Interiors

Let There Be Light!

We’ve been spending more time than ever at home, which for many of us is set to continue in the ‘new normal'. You may have paid closer attention to your décor, noticed certain rooms need a little TLC or questioned your furniture arrangement. Indeed, UK Google searches for ‘home improvements’ steadily climbed through lockdown before spiking in July.

5 Storage Ideas For Your Home Office By Leading Interior Experts

Home office storage is key to having a neat and functional workspace that we feel comfortable working in. As well as making you more organised and efficient, the right storage spaces can make your office appear clutter free and attractive. From floating shelves to filing systems, we spoke to five different interior experts who provide creative storage ideas for your home office to maximise space and your productivity.

Interior Trend Predictions For 2020

With 2020 fast approaching, the interior design specialists at www.Hillarys.co.uk have looked at current trends, patterns and sales in order to predict what interior trends we will see skyrocket in popularity throughout 2020.

Millions Getting Ready For Christmas By Doing DIY

A study has revealed that before they even think about getting the festive decorations down from the loft, many people are looking at other areas of their home to improve in the run up to the big day.

3 Things To Remember When Designing Your Own Kitchen

As we all know, the kitchen can often be a central part of the home. It is certainly a part that you probably want to be as close to perfect as possible in its design. If it is not, then it will affect the rest of the household more than you might assume, and that can mean that you are much less likely to be able to enjoy it for what it could be.

Solving The Problem Of A Small Home

It’s no secret that homes have been shrinking over the last few decades. In the past, even the most humble of homes would have had ample room for all of the furniture, appliances, and other lifestyle tools which a family would need to get by.

On Trend Interior Design To Jazz-Up Your Pad

Every year, the budding interior designer in you may wonder just what this season's trends have in store for your home. If your houseproud and creative you’ll relish the idea of giving your home a makeover, this could be a fun project that you set yourself, or that you get your spouse or kids to help you with. Perhaps your home is crying out for a design reboot, after all, the spaces in which we live often hold the key to our moods and how we view our lives.

Top Trends in Wood Flooring

When we talk about trends in flooring, it’s with a different focus than say clothing trends, where a trend may change with the seasons and last summer’s big thing is ready for the charity shop when the season comes around again. Today’s discerning homeowners want flooring, which is stylish, hardwearing and long-lasting, featuring design innovations that will still be as fashionable in ten years as it is today.

3 Benefits of Traditional Wood Features in a Home

Here’s a thought experiment: you’re moving into a new home that is completely unfurnished, and you have to buy all new furniture and appliances to deck it out appropriately, and make it habitable.

V4 Wood Flooring Steps Into New Market

V4 Wood Flooring has stepped into a new market with its first-ever range of laminate flooring.

How to Spend Wisely on Home Furniture

Every home requires the right furniture because the furniture items you choose will dictate how you use your home and how comfortable you feel in it. If you have the wrong furniture in place, it will simply make your life more difficult than it really needs to be. There’s no excuse for not having the right pieces, so to help you out, this guide will tell you how to spend wisely on the right home furniture items for you.

Your Home Can be Cosier

It’s summer now, so you might not be thinking much about how cosy your home is; you’re probably more concerned with keeping the place cool and ensuring that the garden is a green and pleasant place to spend as much time as possible. But, it won’t be too long until Autumn is upon us and it’ll start getting cooler. When that happens, you’ll want your home to be warm and cosy right? That’s why you need to start the process of making your home even cosier right now. Here’s how:

Why Hiring a Professional Designer Could Be The Best Decision You’ll Ever Make

We all have preferences when it comes to the way we want to decorate our homes. That’s no bad thing, as the personal touch is what makes our interiors unique. But sometimes, it can mean that we run the risk of becoming stuck in a rut. If you’re looking for a fresh lease of life for your decor, wanting to achieve a more polished version of your style or hoping to improve your home’s saleability, hiring a professional interior designer can be a really smart move. Here’s why…

