
Ideas to steal from the UK's poshest bungalow
Clever design can give a newbuild room character and gravitas
The morning room designed by Daniel Slowik is filled with character and considered design touches that belie the fact it was built in just five days. That's partly thanks to the exquisite antiques supplied via the Treasure House Fair, the marble fireplace from Jamb, and several imposing portraits, one of which sets the colour scheme for the room. The tobacco-coloured trellis wallpaper and blue cushion and upholstery fabric are both from Nuthall Temple (the brand launched last year by Slowic and his partner Benedict Foley), while ingenious and unexpected elements include the reproduction cornice (£30 for three metres from Simply Mouldings – no need to splurge on expensive cornices, says Foley), and the skirting boards, which are covered in a marble-effect wallpaper by Zoffany, colour-matched to the fireplace.
The kitchen island doesn't have to dominate
Those who hate a monolithic kitchen island but like the idea of the extra storage it provides, take note of the kitchen design by Ben Pentreath's Studio. Here, a central draper's table with slim drawers for cutlery and utensils at the top and a large open shelf for pots and baskets below functions as an elegant island without dominating the space, and the dresser, with open shelves on which plates and jugs are displayed against a sky-blue painted background, is another characterful touch. The tiny tiled pantry is a clever way to make use of an alcove, with plenty of storage for the things you might not want on display, and a high glazed panel to let natural light in.
A stripe and a floral will always go together
Emma Sims-Hilditch 's design for a modern boot room imagines the dream 'back of house' space for a family home. Shoe storage and dog-washing areas – the latter, possibly the fanciest we've seen, complete with a brass shower and delft tiles – are separated off by glazed panels that allow the light to flow through, and the botanical wallpaper and floral door curtain are combined with a smart pinstripe wallcovering and tongue-and-groove panelling, giving the room a decorative yet tailored, country-house-style look.
The ceiling doesn't have to be white
Many of the rooms in the showcase have interesting ceilings, covered in everything from mirror panels, decorative mouldings and wallpaper to swathes of fabric. In each case, the treatment brings an extra dimension to the space: this example, in the 'curator's room' by Brigitta Spinocchia Freund – created entirely with furniture and furnishings by female designers and makers – features a ceiling mural by fashion designer Roksanda, which adds a textural quality and chimes with the typographic sofa below – a collaboration between Spinocchia Freund and artist Louise Gray.
Every room needs a bar
Many of the rooms feature bar cabinets or drinks trays of some sort, reflecting the continued vogue for at-home cocktail making, but our favourite by far was in the media room designed by Alex Dauley. The room is a masterclass in invisible tech, with a perforated suede wallcovering on the walls and ceilings to disguise the built-in speakers – but the pièce de résistance is the painting, seen on the right of this picture, which slides seamlessly up via remote control to reveal a hidden drinks station.
Yellow is having a moment
There's much talk of the colour trend for ' butter yellow ', but how do you actually use it at home? Designer Peter Mikic plumped for a vintage Maison Royère armchair that looks particularly comfortable and cheerful in its sunny upholstery, and provides a tonal counterpoint to Mikic's off-white Marshmallow sofa. The room is also testament to what you can achieve with some tester pots: the large-scale artwork is a mural created by an artist using Benjamin Moore interior paints.
Old and new look good together
If one needed proof that a timeless look can be achieved by layering old and new pieces in the same space, the entrance hall by Victoria Davar and Cox London is a case in point. The room, which is lined with ornate period-style panelling and filled with a sculptural metal chandelier and a mix of antiques and vintage pieces, is also peppered with a few modern touches, notably the framed abstract artworks and the slim, brass Paolo Moschino portable floor lamp.
Pattern on pattern can be calming
Designer Alessandra Branca 's bedroom mixes several different patterns, from the fabrics covering the walls and the four-poster bed to the customised E Braun & Co bedlinen, yet the overall effect is calming rather than jarring, thanks to the soothing colour palette of coral pinks, soft browns and off-whites. The antique-gilt scallop wall lights by Collier Webb above the bed add to the subtly glamorous theme.
You can use fabrics in the bathroom
Many think of the conventional shower curtain with a shudder – but in the luxurious bathroom by 1508 London, a mohair fabric by Coral Stephens has been used to great effect to screen off a bathing nook. The room features a mix of different textures, including pretty green stone-glazed Ca'Pietra tiles on the floor around the bath, a clay wall finish by Clayworks, metallic lights and an upholstered bench, showing that a bathroom doesn't have to be white and sterile to be functional.
The metro tile is still chic – if you know how to use it
The designer Nicola Harding is renowned for mixing colour and pattern with flair, and her very chic powder room is a master class in that art. There are no less than seven different patterned fabrics – no mean feat for a small space – but what really catches the eye is her inspired use of tiles: glazed zellige metro tiles from Mosaic Factory in a jewel-like teal are laid in a basketweave formation on the floor, and vertically to act as a skirting; and also form the cornice, in a rich aubergine shade.
