September 2023

Ideal Home

Britain's best-selling homes magazine

Ideal Home1 min read
Ideal Home Experts
STYLE & TRENDS EXPERT As head of home at Pinterest, Matt is perfectly placed to spot the trends based on what we’re all searching for on Pinterest. INTERIOR STYLIST & DESIGNER Nicky is a master of colour when it comes to decorating your home, from fu
Ideal Home2 min read
My September To-do List...
I’ve been distracted by the garden and the joys of outdoor living over the summer, and any jobs inside the house have been conveniently forgotten. Top of the list is giving the rooms a good deep-clean (I love a September reset), then tackling the pil
Ideal Home3 min read
Now & New
Luxury and nature might seem unlikely companions, but the biophilic trend has been given a glam update with Nature Luxe from DFS. Blending easily to create an indulgent sense of wellbeing, the collection features tactile velvet dining chairs and a ta
Ideal Home1 min read
Ideal Home
EDITORIAL Content Director Laura CrombieEditor in Chief Heather YoungDeputy Editor Print Ginevra BenedettiDeputy Editor Digital Rebecca KnightAssistant Editor Digital Thea Babington-StittHouses Editor Alison LovettContent Editors Holly Walsh, Holly
Ideal Home1 min read
TEXTURED Neutrals
When you’re thinking about pattern, bear in mind you don’t have to choose a check, a floral or a stripe; pattern can also be found in natural elements, such as in a stone or marble surface, in a wool or linen weave, and even in the wood grain of timb
Ideal Home1 min read
Winning Neutrals
The trick to making neutrals work in a scheme is texture and pattern – and lots of it. Mix up your muted shades with boucle, jute and basket weaves, together with nature-inspired patterns or classic stripes and you’re onto a winning combination. ■
Ideal Home3 min read
“For A Cleaner Interior Aesthetic, Start With Storage ”
The autumn equinox is underrated. Yes, the sunshine goes, and the excitement of summer plans might fade, but September is the best month for a reset and for achieving your goals. Whether you’re returning from holiday and back to work, or with kids ba
Ideal Home2 min read
Linen
Designers and stylists share their views ‘A warm off-white like linen creates an inviting glow, especially in natural light. It’s a great base for swapping decorative details as your taste (or the seasons) shift. Layer with natural leather, wood and
Ideal Home1 min read
Room For An Office
The perfect place to pop a desk, especially under an open staircase. The tones of pale wood complement the staircase, while black accessories tie in with the industrial feel. Attach hanging plants to the underside of the stair risers to create a pre
Ideal Home4 min read
Weekend Decorator
Maximise space in a dining area with a built-in bench, which can also house deep drawers for storage. Fix a simple storage unit to a wall and make a cushioned back support and seat pad by covering foam-topped MDF or plywood with fabric. Use a pared-b
Ideal Home4 min readArchitecture
Entrance
There’s plenty of truth in the saying ‘first impressions count’, especially when it comes to our homes. Whether you’ve an elaborate porch or a tiny hallway, a straight path lined with neat blooms or a doormat that simply says ‘hello’, turn your atten
Ideal Home2 min read
Teenager's Room
Choose geometric zig-zags or stripes in monochrome tones to create a modern scheme. Set a statement headboard against a dark-painted wall and finish with pops of neon accessories and industrial-style lighting for a dramatic effect. A similar pendant
Ideal Home4 min read
Ideal Home’s Ultimate Living Room Edit 2023
HEATHER YOUNG EDITOR IN CHIEF GINEVRA BENEDETTI DEPUTY EDITOR MATT BOLTON MANAGING EDITOR, ENTERTAINMENT AT TECHRADAR Small Biggie three-seater sofa ‘This cleverly designed sofa is perfect for compact living spaces. It’s super comfy and you can add
Ideal Home1 min read
Cocooning Ceiling
It’s the ‘done thing’ to have a white painted ceiling. But it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right option for your space. Take a step out of your comfort zone and paint or add cladding in warmer shades for a cosier feel. ■
Ideal Home3 min readArchitecture
LOFTY Ambition
Georgie and Ben Green, and their two daughters Poppy, four, and one-year-old Amelie. Georgie is a TV producer and Ben is a TV director. A Victorian terrace in north London. There is a living room, kitchen-diner, cloakroom, three bedrooms, two bathroo
Ideal Home2 min read
DIFFERENT Outlook
Alison George, a homemaker, and her husband Russ, a builder, have lived here since 2019. A 1950s two-bedroom, two-storey, timber-clad chalet bungalow with separate annexe in Sussex. Looking for a specific dream property in a very contained area meant
Ideal Home3 min read
SCANDI Joy
Sue Caldwell, a retired designer, lives here with her husband. The house is used for location shoots and she documents her interiors on @talltrees.and.scandidreams. A three-bedroom, Scandinavian-inspired detached new build in Shropshire, with an open
Ideal Home1 min read
Pastel Perfection
