Country kitchen-diner

Country kitchen-diner

Keeping this kitchen-diner neutral and uncluttered allows the beams to take centre stage. The aqua pendant light picks up the colour of the window frames. 

 

Rustic country kitchen-diner

Simple white-painted kitchen units with wooden worktops create a cottage-style feel in this kitchen. Three matching bar stools are lined up next to the central island to create a welcoming breakfast bar. An earthy tile splashback makes a striking statement, while some of the Shaker-style wooden doors are replaced with glass so pretty items can be on display.

 

Neutral country kitchen

The floral blind and green slate floor are the perfect accompaniment to a country-style kitchen. The butler's sink is a great focal point underneath the window.

 

Simple country kitchen

A stable door, painted to complement the mantel and dining table, continues the country space.

 

Kitsch kitchen-diner

This kitchen-diner area has a quirky feel, thanks to the display of wall clocks and numbered chairs. The Beatles poster adds a retro element. 

 

Wood-panelled white country kitchen

A classic butler sink and wood panelling introduce classic vintage style in a small space, with personal touches adding individuality. 

 

Vintage kitchen utility area

A pastel worktop is contrasted by wood cladding and an oversized clock for ultimate country style.

 

Utility room peg storage

A peg rail stores plimsolls and slippers neatly and tidily in drawstring bags in this neutral utility room.

 

Utility room hidden cupboard storage

A properly organised utility cupboard, with dedicated places for all your essentials, will make your household tasks less of a chore. Cover doors and shelves in decorative oilcloths to liven up the space.

 

American-style kitchen

White with splashes of red and blue convey the quintessential of an American kitchen without being overpowering. The addition of stars is a quirky touch.

 

Classic oak kitchen

White-painted and pale oak cabinets, along with white walls and lightly colour-washed wooden floorboards give the kitchen a fresh and airy feel. 

Step inside designer Andrea Maflin's unique home

Hallway

Walking into the hallway of artist and interior designer andrea Maflin's house, you can tell immediately that her home fizzes with creative energy and imagination. The familiar proportions of a London Victorian terrace are subverted with leafy wallpaper and a set of antlers, lending what she describes as a “foresty” feel.

 

Open-plan living area

This striking double-aspect space is linked by two striking contemporary rugs.

 

Living room

Andrea's artworks and design ideas also form the backbone of the interior decoration. She is not afraid to mix pattern and colour with illustrative and abstract work.Hidden underneath the glamour, is the fact that this is actually a practical family home. Here in the living room, the Heal's sofa has been re-covered in “indestructible” Alcantara, for example.

 

Mantelpiece

A sunburst mirror from Julian Chichester makes a striking focal point above the mantelpiece.

 

Kitchen-dining room

At the back of the house, the kitchen is the welcoming hub. The cabinets were handmade by the previous owner's father and Andrea has kept them, adding new worktops and repainting the walls. The chairs around the dining table have been upholstered in different fabrics, front and back, with carefully chosen piping to finish the effect.

 

Guest bedroom

Framed family pictures form an interesting display over the bed in the guest room, creating a welcoming and calming feel.

 

Guest bedroom seating area

The guest bedroom has a nostalgic feel to it, with childhood photographs of Andrea above the mantelpiece and a chair that once occupied her dentist father's waiting room!

 

Bedroom

Large-scale patterns work beautifully in the bedroom, with enviable amounts of light being reflected by striking twin mirrors. The painting is by Andrea's father, and makes for an eye-catching focal point.

 

Dressing room

The traditional-style bathroom fittings blend well with the antique mirror and chair that forms a chic dressing area.

Be inspired by the cosy Hertfordshire cottage

Living room

With careful and considerate planning and decorating, this Hertforshire cottage was restored to its former glory by the current owners, showing off its mix of exotic finds and period features. 

 

Hallway

A tiger-spotted yellow orchid and a pair of traditional confit pots stand on a rustic driftwood wine rack between the kitchen and the living room. 

 

Dining room

In the Mediterranean-inspired dining room a huge mirror stands at one end of the antique table. The owners replaced the original table with a Spanish-style design, and added an olive tree to the room. 

 

Kitchen

This owners designed this shaker-style kitchen themselves, and chose to keep the quarry-tiled floor and old flue in the scheme. 

