Ready to get into the festive spirit? You could get your hands on a free pair of weekday tickets to The Ideal Home Show Christmas.

From the 24th to 28th November the Ideal Home Show Christmas is back at Olympia London and brings you everything you need to prepare your home for the festive season. You’ll walk your way through the magic of Christmas, discovering a range of imaginative and awe-inspiring Christmas ideas to get your home ready for the festive season.

Image credit: Ideal Home Show

At the show you can shop hundreds of brands across four Christmas themed show sections: Gifts, Pet, Home and Decorations. Get ready to pick up stockings full of seasonal ideas on everything from decorations to hand‐crafted gifts, Christmas puddings and festive fizz, to furniture and New Year Home Improvements.

The Ideal Home Show Christmas isn’t just for shopping. There will be live entertainment, celebrity chef’s, expert demos and thousands of gift, home and food ideas to set you up for the festive period.

Image credit: Ideal Home Show

The festive roomsets will also offer plenty of inspiration for Christmas living room decorating ideas. Whether you love a traditional festive scheme that includes berry reds and gorgeous greens or prefer something a little more contemporary such as cool white with lots of faux fur and sheepskin throws.

From dazzling red, gold and green decorations to modern snow-white ornaments, you’ll find a host of fun, festive ornaments and trinkets to decorate your home with this Christmas.

Image credit: Ideal Home Show

Classes will also be on offer at the Christmas Theatre sessions, to brush up on your decor skills. From sprucing up the front door with a fresh wreath, a masterclass on how to create your own Christmas decorations.

The free ticket offer is only available until the 7th of November and must be redeemed in pairs.

Offer details

Get your hands on the free pair of weekday tickets when you quote IHSXIHFREE or go to the Ideal Home Show Christmas website.

You can also snap up a £10 discount on weekend tickets when you quote – IHSXIHTIX or visit this link.

*Offer ends 7/11/2021. FOC tickets must be redeemed in pairs. WEEKDAYS only. Standard on the door price £20 weekday/£22 weekend. Concessions are not included. Kids aged 0-15 years old go free on weekdays when accompanied by a paying adult (maximum 2 kids per adult). Kids 7-15 years old pay on weekends (standard rate £9.50) Kids aged 6 and under go free on weekends when accompanied by a paying adult (maximum 2 kids per adult). Tickets will be on a first-come-first-serve basis and will be print at home or show on phone tickets only. A maximum of 2 free adult tickets per household. Entry valid for the Show and Day requested between 24th November and 26th November 2021. Tickets will be sent via email between 1-5 days after application. Tickets are non-transferable, non-assignable and there are no cash alternatives. All tickets will be scanned upon entry. Multiple applications will be refused entry onsite.

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Red wine and rugs is a recipe for disaster, or so we thought until we discovered Ruggable a machine washable rug.

Already a hit in the US, the brand has recently launched in the UK, offering the best rugs for households that are prone to a little bit of mess. Whether you have messy pets and children or are concerned about spills, this rug promises to be the ideal stylish solution.

Not only does the Ruggable rug promise to be stain-resistant, but if you do make a mess it can simply be thrown in the washing machine to get it looking good as new.

Image credit: Ruggable

The rug designed by entrepreneur Jeneva Bell uses a unique two-piece washable rug system. The rug comes in two parts: a non-slip rug pad, and a patterned rug cover. It is the top part that looks like a traditional rug, and can be easily taken up and popped in the washing machine when it gets dirty.

‘Years ago, I invested in a large area rug and within days my puppy Bambi had marked her territory! After sharing my frustration with family and friends, I realized we all had the same issue of keeping our rugs fresh and clean – some had even resorted to bare floors,’ explains Jeneva. ‘With a Ruggable Rug, you don’t have to go without the comfort & style a rug brings to a space.’

Image credit: Ruggable

‘Imagine how great it would be for everyone to be able to wash all of their rugs, including larger area rugs, in a home washer and dryer at their own convenience.’

