Clerkenwell: the home of loft living
Clerkenwell has become so achingly cool that the affluent young entrepreneurs who work in its creative businesses are desperate to live there, too.
The best new homes 2012
Here we showcase this year's winners of our London Evening Standard New Homes Awards - the capital's property Oscars.
Spotlight on Camden Town
The shops and markets clustered around the high street and canal make Camden one of the most colourful of London's neighbourhoods. The area's period homes and loft-style apartments attract a mix of homebuyers.
Move to St Albans and you get two cities for the price of one
Moving out of the capital doesn’t have to mean a longer commute or even a change of job.
My design London: Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley reveals her latest design project; discusses friend Damien Hirst's artwork, as well as her favourite restaurants and design shops in London.
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: high church
This former masonic chapel in Chiswick has been converted into a three-bedroom home (£1.175 million) with a 30-foot open-plan, double-height reception room. The kitchen is a black glossy affair, there’s a study, a cinema room and a decked roof terrace.
Swap of the week: Blackboys, East Sussex
Honeys Green farmhouse is a Grade II-listed pile that sits in a couple of acres and offers versatile living with an annexe and outdoor heated pool. Inside has character galore among four bedrooms and an attic room with pretty views.
Life-changer: South Petherton, Somerset
Willowbrook is a five-bedroom beauty (£1.15 million) with a 52-foot reception room and garages that could become a holiday apartment. Make a B&B business there and your guests could use the indoor pool and gym complex or roam your two-acre garden.
Spotlight on Tunbridge Wells
It may have temporarily lost its iron-rich spring but Tunbridge Wells has buckets of charm to make up for it.-
Buy of the week: high church
This former masonic chapel in Chiswick has been converted into a three-bedroom home (£1.175 million) with a 30-foot open-plan, double-height reception room. The kitchen is a black glossy affair, there’s a study, a cinema room and a decked roof terrace. -
Swap of the week: Blackboys, East Sussex
Honeys Green farmhouse is a Grade II-listed pile that sits in a couple of acres and offers versatile living with an annexe and outdoor heated pool. Inside has character galore among four bedrooms and an attic room with pretty views. -
Life-changer: South Petherton, Somerset
Willowbrook is a five-bedroom beauty (£1.15 million) with a 52-foot reception room and garages that could become a holiday apartment. Make a B&B business there and your guests could use the indoor pool and gym complex or roam your two-acre garden.
Property search
Steal the style: tibits, W1
By Amira Hashish
The colour and opulence of the West End restaurant is inspired by the extravagant décor of Europe's great opera houses
In our new Steal the style series, our design writers visit some of the capital's most striking spaces and show how to get a similar look without breaking the bank.
First up is vegetarian restaurant tibits in Heddon Street, off Regent Street, where glamour comes with the meat-free menu.
Founded in Switzerland, tibits has brought a new kind of dining experience to the West End. The healthy dishes are served in vibrant, theatrical surroundings.
It's opulent yet on trend, inspired by the baroque and rococo extravagance of Europe's great opera houses.
Rich moss and berry wall coverings are matched by a palette of stunning pearl and bronze paints.
Swiss interiors specialist Wohn-In AG worked with London's Designers Guild studio to create a vibe that could jazz up any dining area - with a few key pieces, the look is surprisingly achievable.
GET THE TIBITS LOOK AT HOME
STRIKING LIGHTING: Tesco's Arabella satin shade (right, £30, tesco.com), with its metallic liner and delicate bead drops, has the extravagant allure of tibits's version, while Littlewoods has the elegant Serena pendant (second right, £30, littlewoods.com).
B&Q's pendants start at £14.98 for the Berlin Opal Eff light (third right). Or an edgier option is the Reflex ball pendant (far right, £64.98, diy.com).
B&Q's pendants start at £14.98 for the Berlin Opal Eff light (third right). Or an edgier option is the Reflex ball pendant (far right, £64.98, diy.com).
NEAT SEATS: classic dining chairs can be given a modern lift by adding colourful pads. John Lewis's handsomely plain Carrie dining chairs are £59 each (far right, johnlewis.com).
The tibits look is all about mix and match, so these chairs can be paired with more flamboyant pads. The reversible Spots and Stripes range from Bedding Direct (right, two-pack, £9.99, beddingdirectuk.com) will complement your cube stools and cushions.
