HOW TO ZONE YOUR HOME FOR...
Blue stripe cushio, £35; neutral stripe runner, £26; slate placemats, £22 for two;pebble dinnerware, from £6; Elska dinnerware, from £6;striped napkins, £16 for four;large bowl, £40;recycled hi-balls, £6 each;recycled carafe, £15;soup tureen, £20; marble pebble board, £45;bench, £499;table, £1,599;all Gray & Willow Home at House of Fraser
Can you hear that? If you listen very, very carefully, you can just about catch the sound of jingle bells ringing in the not-so-distant future.And whilst we’re not whipping out the Santa hats and mince pies quite yet, now’s a good time to start preparing our homes for the months ahead, swan-style. And by swan-style, we mean looking as if nothing is actually changing (we wouldn’t want to look over-keen now, would we?), but all the while, slowly and steadily paddling our homes to seasonal safety. This issue, we’re looking at how even the littlest of rooms can entertain a sudden influx of loved ones, from carving out spaces in an open-plan kitchen to resurrecting an abandoned dining room and gathering around the coffee table. We’ve even thrown in a few ideas to make your guests’ stay a little more special.