‘That [new] home was going to need hundreds of thousands of dollars in construction and renovation costs to get it where they wanted it,’ said Ivey. ‘I convinced them that their current home had plenty of space; it just needed a refresh.’ An outdated design scheme meant that by late 2019, the owners were slowly falling out of love with the house. ‘The big must-have for all the spaces was to update the look, as it was very much stuck in the 1990’s,’ said Ivey....

The house is in the market town of Bridport, Dorset. Although it sits in a conservation area, the building itself is not listed – which meant the couple could replace the existing rear extension with a big open-plan kitchen, dining and sitting area. See: World’s best houses – tour more wonderful homes from around the globe They commissioned interior designer Emma Sims-Hilditch (opens in new tab) to envision a new layout....

The collection includes three covetable new designs in a carefully curated, Spanish-inspired palette, with patterns reminiscent of reclaimed pieces and graphic motifs that take cues from Southern Spain’s natural beauty. See: How to transform your garden space with Scandinavian design ideas Each pattern has been designed to work in harmony with earthy tones - natural woods, woven materials, handmade ceramics and terracotta - to create an effortless and artisanal look....

Whether you’re shopping for a loved one and looking for the perfect holiday gift, or simply hoping to make a stunning statement in your kitchen, bedroom, bathroom (or all of the above) these are the very best Black Friday home deals around for 2022. We’ve been diligently tracking everything from the latest mattress deals to where you can find a vacuum on major sale. We’ll be updating this list continuously as more and more brands start sharing their best deals of the year, so you can shop early and save big....

But is this type of architectural detailing a wise investment if you are selling your home, or is it nice but unimportant to buyers? We’ve spoken to experienced real estate and house flipping experts to get their points of view. See: Traditional decorating ideas – inspiration for stylish, timeless interiors Do decorative crown moldings add value to a home? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’ – and the value-adding potential is greatest for homes that are already in a high price bracket....

The SoCal estate was inspired by the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid and built by a renowned art collector in one of the city’s most sought-after postcodes. However, while the exterior is something to behold, the interiors are equally majestic. The 30,000 property is a design-lovers dream, with museum-quality rooms and soaring ceilings to showcase art and antiques in natural light. The property also features an Art Deco library, often labeled ‘The Finest Room in LA,’ which places this property amongst the world’s best homes....

A classic East Coast style and a stand out from the general Mediterranean architecture in the area, the Lowe estate is sited on just over three acres. The main house was designed by architect Don Nulty, built in 2009 and encompasses 10,000 square feet. With a total of 20 rooms, including large open formal living rooms, a huge white and cheerful family kitchen, a separate catering kitchen, eight bedrooms, 11 baths, an office, library-music room with bar, family room, various conversation rooms and nooks, movie theater, well-equipped gym and expansive wine cellar, this house is worth a tour....

The Feusier Octagon House is one of the oldest houses on San Francisco’s famous Russian Hill. Built in approximately 1857, this incredible home survived the deadly 1906 earthquake and fire that ravaged most of the city. See: World’s best homes – tour the globe’s most beautiful houses Rather than simply being a wacky creation, Octagon houses were all the rage in the mid-19th century. Inspired by Orson Squire Fowler, a New York Phrenologist’s book A Home for All, the eight-sided shape house was prescribed to boost wellbeing....

People in the Nordic region of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland are used to long, dark and cold winters, and the climate they face has brought us soothing lifestyle trends, including the now universally-known hygge. Luckily for those of us who are all hygge-d out, there’s a new alternative. Fredagsmys (pronounced frey-dags-mees) is the weekly Swedish ritual that can help all of us through 2021’s winter lockdown.
The ‘mys’ part of fredagsmys is the Swedish word for coziness, but it encompasses much more than that for Swedes....