 

Kitchen storage

Capitalising on the quirky architecture of the house, the 3 shelves between the chimney breast and the door frame, display a few carefully chosen pieces of rustic kitchenalia. 

 

Bedroom

The throw and floor-standing reading lights in the bedroom are a contrast of cosy and contemporary design.

 

Bathroom

The bathroom has a country look with modern details such as the column taps and a round, surface-mounted basin. 

Take a tour around a Sussex beach house

 

Open-plan living room

Full height windows in this beach house allow light to flood the open-plan living room space with bright, seaside light.  Colourful accents have been added to evoke fun and warmth.

 

Kitchen-diner

A maple floor co-ordinates with a light-wood table and sideboard, creating a sleek contemporary feel in the  kitchen diner.  Throughout, flashes of purple break up the wood for a colourful accent.  A light voile curtain helps divide the room, and softens the modern look.

 

Breakfast bar

A sleek maple kithen is broken up with a speckled granite worktop, reflecting elements of the blustery sea it looks out on.  

 

Child's bedroom

The seaside theme is continued in the quaint children's bedroom.  Boat print curtains, and a bright coral throw, add vibrancy and life to this neutral background.

 

Bathroom

Mosaic tiles in aqua and blue reflect elements of the seaside in this bathroom.  Tiling halfway up the wall creates impact and is contrasted by the crisp white sinks.

 

Bedroom

The main bedroom is kept contemporary and cosy, with neutral and calming colours, and tactile furnishings. Huge windows allow light to flood the room and give stunning views of the surrounding beaches.

 

Balcony

Most of the bedrooms in the house have their own balcony looking out onto the sea.  Materials used in the building of this house reflect the elements found outside it. The house is wrapped in iroko timber cladding, which has now been beautifully weathered by the sea, turning a silver-white colour mirroring the natural tones of the sand and driftwood on the beach.

Take a look around this relaxed south London home

Family dining area

The kitchen is the perfect place for budding artists, and a great display point, too.  A simple and rustic table and chairs sits well in this neutral colour scheme with colourful accents like this painting,  'Man with Fishes', by Matthew Batt.

 

Modern living room

Soft and neutral wallpaper provides a sympathetic backdrop for a painting by Jenny Thompson in this warm and cosy living room.

 

White bedroom

Vintage fabrics and embroidered cushions add pattern and texture to a neutral colour scheme in this calm and relaxed bedroom.  Delicate photo frames add a personal touch.

 

Child's colourful bedroom

A simple wall colour gives the opportunity to add and interchange colourful accessories in this bright and breezy kids bedroom.  Space is maximised by filling the alcoves with a desk and fitted shelves.

 

Girl's pink bedroom

A classic floral wallpaper creates a timeless atmosphere, while a wrought-iron bedframe and pink soft furnishings add depth and texture to this pretty girl's bedroom. 

 

White bathroom

A roll-top bath in contrasting black, is the focal point of this all-white bathroom. Stained floorboards continue the crisp, elegant theme.

Take a tour around this comfortable country retreat

 

Hallway

In the hallway the owner chose a sunny yellow colour to show off bold black and white prints.

 

Living room corner

The living room's rich red is offset by a pale stone floor.

 

Living room

The soft stone colour in the living room compliments the dark wood furniture and rich fabrics.

 

Dining room

In the dining room, antiqus pictures, collectables and a handmade sampler help to add personality and warmth.

 

Seating area

In the dressing room an elegant day bed lends a practical note.

 

Bedroom

In the bedroom the four-poster leaves little room for manoeuvre, but the unified fabric makes the room appear large.

 

Bathroom

A floral chintz fabric on the chair teamed with soft green and cream colours add to the nostalgic country-style bathroom.

Step inside the light Victorian home

 

Dining room

A granite-topped table and cream walls help create a classic-style dining room.

 

Open-plan living space

The ground floor has been converted to one large space. The owners have used furniture to demarcate the living and dining areas. 

 

Living room

In the living room, simple furniture and neutral colours help create a feeling of light and space

 

Kitchen

The owners added sliding doors in the kitchen to open up the space.

 

Bedroom

In the bedroom, the owners built cupboards along the long run of wall, with basins and a tiled wet room at the far end.

 

Bathroom

The owners used a soft white shade on the walls and cupboards to link the wet room with the bedroom.