This month we love...

Welcome

With summer in full swing, no doubt you’ll want to

HOUSEHOLD HINTS

We’re not saying that children should spend the summer holidays

What to look out for THIS MONTH

Al Fresco Mediterranean platter, £13.95; Al Fresco Radish large oval

We test... tabletop cooking

This sturdy cast iron fondue set is suitable for melting

Consumer NEWS

If you’d like to keep up with the latest smart

Consumer news... IN FOCUS

When you think about all the things you own outside

Get set for CAMPING with the latest kit

Escaping into the great outdoors is a fantastic way to

Make it easy!

We’re heading out into the garden this month with a

Make, do & craft

There’s more to gardening than potted plants and raised beds

Furniture facelift

We’d bought this wooden storage trunk from Ikea many moons

Sew simple

● 12 12.7cm pre-cut squares, £2.27 per set of three,

Girls' Guide to DIY

1 Shape the soil along the route of your watercourse

ASK THE EXPERTS

Q: I’d love a real granite sink for my new

Your August checklist

With summer in full swing, you’re likely to be outside

Decorating

Celebrate British design and craftsmanship with the new, limited edition

TREND ALERT... tropical

If there is ever a month to embrace a tropical

Quick weekend UPDATES

Updating your home doesn’t have to take weeks and weeks,

I love to escape to our relaxing retreat

Being from the other side of the world, New Zealander

We’ve made the garden part of our home

When Emma and Stuart Charlton moved to Gloucestershire in 2011

Our room was inspired by gardening

With a quieter, more tranquil house, when her three children,

Kitchens & BATHROOMS

If you love the relaxed look of Mediterranean style, why

Create a more ORGANISED KITCHEN

In order for your kitchen to run smoothly, organisation is

There’s just so much more space

Having bought a ‘renovator’s dream’ after selling their two-bedroom flat

BATHROOM PROBLEMS

Q: I’d love to change the white bathroom tiles in

We achieved our dream of having more space without moving far

Carolyn and Will incorporated a generous island unit in the

It was the shorelines that attracted us to Ardmore

Selling their salmon farming business, Paula and John King had

One look at this pretty thatched cottage and I was smitten

Finding her ideal property in Kells in County Kilkenny was

I knew the views from this house would be spectacular

‘I thought that overnight we would go from being a

Food & Drink

• Try adding grapefruit to hollandaise to serve with oily

Sunshine on a plate

PREPARATION TIME 10 MINUTES COOKING TIME 50 MINUTES - 1

Home IMPROVEMENT

If you have a small courtyard garden or patio, the

Earn money from your home

Your home may be your most valuable asset – and

CASE STUDY

‘I’m lucky that I can make money from home doing

Property know-how with George

Throughout the UK around 13,000 people self-build their own home

Gardening

Referred to by Jamie Oliver as ‘the queen of herbs’,

Get Water Wise

It’s widely understood, that to survive plants need water, yet

Yours letters

We love to hear what you’ve been up to, so

Shopping guide

Mealy’s Fine Art and Antiques Auctioneers 00 353 56 444

Eco news

Redecorating your home doesn’t often feel like the most environmentally