Lifestyle

A sweet, new look is coming to our homes thanks to Dulux, who’ve revealed Spiced Honey as its Colour of the Year for 2019.An earthy, caramel hue, according to the experts at the paint brand, it’s versatile enough to introduce into a wide range of home interiors – because it can be “calming and nourishing” or “stimulating and energising”, depending on the palettes and light surrounding it.“Spiced Honey is a warm caramel with notes of amber, that perfectly reflects our new sense of optimism and resilience for 2019,” says Marianne Shillingford, Dulux’s UK creative director.“While 2018 was seen as unsettled and unpredictable and saw us retreating and hiding behind our sofas, next year is one where we’re ready to ‘let in the light’,” she adds.Here, Shillingford shares her guide to using the colour to create successful settings…What is Spiced Honey?“Spiced Honey has a raw, natural … [Read more...] about Spiced Honey is the Dulux Colour of the Year for 2019 – here’s how to use it

With designs that wouldn’t look out of place in your favourite period drama, you could be forgiven for thinking that Laura Ashley has been around for centuries.In fact, the clothing and home furnishings brand celebrates its 65th birthday this year – not old enough to have been worn by the ladies of the 19th century, but enough time to establish itself as a world-recognised icon.The brand has humble beginnings: Laura Ashley, after whom the company is named, was from the Welsh village of Dowlais. It was in 1953, after seeing a Women’s Institute display of traditional handicrafts, that Ashley and her husband Bernard began printing their own fabrics from their kitchen table in London.They went on to design pinafores, wallpaper, upholstery and more, all bearing their trademark traditional charm. Today, you can even visit a Laura Ashley hotel or tearoom. “It is a heritage brand and has a nostalgia about it that reminds people of happy times – their childhood, … [Read more...] about Celebrating 65 years of Laura Ashley: 10 classic items that made us fall in love with the brand

Temperatures are dropping and the days are getting shorter – after a long summer, it seems like autumn is actually here now.Many of us are glad that it’s finally a little cooler, but after such a long time in the sun, we’ve forgotten how to dress appropriately for any other season. Now it’s back to business as usual and you can’t leave the house without a jumper and an umbrella, you need to somehow figure out what your autumn look is going to be.After solidly wearing dresses and shorts for the past few months, how are we going to switch back to autumnal dressing again? It’s almost too much for our brains to handle, which is why we all go through pretty much the same emotional stages when this time of year comes around…1. GleeIt’s finally autumn! Let’s face it, you only have three summer dresses which you’ve been solidly rotating over the past few months, so it’s high time you actually got to wear all the other things in … [Read more...] about The 6 emotional stages of dressing for autumn

Having already been on a bit of a journey with his health – shedding weight and overhauling his lifestyle – for Hairy Biker Dave Myers, finding out he had a sight-threatening eye condition was a shock.The 61-year-old, who met his TV cooking partner and Hair Biker other half Si King back in 1995, is one of the 700,000 people in the UK living with glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.Glaucoma often doesn’t cause any symptoms and develops slowly, so is most often picked up by routine eye checks. It’s usually caused by pressure from the fluid in the front of the eye becoming too high and damaging the optic nerve. While eye pressure can be managed with treatment (usually with drops although some people may need surgery), any damage to the optic nerve is irreversible.Here, Lancashire-born Myers – who’s gained millions of fans through his and King’s popular BBC cookery series and books – talks about his glaucoma diagnosis, … [Read more...] about Dave Myers talks about the ‘hangover’ that could have cost him his sight

This six-bedroomed country property is described as being attractive and well presented with charm and character, by agents Carter Jonas. It is close to Fewston and Swinsty Reservoirs within the Washburn Valley and includes living kitchen, family room, reception hall, sitting room, study, dining room, house bathroom and additional shower room and principal bedroom with en suite bathroom and five further double bedrooms and about an acre of grounds.Contact Carter Jonas on 01423 523423. … [Read more...] about High Bents Cottage, Fewston