’Successful design, as with life, is a delicate balance and one we seek to perfect daily,’ says interior designer Katharine Pooley (opens in new tab). 1. MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION First impressions are everything. Update a classic stucco facade with a high gloss black front door and contemporary plants. 2. CREATE BALANCE I like to balance an ornate antique piece, like this gilt chinoiserie mirror, with more modern and sculptural upholstered shapes....

However you choose to grow cantaloupe, the deliciously fragrant fruits with their juicy, orange flesh, are more than worth the effort and deserve a place amongst your kitchen garden ideas. Cantaloupe are the easiest of all the melon varieties to grow. Look after them well and you will enjoy a tasty treat full of summer goodness. Below, we have the best expert advice from garden gurus, who have plenty of tips for you on how to grow cantaloupe at home....

Small gardens, courtyards, balconies and even unloved corners can all make enticing outdoor spaces with a little extra planning and the right garden ideas. Visual tricks, good lighting, interesting planting and comfortable seating will play to the strengths of even the most awkward or compact of gardens. How to make a small garden look bigger Our favorite tips, tricks and inspiring small garden ideas will help you visually enlarge your space and make a small garden look bigger this season, and beyond....

See: How to clean cast iron – remove rust, reseason and refinish Over time, cast iron items will develop surface imperfections that add to their character, and make them look particularly in-keeping with a period home. When looked after, cast iron can last for centuries, but poorly maintained pieces will begin to rust and deteriorate. ‘Gates, railings and other items made from cast iron are as much a part of our architectural heritage as the stone and brick of the buildings with which they’re associated,’ says Roger Hunt, author of Old House Handbook (opens in new tab)....

With their colorful and showy flowers, hydrangeas make striking garden ideas for beds and borders, and wonderful container displays, so you wouldn’t want to lose these floral stars during a cold snap through being unprepared. Include winterizing hydrangeas in your list of winter garden ideas to ensure that, come the arrival of spring, your treasured plants spring back into life. ‘Hydrangeas can usually withstand the winter temperatures but only if cared for properly....

Producer and actor Betty White was the first woman to write, produce and act in a sitcom – Life With Elizabeth. She is also well known for playing Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls and hosting Saturday Night Live. Throughout her 80 year career, she won eight Emmys and a Grammy – so it seems only fitting that one of the most celebrated actors in America owned one of the world’s best homes....

The star, who was known for her roles in the award-winning films, Picnic, Strangers When We Meet, Pal Joey, and her twin roles in Vertigo, lived in the home until 1973. The home enjoys a stellar position on a rocky outcrop in the upscale resort of Carmel, boasting vast sea views, where you can watch migrating whales and pelicans soaring close to the water. The main house oozes a rustic aesthetic, with a stone-clad, wood-burning fireplace offering inspiration for cozy living room ideas, and a statement wood-clad, beamed ceiling....

In a video for BBC’s Gardener’s World, Don admitted that while he has lots of hedges for birds to nest in at his own garden, Longmeadow in Herefordshire, many gardens ‘have no mature and suitable places for birds to nest in.’ So adding birdhouses is vital to help them thrive. Attracting birds to the garden has multiple benefits. ‘Birds not only make the garden healthier and enrich the eco system, but they’re hugely enjoyable for the gardener,’ says Don....

We have already noted the surge in interest in decorating with green this year – and it has been credited to the restrictions put in place over the last year. As Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at the British-based paint manufacturers Little Greene (opens in new tab), explains: ‘Alongside the move towards warmer natural stone colors such as Travertine and Clay, green in all its hues has remained really popular for us, from bold, deep greens to earthy and more muted tones, we find ourselves craving colors that make us feel closer to the natural world....

When put next to some of today’s more expensive food processors, the Ninja Professional Plus may lack bells and whistles, but its simple, straightforward design is a great option for many kitchens. It can hold up to 9 cups of ingredients in its work bowl, and thoughtful design features like a locking lid and Auto-iQ preset buttons make it easy and enjoyable to use. However, is it too basic to be considered one of the best food processors?...