Quiet luxury is getting louder
Kelly Hoppen is seen by many as the queen of quiet luxury; so her living room, which combined a neutral palette with striking accents of black and lipstick red, provides an unexpected flash of colour. A black marble coffee table is combined with an upholstered ottoman embellished with a long, lustrous fringe – a touch of flamboyance matched by a black lacquered screen that wouldn't look out of place in Darth Vader's bedroom – and the framed black-and-white prints, arranged casually on a shelf rather than hung on the wall, added a note of informality. All refreshingly fun, and anything but quiet.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Liam and Noel Gallagher pay emotional tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at Oasis gig in Wembley as they dedicate Rock 'N' Roll Star to The Prince Of Darkness after his death
Liam and Noel Gallagher paid homage to the late Ozzy Osbourne at night one of Oasis gigs at London's Wembley Stadium on Friday. The music legend, nicknamed the Prince of Darkness, died on Tuesday at the age of 76 just weeks after he took to the stage for his final show with Black Sabbath, with his family confirming the devastating news. The Gallagher brothers respectfully honoured the legendary rock star by singing Rock 'N' Roll Star in front of a huge image of Ozzy. In videos shared across social media of the tribute, Liam said: 'Liam said: 'I want to dedicate this next one to Ozzy Osbourne, Rock 'N' Roll Star'. MailOnline revealed that an air ambulance was called to Ozzy's grand country home as paramedics battled to save his life for two hours. Friends told the Mail's Alison Boshoff that his heartbroken wife Sharon may now bury Ozzy in the gardens of the 350-acre estate in an intimate family funeral, as she is 'too frail' to go through a larger, public service, leaving friends 'terrified' for her. A slew of famous faces descended upon the city to watch Noel and Liam make their iconic return to London to play their first gig in over 16 years. After a run of homecoming gigs in Manchester's Heaton Park, the Gallagher brothers took to the stage at London's Wembley Stadium. Comedian Rob Beckett and David Walliams were among the star-sudded arrivals eagerly waiting to get into the stadium. Rob got in the spirit wearing his Oasis merch, while Goldie and his wife Mika Price wore their casual outfits. Jeremy Kyle and his wife Vicky Burton were also in attendance as they enjoyed a romantic date night at the concert. Fans pitched up at the venue 12 hours before the start having paid at least £151 per ticket - but some have paid £564 or more for the best seats. The band announced their highly anticipated reunion tour in August last year, after Noel quit in 2009 after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. They returned to perform at Wembley for the first time since July 12, 2009, when they performed during their Dig Out Your Soul tour. After a run of homecoming gigs in Manchester's Heaton Park, the rock and roll stars, fronted by the Gallagher brothers, took to the stage at London's Wembley Stadium With five nights scheduled, the group posted door and stage timings on their Instagram account with an hour-by-hour breakdown of the evening, starting with the gates opening at 5pm. The night kicked off from 6pm with the rock band Cast, followed by singer Richard Ashcroft at 7pm. Oasis then took to the stage for a two-hour set at 8.15pm. The group kicked off their Oasis Live '25 world tour on July 4 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, receiving five star reviews from critics at The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times. The group has also dominated the UK album charts, with three top five albums, according to the Official Charts Company. While fans were excited at the reunion, some were outraged after some standard tickets in the UK and Ireland jumped from £148 to £355. The controversy prompted the Government and the UK's competition watchdog to pledge to look at the use of dynamic pricing. After their final London gig on August 3, the group will move north to Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium before performing at Dublin's Croke Park. Comedian Rob Beckett (L) and David Walliams (R) were among the star-sudded arrivals eagerly waiting to get into the stadium Jeremy Kyle and his wife Vicky Burton were also in attendance as they enjoyed a romantic date night at the concert Oasis fans wearing Liam and Noel Gallagher masks pose for a photo outside the stadium, ahead of the first night of the Oasis Live '25 tour opening at Wembley Stadium in London The band will then head to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America. Formed in Manchester in 1991, the band was led by lead guitarist Noel and lead vocalist Liam during their 18 years together. Oasis signed to independent record label Creation Records in 1993, rising to fame with the release of their debut chart-topping album Definitely Maybe on August 29 1994. They had hits with songs including Don't Look Back In Anger, Champagne Supernova, Wonderwall and Live Forever. Dig Out Your Soul, the band's last studio album, was released in 2008, just months before the Paris row.