Let The Light In: Creating A Bright Interior To Lift The Mood In Your Home

It feels like winter will never end; however, the days are getting longer, and the spring bulbs are starting to pop up from the ground to say hello, adding some much-need colour to the landscape. The weather is still cold enough for you to want to stay inside your home as much as possible though, so it’s important that your interior space can lift your mood when the weather can’t. Light is a huge factor in creating an open and uplifting room, where you want to spend your time. But, winter often makes you want to block out the outside and create cosy corners in your house; this is a great way to warm up in certain areas, but it’s important to have some space to breathe and feel refreshed and awake.

What Area Of Your Home Needs Changing The Most?

Are you tearing your hair out at the minute thinking there are a million and one things that need changing around your home? Well, if you are, you’re not alone.

Relieving The Burden On Your Home

If you feel that your home is getting the better of you in terms of being too messy, there's just too much going on, or it's bursting at the seams, then you're not alone. Many households struggle with certain issues or could do with some help, so let’s take a look at some of the common home burdens and how to relieve them.

The 10 Principles of ‘Green’ Home Design

For most people the driving reason behind building a low energy home is about saving energy and therefore money. Undoubtedly the whole abstract idea of saving the planet comes into it but the reality is that it comes down to low bills. I have no issue with this whatsoever...well almost….

4 Simple Solutions For Saving Space In Your Small Property

Whether you’ve chosen to live in a small property because you don’t need a massive space, or whether you’re trying to obtain a bigger property, there might come a time when you simply don’t have enough space for all of your belongings. Or perhaps you’re renovating your property and don’t have the space to completely clear out the room you’d like to renovate. Whichever applies to you, there are ways in which you can save space and continue living how you want to.

Is It The Tardis? No, It's Your One Bedroom Apartment

What small homeowner doesn’t envy Dr Who his Tardis? It may seem like a police box from the outside, but inside it’s more spacious than you’d imagine. By comparison, your one bedroom apartment is every bit as cramped as it looks. Sadly, you don’t have the magical prowess of the good Dr.Or, do you?

Don't Throw In The Towel On Your Modern Bathroom Renovation!

It's a familiar tale in bathroom renovation, we are all full of ideas and enthusiasm, but once we get down to the nitty gritty of the budget, we realise that all the big plans we had are unlikely to come to fruition. When this happens, it can be frustrating, and make you want to give up entirely. However before you throw in the towel, it is possible to get a modern, sleek looking bathroom, without it costing a fortune. Just follow our guide below.

V4 Wood Flooring has Eye on Key Interiors Trends with Launch of New Collections

V4 Woodflooring, a leading supplier of top quality wood flooring across both home and commercial markets, has launched a design-led line of interiors using reclaimed wood.

The Easiest Ways to Make Your Kitchen Dinner Party Friendly

The kitchen is the heart of the home, probably the most important room in the house. In your home, it is always important to have everything functional. The kicthen is the part we use most, literally on a daily basis, if not several times a day. If you are the type of person that has lot of friends and family and loves to have everyone round for meals, you want to make your kitchen as user-friendly as possible. You’ll need everything to be organised in a way that makes the cooking a whole lot easier, and here's how:

Lighting Essentials You Can't Live Without

Lighting can create ambience and set the mood in your household. With so many new new up and coming designs it can be hard to choose the perfect light feature to match your style...

We Meet Stacey Sibley of Alexander James Interior Design

Beautiful interior design doesn't happen overnight. In fact, Creative Director Stacey Sibley has dedicated the last 17 years to Alexander James Interior Design, the award-winning company delivering the most stunning interiors to the UK's show houses, private homes and rental apartments.

The Missing Piece Of Your Modern Home

There is something about modern interiors that is so striking, we can’t resist it. The clean lines, sharp edges, bright and breezy feel - like living in a house that’s straight out of the mostly perfectly cropped Instagram picture. However… what if you find yourself looking around and thinking: “something is missing?”. There’s a big difference between a room looking sparse and modern and one that just looks… empty.

