There are many choices of the best indoor plants that can help to bring the kitchen to life and soften its look. The addition of a bit of greenery is a great kitchen idea to add a natural element to break up the look of the work surfaces and cabinetry, and is also among the kitchen feng shui tips. Best kitchen plants ‘The kitchen is one of the most popular places to enjoy houseplants as they can completely transform the space,’ says Morag Hill, Co-Founder of The Little Botanical (opens in new tab)....

From stately Palms and arcing ferns to shapely Prayer and Spider plants, there are many leafy beauties that will soften your decor and enhance your home environment and wellbeing too. There are plenty of non-toxic flowering plants too if you fancy a burst of color. African Violets, orchids and Vrieseas or Flaming Sword are just a few to tempt you. We’ve spoken to some leading, green-fingered experts to discover the best indoor plants, so you can reap the benefits and enjoy reduced stress levels too....

The best places to buy lighting in our guide offer the most beautiful designs, impeccable craftsmanship, and a great overall shopping experience for your lighting ideas. Best places to buy lighting Whether you are looking for an exquisite one-of-a-kind piece for your mantel or functional lighting for the outdoors, these are retailers we come back to again and again for our lighting needs. 1. Wayfair (opens in new tab) Known for: Home decor, furniture, lighting, outdoor Available at: Wayfair (opens in new tab) Wayfair wins hands down if you want an exhaustive selection of lighting from the widest possible array of brands, styles, and types of lighting....

With an apology for not responding to her emails as of late, Blake posted a stunning Instagram carousel showing off her handmade Halloween decor ideas and festive bakes that have left us desperate to try our hand at creating our own Halloween craft ideas this season. With her floral pumpkin arrangements and perfectly painted unicorn pumpkins, this is not the first time the actress, known for her roles in The Age of Adaline and Gossip Girl has impressed us with her creative skills....

But what Breegan Jane suggests is to remove your coffee table entirely, and replace it with multiple small side tables. The easy trick frees up a whole load of space in a small living room as well as giving you a flexible furniture layout that you can adapt depending on how you’re using the space. The coffee table is an interior design staple, traditionally used as a focal point, but in living areas with a small footprint, Breegan recommends finding alternative solutions....

Perfect the art of outdoor living indoors Glass rooms are a great way to add space with a sparkle to a home, whether they’re used for lounging, dining or simply enjoying the view. The contemporary style also works extremely well on period properties, with the minimal use of high quality powder coated aluminium frames allowing the maximum use of glass which will not detract from the original building. On a warm sunny day just slide the doors back and bring the outside in....

While knowing how to clean a microwave correctly is one way to ensure it continues to work well, the glass plate is essential to its effectiveness. So, what happens if you spot a breakage? Here, experts share their kitchen ideas – and what a broken plate means for your microwave. Can you use a microwave if the glass plate is broken? ‘You can still use your microwave without the glass plate; however, it is worth noting that it won’t work quite as effectively as before,’ says Mark Greig, head of supplier management at Marks Electrical (opens in new tab)....

Curtains aren’t always a priority when it comes to country kitchen ideas, but in a room that’s often the hub of the home, using country style fabrics can add a homeliness and character that truly completes a room. Country kitchen curtain ideas Whether you choose printed or plain, modern or traditional, country curtain ideas can introduce color and pattern and set a kitchen color scheme for your accessories, along with helping to keep the heat in and provide privacy....

A simple ribbon bow is the most elegant of Christmas decor ideas – effortlessly allowing you to switch up your festive color theme, add interest to a Christmas tree, a tired-looking garland, and bringing a perky, preppy look to your Christmas wreath ideas. Although a bow isn’t the most practical option for your outdoor Christmas decor, as rain, snow and even the winter sun will damage the fabric, ribbons can be used as part of your Christmas porch decor ideas and to decorate a festive front door....

These days, our kitchen ideas are dominated by kitchen islands with breakfast bars as must-have fixtures for eating, socializing and hanging out. Unlike these multi-focal kitchen diners, which might have an island, breakfast bar and even a living space, eat-in kitchens feature the dining table as their central focal point. This most simple of kitchen layout ideas harks back to the concept of the whole family eating around a table that was probably used for much of the prep work, too....

