Make, do & craft

Welcome

May is a great month for DIYers and decorators, as

Your letters

Q It’s been a long time since my family home

HOUSEHOLD HINTS

Just a few tweaks to the way you load your

What to look out for THIS MONTH

Update your utensil drawer with these stylish copper kitchen tools

We test... grills

This model has separate griddle and grill plates, which could

Keep an eye on your home

If you’ve ever wondered what the dog gets up to

Be aware

Many of us depend on a sat nav for long

Save water, save money

If you’d like to cut your water and energy bills,

Claims success

With figures from the Association of British Insurers showing that

Generation waste

According to a recent survey by mouldable glue brand, Sugru,

Consumer news... IN FOCUS

One of the most stressful things about the annual summer

We moved walls to make a modern layout

Anna Nicholson, 37, a communications officer and blogger, (www.angelinthenorth.com) lives

Decorating

With the popularity of retro-inspired décor, it seems 2016 is

TREND ALERT... Retro

Used in the right way this trend can look contemporary

Brights or neutrals?

When decorating the first stumbling block is often whether to

Make your windows look shutterly fabulous

No longer seen as a daunting and expensive solution for

I gave my dated magnolia bathroom an injection of style

Keep the basic scheme simple and introduce colour through accessories

Our bathroom has almost doubled in size

When Juliet Trimby, 49, moved into her 1930s terrace in

An impulse buy inspired my scheme

While the bathroom of Jen and Chris Leech’s Edwardian terraced

Kitchens &BATHROOMS

In the latest kitchen trend, practicality and beauty combine to

Go high-tech with the latest kitchen buys

Whether your kitchen is usually only used to cook for

Steam through the laundry WITH A NEW IRON

A lthough some people enjoy ironing, most of us count

UPDATE YOUR BATHROOM

Bathrooms that have to deal with the daily needs of

Make it easy!

We’re all about bright, bold colour this month – from

Furniture facelift

We found this tired standard lamp stand in a secondhand

We love our upside down house

When Sarah Stronach bought a dilapidated terraced house eight years

We had been inside the house many times and loved the feel

First hand knowledge of a property you are considering buying

I achieved my dream look on a budget

When Charlotte and Nigel Smith made the big move out

I was looking for something quirky & full of character

Moving from a modern house to renovate an older property

Food & Drink

● Create your own bespoke cheeseboard by combining goat’s cheese

Meat-free mains

✔400g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice ✔1 large

Home Improvement

Removing wallpaper, especially if it has been on the walls

Improve your home by enhancing its outdoor space

While many of us put a lot of time and

CASE STUDY

Entertaining friends and eating meals alfresco is one of the

Property know-how with George

Architects talk about little else other than space and light

Gardening

If you’d love to get your garden more organised for

How to grow the tastiest tomatoes

The scent of a freshly picked, home-grown tomato is something

This month we love...

The rhododendron wild garden at Sheringham Park is famous for

Shopping guide

Eco news

We all know that upcycling furniture is much kinder to

Sew simple

Taking a bold step with colour can really bring a

Girls’ Guide to DIY

Firstly, you’ll need to chip away the existing grout in

ASK THE EXPERTS

Q I’ve recently bought a selection of secondhand wooden furniture,

Your May checklist

If you’ve already started planning your summer holiday, no doubt