Freshening Up Your Bathroom

An old and worn bathroom can leave you feeling less fresh after a wash. If you’ve been thinking of giving your bathroom a makeover, here are a few of the refurbishment ideas that you may want to consider whether you’re trying to up the value of your home or simply trying to make it more cosy and practical to live in.

Four Ways To Bring Nature Into Your Home

Spring is here, and you’ve already tidied up the garden? Well done! But don’t sit down and wait until Mother Nature brings wonderful colours and smells into your garden. This spring, why don’t you take a bold step into the decorative world and bring nature directly into your home. After all, it’s the best way to make the most of the delights of the season.

Creating A Bedroom To Nurture Your Child’s Imagination

Your child’s bedroom is its haven against the complexities it faces in the outside world. A safe and vibrant space, filled with imagination and possibilities is just what your children need to nourish their souls and embark on the playfulness and creativities that will shape them for the challenges of the coming years. There are some simple but effective ideas you can easily embed to keep your little ones happy, whilst also maintaining a level of sanity amongst all the yearnings for pirate ships and princess castles...

How To Add Brightness To Your Home This Spring

Winter is a time of keeping your curtains drawn, of the nights starting way too early in the afternoon and the sun rising when you’re already halfway on your way to work, of spending your evenings curled up on your couch with Netflix on, a mug of hot chocolate in your hands and a fluffy blanket over your legs. The colours you associate with winter tend to be darker ones: red, forest green, along with glacial white every time it snows. But now spring’s here and the colours are more like mint green and duck egg blue - so why don’t you update your home with some springlike style? Here are some tips to help…

East, West, Home's Best

Having a home to be proud of, is something that many of us aspire to. But what if our home isn't the best it could be? What if it’s in need a few tweaks here and there to make sure you have the highest standards of living possible? Well, don't panic because you can do all of this in the property that you're in now! Just read on to find out how.

Feel the Teal!

While autumnal trends seem to favour muted and warming tones, winter welcomes a cooler palette. Adding in a pop of seasonal colour can easily lift a room and give it some character, and with winter fast approaching now is the time to encompass icy tones.

Almost A Quarter of People To Cash In From Spare Rooms

New research has shown how Britons are getting more creative with their spare bedrooms. TV star and interiors expert Sarah Beeny offers her top tips on revamping a guest room.

Winter Interior Trends To Try In your Home

Dark, moody colours combined with pops of colours are going to be big this year. Various shades of grey are a great way to provide a tranquil feel to a space, allowing for a perfect base to experiment with.

The Key To Happiness Is Colourful Surroundings

We all love checking out the latest Facebook post and how many Instagram likes we can clock up from that witty post or selfie. However, according to new research* revealed today by natural cleaning brand, method, it turns out that a bright summer’s day (69%) and unexpected surprises (41%) are making us happier than designer shoes and social media likes.

Hot Trends For A New Season

This season is all about eclectic design and personalized decor. As furnishings become more vibrant and colourful, interior wall colours have become quite the opposite. Beige neutrals are out. These colours give any space a modern feel and provide a neutral canvas to better showcase contrasting bold art, furniture and warm metals!

Shades Of Grey Are Perfect For The Summer

Grey is, ironically, the colour of choice for homeowners looking to complement their décor with the sunshine and brightness of spring and summer on the way.

How To Give Your Home A 'Best of British' Makeover

Here, Zoe Ashton at carpets, blinds, curtains and shutter specialist, www.hillarys.co.uk, gives some top tips on how you too can incorporate the best of British style into your own home interior.

Home UK Magazine Meets Linda Barker

Home UK Magazine caught up with Linda Barker to talk about key interior trends for the season and top tips for improving your home.

What Does Your Bedroom's Colour Scheme Say About You?