Want to elevate your neutral scheme? Try adding a gentle dose of colour to the space using a soft pastel. Here, kitchen cabinetry in a calm blue hue is echoed by a matching cushion on the neutral sofa. ■
Ideal Home3 min readArchitecture
LESS IS more
Pirkko Alanen, 40, a marketing manager, lives here with her husband Pasi, 42, an entrepreneur, and their children Erkka, seven, Okko, five, and Renne, three. A four-bedroom detached self-build house in Maununneva, Helsinki, completed in 2019. The gr
Ideal Home2 min readArchitecture
Bring The Light In
Louise and Mark Smith live here with their son, aged one, in a Victorian terrace in west London. Kitchen refit as part of a ground floor, side return extension. £40,000 The kitchen had no central heating, old gas appliances and needed rewiring ‘W
Ideal Home2 min read
Modern Boho
Ellie Rowley-Conwy and her partner Oliver live here with their cats, Teddy and Maggie. Revamping the existing bathroom in a two-bedroom Victorian terrace in Leicester. £11,000 The bathroom had two basins and a roll-top bath but was beige and bare
Ideal Home2 min read
Nature’s Finest
Emma Burton and her husband Adam with their children Sebastian, four, and Emilia, two, and dog Eugene. A kitchen extension in a Victorian semi-detached house in south-east London. £36,000 Our kitchen was old and damp, had no heating and needed ful
Ideal Home5 min read
Mezzanines
A mezzanine can transform the internal space of your home, often solving the problem of how to add that extra sleeping, seating or office area you crave. All you need is a relatively high ceiling – the higher the better – and you can effectively crea
Ideal Home2 min readArchitecture
Sun Room
Craig and Kirsty Lynagh live here with their two young sons. A four-bedroom Georgian bungalow near Portobello beach in Edinburgh. Konishi Gaffney Architects konishigaffney.com £172,000 The rear of the house had a complicated layout with a decaying
Ideal Home3 min read
Built-in Solutions
Whether you’re looking for a quirky bookcase to fit into an awkward alcove or would like to optimise your storage solutions to suit your home, bespoke joinery could be the answer. Made-to-measure designs maximise the potential of your space and creat
Ideal Home3 min read
Sofas
■ It sounds obvious, but size is a crucial factor to consider. Generally speaking, you’ll want the largest sofa your room and budget will allow, but measure very carefully to ensure your dream design is going to work in the space. A top tip is to mea
Ideal Home3 min read
Sofa Beds
■ Sofa beds come in two main types: those with a pull-out mattress and concertina bed frame that folds up and is hidden underneath the removable sofa seat cushions; and click-clack models, where the sofa seat and backrest fold flat and lock into posi
Ideal Home3 min read
Life Admin
Trapped air in your radiators makes your central heating work harder, upping your bills in the process. Radiators that need bleeding will be hot at the bottom and cooler at the top when the heating is on. To bleed them, lay a towel on the floor to ca
Ideal Home2 min read
Money Matters
Kitting out the kids for school can set you back hundreds. And with households facing the financial pressures of high inflation along with rising mortgage rates or rent, most of us are looking to make savings wherever we can. If back-to-school costs
Ideal Home2 min read
Tech Solutions
You may know about video doorbells and perhaps even security cameras, but what about whole home security systems? A whole home system connects a variety of products together, from the aforementioned video doorbells and cameras to sensors, sirens, sec
Ideal Home2 min read
Happy Home
I enjoy bright colours for the happy hit of dopamine they provide, but if I’m in overwhelm territory and need to bring my stress levels down, it’s neutrals I’ll turn to. I love looking at rooms full of colour and clashing patterns, and these are ofte
Ideal Home2 min read
One Small Step
Looking for eco flooring that isn’t timber? Check out The Wood Flooring Company’s No-Vinyl tile. Offering the practical, 100% waterproof finish that a LVT (luxury vinyl tile) can offer, together with the convenience of click installation, the range d
Ideal Home3 min read
Garden Notes
It’s good to start preparing a few mini indoor pots to decorate window ledges, shelves and tables and make our houses colourful and fragrant in time for Christmas. Hyacinths in particular take their time and should be planted soon, followed by the ga
Ideal Home5 min read
Catch Of The Day
with a broad bean, pea & mint dip SERVES 4 READY IN 50 MINS, PLUS COOLING ● 2 Dover sole, about 500g each, skinned and heads removed● Drizzle of olive oil● 1 white onion, sliced● 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped● 175ml sherry vinegar ● 200ml white
Ideal Home2 min read
Home Truths
The TV and theatre actress lives in north-west London with her partner Tom, her daughters Florence, 14, and Marnie, 10, and their two dogs. WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU GET HOME? I hug my kids and the dogs – or I may rush to the toilet.

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