Let the Children Speak

Listening to school age kids is vital – but first you have to get them to talk says Hilary Wilce. All the research shows that children whose parents support them at school and show an interest in what they’re learning...

A Gentle Cleanse

The last thing our bodies need when it’s still cool and damp is a brutal detox with raw food that is hard to digest, much better work in harmony with your body and the season says Eminé Rushton. Detoxes are...

Rhubarb tart

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5, placing an oven rack in the lower part of it. Butter a 25-cm/10-inch loose-bottom tart pan. Roll out the pastry (dough) thinly on a lightly floured work surface and use to line the...

Ally commissioned bespoke bookshelves to create a focal point in the sitting room. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Varta, to add a splash of bold colour.

Family favours

The Weald of Kent is a very special part of the world, with its beautiful rolling landscape peppered with postcard-worthy villages – and an unusually high volume of dream homes in ideal family proportions. This house is one of them....

The Big Mind & Body Spring Clean

It’s April, and time for a clear out. In the rush to throw open the windows and defrost the fridge, don’t forget to put aside some time for a self spring clean to re-energise your mind and body. This isn’t...

The soil is warming, the sun is rising in the sky and the April showers are providing plenty of moisture

Jobs to do in April

Spring is the time for investment gardening, so the more effort you put in now, the less you’ll have to do later in the season. There ought to be a saying for it - a weed pulled today keeps thousands...

The dining table is medieval. It was given to Marta’s father, an architect by a client in lieu of fees. Marta deliberately exposed the brickwork around the fireplace to reveal the building’s fabric. The mirror is from McCully & Crane in Rye

Coastal haven

This old coastguard’s cottage is gloriously free of all those corny seaside decor clichés thanks to interior architect Marta Nowicka’s sophisticated vision. If it’s not wall-to-wall tongue-and-groove it will be the pots of beach stones and assorted weather-beaten flotsam and jetsam...

Soft trench, £99, French Connection at Ashford Designer Outlet, metallic biker jacket, £59, Guess at Ashford Designer Outlet, frayed hem jeans, £27.99, Gap at Ashford Designer Outlet, leather bag, £89, Jaeger at Ashford Designer Outlet ashforddesigneroutlet.com; longline shirt, £110, Bod & Ted, bodandted.co.uk; garnet leather clogs, £125, Kitty Clogs Sweden kittyclogssweden.co.uk.

Rain or shine

With wet weather gear the choice used to be stay dry – or stay stylish, but high tech fabrics and a new generation of labels have combined the two. Bring on the rain!

Beet top and feta tart

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, placing an oven rack in the lower part of it. Grease a 30-cm/12-inch loose-bottom tart pan. Roll out the pastry (dough) on a lightly floured work surface until it is large enough to...

Nana’s fruit cake

Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1. Line a 23-cm/ 9-inch square cake pan with parchment (baking) paper. Put the dried fruit, prunes, condensed milk, butter, treacle (molasses), syrup, vanilla and brandy into a pan. Add the water and bring...

Beetroot chutney

Put the apples into a heavy pan with a little water, cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes until soft but not mushy. Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan and boil for 1 hour or more, until...

Frozen pea and mint pesto

Cook the peas in a pan of boiling water for 2–3 minutes, until just tender, then drain and refresh in cold water. Drain again and pat dry. Tip the peas into a blender or food processor and add the remaining...

Toffee Apple Spritz Cocktail from Hush Heath

:: SPONSORED CONTENT :: To create the cocktail: Build the JD Honey, Aperol and Hush Heath Estate English Apple Wine in a wine glass. Add cubed ice. Pour on soda. Dress with the apple slice. Hidden deep in the Garden of England, Hush Heath...

Get fit in three months – Month Three: Home Workout

This month, personal trainer and nutritionist Sarah-Jane Holt, is focusing on making the two workouts we’ve been using in January and February that bit harder and increasing the weekly power walk to 40 minutes. She also introduces another nutritional tweak....

Caramel Griddled Apricots on Toasted Scioche

You will find the range in selected food emporia, delis and specialist farm shops (see their website for details) not in bread racks, but in the freezer cabinet. Managing director Simon Cannell explains their philosophy: “We freeze straight from the...

The Ultimate Easter Roast Lamb Sandwich

All the bread is made from scratch at their bakery, with doughs proving for 24 to 48 hours – so none of the quick-acting yeasts used in industrial bread production. You will find the range in selected food emporia, delis...

Brighten up!

Embrace the new season in mixed brights, bold earrings and fresh takes on denim. Model Hellen Onyango, make-up artist Alissia Jankoo and our stylist Kate Watts, show you how.

Mini Moroccan Pulled Lamb Brioche Sliders

The only Red Tractor certified bakery in the country - because they use 100% British wheat – the Baker’s Bicycle range includes such delights as ciabatta-style panini rolls perfect for toasties, glazed brioche buns and something unique they invented: the...

Looking from the sitting area through to the eat-in kitchen, shows the beautiful flow of the space. The antlers are vintage and they found the 1970s lamp in Hastings. The sofas are IKEA cleverly disguised under antique French linen sheets (Pale & Interesting always have a stock of antique linen) and the cushions are also from their shop

New England Style Beach House

Converting a tired old weatherboard cabin into a spacious coastal retreat, Atlanta Bartlett and Dave Coote were sure of one thing - that it would end up pale and interesting... This talented husband and wife team are behind the company...

Sarah’s bedroom is a veritable boudoir. She had the curtains made in fabric from Wayward in St Leonards. She found the bed cover in Debenhams and the wallpaper is by Italian firm Dochi. The gold and crystal mirror was from TK Maxx, Tunbridge Wells. The 1950s dressing table was from an antiques shop in Eastbourne

Hollywood Glamour

This Hastings house is a glorious tribute to high fashion, Hollywood’s golden era and – of course – Mr Elvis Presley (thank you very much...) A notice hanging in the kitchen of this Victorian terrace says it all: ‘Some girls are...

Vamp it up

Create some winter romance with layers of voluminous, delicate lace, sensual satin and handmade accessories

Easy Easter Bake Recipes

Grab your pinny and forget the calories, it's time to get baking. Here are some of our favourite Easter bakes. From super-cute flock cakes to Rosemary Schrager's simnel battenburg, we've got your Easter treat recipes covered. Flock cakes Who could resist...

Simple Soup Recipes

Look no further for some healthy and hearty soup recipes to pep up your autumn kitchen repertoire. It's easy to keep falling back on all your old favourites but if you fancy a change we've got just the thing. These...

The family bathroom sports a great black steel-riveted bateau bath that Louise found on eBay and black and white mosaic tile flooring from Tile Design in St Leonards

Best of the Baths Inspiration

What better way to relax than a long, hot soak in the bath? If you're looking to freshen up your bathroom take some inspiration from some of our favourite baths.   Copper Bath This wonderful William Holland bath is just...