The colours we choose to decorate our homes reveal more about us than we may realise — and while we may be partly influenced by current styles and trends, there are deeper forces at work. How about the colours we choose for our bedrooms — that most intimate of spaces. What do those choices in particular reveal?

So You Want To Know How To Add Value To Your Home?

A property is one of the biggest financial investments you will make in your lifetime and with increased pressures on personal finances looming in later life, it makes sense to ensure that your home remains in tip top condition.

How To Make A Style Statement In 2016

The year started off in the romantic glow of rose quartz, which was hailed by Pantone as the colour for 2016. With help from interiors specialists at Barker and Stonehouse, we've put together the following guide for what else is currently hot in interior design. Think of a return to retro with 70s potted plants and macrame and 20s palms coupled with an infusion of rustic, luxe fur throws and cow hide, which will all serve to create an oasis of calm and comfort in our homes.

Illusionist Wallpaper Creates Feeling of Space

Blurring the boundaries of design and magic, world-renowned designer and entrepreneur Kelly Hoppen MBE and star magician Dynamo, have teamed up to create a distinctive range of illusion wallpaper. The collaboration is the first that sees a magician and interior designer joining forces to bring their creativity and craft to life.

Key Interior Design Trends For 2016 By Kelly Hoppen MBE

Interior designer Kelly Hoppen MBE shares her secrets to achieving a stylish interior with Home UK Magazine readers.

How To Give Your Bedroom A 5-star Makeover

Your bedroom is the one room in the house that is truly sacred. Whilst guests lounge in your living room and dine in the kitchen, no one enters your bedroom without your say so. It’s a sanctuary for you to recover and recharge your batteries.

How To Make A House A Home

Adding small and simple changes to your interiors could make all the difference when trying to make your house a home. Gill Burn, owner of Sussex based company, Lady Decorators, offers her expert advice.

5 ‘Insta-inspired’ Design Tips To Make Your Home Feel Bigger

As seasoned Insta-addicts ourselves, we have found that taking the perfect selfie has much in common with creating more space in your home. In many ways, both rely on illusion and so, taking inspiration from that well-known social network and selfie hub, Instagram, we have come up with five top tips to help you make your home feel much bigger.

Sound Advice: Acoustics Are Integral Part Of Interior Design

One of the leading trends in interior design is for modernity – clean-cut minimal interiors with very clinical spaces featuring lots of hard surfaces and few, if any, soft furnishings. Whilst these sleek schemes may be easy on the eye, they’re not always easy on the ears – particularly for people with hearing problems who may find it difficult to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Top Tips To Launch Into Spring

With spring comes new life and a new set of interior trends. Gill Burn, owner of Sussex based company, Lady Decorators, gives her predictions on spring 2016 interior trends which include vivid brights and classic whites.

How To Create The Perfect Reading Spot

There is no better way to unwind after a long day at the office than losing yourself in a good book. Reading has the power to let ourselves be transported into a world full of excitement, drama, romance, danger and passion and there is simply no better way to forget the stresses of life for an hour or five. Finding the perfect reading spot, however, can be a process of trial and error and even after searching for what may seem like forever, you may still not be able to find that perfect place to settle down. So why not just create it yourself?

Dualit Toaster Still Working After 42 Years

A competition launched by iconic British manufacturer Dualit to find its oldest working model has unearthed a 1973 version that is still in use.

Lighting The Way Into Winter

Luxury lifestyle brand Branche d’Olive features wonderfully atmospheric handcrafted candles that are redolent of lavender, olives and crisp citrus, among other fragrances.

How To Upcycle Your Home

Creating a shabby chic look in your home can be costly if you start investing in new furniture. However, ‘upcycling’ old fittings and fixtures is a growing and popular trend currently making its mark on the interiors circuit which can help you update the look and feel of your home cost-effectively. Here ANGELA NOGHANI, Interiors Expert at Ideal World TV, shares her hacks for transforming old pieces of furniture.

