BUSINESS

In the middle of Cherie Clonan’s bright Melbourne home sits a room in total darkness, “for our son to retreat to”, she says. “It’s all black in there. You wouldn’t believe it’s the same home!” The space, lined with sound-blocking panels, is a sanctuary for her autistic son: a quiet cocoon for decompressing after school. … Read more

It is December, which everyone knows is the time to get your Christmas on. So what is it to be this year? An ironic wreath made from brussel sprouts? Oh-so-zeitgeist decorations in the shape of Perelló olive tins or Torres crisp packets? Or are we thinking a minimalist all-white theme? Wrong, wrong and wrong again. … Read more

The problemIn the dark days of winter, the whole house is darker, days are shorter, skies are greyer and our tropical houseplants receive far less light than they would in their natural habitat. Leaves fade and growth slows as plants struggle to photosynthesise. The hackGrow lights offer a clever fix, topping up what nature can’t … Read more

Name: Britain’s most desirable home. Age: Newly crowned. Appearance: Let’s go with “deceptively spacious”. Deceptively spacious? But that’s estate agent code for “tiny”. That’s because the home in question is not as big as you’d have thought. It’s a fairly ordinary-sized detached house in the Welsh countryside. Pencader, Carmarthenshire, to be precise. What’s the sell? … Read more

it was the second Tuesday in November but Christmas was already in crisis. Sarah Gibbons had just received a shipment of baubles at her Glasgow homeware shop, Modern Love Store, and some crucial ornaments were missing. She hopped on a long-distance phone call to her suppliers in the US – she needed to sort this … Read more