Living room
‘Blocking up the doorway from the dining room gave us more scope and a quiet, separate retreat. It lacked a focal point until we put the fireplace in, then it all came together. Picking out the picture rail in darker grey made it look really crisp and smart.
BUY THE KEY PIECES
Harlequin Sakura wallpaper, £64 a roll, John Lewis & Partners. Levanto coffee table, £928, The Furn Shop
When Vanessa Clewett and Luke James swapped their rural barn conversion for a house in the centre of Bedford, it was all about location. ‘We wanted to be within walking distance of the children’s school,’ says Vanessa. ‘This house had character, too. I loved its high ceilings and decorative windows.’
The interior was very tired though, all 1980s red walls, dark wood, lots of separate rooms and a cramped, old-fashioned kitchen. ‘We weren’t fazed, as we’d learned so much from renovating our previous home, but we knew this would be a bigger undertaking, and we’d have to live on-site while the work was done.’ Improving flow around the ground floor was a priority, and Vanessa and Luke reworked the layout, removing a dividing wall, dismantling an old conservatory and blocking up redundant doorways. ‘The idea was to have a contemporary kitchen-cum-family room with an open-plan feel, but a separate dining room and a more grown-up sitting room. The new kitchen was the key project, and we moved in in August with the aim of completing it by Christmas. There were several weeks of doing the washing up in the bath, but we got there.’
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2020-Ausgabe von Ideal Home UK.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2020-Ausgabe von Ideal Home UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Maximise Outdoor Dining Space - If your outside eating area is a little cramped, follow these tricks to make the most of what you do have
If your outside eating area is a little cramped, follow these tricks to make the most of what you do have. We asked a host of garden experts to share their top tips on making the most of a small space, whether you're hosting friends and family for a special occasion, relaxing at the end of the day or enjoying your morning coffee.
hometruths
KELVIN AND LIZ FLETCHER GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THEIR HOME
Fresh & delicious
Chicken traybake with garlic & cherry tomatoes
NATURAL habitat
KERRY HARRIS' EAST LONDON HOME IS A LESSON IN BLURRING THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN INSIDE AND OUT
"WE AREN'T traditional"
RACHAEL AND ALEX'S RELAXED FUNCTIONAL HOME IS A BLEND OF VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE, MID-CENTURY MODERN AND PALM SPRINGS SHADES
GROWING up
ARCHITECT ROB AND WIFE EMMA HAVE TRANSFORMED A 1970S HOUSE, GIVING.THEM MORE SPACE FOR THEIR FAMILY
The shortlist PARASOLS
Create a cool spot with these dazzling sunshades
Weekend decorator
CLEVER TRICKS TO MINI DECOR PROJECTS... WE ROUND UP THE SIMPLEST, QUICKEST WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME MORE BEAUTIFUL NOW
The shortlist PICNICWARE
Everything you need for the perfect spread
PLAN THE PERFECT - Outdoor living room
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR GARDEN BY CREATING A DEDICATED SPACE FOR RELAXATION, SAY OUR EXPERTS