Where To Source Vintage Homeware

The past few years have seen the resurgence of vintage styling in interiors in styles ranging from shabby chic to French cottage. This has meant designer brands and high street retailers are adding retro inspired pieces to their collections, but often they command premium prices. On the plus side, social media has helped to inspire us and recreate vintage looks that won't break the bank.

Introducing A Stylish And Modern Eco-friendly Wood Panelling Collection

A new range of chic, fashionable, and eco-friendly wall panels, certain to appeal to design-conscious homeowners, has been unveiled.

How To Make The Most Of A Small Home

With house prices constantly on the up, more homeowners are turning to smaller houses and apartments for their first home than previous generations. This can often cause problems in terms of storage space, and also create issues when decorating as certain decorative styles can emphasise the lack of space, making the house feel more cramped than it actually is.

Flooring Trends: 'LVT' Is An Investment In Quality

LVT – luxury vinyl tiles – are fast becoming one of the most popular choices for people looking for quality flooring that stands the test of time.

Taking Home Your Own Prince or Princess? De-clutter First

I’m sure that long before photographers and well-wishers began to gather outside of St Mary’s Hospital in London, awaiting the birth of the Royal baby, everything down to the last detail was ready for the new arrival.

Win One of Ten Leather Care Kits from Furniture Clinic

We’ve got a fantastic prize up for grabs this month – a cleaning kit from Furniture Clinic (www.furnitureclinic.co.uk) worth £27.95.

The Timeless Beauty of a Real Hardwood Floor

If you are looking for quality, a classic feel and a timeless beauty, then a real hardwood floor is an affordable choice for your home. It’s an easy way to add charm and elegance to any home. Though it offers so many benefits, many homeowners often find themselves comparing hardwood floors to other types of flooring. But with its alluring appearance and unbeatable sturdiness, here are some of the reasons why it is such a popular and sustainable option for so many homeowners.

Let the outdoors in with stylish planters

This spring it couldn't be easier to add beautiful colour and style to your home and garden, thanks to the launch of the new range of planters. Launching to the UK market by La Hacienda – exclusive sole UK distributors of Artevasi – the range has been created with the modern home in mind. Featuring a colour palette of neutral tones, delicate pastel shades, and vibrant brights, each planter – no matter its size – will breathe new life into its surroundings.

How to get the British Colonial look in your home

It’s little wonder Indian Summers has been dubbed television’s new Downton Abbey. The houses and clubs in the new Channel 4 drama are as much a part of the show as Downton itself, aka Highclere Castle. But, instead of Downton’s buttoned-up Edwardian decor, the homes in Indian Summers are about coolly elegant British colonial style. Interiors feature inviting textures, carved dark wood furniture and light, airy spaces, creating a look which manages to be both homely and sophisticated. Here, we show you how to get the Days of the Raj look for your own home.

Five decorating tips to update your home

Whether you’re looking for a total update, or just want to freshen things up in time for spring, there are plenty of easy ways to make a big difference to your living space. Interiors columnist, Alison Cork shares her top tips.

Every shade of grey: How to use the colour in your home

The most eagerly anticipated film release of the year has thrown just one colour into the spotlight this spring - grey. But, while 50 Shades of Grey the novel, and now the movie, is overtly sexual, focusing on the relationship between naive student Anastasia Steele and her mentor in all things erotic, Christian Grey, the hue can be used to a much more subtle effect when it comes to interiors.

Alpine Lodge Style from Leather & Lavender

Create a warm and cosy chalet chic look with these cowhide additions from Leather & Lavender. From footstools to photo frames and storage solutions available in a variety of neutral tones, these items are perfect for adding a soft decorative touch to your home.

