And once I upgraded to feather-filled inserts, there was no going back. As for the pillows, I’ve always been fairly fussy. Anyone who has spent ages trying to find THE pillow will know it's no easy task.Which brings me to today's chat.

Not long ago, I shared a photograph of my soft furnishings enjoying a sunbathing session in our garden. It intrigued quite a few of my Instagram followers, and many were left wondering what on earth I was doing.

Well, the explanation is pretty simple. In fact, it is a habit I mentioned in my earlier article where I shared easy housekeeping tips I learnt from my mother. I was sunning my soft furnishings, something I grew up watching my mother do.I’ve always been an advocate of old-fashioned housekeeping hacks, particularly those that involve fewer cleaning chemicals. And if they involve a simpler practical solution, I am definitely in.

How I freshen my soft furnishings

As I mentioned earlier, with two Ragdolls, finding hair in almost every corner of my home is inevitable. The other day, I found one in my make-up bag, of all places. There’s always fur hiding somewhere and if anything is made out of velvet, then it doesn’t stand a chance against their shedding. A lint roller, pet hair remover, or any soft upholstery brush normally does the job. I always stock up on a few of these BÄSTIS lint rollers from IKEA because they are quite effective in removing any dust and fur. The next step is to take a quick look at the fabric care instructions. It’s always good to know what materials we are dealing with and if there are any specific precautions that we need to take.

Of course, I do this on a dry, sunny day. I arrange the cushions on a clean sheet in our backyard. You can also use a garden bench, clothes airer or other outdoor furniture. Just make sure the surface is clean and dry. For duvet covers, I find it easier to hang them on a washing line. The important thing is to leave enough space around each item for the air to circulate. This step is entirely optional, but sometimes I spray them lightly with a suitable fabric deodoriser. The key here is to spritz gently from a distance, making sure not to saturate the fabric.

Then, I just let them sit in the sun, soaking up all the goodness. I flip them halfway through before leaving them outside for some time so both sides get a chance to air. Depending on the manufacturer's care instructions, I leave them outside for four to five hours. Once they’ve had a good session in the sun, I give them a good shake and fluff them up to redistribute the filling before bringing them back inside. And that’s it. It really is that simple. I leave them outside to air in the sunshine, and nature does the rest.

Why it works

When you bring them inside, that fresh, outdoorsy feeling is hard to ignore. Pillows, duvets and cushions naturally absorb moisture from our bodies and their surroundings. Airing them in dry conditions helps some of that trapped moisture evaporate, reducing lingering odours and the stuffiness that can develop in the fillings over time.

Fun fact: Sunlight actually has antimicrobial properties, which can help reduce certain microorganisms that may be present in fabrics. The combination of warmth, sunshine and fresh air works as a natural way to dehumidify and freshen up soft furnishings.

Buying good-quality items is one part of looking after our homes, but learning how to care for them is equally important. I guess sometimes we end up inheriting much more from our parents than just their genes.

Over the last 2 years of living in my rental home, I have become somewhat accustomed to all of the things I swore I could fix when I first moved in. When I first set sights on my very beige bathroom, I was committed to making some renter-friendly upgrades, but as everyday life inevitably gets in the way, I never did.

So when I spotted these renter-friendly, peel-and-stick floor tiles from Dunelm, it gave me the push I needed to finally do something about my sad bathroom. As we get into the winter months, I want my bathroom to feel like a cosy space to unwind in - not one where all I can focus on is the dirty grout.

I've been curious about adhesive tiles for a while now, but I have always been concerned that they would look cheap. In my opinion, this isn't the case with these Dunelm tiles at all. Here's how I used them to achieve a budget bathroom makeover in just a few hours.

When it comes to interiors, it's safe to say that I am someone who enjoys compiling inspiration across many Pinterest boards, but I am less enthusiastic about executing these grand ideas. In other words, I put this DIY project off for a while, and I completely regret not trying it sooner.

Having never laid any tiles before, adhesive or not, I decided to tackle the task with a gung-ho attitude - and I now have some lessons learned that will help anyone else trying to do the same.

The first hurdle was figuring out how many tiles I needed for the project. The Dunelm tiles come in a pack of 10, each measuring 30cm x 30cm, so I put these details plus my bathroom floorplan into AI to help me calculate how many packets to purchase.

