Your Home

With longer days and warmer weather to look forward to, it’s time to freshen up our homes before spring has sprung – and we’ve all the tips and tricks you need this month. From clearing out your loft (p13) to spring cleaning for less (p17), once ever

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If you like bright, bold colours and kitsch prints, take inspiration from George Home’s Hippiecurian spring/ summer 2022 collection. Think pick-n-mix textiles and rose-tinted tableware for hazy summer evenings – even your bathroom can be updated with

If you want to learn about feng shui but don’t know where to begin, Cliff Tan’s accessible guide is a great start. The social media star covers how to use it in different rooms, including styling. Hannah and Alex don’t believe in taking life too ser

Courtesy of eflorist, the writer of this issue’s star letter will receive a bespoke Pleasant Pinks bouquet worth £49.99. Three runners-up will receive a Spring Daze bouquet worth over £25. Find out more about eflorist at eflorist.co.uk ■

When we moved into our new home, we thought the bathroom would need replacing but decided to give it a mini makeover so we could focus on the rest of the house. The herringbone floor was a vinyl off-cut from our local flooring shop and the pictures w

My tired TV unit seemed like the perfect upcycling project. First, I made sure all the sides of the unit were the same thickness by adding thin MDF. Then I sanded everything, before adding some interest by using wooden half beads. Once the new round

A set of good quality knives is a must-have for any home cook, and ProCook’s new Gourmet Kiru knife range is stylish yet highly practical: they’ve been stone ground to an Eastern 13° angle each side for a stronger and sharper cutting edge. The range

If the kids are at home all day for the school holidays, they can wreak havoc on your house. Whereas getting crayon on the walls once meant disaster, a handy hack is to remove it with the help of a hairdryer. Gently heat the wax with the dryer and it

When buying a new electrical appliance, consider the long-term running cost as well as its upfront price. By choosing a more energy-efficient washing machine for example, you could save up to £55 a year on your laundry bill. That’s enough to buy this

Reduce plastic waste while leaving gleaming results with the refillable Spray Mop Bundle from koh, priced at £44.95. The reusable, recyclable set contains allergy-friendly, vegan universal cleaner; an atomiser; microfibre cloths; sponges; a mop; and

Adorned with delicate climbing white leaves this powder blue diffuser looks adorably pretty and is perfect as a bedroom accessory. The tank sits under the ceramic casing which slides off and is easy to fill. A steady, visible stream of mist is emitte

How do video doorbells work? These allow you to see who’s at the door via your smartphone. When the doorbell rings or the sensor detects movement, you’ll be notified via the app. This enables you to see who’s there and speak to them, even if you’re

• Find a range of security systems at simplisafe.co.uk, verisure.co.uk, yalehome.co.uk, adt.co.uk and honeywellhome.com • For video doorbells try ring.com, arlo.com and support.blinkforhome.com • Security camera brands to look for include ring.com,

WHO LIVES HERE? Tilly Hughes, 33 (on Instagram @heneddyhouse), my son Henry, five, and daughter, Teddy, three. We’ve lived in this four-bedroom 1930s semi in Cheltenham since 2017. WHAT WAS UPDATED? Everything in the living room except the floor! I

Steal Tilly’s mantelpiece style with funky taper candles like this cool marbled twist design. The dreamy neons in Henry Hu’s Off The Shelf print prove that colourful can be calming, too. Let the fiery oranges and bold pinks in this dried bouquet brig

CHANGE IT OFTEN Build up a collection of old and new items that you can swap around regularly to keep a room looking new and interesting. GET CREATIVE Artwork is a smart starting point for a scheme; I choose bright, abstract prints that give me lots

FURNITURE £175 TILES £500 FITTED SHELVING £1,470 LOG BURNER £855 TOTAL £3,000 For a similar sofa try the Anderson 2-seater velvet sofa bed in Navy Blue, £999, Cult Furniture. For a similar Moroccan rug try handmade Moroccan polka dot rug, from £29

Dial up the comfort with an ultra-fluffy cushion, ideal for layering with patterned cushions and throws. With its rustic finish and shiny gold base, this pot would fit right into Aimee’s boho-glam scheme. Like Aimee’s Juju hat wall display, this Coas

FURNITURE £2,794 JUJU HATS £500 ACCESSORIES £390 HEARTH £200 TOTAL £3,884 Scott 4-seater chaise end corner sofa, £1,899, MADE.com. For similar loveseat try Beige velvet Payton loveseat, £369.97, Furniture123. Hearth, £200, from a selection at Bris

WHO LIVES HERE? I’m Rukmini Patel, an interior designer (@rukminipatelinteriordesign). I live here with my husband, Craig Bird, who works in finance. We bought our detached new-build in Northamptonshire in 2015. WHAT WAS UPDATED? We painted the wall

TAKE YOUR TIME. Live in a space for a while to get a feel for how you use it before deciding on a scheme, and collect finishing touches like ornaments, cushions and prints over time to make it personal to you. BRING THE OUTSIDE IN. Plants, be they re

PAINT £174FURNITURE £2,500RUG £400WINDOW TREATMENTS £2,000LIGHTING £390ARTWORK £200CUSHIONS £108 TOTAL £5,772 Estate emulsion in Faded Terracotta, £52 per 2.5L; estate eggshell in Faded Terracotta, £70 per 2.5L, both Farrow & Ball. White full-heig

