Latest Homes magazine

Parker Bathrooms are putting the style into the plumbing

Bathrooms have undergone a massive transformation in the last few years. Once hidden away, the rooms where you went in private and never really talked about are suddenly chic. Bathroom style is as hot as kitchen style was in the 1990s and they come in all shapes and sizes, from under-stair WCs to massive family spaces. Bathroom chic was no doubt spurred on by the advent of the boutique hotel, where en-suite facilities were steeped in luxury. Taking a bath or a shower has become more than just a way of getting clean, these days it’s a sensory experience, a place to relax and linger, to indulge yourself at your leisure.

Enter centre stage Parker Bathrooms who have been in business here in Brighton for 22 years. They have a long standing customer base that includes both trade and the public and these days they deal directly with a lot of designers and architects offering a fantastic service.

Part of that service is the massive range of designs and manufacturers that Parker offers. To that range they are about to add two new suppliers to the portfolio, Catalano and Vitra – both smart modern Italian design orientated companies.

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Latest Interiors moves outdoors to achieve the perfect summer vibe

Bowls (set of 4) £8, plates (set of 4) £10, hi balls (set of 4) £8, placemats (set of 4) £6, runners £8 each, all at www.next.co.uk

Cressida table and chairs, £259, www.houseoffraser.co.uk

Obviously, in these times of economic uncertainty, we’ll be the first to tell you to get out there and support your fabulous local restaurants. And so you should – use ‘em or lose ‘em. But come the summer (which will probably start around October, if recent snowfall is anything to gauge the seasons by), eating out will be the next big thing. Eating outdoors, that is. So pack up some dips, a bottle of something chilled (possibly rosé), and let us take you for a sneak preview of sultry summer evenings outside.

Space

Whether your space outdoors is a balcony, yard or rolling garden, entertaining outside is simple. Define the space using different floor finishes – decking, tiling or even gravel work well in contrast to lawn or concrete. Plants and structures can be used to make an open space seem cosy and private. Give some thought to overlooking properties when planning the area. If your patio or garden has an obvious feature – a lovely old tree or a natural bamboo ‘screen’, make the most of it. Read the rest of this article »

HomeBuy purchasers can benefit from a tough housing and lending market says Marilyn DiCara, Director of Sales and Marketing, Moat

We are assaulted by almost daily reports of mortgage lenders closing for new lending or demanding ever larger deposits from house hunters at the moment. But in a tough housing and financial market, there are still areas of the market providing an excellent deal for both home buyers and lenders.

The HomeBuy shared ownership schemes, where buyers purchase only part of the equity of a home, represent lower risk for both buyers and lenders.

The issue of housing affordability has not gone away. While prices have stabilised, they are still extremely high by historic standards. In many parts of London and the South East, the average house price is over ten times local incomes – well out of reach for most first-time buyers. Even if prices drop by ten percent, as some commentators think possible, homes will still not be affordable for large numbers of local people.

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Andrew Kay is in a confessional mood and worried about the state of our streets

I am feeling so ashamed. The shame is weighing heavy in my heart and my soul. It burns there, like smokeless fuel. Smokeless because I have felt unable to talk about it.

Let me start at the beginning. It was a freakishly warm day and my brother, wife and my two nephews had come to stay. They live a few hundred miles away so I like to do lots with them when they are here. Which is why you could find me on the beach and ten pin bowling. We also like to go out to restaurants as they live in sleepy town on the edge of the Black Mountains.

“What can you do to fight hate crime and protect kids from things that they should not see or hear?”

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The Paul O’Grady Show’s Marc Abraham champions the message of responsible pet ownership set out in National Pet Month

I’ve just spent the last twenty minutes trying to convince the owner of Jessie, a lovely seven-year-old Border Collie, to agree to have her spayed. With recent improvements in veterinary knowledge and resources, pets are enjoying longer healthier lives, and with safer anaesthetics for animals, preventative surgery for dogs and cats has never been so important. In females, spaying eliminates the chances of both pyometra (pus-filled womb) and mammary tumours. Male pets will benefit from the non-existent risk of prostate and testicular cancer, as well as alleviating associated behaviour problems.

“With improvements in veterinary knowledge and resources, pets are enjoying longer lives”

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