I definitely came out with more tiles than I needed, but it has been useful to have extra for small, awkward gaps. Overall, I used 6 boxes which comes to £86.40 - not bad for a tweak that makes a big impact.

The only tools you need for this are a utility knife and a large ruler (the bigger the better). I started by measuring across the back wall of my bathroom to find the mid point, then I stuck the first tile down in the centre of the room, with the aim of working outwards.

This was an adequate strategy, but the advice on the tile box recommends working in quadrants, which I would recommend as this minimises how many cuts you need to do.

After finding some photos as inspiration, I decided to lay the tiles in a diamond checkerboard pattern, working in an alternate black and white pattern. The middle tiles went down really easily and I was soon well on my way to filling the centre of the room.

I quickly came up against some tricky edges, which is where my utility knife came into play. The adhesive tiles were easy to cut down - I used the ruler to measure and then scored with the utility knife. You could then easily snap the excess off.

However, this is where I made some mistakes with measurements. At the side of the room, some cuts were made too big so you could see the original tiles peeking through.

After a few mishaps, I started using the paper backing from the tiles to create stencils, which I then used to score around on the tile. This was a much easier method which I took across the rest of the project.

With a few breaks in between, this took me around 4 hours to complete, which isn't bad for a weekend DIY task.

I am super chuffed with how they look. It's brightened up the whole space and feels like a much cleaner and stylish space.

The marble effect on the tiles looks much more realistic than I had anticipated and they feel very tile-like underfoot, which was important to me. The dirty grout lines are officially covered up, and I now actually look forward to doing my skincare.

Shop more peel and stick floor tiles

Looking for a more permanent solution? These bathroom tile ideas offer plenty of inspiration.

In our busy household and as a family of four, we get through a fair bit of washing, so when we renovated the back of our house, I wanted to make sure our small laundry room worked as hard as possible because there wasn't much space to work with.

So despite its size, I've managed to squeeze in everything from laundry baskets to my vacuum cleaner, ironing board and cleaning essentials. The secret has been investing in a few clever clutter busters that make the most of every inch and keep everything neat and tidy and out of sight.

Here are the five things that have made the biggest difference to my utility room storage.

1. Individual pull out baskets

This is by far one of my favourite additions to our laundry room space. Rather than having our copious amounts of laundry baskets inevitably cluttering up our floor, we installed a dedicated cupboard that houses four baskets, one for each family member.

It's made sorting the laundry and putting it away so much easier, particularly with two young children and their endless array of tiny garments. I bought these Urbnliving oval laundry baskets from Amazon that fit perfectly into the slots.

2. A pull out shelf for catching laundry

I spotted this clever pull-out shelf idea on Pinterest, and I made sure it fit our design. It gives me somewhere to pull all the freshly dried clothes from our tumble dryer into a basket and also sort and fold clothes. Once I'm finished, it simply slides back into the cupboard, taking no space at all.

It also houses this HoldAll collapsible laundry basket from Joseph Joseph, which folds completely flat when not in use, so it can be tucked in on the shelf when it's hidden away and pops open in seconds when you need it. It's sturdy, easy to carry, has a large capacity and wipes clean.

3. A slim detergent cupboard

Our laundry room needed to work for cleaning storage as well as housing laundry essentials, so things like bathroom sprays, multi-surface cleaners and floor cleaner needed a home, as well as washing liquid, stain removers and fabric conditioners.

I've added a slim pull-out cupboard to store all my laundry kit so it's easily reachable from the washing machine, etc., so the rest of the cupboards keep everything else hidden.

4. A cupboard for bulky cleaning equipment

Finding somewhere to store a vacuum cleaner, an ironing board, an iron and a mop can be tricky, especially if you have a small space to work with.

We made sure we had a decent-sized cupboard, and that's been a game changer for keeping everything in its right place, so I no longer have to look at any of it!

5. A retractable washing line

I'm a big fan of anything that doesn't take up permanent space, which is why I love this viral brass retractable washing line that I picked up last year.

It's a great little buy that's ideal for hanging shirts and smaller items to dry, especially in winter. It just disappears into a pretty little brass unit when not in use.

