All is calm

Whites, greys and soft pinks provide the backdrop to Lykke Hindsberg and Thomas Skovboe’s collection of inherited and contemporary pieces – and we feel more relaxed just looking at it…

Dress Your Home With Foliage

Decorate your home with greenery from the garden for a simple and budget-friendly way to add a festive feel

Past meets present

The McFarlanes sympathetically updated their Victorian house, avoiding period pastiche and working in contemporary elements without destroying its character

Simply sophisticated

A few tweaks to the layout, muted colours and glam details have transformed Vanessa Clewett and Luke James’ house into a home that feels relaxed and smart in equal measure

‘It's a little slice of luxury!'

Maria and Fred Jude wanted the ultimate parents-only retreat, so indulged themselves with wall-to-wall, hotel-worthy glamour

JEWEL PURPOSE

Play with a palette of sapphire, emerald, ruby and garnet to bring drama and decadence to your décor. Don’t hold back – these are colours to immerse yourself in…

Escape to the country

Inge Versteegh and Michel Berger left town, bought an old farmhouse and set about giving their style a more rustic vibe…

The big reveal

Mette and Tony Mau hit the jackpot after taking a gamble on a badly modernised Copenhagen apartment

EASY STYLE UPDATES

From best buys and clever tricks to mini décor projects… this is our roundup of the simplest, quickest ways to make your home more beautiful now

‘It's great for gatherings'

Rebecca and Kenny MacDonald extended their small, dark kitchen to create a space for family time and bigger get-togethers

CREATE A WELCOMING ROOM FOR GUESTS

Spare bedrooms can often be an afterthought, especially if they have to multitask as offices or storage spaces. We asked three interiors experts for their ideas and solutions…

‘This is our forever kitchen'

Inspired by the charm of their period home, Sophia and Cookie Cook invested in a simple, solid kitchen in favourite colours they’ll love for a lifetime

‘We wanted a classic but modern look'

Emma and Peter Knight went open plan and created separate cooking and dining zones, using Shaker-style units for a look they’ll love for years

‘It feels calm, but not boring'

Carrie and Ed Steer built their en suite as part of a new extension, giving it a luxuriously low-key style

‘I live in a converted garage'

Amie Oyston brought space and light into a dilapidated mechanic’s workshop, digging out a new basement level and building a beautiful glazed internal courtyard

Living The Cornish Dream

Jill Stein transformed a run-down cottage into a comfortable holiday home that’s idyllic in summer but a cosy retreat all year round

Rooms with a view

Building their own home on an elevated plot meant that Kirsi and Janne Kemppainen designed the interiors to frame and complement its panoramic views, not compete with them

Into the blue

Open-plan living is often the dream, but in reality it can look cold and confused. Belinda and Patrick Hall used colour cleverly to create distinct spaces that still feel pulled-together

Embracing the dark side

Moving to this house triggered a switch in Suszi Saunders from a dependence on bland magnolia interiors to a passion for moody, dramatic colour

INTERIOR DESIGN ADVICE: HOW TO CREATE A HOME WITH LONGEVITY

Fast fashion is over and a new age of considered purchase is beginning. We’ve gathered our favourite talking heads of the interiors world to get their opinions on style that never goes out of style, to help you buy once and buy well

From the ground up

Why remodel when you can rebuild? Lauren and John Conroy scrapped a dingy bungalow and used the land for their dream home, complete with living spaces that open to the garden and a basement swimming pool

‘It blends into our living space now'

Interior designer and retailer Abigail Ahern swapped functional stainless-steel surfaces and black cabinets for a look that brought her kitchen and sitting room together as one

CHOOSE THE RIGHT CARPETS & RUGS

Even at the budget end of the market, carpets and rugs are a long-term investment, so soak up our experts’ knowledge and get it right every time…

YOUR SHOES, SORTED

If shoes seem to breed in your hallway, porch or utility, or you can simply never resist a cute pair, calm your footwear chaos with these smart solutions…

‘This bathroom is all about relaxation'

Nicola and James Crawford’s priority was to beat everyday stress with a simple, but sophisticated, space that makes them feel calm and cosseted

‘We relax here together as a family'

Lucy Allen and Tom Pollard built a small extension to turn their functional but cramped kitchen into an organised and characterful living space

Taking it slow

Over more than a decade, Henrietta Sharma Rubow and her husband Christian gradually enlarged and opened up their house, turning small, dark rooms into calm, light-filled spaces

Adventures in colour

Determined to energise the bland interior of her all-white home, Anna Chisholm gave bold hues a go… and hasn’t looked back since

Creating order from chaos

It was tough to see past 14 tonnes of rubbish, but once it had been removed, Thea and Joel Ingram set about turning a scruffy and unloved house into an organised, smooth-running family home

The perfect mix

First-time renovators Rachel and Michael Armstrong managed to blend their styles to sympathetically extend and decorate their Victorian house