Features
 This charming house in the Luberon region was until recently a ruin. But it's been restored in a style you could call rustic sophistication, using traditional building techniques and plenty of brocante-sourced furniture and objets |
 Cut your energy bill by paying heed to some tried and tested tricks and tips. For example, don't leave a mobile plugged in, give plug-in electric space heaters a wide berth and never leave a fan on if no-one's in the room |
 The Institute of Chemical Engineers' advice to its members is to be conscious about using the minimum of a substance. And we layfolk could do more for the environment by embracing minimalism |
 For small projects such as garden rooms, is it time to embrace the ground screw over concrete for the all important foundations? |
 Blinds offer the best solution for window treatments. They can be eminently affordable, easy to install and they give a smart finished look to all rooms |
 Our summers are getting hotter and the Environment Agency is warning that in 25 years' time there may not be enough water for our population. So we must take heed and learn to treat water like the precious resource it is. And that means re-thinking our bathrooms |
 Sphere8 offers perfectly smooth and seamless resin floors with a difference - their product is plant rather than petrochemical-based. |
 For larger rooms, the wider the planks, the more striking the floor can look. And wood from sustainable forests, or reclaimed wood, are good choices for the eco-minded home-owner. |
 They have long been the interior designer's favourite indoor plant - no Kelly Hoppen interior is complete without an arrangement of orchids. And prices have come down considerably, making them a good option for adding instant style to a room |
 Artist Dee McLean has made a series of paintings over the past two years that chronicles the resurgence of the plants and flowers in the ponds area of Hampstead Heath |
 Old, a bit shabby, but you sense there's potential for something fabulous? Then upcycle it, says Kathryn Beighton |
 This award-winning refurbishment by 6a architects of a house in Devon shows the impact of wood on white |
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