But there are also options that make claims to being green while offering very little in the way of environmental benefits and this can make choosing a genuinely eco-friendly item hard. To help, we’ve put together a guide to the eco-friendly building materials that are available for your eco home improvements, outlining why they’re a greener choice. Eco-friendly building materials: a guide Some options are better for our wellbeing and that of the planet....

Fall decor ideas are all about bringing the outside in, just without the chilly breeze. Incorporating the colors, scents and textures of the natural world as it drifts from green and lush to orange and crisp will make dining table decor ideas small and large feel at one with the seasons. Be sure your guests get that warm and fuzzy feeling too, with layered linens and candles becoming essentials in the colder months....

Combining a one or more sinks alongside essential storage space and sometimes a mirror and lighting, vanity units serve an key purpose in a bathroom, but, as they are also one of the largest pieces of furniture in the room, they can also have a big visual impact, so it’s important to think about color and design, too. Being a versatile, neutral shade, gray is an easy color to decorate with as it pairs with so many colors and can fit with all sorts of looks, from traditional to contemporary, so when it comes to bathroom vanity ideas, gray is a very practical choice....

While painting kitchen cabinets will change the color, this is a more dramatic transformation. ‘Basically, the whole surface of a cabinet is refaced,’ explains Lucy Searle, Global Editor in Chief for Homes & Gardens. ‘It’s a great way to update kitchen cabinets without replacing them, and when you are happy with the current layout but just want a change.’ Refacing kitchen cabinets offers many variations in color, material and finish and can be used on laminate and natural wood units, the latter of which you might otherwise refinish or stain....

Industry experts have shared the formula they use to create a space which is neither overpowered by light nor underwhelmed by a small fixture. And while curating balanced bedroom lighting ideas may sound somewhat technical, their secret is refreshingly seamless. When it comes to creating therapeutic bedroom ideas, you may start with large surface areas, like the hues on the wall or the colors of your best bed sheets. However, your light fixture has a significant impact on the ambiance of your room, and therefore, it’s important to get the ratio right....

Staining a deck is an essential part of maintaining the beauty of your deck’s timber, and will help it withstand the effects of the weather and footfall, not to mention dropped food and drink. Deck stain can also, of course, allow you to add a new color or tone to your outdoor space, and is the first step you might taking after building a deck. Below, experts advise on how long deck stain takes to dry, plus offer tips to make the job successful overall....

When it comes to building a deck, however, there are many factors to consider, from the size of the seating area to the type of planks you intend to use. Before you embark on your bringing your deck ideas to life, you’ll need to understand the space and shape of the structure you are planning to build. You’ll also need to ask yourself one key question: how many deck boards will I need?...

The chamber inside a garbage disposal is reasonably good at self cleaning, but smells and food waste can build up in the areas the chamber doesn’t scrub. To keep foul smells from building up, try to find a consistent cleaning schedule that works best for your lifestyle and volume of dishes; once a week is a good idea. It’s also important to avoid putting certain foods down the garbage disposal, including pasta, potatoes, rice, beans, fibrous foods like celery, and bones, which can all block the disposal and cause bad smells....

All you need to is steam-clean the microwave with lemon to break down burnt on food, and to get that side order of pleasant aromas you get when cleaning with lemon juice. ‘Steam is an excellent cleaning method for microwave ovens because it eliminates the need for any chemicals,’ says Sabrine Fierman, of high-end cleaning firm New York’s Little Elves (opens in new tab). ‘It also does all the hard work for you, penetrating and loosening the food residue....

When scrolling through TikTok, I came across a tip for cleaning a fireplace door that uses only three things to easily remove stubborn stains. The surprising ingredient? Leftover ash from the fire itself! I simply had to give it a try on my living room fireplace. Here is how I got on. How to clean fireplace glass I admit that using what I would consider dirt to clean dirt didn’t seem very logical, but it turns out the naturally abrasive quality of ash helps to scrub away the soot build-up without being harsh enough to scratch the glass door or weaken the protective coating....