If you’re looking for the best ways to add value to your house, it’s time to look outside. These features will elevate your exteriors in time for the season ahead – so you can (potentially) enjoy some sun in the garden before the move. The garden features that will add value to your home If you’re searching for ways to add value to your home, these three garden trends are approved by those at the peak of the industry....

‘It was meant to be a stop-gap while we looked for a property to buy, but we were so happy here, we decided to stay,’ says Matthew. They bought the two-bedroom cottage and began to plan the renovations, dipping in and out with ideas and meetings as the years went by. But so busy were they with work, it was only last year that they felt they had enough time to commit to the project: a full refurbishment of the cottage with a side extension to include a large open plan kitchen-dining-living space, designed to suit their love of relaxed entertaining....

Tom, who is best-recognized for his leads in Mission Impossible, Top Gun, and Jack Reacher, chose the property for its privacy before spending several years renovating the stone-and-cedar-kissed ranch. He completed the redesign project in 1994. The home, which is hidden amid the organic haven of The Centennial State, is a spacious, secure sanctuary that is discreetly hidden from the rest of the world. See: World’s best homes – step inside the globe’s most impressive houses The Wall Street Journal revealed the actor first looked into selling the estate to Telluride ski resort for $59 million seven years ago - however, the current listing with Sotheby’s is the first time the property has been publicly advertised....

To mark the event, esteemed online marketplace 1stDibs has enlisted fashion designer Tory Burch to curate a selection of pieces designed by powerful females. These works will dominate your decorating ideas long after Women’s History Month concludes, and they’re entirely designer-approved, so you can rest easy that your investment will struggle to fall out of fashion. Tory Burch is a fashion designer, businesswoman, and philanthropist who owns her eponymously named label, Tory Burch (opens in new tab)....

Below, we look at this most dramatic of house styles in the US. What is a Victorian style house? It depends where you are. In Great Britain, ‘Victorian’ homes can be classified as really any structures developed during the reign of Queen Victoria in the 19th Century. These include the ornate country houses and estates outside the cities to simple rowhouses, like those above in Cambridge, unfussy in the exterior, built for efficiency in the cities for all classes of people....

While it may not be the most compact or stylish options, there’s no denying that the Vitamix A3500 is one of the best blenders you can buy. I realized that after only a few hours of testing it, and it’s not disappointed me since. In this Vitamix A3500 review I made all manner of delicious dips and drinks to test each of the on-board settings included with this machine. Some of my recipes were freestyled, and a few were based on the very comprehensive recipe book that came included with the blender....

If the conditions are right there is still lots of choice for what you can plant in readiness for spring and summer too, including hardy vegetables, trees, shrubs and summer blooms. Plan well now and you’ll be rewarded with a garden that bursts into color and life once winter is over, and a thriving vegetable plot that will yield a long-lasting harvest. Be sure to include some of these garden ideas when planning a kitchen garden or dreaming of a stunning flower display next year....

While the placement of a bird feeder may not be at the peak of your garden ideas, its position could prevent a window collision – an increasingly common threat for birds worldwide. In the US alone, 600 million birds a year die after a collision (253 million of these collisions occur at residential properties). However, you can combat this statistic by adjusting the placement of your bird feeder. Marc Parnell, author of the book series, The Birding Pro’s Field Guides (opens in new tab), explains what you need to know....

Not only will winterizing a house see off possible repairs and, dare we say it, disasters, it might be a job – or series of jobs – you want to do as part of your list of eco home improvements. Plus, of course, many of them can help you cut energy bills, ‘It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to winterizing a house,’ says Phil Wood, country manager at Contura (opens in new tab)....

After all, where better to while away long, bright summer days or dark, cold winter evenings then surrounded by the clean lines, comfort, and simplicity of a Scandinavian living room? Scandinavian living rooms With busy modern lives, more and more homeowners aim to find a balance between minimalism and luxury for their living room ideas. Adopt Scandinavian design principles to create a space that is focused, functional, and features only a few meaningful and cherished items....

These are the design lessons we learnt from the curation of this apartment by O&A London – if you want to ensure your apartment decor ideas are as good as they can be, take note. ‘We were commissioned to develop a design concept for a three-bedroom apartment by young professional couple with two kids. The main focus was an open-plan space uniting the kitchen-dining area, study room and sitting room....

Your window blinds ideas are, in fact, amongst the most impactful ways to change the light and color of your room – so it is vital to get them right. 5 window blind mistakes to avoid – according to the experts Whether you’re looking for living room, bedroom, or bathroom blind ideas, the process and the mistakes remain the same. Here’s what you need to know before making any investment....

In 2018, the pair discovered the church was back up for sale again and that it had been barely touched in the interim. ‘This time I wasn’t going to let it get past me,’ says Dean and he set about making plans and finding out what was possible given that the former church was a Grade II-listed building, built in 1821. It turns out that with flare, creativity and bravery in equal measure quite a lot was possible....

See some of the world’s best homes – beautiful properties from around the globe The property At first, the couple rented in the area then, having been won over by it, decided to settle there. One street, and one house in particular, caught their eye and, when it came onto the market, as the owner explains, ‘We jumped. It is right next to the park, and it is also an easy drive into central London....

Lavish, hand-woven silks festooned walls. Graceful furniture, lighting and flooring were fashioned from costly materials using cutting-edge techniques. This statement of cultural intent extended to the landscaped gardens dotted with temples and follies: symbols of their owner’s status. Fast forward to 2013, to a similarly ambitious project. See some of the world’s best homes – beautiful properties from around the globe The setting this time is a tranquil London street rather than a sprawling country estate....

Plant mutations (otherwise known as breaks, sports, or chimeras) occur suddenly – and when they do – the appearance of your plant changes, such as in the white petal of the saxifraga flower above. Or perhaps you have planted a variegated shrub that slowly becomes pure green? Plant mutations are often visible through the stem, flowers, foliage, or fruit of any plant that may be a part of your garden ideas....

Take time to plan every step of your new bar, as rooms in the basement can often feel dark and cramped. Whether you’re looking for basement ideas to channel a speak-easy saloon with cocktails aplenty, a dark and cozy man-cave or a stylish wine bar for escapism away from the children, make the most of your space with these stylish and innovative basement bars. Basement bar ideas Basement bar ideas might be at the top of your list as a clever use of the space downstairs – perhaps on their own in a small basement, or as part of a basement kitchen in a larger conversion....

These are some of our favorite bathroom ideas and they’re the perfect starting point for designing a new bathroom scheme, whatever the size of your space or budget. Bathroom pictures 1. A monochrome bathroom with plenty of pattern The geometrical 3D pattern on the floor is by far the most contemporary element of this Drummonds bathroom and is also renowned for visually widening narrow rooms, an optical illusion that works wonders for this confined bathroom layout....

If you’re lucky enough to have a bay window then be sure to give it the finishing touch it deserves with a beautiful made-to-measure window dressing. Curtains, blinds or shutters can all be fitted to a bay window and are a brilliant way to control the light levels and privacy of a room while showcasing the architectural character of your property. Projecting outwardly from a building, bay windows are formed of multiple glazed frames which are either angled or at right angles to each other, which is also known as a box bay window....

Just like our best outdoor furniture stores, we have created a list of the very best, H&G-approved furniture stores. Whether you’re looking for simple and affordable or statement and designer pieces, our mix of brands, design styles and price points means there are options for all when exploring the best indoor furniture stores. From the best places to buy a couch, to the best places to buy bedroom furniture, your chosen furniture pieces can really make a difference in making your house a home and creating a unique, personal space that reflects your style and identity....