Central St Martins gives King's Cross the edge
Central St Martins' new campus is fizzing and the first of 2,000 homes are launched, as 67 acres of King's Cross becomes London's hottest district.
Property insider: Kingston upon Thames
There is something of a buy-to-let boom quietly rumbling away in Kingston upon Thames, the family favourite south-west London suburb. We get the property lowdown.
Spotlight on Stoke Newington
Young professionals and families are attracted to "Stokey" by the mainly Victorian housing stock and the neighbourhood's arty and bohemian vibe.
Spotlight on Harpenden
Close to woods and parkland, with good links to London, this small town has a lot to offer those looking to start a new life out of the city.
Design trends: loving red
We've found five red-hot gifts and gadgets to let your Valentine know that home is where the heart is.
Find a rated tradesman
Want to add value to your property, make your house a home, or sell your place fast? With 1,000s of tradesmen nationwide, rated and recommended by previous customers, this is the smart way to find a reputable tradesman.
Buy of the week: Streatham Hill
On leafy Downton Avenue in SW2, plenty of family space can be yours for £550,000 at this Edwardian home. There are four bedrooms and a convertible loft space, and the open-plan kitchen/breakfast room has French windows to a good-size garden.
Swap of the week: Dalwood, Devon
Cosy up by woodburning stoves or cook a feast in the vaulted kitchen/breakfast room of this 18th-century thatch for £525,000. Three bedrooms overlook cottage gardens and a timber studio makes a perfect home office.
Life-changer: St Erth Praze, Cornwall
Tregenhorne Farm (£550,000) has four acres of paddocks, stables and valley views, minutes from Cornwall's north coast. You can run your own equestrian business from the garden office and the four-bedroom home has a country kitchen with an Aga.
Spotlight on Harpenden
Close to woods and parkland, with good links to London, this small town has a lot to offer those looking to start a new life out of the city.
Property search
Design news
By Katie Law
Book of the week
Spanish style
A Catalan gallery owner mixes vintage industrial fittings and antique furniture (right); a village house in Perelada has the owner's artwork hung from the ceiling, while a Galician B& B is all limewash and rustic flourishes. Spanish style is hard to pin down but this book makes a cracking good start. Spanish Style by Kate Hill (Merrell Publishers) is available for only £26.95, including p&p (rrp £29.95), by calling 01235 465 500, and quoting reference MPMERSHP.
Any old iron, stone or church doors?
Salvo 2009
The grounds of Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, will become a magnificent junk yard (left) from Friday to Sunday with more than 60 architectural and salvage businesses setting out their stalls. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, say a York stone cemetery slab or wooden doors from a Hawksmoor church, this is the place for you. Admission is usually £7.50 but bring this page and two people can get in for the price of one.
It's crazy, but it works
Shop of the week
Katie Hyatt and her daughter-in-law, Stephania Pena-Nur, have brought a smile to west Londoners with the recent opening of their shop, Bliss Fields, which sells a charming mix of fresh flowers and vintage homeware (right). The shop, just off Brook Green, W6, is packed with a charming mix of distressed painted wood furniture, chandeliers, china and glass, all mingling with long-stemmed roses, pots of fresh herbs and seasonal blooms. It is all very affordable, too.
Red this on the internet
Hot pink at M&S
Do all your online shopping with the new Vivienne Tam Notebook (left), launched at M& S with a price tag of £449. Covered in a peony flower design it weighs in at just over a kilo, making it a pretty accessory indoors and out.
For more details, visit www.marksandspencer.com.
Sale into Chelsea
Chelsea Harbour Interiors
London's ultimate decorator destination, off Lots Road in Chelsea, is holding a spectacular sale this weekend, with up to 80 per cent off fabrics, wallpapers, furniture, lighting and accessories.
Participating shops include Chase Erwin, Donghia, the Paint & Paper Library, Zoffany and Fox Linton. The lovely Davidson single-button AD384 chair (right) is only £485 in the sale.
The sale starts Saturday, then until Friday next week. Two hours free parking is a bonus. For more details, call 020 7225 9101, or visit www.designcentrechelseaharbour.co.uk.
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Perfect extensions
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Don't move - let the light come to you
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Garden extensions
More space, more light, more time to enjoy the garden - it's the summer trinity that so many home-owners dream of when adding a garden extension.
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Attic conversions
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Accept the challenge
After one of the wettest summers ever, we need to weatherproof our plants from extreme conditions. How do you cope with your rain-sodden garden?
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Valentine's Day: flowers that keep on growing
Living plants represent a lasting symbol of love. Try alternatives to a traditional bouquet of red roses and you'll seduce a loved one for months to come.
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Bargain news
Deals on a limescale softening system, colourful rugs and coffee tables, water filter machines and dish racks.
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Don't move - let the light come to you
A Chiswick couple dramatically changed their 'for now' house into a forever home. And many others are transforming their family homes.
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Spring fairs: design has never been more confident
The new year brings new design and new trends — as three major interiors fairs, running back to back in London, Paris, and Birmingham, reveal.
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Design trends: at the department stores
John Lewis has just launched its Design Collective, a joint venture with some of the most talented furniture and product designers around. And other department stores are marshalling their designer talents, too.
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