Years ago, Oprah wrote O, The Oprah Magazine: Let It Go: Your Guide to a Simpler, More Serene Life (opens in new tab), in which she penned a moving recollection about meeting a couple in India who lived with their three children in a single 10-by-10 room; the family didn’t have much but what they did have? Tea. Instead of focusing on the space they didn’t have or couldn’t afford, the couple found solace knowing what they did have: a cup of tea and each other was enough....

The exotic Thai-inspired compound known as ‘Orchid House’ was built by Brosnan and wife Kelly Shaye Smith way back in 2000, but they spent a full decade finishing it to their exacting standards. The final product is nearly 13,000 square feet of thoughtful layouts, clean lines and stunning views. Why not take the tour? And when you’re done, take a look at more of the world’s best homes on our dedicated page....

One of the best parts of home renovation is the combination of the ‘good bones’ that different house styles – whatever their period – can offer, whether that’s high ceilings, decorative internal architectural features like arches, or comforting wooden beams, and being able to really put your stamp on it. Renovating a house Salvaging the best parts of a period home and embellishing it with your style and tastes is a surefire way to achieve a unique, valuable and, most importantly, liveable home....

See: Fabric trends 2021 – the colors, patterns and materials to use now Searches for chintz prints have recently jumped by 240% on average, while demands for chintz fabrics have increased by 125%. These statistics are unsurprising, however, as we search for ways to inject remnants of faraway travels into our interiors. While chintz has, historically, fallen in and out of fashion, we have a feeling that this time, it is here to stay....

The secret, say design experts, is in the way you use different tones of color and paint ideas to create distinct areas or ‘zones’ within one open-plan space. It’s the multifunctional room color idea that will bring order to your ever-busy home life. ‘There is no easier, quicker, or simpler way to cleverly zone a room than through paint,’ says Helen Shaw, UK Director of Benjamin Moore (opens in new tab)....

Believed to be the first time an entire John Nash-designed terrace has come to the open market, 1-18 York Terrace East in London’s Regent’s Park is a rare beast. See more:See inside this grand apartment that inspired the design of RMS Titanic’s first-class dining room (opens in new tab) Joint selling agents Savills and Aylesford expect the property to be bought by an individual looking to create a private residence in what is a unique opportunity for an owner to acquire the last remaining full Nash terrace in Regent’s Park....

The detached house is set over five floors with a vast 4,800sqft of space, boasting no less than six bedrooms. It’s rich in history, having at one point formed part of St. Matthew’s Church, designed by architect John Johnson in 1852, who was later noted for his design of Alexandra Palace in collaboration with Alfred Meeson. SeeTour a Neoclassical Grade I listed home with views over Regent’s Park The home’s location is equally distinguished, sitting upon Oakley Square, which is famously named after Oakley House, a seat of the Duke of Bedford who owned the land....

The pair, who are both German, had spent 12 years living in Chelsea and Kensington, but with two young boys and a third son on the way, they saw this move as an important lifestyle change. ‘We simply couldn’t get these proportions and a large garden in central London,’ says Viviane. ‘We recognised the potential in this house to create a really fun family home.’ Check out more Homes & Gardens’ world’s best homes here...

While some shades are admired for their aesthetic appeal, not every color is right for a kitchen. Indeed, a psychologist has urged us to step away from our paintbrush until we understand various shades’ impact on our mental wellbeing. And since the kitchen is often the most used room in the home, we agree that it’s important to get it right. Sharing his kitchen ideas, Psychologist and Wellbeing Consultant Lee Chambers (opens in new tab) reveals what you need to know....

You don’t have to get behind a potter’s wheel and start making your own. We’ve found some of the most creative potters and ceramicists working right now, creating everyday ceramics, stunning vases and vessels, and collectible pieces that elevate clay to works of art. Read our hot list of potters to watch, starting with the man himself, Keith Brymer Jones… The Great Pottery Throw Down (opens in new tab) is on Channel 4 every Sunday, but you can watch it on catch up, on HBO – and catch clips on YouTube....