Many will be eying the world for sun and sand this winter. If that’s you and you are ready for long-haul travel, check out these four villas for complete privacy while benefiting from the services and facilities of a luxury resort. From a clifftop villa in St Lucia to a golfer’s paradise in Barbados and […]

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A  few well-placed throws can work wonders for adding a stylish touch to our homes. Whether draped beautifully across a sofa or for dressing a freshly-made bed, a throw can add decoration, texture and – most importantly – provide some extra warmth when you need it the most. Plus, throws are an easy way to switch up your home decor as the seasons change.

Related: Browse our best sofas guide for inspiration if you are redecorating your living room

Similar to cushions, throws are one of the easiest ways to instantly breathe new life into existing decor. What gives throws the edge over cushions is the added value, they can be as practical as they are pretty. Feeling chilly sat binge-watching boxsets? Simply pull a throw over yourself to instantly feel the benefits – whatever the season. Not to mention a new throw is one of the most inexpensive and versatile ways to keep up-to-date with new trends for decorating homes. Simply swapping the soft furnishings, in any room, can welcome an instant new look.

With new season autumn and winter collections hitting the stores, we’re seeing a flourish of fabulous new throws to choose from. From autumnal on-trend colours to decorative patterned throws, we’ve picked some super-stylish and budget-friendly throw blankets to add personality to our homes. Shop them all below…

The best throw blankets for AW21

The post Shopping Edit – 14 best throw blankets for autumn 2021 appeared first on Ideal Home.

From making banana bread to whipping up homemade loaves, baking has been off-the-scale this year. And with The Great British Bake Off returning to our screens, it’s safe to say homemade treats will be trending once again.

As a nation we love both baking and bagging bargains! The lovely folk at Aldi have catered brilliantly for both passions, with the return of this year’s affordable baking SpecialBuys range.

Which includes the classic stand mixer, returning with the same £49.99 price tag. The dynamic baking accessory is joined by baking tins and plenty of helpful baking accessories. The Classic Stand Mixer is available from Sunday, 19th September online and in-store from the 23rd.

The show-stopper from the kitchen collection has the be this Classic Stand Mixer.

Perfect for mixing, kneading and stirring gorgeous, fluffy dough to perfection this is a kitchen accessory of every baker’s dreams. The pro tool features three different heads, including balloon whisk, beater and dough hook.

And it boasts eight speed levels and a pulse function, allowing budding bakers to tailor it to the desired consistency for the ultimate mixing experience.

Having a stand mixer takes all the hard work out of whipping up meringues, cake batters and frosting – doing the job in a fraction of the time.

The iconic ‘branded’ design we see in many celebrity kitchens is more than double the price – making this a great affordable buy. This chic design is available in Gunmetal, Frosted Pearl and, for the first time, Rose Pink – meaning there’s a shade to suit pretty much every kitchen decor.

Order online Sunday 19th September 2021: Classic Stand Mixer, £49.99, Aldi, or shop in store from September 23rd

Bread maker

Last summer you getting hold of a bread maker was next to impossible as the country when bread baking crazy. If you missed out on adding one to your kitchen, you are in luck as Aldi has added a breadmaker to its baking range offering.

Priced at a modest £49.99, the bread maker is £30 cheaper than the alternative best bread makers. It is equipped with pre-set menus, budding bakers can prepare everything from a variety of breads, chapattis or even pizza dough.

Buy online Sunday 14th September: Bread maker, £49.99, Aldi

Aldi baking range 2020

Last year the range included pretty pastel melamine mixing bowls our fingers are crossed these will be returning to an Aldi near us later this year.

Melamine mixing bowls

Image credit: Aldi

This Speciabuy offering is the icing on the cake, quite literally! The range comprises all manner of baking accessories to whip up any cake creation you desire.

We love the pretty pastel-coloured Melamine Mixing Bowl Set. A must-have for every kitchen the £12.99 set comprises four nested bowls. Available in sweet shades of duck egg or dusty pink.

Whipping up tasty homemade bakes has never been easier thanks to the new baking range.

Related: Decorating ideas to steal from the Great British Bake Off tent

Be quick because as with all Specialbuys, once they’re gone, they’re gone!

The post Attention star bakers! The Aldi stand mixer is back – just in time for Bake Off appeared first on Ideal Home.

This week, Changing Rooms took us to Fareham as Laurence LB, Russell and Jordan gave two tired and rooms a bright and bold makeover. The 2LG interior designers transformed a drab living room belonging to hi-fi loving Keith and partner Kath, with a modern take on cottagecore.

One striking design feature was the use of lime green colour-banding around the room. As living room paint ideas go, zingy green is very brave – so was it a stroke of genius or totally bonkers?

Before

Image credit: Channel 4/Dulux

This was one of the best transformations we’ve seen so far. Previously, the living room was having a bit of an identity crisis, with shiny wallpaper, lots of black furniture sucking up light, and a decorative skull.

Russell and Jordan’s vintage armchairs, tongue and groove wall and green-tiled fireplace are all ticking our boxes. And the citrus on the walls? It helps to ground the space, making the room feel more fun and cosy come evening, compared to plain white.

Ideal Home Digital Editor Tamara Kelly liked the concept, but wasn’t so sure about the choice of carpet. ‘I loved the idea of painting the lower half of the room to draw the eye down, in effect pushing the ceiling away to make the room feel bigger,’ says Tamara.

Image credit: Channel 4/Dulux

‘Including the door into the paint effect was genius, making it disappear into the wall. For me, the colour was too bright – not rich enough to ground the overall look.

‘But ultimately it was the flooring that let it down. The lime walls made the carpet look dirty and sludgy. It just didn’t deliver, when it had so much promise.’

Perhaps a rich navy might could have worked better, following on with the same colour on the wood panelling. Given that we tend to spend time in the living room in the evenings when the room is under electric light, darker paints can be a really cool feature.

Image credit: Channel 4/Dulux

News Editor Rebecca Knight points out that the colour-banding is a brilliant option for anyone decorating on a budget. ‘I like the painting on the bottom half of the wall idea, and how the drinks cart has been blended into it.

‘I mean, it’s a smart way to skimp on paint/wallpaper costs. However, the curtains have really torn me – I can’t quite decide if carrying the colour onto them is brilliant or a step too far,’ says Rebecca.

We can’t call it – love the idea, maybe just in a slightly softer hue.

The post Brilliant or bonkers? Lime green colour-banding from Changing Rooms appeared first on Ideal Home.