6. A big laundry basket with built-in sorting

Another laundry essential and one of my many Joseph Joseph buys is the Joseph Joseph Tota Trio laundry basket. Its three genius compartments mean I can sort clothes into different loads as I go, rather than tackling one enormous pile.

The removable bags make transferring everything to the washing machine easier as well. Plus, it's not something you need to hide away, as it's super easy on the eye and doesn't take up too much space.

If you're planning a small laundry room, my advice would be to think about how you actually do your washing before deciding on storage.

These pull-out solutions, hidden cupboards and multifunctional additions have made ours super practical, without sacrificing valuable real estate!

Home decorator Lara Winter is one of Ideal Home's Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on revamping a 200 year old cottage to make it right for modern family life. See the rest of her articles here.

I'm a firm believer that cosiness is a feeling, not a decorating style. And while the shops would have us believe we need an entirely new collection of cushions, throws and decorative pumpkins every September, I've found that the things that make our home feel cosiest are usually the simplest.

Although I should probably admit that I buy candles in bulk. Apparently, I do have my exceptions.

Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of seasonal decorating. But I also don't particularly fancy finding storage space for 27 ceramic pumpkins come November. So over the years, I've developed a few little habits that make our home feel warmer and more inviting without having to redecorate or spend a fortune.

1. Candles are non-negotiable

I buy candles in bulk because I genuinely cannot imagine getting through autumn and winter without lighting at least one every evening. Or afternoon, if it's particularly gloomy outside. Which, let's face it, in England could be any day of the year.

I'm also a big believer in a good-quality reed diffuser. My personal favourite is Skandinavisk. Scent is such an underrated part of cosiness. You can have the most beautifully decorated room in the world, but if it smells like last night's fish fingers, the atmosphere is somewhat ruined.

2. Little lamps, big difference

I've recently moved a small lamp into our kitchen and honestly, I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. I now leave it on in the evenings and it makes the whole room feel so much softer and more welcoming.

I'm famously opposed to the big light, so little pools of indirect lighting are my absolute favourite. Table lamps, wall lights, anything that doesn't make the living room resemble a dentist's waiting room.

My latest discovery? Smart plugs. I've finally invested in some so that our lamps can switch themselves on and off automatically. Because while I love having lots of lamps, walking around the house turning them all on individually every evening was becoming a part-time job.

Now the house gets cosy all by itself. Technology at its finest.

3. Shop your garden, not the shops

One of my favourite ways to make our home feel seasonal is to bring a little of the outdoors inside.

And no, you don't need a garden overflowing with beautiful flowers. A few branches, interesting stems, some greenery or whatever is still hanging on for dear life in the flowerbeds will do nicely.

I love putting them in a favourite vase and letting them be a little imperfect. In fact, the wonkier the better sometimes.

It's free, it changes with the seasons and there's something rather lovely about having a little piece of your garden on the kitchen table.

4. The annual blanket migration

When the temperatures start dropping, out come the fleece blankets for the boys. They go on top of their normal duvets and somehow make bedtime feel approximately 300% cosier.

It's such a small thing, but I love these little seasonal rituals. The same blankets come out every year, and there's something comforting about that familiarity.

And really, that's what cosiness is about, isn't it? Not necessarily having the prettiest blanket artfully draped over a chair, but actually using it. Preferably while watching a film with a cup of tea and absolutely no plans to leave the sofa.

5. The biscuit jar comes out of retirement

There's something about autumn that makes me want to bake approximately three times a week. Whether it's cookies, cinnamon buns or something involving an unreasonable amount of butter, the kitchen becomes a much busier place once the evenings draw in.

We have a favourite biscuit jar that comes out every autumn, and I love keeping it filled with homemade treats. Although 'keeping it filled' is perhaps a bit ambitious in a house with two children and a husband.

And I think that's another part of making a home feel cosy that we often forget. It's not just about what a room looks like, but what happens in it. The smell of something baking, a slightly flour-covered kitchen and everyone appearing the moment the oven door opens.

No new decorations required. Just a decent biscuit recipe and a family with absolutely no self-control.

Making a home feel cosy isn't about adding more and more things. It's about noticing what makes you feel good, using what you already have and creating little moments to look forward to.

Although if anyone knows where I can buy candles by the pallet, do let me know.