Homes gossip: Prince William; Gwyneth Paltrow; Sian Astley and Paul Young

Gwyneth's new kitchen is simply paradise

Considering that she is an A-list actress and he a music superstar, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin live pretty modest domestic lives. But when they splash out, they do so in style.

The cosy couple, who already own a north London townhouse, have just invested in a new-build Los Angeles ranch.

They spent £6.7 million on the six-bedroom, eight-bathroom house designed by US architect and interiors expert Windsor Smith.

Paltrow regularly uploads recipes on her lifestyle website, Goop, so couldn’t resist the home’s gorgeous open-plan kitchen, which comes with plenty of room for entertaining. In the words of Coldplay frontman Martin, it’s Paradise.

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Where there's a Wills there's a way

The much anticipated RAF Bomber Command Memorial unveiled in Green Park last week was a project first led by late Bee Gee Robin Gibb, who won support from celebrities and royalty.

Among the backers was Prince William, who urged “all those who value the freedoms we enjoy today” to give to the project. But will the prince now back a fundraiser to buy 350-acre former RAF Bicester, a historic airfield in Oxfordshire, which is being sold by the Ministry of Defence?

Viewings of the 19 Grade II-listed buildings at the site have started and the Bomber Command team say they are prepared to raise £35 million over 20 years to restore them as a “living museum”. Over to you, sir.

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Sian is set to repair Britain's DIY disasters

How many of us have failed to finish a DIY job — despite our best intentions? A new property show, hosted by handy woman Sian Astley, promised to put Britain’s most gung-ho home renovators in the spotlight.

Tough-talking Astley, who has previously teamed up with the likes of Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Sarah Beeny, and who sometimes shares her expertise on ITV’s Daybreak, aims to turn the failing projects around in just two weeks for her four-part Channel 5 series Half Built House.

She’ll put her building and interior design skills to good use, proving that you can turn a disaster into a dream home and increase the value of your property with some achievable makeovers. The glamorous property entrepreneur, who has worked on more than 150 developments, launches her new show on Tuesday, July 10 at 8pm. Tune in for top tips.

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Wherever I lay my hat - that's my Barnet

Fans of Eighties pop star Paul Young may be surprised to hear that he is now dabbling in interiors. The Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) singer is working with new website Bath, Bed and Home. He’s also honing his domestic skills by penning a cookbook and putting the finishing touches to the five-bedroom, three-bathroom house in New Barnet that he moved into 18 months ago.

“The third floor is currently just an open space,” he tells me. “We are deciding how best to split it between a den, a studio and a dressing area.” The new-build house is in the ideal spot for Young.

“My family and I are definitely north Londoners. We like Barnet’s close proximity to three big airports and the fact that it is so near the countryside with a lot of surrounding woodland.”

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