Martin and Shirlie Kemp took to Instagram to reveal their latest growing endeavour – grapevines. And while this may sound like a more unusual choice of fruit to grow in the UK, with the right amount of care, it is entirely possible to grow your own bunches.

While grapes may seem like an odd choice considering the UK climate, they’re actually one of the best fruits to grow in pots and one of the best plants to grow up a pergola. Plus, with the UK’s climate predicted to get warmer due to climate change, gardeners may start to find growing and harvesting grapes easier and more plentiful.

The Kemps planted their new vines against a trellis structure this week. So, I asked a garden expert how it would fare, and whether we could do the same at home.

Martin and Shirlie Kemp frequently share glimpses of their gorgeous garden on their home’s Instagram account @maisonnumber9. On 15 September, the couple posted their latest endeavour, growing grapes, stating: ‘I know it’s a bit late to plant grapes, but they’re for next year.’

‘It’s absolutely fine to plant grapes at this time of year, as the soil is still warm and isn’t yet waterlogged. If we have a relatively dry winter, you can successfully plant throughout the season, but planting now gives the vines a good opportunity to establish themselves, and they should have a good chance of success,’ says Amber Tunney, Plant Buyer at Cherry Lane Garden Centres.

Amber also points to the trellis they’re growing the grapes on, stating that it will make a lovely garden display once established. However, she does warn that grapes can quickly become heavy, which may topple a delicate trellis.

‘A trellis is a lovely way to start the vines off and can create a really attractive feature. However, grapevines can fill out quite quickly, so over time they may find the structure becomes too small to support the fruit and weight of the vine,’ she says.

‘During the summer, some foliage will also need to be removed to allow enough sunlight to reach the grapes and help them ripen. This can be easier to manage when vines are grown against a wire or wall, or over a larger trellis structure such as a gazebo.’

Can you grow grapes in the UK’s climate?

In the video, Shirlie can be heard stating that they were planting the grapes in a south-facing area of the garden that gets plenty of sunlight. ‘It gets so hot,’ she says. And this is ideal as grapes prefer a south- or west-facing warm spot in your garden. They also need fertile, free-draining soil and plenty of space to grow and climb.

Plus, with meteorologists predicting the UK will see hotter summers, gardeners may find it easier to grow grapes with warmer temperatures predicted to be the new normal.

‘Hotter summers can make it easier for grapes to ripen successfully in the UK. However, a sheltered position is still important, as extremely hot conditions can also put the plants under stress,’ says Amber

‘Provided winters don’t become significantly harsher, hardier grape varieties should continue to cope well with UK winters. Choosing the right variety and planting it in a sheltered spot will give the vine the best chance of thriving.’

Top tips for growing grapes

If you want to add growing grapes to your list of September garden jobs, you’re in luck as Amber has some top tips for growing this delicious fruit – whether you want a snack for your fruit bowl or have your own vino on your mind.

‘When choosing a vine, look for a strong, healthy plant and make sure you select a variety suited to what you want to grow, as there are different varieties for wine-making and eating,’ says Amber.

‘Varieties such as Phoenix, Boskoop Glory and Lakemont are good choices, as they have a strong tolerance to colder winters, good disease resistance and can produce good crops.

It’s also important to be patient, as grapevines can take a few years to establish and produce a good crop. In the first year, remove all fruit so the plant can focus its energy on establishing itself and ideally, do the same in the second year. By the third year, it is best to remove a few bunches as they begin to grow so the plant can focus its energy on producing a smaller quantity of good-quality, tasty fruit.’

Where to buy grapes

• Grape ‘Phoenix’, £54.99, Thompson & Morgan
• Grape ‘Boskoop Glory’, £24.99, Dobies
• Grape ‘Chardonnay’, £24.99, Crocus

Growing grapes may sound a little difficult or even too exotic to achieve in the UK -but that’s not the case! And as Martin and Shirlie prove, you still have time this month to get started.

As Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor, I’ve seen a lot of sofa beds in my time. However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one *quite* so pretty as Dunelm’s recently launched candy-stripe sofa bed.

In my opinion, this sofa bed has far more wow-factor than many sofa beds which are twice its price, and it seems that Dunelm shoppers feel the same way – some are even ordering two!

What’s more, there’s a whole range of matching accessories that elevate the look even further.

Whether you opt for the wide-striped coral pink colourway, the stylish sage green, or the graphic black and white striped option, the Dunelm Beatrice II Sofa Bed is dressed to impress. However, this sofa bed isn’t just a standout amongst the best sofa beds on the market because of its looks.

This is a pull-out sofa bed, which, considering its (relatively) affordable £799 price tag, is pretty unusual. Most sofa beds of this price range are click-clack options, where the backrest folds flat in line with the sofa seating to become the sleep surface.

There’s nothing wrong with a click-clack sofa bed – some of the best sofa beds I’ve tested have been of this design – but it does mean your guests can end up sleeping *on* your sofa’s upholstery. And when a sofa is as pretty as this one, that may not be ideal.

Instead, the Beatrice II offers a dedicated pull-out mattress folded underneath its seat cushions. It can seat three people at a time, and once transformed into a bed, it becomes a double sleeping area.

Little wonder then that Dunelm shoppers are already raving about this collection. ‘Absolutely love it,’ says one 5-star reviewer of the 3-seater sofa bed on the Dunelm website. ‘I ordered two for my living room… great hardwearing material for kids around, fantastic bed, easy to assemble, lovely colour and pattern. Couldn’t ask for more!!’.