Cultivate a butterfly-friendly space with nectar-rich colorful flowers and wildlife garden ideas, and you will be able to enjoy spotting the likes of a Red Admiral, Peacock, Painted lady, Comma, Brimstone, Gatekeepper and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies dancing between the blooms. There is no doubt that gardeners have an important role to play in supplementing nature by improving gardens so they are more supportive to valuable pollinators, including butterflies, bees, moths, wasps, hoverflies, beetles and many others....

Banishing rats is not achieved by employing the same methods you should use to get rid of mice, so these tips will help you spot the signs that you may have an unwanted rat infestation, and tell you how to fix the problem. After all, there’s little point in investing in beautiful garden ideas if the backyard will be out of bounds because of these pesky rodents. How to get rid of rats The first step is prevention – just as when you want to get rid of carpenter bees and get rid of snails – and we go into that below....

If you are thinking about growing a mango from seed, however, then there are several things you must consider before you start. Here, we take you through all the steps to successfully adding mangoes to your kitchen garden ideas. How to grow mangoes from seed Firstly, growing a mango from seed is unlikely to yield fruit unless you live in an area where mango trees grow naturally. In order to fruit, they require a consistent hot and humid climate....

Peas are a versatile crop that can be grown in raised beds or borders, and equally will live happily in pots on the patio or balcony. Though they require a little effort, they are not difficult to grow, so give peas a chance in your kitchen garden plans. As climbing plants, peas are also a space-efficient crop – perfect if you’re looking for small vegetable garden ideas – and add vertical interest....

We’ve picked the brains of the experts at Barista & Co to find out how to make a coffee with professional prowess below. Time to pop the kettle on… How to make coffee at home with a drip coffee maker From a broad range of the best coffee makers, a drip coffee maker is one of the most popular ways of brewing your morning caffeine fix at home. ‘Drip (also known as pour-over) is one of the cheapest ways to make excellent complex coffee,’ says James Gray, founder of Barista & Co (opens in new tab)....

There’s more to making compost than simply throwing peelings on a heap and keeping your fingers crossed. If too much of one ingredient goes on at the same time, the mix will become uneven and your compost production will slow down. Too many grass cuttings, for example, will lead to your compost becoming a dank mass. It’s an easy process as long as you follow a few key pointers. Our expert guide to how to make compost will soon set you on the right track....

Azaleas are popular flowering shrubs in the rhododendron family. They are prized for their wide range of hues, including warm oranges and cool and tranquil pale pinks. It is easy to grow azaleas and to take care of them, making them a very popular choice for gardeners. They can be prone to some disease though, so knowing when to plant azaleas and regular pruning is a great way to ensure that your plant stays healthy....

The property is a waterfront paradise with 850ft of water frontage and a 15-acre estate, putting it firmly in the world’s best homes category. A main house and lodge are located on the stunning property. The perfectly landscaped grounds and rose gardens lead to the main home, which has interiors that showcase coastal influences without being twee. The main house You’ll find bold, contemporary stripes and sunny bursts of yellow, with the colors reflecting the coastal landscape that surrounds the property....

SeeThe green revolution - avocado tops list of most-searched fruit and veg to grow at home From games to planting, we’ve got three top tips that will help keep children entertained whilst ticking some jobs off your list. And, of course, you can never go wrong with pushing them around the garden in the wheelbarrow… Top tips on how to involve your children in gardening: 1. MAKE IT A GAME A job that often needs doing this time of year is weeding and sweeping the patio....

When a member of the family moves royal residences (or an entire family, as is the case here), it is only inevitable to want to catch a glimpse into their decorating ideas – and royal fans have not had to wait too long in this case. Catherine, the Princess of Wales, recently shared an insight into one of the living spaces in Adelaide Cottage, which she shares with her husband, Prince William, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis....

When designing an ’entertainment kitchen’, there are many important elements to get right. This type of kitchen is a space into which we welcome guests, as well as one we enjoy day to day too – for everything from cooking and eating as a family to working from home. So, in other words, this type of kitchen needs to multi-task – so your chosen kitchen ideas need to be clever....