Home > March 2012

Tim and Zoë Deeks have built an exciting contemporary timber-framed home in the area where they both grew up, overlooking the church where they got married. Tim designed the house himself, which he describes as a Marmite house - "you either love it or hate it" – to incorporate eco technologies such as a heat recovery ventilation system and triple glazed windows.

The staircase is a great way of introducing drama and spectacle to your home. The flowing curves of spiral and helical stairs can be both practical and elegant.

Is big necessarily better? There are plenty of examples of good house design for compact properties. Not only can they be practical in terms of helping you gain planning permission and lowering your carbon footprint, they can also provide a comfortable living space with minimal heating bills. All you need is a little imagination.

Wendy and Derek Smith left the hotel trade in search of their dream home, finding a coastal 1930s bungalow in Paignton that they extended outwards and upwards to create a stylish modern home. Derek and Wendy got stuck in taking down partition walls and ceilings to make a more open-plan layout, which they've filled with stylish finishes and furnishings.

Sally Storey is a pioneer of lighting design and has redefined the way artificial lighting has been used in buildings. She is design director at John Cullen Lighting and has worked with some high profile clients including The Savoy hotel and various members of the royal family. Sally chats to us about her background in architecture, the way she uses light and her plans for the future.

Jorge Cañete has redesigned the east wing of a Swiss castle using luxurious fabrics and finishes, marrying culture, art and history. A series of handwritten letters dating back to the 1760s – when the castle was built – are stuck to the wall in the living room to make a historically significant installation.

Simon and Sophie Edwards have extended their traditional 1930s home, dramatically remodelling it both inside and out, rendering it unrecognisable from the original building. The 1930s house had an ugly 1970s extension which has been incorporated into the design, with further extensions added to the front, side and rear.

The trend for replacing existing homes with a larger property is prevalent on a leafy private road in Wilmslow, Cheshire, and homeowner Beverley Crowther employs our Plot Doctor Roy Speers to assess whether the same could be done to her property.

March is National Bed Month, so we take a look at the Sleep Council's recommendations for getting a good night's sleep, go shopping for the latest beds and explore advances in mattresses to give us that fully supported feeling.