Interiors: Inside the newly-opened London Flower School and why the capital is the home of floral artistry June 2, 2017 In King’s Cross, the newly-opened London Flower School is bustling with Chinese students indulging their passion for plants. Floral art is so big in Asia that up to 80 per cent of students at UK flower schools arrive from China, Korea and Japan. Why do they come so far? Because London is the world leader [...]
Focus On Clapham: Commons, good schools and cosy gastropubs means families stay put in SW4 June 2, 2017 Clapham is not a straightforward neighbourhood. Unlike Dalston, it isn’t synonymous with hipsters; it isn’t known for its international wealth like Knightsbridge; and it isn’t the naturalised home of the English gent like Hampstead. It’s best described as a south London suburb that has welcomed wave upon wave of migration from other boroughs. The Georgian [...]
The UK’s buy-to-let hotspots: Liverpool and Nottingham named best areas for buy-to-let investments while Southwark and Newham among top 20 May 31, 2017 London areas including Southwark, Newham and Tower Hamlets are among the top 20 buy-to-let hotspots in the UK, according to a study by mortgage brokers Private Finance. However, the capital lagged behind Liverpool, Nottingham and Coventry which were named the three best cities for buy-to-let investments. Liverpool offers rental yields of eight per cent once [...]
Going off grid: How I spent a week living in an ‘apocalypse dome’ May 30, 2017 The more we learn about the effects of social media on the human psyche, the worse it seems to get. The planet is hooked on dopamine squirts triggered by clever algorithms developed by the world’s finest minds, for the sole purpose of keeping us scrolling. And scrolling, and scrolling. We’re connected to thousands of other humans from the second we wake to the [...]
Interiors: Weather-proof furniture ideas to decorate terraces, patios and balconies for the British summertime May 22, 2017 This year, the outdoor room comes of age. Not just a Big Green Egg and some deckchairs, but a full-blown lounge, as if we lived in Palm Springs. Just as we now love to bring the outside in we are discovering that a raft of technical innovations mean we can bring the inside out. The [...]
UK house prices: The average price of a UK flat has risen by nearly £85,000 since 2009 May 21, 2017 Flat prices in the UK have soared over 50 per cent or nearly £85,000 since 2009, according to data from Halifax. The study found that growth in flat prices has upstaged growth in prices for other property types (39 per cent) in the last seven years. The average price of a UK flat has increased [...]
It’s still cheaper to rent than buy a house in these UK cities May 18, 2017 So-called Generation Rent may complain bitterly about being forced to pay sky-high living costs, but a new study has found in many UK cities, it's actually cheaper to rent than it is to buy a home. The study, by Zoopla, found the average monthly rental cost in many of the UK's largest metropolitan hubs is [...]
How London’s most exciting new arts venues are being built by its most profitable housebuilders April 27, 2017 A famous Churchill anecdote recalls the time the former Prime Minister was asked to cut arts funding to aid the war effort. He refused, apparently, remarking, “Then what are we fighting for?” As with most apocryphal tales, there’s a larger truth at its heart. During times of austerity and uncertainty, grants for culture and entertainment [...]
Porsche Design makes the ultimate penthouse for a supercar collector April 27, 2017 Supercars aren’t just made to be driven, they’re made to be seen. To a collector, the curved bonnet, impeccable paintwork and fine leather interior of a $200,000 Porsche is a work of art just as worthy of admiration as a $5m David Hockney painting. The trouble is, cars don’t hang on walls, but Porsche Design [...]
This self-built house by design consultant Ian Silverstein is the coolest thing we’ve ever seen, and it’s yours for £1.75m April 27, 2017 As international design consultant Ian Silverstein works on his laptop in the library, he’s having to block out the sound of furniture being hastily rearranged downstairs. For him, the odd photoshoot request is part of the privilege of owning a uniquely attractive house in a historic part of the British countryside. It’s also a confirmation [...]