The subtle art of statement walls

Feature walls are a fine art. The balance between subtlety and statement is easily tipped in a world with so many interior design options. It can often be somewhat overwhelming choosing a design that will perfectly complement the style of your home, but the process doesn’t need to be daunting. There are simple ways to accessorise your home and bring your look together for awe-inspiring aesthetics in any room.

Feeling starstruck? Murals Wallpaper launches new NASA collection

If you've ever wanted to travel to the stars but considered it a flight of fancy, here's a new range of out of this world wallpapers from Murals Wallpaper. The images are from NASA and have been turned into stunning murals for the home.

The perfect accessory for a cold winter's evening?

Renowned for their handmade wool rugs and bespoke designs, British company Loophouse is now expanding its repertoire with a collection of contemporary throws that are the perfect accessory for a cold winter evening.

Bespoke rugs to suit every style

Bringing a fresh and organic feel that's just right for your living space, Sisal & Seagrass introduces its new rug creator, guaranteeing a size and material to suit your style.

New website for vintage & contemporary homeware

From vintage-style filament lightbulbs and authentic industrial lampshades, to bold and bright soft furnishings created by contemporary designers, the new website from The Gifted Few is the must-bookmark site for any discerning interior design enthusiast and homeware fanatic.

Revamp your radiator!

Radiators are a focal point in almost every room of the home which can become an eyesore if they discolour and scratch over the years. To combat this, many choose to install expensive radiator covers which can take up valuable space and block heat. But did you know that you could simply paint your radiators to get them looking good as new?

Five ways to make a small bedroom look bigger

Life’s not always fair. You find a decent house in a perfect location which is in your price range…but it has a teeny tiny master bedroom. Do you let the other-wise perfect house slip from your grasp? Or do you go all interior-designer-pro on that room and make it work.

Dreaming of the perfect slumber?

Whether you’re a deep sleeper or someone who takes a while to settle in, finding the bed of your dreams is a tough business.

Marvelous marble!

Marble can an incredibly versatile, hard-wearing and beautiful material that can upscale the appearance of any interior. It's important not to go over the top, however, by adding too many marble features and also to ensure that different types and colours of marble are matched to create a stylish interior. Here, Matt Rotherham, Commercial Director of J. Rotherham shares his top tips for using marble in the home.

Interview: How to harness the power of colour to energise a home office

A study by the University of Exeter showed that individuals in a colourful and expressive workplace can be up to 30% more productive. Home UK Magazine talks exclusively to leading colour psychology expert, and holistic interior design specialist, Karen Halle on the benefits of getting the colour mix just right.

Top budget-friendly makeover ideas

Redecorating a living room can become extremely expensive without a plan of action. The bills will add up very quickly and you will find yourself spending a lot more than you bargained for. But giving your living room a new lease of life does not have to cost you an arm and a leg. With the right guidance, you can transform your room into a warm, cosy interior that speaks volumes.

Fabrics & Papers launches exclusive collaboration with leading design houses

Following the launch of its own F&P Furniture range, Fabrics & Papers has collaborated with three leading British design houses to launch a selection of bespoke fabric designs for furniture, general upholstery, curtains and soft furnishings.

"Trusted brands are in," says experienced flooring retailer

Burts Carpets and Underlay, the long-established flooring retailer, is casting its experienced eye on the latest market trends and trusted brands in the competitive flooring sector.

Budget-friendly living room makeover ideas

The versatility of the Aga

An Aga is very easy to keep clean, particularly if you don't allow it to become dirty in the first place! There are numerous ways you can help by following some simple maintenance tips. For a more thorough clean, the oven valeting process is an excellent way of extending the lifespan of an AGA or a range cooker.

Beautiful beds...

Home UK Magazine's editor Marie Carter interviews bed and furniture retailer Warren Evans on key design elements for creating the perfect bedroom.

Design choices

The design choices of 2014 are being shaped by uncertainty over how long current home owners will stay and what future buyers’ tastes may be. So, home owners’ needs and style preferences are more influential in today’s designs than what buyers want.