‘Really easy to pull out, and I absolutely love the colour,’ says another owner, ‘it’s genuinely true to the photos.’

And if you don’t need that much seating or sleeping space? The smaller Beatrice II Snuggle Single Sofa Bed packs just as much style into a loveseat snuggle seat.

For those of us with small living rooms, or small guest bedrooms, like me, this space-saving snuggle chair bed is ideal.

‘I am so happy with this,’ shares one Dunelm reviewer, ‘its compact size is perfect for our spare room. The chair is quite firm but large and comfy to snuggle up in with a book. I’m very happy with the quality and think it is great value for money. The bed folds out quite easily and feels comfortable.’

‘A great chair, says another 5-star reviewer. ‘We have it in our daughter’s bedroom, and it’s lovely to read stories on and means one of us can sleep in there while we’re accustomising her to her own room.’

However, for me, the icing on the cake is all the matching accessories you can add to really style up the Beatrice Striped Sofa Bed.

There is matching bed linen, scatter cushions, and all sorts of other coordinating products to inspire your guest bedroom ideas. I’ve rounded up a few of my favourites below.

Sophie Habboo has unveiled her and her husband Jamie Lang’s bathroom on Instagram, and if you wanted a masterclass on how to make a bathroom both trendy and timeless, you’ve landed in the right place.

Expressive designs with rich colour palettes have defined the year’s bathroom tile trends, and TV personalities and podcasters Sophie and Jamie are proving that you can embrace modern trends, whilst retaining a timeless look that will stay relevant for years to come.

If you’re looking for bathroom tile ideas to inspire you, Sophie and Jamie’s mix of rich reds, marble and checkerboard work in complete harmony to create a timeless, luxury bathroom – and experts have revealed how you can do it, too.

Looking at the bathroom, one word comes to mind: glamorous. With rich red tones, marble and gold finishes, the space has a gorgeous yet dramatic look – there’s something very ‘Hollywood’ about the space, which I love.

‘It feels very good now, but none of the ingredients are flash-in-the-pan choices. Checkerboard, marble and brass have all been used in interiors for generations, so the freshness really comes from how they’ve been put together,’ comments Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca’ Pietra.

‘The deep wine-toned checkerboard feels much more interesting than a predictable black and white, while the marble brings movement and just enough drama without tipping into ‘look at my marble bathroom’. That balance is what makes the whole thing work. It feels glamorous, but it still has personality, and that is usually what gives a room real staying power.’

And Sophie and Jamie’s bathroom is reflecting a growing bathroom trend – that we want our spaces to look and feel luxurious.

‘Freestanding baths, brushed and unlacquered brass brassware, panelled walls, and marble-effect surfaces are all growing categories for us. Part of it is the influence of boutique hotels and the number of people who now travel and want to bring that feeling home,’ says James Roberts, Director at Sanctuary Bathrooms.

‘Part of it is that the bathroom has become a place to slow down rather than just a functional room, so people are willing to invest in it. And crucially, the look has become far more achievable. Marble-effect porcelain, high-quality acrylic and stone-resin baths, and a much wider range of brass finishes mean the luxe look no longer needs a luxe budget.’

Zoning a bathroom with tiles

You’ll probably have noticed from Sophie’s photo that a mismatch of patterned tiles has been used throughout. And no, this isn’t a quirky design choice; it’s actually an excellent way to zone a bathroom.

‘Different tiles can do different jobs within the same room. Here, the checkerboard gives the floor rhythm and swagger, while the marble in the shower feels softer and more fluid, so you get contrast without the two fighting for attention,’ says Grazzie.

‘It’s also a really clever way to zone a bathroom without physically dividing it. You can give the shower, floor or vanity area its own identity and still make the whole room feel connected. The trick is to find a thread between the two choices, whether that’s colour, undertone, material or finish, so it feels layered rather than random.

‘I always think a bathroom is more interesting when it reveals itself gradually. You want a little surprise as you move through the room rather than everything announcing itself at once.’

Grazzie also goes on to say that the checkerboard and marble designs not only complement each other, but help modernise the look.

‘I think they rescue each other slightly. Marble can get a bit grand if you let it, and checkerboard can go full period-drama if you’re not careful. Put them together and suddenly both feel cooler,’ she says.

‘The marble brings all that lovely, loose natural movement, while the checkerboard gives you something much more graphic and ordered underfoot. It’s the contrast between the two that makes the combination feel fresh. The marble stops the checkerboard feeling costume-y, and the checkerboard stops the marble feeling like a hotel lobby.’

How to get the look

‘Start with the floor. A large-format checkerboard floor is the foundation of this room and immediately gives it that classic, high-end feel. Marble-effect porcelain tiles can create a very similar look to natural stone, but with easier maintenance and usually at a lower cost,’ says James.

‘Choose one hero marble and repeat it throughout the space. Look for a veined marble or marble-effect tile with a strong colour running through it, then use it in two or three places – for example, around the shower, on the vanity top, and on a shelf or bath surround. Repeating the same finish helps the room feel considered and cohesive rather than overly busy.’

Grazzie agrees, stating that for this bathroom idea, you need to ensure you take scale into account, too.

‘Scale matters too. A bold floor pattern can take a larger-format or quieter wall tile without the room feeling busy, and then you can soften all those hard surfaces with timber, warm metals, painted furniture or textiles,’ she says.

‘And know when to stop. If the floor is dancing, the walls don’t need to start doing jazz hands too.’

Shop the look

Sophie and Jamie’s luxury bathroom has gone straight onto my bathroom moodboard. It’s elegant, glamorous and will never go out of style.