We must admit when we first heard about the new brand we were a little sceptical about its claims. A rug that could stand up to red wine and coffee spills seemed too good to be true.

Rugs have increasingly become a popular kitchen flooring idea, so one that could stand up to stains was music to our ears. So we decided to put it to the test.

Opting for the white Nalia rug to truly test the claims, we put the rug through its paces. The rug was treated to a splash of red wine, smattering of coffee granules and the general fall out of being situated next to the cooker and dishwasher.

After a few days in the kitchen, it was time to pop the rug in the washing machine on a cold wash as instructed. When lifted up the rug cover is very similar to a blanket so fit easily into the washing machine. It also meant when it came out it dried really quickly on a drying rack.

Image credit: Ruggable

But what was truly amazing was how it dried without a single crease, once the rug was placed back on the non-slip backing it looked as good as new. Safe to say we’ve convinced.

The rugs start at £89 for a small rug and go up to £349 for a 245cm round rug. Whether you are looking for a runner rug in the hallway or a square rug to add to your living room ideas, Ruggable has a huge range. There is even a range designed by famed designer Jonathan Adler.

Recently, the brand has also introduced plush rugs, so you can indulge in the Berber rug trend without tiptoeing around it in socks.

Drink your wine in peace without any spill panics again.

The post The stylish washable rug you will want to try spilling red wine on appeared first on Ideal Home.

This new-to-the-market charming Edwardian house is bursting with smart design features, from clever storage solutions to bold kitchen ideas.

The four-bedroom Minster Road is set in East Oxford and features a tasteful interior that we can’t wait to show you. It is complete with characterful fireplaces, panelled doors and stripped floors throughout – not to mention a beautiful garden that we’d happily spend our days tending to.

Want to take a peek?

Minster Road exterior

Image credit: Knight Frank

Meet Minster Road, with its beautiful bay window and traditional brick exterior. A link-detached property, it’s arranged over three floors and we think it would make a great family home.

In fact, whether you’re a lover of period charm or prefer modern living, this place has the perfect mix.

Living room

Image credit: Knight Frank

Step inside and you’ll find the tranquil neutral living room, where cornicing, high ceilings and an elegant fireplace add a grand feel to the space. That large gold mirror and globe chandelier ramp up the luxe factor, while sofas with scrolled arms and brass-coloured castors add a nod to the period of the house.

Kitchen

Image credit: Knight Frank

What’s not to love about this kitchen? From the panelled cabinetry and large, open layout to the Scandi-style dining table and painted floorboards, this room gives us all the feels.

Everything’s been thought of here, from the kitchen lighting ideas to plentiful kitchen storage ideas, including a place for wine and a magnetic strip for kitchen knives. In the summer, throw open the door to the garden and enjoy your outlook and some fresh air while you cook.

Bedroom

Image credit: Knight Frank

Upstairs you’ll find four bedrooms set over a further two floors, but we wanted to show you this one in particular. Why? Well, it’s often thought that overhead storage is a dated concept, but when it’s done well,  it can create a place for books or display items and utilise otherwise unused space.

Garden

Image credit: Knight Frank

Head outside to the traditional garden, which has been professionally landscaped and is an impressive space for entertaining and improving your green-fingered hobby. We’d happily sit out on the patio and admire the view, with its small designated formal areas and climbing plant ideas.

Minster Road is up for sale with Knight Frank for £895,000.

The post This Edwardian home in Oxfordshire is filled with smart design features appeared first on Ideal Home.

The minute this house-hunter stepped through the door of her new rental property, it was love at first sight. The numerous period features really appealed; the wooden floors, the hallway tiles, the big bathroom with roll top bath and the chrome fireplace, and though the kitchen was small, the rest of the house was spacious rooms so it was a real find.

‘In general I don’t think it’s so easy to find a rental property of this quality. You normally have to be willing to compromise,’ she says, ‘So I was fortunate, as these houses usually come up to buy rather than rent.’