The tibits look is all about mix and match, so these chairs can be paired with more flamboyant pads. The reversible Spots and Stripes range from Bedding Direct (right, two-pack, £9.99, beddingdirectuk.com) will complement your cube stools and cushions.
DRESS TO IMPRESS: dress the table with an antique-style candle holder. Debenhams has a grand option (right, £10, debenhams.com). Or go designer with Vera Wang for Wedgewood's Love Knots (second right, £40 a pair, johnlewis.com).
And never underestimate flower power: the mini silver vases at Very Nice Things (far right, £15, verynicethings.co.uk) are perfect for single-stem blooms.
And never underestimate flower power: the mini silver vases at Very Nice Things (far right, £15, verynicethings.co.uk) are perfect for single-stem blooms.
FLOCK IT: textures and layers are key features of tibits but to get a flock fix at Designers Guild, its Monteverdi Moss wallpaper, from the Arabella range, will cost £105 a roll (designersguild.com).
For budget versions, Wilkinson has pink/silver Super Fresco Elizabeth (above right, £15.97 a roll) or Arthouse Opera Da Vinci Damask (below right, £8 a roll; wilkinsonplus.com).
For budget versions, Wilkinson has pink/silver Super Fresco Elizabeth (above right, £15.97 a roll) or Arthouse Opera Da Vinci Damask (below right, £8 a roll; wilkinsonplus.com).
CO-ORDINATE WITH CUSHIONS the warm colours of your dining room can be enhanced by using the right cushions. Snap up Homebase's luxury velvet stripe cushion (above right, £7, homebase.co.uk), or Matalan's Metrix striped cushion (below right, £8, matalan.co.uk)
COOL CUBES: cube stools can be teamed with traditional or highly contemporary furniture. Multiyork's comfy cubes are available in a wide selection of fabrics.
For the tibits look, go for a cube in Designers Guild's Asolo Berry fabric (right, £179, multiyork.co.uk).
For the tibits look, go for a cube in Designers Guild's Asolo Berry fabric (right, £179, multiyork.co.uk).
TABLE MANNERS: For the table, the more robust the better - and neutral colours work best.
Ikea's budget-friendly oak-veneered Bjursta (right, £139, ikea.com/gb) has two pullout leaves, making it possible to adjust the size (from 90cm square to 168cm by 90cm), or the white and silver 70cm by 60cm Billsta table (far right) is a snip at £60.
Ikea's budget-friendly oak-veneered Bjursta (right, £139, ikea.com/gb) has two pullout leaves, making it possible to adjust the size (from 90cm square to 168cm by 90cm), or the white and silver 70cm by 60cm Billsta table (far right) is a snip at £60.
More articles
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Chelsea Flower Show 2012 preview
A spectacular 80ft tower - Chelsea's very own Shard of Grass - plus a glorious new Royal Jubilee rose and 18 show gardens will offer London gardeners inspiring ideas at this year's show.
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Perfect extensions
Londoners planning to extend their homes should follow a simple golden rule: go for quality, not grandeur.
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My home: Mark Christophers
Mark Christophers, who co-founded the West Cornwall Pasty Company, also had ingenious ideas for a tired terrace house, which he transformed into a jaw-dropping, light-filled home.
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Innovation: Clerkenwell Design Week
Fantastic fibre-optic and iridescent acrylic lighting forms one of the many dazzling displays as we preview this year’s design show in EC1.
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My design London: Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley reveals her latest design project; discusses friend Damien Hirst's artwork, as well as her favourite restaurants and design shops in London.
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The Chelsea Fringe flower show
You many not have a ticket for Chelsea Flower Show but the hottest show in town is on the streets of London, and, for the most part, the Chelsea Fringe is free.
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Bargain news
Deals on wall stickers and quirky furniture, a garden hammock, shoe wheel, Chinese stools and timber folding doors.
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My design London: Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley reveals her latest design project; discusses friend Damien Hirst's artwork, as well as her favourite restaurants and design shops in London.
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New: The Goldsmiths' Centre
Clerkenwell's new school for goldsmiths, silversmiths and jewellers is set to turn out world-beating graduates.
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Jubilee street parties and picnics
From vintage bunting to regal table settings and quirky cake toppers - we've found everything you need for a right royal knees up.
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