The Sun
6 minutes ago
- The Sun
Sweet lovers race to Poundland for new Haribo packets scanning for just £1
FANS of treats are rushing to Poundland to buy new Haribo packets that are on sale for just £1. Sweet-toothed shoppers are scrambling to taste the unusual flavour at the discount retailer. 1 The news about Haribo Fruit Rotella's launch at Poundland was shared on the Facebook page Food Finds UK - and got a lot of attention. Posting the picture of the new treat, one fan wrote: "Haribo Fruit Rotella!! Spotted in Poundland for £1.00!" The announcement sent fans wild, and fans are now rushing to grab their own packs. It comes just days after more new flavours of Haribo sweets hit the shelves in Lidl - and shoppers are loving them. At only £1.39, the packs feature flavours inspired by the wizarding world of harry Potter - including Butterbeer, green apple from the Forbidden Forest and Dumbledore's favourite lemon drops. The themed sweets come shaped like characters, creatures and symbols from the movie series. price of its iconic share bags to just 29p. Some of the bags spotted include fan-favourites like Giant Strawberries and Supermix – both popular choices among sweet-toothed Brits. Some shoppers are even turning to social media to show off their haul, with one uploading a photo of their trolley packed full of sweets, captioned: 'Don't judge me.' The sweet offer follows more good news for Haribo lovers. The brand recently launched a brand new Berry Clouds flavour, made up of triple-layer foam gummi sweets in fun, cloud-like shapes and flavours like blueberry, wildberry and strawberry. Meanwhile, Haribo has also just opened its first stand-alone store in Scotland. The shop, located in Glasgow's Silverburn Shopping Centre, is the brand's 12th in the UK and offers more than 30 sweet varieties from both HARIBO and MAOAM. Visitors can build their own mix from a giant Pick Your Mix station, buy exclusive global flavours, and even snap selfies with fun photo ops inside the colourful shop. Rebecca Fox, Head of Retail at Haribo UK, said: 'We're so excited to be opening our first HARIBO retail store in Scotland.' With bargain share bags, new flavours, themed sweets, and a shiny new shop, it's a good time to be a Haribo fan.


BBC News
6 minutes ago
- BBC News
Gregg Wallace: Ex-MasterChef host 'sorry' but says he's 'not a groper'
Former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has said he is "so sorry" to anyone he hurt, but insisted that he is "not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher".In a new interview with The Sun, the TV presenter also defended his sacked co-host John Torode, saying he is "not a racist".Wallace was sacked earlier this month after a report upheld 45 allegations about his behaviour on the programme, including one of unwelcome physical contact and three of being in a state of was also axed after a claim against him using "an extremely offensive racist term" was upheld. He has said he has "no recollection" of the incident. The inquiry, conducted by an independent law firm, was ordered by MasterChef's production company Banijay in the wake of a BBC News investigation last year, which first revealed claims of misconduct against then, more than 50 people have come forward to BBC News with claims against include allegations he groped one MasterChef worker at a wrap party and pulled his trousers down in front of another. Gregg Wallace sacked as 50 more people make claims Wallace faces backlash over autism defence MasterChef crisis: Wallace and Torode were 'never friends' Wallace 'sorry' after 45 claims against him upheld The majority of substantiated claims against Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, but also culturally insensitive or racist his first interview since being sacked, the presenter acknowledged that he had said things that "offended people, that weren't socially acceptable and perhaps they felt too intimidated or nervous to say anything at the time."I understand that now - and to anyone I have hurt, I am so sorry."He indicated his background was to blame for those comments, as a former greengrocer from Peckham working in an environment that was "jovial and crude".But he added: "I'm not a groper. People think I've been taking my trousers down and exposing myself - I am not a flasher."People think I'm a sex pest. I am not."Wallace said that one of the upheld claims against him related to a widely reported incident in which he had allegedly walked around MasterChef's set naked with a sock on his that incident, he said that there were no contestants on set, and just four of his friends from the show outside his dressing room door."I was getting changed to go to a black tie event, a charity event. I put my bow tie on and my shirt. It's only them outside the door. I put the sock on, opened the door, went, 'Wahey!' and shut the door again."The people interviewed were either amused or bemused. Nobody was distressed," he claimed. Autism defence Ahead of the report's publication earlier this month, Wallace posted a now-deleted statement on Instagram in which he appeared to link the misconduct allegations he was facing to his recent autism led to a backlash from charities and groups working with disabled people. One charity told BBC News that autism is "not a free pass for bad behaviour", while other groups warned that such remarks risked stigmatising the autistic his interview on Friday night, Wallace spoke again about his diagnosis, saying: "I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability."He also repeated a claim that he "never [wears] pants", saying: "It's not sexualised. It's hypersensitivity - that happens with autism." Last week, Wallace's co-host Torode was sacked after an allegation of using a severely offensive racist term was News has since revealed that the alleged incident took place on the set of MasterChef in has said any racist language is "wholly unacceptable".Addressing the claim against his co-host, Wallace said: "I've known John for 30 years and he is not a racist."And as evidence of that, I'll show you the incredible diversity of the people that he has championed, MasterChef winners, over the years. There is no way that man is a racist. No way. And my sympathies go out to John because I don't want anybody to go through what I've been through."But he added that he had unfollowed Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner on social media, saying: "We never really did get on that well."We're two very, very different characters."Earlier this week, the BBC announced that a new series of MasterChef, which was recorded before Wallace and Torode were sacked, will still be broadcast as planned, on BBC One and of the women who came forward with claims against Wallace have said they did not think the new series should be former MasterChef worker, who claims he groped her, told BBC News the decision to go ahead showed "a blatant disregard for the people who have come forward".The BBC said it had taken the decision "after careful consideration and consultation with the contestants".It added it has not yet taken a decision on what to do with the completed celebrity series and Christmas special.