Mary Richards

1 week ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Hugh Metcalf |Mary Richards |Jason Podesta

Love this boutique hotel-inspired concept, but not sure it will work for everyday living? Here’s what you need to know. Whether you’ve stayed in a luxury hotel that features one, or simply seen one in the pages of a glossy interiors magazine, chances are you’re familiar with the idea of a freestanding bath situated in a bedroom. How you feel about it may be a different story.

2 weeks ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Mary Richards

Dom French first fell in love with architecture as a young boy when he watched the very first series of Grand Designs with his mum. He never dreamt back then that one day he’d own a stunning home special enough to feature in Grand Designs magazine. But, by working together with his wife and chosing an excellent architect, that’s what he’s achieved. So we went to meet Dom in his newly renovated, stylish and sophisticated north London family home.

2 weeks ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Jason Podesta |Mary Richards

Research shows that 54% of Brits say they’re capable of DIY, although just 9% of these refer to themselves as ‘very’ capable. Whichever camp you fall into, it can be tempting to save money by tackling home maintenance jobs yourself. Certain jobs, however, should be left to the professionals, and with good reason – botched DIY attempts at tile grouting, plumbing and structural work can be incredibly costly and cause further issues in other parts of your home.

3 weeks ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Mary Richards |Caroline Rodrigues

The story we often hear about heat-pumps is that they work in well insulated modern homes but aren’t so good in older houses. Well, Professor Nick Cowern and Margaret Martin beg to differ, and they’re keen to tell heat-pump sceptics all about how their beautiful 17th Century Shropshire home is kept toasty warm by their new air-source heat-pump.

3 weeks ago | granddesignsmagazine.com | Mary Richards |Amy Cutmore |Hayley Gilbert

A gradient may seem like a challenge to landscape, but these sloped garden ideas show how creative landscaping, structural work and planting can deliver an impactful outdoor space. ‘A slope can be an opportunity to create visual interest in the level changes,’ says James Scott, MD of The Garden Company.