Lifestyle

Designers have often used hand-picked books as props when dressing show homes but the art of primping with paperbacks really went mainstream during recent lockdowns.

Some of the most eye catching home additions are permanent, expensive or both. While there is no doubt that replacing an old kitchen or installing a new bathroom will transform a property, it’s not a practical path to follow for tenants or for soon-to-be sellers.

If you are moving home soon and want to know if the property will retain heat, there are a few things you can look out for. The first is the EPC rating – which shows how energy efficient the property is…

It may be best to stop reading now if you’re a fan of neutral design palettes, as home interiors are set to be full of Very Peri this year – Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2022. For the first time in its annual colour trend history, the company created a brand new shade that wasn’t already in its extensive catalogue.

Preparing our properties for inclement weather is more important than ever this year, with many of us mindful about the amount of gas we are using and how low the temperature may drop, thanks to climate change.

Rather than batten down the hatches, take a leaf out of the Swede’s book and embrace fika. It’s the latest Scandinavian trend that celebrates all things cosy and warm, coming hot on the heels of Danish hygge and Dutch gezellig.

Design and decorating companies usually announce an annual ‘colour of the year’ – a shade that encapsulates a nation’s mood and complements current interior trends – and Dulux has been the first to break cover. It has announced that its Colour of the Year 2022 is Bright Skies.

If you’re due to complete on a property soon and want to keep it secure as you settle in, you may find our 6 essential security changes useful.

While we may only light the gas, fan the real flames or flick the switch of a stove-effect heater when it’s really cold, the mantelpiece is a year-round feature that you can dress to have a big impact. In fact, there is something called ‘mantelscaping’ – the art of arranging knick-knacks, trinkets and flowers on the ledge (the mantel) that sits above a fire.

So just what is boho chic, we hear you ask? In terms of interior design and accessorising, boho chic is the best of laid back, unstructured living, with global influences and a love of all things handmade.

We should be more than three-quarters of the way to being carbon net zero by 2050 and helping us to achieve this milestone is a change to the availability of halogen light bulbs. 

Deciding to add a form of shade to your garden can prolong the amount of time you can sit outside comfortably – and provide somewhere to entertain even if there’s a sharp summer downpour. What type of shade you opt for will depend on your aim, approach to building work and budget.