An outdoor sink also makes a handy addition for the busy gardener, providing on-the-spot hand-washing facilities and a useful place to rinse off tools and plant pots. If you have children or dogs (maybe both), an outdoor sink is a very sensible thing to have, especially if you fit a faucet with a detachable hose or spray, invaluable for cleaning muddy boots and giving the dog a bath. Or, if you simply love the idea of an outdoor sink for the decorative value it can add to a corner of your outdoor kitchen, invest in a beautiful vintage copper or solid stone vessel that will become a very special part of your backyard....

Of course, if your existing kitchen layout isn’t meeting your needs, you might be looking for kitchen ideas and inspiration for a whole new scheme, with painted kitchen cupboards taking center stage. Painted kitchen cabinet ideas The color palette of your kitchen cabinet ideas is a massive decision. It will define the look and feel of your space – dark shades will create a sophisticated, cozy atmosphere while bright whites or yellows will brighten the room and offer a warm welcome into the heart of your home....

Easy to forage on a winter walk, the humble pine cone can be transformed into an array of beautiful pine cone decorations for bringing rustic charm into the home. They can be spray painted to match your decor and used to embellish sideboards, mantelpieces, and Christmas tables, strung up on garlands, and even used to create statement chandeliers, plus they can also be used in outdoor Christmas decor ideas. To help spark your creativity, we’ve rounded up an array of inspiring pine cone Christmas craft ideas from simple styling and display techniques to how to make a pine cone wreath....

The qualities that make red a great option? Its warmth, the ability to make the room feel cocooning, and its appearance under artificial light. After all, for many of us, the living room is a space we frequently occupy after dark. Be inspired to consider red among your living room ideas by these fabulous rooms, and draw on the expertise of the designers who exploit its potential. Red living room ideas If you’re considering living room paint ideas, red is a versatile shade....

While this method may seem slightly more unconventional, however, there are some significant benefits to washing your clothes in cold water – especially when it comes to your delicates. There is already some research on whether you wash whites in hot or cold water – but lowering your temperature can complement your laundry room ideas in more ways than one. Here are the pros and cons of going cooler. Should I wash my clothes in cold water?...

One of the less extreme kitchen extension ideas, side returns can offer a great return on your investment, too. The amount of space you’ll gain may not look that impressive on paper. But an extra metre or two widthways can turn pokey galley kitchens into more sociable, user-friendly spaces. ‘With extra space, width and light, you can gain more living space for entertaining, living, playing and working from home,’ says Leigh Bowen of 50 Degrees North Architects (opens in new tab)....

Slugs are one of a gardener’s worst nightmares. Not only can they quickly decimate your plants but they are surprisingly resilient creatures – this is where slug repellent plants come to the rescue. Slug repellent plants can be used to create a barrier to protect more vulnerable crops or can just be enjoyed in their own right. If your backyard is inundated with slugs, then you might need to learn how to get rid of slugs as well as adopting some of these slug control methods....

There are so many small bedroom layout ideas to choose from that it can be hard to know where to start. But getting the layout of small bedrooms right is essential, not only to create a space that is practical and ergonomic, but to maximize space, too. Here are the 10 rules professional designers always follow when laying out smaller bedrooms. Small bedroom layout rules ‘When decorating a smaller bedroom, it’s important to approach the space with a minimalist mindset....

However, their small footprints and low ceilings can be tricky obstacles to tackle when it comes to creating the perfect cottage kitchen ideas and design. But you don’t have to compromise on practicality or style just because you’re dealing with small kitchen ideas. To help inspire your small cottage kitchen ideas, we’ve shared our top tips, from cabinet choices to wall colors, alongside some handy advice from the experts....

See our decorating section for more inspiration Meanwhile, it was left to a minority of daring ‘modern’ householders to seek out the contemporary, low-slung seating favoured by the Continent and forward-thinking Brits like Sir Terence Conran. Fortunately, in these design-aware times, even the most traditional of seat-makers now offer customers a choice of seating upholstery that chimes with contemporary taste and changing lifestyles. At the cutting edge of the seating world you will find multi-functional pieces that double as pouffes, as well as sofas with adjustable backs or pull out laptop rests....

