A clever extension that grabs your attention: Take inspiration from this innovative building project by David Kohn Architects April 25, 2016 Squint hard enough at this extension project in Islington and you can make out a playful fox motif built into the structure, with its sloping muzzle, three visible legs and beady porthole eye. The building replaced an original kitchen that was being used as a scullery, with the owners saying they wanted to use the [...]
Fancy living like royalty? Move into the wing of this Grade-I listed castle on the corner of Greenwich Park April 25, 2016 Everyone has a favourite London park, but when it comes to views, Greenwich is unrivalled. Rolling hills give way to the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, which eyes up the white-domed O2 Arena with its bright cranes like candles on a birthday cake. For 22 years, Dave and Barbara Edgar have invited friends and family to [...]
This exceptional house has come up for sale by The Solent with its own jetty and waterside cabin April 25, 2016 Calling all sailors to one of the most exceptional contemporary homes on the market, on one of the most sought after roads overlooking The Solent. River House is a remarkably modern home with lots of flexible space and promising outbuildings in the popular harbour village of Itchenor. And it’s only an hour and half away [...]
Forget the kitchen wine rack: Here’s how to display your burgeoning booze collection with pride April 25, 2016 French rock, said John Lennon, is like English wine. In other words, pretty bloody awful. But a lot has changed in the last couple of decades and even serious wine snobs are now grudgingly enjoying British-grown vino. Red wine, meanwhile, has overtaken beer as the nation’s favourite tipple to drink at home after a hard [...]
We flew to Sweden to test out the Rolex of beds, which promises nights of unbridled pleasure April 25, 2016 Sorry to break it to you, but Brits just aren’t that great in bed. According to the National Sleep Survey more than half of the UK population has trouble nodding off and four in five complain of disturbed sleep. The accumulated impact of dodgy sleep on our waking hours is a real issue, affecting everything [...]
UK house prices: Hundreds of thousands of homeowners who bought in 2007 are still stuck in negative equity April 25, 2016 Average house prices in more than half of UK towns and cities are still below 2007 levels, new research has claimed, trapping hundreds of thousands of people who bought at the top of the market in negative equity. Around 1.5 million property transactions were completed at the top of the market before the banking collapse [...]
As the world prepares for the Chelsea Flower Show, we meet up with the young superstars of landscape architecture April 25, 2016 Harry and David Rich, 28 and 25 Although not involved with the London shows this year, Welsh brothers Harry and David Rich already have a clutch of medals from three successive years at Chelsea. Having grown up with a love of gardening, it’s no surprise the siblings both decided to go into landscape design. Their [...]
Living on a houseboat: A cheap housing alternative to expensive rents and high London property prices April 25, 2016 I live on a houseboat. When I tell people this, people want to know everything: how I breathe, eat, sleep and – worryingly often – how I go to the loo. It’s all up for discussion. When you live on a barge, there’s a danger of your home becoming the most interesting thing about you. [...]
Get acquainted with the world’s sexiest homes: 100 Contemporary Houses invites you to explore innovative architectural designs April 25, 2016 "The house is intimately related to the idea of shelter,” says Swiss architect Mario Botta. “A cave carved out of the rock is like a mother’s womb. When I am tired of the world, I want to go home. There I can regain my energy to prepare for the next day’s battle.” Our lives are [...]
The uniquely spectacular Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg: “An outstanding project the likes of which will never happen again in the city” April 25, 2016 It’s hard to describe the appeal of Hamburg. It isn’t as picturesque as Munich, nor as cool as Berlin. Instead it’s quietly confident, relaxed, comfortable with its role as Germany’s second largest city, a hub for commerce and industry. One of Europe’s most important ports, Hamburg is located on the River Elbe and the city [...]