Rise of the haute beach hut — plus more trends to know
Right now the interiors set is going mad for the souped-up beach hut. For those in the know, it's all about location, location, location — and the smartest areas to buy are Mudeford, Dorset (the Mayfair of beach hut postcodes, where they go for £465,000), Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk and Southwold in Suffolk. But how to decorate once you've got hold of one? Traditionalists will go for New England coastal chic, with timber cladding in sunshine hues, like the Happy Huts' Beach Hut 113, Wells-next-the-Sea.
For a more contemporary take, see Amy Bannerman, eBay's head of preloved, who recently transformed her own Hastings hut. Working with Louisa Tratalos, of the fabric company Colours of Arley, she used stripy fabrics and offcuts to give the space a refresh, complete with a curtain for wetsuit changes, bright cushions and a kitchen skirt that's more boho than cringe. Order bespoke fabric from coloursofarley.com. Choose your colour combos (fabrics from £85) and the company will sort the striping and sizing. Or go for the surf shack/Scandi vibe, as seen in Jo Lowery's Cool Coastal Huts in Essex. Its matching fringed parasols and deckchairs have been dubbed 'an Instagrammer's dream' because — be honest — you'll definitely be showing off on social media while you're there.
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Latitude review — a sophisticated, sedate shindig
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Dressed in a summery powder blue frock, Kate glowed as she and William revealed their first child, George Alexander Louis, to the world. George, who currently attends Lambrook School in Berkshire, will move to secondary education when he reaches the age of 13 - although it has not yet been confirmed which institution his parents have chosen to send him to. Among the schools reportedly being considered were his father's alma mater; Eton College, and his mother's; Marlborough College. While nothing is confirmed yet, the Mail on Sunday reported last month that £63,000-a-year Eton was the frontrunner for Kate and William. A source told the paper: 'All roads lead to Eton.'