Keen beachcomber Rukmini has punctuated her scheme with seaside finds; get the look with this abstract beach print. Fill your sofa with cosy textures, like the faux raffia on this cushion. This Lovato pendant shade contrasts the natural materials wit

THE HOMEOWNER I’m Nicola Williams, an account manager, 31, and I live here with my partner, Shaun Brennan, a carpenter, 34, and our son, Cavan, 15 months. Our second child is due in April. THE HOUSE A two-bedroom Victorian terrace in Leicester. We m

This two-bedroom terrace is Nicola and Shaun’s first home together. They had plans to open up the downstairs layout as soon as they moved in, but wanted to change the dated upstairs bathroom too. ‘We loved the space, but the main problem was the acce

For a similar bath try Affine Montbel free-standing bath 1,700mm, £1,349, Plumbworld. Crosswater Simpsons 1,600 x 800 x 25mm stone resin shower tray, £336; for a similar shower head try Crosswater Fusion 250mm, £52.45; for a similar toilet try Nuie S

Take the sustainable route when it comes to sourcing the centrepiece item for your room. Whether it’s a well-used dresser or charity shop dining table, if you love the bones of the piece then you can rescue it with a thorough scrub, lick of paint and

As well as adding softness underfoot, rugs are a hero item that can really pull a room together – or give you a stylish starting point to build a scheme around. So, rather than searching for the perfect design, why not make your own with our simple s

PICK A HERO ITEM Choose one piece to build your scheme around, like I did with my gorgeous green sofa. I made it a centrepiece of the room by pairing it with neutrals and greys so it stands out. CREATE A FOCAL POINT I didn’t want the focus of the roo

WE ARE Sera Bailey, 36, a midwife. I share my decorating progress on Instagram@wisteria.house_. I live with my husband, Simon, 40, a head of department, and our two children, Evie, 12, and Seth, nine. OUR HOME IS an Edwardian, three-bedroom, semi-de

‘I knew this would be our next home as soon as I saw it,’ says Caroline Cumiskey. ‘I got “the feeling” straight away.’ Even the fact that it was in a real state didn’t deter her. ‘It needed a complete re-wire, as the previous owner had done the elect

WE ARE Caroline Cumiskey, on Instagram @carries_colourful_casa, 40, my husband Ian, 35, and our two daughters, Kennedy, nine, and Murphy, who is five years old. OUR HOME IS A 1960s, four-bedroom semi in Hatherley in Cheltenham, and we moved here in

WE ARE Joanna and Paul Kerr, both 42. Joanna is the owner of homeware brand, Mauve & Mocha (mauveandmocha. co.uk), and Paul is co-director of Haig Kitchens (haigkitchens.com), They have three daughters, Olivia, 12, Mya, nine, and Valentina, four, and

Having looked all over Scotland for a property with a bit more space, Joanna and Paul Kerr found this unique house close to where they were already living, near their families. It was a self-build by the first owners so had some quirky details that t

For a speedy supper, heat some olive oil in a large pan and fry 8 chicken thighs until browned. Add 2 chopped leeks and fry until the chicken is cooked through. Add 1 tbsp mustard and 4 tbsp single cream and stir. Season and simmer until the sauce th

Over the past couple of years, we’ve demanded more from our homes than ever before – and become acutely aware of their shortcomings. So much so, that a study by mortgage broker Boon Brokers found that 69 per cent of us are planning home improvements

• Wilko.com and bmstores. co.uk are one-stop shops for wallpaper, paint and other DIY essentials, as well as inexpensive accessories • Visit anthropologie.com and simplydoorhandles. co.uk for interesting knobs and pull handles to spruce up kitchen ca

‘For an instant update, why not do something dramatic on the wall behind the bed? Something as simple as a bold colour like charcoal, deep berry or yellow is an easy way to achieve this. Alternatively, create a patchwork of overlapping stencils to ad

As they mature, clump-forming perennials make new productive growth on the outside edges of the plant, leaving the middle section to die off. Loosen the clump all the way around with a fork until it can be lifted out of the ground. Use two forks, bac

Turn and mix your compost regularly – it needs to be well aerated for the organisms to do their work. Making your own compost can improve your soil – it allows clay soil to drain more freely and helps sandy soil to retain more moisture. ■

A combination of nitrogen and carbon-rich material is what you need to make the best garden compost. Soft green vegetation, grass clippings and uncooked kitchen waste are rich in nitrogen, while shredded woody stems and paper provide the carbon eleme

Editor Mel Sherwood Features Editor Michelle Grady Section Editor Thomas Poad Senior Production Editor Katie Nicholls Editorial Assistant Sophie Ellis Art Editor Tricia Ball Deputy Art Editor Beth Charlton Lucas Digital Editor Rebecca Messina

1. ‘The rainbows are a product influenced by my daughter, so I will always have a soft spot for them.’ Custom big rainbow, £16 2. ‘My BLM collection uses my craft to create homewares that spark intuitive conversations and act as a daily reminder tha

WHO LIVES HERE? I’m Aimee Baker, 36, on Instagram @feather_that_nest, and I live with my husband, Russell, 40, and our two children, Leo, two, and Ruby, four months old. We’re both mortgage brokers and have lived in this four-bedroom, 1930s detached