The texture of flecked terrazzo tiles in a bathroom – or indeed elsewhere – can conjure sun-baked escapes to the Italian countryside. Our thoughts? Terrazzo is set to remain one of the most popular bathroom ideas, as we work to make our homes luxurious and relaxing sanctuaries. Terrazzo bathrooms – ideas, tips and design advice If you’re browsing bathroom wall ideas for something a little different, terrazzo might well be the perfect find....

You can apply texture through plaster, wallcoverings, paint, wood and tiles, and doing so will add interest to rooms that can be matched with textured furnishings and accessories, too. However, there is an art to getting textured wall ideas right, which our team imparts here with their favorite wall decor ideas, and with the help of interior designer Maria Speake. ‘I’m always looking for ideas on how to make walls interesting when my clients don’t have great art,’ says Maria....

It wasn’t like I didn’t clean during the rest of the week – and my job editing Country Homes & Interiors magazine means I know every single one of the cleaning tips ever dispensed by experts. So I decided to try a new approach to our household cleaning schedule, getting all the family involved and spreading out the chores throughout the week. Key to our new housekeeping plan was deciding which cleaning and organizing jobs to do on which day of the week, although what you do will obviously depend on your responsibilities, and practical issues, such as when your refuse is collected....

More Londoners are working from home, too, so the city is less frantic than usual. The landmarks and sights are all easy to get to and are infinitely more enjoyable to visit when there are fewer tourists around. And even if quarantine is an issue, you’ll at least be doing it in complete luxury. As for where to stay when you visit, London is fortunately packed with a vast choice of chic, design-led hotels....

Today, the contemporary kitchen is not only a purely functional environment that simply involves preparing food but it’s also become a convivial space for entertaining; a transitional space that seamlessly merges into the rest of the home. So, it comes as very little surprise that a statement ‘hidden’ storage feature like no other would set the agenda for kitchen trends in 2023. ‘Clever kitchen planning is all about maximizing every inch of space for storage, and designers are getting cleverer and more imaginative about this all the time,’ says editor-in-chief of Homes & Gardens, Lucy Searle....

With jewel-like colors of emerald and ruby, gothic windows, doorways, and arched paneling – and an enchanting library – the place has an elegance that feels as ecclesiastical as it does scholastic. Rambling yet cozy, inviting, and magical, it’s packed with beautiful Christmas decorating ideas for a good old-fashioned family holiday season. Tucked away in the Goulds Ground area of Frome, Somerset – now a conservation area – the school served the children of the community from the early 1880s to the late 1980s....

See more inspiring house tours in our Spaces section THE PROPERTY ‘My design for this space, which includes a media and dining area, and an office, was dictated by the fact that, from here, the owners wanted to be able to easily access the kitchen-dining room, and the garden, on the floor above,’ says Alex Tart, Architect. ‘We kept the original staircase, with a glazed side panel, between the basement and the ground floor....

Throughout his career, John has inevitably encountered a host of front-door ideas –including those that you need to avoid. Therefore, in his exclusive with H&G, we had to ask – what is the biggest front door mistake you can make? His answer will elevate your home’s curb appeal instantly. The biggest front door mistake you can make – according to John Gidding ‘The biggest mistake people make is not making their front door eye-catching because it’s a missed opportunity,’ John begins....

Originally built in 1957, the one-story, 3,900 square feet property is not only a wonderful example of mid century modern house style, it also remained a mid century time capsule until rejuvenated by Assembledge+. Here, we take the tour of this fabulous remodel. At the heart of the home’s original design was a saw-tooth floor plan that offered views in multiple directions. However, beyond this core, the floor plan was congested and connectivity throughout the home and site was limited....

While you might be surprised, or even disgusted by these missed spots, there are luckily a number of cleaning tips to help combat even the grimiest spots no matter if you are deep cleaning a kitchen or quickly cleaning a living room. Here, experts reveal which areas of your home you are missing in your cleaning regime and how to combat years of dirt. What are the dirtiest places in your home?...