Welcome to the second post in my collaboration with Wayfair. I’m thrilled to be working with them this year as part of their Home Experts programme, and will be sharing lots of interiors inspiration over the next 12 months. I’ve already had lots of fun with my first challenge, looking at how to revamp your space with the pantone colour of the year, ‘Greenery’. It’s such a vibrant, energising colour, and given my love affair with plants and all ...
How to choose the best garden building for your home
Do you have an outdoor building in your garden? I would guess that most of us have a shed of some sort, but increasingly we are looking to our outdoor areas to provide additional living space too. Rising house prices, the growing popularity of home working, and the trend towards slower living and re-connecting with nature are just a few factors contributing to the growing range of garden buildings on the market. If you’re looking to replace or ...
What to plant now for your Summer garden
A glorious summer garden. Sitting here in the depths of winter it feels a long way off, doesn’t it? Planning for your summer garden by sowing seeds and introducing plants at this time of year may sound a little hasty, but it really isn’t too early to make a start. It’s actually very sensible to start planning your borders now, because doing so will give you plenty of time to grow a large proportion of plants yourself and save you lots of money ...
Revamp your space with Greenery: pantone colour of the year 2017
What’s your favourite colour? That’s a question I get asked a lot at the moment; Lily is very into colouring right now, and seeks my opinion on pretty much a daily basis. My answer is always green, followed by her current favourite in second place to keep her happy! I’ve always loved the colour green. I suppose when I think about it, that’s probably a big part of why I love gardening and plants so much; it gives me a chance to submerge myself ...
Healthy habits for TV, video games and the internet
If you've got kids, you'll be only too aware of the increasing influence of TV, video games and the internet on their lives. Naturally we all want to create a good balance between screen time and other hobbies, and today's guest post looks at positive steps we can take as parents to encourage healthy habits in our children - and ourselves too! TV, video games and the internet are excellent sources of entertainment and education for both kids ...
My luxury bathroom wish list
Last year we gave our family bathroom a much-needed update: we ripped everything out and installed a new suite, tiles, floor and storage. It’s no exaggeration to say that our bathroom is small, so while we were able to create a lovely new look, we were very much restricted by the size of the room. We did lots of research, with the aim of finding fixtures and fittings that would work well in a small space, and we’re really pleased with the ...
Tips for installing a raised bed this spring
If you're looking for inspiration on spring garden projects, this guest post from gardening and home repair enthusiast David Miller exploring the world of raised bed gardening is a great place to start. Heading towards spring and the return of warm weather, it’s always fun to think of the different ways we can work to improve our gardens. Whether it’s something as simple as planting a few new bulbs, or something as involved as constructing a ...
How to create the perfect new bathroom
Are you planning a bathroom renovation this year? It can be one of the trickiest and most costly rooms in the house to update, so naturally you want to make sure you get it right first time. To help you create the perfect new bathroom for your home, check out these tips on how to make the project a big success. Make a wish list I think this should be the first step in any new bathroom project. Spend some time really ...
Top tips for a kitchen update
With the arrival of a new year, how many of you are currently creating a wish list of jobs and updates for your home? Mine is looking impressively big right now! At the top of my list is a kitchen update. The kitchen is such a hard-working room, isn’t it? With many of us embracing the trend for open-plan living, they need to cope with a variety of functions. We spend most of our time at home in our kitchen; it’s used on a daily basis as a ...
5 must-have tips for creating the perfect garden room
The arrival of a new year often gets us thinking about new home and garden projects; what's on your to-do list? I'm planning a new kitchen with views onto the garden, which will really increase the use of our patio and work wonders for outdoor entertaining. I'm also dreaming about a lovely garden room; if you're looking to maximise your living space without major building work, they're a really great option. If you're thinking about adding a ...