This dream rental home offers a neutral look for timeless appeal.

Living Room

Photography: Katie Jane Watson/Future PLC

The landlord got the carpets cleaned in advance, and although the decor was in fairly good condition, the walls needed a spruce up, and he agreed that our renter could decorate straight away – leading to the grey living room idea.

‘I started with the living room and decided to paint the walls grey, though this shade is slightly cooler that I expected, but I couldn’t go and look at any colours as the shops were closed, so I just had to look online and hope for the best.’

The white paintwork had turned a yellowy colour and was chipped, but she had some leftover masonry paint from works outside, which she used in the living room to refresh the woodwork. ‘I thought, if it’s good enough for outside it must be hard wearing enough for indoors, and I like the modern look of the matt finish.’

Kitchen

Photography Katie Jane Watson/Future PLC

One of the non-negotiables when looking for her rental was that the kitchen and bathroom were a blank canvas. So no green baths or brightly coloured mosaic tiles, as wall colours can be changed but kitchen cabinets or fixed furniture can’t be.

Luckily the kitchen was a simple, all-white design, which could be simply refreshed with a fresh coat of paint. ‘I stuck white self-adhesive vinyl on the inside glass of the wall cabinets to make them look a bit tidier.’

‘There’s loads of hidden kitchen storage for my pots and pans behind this roll top door. Changing the handles, which came from Amazon, from stainless steel to gold has added a touch of luxury.’

Dining

Photography Katie Jane Watson/Future PLC

Over the summer the dining room was tackled. First the black and coffee coloured walls were painted white and the fireplace was white-washed. ‘It had been a bright red brick colour which I wanted to tone down and make more rustic looking.’

Photography Katie Jane Watson/Future PLC

Even with the sofa against the wall, the space looked quite bare so a DIY wall panelling idea was added. ‘To be honest I winged it; we were at B&Q and I asked them to cut some MDF for me.’

‘I hadn’t measured it for size so when we got it home it was too long. We re-cut it and simply used gorilla glue and a nails to fix it to the wall.’

Dining

Photography Katie Jane Watson/Future PLC

A traditional painted dresser in the dining area make for great hidden storage as well as for display items.

Our renter recommend keeping your eye on local selling sites, especially if want a particular piece of furniture, as that’s often where you’ll often find good deals. ‘I picked up the table for £20, and then complimented it with Tolix-style chairs for only £25 each from ebay.’

Bedroom

Photography Katie Jane Watson/Future PLC

Our renter loves to mix beige and greys with lots of texture as it makes a neutral bedroom colour scheme more interesting. These tables were a Facebook market place bargain; £20 for both. The wall decoration is simply pampas grass glued to a plastic hoop.

Photography Katie Jane Watson/Future PLC

The wardrobe panels were originally green glass, so they were painted using a primer first and then a white eggshell finish was painted on top. The Bentwood chair, found in a charity shop was sanded and waxed.

Bathroom

Photography Katie Jane Watson/Future PLC

The only thing the bathroom required was to paint the floor, which needs doing regularly to keep it looking clean and fresh. ‘It’s such a treat having a roll-top bath and it’s an unusual but luxurious feature to have in a rental. The grey rug is from H&M and works perfectly as a bathmat.

Guest Bedroom

Photography Katie Jane Watson/Future PLC

For the guest bedroom a colour blocking bedroom paint idea was used. ‘People make it look really easy but I just couldn’t get the lines straight. I put the tape on and used a spirit level but then realised the walls weren’t straight, so eventually I did it by eye.

Being in one place for seven years is a long time for renting, and people ask me why I spend money decorating someone else’s house, but it’s a source of pride for me as well as a hobby, and it’s important to make where I live feel like my home. In truth, other than paint, I try not to spend a lot of money on things I can’t take with me when I leave!’

The post Easy up-cycling and landlord-friendly hacks gives this rental a stylish new look appeared first on Ideal Home.